Chapter 7: Back to the Mountain

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In Hongshan Village, most people were hunters, making their living through hunting.

The mountains were filled with venomous snakes and fierce beasts, and almost every year, someone in the village would die from hunting.

Deaths were a common occurrence in Hongshan Village.

The incident with Tian Chuan getting killed was no longer discussed by the second day.

Everything returned to normal.

It was as if the person had never existed in the village.

Shen Qing woke up early with dark circles under his eyes.

He casually stepped outside, catching falling snowflakes with his hand, then grabbed a handful from the ground and pressed it against his face.

The bone-chilling cold pierced his skin like countless needlepoints, making him shiver instantly.

This cold seemed to penetrate his marrow, yet it also cleared his muddled thoughts, filling him with an indescribable sense of clarity and exhilaration.

"Brother, the hot porridge is ready, come have some."

"I'm coming," Shen Qing exhaled lightly.

He took the steaming bowl of meat porridge from Shen Fang, blew on it gently, and cautiously sipped it.

The warmth of the porridge, along with the meat, slid down his throat, spreading a comforting warmth.

This warmth extended from his mouth to his entire body, dispelling the cold that enveloped him during winter.

Having drunk plenty of chicken soup the previous day, his stomach felt nourished, and Shen Qing felt much more spirited.

"Brother, you seem to have grown taller?"

When Shen Qing stood up, Shen Fang seemed to notice, perhaps it was an illusion, that he had become more robust.

"Maybe I used to like slouching."

Shen Qing put aside the inked words from his sight, placed the bowl aside, and picked up his bow and arrow quiver, slinging them over his shoulder.

"I'm heading to the mountains, probably won't be back by noon. Go spend some time at Auntie's house. And take the bran cake with you, don't make things awkward for them."

Shen Qing said as he packed up.

"I know."

Shen Fang paused, lowered her head, turned around, and began to clean the dishes without another word.

In that brief moment, she suddenly felt like Shen Qing was the older brother, and she was the younger sister.

Even though she was two years older than him.

Shen Qing didn't pay much attention to Shen Fang's little thoughts, braving the wind and snow, he pushed open the door and left.

A moment later, he arrived at the spot where he peeled off bark the previous day, surveying the surroundings.

"The place I went to yesterday was too crowded, it'd probably be hard to find anything there today, as considered yesterday, I'll head to the forest where the deer appeared before."

In general, deer don't stay in one place for long.

Their wild instinct drives them to constantly migrate and find new food sources to avoid depletion and predator threats.

Returning today, he was unlikely to see the deer he encountered that day.

However, its presence indicated there were lichens, moss, and unfrozen water sources in that area, which would also attract other animals.

Shen Qing checked his direction, peeled off more bark, marked it, and headed towards the deeper mountains.

As he moved forward, a trail of deep footprints was left in the snow behind him, his figure gradually disappearing into the wind and snow.

Chen Family Mansion.

Chen Tai and Chen An, dressed in animal skins with a longbow and dagger on their backs, stepped out from the house, facing the chilling cold.

Although the heavy snow outside had lessened significantly, it was still falling lightly.

All around, Shicheng Mountain was blanketed in a pure white cover of snow.

Chen An tightened his coat against himself and complained to Chen Tai beside him: "This snow is lasting too long, do we really have to go to the mountains? Isn't it better to train our body at home?"

Chen Tai chuckled and responded: "Winter game is fat and tasty, our elder brother means well. Stop complaining, if we go early, we return early."

Though Chen An grumbled, he still kept pace, following closely with his brother's steps.

The pair walked side by side through the silent village towards the rear mountains.

Soon, Chen An and Chen Tai arrived at the edge of the woods where Shen Qing was stripping bark.

Chen Tai stopped, glanced at the marked tree bark, and said: "Someone's already here, let's change spots."

"Someone being there is good, it shows there's something here, saves us from searching aimlessly."

Chen An, disregarding whoever marked the tree, headed straight into the hunting ground.

"Going in there might not be a good idea?" Chen Tai hesitated, concern showing on his face.

Chen An turned his head and replied: "Brother, hunting rules are rigid, but people are alive. Look at the footprints in the snow, it's just one person at most, what's there to fear? He hunts his game, we hunt ours, these mountains aren't his alone."

He reached out and firmly grasped Chen Tai's wrist: "We're just hunting, nothing to be so rigid about, nobody can do anything to us."

Chen Tai glanced at the silent and empty woods, agreed with Chen An, and nodded, "Alright, but be careful."

Chen An grinned with satisfaction.

He tugged Chen Tai along, the two following Shen Qing into the forest step by step.

...

Thud!

An arrow shot out from a distance, nailing a wild rabbit to the ground.

Blood slowly oozed from the wound where the arrow pierced, staining the surrounding snow.

The rabbit's eyes were full of fear, writhing in pain, trying to break free from its bind.

With each struggle came intense pain, yet its survival instinct compelled it to keep fighting.

Shen Qing, hiding nearby, quickly approached and seized the rabbit by its long ears, lifting it, arrow and all.

His eyes filled with delight, he swiftly and skillfully drew his dagger from his waist, slitting the rabbit's carotid artery.

Blood spurted, staining his sleeve.

The rabbit twitched a few times before finally going still.

Shen Qing lifted the dead rabbit, expertly tying it with a rope, then fastened it to his waist.

He gently patted the prey at his waist, his eyes glinting with a touch of satisfaction.

"This is the third one already, today hasn't been fruitless, it's just a pity there are no big catches."

Shen Qing wiped his dagger on his elbow joint to clean the blood before returning it to his waist.

Then he crouched down, eyes fixed on a series of footprints in the snow.

These prints were clear and deep, freshly left.

He reached out, lightly tracing the edge of one print with his fingertip, feeling the delicate contours.

He was certain these were deer-like footprints.

Shen Qing's eyes lit up with delight.

Unexpectedly, luck was on his side; he might indeed encounter a large prey.

By tracking these footprints, he might find that animal, and this time, he wouldn't let it escape.

Suddenly, Shen Qing felt a sense of intuition.

He focused, and a wash of ink spread across his vision, the familiar screen appeared before him, his expression filled with surprise and delight.

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