Seeing this, Xigou transmitted his voice, "Great, now that we have bow and arrows, we can go hunting again."
"Hmph, hunting?"
Fang Zhixing turned his head to look back, a chilling coldness bursting from the clear divide in his pupils.
Xigou felt a sudden jolt in his heart.
He was all too familiar with that look, as sharp as an eagle's gaze, as cold and ruthless as a malicious wolf's.
This Fang Zhixing had the bearings of an eagle's vision and a wolf's guard!
"Right, we should go out to hunt!" He put away the Cow Horn Bow and the Arrow Bag but turned to walk back instead.
"...Back to the village?"
Xigou was somewhat puzzled.
Fang Zhixing said nothing, his gaze cast into the distance.
As his strength gradually returned, his steps grew more vigorous and quickened as he walked.
Xigou hurried to keep up, his mind churning.
He looked at Fang Zhixing's System Panel, then at his own.
[Species: Canine]
[Talent: Dog's Bond (By accompanying someone for a long time, you can gain synchronized enhancement and awaken more talents)]
[Life Remaining Times: 1]
"Fang Zhixing has already advanced twice, why haven't I changed at all?" Xigou couldn't help but ponder where the issue lay.
What exactly is this "Bond"?
Before they knew it, the man and the dog had returned to the village.
Fang Zhixing walked confidently towards a large courtyard walled with earth.
That was the home of the old village chief.
The chief's home was the only one in the village with an earth wall, with more than twenty earth houses inside the yard, compared to the thatched cottages and hedge-enclosed yards of the others, it was quite luxurious and expansive.
The entire Zhao Family lived within that walled courtyard.
"Eh, isn't that Big Niu?"
At the entrance, four people were playing with crickets, including Zhao Dahu's son, Zhao Zikun, and three other Zhao family youths, all from the grandchild generation.
"Big Niu, what's the matter?" Zhao Zikun didn't even stand up, just glanced over with a lazy eye.
Fang Zhixing approached him and suddenly drew his sword.
Whoosh!
A flash of the blade passed by.
Thud!
A head flew out, rolling on the ground, blood spattering five steps away.
"Damn!!!"
Xigou's eyes widened, his fur standing on end.
The other three youths, faces covered in blood, were too shocked to move, staring blankly at Fang Zhixing.
Fang Zhixing moved swiftly with his blade, one left chop, one right cut, then another chop, and three more bodies lay on the ground.
Each strike was lethal, executed with relish!
Fang Zhixing wiped the blood from his face, without pausing in his steps, he swaggered into the open gate.
Under the eaves of the main house, two bamboo chairs were placed.
At that moment, the old village chief was half-reclining on a bamboo chair, leisurely fanning himself with a palm fan.
Next to him, another bamboo chair, on which Grandma Zhao was lying lazily, cracking pumpkin seeds and spitting out a pile of shells on the ground.
No one else was in the yard; the Zhao family men had gone hunting, and the daughters-in-law had gone to the river to do laundry.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over.
The village chief lifted his eyelids, his pupils suddenly widening in surprise and puzzlement as he looked at Fang Zhixing holding the knife with a fierce gaze, astonished, "Big Niu, you, what are you..."
Without another word, Fang Zhixing gripped the handle with both hands and thrust it downwards.
Thud!
The old village chief's complexion turned to horror as a hunting knife pierced through his chest, blood gushing out like a fountain.
He looked at Fang Zhixing, his face filled with disbelief.
"Ah!!"
Mrs. Zhao snapped back to reality, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Murder, they're killing..."
Fang Zhixing suddenly pulled out the bloody hunting knife and, reversing his grip, cut Mrs. Zhao's neck.
Spurt!
Mrs. Zhao clutched at her neck and fell backward to the ground.
"Huh~"
Fang Zhixing let out a long breath, his face washed with warm blood, feeling an indescribable sense of relief in his chest.
Afterward, he entered the main hall and started to search frantically.
Xigou also rushed over, took a deep look at Fang Zhixing, and without saying a word, began searching through the old village chief's house.
A moment later, Fang Zhixing found the old village chief's stash of gold, a wooden box containing five Gold Beans and nine hundred and fifty-seven Big Coins.
In Funiu Village, where everyone was too poor to afford pants, this was nothing short of a windfall.
"Fang Zhixing, I found some food," Xigou communicated telepathically.
Fang Zhixing immediately went over. In a well-ventilated room, he saw stacks of burlap sacks. On opening one, he found not only rice and soybeans but also flour.
On the wall by the window, there was a row of horizontal wooden bars, from which hung strips of cured meat, some dried and some fresh.
"There's rice, flour, and meat!"
Xigou's laughter was tinged with bitterness, "We're starving every day, and look at the old village chief, living such a damn comfortable life!"
Fang Zhixing rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on, and muttered, "Alone, I'll have a hard time moving all this stuff."
No sooner had he spoken than the System Panel suddenly lit up.
[Ordinary Archer·Full Level Conditions:
1. Hit the target's bullseye from at least 50 meters away 10 times (Completed)
2. 100 jin of any grains (Prepared, complete?)
3. 50 jin of meat (Prepared, complete?)]
"Huh, it can be done like this?"
Fang Zhixing blinked, his face showing disbelief.
He had always thought he needed to eat the food and meat to satisfy the requirements.
But...
Xigou also saw it and, with a thoughtful look, analyzed, "It looks like just finding the food and meat counts as fulfilling the requirements, what's next?"
Fang Zhixing pondered for a moment, then with a swift decision in his mind, he chose [Yes].
In an instant, something miraculous happened; the stack of burlap sacks deflated oddly.
Almost simultaneously, the cured meats visibly withered and dried up at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually turning to ash and drifting down.
Fang Zhixing stood in place, feeling a scorching heat rushing into his body.
His arms, legs, chest, and back all swelled and bulged with solid muscle in the blink of an eye.
Unseen, the strength of his muscles and the density of his bones were both enhanced.
His physique became much more robust, as if he had added an extra layer to his whole body, resembling a fitness enthusiast who had been lifting weights for many years.
Fang Zhixing felt a dry heat all over his body, soaked in hot sweat, and expelled a breath of white air, watching as his arms thickened and his thighs bulged with muscle, his skin gradually changing from dark to a healthy bronze color.
That wasn't all; even his abdomen became more prominent, with slabs of muscle stacking up to faintly outline an eight-pack.
"Damn!"
Xigou looked up, eyes wide as they reflected the figure that had suddenly grown taller and more muscular.
"My god, you just went through three years of growth in an instant!"
Xigou was utterly shocked, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.
"Awesome!"
Fang Zhixing clenched his fists, a robust force surging out. All his previous weakness was replaced and eliminated, and he radiated a wild and fierce aura.
It was then that Xigou suddenly shivered, as his own System Panel also lit up.