The morning after the goat incident dawned cool and quiet. Mist curled low through the trees, and birdsong returned in soft, melodic bursts. Shen stirred early, his breath curling faintly in the air, and Yue was already awake—sitting on his chest like a tiny, furry statue.
"You're heavy," Shen mumbled.
Yue chirped, utterly unrepentant.
He sat up and stretched, grimacing as his back cracked in three places. "Alright. Let's go see about those rabbits."
They left the farm early, a light pack slung over Shen's shoulder, his axe tied to his back. Yue trotted beside him with surprising silence for a cub her size. Her tail flicked playfully as she darted ahead now and then to investigate mushrooms, paw at bugs, and attempt to chase shadows.
Shen took them toward the ridge he'd scouted days earlier. The terrain sloped gently upward, trees thinning as they climbed. Morning dew soaked his boots, and the scent of pine mingled with loamy earth.
He paused beside a moss-covered stump, crouching low.
Tracks.
Small, narrow. Rabbits, definitely.
"Bingo," he whispered.
Yue sniffed the tracks, then turned in a small circle, tail flicking excitedly.
"No fireballs. No celestial roars," Shen said. "Just a rabbit, alright?"
Yue sneezed and trotted ahead.
It took half an hour to find their quarry.
A small brown rabbit munched clover in a clearing, unaware of its doom.
Shen crept slowly, using the bushes for cover. Yue did the same, copying his movements with uncanny precision. Shen had never taught her how to stalk—but she moved with the natural grace of a predator.
He readied his throwing rock.
"Three… two…"
Yue leapt early.
The rabbit bolted.
"Yue!"
She gave chase, paws thumping against the dirt. Shen cursed and ran after her.
It didn't take long. She didn't catch the rabbit. She pounced into a bush instead and came out covered in leaves, looking extremely pleased with herself.
Shen doubled over, panting. "We… were supposed to trap it."
Yue pranced in a circle, proudly displaying a stick she'd caught instead.
Eventually, Shen did catch a rabbit—without Yue's help. A snare trap he'd set earlier had done the trick. He knelt beside it with a strange mix of guilt and relief.
"Sorry," he murmured to the rabbit as he dispatched it quickly. "You'll help feed us."
They returned home by early afternoon. Shen skinned the rabbit carefully while Yue supervised with hawk-like intensity, tail twitching.
As the meat cooked, he stirred some wild greens into a pot and added sliced roots. The aroma drifted through the clearing.
Yue's ears perked.
"You'll wait this time, right?" Shen asked.
Yue blinked at him, then pawed the edge of the bowl.
"You know what? That's close enough."
Later that day, Shen worked on a new project: a wind charm. He'd found a few old feathers near the ridge and some smooth, hollow reeds. With some vine cord and focus, he tied the materials into a charm meant to ward off minor beasts.
He didn't know if it actually worked. But the system responded:
[Crafting Skill +1: Improvised Talisman Created]
Wind Charm (Minor): Slightly discourages low-intelligence creatures from approaching. Durability: Low
He tied it to the corner of the fence.
Yue promptly attempted to eat the other one he'd made.
"No. That's not food."
She growled dramatically and rolled onto her back, playing dead.
"You're very ferocious," Shen said.
As evening fell, a rustle in the woods put Shen on alert.
He moved quietly, Yue perched on his shoulder, alert.
Then a figure stepped into view.
Not a wolf.
A man.
Young—maybe twenty. Thin robes. Sword at his side. Hair tied back. He looked tired.
Shen's grip on his axe tightened.
The stranger froze as their eyes met.
Then slowly… raised both hands.
"I'm not here to rob you," he said. "Just… looking for water."
Yue growled softly.
Shen studied the man for a long moment.
"…There's a stream east of here," Shen said finally.
The man bowed slightly. "Thank you."
He didn't move.
"You're not a sect scout, are you?" Shen asked.
The man blinked. "Sect? No. Not anymore."
"'Not anymore'?"
The stranger hesitated. Then: "Let's just say I left before they could throw me out."
Yue's tail flicked like a metronome.
Shen sighed. "If you cause trouble, I'll feed you to the fox."
The man glanced at Yue. "She's… adorable."
"She's divine."
"…Right."
The man introduced himself as Ren. He accepted a bit of broth and rabbit meat without protest. Said little, but watched everything.
Shen didn't like that.
But Ren didn't press questions. He simply sat by the fire, sipped his meal, and after eating, left a small pouch of medicinal herbs behind as thanks.
"You planning to stay?" Shen asked.
Ren shook his head. "I'll move on. Just needed rest."
"Alright."
Shen watched him go.
Yue hopped down and sniffed the herbs.
"At least he didn't steal anything."
She sneezed.
That night, Shen updated his journal—carved into wooden slats with a sharpened bone.
Day 9.
Hunted successfully.
Caught rabbit.
Built wind charm.
Fed a stranger.
Didn't kill him. Good restraint.
Yue curled beside him, snoring softly.
Shen watched the fire die down.
One day at a time.
That's all he needed.
[End of Chapter 4]