Chapter 2: Black Leather Book

The winter snow melted under the warm morning sun, drop by drop of melted ice water fell from the eaves of the wooden house, leaving behind puddles of grey-black stains in front of the door.

The dwelling was not luxurious, a pure wooden structure, with a small interior space, yet furnished with a stone table and two wooden beds.

The ground was uneven and bumpy, extremely simple and poor.

Yet on the wall, the mounts of wild beast heads covered a whole side, silently speaking of the glory and strength of this household.

"Hmm, the weather's nice today,"

Bailuo looked at the Silver Mane Coat hanging on the wall, a trophy he had obtained two months ago after tremendous hardship, hunted with his old uncle and senior sister.

Thanks to it, Bailuo became the chief of Yatun Village, the new leader of the People of Yatun.

However, life was not as good as he had expected.

Before his uncle handled affairs, Bailuo was unaware, but now that he took over, he realized how much pressure his uncle lived under.

Yatun Village was situated deep in the Grey Rock Mountains, and to leave the village, one had to travel at least a hundred miles along mountain roads, a journey that consumed a great deal of time simply to come and go.

Moreover, the road was winding and rugged, making it difficult for carts to pass, and the spots where horses could traverse were deep in the forests where only experienced hunters could manage.

This was also the reason why, apart from government soldiers who might pass by to collect taxes, there were hardly any traders who willingly traveled to this place.

Even if there were any, they would drive the prices down to the lowest and select light and convenient local produce for trade.

This deeply infuriated the People of Yatun, yet they were helpless to change it.

"It's a bit warmer,"

As Bailuo said so, he adjusted the coat made from the white wolf's skin to keep out the cold, and then forcefully propped himself up with the cane in his hand, "But it's still very cold."

Bailuo Yatun, a transmigrator from Blue Star.

"In the blink of an eye, it's been twenty years,"

Twenty years ago, Bailuo's soul was transported to this world.

He retained the memories from his previous life and became an infant just born.

Transmigrating to another world, starting anew.

If he had a golden finger to go along with it, Bailuo thought that he could've become a winner in life.

Unfortunately, Bailuo didn't receive any golden finger.

Not only did he not have any cheats, but he also lost his parents to bandits when he was only three or four years old.

If Uncle Saros hadn't happened to come home to visit at that time, Bailuo figured he wouldn't have escaped death either.

"Hisss~~"

Bailuo, whose steps were still somewhat unsteady, leaped over the dripping water curtain at the door while complaining, "All these years hunting pigs, who would have thought that one day, I'd be gored by one."

"Brother~~ Big brother~~"

From afar, Bailuo heard the cheerful call of a young girl, and as he turned his head towards the distant hill, a smile appeared on his face.

The girl's name was Inya, the younger sister of his senior sister Isefia.

The girls' father was his uncle's best friend; they had ventured out together and shared a bond stronger than brothers.

Before passing away, he entrusted his daughters to his uncle.

"I got it, I got it,"

Inya was dressed in a white wolf skin outfit, made from a pack of Snow Wolves that her uncle had taken down three years ago during a hunt.

Before the outsiders could notice, it provided the Yatun family of four with new coats to keep out the cold.

"Brother, look, is this the one that backstabbed you and broke your leg?"

Her silver-white hair was damp with morning dew, and her lively eyes looked eagerly at Bailuo, much like a little pet hoping for its master's praise.

"You noisy girl, are you trying to embarrass me even more?"

"I slayed the Silver Mane, yet a wild pig broke my leg," Bailuo said as he affectionately ruffled Inya's hair, "Is that something to be proud of?"

Because Bailuo had taken care of her since she was a baby in swaddling clothes and raised her into the valiant young woman she was now, the bond between the siblings was exceptionally deep.

For the past week, Inya had been searching for the wild boar that injured Bailuo, wanting to take revenge for her brother.

Compared to her sister's excellence, Inya could only hunt small game like wild rabbits and chickens, a significant difference in skill.

"Hehe..."

"Just look, see if it's the one!"

Inya was simple in nature, somewhat silly and endearingly simple-minded, but she has always been close to Bailuo.

After her brother was ambushed by a wild boar, Inya couldn't bear it and would go into the forest every few days, seeking an opportunity to avenge Bailuo.

"Eh? It seems like it's the one,"

The wild boar in front of Bailuo was entirely different from the ones he had seen in his previous life.

The scientific name of this kind of wild boar is the 'Tin-toothed Beast'. It stands as tall as a man, with a robust physique, yet most of its body comprises bone, leaving few edible parts.

Its most distinct feature is the four sharp silver-white fangs in its mouth; it was these that had injured Bailuo.

At the time, he had taken on eight Tin-toothed Beasts by himself, killing seven but was sneak attacked by this one successfully.

"Really?!"

Hearing Bailuo's identification, Inya was incredibly excited, and her week of tailing wasn't wasted.

She had helped Bailuo reclaim his dignity!

"Ah, indeed, I remember its teeth, here, missing a piece."

Uncle had taught Bailuo how to distinguish wild beasts, and he reluctantly said, "Just one? I remember they move in packs, right?"

"Actually, it wasn't me who struck it down, it was Dad; there were four in total."

Knowing she was about to be caught out, Inya quickly said, "But I did contribute, really!"

Although she couldn't shoot the wild boar in the eyes, she was confident about shooting its knees, Inya said, filled with confidence!

"Where is Uncle, why hasn't he come back?"

Bailuo wasn't worried about Saros's safety.

To them, the people of Yatun, these woods were no different from a backyard, very familiar.

So, Bailuo was really embarrassed to have been toppled by a boar; he felt that Inya could tease him about it for years.

No, given this girl's personality, it might become a lifelong embarrassment.

"Dad said he had something to do."

Inya's tone turned cold all of a sudden, and Bailuo's face also darkened, "Is it them again?"

Inya didn't elaborate, but how could Bailuo not understand?

If not for his injury, he would have been the one to step forward.

Saros was getting old, and now, Bailuo was the chieftain.

"There wasn't enough food in the village to begin with; we barely made it through this winter, and Sister Alaya almost starved to death. Now they're coming to collect food again."

Alaya was the blind girl in the village, relying entirely on the villagers for subsistence.

This year's heavy snow, coupled with last year's poor harvest.

And the Lord outside the village didn't care at all about the well-being of his people, demanding food time and again.

Alaya was the kindest person in the village, knowing she was a burden, she'd give her share of food to the orphaned siblings next door.

If not for Bailuo's timely discovery, she would have starved to death.

Inya was so angry she clenched her teeth, her hand holding the longbow trembling slightly, "Rather than this, it would be better..."

"Enough."

Bailuo grabbed Inya's hand. He understood the girl's dissatisfaction and anger, but as the new chieftain, Bailuo couldn't take risks.

The days of hot-blooded youth had passed.

Years of adventure and growth had taught Bailuo much and changed him a lot.

In Uncle's words, Bailuo was already a qualified chieftain.

"This boar, Uncle asked you to bring it back first, didn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Skin it, clean it, then distribute the meat to everyone."

"I remember little Shuster just got over his sickness, let him have more meat to recover."

While speaking, Bailuo ruffled the girl's silver hair, using a bit of force, "Don't be impulsive, no matter what, we need to survive. As long as we are alive, sooner or later, we will see the day when we rise."

"I understand."

Inya was not foolish. She was lively and proactive, but also obedient.

She always followed her foster father, her elder sister, her brother; being the youngest sister in the family, she never acted on her own.

"I also want to kill them."

Bailuo's words carried a hint of chill, but he really had no other choice, "But we don't have the capital..."

Silver Mane, though fierce, was still just a beast.

Bailuo could kill monsters but was helpless against even more evil humans.

Sometimes, the human heart is more terrifying than beasts.

"No, it's not necessarily true that we don't have capital."

Bailuo focused his consciousness and a Black Leather Book floated in front of his eyes.