บท 7: Chapter 7: Back to the Mountain
"""
Most of the people in Hongshan Village were hunters, making a living by hunting.
There were many venomous snakes and fierce beasts in the mountains, and almost every year someone in the village died due to hunting.
Deaths were all too common in Hongshan Village.
By the next day, the news of Tian Chuan being beaten to death had already been forgotten in Hongshan Village.
Everything returned to silence.
It was as if this person had never existed in the village at all.
Shen Qing woke up early in the morning with dark circles under his eyes.
He leisurely walked outside, stretched out his hand to catch the falling snowflakes, and then grabbed a handful of snow tightly pressing it onto his face.
The icy, piercing cold was like countless needlepoints stabbing into his skin, making him shiver instantly.
This chill seemed to penetrate his bone marrow, yet it also cleared his mind from confusion, bringing an inexplicable refreshment, and he felt unprecedentedly awake.
"Brother, the hot porridge is ready. Come and have a sip."
"I'm coming," Shen Qing exhaled softly.
Shen Qing took the steaming meat porridge from Shen Fang's hands, blew on it lightly, and carefully sipped it.
The warm porridge, with bits of meat, slid down his throat, bringing waves of warmth.
This warmth spread from his mouth to his whole body, as if dispelling the winter chill shrouded around him.
With the nourishing chicken soup he drank yesterday, his stomach and intestines were nourished, and Shen Qing felt much more energized.
"Brother, why do I feel like you've grown taller?"
When Shen Qing stood up, Shen Fang had an impression, perhaps an illusion, that he seemed a bit more robust.
"Maybe it's because I always liked to hunch before."
Shen Qing withdrew the ink-like characters from his sight, placed the bowl aside, and picked up the bow and arrow quiver, hanging them on his shoulder.
"I'm heading to the mountains and probably won't be back by noon. Go spend some time at Aunt's place. Remember to take the bran cake when you go, so it won't be difficult for Aunt and them."
Shen Qing tidied up while instructing Shen Fang.
"I know," Shen Fang lowered her head in a daze, turned to tidy up the bowls and chopsticks, and said no more.
At that moment, she suddenly felt Shen Qing was the elder brother, and she was the younger sister.
Clearly, she was two years older than him.
Shen Qing paid little attention to Shen Fang's feelings. Braving the wind and snow, he pushed the door open and left.
Moments later, he arrived at the spot where he had skinned bark yesterday, surveying the surroundings.
"The place we went yesterday has too much human activity; going back today probably won't yield any gains. I'll go to the forest where the deer appeared before, as considered yesterday."
Generally speaking, deer don't stay in the same place for long.
Their instinct for wild living drives them to continually migrate and seek new food sources to avoid resource depletion and predator threats.
Going again today, it was likely he wouldn't encounter the deer seen that day.
However, the presence of deer in that forest proved there were lichens, mosses, and unfrozen water sources, which would surely attract other animals.
Shen Qing identified the direction, re-skinned the bark, made a mark, and walked straight into the deep mountains.
In the snow behind him, a string of deep footprints slowly disappeared in the wind and snow.
The Chen Family Mansion.
Chen Tai and Chen An dressed in fur, walking out from the family gate with longbows and daggers on their backs, with cold air hitting their faces.
Although the heavy snow outside had lessened significantly, it hadn't stopped, still trickling down.
Looking around, Shicheng Mountain was covered in a snow-white blanket.
Chen An tightened his coat and complained to Chen Tai beside him: "This snow lasts so long, yet we still have to go to the mountains. Isn't it better for us to stay at home and train the body?"
Chen Tai smiled and said, "Winter prey is plump. Big brother has good intentions. Let's not say too much. The sooner we go, the sooner we return."
Despite his complaints, Chen An's feet still moved, closely following his second brother's steps.
The two walked side by side, passed through the silent village, and headed towards the back mountain.
Before long, Chen An and Chen Tai trod through the thick snow to the edge of the forest where Shen Qing had skinned bark.
Chen Tai paused, glanced at the bark Shen Qing had skinned, and said, "Someone's already here; let's pick another place."
"There's someone, just as well. It indicates something in there; it saves us the aimless wandering."
Regardless of who skinned the bark, Chen An strode directly towards the hunting ground inside.
"Isn't us going in like this not quite right?" Chen Tai hesitated, with worry evident between his brows.
Chen An turned his head and said, "Brother, hunting rules are fixed, but people are flexible. Look at the footprints in the snow, at most only one person, what's there to be afraid of? He hunts his, we hunt ours. This mountain isn't his alone."
Saying that he reached out and firmly grasped Chen Tai's wrist: "We're just going in to hunt a little, brother, no need to be so pedantic. No one can do anything to us."
Chen Tai glanced at the silent, deserted forest, felt convinced by Chen An's reasoning, and eventually nodded: "Alright, but we need to be cautious."
Upon hearing this, Chen An revealed a proud smile.
He pulled Chen Tai, with one behind the other, closely following Shen Qing into that woodland.
…
Thud!
An arrow shot from afar, pinning the wild rabbit firmly to the ground.
Blood seeped slowly from the wound pierced by the arrow, staining the surrounding snow.
The wild rabbit's eyes were filled with terror as it twisted in pain, trying to break free.
Each struggle came with intense pain, yet its instinct for survival drove it to continue struggling.
Hidden not far away, Shen Qing swiftly approached, grabbed the rabbit's long ears, and lifted it along with the arrow.
With eyes full of joy, he quickly and skillfully drew the dagger from his waist and sliced the rabbit's carotid artery.
Blood sprayed out, staining his sleeves red.
The rabbit twitched a few times before going completely still.
Shen Qing picked up the dead rabbit and skillfully tied it with a rope, then hung it at his waist.
He gently patted the game dangling from his waist, a sense of satisfaction shining in his eyes.
"This is the third one; indeed, today wasn't wasted. It's just a pity we didn't encounter bigger game."
Shen Qing wiped the dagger on his elbow joint, drying the bloodstains off, and put it back at his waist.
Then he squatted down slowly, his gaze fixed on a series of footprints in the snow.
These footprints were clear and deep, evidently left not long ago.
He reached out, his fingertips gently touching the edge of one of the footprints, feeling the exquisite contours.
He could be certain it was the footprint of a deer-like creature.
A gleam of light flashed in Shen Qing's eyes, delight rising secretly in his heart.
Unexpectedly, speaking of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appeared—not expecting to actually encounter larger game.
Following this trail of footprints might lead him to the prey, and this time he was determined not to let it escape.
Suddenly, something touched Shen Qing's mind.
His awareness shifted, and a splash of ink unfolded in his vision, with a familiar interface appearing before him, his expression turning into joy.
"""
ของขวัญ
-- ได้รับของขวัญแล้ว สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง