Hunting Trip

Thale sighed as he looked at the empty shelves in his pantry. His rations were running low, and he needed to go hunting if he wanted to have enough food to last him through the week.

He grabbed his wooden bow and a quiver of arrows, preparing to head out into the forest. As a cultivator, he didn't need to eat as much as a normal person, but he still enjoyed having a varied diet. And his favourite type of meat was deer.

He made his way into the forest, his senses heightened as he searched for signs of his prey. Deer are skittish creatures, and he has to be stealthy if he wanted to catch one.

As he crept through the underbrush, he spotted a flash of movement up ahead. He froze, focusing his Qi on his senses to get a better look.

Sure enough, there was a deer grazing on some foliage a short distance away. Thale took a deep breath and nocked an arrow, preparing to take the shot.

He let the arrow fly, and with a satisfying thud, it hit its mark. The deer let out a cry of pain and collapsed to the ground.

Thale approached the deer, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he had taken a life. But as a cultivator, he needed to be self-sufficient and able to provide for himself. And in this harsh world, sometimes that meant making difficult choices.

He gathered the deer's carcass and made his way back to his courtyard, preparing to feast on the fruit of his labour.

Thale was making his way back to his courtyard with the deer carcass slung over his shoulder when he suddenly heard the sound of fighting. He froze, his heart racing as he listened to the sounds of clashing steel and shouting.

There were many bandits in the mountain range where Thale lived, and they were known for looting anything of value. Thale knew better than to get involved, especially since he was just a young cultivator with limited fighting skills. He didn't want to risk getting killed.

He considered turning back and taking a different route, but that would take him even longer to get home. He weighed his options, trying to decide what to do.

In the end, he decided to stay put and wait for the fighting to stop. He crouched behind a nearby tree, his heart racing as he listened to the sounds of the battle.

As the minutes ticked by, Thale began to get anxious. He had no idea how long the fighting would last, and he was worried about being caught in the crossfire.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the sounds of fighting began to fade away. Thale let out a sigh of relief, grateful that he had made it through the ordeal unscathed.

He waited a few more minutes to make sure it was safe, and then he gathered his things and set off toward home. He was lucky this time, and he vowed to be more careful in the future.

Thale was relieved when he finally reached his courtyard, grateful to be home and safe after his encounter with the bandits. As he entered the house, he was immediately struck by the smell of blood.

Even with his basic Qi cultivation, his senses were heightened, and the smell of blood was overpowering. He followed the scent, his heart racing as he realized that it was coming from inside his own home.

As he entered the dining room, he was shocked to find a young girl passed out at the table, her clothes torn and bloodied. Thale couldn't believe what he was seeing. Who was this girl, and what had happened to her?

He approached the girl cautiously, trying to determine if she was injured. As he got closer, he saw that she had a deep cut on her arm and several bruises on her face. It was clear that she had been through a lot.

Thale didn't know what to do. He was just a young cultivator with limited medical knowledge. But he couldn't just leave the girl here to suffer. He had to do something.

With a sense of determination, Thale gathered some clean cloth and set to work bandaging the girl's wound. It was the least he could do to help her. He just hoped that it would be enough.