Two Gifts

Fu Shaoping raised the Hou Yi Bow in his hand.

"Uncle Zhan, I plan to spend this time preparing for next year's spring hunt competition, so if the Mission Hall has any assignments that won't take too long, please try to secure one or two for me. If there aren't any, that's fine too."

"All right. Wait here a moment."

Leaning on his cane, Uncle Zhan went inside, then brought out a yellowed ancient book and handed it to Fu Shaoping.

"I exchanged ten Ninth-Rank Merit points for this Hunting Manual back in the day. I have no use for it now, so take it. It should be of some help to you."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhan!"

Warmth welled up in Fu Shaoping's heart.

Uncle Zhan truly treated him like his own nephew, with kindness that came from the heart.

The old manual clearly had quite a few years behind it.

He turned a page.

A simple terrain map was marked on it.

The map depicted several peaks along the outskirts of the Million Mountains, with detailed notes on the kinds of demonic beasts living there and the places where spiritual flowers and rare herbs grew. It was practically a treasure map.

As he continued flipping through it,

he even found hunting experience and advice.

In addition,

the weaknesses of several demonic beasts that might inhabit the mapped area were listed in detail.

The more Fu Shaoping read, the more pleased he became.

"Uncle Zhan, this book of yours is a real treasure!"

"I'm glad it's useful. But it's been decades since that manual was written. Conditions in the mountains have probably changed, so you still need to be cautious."

"Thank you for the warning, Uncle Zhan."

Fu Shaoping left the Hundred Households Office in high spirits.

After returning home, he prepared half a month's worth of dry provisions and was just about to leave.

Then he heard familiar footsteps outside.

"Sister Pan'er is back!"

Delighted, Fu Shaoping moved as though wind had sprung beneath his feet, instinctively using Ethereal Steps to reach the central courtyard in an instant.

Zhou Pan'er came into view in a long, vivid red palace-style dress. Unlike her usual unadorned appearance, she now radiated an imposing air of nobility from head to toe. Had her features not remained the same, he would hardly have believed she was the same person.

"What, have you forgotten me after just a few days?"

Zhou Pan'er shot Fu Shaoping a reproachful look.

Seeing the quiver and Hou Yi Bow slung over his shoulder, she knew he was heading out to hunt. Excitement lit up her face, and she immediately said,

"Wait a moment. I'll change into something more practical."

With that,

she hurried a few steps and entered her room.

A little while later,

Zhou Pan'er emerged again.

Seeing the familiar Sister Pan'er, Fu Shaoping finally regained the sense of closeness between them. He stepped forward and asked with concern,

"Sister Pan'er, how did it go? Did you learn anything from Granny Xue?"

"Let's talk once we're in the carriage."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Zhou Pan'er's face.

They drove the carriage out of Green Ox Town. Only when the surroundings were empty, without a soul in sight, did Zhou Pan'er speak.

"Granny Xue said that, given my current circumstances, it would be best for me not to know anything. She told me to live an ordinary person's life in peace. If I ever reach the Origin Core Realm, she might tell me a little about my origins."

Fu Shaoping listened quietly.

He did not interrupt.

The desolation on Zhou Pan'er's face soon faded. She smiled faintly, her dimples appearing again.

"So I thought it all through on the way back."

"Who my parents are, why they abandoned me, and why Granny Xue suddenly came looking for me-none of that matters."

"What matters is the present."

"I'm happy now, and we'll be happy in the future too. We'll have lots and lots of children, with children and grandchildren gathered around our knees and happiness filling our courtyard!"

There was one more thing

Zhou Pan'er left unsaid: to find one person and grow white-haired together, never parting.

After hearing Zhou Pan'er's words,

Fu Shaoping felt much more at ease. Smiling, he said,

"Sister Pan'er, do you think we should move our wedding date forward? Otherwise, it'll take us quite a while to fill the house with children and grandchildren."

"I'm speaking from the heart! What are you thinking about?"

"You, of course!"

Their eyes met.

They drew closer without realizing it.

Their lips pressed together.

Only after a long while

did Zhou Pan'er turn her head away, her face flushed.

A brief separation made their reunion sweeter than a wedding night.

It was a rare occasion indeed for Sister Pan'er to offer him a kiss.

Fu Shaoping still wanted more.

Seeing the ravenous wolf-like look in his eyes, Zhou Pan'er quickly said,

"Let's talk about something serious."

"Granny Xue gave me another pill recipe this time, for a first-tier mid-grade spiritual pill. Take a look."

Fu Shaoping took it and read it.

It was for the Origin-Consolidating Pill.

It was perfectly suited to martial artists at the fourth through sixth levels of the Body Tempering Realm.

He quickly scanned it.

He realized he had seen its main ingredient, Seven-Consolidation Grass, somewhere before.

Suddenly, he slapped his forehead.

Fu Shaoping took out the Hunting Manual and quickly turned to the seventh page.

The entry for Pale Ridge Mountain listed Seven-Consolidation Grass as the companion spiritual herb of the Ironwood Fox.

Fu Shaoping pondered aloud,

"The Ironwood Fox is a First-Tier Mid-Stage demonic beast. If the original Ironwood Fox recorded in this manual is still alive today, it has probably reached First-Tier Peak. With our strength, facing a First-Tier Peak Ironwood Fox could be rather risky."

Yet hunting an Ironwood Fox would let them reap three rewards with one stroke.

Sister Pan'er smiled mysteriously.

She took an exquisite case from her sleeve and opened it, revealing a set of ten gleaming golden embroidery needles.

"These are the Blood Flying Needles Granny Xue gave me, forged from blood netherstone. Each of the ten needles was soaked and refined in the Myriad Poisons Pool for several years. Once they pierce someone, even if they only break the skin, anyone without an antidote on hand will die from the poison within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. We can certainly give Pale Ridge Mountain a try!"

As she spoke,

Zhou Pan'er put on fingertip guards. Her fingers danced, and the ten Blood Flying Needles instantly clung to her ten slender, jade-like fingers.

Her lovely face turned cold.

With a series of whistles as they sliced through the air,

the ten Blood Flying Needles shot out.

Looking closely,

he saw that a golden thread was attached to the end of each needle. Under Zhou Pan'er's control, they changed direction, extending and returning at her will.

Gulp!

Watching from beside her, Fu Shaoping swallowed nervously.

He feared that one of the Blood Flying Needles might slip out of her control and pierce him.

At the same time,

he became even more wary of Granny Xue, whom he had never met. Only after Zhou Pan'er put the Blood Flying Needles away did he breathe a sigh of relief, as though a weight had lifted from him.

Sister Pan'er's fighting prowess was formidable.

Combined with his Heavenstone Archery, the two of them working together were like a tiger given wings.

He could not help feeling brimming with confidence about the hunt ahead.

The Million Mountains lay far from Green Ox Town. They drove along the Longflow River to its end, spending another two days and a night before reaching the Clear Warehouse Inn. The inn bustled with hunters bound for the Million Mountains and served as a hunting way station for martial artists from dozens of nearby towns.

Fu Shaoping and Zhou Pan'er stayed for one night.

Early the next morning,

they set off for Yuyang Gorge, thirty li away.

Yuyang Gorge was the sole entrance to the Million Mountains. Anyone holding a hunting permit could bring one companion inside.