Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
Lin Zhao spent his days chopping firewood, fishing, and storing food. The rest of his time was almost entirely dedicated to practicing his martial arts. With ample meat and flatbread, his physical condition improved daily. The once scrawny youth had gained some flesh, his eyes shone brighter, and with persistent training, he had even developed a few solid muscles.
However, after ten days of consumption, his food supplies were running low. The venison was gone, the dried fish was almost finished, and the flatbread was scarce. The young man was reluctant to touch the five hundred copper coins given to him by Chu Huaixi, so at dawn that day, after a round of martial arts practice, Lin Zhao decided to take his firewood axe and bow and arrow into the mountains to hunt.
In the early morning, while most households in the small town were still asleep, Lin Zhao was already out, his bow and arrow and ancient sword on his back, a few flatbreads and a waterskin filled with clear well water in his embrace. He dared not drink the water from Baiyu Stream anymore, as that scamp Zhang Liucheng often relieved himself on the stone bridge after school, leaving Lin Zhao with a bit of a psychological scar.
East of the small town, after crossing Baiyu Stream, a mountain path led straight towards the eastern mountain range. From afar, the mountains were lush and green, brimming with vitality. But this vitality lasted only for about a hundred li. Beyond that, the mountains were covered in snow, and even looking south from the mountains revealed a sea of white.
The harsh winter had persisted for two years, and the human world was on the brink of collapse. Only Tianchi Ridge still maintained its seasonal changes, for reasons unknown to anyone, or perhaps known but unwilling to share.
Lin Zhao walked the mountain path in a pair of worn-out cloth shoes. Due to his martial arts practice, his movements had become much more agile, like a swift leopard traversing the mountains. In about two hours, he found himself in the mountains tens of li from the town, a speed unimaginable for him before.
Deep in the mountains, the entire range had turned a fiery red. It was a considerable distance from the town, and the temperature had dropped, presenting an autumn scene with everything withering. Only the maple trees in the mountains grew in abundance, their collective fiery red hue making the mountains appear to be ablaze. Lin Zhao loved this scenery, it was infinitely better than the dilapidated scenes of Su City in his vague memory of the ruined world.
Soon, he entered the hunting grounds, and the roars of wild beasts could already be heard in the distance.
Lin Zhao was not in a hurry. He first patrolled a patch of shrubs, discovering plenty of rabbit droppings. He then set up dozens of wire snares for rabbits in the vicinity and found the pit trap he had left behind previously. This trap was a full three meters deep, capable of holding beasts like grizzly bears or adult deer. If he could catch an adult deer, Lin Zhao's good days would last much longer.
The town was in the midst of summer, and autumn was fast approaching. Once autumn arrived, the temperature on Tianchi Ridge would drop drastically, and winter would soon follow. After winter set in, food sources would become extremely scarce, a fact Lin Zhao understood all too well. Each harsh and bitter winter had left a deep impression on him.
After setting up the traps, Lin Zhao began to wander along the mountain ridges with his bow and arrow, where animals were most abundant.
Not long after, he spotted a mountain pheasant with fiery red feathers.
Lin Zhao quickly crouched, his internal energy flowing, lowering his presence to the barest minimum. Holding his long bow, he slowly approached under the cover of a bush. When he reached the optimal shooting distance of about thirty meters, Lin Zhao dared not advance further. Birds and beasts in the mountains were extremely sensitive, and any further movement would likely scare the pheasant away. Thus, he nocked an arrow, slowly drew his bow.
In the past, drawing this bow was quite difficult for Lin Zhao; he couldn't pull it back to a full moon. Before, the young man was weak, and his hunting success rate with this bow was not high. But now, with his vigorous internal energy and having practiced martial arts for some time, his strength had increased significantly. He effortlessly drew the bow to its full extent. As Lin Zhao aimed at his prey, his arms remained steady. With a release, the arrow shot out like a falling meteor, instantly piercing the pheasant.
Accompanied by the sound of flapping wings, the pheasant kicked its legs and died, its body pierced through. The arrow not only went through the pheasant but also embedded itself into a dead tree, demonstrating the immense power of Lin Zhao's draw.
"A good start, very auspicious..."
Lin Zhao happily approached, tucked the pheasant to his waist, pulled out his arrow, and continued to roam the mountains.
Near noon, another mountain pheasant was caught. Lin Zhao rejoiced inwardly. Such a harvest was unprecedented before. In the past, the twelve and thirteen-year-old Lin Zhao, with his long bow in the mountains, would often return empty-handed after two or three days. His stamina was limited, and his shooting accuracy was slightly lacking. Sometimes, even when he encountered pheasants, rabbits, or wild boars, he would end up with nothing. But things were different now. Having stepped into the martial path and become a cultivator of the first realm, his survival ability was incomparable to what it was before.
At noon, he returned to his traps. He first checked the pit trap; there were no bears or deer. Then he checked the rabbit snares and found a rabbit struggling frantically within the snare, unable to escape. Lin Zhao lunged forward, grabbed the rabbit's head, and ended its life with his firewood axe. He then tied the rabbit to his waist. All were spoils of war and could not be carelessly placed. There were too many wild beasts in the mountains, and the smell of blood often attracted them. If foxes or wolves were to reap the benefits, it would be quite displeasing.
On a green stone, Lin Zhao took out two flatbreads and ate them with water. However, he still felt a bit hungry afterward. He touched his stomach, feeling a bit helpless. It was likely due to the lack of meat. A martial artist who practiced daily could absorb spiritual energy without refining any heavenly treasures, but he absolutely had to eat his fill of meat, otherwise, he wouldn't have the stamina to train.
It seemed that meat was indispensable, and he still needed to hunt. The five hundred copper coins from Chu Huaixi wouldn't buy much meat. He should save them for grain and flour. Life required careful planning, as he wasn't exactly well-off.
Therefore, at that moment, Lin Zhao hoped to shoot down an adult deer, or a wild boar. If the pit trap could catch a bear, that would be even better. Ideally, a fierce tiger. Having lived through the era of ruins, he had never tasted tiger meat. So, coming here, it was only natural to satisfy his cravings.
In the afternoon, Lin Zhao continued to roam the mountains with his bow and arrow, searching for new prey. The sun was high in the sky, and he was already sweating profusely, yet he didn't rest. He had to seize every second for hunting because once the sun set, the mountains would become quite dangerous. On one hand, the journey back would take at least two to three hours. Moreover, he had to be wary of the spirits and monsters in the mountains. The elders in the town often said that there was everything in the old forests, and it was best to be respectful.
Sweating profusely, the young man roamed the forest until about three o'clock in the afternoon, still with no success. Calculating from the current sunset time of six to seven o'clock, his hunting time was running out.
Just then, suddenly, there was a "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sound from the bush-covered ridge ahead. The grass and trees swayed as if something was digging through the soil, gnawing at the roots of plants beneath the earth. It appeared as a dark mass. Lin Zhao immediately crouched down, squinting at the spot. The real prize had finally arrived!
A wild boar, an adult wild boar, looked like it weighed at least one hundred and fifty to sixty jin! If he could get this boar, Lin Zhao would not have to worry about food and drink for at least half a month!
Crouching low, he approached silently. The wild boar was still unaware, continuing to forage with its head down, completely oblivious to the approaching death.
The distance was sufficient.
Lin Zhao slowly drew his bow and nocked an arrow. This time, he was going all out, pulling the long bow to its full moon. He wasn't worried about the bowstring or frame breaking. The bow made by Guo Dongyang was very durable, and this bow was Guo Dongyang's masterpiece. Every few months, he would help Lin Zhao repair and reinforce it, so drawing it to a full moon was not a problem at all.
With a full moon draw, combined with Lin Zhao's strength, it should be enough to pierce the wild boar's skull and deliver a fatal blow.
"Buzz..."
Unknowingly, his internal energy surged, and wisps of it flowed into the arrow. This was a detail even Lin Zhao himself hadn't noticed. The next moment, the arrow shot out like a meteor!
"Ch"
With a light sound, the adult wild boar fell to the ground. The arrow pierced directly into its head, almost completely xuyên through its skull. The boar died suddenly, without much suffering.
"Hahaha!"
Lin Zhao was overjoyed and immediately rushed to the wild boar's side. He firmly bound the boar with green vine ropes and then slung it over his shoulder. The scene was somewhat comical: a still slender youth carrying a wild boar twice his weight across the mountain, a look of ecstatic joy on his face, unable to suppress his wide grin.
He reached the mountainside and checked his traps. If there was no gain, he could head back to town.
In the pit trap, there was nothing.
However, in the rabbit trap, another rabbit was caught, having been strangled by the snare.
"Adding to the joy."
Lin Zhao smiled slightly, put down the wild boar, and walked over. He picked up the rabbit, preparing to tie it to his waist.
"Bang!"
The moment he picked up the rabbit, a wave of air pressure like a thunderclap exploded behind him. Someone punched towards Lin Zhao's back with an incredibly powerful fist!
Lin Zhao reacted with lightning speed. He dropped the rabbit almost instantly, his entire body erupting with internal energy. His fist intent flowed naturally throughout his body. As he turned, he unleashed the first stance of the Farmer's Three Punches—the "Pulling Up Scallions from Dry Land" style!
"Bang!"
The moment Lin Zhao's fist collided with the opponent's, it felt like hitting a stone mountain. His fist was directly torn open, and his body was sent reeling back, shattering a cluster of bushes. The next moment, Lin Zhao rolled out along the ground, covered in thorns and already badly injured.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a person striding towards him.
The newcomer wore a short shirt and sturdy trousers, appearing strong and powerful. Waves of internal energy flowed around his fists. He chuckled, "I always said Huang Lin couldn't kill you, so I'll do it myself. People like you don't deserve to live in this world; you're just a waste of food!"
Zhao Jin, at this moment, had already reached the second realm, the Blood Circulation Realm!