Entering the Mountain

Archery: Minor accomplishment.

At fifty meters, he could hit a target the size of a copper coin, meaning Gu Sheng could accurately shoot through the eyes of prey!

Of course, his accuracy would drop somewhat when shooting at moving prey.

But it wasn't a big problem; Gu Sheng had already earned the right to enter the mountains.

"There's still a gap between me and Erniu-ge, but it's not that big. Erniu-ge's archery is probably somewhere between minor accomplishment and great accomplishment."

Gu Sheng made a mental comparison.

The terrifying power of the panel was already beginning to show.

The more difficult martial arts were to master, the greater Gu Sheng's advantage became.

Gu Erniu had practiced archery for ten years to achieve this level, but Gu Sheng was approaching it in less than a month. The difference was clear at a glance.

Gu Sheng was overjoyed.

Wood chopping was already perfected, and with a cleaver in hand, he wasn't afraid of ordinary wild wolves. Combined with his minor accomplishment in archery, he now had the ability to protect himself.

"Next time Erniu-ge and the others go into the mountains, I'll go with them!"

Initially, Gu Sheng didn't plan to go into the mountains alone; that would be no different from seeking death.

During this time, he had heard Gu Erniu talk a lot about the precautions for hunting.

The hunters in the village would occasionally team up, usually when they found traces of large beasts like wild boars or black bears, and then they would enter the mountains together. The prey caught would be distributed according to merit.

However, more often than not, the hunters went into the mountains alone.

This was because if there were no large prey, gathering together meant the profits wouldn't be enough to share, leaving them with nothing.

Gu Sheng gradually calmed his inner joy and continued practicing archery.

After reaching minor accomplishment, the feeling of shooting arrows became significantly different. It was already starting to feel like his intentions were directly translated into action. With the bow in his hand, it was like an extension of his arm, and Gu Sheng no longer needed to deliberately strike a pose to unleash a full-power arrow!

Swish, swish, swish!!

The whistling sound echoed intermittently. Only when the sun began to set did Gu Sheng stop training and start packing up.

He thought to himself:

"At the current pace, it will take about two months to reach great accomplishment in archery. I can only go into the mountains now, otherwise, there won't be enough time."

It was currently summer, and in a few months, hunting wouldn't be as good. Gu Sheng had to seize the time.

Otherwise, given his personality, he would have truly considered reaching great accomplishment in archery before entering the mountains.

The next day.

Gu Sheng found Gu Erniu and told him he was ready to enter the mountains. Gu Erniu was overjoyed.

"Great! I'll go contact everyone. If anyone finds a large beast, we'll go into the mountains together!"

Opportunities like this didn't come every day.

The last time they hunted a wild boar, several hunters shared it. It had only been ten days since then, so there was no rush to enter the mountains.

Gu Sheng was not in a hurry either.

He would just wait patiently. His life remained as regular as ever.

Wood chopping, practicing archery, and strengthening his physique. After more than a month of diligent training, coupled with sufficient meat and food, Gu Sheng's body had become much sturdier, and he had even grown taller. He was no longer the scrawny person he used to be.

At fourteen, it was precisely the time for rapid growth.

His archery continued to progress steadily, becoming even stronger than when he had just broken through to minor accomplishment. As for wood chopping, which was perfected, he now had 11% proficiency.

A few days later.

Gu Erniu came to his door, his expression excited.

"Asheng, tomorrow, you and Steward Gu He should make arrangements to enter the mountains with us. Zhang Ze has found another wild boar this time! If we can take it down, we won't need to enter the mountains for a while!"

Gu Sheng's eyes also lit up.

"Okay!"

There were no problems with Gu He. He had already told Gu He that he sometimes needed to go into the mountains to hunt. Although he had rejected Gu He's kind offer last time, Gu He hadn't made things difficult for Gu Sheng.

"Sharpen your arrows well today, and follow us tomorrow. Don't run around..."

Gu Erniu earnestly instructed him on the details for entering the mountains tomorrow. Gu Sheng nodded repeatedly.

Watching Gu Erniu leave, Gu Sheng felt a flicker of excitement.

Tomorrow would be his first time entering the mountains to hunt!

Others might be nervous, but having fought two vicious wolves, Gu Sheng's mental fortitude had greatly improved. He only felt excited, not nervous.

The next day.

A group of four gathered at the village entrance: Gu Erniu, Gu Sheng, Zhang Ze, whom he had met before, and another person, Gu Youfu, who was a bit older.

"Uncle Youfu, this is Asheng. Don't let Asheng's lack of mountain experience fool you; his archery is absolutely superb!"

Zhang Ze nodded at Gu Sheng.

"Once we enter the mountain, stick with us. It'll be trouble if you get lost."

Gu Youfu chuckled.

"Ah Sheng, right? Don't be nervous. Everyone's gone into the mountain for the first time. Don't let Ah Ze scare you. We're dealing with a wild boar this time, so as long as you're careful, there won't be any problems."

Gu Sheng nodded.

"Bro Ze and Uncle Youfu, don't worry, I won't hold you back."

Gu Youfu waved his hand and continued, "Since Ah Sheng is here this time, let's be clear from the start: Ah Ze discovered the prey, so he gets an extra ten percent. The rest will be distributed based on everyone's contribution."

Everyone nodded in understanding.

Gu Erniu hadn't spoken until now. Once the others had settled in, he waved his hand.

"Let's head into the mountain!"

The four carried hunting bows and had short swords at their waists. Gu Sheng brought the cleaver from home. The other three had bulging waists, carrying things like medicinal powders.

Soon.

The four stopped before a stretch of mountain forest.

"Go forward, and you'll be in Cang Mountain. Everyone needs to be extremely careful from here on out!"

Gu Erniu whispered to Gu Sheng, "In the mountains, you need to be careful not only of prey but also of people!"

"Cang Mountain is vast, with more than one entrance. It supports many hunters from Canghe County. Our Gu Family Village hunters hunt here, and so do hunters from Li Family Fort, Dahe Village, and many other places. Staying vigilant is key to survival."

Gu Sheng's heart jolted.

The meaning was clear: beware of other hunters!

He nodded seriously and followed the three forward.

Gu Erniu held his hunting bow, its blade cutting through weeds and deadwood as he led the way, his expression vigilant.

The other three looked out for Gu Sheng, letting him walk in the middle, while they took up the left and right flanks, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings, wary of any beasts or poisonous insects that might appear.

Gu Sheng held his bow, continuously scanning the area and observing the actions of the other three. This was a rare learning opportunity.

Gu Sheng knew he would have to venture into the mountains alone sooner or later.

Soon.

Zhang Ze and Gu Erniu switched positions. Zhang Ze took the lead, identifying the direction and occasionally crouching down to examine tracks.

"This way!"

"The tracks this beast left yesterday are still here!"

His expression was one of pleasant surprise. They had entered the mountain yesterday intending to hunt some rabbits and pheasants, but they had stumbled upon the tracks of a wild boar, which led to everyone entering the mountain together today.

Gu Erniu and the others were also excited. It was good that they hadn't come for nothing.

With the tracks found, things would be easier.

Everyone moved forward in a low crouch. Before long, through the waist-high weeds and thorny leaves, a wild boar with gray bristles and a snout curled to reveal two tusks appeared before the four, ambling through the forest.

Gu Erniu's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

"What a beast! It's even bigger than the last one!"