Encountering Tang Ya and Bei Bei

He walked to a small tree about the thickness of a bowl by the stream, reached out, and snapped off a straight, sturdy branch about three feet long.

Next, his right hand habitually reached toward his lower back—where a short blade in its sheath rested quietly against his body.

He drew the short blade; the scabbard was a dark, mossy green, tanned from some kind of tough leather, and felt slightly cool to the touch.

The hilt was about five inches long, plain and unadorned, without any fancy carvings.

With a light push of his thumb, a faint, barely audible "clink" of friction sounded as the short blade left its sheath.

The seven-inch blade was exposed to the air, and in an instant, it seemed as if a pool of condensed autumn water had flowed out. The blade was extremely thin, almost transparent, and under the sunlight filtering through the forest leaves, it shimmered with a restrained and chilling emerald luster.

White Tiger Dagger.

Huo Yuhao's gaze fell upon the blade, the cold emerald light reflecting into his pitch-black eyes, instantly igniting the suppressed, raging killing intent deep within his pupils.

Whether in his past life or this one, the nominal owner of this dagger was that man—the murderer who had given him life yet brought endless pain and humiliation to him and his mother, the man who had indirectly caused his mother's death: Dai Hao!

Scenes from his past life flashed through his mind: he was holding this White Tiger Dagger, plunging it into Dai Hao's heart without a moment's hesitation.

He could still remember the subtle sensation of the blade piercing flesh and touching bone, and he could still remember the expression on Dai Hao's face in those final moments—a mixture of pain, disbelief, and a complex, indescribable emotion.

"Hoo..."

Huo Yuhao slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, forcibly suppressing the surging killing intent and memories.

He picked up the three-foot branch and swung the White Tiger Dagger in his hand. With a flash of emerald light, the blade sliced through the front of the branch as if it were the softest tofu, meeting no resistance at all.

Wood shavings flew, and within a few strokes, the tip of the branch had been whittled into a sharp and smooth wooden spearhead.

After finishing the "fish spear," Huo Yuhao took off his worn cloth shoes, rolled up his pant legs, and walked barefoot into the cool stream water.

The stream was not deep, reaching only to his knees. The bottom was covered in fine pebbles that felt a bit prickly underfoot, but the footing was firm.

He steadied himself, holding the makeshift fish spear, his gaze locked firmly onto the green fish swimming at the bottom of the water, coordinated with his Spiritual Detection.

Although the range of his Spiritual Detection was limited, in this static environment, it was enough for him to clearly "see" the position of every fish, their swimming trajectories, and even the subtle tremors of their muscles.

A plump green fish was leisurely flicking its tail fin, approaching a cluster of water grass.

Huo Yuhao's wrist flicked slightly, and the fish spear struck into the water like a bolt of lightning!

"Swish!"

With a small splash, the spear accurately pierced the body of the green fish, pinning it to the bottom of the stream.

The fish struggled violently, but it was to no avail.

Huo Yuhao did not stop, his wrist flicking repeatedly.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Several more lightning-fast strikes followed.

Every move was perfectly timed, anticipating the fish's evasive maneuvers and hitting them with precision.

In just a few breaths, Huo Yuhao had speared over a dozen green fish of similar size, all still wriggling.

For someone with the assistance of Spiritual Detection, who had experienced countless life-and-death battles in his past life and whose grasp of timing and angles had become instinctual, spearing fish in this shallow stream was truly the simplest of tasks.

Huo Yuhao carried the makeshift spear strung with green fish and walked back to the bank barefoot.

The cold stream water slid down his calves, leaving wet footprints on the pebbles.

He first stuck the spear into the soft soil nearby, then took off the emerald-shimmering White Tiger Dagger.

Processing the catch was a basic skill he was all too familiar with, having spent years training in the wild where he had to do everything himself.

The sharp White Tiger Dagger seemed to possess a life of its own in his hands.

He gripped a green fish whose gills were still fluttering, and with a flash of cold light from the dagger, he precisely scraped off the silver scales. His movements were smooth and swift, without a single wasted motion.

Next, the tip of the blade nimbly sliced open the fish's belly, his wrist turned slightly, and the internal organs were removed in one piece. A quick swipe then cleared away the gills and bloodlines.

After a rinse in the clear stream water, a perfectly cleaned green fish lay before him.

Swish, swish, swish—

The faint sound of the blade cutting through air and fish flesh was constant.

Huo Yuhao's movements were steady and efficient, as if he were not preparing food, but performing some kind of precise carving.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the dozen plump green fish were all processed and arranged neatly on large, clean leaves, their flesh white and glistening with freshness.

He straightened up, stretched his slightly sore back, and began to gather fuel in the nearby woods.

Soon, an armful of dry twigs and fallen leaves was brought back.

He chose a spot sheltered from the wind and away from flammable materials, used a few stones to create a simple circle, and arranged the dry branches.

His rich wilderness experience from his past life meant he didn't need a fire starter; by simply rubbing two dry sticks of specific hardness together, a small cluster of orange-red flames soon "popped" to life, licking the dry wood and quickly growing into a small, steadily burning campfire.

The firelight danced, illuminating the young, immature, yet exceptionally calm face of the boy.

From his worn but tidy little bundle, he took out the only seasonings he had—a small packet of coarse salt carefully wrapped in oil paper, and a few perilla leaves he had picked in the forest a few days ago and dried for later use.

Huo Yuhao found a few thicker branches, whittled them into simple "Y"-shaped supports with the White Tiger Dagger, and stuck them into the ground on either side of the campfire.

He then picked out a few straight, slender hardwood sticks, sharpened one end of each, and skewered the cleaned green fish through their mouths.

Next, he pinched a small amount of salt, rubbed it evenly inside the fish's belly, and stuffed it with washed, torn perilla leaves.

Simple seasoning, yet it could maximize the inherent deliciousness of the fish meat and remove any potential muddy odor.

Placing the skewered fish onto the rack, Huo Yuhao began to turn them unhurriedly.

The tongues of flame licked the fish bodies gently, forcing out the oils that dripped into the fire with a "sizzling" sound; accompanied by wisps of smoke, a rich and unique charred aroma began to permeate the forest by the stream.

This fragrance was not particularly complex, yet it possessed a primitive and alluring magic, blending the fresh scent of perilla with the mellow richness of roasted fish protein, as if it could directly stir the soul's deepest craving for food.

Huo Yuhao stared intently at the grilled fish, controlling the heat and adjusting the angles from time to time to ensure every side was heated evenly.

Under his slow and steady turning, the originally pale fish skin gradually took on an enticing golden hue; the surface became slightly crispy, while the juices were locked inside, making the aroma grow even more intense.

Just at this moment—

Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection, which had been running at its minimum level, keenly captured a subtle movement from not far away—footsteps and the low murmurs of human conversation.

Almost at the same time, a crisp cry filled with surprise and excitement rang out:

"It smells so good!"

The movement of Huo Yuhao's hands paused slightly, then returned to normal.

He calmly raised his head and looked in the direction from which the voice came.

He saw two people walking side by side along the upper reaches of the stream.

Walking in front was a young girl, appearing to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a slender figure full of youthful vitality.

She wore a well-fitted light blue martial outfit that outlined her graceful curves, and her long black hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, swaying gently behind her as she walked.

Her appearance was exceptionally striking, with a standard oval face and a pert, delicate nose. Most eye-catching were her large, lively phoenix eyes, which were currently sparkling with surprise due to the aroma of the grilled fish. Her gaze was fixed directly on the golden grilled fish in Huo Yuhao's hands, and her pink tongue unconsciously licked her lips, giving her an adorable, mouth-watering appearance.

Following behind the girl was a boy of similar age.

He was tall and straight, nearly a head taller than the girl, with short, deep blue hair trimmed neatly that, under the sunlight filtering through the leaves, faintly refracted a gentle luster like sapphire.

The boy's face was handsome, carrying a touch of scholarly elegance, and a lazy, gentle smile hung at the corners of his mouth, making him appear easygoing and composed.

His hands were casually clasped behind his head, and his gaze swept over the grilled fish before shifting more of his attention to Huo Yuhao, who was grilling them, his eyes filled with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny.