As dawn gradually broke, the sleeping Gu Family Village slowly awakened to the crowing of roosters. Wisps of cooking smoke rose into the air.
Though the Annual Sacrifice had passed, the weather remained cold. The long rows of icicles hanging beneath every household's eaves in Gu Family Village—thick as a child's arm, crystal-clear, and sharp as blades—were enough to show the harshness of winter.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Smack!
Gu Shaoshang bent his knees and lowered himself into a half-squat. At the same time, his left palm extended forward, his elbow slightly bent. His entire body rose and fell almost imperceptibly, neither fully sunken nor fully relaxed.
Gu Shaoshang paced back and forth along a straight line, turning his palms and throwing punches. Force burst forth, stirring the air until it howled.
After a long while, he slowly withdrew his fists. His mouth opened slightly as he gradually exhaled a stream of white vapor that extended the length of a palm before slowly dispersing into the air as though it lacked the strength to continue.
"They say that in Xingyi Quan, all methods originate from the Three Body Form. It truly is extraordinary! Every day of practice brings different insights!" Gu Shaoshang slowly finished the form, heat steaming from his entire body.
In his previous life, Xingyi Quan had been passed down for centuries and had branched into countless schools. Yet regardless of the school, all regarded the Three Body Form as the mother form.
Even old boxing masters who had trained for decades practiced it every day without interruption.
The experience passed down by countless predecessors over hundreds of years was incomparably precious. Even with the awareness of the Grandmaster Realm, Gu Shaoshang practiced diligently every day and gained new insights each time.
"It's dawn. Gu Lianxing is leaving for Yan Capital today, and I still have to see her off. That's enough morning practice for today." Gu Shaoshang raised his head. The sky had already brightened, and the newly risen sun dyed the morning clouds red. A new day had begun.
Gu Family Village, South Gate.
"Haha! This is far enough! Everyone, go home!" Gu Xuanzhen's group had finished packing their luggage, and the flood dragon horses had been fed their fill.
Nearly every member of Gu Family Village had come to see them off. The crowd was a dense mass of people, noisy and bustling.
"Uncle Zhen, I'll leave these two youngsters in your care from now on." Gu Yu looked reluctantly at Gu Yuer. As one of the three most outstanding people in this year's Annual Sacrifice, she naturally had a place among them.
Gu Yuer wore a silver-white hunting outfit and leather boots. Her eyes were red as she bid a reluctant farewell to a middle-aged woman.
"Mother, I'll be back soon! You and Father must take good care of yourselves!" Gu Yuer's eyes were bloodshot and slightly swollen. Clearly, she had not slept well the night before.
The middle-aged woman wiped away her tears. "Yuer, Mother is still worried about you. When you're out there alone, you must take good care of yourself..."
Gu Yuer hugged her mother. Even someone as carefree as her could not help but feel a sour ache in her heart. This trip to Yan Capital would take at least three to five years, perhaps even seven or eight. She had never been so far away from her parents before. Besides reluctance, she naturally felt some unease.
"You can't grow up without facing wind and rain." Gu Xuanzhen shook his head slightly, then comforted her. "Don't worry. Whether it's the Divine Blade Sect or Yan Capital, both are far safer than Gu Family Village."
Gu Ji stood to one side, muttering to himself, When a son travels far, his mother worries. Though Elder Brother doesn't say it aloud, he worries about her just as much. He knows it's for Yuer's future, but he still can't stop fretting.
"Enough! It's getting late. We should set out as soon as possible!" Gu Xuanzhen spoke softly, but his voice carried for several miles. A single word from him drowned out the noise of more than a thousand people!
The crowd immediately fell silent, and everyone looked toward Gu Xuanzhen.
"Gu Yuer, Gu Shaoze, hurry and pack your things!" the middle-aged guard wearing Red Phosphor Armor called out loudly.
"Yes!" The young man and woman stepped out and followed the middle-aged guard.
Gu Ji's heart jolted. He asked Gu Xuanzhen, who was boarding the carriage, "Uncle Zhen, aren't you going to wait for Shaoshang? He is..."
With one foot on the carriage, Gu Xuanzhen paused slightly. He lifted the carriage curtain and stepped inside, leaving only his voice echoing through the air.
"This is his choice. You wouldn't understand."
Gu Ji froze.
Amid the farewells of a thousand people, the convoy slowly set off.
Gu Shaoze and Gu Yuer exchanged glances, both looking helpless.
"Ah, I even went to ask Shaoshang last night, but he had already made up his mind not to go!" Gu Shaoze said with some exasperation.
"He doesn't strive to improve himself. He won't even seize such a great opportunity! He'll regret it someday!" Gu Yuer curled her lips and mocked him. "Hurry up! The convoy will be too far away soon!"
The two looked back at Gu Family Village, then resolutely followed the convoy.
"What a pity. Grandfather's hint was already so obvious, yet that foolish Gu Shaoshang still didn't come along!" Inside the carriage, Gu Lianxing pouted, her expression gloomy. "That little brat didn't even come to see me off! And I even gave him one of the Golden-Eyed Eagle eggs!"
"He's a child with his own ideas, much smarter than you." Gu Xuanzhen laughed, casually lifting the curtain. "Look. Who is that?"
Gu Lianxing looked through the window. On a distant hillside stood a small figure watching the convoy.
Gu Lianxing suddenly smiled, as beautiful and moving as a flower in bloom.
Gu Shaoshang stood on a hillside outside the village, watching the convoy gradually disappear into the distance. He took the silver-white Golden-Eyed Eagle egg from his pocket, a faint smile curling his lips.
After the Annual Sacrifice, the clansmen who had been making their living elsewhere gradually set out again. On the seventh day after Gu Xuanzhen's departure, Gu Ji was leaving as well.
"Elder Brother! Shaoshang! Take care of yourselves! I'm off!" Carrying a saber and a bow on his back, the bald, burly man laughed loudly, mounted his horse, and galloped away in a cloud of dust.
Gu Yu and Gu Shaoshang stood side by side, watching Gu Ji leave.
After killing the Silver Wolf King and undergoing the Annual Sacrifice test, Gu Shaoshang's status within Gu Family Village had risen sharply. Even Gu Yu, the village chief, treated him with much greater respect.
"Ah, this trip of Third Brother's is fraught with danger. I only hope he can escape misfortune." Gu Yu lowered his head despondently, his fists tightly clenched.
"The village has relied heavily on his support these past years. Otherwise, how could a tiny place like Gu Family Village have more than a dozen experts at the Five Stages of Foundation Establishment? It's just a pity that the village is still too weak to help him!" Gu Yu's voice was sorrowful, and his burly body trembled slightly.
"Uncle Yu, what happened? Third Uncle, he..." Gu Shaoshang frowned, unease rising within him.
Gu Yu grabbed Gu Shaoshang by both shoulders, his eyes bloodshot. "Shaoshang! You must remember this! On the Vast Continent, the strong are revered! Weakness is the greatest original sin!"
"Haha! Haha! Haha!" Gu Yu gave a bleak laugh and turned back toward the village. The body that had once seemed like that of a lion now gave Gu Shaoshang an impression of fragility.
Gu Shaoshang was baffled. It felt as if inspiration flashed through his mind, but he could not grasp it no matter how hard he tried. Countless thoughts churned in his heart, yet he gained nothing in the end. He could only shake his head and set the matter aside for the time being.
Winter passed and spring arrived. Mountains and rivers thawed, all things revived, and the grasses and trees turned green.
Great Ming Mountain regained its vitality, lush and verdant everywhere. Migratory birds returned, while the roars and cries of all kinds of wild beasts rang out without end.
Whenever this time came, the villages at the foot of Great Ming Mountain would tacitly enter the mountains together. On one hand, they hunted enough food to feed themselves; on the other, they cleared away hidden dangers threatening their villages.
"Qingzi, hurry up! What are you dawdling for?" On the training ground, a lean and capable middle-aged man roared.
The capable middle-aged man was Gu Hao, captain of Gu Family Village's Hunting Team. He excelled with the spear and was an expert at the Five Stages of Foundation Establishment, Refining Blood Mercury Paste.
Qingzi, the young man organizing the weapons nearby, grinned ingratiatingly. "Hehe, Captain, I'm almost done, almost done."
"Today is our Hunting Team's first trip into the mountains this year! Stay alert! Beasts that have starved through an entire winter are at their fiercest! We must be cautious! Even if we come back empty-handed, we cannot lose our lives! Do you hear me?" Gu Hao carried a bow on his back and held a long spear as he shouted.
"Heard you!" More than twenty men roared in unison, and Gu Hao nodded in satisfaction.
"Hunting Team, into the mountains!"
Under the envious gazes of the team members staying behind, Gu Hao led twenty men into the mountains in a grand procession.
The Hunting Team consisted of the village's strongest and most able-bodied men. Each time they entered the mountains, at least one-third of the team had to remain behind to guard the village.
After all, in this world, some people were far more terrifying than wild beasts!
Thanks to all the readers for your recommendations and bookmarks, and thanks to Tian Shi Ye Diao Mao, Eclaide, reader 20171230135717200, and Ben Shu Lai Ye for the rewards and for adding this book to your reading lists. I only saw it yesterday.
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