Silver Fox

Gu Sheng just thought about it. His body was too fragile and unforgiving. Someone could probably kill him with a single punch.

Simply put, Gu Sheng was currently a glass cannon, all offense and no defense.

He could split a wild wolf with his Wood Chopping skill back then, and now that he had reached Great Accomplishment in Wood Chopping and gained the Rend special effect, he was confident he could even split tiger bones and bear hides!

However.

Gu Sheng also noticed that no new progress bar appeared after Wood Chopping.

"Has it reached its limit... is gaining a special effect after Great Accomplishment the absolute limit for cultivating martial arts proficiency? Or is it because Wood Chopping is considered the lowest-tier martial art?"

Gu Sheng didn't know the specific reason.

But the fact that Wood Chopping's Rend special effect was only Tier 1 led Gu Sheng to make some guesses.

"Since there's Tier 1 Rend, perhaps there's Tier 2 Rend, Tier 3 Rend, and if I learn more powerful martial arts in the future, maybe I can cultivate even stronger special effects!"

"I just wonder what kind of special effect Archery will have when it reaches its limit..."

Gu Sheng felt a surge of anticipation.

Archery was now at 61% Great Accomplishment, not too far from perfection. The next step would be special effects.

How powerful was Tier 1 Rend from Wood Chopping?

Perhaps Archery would be even more potent!

In the following days.

Gu Sheng's life became simpler and more routine. Without spending time on Wood Chopping, he dedicated all his energy to Archery.

The progress in Archery was very encouraging.

He was gradually approaching the perfection stage.

He maintained his hunting frequency of going into the mountains roughly every three days.

During other times, he practiced archery and literacy.

Gu Sheng also learned more about the Great Liang Dynasty, at least having a relatively clear understanding of Chiyun Prefecture.

Among the eight prefectures of Qingzhou, Chiyun Prefecture was considered mid-tier. Located south of Qingzhou, it governed eleven county towns and over a hundred villages and settlements, with a considerable population.

Gu Sheng did a rough calculation and realized the Great Liang Dynasty's population was in the hundreds of millions, comparable to or even exceeding ancient dynasties in his previous life.

During this time, Gu Sheng and Gu Erniu went to trade for some grain. They learned that the war in Yunzhou had ended, with the rebel forces routed and mostly annihilated, while a small portion scattered and fled.

Grain prices had risen by about ten percent, which wasn't too outrageous.

However, Gu Sheng knew this was because Canghe County was far away and the autumn harvest had been decent. Otherwise, the situation would have been worse.

Even though the war in Yunzhou had ended.

As he learned more about the surrounding situation, Gu Sheng knew things weren't optimistic.

Bandits ran rampant, officials colluded with criminals, and gangs acted with impunity.

These problems had not been resolved for a long time.

This could only mean one thing.

The royal court of Great Liang had completely lost control of the lower strata, or at least, its decrees were not being followed, and there was widespread insubordination.

Gu Sheng knew very well what it meant for a dynasty to reach this point; barring any special circumstances, its collapse was only a matter of time.

He needed to continue working hard to strengthen himself.

Otherwise, when the crisis arrived one day, he would regret it.

Fortunately, everything was moving in a positive direction.

"Next spring, I'll start practicing martial arts!"

One day.

The hunters of Gu Family Village gathered to drink and eat meat.

In the center was a large iron pot, with a roaring fire underneath. Boiling water churned, carrying large quantities of meat and various herbs picked from the mountains that could barely serve as seasoning substitutes.

Seven or eight burly men gathered, eating heartily with their shirts off.

They drank heavily and ate heartily, feeling invigorated.

"Ah Sheng, your idea is really brilliant. Hot pot, hot pot, cooking in a big pot over a fire, it's truly fitting. Eating meat like this is truly satisfying!"

Zhang Ze laughed heartily, unable to refrain from praising him again.

The surrounding hunters also praised him enthusiastically.

This was an idea Gu Sheng had proposed once, a simple version of hot pot in another world, but it tasted quite good.

Gu Sheng just smiled and nodded, enjoying himself as well. After constant hard training, it was good to relax occasionally. Everyone bringing some meat to share made the experience completely different.

The group chatted freely.

All of them were men, and hunters at that, so their conversations naturally revolved around women and hunting.

Whenever they talked about which girl was pretty, the unmarried hunters couldn't help but show their longing. Marriage between men and women was perfectly normal.

As they were talking, a young man with pockmarks on his face, getting into the spirit of drinking, his face flushed red, suddenly said:

"Have you guys heard? A hunter from Dahe Village found traces of a Silver Fox in Cang Mountain!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously lively atmosphere fell silent.

Gu Sheng's heart stirred, and clarity flashed in his eyes.

He had a good tolerance for alcohol and never let himself get drunk, so he quickly realized what this person was referring to when he mentioned the Silver Fox.

The so-called Silver Fox was not some demonic bloodline or exotic species, but just another type of ordinary wild beast.

However, the Silver Fox's fur was entirely silver-white, smooth as silk, and both warm and comfortable, making it a favorite among many wealthy families!

The price of its pelt was also extremely high.

At least ten taels of silver, and if the pelt was complete and unbroken, a generous buyer might even pay more!

The hunters present immediately felt their hearts burn with desire.

If someone could hunt this Silver Fox, they wouldn't have to hunt for the rest of the year!

Zhang Ze, slightly drunk, shouted:

"San Mazi, you're not trying to trick us, are you? Even if a hunter from Dahe Village really found traces of a Silver Fox, why would they tell anyone? They'd definitely go looking for it alone and in secret!"

San Mazi immediately stood up excitedly. Facing the subtle looks of suspicion around him, he declared loudly:

"How could this be fake? My cousin married into Dahe Village, and she told me herself a few days ago when she visited Gu Family Village. That hunter drank too much and was coaxed into revealing it. Haven't you noticed that there have been too many hunters entering Cang Mountain recently?"

The hunters suddenly came to a realization. They exchanged glances and whispered:

"It does seem like it. We've encountered quite a few hunters from other places this month. I even met Li Yan from Li Family Fort."

Hearing Li Yan's name, Gu Sheng's expression faltered slightly. Last month, when he and Gu Erniu went into the mountains, they had encountered Li Yan again.

He glanced at Gu Erniu and saw that Gu Erniu's expression was somewhat cold.

Li Yan was indeed a person with a foul mouth and a dark heart.

San Mazi said indignantly:

"The people from Li Family Fort and Dahe Village already know and are quietly searching for the Silver Fox. I'm revealing this news today because I don't want everyone from our Gu Family Village to fall behind!"

"Otherwise, why would I, San Mazi, bother to say this and trick everyone? If you don't believe me, just think of it as me talking nonsense!"

Gu Sheng knew that this person was very shrewd.

San Mazi's archery skills were average; even if he encountered a Silver Fox alone, he might not be able to hunt it. Since that was the case, he might as well use his drunken state to spread the news and even do everyone a favor.

As expected.

Seeing San Mazi's earnest and well-reasoned demeanor, Zhang Ze also felt a bit embarrassed. He quickly put his arm around San Mazi and chuckled:

"Brother, calm down. It's my fault. I'll punish myself with a bowl!"

"Brother San Mazi is righteous and doesn't hide anything. In the future, when we go hunting, everyone should bring him along!"

The other hunters laughed and nodded, and the atmosphere became lively again.

However, everyone secretly harbored their own thoughts; if they could hunt the Silver Fox, they would truly strike it rich!