Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

Passing by the low and cramped mud houses, the imposing two-courtyard house in the center of the village is the residence of the village chief, Shi Gu.

It wasn't that the village chief was greedy, but rather that when people from the city came to discuss official business, they needed a respectable place to be received. Building a separate, impressive guesthouse, plus having someone to maintain it regularly, was clearly less convenient than simply expanding the village chief's house.

As the two approached the courtyard gate, they saw an elderly man with a hunched back, a sprightly spirit, and graying temples sitting on a chair in the sun. It was none other than the village chief, Shi Gu.

He saw Ning Che and Xiao Hu return, and his cloudy eyes brightened. He straightened up, sat up straight, and scolded with a smile, "Xing boy, you just woke up, why are you running around like this? Where have you gotten yourself into trouble this time, making Xiao Hu so happy?"

"Grandpa!" Xiao Hu rushed over and held up the carcass of the large bird for Shi Gu to see: "We took more than ten eggs, and we even shot down a really big bird. Xingxing said he'd bring it to you and Dad—look!"

Ning Che also stepped forward, carrying the bundle of bird eggs, and explained with his head down, "We were in the woods at the entrance of the village; we didn't dare go far."

Shi Gu's gaze fell on the large, dark green bird. After a quick glance, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He immediately took the bird carcass, reached out and stroked its wings. After carefully examining its crimson claws, he concluded after a moment: "This is an Iron-feathered Sparrow. Its feathers and claw tips can be used in medicine, and its flesh can nourish the blood and qi. You guys are quite lucky."

Little Tiger, overjoyed to hear it was a good thing, jumped and danced with excitement. Ning Che, however, noticed Shi Gu's unusual expression; instead of joy, he looked worried and asked, "Is there something wrong with this bird?"

"This bird is indeed a good thing." The village chief slowly stood up, paused, and continued to explain, "But the bad thing is that this bird is vicious by nature, likes to tease its prey, is vengeful, and lives in groups. The leader among them may be a demon."

With the impending drought, the area surrounding the village, aside from the cultivated farmland, was already a barren and desolate place, and at this time there was even less food. The powerful demons ate the flesh and blood of birds and beasts to satisfy their hunger. The weaker demons, or those with families and tribes, had to flee.

Therefore, whenever a drought strikes, beast tides are likely to occur, with the most numerous and ferocious monsters coming from the wasteland. This time, the Iron-feathered Birds have been moved into the forest early, so when the drought strikes, there will surely be even more ferocious monsters. What a sight it must be like on the wasteland. Alas—this year is unlucky; I'm afraid it will be difficult to endure.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hu realized something was wrong and stopped his excited chatter, listening quietly from the side. Ning Che's heart tightened even more; his home was right on the edge of the wasteland, and if the beast tide attacked, he would be the first to bear the brunt.

Having lived two lives, he didn't voice his concerns directly. Instead, he looked at the village chief with a resolute expression: "Will this bird come to the village seeking revenge? Does the village have any plans to deal with it? I'm planning to join the hunting team and be ready to serve at any time!"

"These birds are nothing special. Even if there were one or two demons as leaders, they wouldn't dare to enter the village and cause trouble." Shi Gu slightly twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "However, resisting the beast tide is too difficult. Once the beast tide occurs, those beasts that are rarely seen in normal times will rush up like an army, densely packed."

Not to mention there's often more than one demon among them. Hunting parties alone can't stop them; historically, it's always been the mountain guardians who provide support and oversee the situation. You're not a cultivator, so what role can you possibly play in this?"

"I've learned a lot, but I still want to do my part. It's always good to have more hands," Ning Che said respectfully.

Shi Gu waved his hand: "Since you're so interested, of course I won't stop you. Once you join the hunting team, you'll have your own things to do—bring everything in. Xiao Ying and Xiao Yong are here too, so let's add a couple of dishes and have a lively meal together."

After speaking, Shi Gu got up and led the two into the courtyard. He called his daughter-in-law to prepare the ingredients, and then pushed open the door to the main room.

Ning Che followed and saw that Shi Yong, Shi Ying, and Cheng Cai, the village chief's eldest son, were all sitting there, but no one spoke. Each of them had their brows furrowed, like chess players deep in thought.

Shi Gu sat in the main seat, letting Ning Che and Xiao Hu sit wherever they pleased, and then told the three people in the room about the Iron Feather Sparrow.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Cai sighed deeply, as if he wanted to turn his hair white with worry before his father. Shi Yong slammed his hand on the square table in front of him: "At worst, I'll go scout ahead and see if I can kill the leader of the demons first."

"Nonsense!" Shi Gu scolded, "You haven't even touched the door of your Qi Palace. If you run into a few lesser demons together, do you think you'll be able to come back?"

Shi Yong clenched his fists and stopped talking.

Shi Ying was the only one of the three who remained composed. She looked at Ning Che, and after Shi Gu finished speaking, she asked, "Did you shoot down this Iron-feathered Sparrow?"

Ning Che and Xiao Hu had just sat down when he was called upon. Confused, he still stood up and answered, "It's me."

"What should we use?"

"A slingshot," Ning Che answered truthfully.

Everyone was surprised to hear this, and Shi Yong immediately asked, "You used a slingshot to shoot down the Iron Feather Sparrow?"

"Just lucky, just lucky," Ning Che said modestly.

The bird swooped down without a second thought, completely disregarding Ning Che. How could he tolerate this? He grabbed a slingshot and fired two shots, instantly killing the bird in the head. He wasn't entirely sure how hard the Iron-feathered Sparrow's feathers were, but its head certainly couldn't withstand close-range slingshot fire; it was dead on the spot.

Seeing it land, Ning Che jumped down from the tree, drew his sword, and immediately slit its throat to bleed it dry, without finding it particularly difficult.

Shi Gu glanced at everyone and suggested, "It just so happens that this child is also preparing to join the hunting team. Xiao Yong, why don't you see if he has any talent for archery?"

Without hesitation, Shi Yong agreed immediately: "Okay."

……

Seeing that the atmosphere was starting to cool down again, Shi Gu casually told some strange and interesting stories, and everyone joined in the conversation, temporarily forgetting the impending calamity.

Ning Che occasionally chimed in with a few words, finding an opportunity to ask, "I've heard there are three ways to begin cultivation, but I only know the name of 'seeing the divine in meditation.' If I wish to begin this path, how should I proceed?"

Shi Ying replied, "Seeing the spirit in meditation is also called the method of sudden enlightenment, which is divided into two steps: First, you must enter a meditative state, which is to enter a state where your mind is clear and empty, without any distracting thoughts. In this state, you can feel your own soul."

But if one doesn't focus on their own soul and instead explores the external world, they will encounter various things. Some can give them power, some can transform them. Others can lead them astray, or even to more sinister and bizarre ends.

After explaining the meaning, Shi Ying looked into Ning Che's eyes and warned him seriously, "I advise you not to try this method. I once saw a person... who couldn't even die."

Ning Che nodded and silently made a mental note of it.

As everyone chatted, the dishes were served one after another. In the very center of the table was the Iron Feather Sparrow dish, its broth a vibrant, glossy color. Surrounding it were stir-fried vegetables, stewed meats, and preserved fruits.

Before the meal was served, a bucket of rice wine was brought over. Ning Che and Xiao Hu were too young for the wine. Ning Che wasn't a big drinker either, so he ate his meal in silence.

After a hearty meal and some water, they bid farewell to Xiaohu. As evening approached and the sun began to set, Ning Che circled around Shizhu Village. Sure enough, after going around half of it, he passed by the old locust tree, where he saw a woman with disheveled hair, a face covered in dust, and tattered hemp clothing sitting by the well.

It was Shi Xiujuan.

She saw Ning Che and waved happily, "You're back! Come here, come here!" She pointed to the well like she was showing off a treasure, "I left you something good!"

"Inside the well?" Ning Che couldn't help but wonder.

"In the well," Shi Xiujuan affirmed.

Ning Che, puzzled, remained vigilant and approached the well from the side of the well pulley, looking down:

What a huge moon!