At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Guangfu Ward in southern Nanning County was still shrouded in a faint mist.
The streets and alleys were quiet and damp, and the roof tiles still held the night's dew.
The courtyard gate creaked open, and a figure slowly walked out of the small house.
Gu Chang'an wore a gray-blue short jacket today. His cloth clothes had been washed clean and crisp, his cuffs tightly bound, and a dark-brown leather belt fastened around his waist.
A plain long saber hung across it. The scabbard was old and lusterless, but it had been kept neat and orderly.
He wore short beast-hide boots. His steps were steady as a mountain, his figure straight and upright, just like an old soldier from the ranks.
Compared with the frail refugee he had been a month ago.
Now, his back was broad, his shoulders wide, and his build solid. He walked with the wind, and his every movement already carried a hint of pressure.
He raised his head and glanced at the sky, exhaled a puff of white air, and wore a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Brother Chang'an, morning! Going hunting again?" From behind the courtyard wall on the left, a little head poked out. It was A Bao, the five- or six-year-old neighbor's child. His face was round, and he still clutched a half-eaten steamed corn bun.
Gu Chang'an walked over and smiled as he rubbed the boy's head. "Mm. The moon was bright last night, so there'll be plenty of game today. I'll bring you back a rabbit to stew for soup."
A Bao leaped three feet into the air with delight, then turned and shouted into the house, "Mom! Brother Chang'an's bringing meat back again today!"
Several nearby neighbors had also risen to light their fires. When they saw Gu Chang'an leave, they called out to him one after another.
"Chang'an, that badger from a few days ago was delicious. My boy licked the bowl clean."
"Be careful while hunting. I heard there's something in the mountains lately."
"Have a smooth journey. Come back for a bowl of ginger tea!"
"..."
Facing their kind greetings, Gu Chang'an smiled and nodded to each person in reply.
He passed through the ward, and everyone turned aside to greet him.
These neighbors had originally held no fondness for him, a refugee by birth. But over the past month, whenever Gu Chang'an returned from hunting with too much game, he would butcher and clean the excess rabbits, chickens, badgers, and such before distributing them among the neighbors.
In his daily life, he also never stirred up trouble. He was not talkative, but he kept his word.
Thus, over time, he had built a warm and plain relationship with these people.
Some people privately said that although this Gu boy came from poverty, he had both heart and strength. If he ever rose above his circumstances, he would not forget his roots.
Gu Chang'an himself understood that this small kindness was merely one link in securing his footing.
"In this city, if I want to survive, I can't let people fear my death, nor can I let them hope for it."
He pointed toward the mountain forest outside the ward, adjusted his back basket and bow case, and followed the familiar path into a hunting trip.
The moss in the forest was slick with moisture, and the tree shadows were uneven. Gu Chang'an followed the paths he knew by heart, threading through the woods like a fish through water.
His movements were light, and he landed with almost no sound. His steps were nimble yet steady, thanks to his diligent practice of Flowing Wind Steps over the past month.
Though he could not yet walk through snow without leaving a trace, he could already run through the forest without startling the beasts.
A wisp of wind passed by, and the leaves trembled faintly. Gu Chang'an suddenly stopped and tilted his ear to listen.
"Rustle—"
A susurrus came from the grass. He slowly bent down, his hand already resting on the longbow at his waist, his movements smooth as flowing water.
The next moment, with a swish, he drew a three-edged arrow from behind his back, nocked it, and drew the string taut, ready to strike.
"Swish, swish..." A gray-furred wild rabbit darted out. Before it could leap, a cold Blade Light tore through the air from among the branches.
The sharp arrow struck the rabbit in the neck. The wild rabbit rolled twice and died in the forest.
Gu Chang'an hurried forward, lifted the prey, and put it into his back basket, his expression calm. Game like this was now as easy as reaching out and taking it for him.
But he did not linger. He vaulted onto a boulder, his figure nimble as he gazed into the distance.
Though these mountains were not dangerously treacherous, they were hardly peaceful.
According to the old hunters at the foot of the mountain, the farther north one went, the more than wild beasts there were in the mountains. There were occasional traces of demons as well.
Gu Chang'an's physique had already reached one hundred points, and his strength was astonishing, but he still held demons in awe.
Therefore, he would not rashly venture deeper, hunting only within familiar areas.
Time passed swiftly.
It was already noon.
He walked slowly along the way, with sharp eyes and quick hands, and hunted three more mountain rabbits, two badgers, and two pheasants.
Just as he was preparing to turn back, he suddenly heard a burst of urgent bird calls from the dense forest to the west.
His heart stirred, and he leaped into the shade of the trees like a civet, creeping forward in concealment.
After advancing more than ten yards, he lifted aside the vine leaves, and his pupils immediately contracted—
In the forest ahead, a blue-gray wild boar was rooting through the ground. Its tusks curved like hooks, and its muscles knotted powerfully.
It stood half a man's height, its small eyes glowing red, a faint Blood Light rising from its entire body.
[Wild Boar]
Gu Chang'an's heart jumped. This was a lightly demonized beast, with thick hide and solid flesh. It ran like the wind and possessed astonishing impact power.
An ordinary hunter who encountered it could only run for his life, but a faint eagerness to test himself rose within him.
He slowly drew the long saber from his back. Iron Cutting Saber Technique revolved in his mind, and his aura settled like ice.
He stamped one foot against the ground and shot out from the tree's shadow!
The wild boar sensed him abruptly and let out a deafening bellow. It scraped the ground with all four hooves, Blood Light flashing, and charged like thunder!
Gu Chang'an faced it coldly without retreating, raising his saber horizontally!
Clang—!!
The thunderous impact rang like a bell. The long saber struck the wild boar's neck but only sliced through several inches of flesh.
The rebounding force left the web between his thumb and forefinger numb!
"What tough hide!"
The wild boar roared again and spun around to crash into him. Gu Chang'an planted his left foot and used Flowing Wind Steps. His figure blurred, and he narrowly dodged the attack!
Riding the momentum, he circled around to its side and rear. His body moved like a shadow, and the long saber in his hand gathered all his strength.
"Haah—!"
Iron Cutting Saber Technique!
The essence of the saber technique exploded forth. The saber's radiance shone with a biting chill as it cleaved through the air!
Splurt!
The long saber struck like thunder, finally breaking through the wild boar's shoulder and neck. Blood sprayed out, and the wild boar shrieked repeatedly before tumbling to the ground!
It twitched several times and finally stopped moving.
Gu Chang'an sheathed his saber and panted, sweat trickling down his forehead as his qi and blood surged.
He stared at the wild boar's corpse, and his eyes no longer held simple delight.
"Excellent. This wild boar should fetch a good price. It ought to be worth more than a thousand wen."
"And I'm adapting to this world more and more."
He slowly tied up the wild boar and hung it on the drag frame he had made, preparing to take it back to Guangfu Ward.
Afterward, he dragged a Blood-Tusked Wild Boar along the path he had come by, slowly making his way forward.
Suddenly—
A pungent smell of blood drifted on the wind, mixed with the chaotic sounds of hoofbeats, shouting, and clashing weapons!
Gu Chang'an's heart tightened, and his footsteps stopped dead.
He immediately tossed aside the wild boar, crouched low, and slipped into the thorn forest beside the mountain road. Bending down, he climbed an old pine.
Standing at a high point, he looked through the gaps in the dense forest toward the distant road.
—It was a trade route leading to western Nanning County.
Within his field of vision, cart after cart had overturned. Wheels lay scattered, chests and baskets had shattered, and goods were strewn across the ground.
A group of bandits wearing cloth armor and carrying long sabers were attacking a merchant escort of more than ten people.
Torches blazed. The freight carts boomed amid the flames, while several frightened mules brayed and fled.
A broad-shouldered, thick-waisted man wearing Black Armor stood amid the chaos. A Broad Back Saber dripped blood in his hand. A roaring Tiger Head Emblem was stamped on the armor over his chest.
Gu Chang'an's eyes narrowed as he recognized the emblem's origin—
Black Tiger Stockade.
The largest bandit force across the dozens of mountain peaks south of the Yangtze, it occupied the summit of Green Fang Mountain and specialized in robbing wealthy merchants and cargo caravans.
And the man before him was none other than the infamous Fifth Chief of Black Tiger Stockade, ranked twelfth on Nanning County's Most Wanted List: Ma Dahu.
[Ma Dahu: Physique 286]
Seeing this, Gu Chang'an held his breath, not daring to make the slightest sound.
He knew that although his physique had surpassed one hundred,
compared with an expert like this, he was like a child facing a fierce tiger, with no chance of victory at all.
What was more, they greatly outnumbered him.
The cries of slaughter on the mountain road grew fiercer.
Several guards were still resisting stubbornly, but they had long since run out of strength and were surrounded by the bandits.
"Hahaha! With trash like you, you think you can protect the cargo?"
Ma Dahu laughed loudly as he strode forward and swept his saber horizontally. Blood splattered everywhere, and two guards fell to the ground, twitching.
"Search! Turn out the cargo! Medicinal herbs, salt, cotton cloth, copper coins—search every last bit of it!"
The bandits cheered and surged forward. They looted the cargo chests, toppled the carts, and undid the ropes.
Some even cut off the dead merchants' boots and belts, and took their teeth and earrings.
Screams and wails mingled with the firelight and Blade Light, making the scene seem like hell itself.
After half a quarter of an hour, the bandits finally finished plundering. Ma Dahu laughed and shouted:
"Good work! Withdraw!"
The bandits carried their bundles, stepped over the corpses, led away the horses with the goods, and charged into the forest road with a roar.
Soon, only the raging fire, the shattered caravan, and blotches of blood remained.
Gu Chang'an waited motionless in the tree for a long while. Only after all sound had vanished did he quietly climb down, take up his prey, and circle around by a remote path before silently returning to the ward.
He glanced back toward the mountain road, his eyes calm as still water:
"This world is more chaotic—and more dangerous—than I imagined..."
"If I want to survive, I must not only become stronger, but also remain calmer."
He lowered his head and hurried away without leaving the slightest trace.
As for going there to loot the corpses?
He would never dare take such a risk. If those bandits suddenly returned, he would be doomed.
For now, the most important thing was to keep a low profile.
Keeping a low profile would surely make him invincible.
Keeping a low profile would surely grant him longevity.
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