Qin Ming withdrew his gaze and slung the animal skin bag over his shoulder as he made his way back along the same path.
He felt quite satisfied with today’s haul. With this bag half full of food, he wouldn't have to worry about going hungry for a while.
The ground was uneven beneath the snow, with dips and rocks making the path difficult to navigate, but Qin Ming was in good spirits.
With plenty of food, he could focus on his training. If he continued to practice those specific movements for a long time, he might make some real progress.
At the same time, he looked forward to early spring, a season full of life.
Even though it was icy and snowy now, with trees and grass looking bare and everything quiet, once the dry season passed, the hot springs in the dangerous areas of the mountains would erupt, and the ground would start to steam. Plants would sprout, and everything would come back to life. That would be a different scene altogether.
As he approached the edge of the dense forest, Qin Ming suddenly stopped, dropped the animal skin bag, and gripped his hunting fork tightly, turning around quickly.
In the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared, looking quite terrifying and rapidly approaching.
His hair stood on end. Although it was still a distance away, he could sense that the creature following him was large and fierce, and a strong smell wafted through the cold wind.
He stuck the hunting fork into the snow and quickly took out his bow and arrows. With impressive strength, he drew the tough bow into a full arc, letting a powerful iron arrow fly, the sound of the bowstring vibrating loudly.
In the distance, the creature, filled with a violent aura, suddenly halted, seemingly hit by an arrow.
Qin Ming was highly focused, quickly shooting arrows with exceptional skill, sending one deadly iron arrow after another into the night.
A low, muffled growl echoed through the forest, and the blood-red eyes disappeared, along with the sound of branches snapping as the creature hid behind the trees.
Qin Ming didn't dare to relax. The unknown creature might be injured, but it wasn't fatally wounded. It would be even more dangerous now that it was lurking in the woods.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the animal skin bag and hunting fork and dashed out of the forest, onto the open snowfield.
He didn't want to linger in the dark, fearing an ambush. He suspected it was a troublesome mutated creature.
Noisy movements came from the forest, with the sound of snow being violently disturbed, clearly indicating that the creature was aggressively pursuing him.
Qin Ming shot arrows without hesitation, some of the iron arrows thudding into thick tree trunks, causing snow to fall like a shower from the branches.
The creature was once again forced back, retreating into the woods.
If it were a regular wild beast, it would either have fled in fear or charged at him out of rage from its injuries. But this mutated creature was lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity.
Qin Ming stood ready with his bow and arrows, facing the dangerous creature.
Snow piled up on the ground, and a large dark shadow flickered in the forest, with those chilling red eyes creating a heavy sense of pressure in the night.
In the end, it was Qin Ming's powerful arrows that held it back, letting out a low, unwilling growl before disappearing into the woods.
Qin Ming's expression was serious. Although it was dark in the forest, he could still see that it was a creature large enough to run upright. He had no idea what kind of mutated creature it was.
He slowly backed away, the area around him silent, but he remained alert.
When he was less than a mile from the hot springs by the village, he was still on guard.
There had been bloody lessons from the past; some villagers had gotten close to the village entrance, only to be ambushed and silently dragged away by unknown creatures lurking in the dark.
Outside Shuangshu Village, three young men were shivering from the cold, stomping their feet and rubbing their hands, breathing out white mist as ice formed on their brows.
They were waiting on the snow path that Qin Ming had taken when he entered the dark territory, whispering to each other.
“It’s so cold here; it’s really miserable. We should just leave. I think he’s probably dead out there and won’t bring anything back.”
“Why the rush? What if he gets lucky like Old Li and finds a frozen mountain beast outside the forest?”
The three were usually lazy and liked to take advantage of others, too scared to enter the dangerous areas of the mountains. In the village, they acted tough and enjoyed free food and drink.
They knew Qin Ming had gone hunting and were thinking of ambushing him here.
“Qin Ming is quick and strong. We shouldn’t mess with him here; he might turn the tables on us.”
“What’s there to be afraid of? He just got over a serious illness, so he must be weak. When he comes back, we’ll just throw the animal skin bag over his head and be careful not to actually kill him.”
Although they wanted to do something bad, they didn’t have the guts to kill anyone; they just wanted to sneakily take the prey he brought back.
Qin Ming was always cautious, his nerves on edge. His keen eyes spotted three dark figures from a distance.
He immediately crouched down; the snow on the ground was already up to his shoulders, making him completely invisible.
He stealthily followed the snow path he had made earlier and finally recognized that the figures ahead were three idle men from the village.
Qin Ming stopped at a suitable spot, able to hear their conversation.
After a moment, his expression darkened. These three were actually planning to ambush him and steal his catch?
Even though he hadn’t gone after a bear, just raided a squirrel's nest, it wasn’t exactly something to brag about. But he had faced life-and-death crises twice, being attacked by a man-faced vulture and an unknown mutated creature. A single misstep could mean death. He couldn’t tolerate them trying to steal the food he risked his life for.
Hu Yong, Ma Yang, and Wang Youping were shaking from the cold, working together to dig a snow pit to shield themselves from the wind, essentially setting up an ambush to wait for him.
They thought Qin Ming would take the risk to hunt deep in the mountains, misjudging how long he would be gone. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so careless in their conversation.
“Be more careful, and don’t make any noise later,” Ma Yang said.
Hu Yong nodded, “We need to be quick and precise when we attack from behind. Make sure to act fast!”
Wang Youping complained, “I hope he comes back alive with something. I can’t wait any longer; I’m freezing.”
Suddenly, the snow pit they were hiding in collapsed, burying the three of them in an instant, catching them completely off guard with snow filling their mouths and noses.
Hu Yong reacted the fastest, bursting out first, but before he could steady himself, he saw a foot in front of him, and with a loud thud, it kicked him hard in the face.
The pain twisted his features, and then he was struck hard on the shoulder by a hunting fork, feeling like his bones might break, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.
Ma Yang had a similar fate; as soon as he poked his head out of the snow, Qin Ming kicked him right in the nose. The intense pain mixed with a throbbing ache was unbearable, and he let out a scream, tears streaming down his face as he rolled in the snow.
Wang Youping sensed something was wrong and burrowed deeper into the snow, not daring to come out. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back as a steel fork pierced through his clothes, drawing blood.
“Please... don’t kill me,” he trembled, his lips quivering. To make matters worse, he wet himself, terrified that he might be stabbed through.
Qin Ming didn’t intend to kill him; he just pierced his skin enough to draw a little blood.
He pushed Wang Youping out and then kicked him three meters away, sending him tumbling back into the snow.
“Qin... Ming.”
“Brother Ming, we’re from the same village. Please show mercy; we made a mistake this time.”
Once the three recognized him and saw the gleaming steel fork in his hand, they immediately backed down.
They all carried knives and sticks, but seeing the fierce and intimidating Qin Ming made them genuinely afraid, especially since they were injured. They didn’t dare to fight back.
Usually, they bullied the weak and feared the strong, but when faced with someone tough, they didn’t dare to stir up trouble.
Though their actions were despicable, Qin Ming wasn’t about to kill them. He couldn’t avoid giving them a harsh “lesson.” He pressed the steel fork against their bodies, forcing them to sit quietly on the ground.
Then, he gave them a thorough beating, loosening up his muscles.
In the end, the three were bruised and bloodied, moaning in pain for a while before being sternly warned and let go.
Qin Ming felt that these people were all bark and no bite; they wanted to be tough but lacked the guts and strength. A good beating was enough to teach them a lesson.
Meanwhile, outside the forest where Qin Ming had confronted the mutated creature, a donkey was slowly making its way from the distant open land, familiar with the path ahead, as if it were heading into the mountains.
On the donkey’s back sat a weasel, pure white as snow, with not a single hair out of place. In this age where the sun set and never rose again, white creatures were quite rare.
It didn’t behave like an ordinary small animal; instead, it was very calm and even seemed “mature,” sitting cross-legged on the donkey’s back, facing backward toward the path they had come from.
This didn’t look like a wild animal; its demeanor resembled that of a composed human, with deep-set eyes, leisurely riding the donkey along the road.
The mutated creature that Qin Ming had driven back saw the donkey approaching and suddenly lunged at it. However, when it noticed the snow-white weasel on the donkey’s back, it abruptly stopped, then turned and disappeared into the forest, burrowing into the thick snow, trembling slightly.
The donkey remained unfazed, merely glancing at the creature as if it recognized the path, continuing to carry the quiet weasel into the mountains.
...
The hot springs were in sight, and the black and white trees swayed gently.
Qin Ming quickened his pace and soon arrived at the village entrance, completely relaxing.
“Qin Ming is back.” Someone chopping wood looked up and saw him.
Quickly, several courtyard doors along the street opened.
News of Qin Ming’s solo adventure had spread, and many people were guessing whether he would return alive and if he would bring anything back.
“He left fully armed just as night fell…”
Shuangshu Village wasn’t large, and villagers who heard the commotion came out.
Every household had sunstones, casting a warm light that illuminated the street.
People saw that Qin Ming was carrying a hunting fork with a red squirrel hanging from it, and they fell silent.
This was completely different from what they had imagined.
Lu Ze hurried over, relieved to see Qin Ming safe and sound, his worries finally easing.
He was a straightforward person, breaking the silence, “Everyone said you went into the mountains to hunt bears, but you... caught a squirrel?”
“I even raided its home,” Qin Ming replied with a smile.
People noticed the animal skin bag he carried and quickly understood what was inside, instantly feeling envious.
Then, they saw the red squirrel’s fur faintly glowing, clearly indicating it was a mutated creature with significant value.
“You not only returned safely but also brought back quite a catch,” Old Liu, who lived at the village entrance, remarked.
Some villagers took the opportunity to ask if it was safe outside now.
Qin Ming told them about his experiences on the way back, not wanting to mislead his neighbors, as that could lead to danger.
When they heard that there were mutated creatures lurking outside the forest, everyone’s expression changed. They realized they still couldn’t go out alone for a while.
Then, Qin Ming didn’t hold back and mentioned the actions of Ma Yang, Hu Yong, and Wang Youping, which immediately sparked outrage among the villagers.
“How shameless! They’re too scared to enter the mountains but want to harm their fellow villagers. This isn’t just an ambush; they’re trying to take lives!”
Ma Yang, Hu Yong, and Wang Youping, leaning on each other, limped into view at the village entrance, only to be met by Lu Ze and his group, who gave them another beating.
“Lu Ge, Uncle Yang, Old Liu, please stop! Help!” The three cried out in pain, their faces frozen with snot and blood, screaming desperately. They had made many enemies over time.
Qin Ming handed out a big handful of nuts to the children on the street, causing them to cheer joyfully.
Then he spotted Grandma Zhou, who looked pale, leaning against her courtyard door. He hurried over, not allowing her to say much, and left her some dried goods.
...
“Uncle, you’re amazing! The wild walnuts are so delicious, and the pine nuts smell great!”
At Qin Ming’s home, Wen Rui showered him with praise, delighted as she tasted each type of dried fruit, her little mouth never stopping.
“Date paste, so tasty and sweet,” the little Wen Hui, just over two years old, babbled as he enjoyed the steamed and pounded red date paste, then leaned over and gave Qin Ming a kiss on the cheek.
Nearby, the red squirrel hanging from the hunting fork began to regain consciousness, opening its eyes to see a few people rummaging through its “treasure,” and it immediately felt despair.
“No wonder it’s a mutated creature; it’s diligent and capable, storing more than thirty pounds of food,” Liang Wanqing marveled.
The red squirrel’s eyes widened in fury, as if it were about to spit fire.
At that moment, Lu Ze spoke seriously, “Little Qin, I think you’ve recovered enough. It’s time to seriously consider the matter of ‘new life.’”