Allocation

Zhang Ze sat on the ground, gasping for breath, still shaken by the close call.

Gu Erniu reached out his right hand and pulled him up, speaking in a reproachful tone:

"Ah Ze, I told you last time that this kind of behavior is dangerous, but you still wouldn't listen. When we hunt, we need to think long-term. If Ah Sheng's archery hadn't been so unexpectedly good today, with me alone, I'm afraid you would've lost your life here!"

His archery was exceptional. Though he was usually amiable, the other hunters took his words seriously.

Strength earned respect. That was a rule followed everywhere.

Zhang Ze looked somewhat ashamed. He muttered a few words, but ultimately did not argue back. He knew that this time, he had nearly stepped through the gates of hell.

He looked at Gu Sheng beside him, his eyes full of astonishment.

When he and Gu Erniu had first gone to invite Gu Sheng into the mountains, he had seen Gu Sheng shoot arrows. His skill had been nowhere near its current level.

Yet in just half a month, he had improved so rapidly, reaching a level close to Gu Erniu's.

It was simply terrifying!

He recalled Gu Erniu saying that Gu Sheng had only practiced archery for ten days. At the time, he had doubted it, believing Gu Erniu was deliberately exaggerating. But now, it seemed entirely possible that it had been true!

With that thought, he was even more shocked.

"Ah Sheng, thank you and Erniu for this time."

Zhang Ze spoke his thanks.

Gu Erniu patted Zhang Ze on the shoulder and said:

"We came out hunting together, so naturally we must return to the village together in one piece. Remember not to chase merit so recklessly next time."

Gu Sheng merely smiled and nodded. He could sense the change in Zhang Ze's attitude.

On his very first trip into the mountains, he had run into this incident with Zhang Ze.

It sounded an alarm in his heart.

He had to be cautious, and then even more cautious, whenever he entered the mountains to hunt in the future.

Although his archery had reached minor mastery and his killing power was decent,

he had yet to practice martial arts. He was merely flesh and blood, completely unable to withstand the charge of wild beasts. One moment of carelessness could mean dying on the spot.

After thanking the two of them, Zhang Ze met Gu Youfu's gaze, but merely snorted coldly and said nothing.

Just now, when Zhang Ze had fallen into a life-or-death crisis, Gu Youfu had chosen to protect himself and retreated at the first opportunity. It left Zhang Ze deeply displeased.

Watching this, Gu Sheng secretly shook his head.

In the end, this crisis had been caused by Zhang Ze's own mistake. Gu Youfu's archery was inferior to Gu Sheng's and Gu Erniu's, and since he was not confident he could kill the boar, choosing to retreat was only human nature.

Otherwise, if they provoked the boar and it turned its attention toward Gu Youfu,

Gu Youfu was no longer as young and vigorous as Zhang Ze, nor was he as agile. One wrong move could have meant immediate death.

That would have been a true catastrophe for Gu Youfu's entire family!

Gu Youfu looked somewhat embarrassed.

Gu Erniu gave him a reassuring look and said nothing more.

Still, everyone understood without saying it aloud that they likely would not hunt with Gu Youfu again. Understanding was one thing, but everyone hoped that when they were trapped in a deadly situation, their companions would step forward and lend a hand.

After resting for a while, the four began processing the boar.

The scent of blood began spreading. If they did not leave the mountain promptly, attracting beasts on the level of black bears or tigers would make things troublesome.

They pulled out the arrows, wiped clean those that could still be used, and returned them to their quivers.

As for the ruined ones, they collected the iron arrowheads to make new arrows with fresh wooden shafts later.

Everyone looked at the boar with delight in their eyes.

This boar was probably close to three hundred jin. It was a hefty catch!

"By our usual custom, Ah Sheng and I each get twenty-five percent. Ah Ze provided the trail, so he gets an extra ten percent, for thirty percent total. Uncle Youfu gets twenty percent."

Gu Erniu began dividing the spoils from this hunt.

The distribution was generally fair.

The main force in killing the boar had been Gu Sheng and Gu Erniu. Zhang Ze's arrow to the head had also been crucial, but he had nearly lost his life because of it. He said nothing; after all, he had received an extra ten percent for finding the trail.

Generally, the differences in everyone's shares were not too great, since they all worked together and divided the labor.

"Erniu and I will carry the boar."

Still feeling somewhat guilty, Gu Youfu took the initiative to shoulder the task of carrying the prey.

Zhang Ze had suffered some scrapes just now, while Gu Sheng was young. Though his archery was outstanding, his body was not as strong as the others'. Thus, the task fell to Gu Youfu and Gu Erniu.

Naturally, Gu Erniu did not refuse.

Zhang Ze was familiar with the mountain paths, so he led the way. Gu Sheng brought up the rear.

The group moved forward at a steady pace. Along the way, they encountered a pheasant. Perhaps because he was still unsettled, Zhang Ze performed far below his usual standard. His arrow failed to kill it, and the pheasant disappeared deep into the forest with the arrow still lodged in its body.

Zhang Ze cursed viciously several times. He had wasted an arrow for nothing.

Gu Sheng also felt somewhat regretful. He had been too far behind, and after Zhang Ze startled the pheasant, it fled so quickly that it soon vanished from sight. There was no way to pursue it.

The four kept their nerves taut, but the rest of the journey was uneventful.

They soon reached the outskirts of Cang Mountain. There were basically no fierce beasts here, and the hunt had gone smoothly. They had found the boar's trail not long after entering the mountain, and it was still only afternoon.

"When we get home, we can hold our wives and get some rest!"

The tension in everyone's nerves finally eased. Zhang Ze wore a grin that every man understood, immediately drawing laughter from Gu Erniu and Gu Youfu.

"Almost forgot, there's still a virgin here."

The three men exchanged knowing looks as they looked at Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng could not help falling silent, secretly finding it amusing. He really was only a fourteen-year-old boy now, but the tricks he had seen in his previous life were beyond anything these men could imagine.

Zhang Ze assumed Gu Sheng was embarrassed and shy. Grinning, he said:

"Once you grow another year older, Brother Ze will introduce you to a few good girls and let you choose. Hurry up and get married. Once you've tasted meat, you'll know just how wonderful it feels!"

Zhang Ze's attitude toward Gu Sheng had changed drastically. He clearly meant to befriend him.

Gu Sheng's talent in archery had stunned him. Given time, he might truly become a famous master archer throughout the surrounding villages.

Gu Erniu laughed and scolded:

"Get lost. What kind of families do you know? How could they possibly be worthy of our Ah Sheng?"

Gu Sheng merely gave a bashful smile and watched them tease one another.

They had returned safely with a bountiful hunt, and everyone was in high spirits. The slight unpleasantness from the hunt was temporarily forgotten.

The four moved through the mountains, and they could already see the road down.

Suddenly.

Gu Sheng's gaze sharpened. He swiftly dodged behind a nearby tree.

He then quickly drew an arrow from behind his back and nocked it on his bow. Without drawing it, he aimed toward the dense brush ahead and shouted in a deep voice:

"Who's there! Stop!"

Gu Sheng's chopping wood had reached the perfected realm, and his senses had faintly surpassed those of ordinary people. He was especially sensitive to the distinctive sound of footsteps scraping against branches.

He could hear that people were approaching, and there was more than one of them.

His shout startled Gu Erniu and the others, but they reacted quickly.

The two men tossed down the boar and rolled across the ground, using the boar as cover as they hid behind trees. Zhang Ze reacted half a beat slower, but he also darted aside.

The three drew their bows and nocked arrows, all staring coldly ahead.

Though this was the outskirts of Cang Mountain, where incidents of hunters preying on one another were rare, one could never be too cautious.