Striking the Prey

[Bedside: Beginner]

[Progress: 1/300]

[Effect: Physique +5, Controllable Progress Points +4]

Bedside... also has a progress bar, and it directly improves physique?

It even gave 'controllable progress points'!

Cui Hao was stunned, and then a hint of understanding arose in his heart.

It seems that any behavior with a certain degree of 'skill' or 'practice' can be recorded by the panel, and its level can be improved through repeated practice and refinement.

The scope of this golden finger seems to be wider and more... practical than he imagined.

The feeling of Physique +5 is very subtle, not a surge of muscles, but a deep recovery of energy and a comprehensive improvement in body coordination. Even the previous fatigue seemed to have dissipated by more than half.

The next day, with the second crow of the rooster, Cui Hao opened his eyes.

The moonlight filtering through the window shone on Su Yun's face. She didn't seem to be sleeping soundly, her brows furrowed, her fingers twitching slightly—a sign of insecurity.

Fleeing from home in her childhood, drifting from place to place.

After entering the Cui family, she faced the indifference and disdain of a certain person.

In the past six months, she had been on the verge of being traded like goods several times.

In this world, a woman without support is as unstable as a duckweed in the wind.

Cui Hao's emotions were complex, filled with pity and responsibility.

Since he had become her husband by chance, and since... the most intimate relationship had already occurred, no matter what, he could not let her fall into such a situation again.

He couldn't promise great wealth and honor, but he had to earn at least enough to eat and a stable life.

With this thought, Cui Hao gently withdrew his arm, which had been somewhat numb from being used as a pillow.

Su Yun woke up immediately, her eyelashes trembling as she opened her eyes. A flash of panic and unease crossed her eyes. She was afraid that once the man had what he wanted, he would no longer cherish her, or even sell her off.

"Wild beasts in the mountains get up early, and hunters have to get up early too," Cui Hao's voice was as gentle as possible. "You sleep a little longer."

Su Yun's heart relaxed, and she quickly shook her head, "I'll cook for you."

As she spoke, Su Yun tried to sit up but let out a soft 'hiss'. Her movements were noticeably stiff and awkward.

"Slowly, there's no rush," Cui Hao helped his wife.

Su Yun's face flushed. She lowered her head, supported herself on the bed, and slowly put on her faded old clothes.

When she got out of bed, her legs were clearly inconvenient. She held onto the wall and slowly shuffled out of the bedroom.

Breakfast was the leftover dried vegetables and steamed meat mixed with brown rice from last night. It was still fragrant after being reheated.

Su Yun even specially used the rice grains left at the bottom of the pot to make a piece of crispy, golden pot-roast. She filled a clean, large gourd with cooled boiled water.

"Brother Hao, just on the outskirts of Second Mountain. Don't go too deep. Father... Father used to say that there were big insects and bears in the depths, which is very dangerous."

"I know, don't worry." Cui Hao took the pot-roast and water gourd, slung his bow and quiver over his back, and tied a bundle of grass rope over his shoulder.

He pushed open the creaking wooden door, and the crisp morning air hit his face. A thin layer of white frost had formed on the ground.

Cui Hao stepped into the frost and his figure quickly merged into the dawn.

Su Yun clasped her hands together, silently praying to all the gods and Buddhas in heaven to protect her husband and ensure his safe return.

After walking for about eight or nine li, the sky gradually changed from deep blue to fish-belly white. When the sun finally revealed a golden edge from the horizon, Cui Hao arrived at the foot of the mountain.

The first mountain before him was aptly named 'Bald Mountain'.

As far as the eye could see, there were almost no decent trees, only low shrubs and exposed rocks.

Firewood was the lifeline for many trades in the city. Restaurants, blacksmith shops, bathhouses... countless hands scoured here day after day, and even the most lush mountain forests could not withstand such extraction.

After crossing the bare mountain ridge, about five or six li deep, Cui Hao's cloth shoes and trouser legs were already wet with morning dew.

A gurgling sound came from ahead, and a clear, cold mountain stream lay before him.

He took off his shoes, rolled up his trouser legs, and waded across. The icy stream water made him shiver.

On the other side of the stream was a completely different world—Yuanmeng Mountain, Second Mountain.

The trees were dense and tall. A faint, milky white morning mist drifted through the forest, and the air was moist and fresh, filled with the scent of trees and earth.

It was full of life, but also exuded a hidden danger.

Remembering Su Yun's instructions, Cui Hao did not rashly step onto the small path trodden by hunters leading into the depths of the forest.

He chose to walk slowly along the edge of the stream. The field of vision here was relatively open, and animals were more likely to be attracted to the water source.

"Splash!" A violent rustling in the grass by the stream ahead. A grayish-brown wild duck let out a startled cry and flapped its wings, quickly disappearing into the forest mist.

Cui Hao instinctively drew his bow and nocked an arrow, but the duck's flight path was erratic and its speed was fast. He estimated the probability of hitting it and reluctantly lowered his bow.

--Arrows were precious and could not be easily wasted on targets with almost no chance of success.

He waded to where the wild duck had taken flight, pushed aside the dense withered grass and water pepper, and found a duck's nest carefully constructed with feathers and dry grass.

The nest was empty of eggs, but scattered around were many shed downy feathers and small true feathers.

Cui Hao's eyes lit up.

Duck down! This was good stuff – light, warm, and accumulating it could be a great help in winter, stuffed into clothing layers.

He carefully gathered the feathers, wrapped them in a piece of old cloth, and tucked them into his robes. This was an unexpected bonus, a supplementary harvest from his hunt.

Continuing upstream along the creek, he became more alert to his surroundings. Suddenly, his foot encountered an unusual, springy sensation, unlike solid ground or rock.

Cui Hao stopped immediately, lowering his head to look closely. It was a large patch of fluffy, dry weeds and fallen leaves, piled up into an inconspicuous, slightly raised mound.

...This was familiar!

From the countless wilderness survival videos he'd watched before crossing over, he knew what lay beneath his feet – a king cobra's nest!

His heart leaped, adrenaline surging. Fear was instinctual, but immediately following it was intense excitement and... appetite?

Snake meat was delicious and nutritious, an excellent source of protein.

Besides, Su Yun had been malnourished for a long time; feeding her something good to build her strength would be wonderful!

He slowly retreated, moving away from directly above the nest. Cui Hao picked up a fallen branch nearby, about as thick as a child's arm and over two meters long.

Taking a deep breath, he used the branch to forcefully prod and poke the fluffy top of the nest.

"Rustle, rustle..."

A chilling friction sound came from within the nest.

Soon, three king cobras, as thick as wrists and over two meters long, raised their forebodies into a threatening, aggressive posture.

Their cold, vertical pupils locked onto the intruder disturbing their peace.

Danger!

Facing three enraged king cobras, Cui Hao's first reaction wasn't to reach for his bow, but for the branch in his hand!

He aimed at the fiercest-looking cobra at the front. The moment it coiled its body, ready to strike, he brought the branch down with all his might!

"Crack!" A dull thud. The wooden branch landed precisely on the snake's midsection.

The hard wood collided with the snake's flexible body. Cui Hao felt his hand go numb. The snake, stunned by the blow, collapsed slightly, emitting a pained hiss.

At the same time, his status panel refreshed.

[Snake Catching: Novice]
[Progress: 15/100]

Effective! Cui Hao's spirits lifted, and he didn't pause. While the snake was dazed, he swung again with all his might, striking the same area!

The progress jumped to 55.

The other two king cobras, enraged by their companion's plight, slithered closer from left and right with astonishing speed, flicking their tongues and hissing.

Cui Hao took two steps back, creating a little distance. He judged the left snake to be slightly faster and more threatening. Swinging the branch in a wide arc, he struck for the third time!

Progress only increased to 60.

The left king cobra, in pain, slowed its attack slightly.

The right one had silently closed in to a dangerous distance. It suddenly lunged, its forebody coiling and snapping forward like a spring. Its pink mouth opened wide, revealing pearly white fangs, and with a gust of foul air, it lunged directly at Cui Hao's right wrist, the one holding the branch!

Too fast! It was too late to swing the branch to block!

At the brink of death, Cui Hao reacted almost by instinct—he abruptly let go of the branch, his hands shooting out like lightning. Not to grab the rapidly approaching snake's head, which was nearly impossible, but to precisely clamp down on its neck, about a hand's width behind its head!

His hands gripped the slippery, cold snake neck tightly. The immense force of the strike sent him stumbling back a step.

The snake's head was held firm, writhing and struggling desperately. Its venom glands contracted, and a pale yellow, acrid-smelling venom shot out from the tip of its fangs with a 'sss' sound.

The venom grazed Cui Hao's arm, hitting the muddy ground beside him, where it sizzled.

A near miss!

Cui Hao broke out in a cold sweat. His right hand held the snake's neck firmly. With his left hand, he quickly drew a wooden arrow from his quiver and, without hesitation, stabbed it fiercely into the frantically writhing snake's head!

"Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!" He stabbed three times until the snake's struggles weakened. Only then did he gasp for breath and fling the deadly prey aside.

His status panel flickered again:

[Snake Catching: Beginner]
[Progress: 2/300]
[Effect: +5 Resistance to all snake venoms]

As these words stabilized, Cui Hao felt a subtle change within his body. It wasn't that he had become invulnerable, but rather a kind of... instinctive alertness and a potential resistance to snake venom had been enhanced.

The feeling was profound and mysterious, yet undeniably real.

He didn't dare relax and looked at the other two king cobras, which had taken multiple blows. They were now moving sluggishly, breathing heavily, their lives fading.

This time, Cui Hao picked up his bow.

He nocked an arrow, aiming at one of them from about a meter away, drawing the bowstring halfway.

Holding his breath, he released the string.

"Pfft!" The arrow accurately pierced the snake's body. The snake writhed violently a few times before gradually going limp.

[Archery: Beginner]

[Progress: 5/300]

[Effects: Soreness -5, Arm Strength +5, Accuracy +5]

A gentle warmth surged into his arms and shoulders, significantly easing the soreness accumulated from last night's practice. His arms felt as if they possessed a newfound, steady strength.

His familiarity with the bow and arrow, his subtle control over aiming, had also improved by a notch.

This immediate, tangible reinforcement greatly reassured Cui Hao.

He drew another arrow and fired it at the last King Cobra, increasing his Archery progress by 15 points.

The crisis averted, he used his Chopping Knife to sever the three ferocious snake heads, then carefully flattened them to ensure they were thoroughly dead.

Finally, he inspected the nest, confirming no fourth snake would emerge, and let out a long sigh of relief.

He'd finally hunted prey! His first venture into the mountains, though perilous, had yielded far more than he'd expected!

He skinned the three King Cobras, removing their heads and tails. The nearly two-meter-long bodies were dragged to the stream for processing.

The snake skins were tough and might prove useful.

The snake meat was white and firm, with a faint pinkish hue. After removing the internal organs and bones from each snake, the net meat likely weighed four to five catties.

Three snakes, if rationed carefully, would be enough for him and Su Yun to eat for ten days to half a month.

Lastly, there were the deep green snake gallbladders. Cui Hao hesitated.

Knowledge from his past life told him that swallowing snake gallbladders raw was extremely risky. Parasites, bacteria, and even the gallbladder's own toxicity could be fatal.

This was unless they were soaked in high-proof alcohol for disinfection or processed professionally.

"It's better to be healthy and safe than to take unnecessary risks," he thought. Shaking his head, Cui Hao wrapped the three snake gallbladders in leaves to dry at home. The pharmacy might buy them.

After quickly cleaning the snake meat and tying it securely with grass rope, Cui Hao weighed it in his hand, contemplating. While eating the meat himself was good, earning money was also important.

Unfortunately, merchants only wanted live snakes.

Especially large and fierce venomous snakes – they could fetch a better price in certain city restaurants or pharmacies because they could be 'killed alive to extract the gall' as a display for customers.

Dead ones were worth significantly less.

"Next time, I need to find a way to catch them alive, or... seek out more valuable prey." Cui Hao gazed at the mist-shrouded, unfathomably deep Yuanmeng Mountain, his eyes sharpening.

With this cheat, he could not only survive but also use it to carve out a true sense of security in this unfamiliar world!