Chapter 48: The Lady is Present, Hunting the Big Insect (Please Read)
The lady, draped in a fox fur cloak embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns symbolizing longevity, rode a magnificent crimson steed, treading through the snow.
Sachets, jade belts, and many other exquisite ornaments.
Her long hair was tied up, giving her a heroic air; her pretty face was captivating, making her seem like a deity.
On the right side of the saddle hung a longbow, adorned with numerous ornaments. The most striking was a tiger-shaped topaz, which the lady held in her hand, her fingers gently stroking the tiger's head.
On the left side were fifty feathered arrows.
The maid Qiuyue was pulling the reins in front. Although her clothes were also quite elegant, she could only serve as a supporting role next to the lady.
"The lady also attended."
Li Xian thought to himself.
"Have the rules been explained to them?" Madam Wen asked calmly.
Pang Long respectfully replied, "It has been explained."
“In that case, let’s begin,” said Madam Wen. This so-called winter hunt was, in essence, something she herself wanted to do.
These guards and the like are just there to add a touch of glamour.
As soon as she finished speaking, the lady spurred her leg, and the crimson steed charged into the Bear and Tiger Mountain. The mountain was full of miscellaneous branches and trees, but the steed moved as if on flat ground, disappearing in just a few breaths.
Xionghu Mountain is a continuous mountain range with lakes, rivers, cliffs, and dense forests, featuring a complete range of landforms.
Otherwise, the lady would not have chosen this as her hunting ground.
The winter hunt lasted for three days, but in reality, many guards and servants would emerge in less than half a day.
They mostly shot wild rabbits and birds.
The reward money was pitifully small, but at least it could be used to make soup and stew, and have a hearty meal, so it was all about participating.
...
The lady rode off in a cloud of dust.
Li Xian and the other guards also entered the mountains and forests.
In addition to the "Lingyu Arrow" bestowed upon him by his wife, he also prepared two hundred bows and arrows.
"I only have ten arrows, which means I can only hunt a maximum of ten prey. I will try to hunt the biggest ones."
Li Xian walked through the forest.
The terrain here is very complex, with both the difficulty of traversing snowy terrain and the complexity of woodland.
Fortunately, Li Xian mastered the "Snow Treading" property, which saved him a lot of effort and trouble.
Suddenly, a wild rabbit hopped across the water.
Li Xian swiftly drew his bow and fired an arrow. His aim was perfect; the arrow pierced the rabbit's heart, pinning it to the ground.
The rabbit kicked its feet and died instantly.
"It seems there is plenty of prey here."
Li Xian's eyes lit up. He had been worried that there were very few prey in this mountain range and that it would take a lot of effort to find them.
But they had only been in the mountains for a short time when they spotted a wild rabbit.
Where there are wild rabbits, there must also be predators that prey on them. This small detail reveals the abundance of resources in these mountains and forests!
"To truly hunt big prey, one must venture deeper into the forest."
"This is a golden opportunity. My martial arts skills may not be the best, but my hunting and shooting skills are definitely not inferior to others."
"Try harder... it might not be impossible to shoot down three giant bears!"
Li Xian reached deeper.
After walking for about two hours, we entered the inner perimeter. We could clearly feel that there were far fewer people around.
Many of the lower-ranking guards had no intention of engaging in large-scale hunting. Naturally, they wouldn't risk venturing deep into the primeval forest, since anyone could be prey in such conditions.
Knowing when to back down can save your life.
"call…"
Li Xian stopped, found a flat spot, gathered some dry firewood, and started a campfire.
The rabbits hunted in the morning were skinned, gutted, and roasted over a fire to conserve energy.
"Hunting can't be rushed..."
"Unfortunately, this hunt only lasted three days. If it had lasted longer, I could have tried setting traps."
Li Xian gnawed on the rabbit meat.
Because it wasn't seasoned, it tasted like dry firewood, but after eating it, my stomach felt warm and I felt a bit stronger.
"It's a water source..."
After eating and drinking their fill, they continued on their journey. Upon seeing a river, Li Xian's face lit up with joy.
Wild animals also need to drink water.
As long as you stay near the water source, you're sure to spot large prey.
"There are also claw marks. Judging from their depth and size, it's probably... a large insect!"
"It must weigh at least several hundred kilograms!"
Li Xian was overjoyed and hid in a clump of weeds, waiting patiently.
Unfortunately, they didn't see the tiger, but instead spotted a wild deer. Li Xian hesitated for a moment, then shot and killed it.
He first used a regular bow and arrow to pierce the heart of the wild deer. Then he took out a "feathered arrow" and fired another arrow.
Deer blood flowed freely.
This was a highly nourishing substance, and Li Xian, not wanting to waste it, drank the deer blood raw.
[You consumed deer blood, and your skill proficiency increased by 5.]
[Proficiency +2]
[Proficiency +1]
[Skill: Ingestion]
[Proficiency: 379/500 (Beginner)]
Li Xian resembled a wild beast, his mouth stained with blood.
But the benefits are also obvious.
Within the dantian, the internal energy flows out like a gentle stream.
It became even more powerful.
"If only we could eat deer blood every day."
"I've heard that soaking oneself in deer blood can strengthen the body. Unfortunately, it's too extravagant. I can't even afford to eat it, let alone soak myself in deer blood."
Li Xian took out the "Shrinking Flesh Bag." This substance was peculiar; when infused with internal energy, it would become soft and could be stretched and expanded at will. However, when internal energy was withdrawn, it would gradually shrink back to the size of a fist.
"The world is full of wonders."
"Even if I were to peek at the moon from the bottom of a well, I could still see a thing or two."
Cover the deer's body with the shrinking bag, take three steps back, and the shrinking bag gradually shrinks... until it becomes the size of a fist.
A wild deer weighing over 100 pounds has been compressed to this size.
To Li Xian's surprise, when he opened the shrunken flesh bag again and took out the wild deer, its body was intact again.
It didn't turn into a lump of meat or mincemeat...
The reason behind it is truly incomprehensible; I only find it incredibly novel.
Suddenly at this moment.
Li Xian suddenly rolled to the right, and saw a large, spotted worm pounce on the ground where he had been standing.
"That was close... I almost fell for it."
"In this forest, I am also the prey."
Li Xian narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression calm, and swept his right leg across the snow, unleashing the "Gentle Breeze Swaying" move from the "Gentle Breeze Leg" style.
The gust of wind generated by this move blew up the accumulated snow, instantly blinding the tiger.
Although Li Xian has made great progress in martial arts and his internal energy has become more refined, he will still be at a disadvantage in fighting a tiger bare-handed.
He immediately turned and ran. The giant worm roared and pounced, but Li Xian dodged around a tree, channeled his inner energy to his legs, and pushed off with all his might.
He jumped up to a height of about ten feet, grabbed a vine, and swung like that.
After flying another distance, Li Xian turned around in mid-air, nocked his bow, and shot an arrow.
With a swift movement of his fingertips, he unleashed three arrows in quick succession. The tiger, however, was no pushover; though large in size, it was exceptionally agile. It twisted left and right, dodging two arrows, but the third arrow struck at a tricky angle.
This was Li Xian's killing move.
Pfft...
The arrow pierced the tiger's leg. The tiger, in pain, tried to flee. Li Xian cursed, "You beast, you think you can escape?"
With a flick of his right hand, he produced five arrows. However, firing all five arrows at once was difficult to control accurately, and with a limited number of arrows, he had to use them sparingly.
Although Li Xian had nocked the Five-Finger Arrow, he fired it one by one. His movements were fluid; two arrows blocked the direction, two were feints, but the last arrow was infused with his inner energy…
It harbors a chilling murderous intent.
As expected, although the tiger was cunning, it was at a loss for what to do in the face of such an attack.
He was shot in the body by an arrow and lay down in the snow.
The first big bug has been shot down!
(End of this chapter)
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