Fu Ze Village.
"Huff."
"Huff."
"Huff..."
A robust young man with shoulder-length hair, bare-chested, held stones tied with hemp rope in both hands, lifting and lowering them repeatedly. Each stone weighed over ten kilograms, and the explosive muscles on his arms contracted with each movement. The sweat rolled down like oil drops, falling onto the ground.
"Uncle, it's time to eat."
Outside the room, Han Anniang's voice sounded.
"Coming."
Chen Mo stopped, then called up the system panel.
[Name: Chen Mo.]
[Age: 16.]
[Cultivation Technique: Blood Nourishing Technique (Entry Level 11.5/100).]
[Realm: None.]
[Power: 7.]
[Skills: Celestial Harmony Saber Technique (Perfection, to Tier Break, increase strength to 30.)]
"Sure enough, without meat supplements, training is impossible. No more waiting, I'll go up the mountain after eating." Chen Mo sighed lightly, put on his clothes, and left the room.
"Uncle, why do you torment yourself like this every day, sweating so much?"
These days, Han Anniang also knew what Chen Mo was doing in the room all day. She hadn't studied, didn't understand why Chen Mo wasted strength lifting stones daily, without fearing fatigue.
Seeing Chen Mo come out drenched in sweat, she hurriedly grabbed a towel from the side, wiping him down.
It was already late November, the weather cold enough to see one's breath clearly. During this time, Han Anniang seemed to forget the difference between genders, acting like a virtuous wife, wiping Chen Mo's sweat, his breath spraying onto her face.
Han Anniang noticed something amiss, feeling the strong masculine aura from her uncle, her face reddened instantly, her breath quickening, hastily retracting her hand.
"Uncle, hurry and eat..."
The food, made in the morning, was wheat porridge, already cold by noon.
Holding a bowl as large as half a basin, Chen Mo devoured it ravenously.
In his early teens, during growth spurts, his appetite was astonishingly large, and since Chen Mo's training intensity was high, his energy consumption was severe, naturally eating even more.
As for the problem of the wheat porridge tasting bad.
During this period, he had gotten used to it.
"Uncle, eat slower, don't choke." Han Anniang nibbled her food, reminding him.
Chen Mo nodded, finished eating, and looked at Han Anniang: "Sister-in-law, I plan on going hunting up the mountain later."
Han Anniang paused: "Hunting? Uncle, are you heading into the deep mountains?"
"Yes."
"Why, there's still food at home, why risk going into the mountains? I've heard people say the big tigers and bears have all been chased into the deep mountains; if you accidentally encounter a tiger..."
"Pfft." Chen Mo spat twice, interrupting Han Anniang, saying: "Sister-in-law, I haven't even gone up the mountain yet, and you're saying I might encounter a tiger. There's food at home, but just going out without coming in, it's unclear if we can survive this winter, can't just sit and wait for it to run out."
"I still have money, we can buy grain."
"Sister-in-law, frankly speaking, I want to eat meat, eat meat in big bites. Your two hundred coins can't buy much." Plus, what Chen Mo didn't say was, he wants to become stronger, the Celestial Harmony Saber Technique isn't true strength.
Han Anniang bit her lip: "Then uncle can go fishing at Dadong Lake, with this money, at least pay the tax."
"I'll consider that later; if the mountain hunt fails, I'll go fishing."
"But..."
"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I know what you're worried about. I'll act within my means and be cautious." Chen Mo looked into Han Anniang's eyes, determined.
...
After resting for a while, Chen Mo grabbed a hatchet, took two cornmeal muffins, and headed up Daze Mountain.
Having frequently ventured into the mountains catching insects lately, Chen Mo was familiar with the path, heading straight towards the deep mountains.
Compared to the outskirts of Daze Mountain, as he ventured deeper, the terrain became more complex, probably due to the scarcity of visitors, there wasn't even a path to follow; Chen Mo had to forge his way.
After wandering for over an hour, Chen Mo finally discovered prey— a gray fox.
However, the fox noticed Chen Mo too, glanced briefly, then ran off without looking back.
Chen Mo also found wild rabbits and dumb fawns afterward.
Without exception, these animals ran off the moment they saw him, and at such speeds that Chen Mo couldn't catch up.
After all, his strength was in saber techniques, not speed.
Confronted with animals that fled upon sight, Chen Mo was powerless; he wasn't an archer.
He needed to find creatures that wouldn't run away upon seeing him, but rather charge at him head-on— for his saber skills to truly shine.
Suddenly, he heard a roar from ahead. Sneaking closer, he swallowed hard.
In the bushes, a fierce White Tiger had pinned down the dumb fawn Chen Mo spotted earlier, biting through its vein.
Its fur was white, marked with distinct black patterns from head to tail, measuring eight to nine feet long. It hunched over, gripping the fawn tightly.
Instinctively, cold sweat broke out on Chen Mo's back; this tiger was far more ferocious than those seen in zoos.
Could Wu Song fight this thing?
The tiger seemed to notice him too, released the fawn, turned its head, green eyes glinting fiercely, blood-stained mouth growling lowly.
Chen Mo's face changed, gripping the hatchet tightly.
Fortunately, with its prey captured, it didn't attack Chen Mo, carrying the fawn away.
After the tiger left, Chen Mo's legs felt weak, palms sweaty.
Having never fought in real situations, facing such a creature for the first time could easily cost his life.
After resting briefly, Chen Mo quickly left the area.
Tigers have strong territorial instincts, and Chen Mo dared not linger longer.
Another half hour passed, during which he ate both muffins.
Finally, Chen Mo found his target.
Ten meters ahead, a tusked wild boar, weighing at least three hundred pounds, was scratching against a tree. As it rubbed, the pine tree shook.
Before crossing over, he heard from his father that, before wild boars became protected animals, his father once hunted them.
Wild boars typically don't attack humans unless they feel threatened or in danger.
His father advised Chen Mo to stay distant if encountering one, especially clearing its path to avoid provoking it.
But Chen Mo intended to provoke it, preventing it from escaping.
He stood in its path, picked up a dry branch from the ground, and smashed it on the boar's head.
Then, he strode towards the wild boar.
Enraged, especially by this two-legged creature daring to provoke it, the wild boar stopped scratching the tree and charged at Chen Mo.