This was what a mother was like. No matter how capable her child was, worry was a mother's instinct. Yet she would also tread carefully, terrified of upsetting her son.
Chen Xuan looked at his mother and fell silent for a moment.
In the end, beneath Zhang Chunhua's hopeful gaze, Chen Xuan still shook his head.
"Mother, didn't we agree? We have to find Father and Big Brother. We must leave here and go to Green Mountain City if we want a chance of finding them. We don't have enough money yet. We still need more."
"But I can promise you this, Mother. I'll only go into the mountains one more time. After that, Er Gou won't go up the mountain again."
Chen Xuan spoke softly.
He naturally understood what his mother was thinking.
But asking him to give up now was clearly impossible.
Still, to put his mother at ease, Chen Xuan gave her his promise.
And it was not an empty promise. He truly only intended to enter the mountains one more time.
The mountain had clearly become more and more dangerous. Even Zhang Shan and more than a dozen others had died miserably in the forest. Even with his Conceptual Ability, no one could guarantee that accidents would not happen.
After all, the Conceptual Ability could indeed provide a path with a one hundred percent chance of safety, but whether he could accomplish it was another matter.
Chen Xuan understood that clearly enough.
Naturally, he could not keep putting himself in danger.
More importantly, once he hunted a tiger or leopard, he would obtain one hundred taels of silver. With one hundred taels, their family could settle down completely in Green Mountain City. There would naturally be no need to continue going into the mountains.
Even if his family went to Green Mountain City now, settling down would not be much of a problem with the abilities granted by his Conceptual Ability.
But being prepared for every contingency was better than making a hasty decision when the time came.
Green Mountain City in particular was undoubtedly a far bigger stage for him. There were no martial artists in Small River Village, but there were plenty in Green Mountain City. No amount of caution was excessive.
Especially after seeing that terrifying giant python in the mountains and that strange presence beneath the lake, Chen Xuan did not dare underestimate this world in the slightest.
Yet upon hearing Chen Xuan's words, Zhang Chunhua fell silent.
Finding her husband and son had always been what she wanted.
But she knew she did not have the ability to do so.
Now, hearing her son's resolute words, Zhang Chunhua felt her whole heart clench.
"Er Gou!"
Zhang Chunhua opened her mouth instinctively, wanting to say something, but when the words reached her lips, she could not force them out.
"Don't worry, Mother. I'm very good at hunting. Nothing will happen!"
Chen Xuan smiled and comforted his mother.
Only after a while did Zhang Chunhua calm herself and go prepare the meal.
Chen Xuan, meanwhile, returned to the small courtyard and continued practicing archery.
Even though mere practice was already making it difficult for his archery to improve, Chen Xuan still had no intention of giving up.
The night gradually passed.
That night, many families in Small River Village found it impossible to sleep.
Wails of grief rang out from one household after another.
Even if they refused to believe it, even if they had ten thousand thoughts urging them to escape from reality, those bones and personal effects seemed to be telling them the cruel, ice-cold truth.
Life in troubled times was simply this difficult.
One wrong step, and it was not merely one person's problem—it could tear an entire family apart.
One could imagine what awaited those families that had lost their pillar.
Of course, that had little to do with Chen Xuan. Everyone had to pay the price for their own choices.
The mountains were dangerous to begin with, and tigers and leopards were no ordinary creatures. The moment one went up the mountain, one had to be prepared never to return. Otherwise, one should not venture into the mountains lightly.
Even Chen Xuan, who possessed the Conceptual Ability, was no exception.
Once he discovered that completing a path was too difficult, he would not choose to go into the mountains either.
A person only had one life. There was absolutely no need to gamble one's own life, or the lives of one's entire family.
Only by living was there hope. Once dead, there was nothing left.
Morning sunlight spilled down.
A new day arrived amid the cool air.
Summer was gradually passing, and the autumn wind had already arrived early with a trace of desolation.
That day, Chen Xuan did not go into the mountains. Instead, he stayed home and continued practicing archery.
The village also entered a period of relative quiet.
The crying from household after household had stopped.
No matter how difficult things were, life had to go on.
That was the reality of struggling to survive in troubled times.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows tore through the air, striking the bullseye in rapid succession.
Chen Er Zhuang, standing nearby, had also lost much of his usual chatter and become somewhat silent.
Only after a while—
When Chen Xuan had finished shooting a full round of arrows—
Chen Er Zhuang retrieved the arrows before finally being unable to hold back any longer.
"Er Gou, did Uncle Zhang Shan and the others really die?"
His voice was low, and his expression was deeply conflicted. Before Chen Xuan had shown his abilities, Zhang Shan had always been someone Chen Er Zhuang admired. Yet Zhang Shan had died directly after only one trip into the mountains. Chen Er Zhuang found it hard to accept.
"Mm."
Chen Xuan answered softly, then stepped forward and picked up the arrows again.
Although Chen Er Zhuang's thoughts were a tangled mess, he still quickly picked up the target and began tossing it.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows whistled through the air.
Chen Xuan practiced.
For the next full week, Chen Xuan had no intention of going into the mountains. He merely stayed home and practiced.
This immediately made Chen San Ye, who had been watching Chen Xuan all along, begin to grow anxious.
"He still hasn't gone up the mountain?"
Chen San Ye frowned as he looked at the servant before him.
"Yes, Third Master. Ever since that day, the boy has been practicing archery at home. It seems he has no intention of going into the mountains. And the master even gave him such a fine bow."
The servant could not help speaking up.
Hearing the servant's confirmation, Chen San Ye's brows drew together, and his expression darkened slightly.
He had not expected that after he had said all that, Chen Er Gou still would not go into the mountains.
"Does he truly not want to enter the city?"
Chen San Ye was puzzled and confused.
By all rights, the temptation he had offered should have been more than enough.
Whether it was revealing the matter of the martial arts halls in the city to Chen Er Gou or telling him that tigers and leopards could be worth one hundred taels of silver, both were enormous temptations. Even those villagers had been unable to resist risking their lives in the mountains.
By all rights, Chen Er Gou should have found it even harder to resist.
Chen San Ye did not believe that someone as capable as Chen Er Gou would truly be willing to remain cooped up in this village.
"Could it be that he wants to sell them himself?"
As though something had occurred to him, Chen San Ye's gaze sharpened.
"Keep watching him. If Chen Er Gou shows any intention of leaving the village, notify me immediately!"
He looked toward the servant and spoke.
"Yes!"
The servant hurriedly answered.
Only after the servant left—
Did a glint of ferocity appear in Chen San Ye's eyes.
"Er Gou, Third Master's money isn't so easy to take."
Chen San Ye spoke softly, his right index finger lightly tapping against the tabletop.
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