Temporary Residence

The biting mountain wind swept across the Official Road like knives, whipping up the snow on the ground and stinging his face. Li Bufan tightened his fur coat and secured the newly issued Standard Longbow more firmly across his back. The twenty Armor-Piercing Arrows in his quiver clinked softly with his steps. Following the snow-covered, barely discernible Official Road, he once again entered the Cloud Dusk Mountain Range.

The farther he went, the scarcer human traces became. The Official Road gradually vanished beneath the snow, leaving only vague, indistinct trails trodden out by hunters and herb gatherers. All around him stretched boundless white snow and silent Deadwood Forests. It felt as though only he and the howling wind remained between heaven and earth.

"We have to find somewhere safe to settle before dark." Li Bufan looked up at the sky. Lead-gray clouds hung low, foretelling an even colder night. The mountains were nothing like home. The nighttime cold alone could kill, and it was also when all manner of fierce beasts came out to hunt. The danger far exceeded that of daylight.

Several possible places flashed through his mind before he finally settled on one—the old campsite Lin Family's eldest daughter, Lin Zhiyan, had chosen during the last Winter Hunt.

That place lay near a mountain pass. The terrain was relatively high and the view open, making it possible to avoid being surrounded by beast packs from all directions. There was also a broad, relatively flat clearing there, along with several naturally formed caves of varying sizes beneath the mountain wall. They had been the ideal place for the Lin Family Guards to pitch camp. Though the camp had since been withdrawn, its remnants remained, and the caves were ready-made shelters.

"That's where I'm going!" Li Bufan made up his mind. After getting his bearings, he left the Official Road and hurried through the deep snow toward the campsite he remembered.

After breaking through to Grand Completion of Skin Refining, his physical abilities had improved further. He was stronger, steadier on his feet, and possessed greater endurance. Moreover, after learning Spirit Monkey Three Leaps, his footwork had become even more nimble. Though the snow was deep, every step he took was firm and powerful, and he was not slow. His vigorous blood and qi surged through his body, radiating rolling heat that warded off the bitter cold. Though he stood amid ice and snow, he did not find it unbearable. He silently sensed the blood and qi coursing within him. Beneath his skin, countless tiny warm currents seemed to dart about.

After roughly half an hour, the familiar clearing finally appeared before him.

Traces of extinguished campfires still remained in the clearing, along with holes and broken logs left behind by pitched tents, as well as scattered beast bones frozen hard as stone. They silently spoke of the bustle from not long ago. Now, everything was covered in a layer of fresh snow, appearing especially quiet and desolate.

Li Bufan did not linger in the clearing. His target was the caves. He carefully examined the openings beneath the mountain wall. Most were too shallow, or their entrances were too exposed to shield against wind and snow.

At last, his gaze settled on a cave on the eastern side. Its entrance was small, only large enough for one person to enter while bent over, but several naturally protruding rocks at the entrance formed a simple barrier that could effectively block most of the wind, snow, and prying eyes. There were no signs of large beasts frequently entering or leaving either—no claw marks, fur, or rank animal stench.

This is the one. Li Bufan drew the saber at his waist and cautiously approached the cave entrance, pressing an ear to it for a moment. Then he threw a stone inside to test the way. Only after confirming that no other creature had taken up residence within did he lower himself and crawl inside.

The interior was deeper and roomier than he had imagined. After entering about ten feet, he could stand upright. The cave contained a space roughly twenty to thirty feet across, and its ground was relatively level and dry. Dry branches and grass were piled in a corner, seemingly left behind by previous occupants. Though the air carried a faint mixture of earthy musk and mold, there was no foul odor, and the ventilation was acceptable.

Best of all, deep within the cave, there was an extremely narrow crack between the rocks. Weak light and air seeped through it, preventing the suffocating feeling of being completely sealed in.

Li Bufan set down his bow, arrows, and pack, then carefully inspected the inside and outside of the cave once more. In particular, he made sure the ceiling was solid and posed no risk of collapse.

"This is it." He let out a long breath, a trace of relief in his voice. "If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be spending the next half month or so here."

This would be his temporary base for hunting in the mountains, as well as his shelter from wind and snow, a place to rest at night and make use of his gains.

Now that he had chosen a residence, it was time to settle in. He first cleared out the dry branches and grass in the corner, spreading them into a simple bed. Then he left the cave and gathered more dry branches and easily flammable pine needles nearby, carrying them back inside and stacking them up. They would ensure he had fire for warmth and cooking in the days ahead.

By the time he finished all this, the sky had begun to dim. Night came especially early in the mountains.

Li Bufan did not dare delay. He immediately used a firestarter to carefully ignite a small campfire in a sheltered spot on the inner side of the cave entrance. Orange flames sprang up, swiftly driving away the darkness and chill within the cave. They brought warmth and light, along with a sense of security.

He placed his waterskin beside the fire to keep it from freezing. Then he took out the provisions he had prepared before setting off—several coarse flatbreads and a small piece of salted meat, frozen hard as stone—and skewered them on branches to slowly warm by the fire.

Soon, the aroma of food mingled with the distinctive scent of burning pine branches and filled the cave. Drinking hot water and gnawing on flatbread and salted meat roasted crisp on the outside and tender within, while listening to the wind howl outside, Li Bufan felt a strange sense of peace.

This was the path he had chosen. Lonely, arduous, and dangerous, yet filled with independence and hope.

After finishing his simple dinner, he did not rest immediately. By the firelight, he took out Herbal Compendium again and began studying it carefully. Since he was in the mountains, the ability to identify medicinal herbs was especially important. Perhaps he would have use for it tomorrow.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence] quietly began to operate. The knowledge in the book flowed into his mind like a babbling stream. It was not only Herbal Compendium. While traveling during the day, he had also constantly pondered the force-generation techniques of the Mighty Ox Fist and the footwork principles of Spirit Monkey Three Leaps, both of which he had practiced for a long time. Reflecting on them now amid the stillness brought fresh insights. He could feel that the thin membrane blocking Spirit Monkey Three Leaps from entering Minor Mastery seemed to be growing thinner and thinner.

Mighty Ox Fist, Great Mastery (6957/);

Spirit Monkey Three Leaps, Beginner (498/500);

Archery, Proficient (480/1000);

Herbal Compendium, Proficient (395/1000)

He did not know how much time had passed before the campfire gradually shrank and the wind outside seemed to weaken somewhat. Only then did Li Bufan feel a trace of drowsiness. He added several thick, slow-burning logs to ensure the fire would last until the latter half of the night. Then he placed his saber within easy reach, wrapped his fur coat tightly around himself, leaned against the cold stone wall, and lay down fully clothed.

Outside the cave lay a freezing world locked in ice for a thousand miles. From time to time, the long howls of unknown beasts drifted over, adding several shades of terror. Yet inside the cave, the dancing firelight illuminated his young but resolute face. The warm campfire, the steel saber at his side, and the surging blood and qi within him together formed his first line of defense in this perilous environment.

He did not sleep deeply that night. A warrior's instinctive vigilance kept him constantly attentive to the sounds outside the cave. Yet amid that vigilance was also the steady assurance of holding his own fate in his hands.

When the first faint light of dawn shone through the cracks in the rocks at the cave entrance, Li Bufan abruptly opened his eyes. There was not the slightest trace of sleepiness in them, only sharpness and clarity. After a night's rest, his blood and qi were abundant and his spirit vigorous. The fatigue from yesterday's journey had been swept away, and his condition had returned to its peak.

A new day had begun. The hunt officially began.

He swiftly got up and stretched his somewhat stiff body, feeling the solid strength brought by Grand Completion of Skin Refining. He checked his equipment, especially the resilience of his bowstring and the condition of his arrows. Then he thoroughly extinguished and buried the fire, avoiding any obvious traces of smoke.

As he stepped out of the cave, biting, fresh air rushed into his lungs. Looking out, he saw towering mountains and snow stretching as far as the eye could see, a pure and magnificent northern landscape.

But Li Bufan knew that beneath that splendor hid endless killing intent and opportunity. He drew a deep breath of icy air, tightened his grip on the Hardwood Longbow in his hand, and brushed his fingertips over the cold arrow fletching. Every key point of [Archery] flowed through his mind. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, sweeping over the surrounding snow without overlooking the slightest trace.

"Where will the first Snow Fox be?" he murmured. His figure merged into the vast snowy landscape as he began the true hunt.