A Bountiful Harvest

A look of delighted surprise appeared in Gu Sheng's eyes.

That arrow had been exquisite to the extreme!

Hitting a hind leg while the Silver Fox was moving at high speed was no easy task—several times harder than striking its body!

Had it been another hunter, an archer like Gu Erniu who had attained Minor Mastery in archery might have had some confidence in hitting the Silver Fox's body. But hitting its constantly springing and landing hind legs was nearly impossible, unless sheer luck was involved.

As for why Gu Sheng had chosen to do this—

The reason was simple.

The more intact the Silver Fox's fur was, the higher its value. If its body had no arrow holes, its value could even double!

It could fetch twenty taels!

One of the Silver Fox's hind legs had now been pierced by an arrow. Though it was still fleeing, the bone-deep pain and the long arrow shaft severely hindered its speed. It was now even slower than Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng was overjoyed.

There was no need to deliberate over what to do next. Without sparing the deer carcass another glance, Gu Sheng broke into a sprint and accelerated with all his strength!

The current Gu Sheng was no longer as thin and weak as before. His muscles were solid, his frame tall and lean, and he moved through the forest with the agility of a cheetah.

The Silver Fox let out shrill, panicked cries. Pain and terror filled its eyes.

It had none of its former pride and elegance left.

It had some intelligence. It was nearly comparable to a beast with demon blood.

Gu Sheng thought to himself.

Yet his movements did not slow in the slightest. Before long, he had narrowed the distance to within a hundred meters.

He drew his bow and nocked an arrow, his movements as precise as threading a needle.

Gu Sheng focused with utmost intensity. In his eyes, the Silver Fox's movements slowed once more. His archery had not yet reached perfection, and his dynamic vision had not reached its peak, but under such intense concentration, it could still be partially enhanced.

This arrow was aimed at the Silver Fox's eye!

Whoosh!!

A sharp whistle tore through the air. The arrow flew like wind and thunder, slicing through the sky!

Enduring the agonizing pain in its hind leg, the Silver Fox leaped with all its might. The long arrow grazed the fur atop its head.

Gu Sheng remained focused, his expression as calm as an ancient well.

Though the Silver Fox had evaded that swift arrow, its desperate leap had also thrown its body off balance. The agony made it stagger.

Gu Sheng took another arrow. Faintly, he seemed to see fear and pleading in the Silver Fox's eyes.

But he remained unmoved.

Another arrow!

This time, there was no accident.

Thud!

The long arrow pierced its eye, tore through flesh, and bored into its skull with a distinctly gruesome sound.

Its faintly emerald fox eye burst at once, blood spraying everywhere.

Agonizing pain struck, but the Silver Fox no longer had the strength to let out a shriek. The arrow lodged in its skull took away the last trace of its life, pinning it firmly against the tree roots.

Gu Sheng let out a soft breath.

Using the enhancement to his dynamic vision twice in quick succession had drained a great deal of his mental strength.

Fortunately, it had all been worth it.

Looking at the dead Silver Fox, Gu Sheng's lips curved into a heartfelt smile.

One arrow had pierced its hind leg, and another had pierced its skull. The fur on the Silver Fox's body remained intact, doubling its value!

With this wealth—

Gu Sheng's plans for martial training finally had a foundation. They were no longer something floating out of reach, but a real goal he could grasp.

He cautiously sensed his surroundings. Gu Sheng would not make the same mistake twice.

He pulled out the two arrows and carefully inspected the Silver Fox several times.

It truly deserved to be one of the most beloved furs among wealthy households.

Its entire body gleamed a brilliant silver-white. Even where blood had splashed upon it, the fur was not stained in the slightest. The blood simply beaded up and could be wiped clean with a light swipe.

Unlike other furs, which required tanning, dyeing, and other processes, Silver Fox fur was practically a finished product. It only needed the simplest treatment.

Its texture was even more exquisite to the touch—warm, soft, and silky as if coated in oil.

Gu Sheng placed the Silver Fox into his hide bag and wrapped it tightly, leaving no trace exposed.

Only after finishing all this—

Did he turn and head back toward the place where he had left the wild deer.

Fortunately, he had only run one or two hundred meters. Gu Sheng soon spotted the deer carcass again. In such a short time, no other ferocious beasts had arrived; only insects and ants were gnawing at the carcass's flesh and blood.

Gu Sheng casually dealt with the insects and ants before carrying the deer carcass on his back once more.

"This really is a bountiful harvest!"

His heart was filled with incomparable delight.

It was no exaggeration to say that this was his greatest haul since he had started hunting in the mountains!

All his spoils weighed nearly fifty jin upon his back, placing some burden on Gu Sheng. He looked up at the sky. After all the trouble, the sun had already begun to slant westward.

"I should head down the mountain, before anything unexpected happens."

Having suddenly acquired such a large fortune, even Gu Sheng felt a trace of impatience. He feared that some accident might occur.

He proceeded carefully all the way, steadily making his way out of Cang Mountain.

The outskirts of Cang Mountain.

Gu Erniu was running. The searing pain in his left leg made his face twitch. A broken arrow was lodged in his calf. Though he had given it some rudimentary treatment, blood was still spreading.

Every step brought heart-piercing agony, but he could not stop. Several people were chasing him from behind.

Fury and killing intent intertwined in his heart, his eyes seeming ready to spit fire.

"Damn Li Yan!"

Gu Erniu cursed inwardly.

His plunge from elation to despair had taken only moments. He had originally been marveling at his own good fortune. After tracking for so many days, he had finally found traces of the Silver Fox.

But he had never expected—

That just as he found the Silver Fox, another group would emerge from the opposite side. Li Yan had also found the Silver Fox!

When enemies met, their eyes burned red with hatred.

Li Yan had just suffered indignity at Gu Sheng's hands. Upon seeing Gu Erniu, killing intent surged in his heart. He did not even care about the Silver Fox anymore and immediately began hunting Gu Erniu down.

Gu Erniu was alone, while the other side had four men. How could he possibly be a match for them?

He did not hesitate for even a second before turning and fleeing!

The Silver Fox, caught between the two groups, escaped death by sheer luck. It stared blankly as the two groups of humans began chasing one another.

Though Gu Erniu had attained Minor Mastery in archery, Li Yan had also reached Minor Mastery. With three more helpers at his side, how could Gu Erniu possibly win?

During the exchange of pursuit and arrows—

Gu Erniu's left leg was struck by one of Li Yan's arrows, while Li Yan's left arm was also hit by an arrow.

Huff! Huff! Huff!

Gu Erniu panted heavily. With an arrow in his calf, even though he forced himself onward, his speed had fallen drastically, and it drained enormous amounts of stamina. The figures pursuing him behind were drawing ever closer.

He could even hear Li Yan's vicious voice echoing behind him:

"Gu Erniu, keep running! I want to see just where the hell you can run to!"

His face had gone pale, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans dripped continuously. His calf had begun to cramp. While the wound had been numb earlier and barely tolerable, waves of pain now began to strike, each more intense than the last.

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Gu Erniu's mouth, and threads of despair rose in his heart.

"That bastard brought so many people just to catch a Silver Fox."

He felt some regret, blaming himself for being blinded by the Silver Fox's value and allowing greed to lead him into this trap.

But he hated Li Yan even more. Ever since Gu Erniu had married Li Lian, Li Yan had repeatedly targeted him. Now, he even wanted to take his life!

Gu Erniu slumped behind a tree, doing his best to conceal himself as he secretly made up his mind.

"Even if I die, I'll take one of them down with me!"

His gaze turned solemn, fierce and bloody in spirit, as he calculated how to lure Li Yan into a trap. Only if he could perish together with Li Yan would he be able to swallow this anger.