Hunting the Snow Fox, a Small Harvest

Li Bufan held his breath, his gaze sharp as a torch as he meticulously searched the snow for any trace or clue. Since reaching Grand Completion of Skin Refining, his vision, hearing, and even sense of smell had grown far keener than before.

The biting wind brought not just cold, but a wealth of subtle information. He could scent the faint fragrance of pine needles in the distance, hear the soft snap of snow-laden branches breaking, and even sense the weak breaths of hibernating creatures beneath the snow.

Soon, amid the sparse trees on a sun-facing slope, he spotted a set of extremely faint tracks—small and dot-like, nearly invisible if not for the thin layer of fresh snow. The spacing between prints was moderate, suggesting the Snow Fox was leisurely foraging, unaware of any danger.

"Those are Snow Fox tracks! And they're fresh." Li Bufan's heart tightened as he recognized them instantly. Snow Foxes were small and light-footed, leaving shallow prints that vanished quickly under wind and snow. These tracks were still crisp at the edges, meaning the target had passed by not long ago.

He immediately followed the trail, crouching low and using deadwood and rocks for cover, tracking silently. His steps were featherlight, barely disturbing the snow, each foot landing precisely on the most stable spot. After tracking for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, a snow-covered bush ahead stirred slightly, followed by a faint rustling sound.

Li Bufan halted instantly, dropping low like a leopard spotting prey, slowly nocking an Armor-piercing Arrow to his bowstring. He squinted, focusing his gaze, adjusting his breathing to merge fully into this frozen world.

From behind the bush, a figure emerged, nearly blending into the snow but with a silvery sheen that stood out in subtle ways. It was an adult Snow Fox, its thick silver-white fur gleaming faintly under the dim sky, only the tips of its ears and nose bearing darker hues. Its ears pricked alertly, glassy eyes darting around as its pointed snout occasionally plunged beneath the snow, searching for rodents or leftover wild berries.

It hadn't spotted the distant hunter, fully absorbed in its foraging.

Li Bufan's mind was as still as water, his blood and energy flowing steadily. His arm rose smoothly, drawing the Hardwood Longbow with a faint creak. He adjusted his breath, locking onto that silver figure, calculating distance, wind direction, and the arrow's drop arc.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow left the string, splitting the cold wind with a sharp, brief hiss! It flew fast, aimed with deadly precision at the Snow Fox's neck.

But just as the arrow was about to strike, the Snow Fox seemed to sense the lethal threat in advance. Its legs kicked out, and with uncanny agility, it leaped sideways! Animal instinct saved its life.

The Armor-piercing Arrow thudded deep into the snow where it had stood, the fletching quivering violently from the force, humming with a lingering buzz.

"Squeak!" The startled Snow Fox let out a sharp, piercing cry, turning into a silver blur as it bolted deeper into the forest! It moved so fast that only a messier, fainter trail of prints remained in the snow.

"What a nimble beast!" Li Bufan cursed under his breath, but he wasn't too surprised. If Snow Foxes were this easy to hunt, they wouldn't be worth five merit points. Reacting quickly, he gave chase the moment his shot missed, drawing another arrow in one fluid motion. No hesitation, no wasted movement.

The Snow Fox sprinted across the snow with incredible speed and agility, constantly changing direction, using trees and terrain to evade. It zigzagged, then suddenly stopped and veered, trying to shake its pursuer. Li Bufan pushed his speed to the limit, giving chase. The deep snow hindered him, but his Grand Completion of Skin Refining stamina shone through—long strides, powerful kicks, kicking up clouds of snow powder. With superior endurance and strength, he wasn't shaken off; instead, he gradually closed the distance.

A fierce chase unfolded through the silent forest, startling a few birds hiding in tree hollows for warmth.

After several hundred meters, a small rocky slope appeared ahead. Jagged rocks and complex terrain made things harder. The Snow Fox flickered among the stones, using them for cover, about to vanish from sight and escape through the tricky landscape.

Li Bufan's eyes hardened. He knew he couldn't hesitate—this was his last chance. He took a deep breath, his blood and energy surging faster, the muscles in his right arm bulging slightly as he drew the Hardwood Longbow to a full moon! The bow groaned under the strain.

The experience and insights of [Archery] flowed through his mind, every movement clear. The [Heaven Rewards Diligence] fate seemed to warm faintly, sharpening his focus to an unprecedented degree, free of distractions. In his sight, the leaping, dodging silver trail, the drifting snowflakes in the wind, even the subtle tremors of his own muscles became crystal clear. The moving target seemed to slow for an instant, its next landing point predicted.

Now!

He released his fingers, and the second Armor-piercing Arrow shot from the string! This arrow carried all his mental and physical strength—faster, with a trickier angle. It wasn't a direct shot but led the target, predicting the Snow Fox's next leap!

The arrow flashed, as if tearing through the gray air!

"Thud!"

The sound of blade piercing flesh was dull but clear, jarringly loud in the silent snow forest.

"Squeak—!" A desperate, mournful cry split the woods, startling more birds into flight in the distance.

The Snow Fox stumbled mid-air, its graceful form losing balance as it tumbled onto the snow. An arrow had pierced its muscular hind leg, pinning it to the ground! It struggled frantically, its blood-stained silver fur smearing chaotic, glaring marks on the white snow, but the arrow shaft and searing pain kept it trapped, leaving it to let out helpless whimpers.

Li Bufan strode forward quickly, staying alert against a last-ditch counterattack from the dying prey. He drew his waist knife, his gaze calm, and gave it a swift end, putting it out of its misery.

Staring at the now-lifeless Snow Fox, Li Bufan let out a long puff of white breath, his chest heaving slightly from the intense chase. A mix of fatigue and the joy of a catch welled up inside him. Though the process had been bumpy—two arrows to land the hit—he'd finally broken his streak, not returning empty-handed.

He crouched down, skillfully yanking the arrow out with a spray of blood, carefully wiping the shaft clean with snow before returning it to his Quiver. Then he began processing the prey. The Snow Fox's value lay mainly in its pelt, which had to be skinned as intact as possible. Any major damage would slash its worth.

Using his hunting knife, he made a careful incision near the wound on the Snow Fox's hind leg, avoiding key membrane connections, slowly separating the tough fur from the flesh. The process demanded patience and precision, with no room for big mistakes. It took over a quarter of an hour before he gingerly peeled off the nearly complete Snow Fox pelt, with only minor nicks.

He then scrubbed the inner side of the pelt clean of blood and fat with fresh snow, spread it out for inspection, and confirmed its top quality before rolling it up fur-side in, tying it securely in a specially prepared thick leather pouch. The remaining fox meat wasn't wasted—though coarse and gamey, it was a decent meat supplement in these woods, good for roasting or stewing. He wrapped it in a large clean leaf, packed it away, and stowed it in his pack.

By the time he finished, the sun had climbed higher, but the lead-gray clouds remained thick, the sky still gloomy, as if heralding more snow. Li Bufan wiped the fine sweat from his brow, brought on by concentration, and felt the still-abundant energy in his body after the chase and fight. His gaze turned once more to the deeper, darker forest.

"Just the first target," he muttered to himself, his eyes sharper and more determined. "Keep going! I need more gains before dark."

Shaking off his thoughts, he re-secured his leather pouch and pack, gripped his longbow again, and melted back into the endless snowy woods like a patient ghost, searching for his next prey.

Over the next few hours, he grew even more cautious and patient. Relying on his improving archery skills and the powerful physique and keen senses of a Skin Refining Warrior, he successfully hunted two plump pheasants warming themselves in a snow nest and a snow rabbit gnawing on tree roots under a bush. Each kill was clean and uneventful—one arrow, one death. The haul wasn't bountiful, but as the start of his first day deep in the mountains, it was steady, at least securing his basic food supply.

The sun gradually slanted westward, the forest light dimming and blurring, shadows stretching, and the temperature dropping noticeably. The fierce wind began to howl again. Li Bufan weighed his day's catch: one Snow Fox pelt, two pheasants, one snow rabbit. He decided not to push his luck and headed back to the cave first. The forest at night was a different world, too dangerous. He had to return to his safe shelter before dark, process the prey, and light a fire.

Following the memories of his route and the subtle marks he'd left on tree trunks, he trudged back through the deepening snow, quickening his pace.

But just as he neared the familiar clearing of his camp, even spotting the cliff face with the cave through the gaps in the trees, he stopped dead, his body tensing like a startled wildcat. He silently slipped behind a massive dead tree, wide enough for two people to wrap their arms around, and lowered his breathing to a minimum.

Ahead, from the direction of the cave he'd carefully chosen as his shelter, came some unusual sounds! Not the howling of wind and snow, but more like... the heavy, moist breathing of some large creature, and the grating noise of something hard clawing at rock and earth!