Chapter 8 — The Iron Bow and The 20-Copper Secret
The Bow Maker
Long Tan did not hunt for the next two days. He had work to do.
He knew his old bow was trash. It had a draw weight of only 40 pounds. Against a wolf's thick skull, the arrow would just bounce off and make the beast angry.
He went to the woodpile behind the house. He selected a thick, dark branch of Iron-Oak he had saved for a special occasion. It was dense, heavy, and hard as stone.
He sat in the courtyard, using his knife to shave the wood.
Scrape. Scrape. Scrape.
Making a bow required patience. The wood had to be flexible but strong.
While he worked, he continued to breathe.
The Sun & Moon Technique was always running in the background, like a second heart beating inside him.
Day 1: He shaped the wood until his hands blistered. (+10 Jin).
Day 2: He twisted a new string made from the braided tendon of the Wild Boar. (+10 Jin).
His strength had grown again.
Current Strength: 305 Jin.
He looked at the village gate. The Tax Collector was supposed to come yesterday. He was late.
"Maybe he is delayed by the snow," Long Tan thought. "Or maybe he is busy beating someone else. Who cares? I have the money now."
He felt calm. The 9 silver coins were hidden under his floorboard. He only needed one more from the wolf.
The Test of Strength
The bow was finished. It was ugly, thick, and dark, but it radiated power.
Long Tan tested the string.
THRUM.
The sound was deep and low, like a bass drum. It vibrated in the air.
Little San was watching with wide eyes, holding a stick like a sword.
"Father! Let me try! I want to shoot the wolf!"
Long Tan smiled. "Be careful, San. It is heavy."
He handed the bow to the five-year-old boy.
Little San grabbed the wood. He planted his small feet in the snow. He grabbed the thick string with his small fingers and pulled with all his might.
"Hnnngh!"
The boy's face turned bright red. He gritted his teeth. He pulled until his little arms shook uncontrollably.
The string did not move.
Not even an inch.
It was like pulling a steel rod.
"I... can't..." Little San gasped, dropping the bow in the snow. He looked defeated. "It is too hard."
Long Tan picked it up.
With his 305 Jin strength, he pulled the string back effortlessly. His back muscles rippled like snakes under his shirt. The heavy wood bent perfectly.
Little San looked at his father like he was a giant.
"Father is a monster," the boy whispered in awe.
The Forbidden Fruit
Long Tan sat down to rest under the Peach Tree.
He looked up.
Hidden among the dead branches, the single Spirit Peach was glowing faintly pink.
He thought about the tree.
"This tree absorbs my Sun (Yang) and Moon (Yin) waste energy," he realized. "It takes pure vitality and condenses it into fruit."
In the legends of the Qin Kingdom, Spirit Trees were treasures. Clans went to war over them.
"This tree... is a Legend," Long Tan whispered, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. "If the Zhou Family knew I had a Spirit Tree in my yard, they would kill us all and take the land."
He stood up and picked the fruit.
It was small, pink, and heavy.
He took a bite.
Crunch.
It didn't taste like a normal watery peach.
It tasted bitter and earthy, like an old Ginseng root mixed with honey.
He swallowed it.
BOOM.
Heat exploded in his stomach. It was different from the meat energy. This was pure, refined Qi. It rushed through his veins like a flood.
He immediately dropped into the horse stance and began to train.
His muscles twitched. The energy cleared blockages he didn't even know he had.
An hour later, he opened his eyes. He felt lighter. Stronger.
Ding…
[Daily Cultivation Complete]
[Spirit Fruit Consumed: +20 Jin]
[Total Strength: 325 Jin]
"More than double my daily growth," Long Tan gasped. "This tree is the foundation of our rise. I must protect this secret with my life."
The Soap Maker's Secret
Long Tan looked at the green leaves on the Peach Tree.
If the fruit gave strength... what did the leaves do?
He picked a green leaf. It felt thick, waxy, and warm.
He walked inside the hut.
Su Lan was boiling water. She looked tired but healthier than before.
"Lan," Long Tan asked. "Your grandmother... she was a soap maker, right?"
Su Lan smiled, a sad look in her eyes.
"Yes. She was a soap maker and a farmer. She used animal fat and normal herbs like neem. But she died poor. She sold her soap for 1 copper coin. It was hard work for little money."
"Did she use peach leaves?"
"Sometimes," Su Lan nodded. "Peach leaves are good for itching. But Tan... peach trees are common. Anyone can pick leaves. Why would people buy our soap? It is just normal soap. We cannot compete."
Long Tan shook his head. "This is not a normal tree."
He put a leaf in his own mouth and chewed.
A sharp, tingling sensation filled his mouth. It numbed his tongue instantly. It felt like strong medicine.
"Open your mouth," Long Tan said.
"What? Why?"
"Just do it. Ahh."
Su Lan opened her mouth. "Ahh..."
Long Tan placed three crushed leaves on her tongue.
She chewed hesitantly.
Suddenly, her eyes went wide.
She gasped.
She felt a cool, refreshing energy rush into her throat. Her headache vanished instantly. The small cut on her finger from sewing stopped stinging within seconds.
"This..." Su Lan touched her throat. "This is potent."
She looked at the leaf pieces in her hand with shock.
"My grandmother used normal leaves. They were weak. But this... Tan, this is 4 times... no, 5 times stronger."
She grabbed his arm excitedly.
"It isn't a Spirit Herb... that would be too dangerous to sell. But this? This is a High-Grade Medicinal Herb. It is the best quality herb I have ever tasted."
Long Tan nodded. "The tree has mutated. These leaves are powerful."
Su Lan's mind raced with calculations.
"Normal soap sells for 1 copper. Good smelling soap sells for 3 coppers."
"But soap made with this? It will heal bruises. It will make skin clear in one day. It will stop pain."
She looked at Long Tan, her eyes shining.
"We can sell this for at least 20 Copper Coins."
"20 Coppers?" Long Tan asked.
"Yes. It is cheap enough for villagers to buy for special occasions, but expensive enough to make us rich. If we sell 5 bars, that is One Silver Coin."
"I Am Not A Burden"
Su Lan looked at her hands.
For months, she had felt useless. She lay in bed, eating the food Long Tan hunted, unable to help. She felt like a heavy stone tied to his leg, dragging him down.
But now?
She had the knowledge. Her grandmother taught her the recipe.
She had the resource. The tree was right there in their yard.
And the resource was special.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She smiled, a bright, beautiful smile that Long Tan hadn't seen in years.
"I can do it," she whispered. "I can make the soap. I can earn money too, Tan."
Long Tan wiped a tear from her cheek.
"We are partners, Lan. You are not a burden. You are the foundation."
Su Lan stood up taller. Her eyes burned with a new fire.
"Go hunt the wolf," she said firmly. "Bring the last silver. I will prepare the fat for the soap. When you come back, we will start our business."
Long Tan grabbed his new, heavy Iron-Oak bow.
He felt unstoppable.
He had Strength (325 Jin).
He had a Weapon.
And he had a Partner.
"I will be back," he promised.
He stepped out into the night.
The wolf was out there, and for the first time, Long Tan wasn't hunting for survival. He was hunting for victory
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