Chapter Forty-One: Truly a Ruthless Person

Neither of them wasted words; they mustered all their strength and began dragging the wild boar out of the deep mountains. Dahua still had plenty of energy left, having not exerted herself much earlier, so she took the lead, pulling the vine sled at the front.

“Sister-in-law, you don’t need to use so much strength. Let me do it—I’m strong enough to pull this out of the mountains myself,” Dahua said.

Gu Xiaoyao had already noticed that her younger companion’s strength was unusually great, but she was grateful for it. Without such power, it would be nearly impossible for just the two of them to haul this boar out of the mountains. After all the effort of bringing it down, it would be a blow to Gu Xiaoyao if they failed to get it out and it ended up as food for the wild beasts.

“Were you always this strong, or did you train yourself to be?” Gu Xiaoyao couldn’t help but be curious about Dahua’s strength.

“I was born stronger than most girls. My parents used to worry that I’d accidentally hurt someone,” Dahua replied, a hint of frustration in her voice. Unlike the other girls in the village, she was sturdy and robust. If she grew a beard and wore men’s clothes, nobody would believe she was a young woman.

“I really wish I weren’t so strong. It would be easier to get married if I were a bit weaker.”

Gu Xiaoyao thought Dahua was overthinking things. In these times, a woman’s ability to protect herself was more important than anything else. This wasn’t an era of peace; bandits prowled the land, and the remote mountain villages were far from any city. If anything happened, officials from the yamen would not come unless the matter was truly grave.

“You’re wrong. Being strong has its advantages. At least you won’t be easily bullied when you go out, and if trouble finds you, you’ll be able to save your own life.”

Given the choice between beauty and strength, Gu Xiaoyao would pick strength any day; it could mean the difference between life and death. Beauty, on the other hand, could make one a target. The old saying, ‘beauty is doomed to tragedy,’ has always rung true—without strength, being pretty is just a burden, whether in the apocalypse or here.

“Really, Sister-in-law? You truly think so?” Dahua’s spirits lifted at her words. In the village, the other girls often avoided her, and she’d overheard their whispers: calling her broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, saying she looked nothing like a proper young lady. Those words had stung.

“Of course. I believe strength is worth more than anything. With your power, you can find food better than anyone else. And if you worry that not being pretty will keep men from liking you, you’re wrong. If a man truly loves you, he’ll care little about your looks. If you have strength, even if you aren’t beautiful, you might still find a fine husband. There’s no need to concern yourself with such things.”

The two women chatted quietly as they pushed the wild boar along. They were still a mile or two from the edge of the mountains when Gu Xiaoyao’s expression suddenly grew tense.

“Dahua, we need to hurry. I hear the cries of wild animals.”

Sure enough, with the wind blowing as it was, the scent of blood would easily drift deep into the mountains.

At her words, Dahua tensed, involuntarily glancing back. But Gu Xiaoyao urged her on. “Let’s go! One last push.”

Gu Xiaoyao kept her senses alert, but her strength was waning. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she bit her lower lip in determination.

A distant howl echoed through the mountains, growing clearer. The sound was unmistakable—they both heard it.