Returning to the small mountain village of '86, intelligence updated daily.

Zhou Rui certainly wouldn't go back now. Now that he was here, how could he be satisfied with just one prey?

We haven't even seen our main targets yet! We can't just turn back so easily.

Although water deer are less valuable, they are large and meaty, so they can be a good source of nutrition for Grandpa.

The three people who were about to leave stopped in their tracks upon hearing what Zhou Rui said.

Zhou Ming was overjoyed: "Brother! Where is he? We're already here, let's shoot him!"

Zhou Ming was overjoyed; he didn't want to just go back so easily.

But Zhou Shiwei turned around, looking hesitant. He could tell from Zhou Rui's expression that he wanted to continue forward.

His hesitation stemmed from the fact that he was the oldest person in the group, especially as a father of two children, both of whom were in the group.

Therefore, Zhou Shiwei's usually decisive character began to waver and hesitate.

However, when Zhou Shiwei looked in the direction Zhou Rui was pointing, there did indeed appear to be animal droppings there.

He frowned, didn't say a word, and walked quickly forward.

After walking about several dozen meters, he bent down.

The three people who followed behind all saw it. The feces looked very fresh, so it was probably excreted there sometime today.

Zhou Rui was certainly not a fortune teller. Just as he was thinking of an excuse to keep everyone here, he looked down the road and his eyes fell on this thing.

Otherwise, he was prepared to tell the truth and explain his thoughts, so that while it was still early, he could look for more prey.

However, this will increase resistance, and it will take some effort to persuade everyone.

With such a good excuse at the moment, Zhou Rui secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

That makes sense, as water deer are large and robust, so they would naturally excrete more, not to mention there was more than one.

Zhou Shijie also went forward to check, and after a while, he said with a question in his mind:

"Could it be that the prey just left it here?"

"Or perhaps something else."

It's possible that Zhou Shijie asked a very normal question.

Zhou Shiwei glanced at it twice, then shook his head, denying his second brother's question. He pointed to the enormous animal excrement and said:

"You idiot, could that little musk deer really poop that big?"

Zhou Shiwei didn't hold back and cursed him, and Zhou Shijie scratched his head in embarrassment.

Zhou Ming glanced at the scene, then covered his nose and took a few steps back. After creating some distance, he began to urge his father and second uncle on.

"Dad, Second Uncle, it's still early, let's go take another look. You've probably never been here before, so it would be even better if we found something good."

After Zhou Ming finished speaking, he pointed to the hunting rifle he had just handed to Zhou Rui and said confidently:

"Anyway, we have hunting rifles. If we encounter anything, we'll just shoot it! What's there to be afraid of? We'll even shoot a bear if it comes along."

Zhou Ming spoke with great enthusiasm, like a chivalrous wanderer, a quality he had gradually cultivated from reading martial arts books over the past few days.

He wasn't exaggerating; the power of this large-caliber shotgun was truly comparable to that of a bear. Even if it didn't kill the bear with a single shot, it would render the opponent incapable of resistance.

Now it was Zhou Shiwei's turn to make the decision. After all, although Zhou Rui had been leading the way, Zhou Shiwei was still the oldest member of the group.

Zhou Rui looked at his younger brother, his heart filled with joy.

Good brother, it's no wonder I've been so good to you!

He didn't need to say anything more; his younger brother, Zhou Ming, had already said everything.

Zhou Shiwei pondered for a moment, looked at the enthusiastic Zhou Ming, then at the hunting rifle in Zhou Rui's hand, and finally looked up at Zhou Rui with an approving expression and nodded.

He wasn't a pedantic person; he understood that fortune favors the bold, but he still cautiously offered his advice:

"We have at most two hours to get back. If we don't get out of these mountains by evening, it will be quite dangerous."

His expression was very serious, and his tone left no room for argument.

All three nodded, including Zhou Rui, who understood that his father's suggestion was indeed the most correct way to handle the situation.

The mountains are fraught with danger even during the day, let alone at night. Back then, it wasn't like now, where danger could be detected in advance.

The four of them continued their journey along the narrow crevice in the mountains.

It's around noon now.

They arrived quickly, and with so many people already processing the prey, they were efficient and there was still plenty of time.

On the way, everyone's mood brightened up, mainly because of Zhou Ming, that lively character.

"Bro, you were so cool just now!"

"Just like those great heroes, standing in the cold wind, eyes resolute, hand swiftly striking with spear!"

Zhou Ming mimicked the way Zhou Rui had calmly held the gun earlier, but this time the object was a round wooden stick that Zhou Shiwei had brought from home.

Zhou Rui smiled; he was in an exceptionally good mood and very happy.

Harvest is always the most wonderful thing in the world. If he can hit such a small musk deer, he should be able to hit a much larger water deer as well.

Once the water deer is sold, the family will be able to truly move up a level and live a better life.

At least... back then, our family could guarantee meat at every meal, and Grandpa's health could be better restored.

Zhou Rui is gradually coming to his senses. Although the musk deer is not as rare as gastrodia extract, which is probably the rarest thing in the whole province.

But this is a treasure! And a treasure that anyone with even a little knowledge of its value would dream of.

If Gastrodia elata extract has no market price reference, then musk is the opposite—it has a price but no market!

Moreover, this thing is very dangerous. If it is not handled properly, it will attract the envy of countless people. In his previous life, he had heard of people killing each other to steal treasures for rare items.

This is also one of the reasons why Zhou Rui insisted on going deeper into the subject.

Musk may not be profitable in the short term, but deer antlers, tendons, and meat are highly sought-after items for both the general public and those with substantial wealth, and can be quickly converted into cash.

That's why he had to keep going no matter what, and getting another water deer was the safest way.

At this point in his thoughts, Zhou Rui interrupted the overly dramatic Zhou Ming in a low voice, saying:

"Second Uncle, younger brother, this fawn must absolutely not be known to anyone, including Second Aunt and Mother."

"Otherwise, once the news gets out, our family will be in danger, and we won't be as safe as we are now."

Zhou Rui spoke very seriously, without a trace of joking, and Zhou Shiwei echoed him from the back of the line.

Upon hearing the warnings from both sides, they both said they understood.

Seeing this, Zhou Rui was somewhat moved. Since his rebirth, what made him happiest seemed to be not only the awakening of the intelligence system, but also his family working together.

Dad took charge of the overall situation, Mom was considerate and attentive, Second Aunt worked quietly, and Second Uncle changed his ways after being given some pointers.

Zhou Rui exhaled a breath of stale air, put his hand on Zhou Ming's shoulder, and his tone returned to ease.

"Brother, do you think we can one day roam the martial world freely?"

"Anyway, I think everyone in my family is a hero, especially my younger brother Zhou Ming!"

The two walked arm in arm, dreaming about the future. They continued along the stream for about an hour, winding their way through the water, until finally a cliff blocked their path.

On the cliff, several reddish-brown, semi-circular Ganoderma lucidum (a type of mushroom) hang there.