Chương 10: Learning to Hunt

A light drizzle fluttered down, draping the Great Ridge Mountains in a hazy, dreamlike veil of silk. A small, scrawny figure emerged from the forest. Resting on his shoulder was a deer, scarcely smaller than his own body. Yet, his steps were steady, showing no signs of overexertion, and his face appeared entirely relaxed. The person was none other than "Young Master Song".

Thanks to his proficiency with his "Domain" and his "reconnaissance drone" Mountain Sparrow, Song Que's harvest over the past few days had been incredibly bountiful. With a continuous 4D radar-like image scanning his surroundings in his mind, his confidence had multiplied. Able to detect and avoid venomous snakes and bugs in advance, he now had the courage to venture deeper into the Great Ridge Mountains. Although he hadn't gone too deep, the prey was much more abundant, yielding a rich harvest every day.

Today was no exception; he had deliberately searched for a long time to hunt this deer. He was in a great mood, giving himself full marks for an excellently completed mission. His Storage Space was still holding the pile of iron wares. The spearhead had been fitted onto a 1. 5-meter-long wooden shaft, causing the space to contort to accommodate it. Furthermore, the deer was quite large and might not fit inside, so he had no choice but to carry it back on his shoulder.

The Song and Li households were the last two at the edge of the village, so Song Que brazenly carrying his prey back didn't attract anyone's attention. Marching straight into Gou'dan's courtyard, he hollered:"Uncle Li, Gou'dan, come out and give me a hand!" The door creaked open, and two little heads peeked out hurriedly—it was Er'ya and Gou'dan. Their dark, glistening eyes lit up with joy upon seeing the massive object on Song Que's shoulder, and they squealed in delight:"Brother A'niu!"

"Wow, meat! Dad, come out quickly! Brother A'niu hunted a really, really big deer!" Gou'dan stared at Song Que with stars in his eyes, his worship beyond words. Recently, as his hunting yields increased, Song Que had occasionally brought some over to their house, so the boy was no stranger to Song Que hunting. But today was the first time he had brought back such a massive beast. Gou'dan felt that Brother A'niu's image had become incomparably grand, on the verge of "piercing through the planet."

Basking in the adoring gazes of the two kids, Young Master Song's vanity was greatly satisfied, his mood reaching the peak of joy. The only pity was that these brats never learned to correct themselves, continually calling him A'niu. Maybe next time I should cut their rations, Song Que maliciously thought. At this moment, Li Tie and his wife came out after hearing the commotion. Seeing the prey on Song Que's shoulder, they were equally astonished.

Very quickly, as if realizing something, Li Tie frowned and asked:"A'niu, did you actually venture deep into the Great Ridge Mountains?"

"No, Uncle. I just happened to run into this thing wandering on the outskirts." Song Que didn't dare tell the truth, afraid of causing them unnecessary worry. Perhaps seeing Song Que standing safely before him, Li Tie didn't doubt him much, merely nodding:"After the New Year, I'll take you in to familiarize you with the paths. The Great Ridge Mountains are riddled with danger; you must be careful." Song Que nodded in compliance. The group carried the deer inside to process it.

The two kids' cravings were triggered; watching the deer being butchered made them impatient, constantly urging the adults amidst joyful, bustling laughter.

"A'niu, stay and celebrate New Year's Eve with us tonight," Aunt Li didn't forget to offer while busy. Hearing this, Song Que quickly nodded. Celebrating New Year's Eve alone was truly boring.

"Auntie, I was just planning to shamelessly freeload off your house anyway." The two kids jumped and cheered upon hearing this. Li Tie also looked at Song Que with a kind smile. Compared to before, he felt this child had become much brighter and more cheerful, which was ultimately a good thing. Time always flies when you are busy. After preparing the meal, Song Que took some food back to offer to his ancestors before returning to the Li household, where everyone gathered around the New Year's Eve dinner table.

For once, Li Tie was generous enough to bring out a jar of aged wine, pouring a bowl for himself and Song Que. Gou'dan, sitting nearby, wanted a taste too, but alas, his father was biased and only rewarded him with a solid knock on the head. He clutched his head and yelped, making the whole family burst into laughter. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The uncle and nephew happily raised their bowls in a toast.

Song Que truly refused no amount of alcohol; the wine's alcohol content was very low, boasting a sweet taste and a faint aroma of rice. Having been tempered in the corporate world of his past life, he could comfortably claim to have "a thousand cups without getting drunk." Li Tie was also in a rare joyous mood and drank freely. The meal was incredibly warm and delightful. Feeling a bit tipsy, Li Tie asked Song Que:"A'niu, you're turning twelve this year, right?" Song Que nodded in agreement.

Indeed, he was about to turn twelve. In this life, this body had suffered from severe malnutrition, and it was only after the "cuckoo claimed the magpie's nest" that things began to improve. Though he had grown a little taller, it wasn't by much. By his modern doctor's estimation, he was currently only about 1. 35 meters tall and weighed barely over thirty kilograms. The Long March is still long, comrade.

You have a heavy burden and a long road ahead, Young Master Song thought miserably every time he dropped his pants to pee. Li Tie continued to sigh:"Gou'dan is turning eleven this year, and Er'ya is already eight. Time flies so fast; we'll be old before we know it."

"Uncle Li, you are still incredibly robust."

"Sigh, it's the era of you youngsters now. A'niu, how about I betroth Er'ya to you as a child bride?" What??? Son of a b tch! * It felt as though tens of thousands of alpacas had just stampeded through Song Que's mind. Looking at Er'ya, whose face was covered in grease as she clutched a large bone and smiled expectantly at him, Grandmaster Song was utterly speechless. Old Li, while your eye for talent deserves recognition, please spare this powerless young man!

I still want to roam the martial world; you can't use this method to tie me down! Furthermore, looking at Er'ya's tiny frame, I couldn't bring myself to do it! He quickly moved to sever this dangerous idea of Old Li's. He only saw these siblings as his younger brother and sister; marriage was completely out of the question.

"Uncle, don't joke with me. I only see Er'ya as a younger sister, and besides, I'm still so young. I don't want to talk about marriage yet." Hearing this, Er'ya immediately pouted, feeling deeply disappointed. She puffed her cheeks, lowered her head, and bit down hard on the large bone, as if venting her frustration by biting the heartless man in front of her. His good brother, Gou'dan, also stood up to object:"That's right! If Brother A'niu marries this girl, wouldn't he become my brother-in-law?

Wouldn't the hierarchy be messed up? Besides, who would want to marry this crazy girl!" Another slap to the back of his head, and Gou'dan instantly became honest. Looking at the glaring Er'ya on one side and the head-clutching Gou'dan on the other, Song Que felt that this brother had done well "taking a knife" for him, silently giving him a thumbs-up in his heart. Seeing Song Que's resolute attitude, Li Tie could only drop the matter.

In his heart, he really wanted to take this kid as his son-in-law—knowing his roots and seeing his abilities. But alas, "forced melons aren't sweet," so he had to let it go, not forgetting to glare at Gou'dan. Gou'dan felt wronged. Who did I provoke? Knowing his place, he lowered his head and ate. Out of sight, out of mind. A moment later, the atmosphere grew lively again, and the meal was thoroughly enjoyable.

Returning home to offer another stick of incense to his "predecessor's parents," Song Que happily crawled under the covers and closed his eyes to sleep.

"Hello, age twelve." Happy days always pass quickly. In a flash, a week of the New Year had gone by. Today, the sun had just peeked out, and the thick fog covering every blade of grass and tree in the Great Ridge Mountains had yet to dissipate. In the forest, two figures were moving through the morning mist. Going deeper into the woods, one could vaguely make out an adult and a child. Both held javelins, knives at their waists, and bamboo baskets on their backs. They were Li Tie and Song Que.

Facing the terrifying Great Ridge Mountains spoken of in "village legends," Song Que was highly anticipating it. As they walked, Li Tie suddenly raised a hand to signal a stop. He crouched down, pointing to a few footprints on the ground:"A'niu, look. These are the tracks of a fully grown grizzly bear. Judging by the direction, it went that way. When this thing goes mad, it's incredibly ferocious. We absolutely shouldn't confront it. We'll head in this direction."

Along the way, Li Tie continuously instructed Song Que on things to watch out for. The most important point was: be careful, careful, and more careful. Personal safety must always be the top priority—knowing how to avoid fierce beasts and areas where venomous snakes and bugs likely hibernated. Song Que listened with great interest. Though confident, he had self-awareness. Right now, he was just a small fry. The future was bright, but if he didn't live to grow up, it was all empty talk.

He didn't dare risk his life recklessly.

"A'niu, you need to know that the main source of income for the hunting team isn't wild beasts," Li Tie kept explaining as they walked. He approached a nearby bush, bent down to brush it aside, and revealed a plant hidden inside, smiling:"Not bad luck. Look closely, this is Dark Star Grass. It can refresh the mind and clear the head. It's very popular among the lords in town. They buy it for 200 copper coins a stalk." Song Que stepped forward for a closer look.

It was a small herb with tiny black spots on its leaves, hidden in the bush and very hard to notice. Old Li was in a great mood and smiled as he explained:"This herb prefers cool, damp, and shaded places. You see how frail it looks? To survive, it usually grows inside dense bushes. If you don't pay close attention, it's very hard to spot." Placing the Dark Star Grass into the bamboo basket, he continued talking to Song Que:"Usually, only intact pelts of foxes, wolves, bears, and tigers fetch a good price.

But hunting them is extremely dangerous and requires luck. Therefore, you need to pay attention to these mushrooms and herbs. They are also very popular in town."

"Understood, Uncle."