FID – Chapter 574

Chapter 574: Just One Strike

Hearing that there was meat to eat, cheers erupted once more at the entrance of the cave.

For days, they had been surviving on nothing but fruit. Even when they managed to dry some firewood, all they could do was cook thin porridge in the only pot they had. Their mouths had long since lost the taste of anything rich.

Now, at last, they could have some meat—and not just any meat, but wild game!

A black bear!

The villagers from Xiapo Village, who had gone hunting with Wei Hong, excitedly recounted the thrilling encounter.

They described how terrified they were when they first saw the black bear, while Wei Hong remained calm and patient. She seized the perfect moment, leaped forward, and with a single strike, took down the raging beast.

Their admiration for her was through the roof!

This was a true master, a real expert!

They were grateful that the two villages had already reconciled. If there had been any lingering conflicts, how could they, mere peasants, stand a chance against someone like Wei Hong? She could take them out as easily as cutting vegetables!

Wei Hong, however, remained indifferent. She simply said, “Keep the bear paws and gallbladder. This leg goes to the Liu family. The rest, split among yourselves.” Then she turned and walked into the cave.

Behind her, someone quickly tried to flatter her. “Don’t worry, Aunt Hong! Leave it to me! I’ll make sure it’s handled perfectly, and once it’s roasted, the whole leg will be delivered straight to you!”

Wei Hong stumbled slightly, her face darkening.

Aunt Hong? Calling me ‘senior’ now? Who the hell is old?!

Inside the cave, the Liu family burst into laughter.

“Aunt Hong, you’ve really worked hard,” Liu Yusheng said with a smile, cradling her belly.

Aunt Hong was always so cold and expressionless—seeing her lose composure was a rare treat.

The only person who could make her show any emotion was Wei Lan.

So, catching a glimpse of her reactions now was truly entertaining—the contrast was just too much!

Wei Hong glanced at the young girl and said in a flat tone, “It wasn’t hard. Just one strike.”

“…” Liu Yusheng’s smile immediately faded. A chill ran down her spine.

Was Aunt Hong threatening her just now?

And such a calm, effortless one at that? 

Hmm, quite the progress.

“Dahong, did you go deep into the mountains? Are there a lot of wild animals? Wolves? Tigers?” Grandma Liu asked with great interest.

“I remember when Nannan was little, people in the village used to say they heard wolves howling in the middle of the night. It gave everyone the chills.”

“That’s true. No one ever dares to go deep into Luofu Mountain. The most people do is pick wild herbs around the edges. And now that life is better, even fewer people go up there.”

The elders started reminiscing about the past. 

After the first few days of feeling down, they had adjusted. They had accepted reality and were looking ahead. Life had to move forward. If a single setback left them crushed and defeated, what was the point of being human?

Meanwhile, Liu Zhiqiu scooted over to Wei Hong. “Aunt Hong, are you going again tomorrow? Take me with you—I want to see for myself! I heard fox fur is worth a lot of money. Let’s catch a fox!”

After all, he still owed more than 40,000 taels. He had to make some money to pay off his debt!

“I didn’t see any foxes there, but I did see two sets of white bones. Are you sure you still want to go?”

“…Aunt Hong, do you really look down on me that much? You think I’d be scared of bones? They’re just human remains! Tomorrow, I’ll go bury them and earn some merit!” Liu Zhiqiu huffed, both amused and annoyed.

As if he—a grown man—would be afraid!

“Qian Wanjin, Xue Qinglian, come with me! We can’t just sit around in the cave all day waiting to be served! Get up and move—act like real men!”

“Pfft! Trying to use reverse psychology? If you need us to boost your courage, just say so. No need to drag masculinity into it.” Qian Wanjin snorted.

If he wasn’t a man, would Xiao Shi have chosen him?

What a joke.

Xue Qinglian didn’t even bother responding. He just turned over and continued resting.

A bunch of heartless guys!

As they laughed and bickered, Liu Yusheng slowly stepped out of the cave.

The cheerful voices from inside reached her ears, making her lips curl into a smile.

The flood hadn’t passed yet, but here, it already felt like the storm had cleared.

With the right mindset, hardships were sometimes not as insurmountable as they seemed.

There was no obstacle that couldn’t be overcome.

She was glad that her family all had such an open-minded attitude.

The rain in the mountains had stopped. Walking to a spot where the trees were slightly sparser, she looked down at the scene below.

The once-raging floodwaters had begun to slow, losing their terrifying, all-consuming force. The water level had receded slightly, revealing more rooftops than before.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t see beneath the water to determine how badly the houses had been damaged.

But it didn’t matter—as long as the people were safe, homes could always be rebuilt.

Soft footsteps sounded behind her.

Liu Yusheng turned and saw An Cai walking over with his hands behind his back.

“Village Chief.” She smiled.

Stopping a short distance from her, An Cai squinted toward Xiapo Village. The rooftops there were clustered together, like reefs emerging from the vast ocean, scattered in an irregular pattern.

“If this had happened in the past, one hit from the flood, and Xiapo Village might have been completely wiped out.”

“And now?”

“Now, we have money in hand, the people are safe, and the means to make a living are still there—all of it is hope.” An Cai’s narrow eyes softened slightly, and there was a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corners of his mouth. “Thanks to your good fortune. I hope that in the future, your blessings grow even greater, so that more people can benefit from them.”

“Then I’ll gladly accept your kind words,” Liu Yusheng replied with a bright smile.

As long as hope remained, nothing would truly collapse.

“Look there—it looks like someone is coming?”

Liu Yusheng immediately focused her gaze. At the far end of her vision, a few small dark figures emerged, gradually approaching through the vast floodwaters.

“The rescue team is here! Quick, go notify everyone to head down the mountain and wait for them!”

The two split up, each rushing to inform the villagers in their respective mountain caves.

The news was uplifting.

While supporting one another, the villagers began making their way down the mountain.

The path was still slippery, demanding caution, but it couldn’t dampen their excitement.

With rescuers arriving, they would finally be able to escape this predicament.

“Aunt Hong, do you have a way to signal them that we’re here? I’m worried they might not find us and turn back.”

Both villages had been completely submerged. To an outsider, it would seem as if all the villagers had drowned.

Wei Hong nodded, then leaped to the treetop. Gathering her internal strength, she shouted toward the distance, “There are people here in Luofu Mountain—”

Her voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it carried far.

On the wooden rescue boat in the distance, Liu Zhixia had just reached the village entrance when his heart sank completely.

A vast expanse of water stretched before him—houses completely submerged. He couldn’t even begin to imagine where the people had gone.

The flood in Xiangshan County had struck suddenly and with immense force, giving the people barely any time to escape.

What about the Liu family courtyard?

No matter how skilled Wei Hong and Xue Qinglian were in martial arts, could they have successfully led the entire family to safety amid the raging floodwaters?

His heart felt hollow, as if it had been torn apart. The pain made him double over.

“There are people here in Luofu Mountain—”

A voice carried from the distant mountaintop.

Liu Zhixia froze for a moment before shouting at the top of his lungs, “Luofu Mountain! Row toward Luofu Mountain, hurry!”

……

Traveling by boat was no longer an option. Due to the severe floods in Yunzhou, the river currents ahead had become too treacherous, making further passage impossible for passenger ships.

Feng Qingbai disembarked near the Yunzhou border from Xuzhou and switched to horseback, galloping at full speed toward Yunzhou, then onward to Xiangshan.

Day and night, under the shifting days and nights, he did not stop once. By the time he reached Xiangshan, half a month had passed.