Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Chen seemed oblivious to the commotion behind him, keeping his eyes straight ahead and his steps steady as he walked straight to Zhao Gensheng's familiar courtyard gate, which was peeling and looked particularly dilapidated.

Unable to knock with his hands, he used his feet, clad in heavy cotton shoes, to lightly kick the sturdy elm door, producing a dull thud, while calling out in a deep voice, "Master, open the door! It's me, Wei Chen!"

Soon, a series of slightly dragging but steady footsteps echoed from inside the courtyard, followed by the clanging sound of the door latch being pulled open. Zhao Gensheng's deeply lined face, as weathered as the bark of an old tree, appeared through the crack in the open door.

His eyes, which were usually half-closed and carried a hint of worldly wisdom and indifference, froze on the spot as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt when they fell on the golden, shiny, and fiercely patterned tiger skin on Wei Chen's shoulder!

His cloudy yet still sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, suddenly bulged outwards, his pupils contracting rapidly to the size of pinpoints in an instant. His wrinkled mouth opened slightly involuntarily, and even his breathing seemed to be choked by an invisible hand, pausing for a moment!

His weathered face, usually impassive, was now completely overwhelmed by an extremely rare expression—a mixture of utter shock, horror, disbelief, and a hint of… the fervent instinct of an old hunter for his prey! His calloused, large-knuckled hand, gripping the doorframe, trembled slightly, his knuckles white from the excessive force.

"This...this is..." Zhao Gensheng's throat felt like it had been sanded, extremely dry and hoarse, his voice trembling noticeably. Pointing at the enormous tiger carcass, he couldn't find the right words for a moment, only able to express his primal astonishment.

Even though Zhao Gensheng was once a notorious figure in the martial arts world, a ruthless man who had seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and had weathered countless storms, seeing his seemingly gentle apprentice, whom he had unintentionally taken under his wing, carrying such a complete, powerful, and majestic adult Siberian tiger, exuding the remaining might of the king of beasts, standing alive at the gate of his dilapidated courtyard, was still a double shock to his heart, both visually and psychologically. It was like a heavy hammer blow, pounding into the lake of his heart that had been dormant for many years, stirring up a monstrous wave!

Wei Chen grinned, revealing a set of neat white teeth, and stepped aside to signal his master to move aside: "Master, lend a hand, find a place to put it down, it's incredibly heavy!"

Zhao Gensheng jolted awake, snapping out of his shock. He quickly stepped aside to make way, pointing to a specially cleared area in the corner of the yard covered with a thick layer of dry straw. His voice was still a little unsteady: "Put...put it there! Be careful!"

His gaze, however, seemed welded to the tiger, filled with the awe of an old craftsman seeing a peerless gem, and an instinctive excitement from the depths of his bones for a top prey.

Wei Chen carried the tiger carcass and walked steadily to the side of the open space. He lowered his back and slacked off his shoulders, carefully and gently placing the huge creature on the soft straw mat with a dull "plop" sound.

The enormous tiger's body occupied a considerable area. Even though it was dead, the ferocious aura of a predator at the top of the food chain still lingered, making the air in the small courtyard seem to freeze. Even the speckled chickens in the coop were so frightened that they huddled in a corner, not uttering a sound.

As if in a dream, Zhao Gensheng slowly strolled to the tiger's carcass. He first circled the king of the forest, his cloudy old eyes greedily scanning its perfectly streamlined body and magnificent fur.

Then, he slowly squatted down, extended his hands, which were covered with thick calluses and rough like withered tree roots but were unusually steady, and with an almost pilgrimage-like focus and care, gently stroked the glossy, thick, tough tiger skin, which was as smooth as the finest silk.

He felt a cool, elastic touch on his fingertips. He followed the luxurious golden fur downwards, feeling the still full muscles beneath, which contained the explosive power they possessed in life. His fingertips brushed over the majestic, deep black horizontal lines that resembled ink lines.

He examined the tiger's head carefully, and when he saw the small, neatly edged but bottomless arrow hole in the left eye, a terrifying light suddenly burst forth from his cloudy old eyes! Like two bright lamps lit in the darkness!

He abruptly looked up at Wei Chen, who was brushing the dust and snow off his clothes, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "An arrow through the eye?! Good lad! Good archery! Good courage! What a... one-hit kill!"

As a seasoned hunter who had spent his entire life dealing with wild animals in the mountains, he knew all too well what this meant—absolute calmness, extraordinary precision, seizing fleeting opportunities, and unwavering confidence in his skills!

What's even more remarkable is that he preserved this priceless leather to the greatest extent possible. This dedication and control were astonishing even to a seasoned expert like him!

"Luck, what a coincidence, it just happened to be dozing off." Wei Chen smiled, his tone flat, as if he were talking about something trivial.

Zhao Gensheng slowly stood up, took a few deep breaths of the cold air, and tried to calm his heart, which was pounding like a drum in his chest. His expression gradually returned to its usual calm and taciturn state, but deep in his eyes was a strong sense of admiration and a complex emotion that was hard to describe. Was it relief? Was it lingering fear? Or was it the shock of his disciple's strength far exceeding his expectations? It lingered for a long time.

He nodded vigorously, his voice deep yet carrying an undeniable, seasoned craftsman's certainty: "Don't worry, leave it to me. This old man has gone all out; I'll tan it for you perfectly, flawlessly, without a single fault! I guarantee it's top-quality!"

He paused, his gaze, sharp as a ruler, sweeping over the tiger's thick, pillar-like limbs, its still powerful, whip-like tail drooping to the ground, and the distinctive features of a male tiger. "Tiger bones, tiger tendons, tiger penis... these are priceless treasures, not a single bit can be wasted! To squander such precious resources will be struck by lightning!"

As he spoke, as if he had finally made up his mind about something that had been buried deep in his heart for a long time, he turned and walked towards his low, dimly lit main room, which was filled with the mixed smells of tannins and herbs.

The room was filled with various tanned and semi-finished animal hides, and there were hunting bows and knives hanging on the walls. Some strangely shaped roots and dried herbs were scattered in the corners.

He fumbled around in an old, dusty wooden box covered with an oilcloth for a moment, and carefully pulled out a book wrapped tightly in thick, dark brown oil paper.

The book was about two fingers thick, with a dark hard cover. It had no title or inscription, and the corners were badly worn, revealing the yellowed pages inside, giving it an indescribable antique feel.

Zhao Gensheng walked back into the courtyard and solemnly handed the nameless ancient book to Wei Chen. His tone was calm, yet carried a hint of distant reminiscence: "Take it. This is something I've kept hidden away. Back then... well, when I was young and naive, hot-tempered, and 'acting on behalf of Heaven,' I 'borrowed' it from a family whose ancestors were supposedly imperial physicians in the Qing Dynasty. I've kept it hidden away ever since, not really using it. It would be a waste to throw it away, but keeping it would just take up space. Now... it's yours."

Wei Chen took it curiously, and found the book to be quite heavy, with exceptionally tough paper. He unwrapped the thick oil paper wrapping, revealing a dark brown hard cover inside, still without any writing.

He carefully turned the yellowed, slightly rough pages. A faint, unique smell, a mixture of old paper, herbs, and dust, wafted out.

Just as Zhao Gensheng had said, the contents were all-encompassing, like a hodgepodge. There were densely packed "secret recipes for making medicinal wine," meticulously recorded in tiny characters the proportions of various strange and unusual herbs, the soaking years, and the processing times, such as "Hundred Herbs Brew," "Tiger Bone Meridian-Clearing Formula," and "Ginseng and Deer Antler Rejuvenating Drink"...

There are "medicinal formulas" that specify the principal, assistant, adjuvant, and guide ingredients, with extremely precise dosages and complex decoction methods, such as "Xu Gu Sheng Ji San" and "Yi Qi Gu Ben Wan"...

There are even some illustrated "medicinal diet recipes" that detail the effects of "tonifying qi and blood," "strengthening muscles and bones," and "nourishing yin and beautifying the complexion," such as "Angelica and Astragalus Stewed Pheasant," "Eucommia Oxtail Soup," and "Polygonatum and Lily Bulb Soup"...

Although the content is diverse and covers a wide range of topics, the core of it all revolves around strengthening the body, healing injuries, prolonging life, and extending lifespan.

"What a treasure, Master!" Wei Chen's eyes lit up suddenly, as if he had discovered a treasure. His fingers quickly and carefully turned the pages of the book, especially when he saw the detailed records of "tiger bone wine" and "tiger penis wine".

The required auxiliary medicines, processing steps, and contraindications were clearly written out, complete with illustrations. I was overjoyed! "You're truly a hidden gem! This is so timely! I was just wondering how to best utilize these precious ingredients! Now I finally have a solution!"

Looking at his apprentice's undisguised excitement and the look of someone who had found a treasure, Zhao Gensheng snorted in annoyance, but the corners of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly upwards, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth out a bit.

With his rough, gravel-like fingers, he precisely pointed to the two yellowed pages in the book about tiger bone wine and tiger penis wine, his tone becoming unusually serious: "Just having this dead book isn't enough! It's far from sufficient! Talking on paper and blindly imitating others will only ruin things and cause health problems!"

He stared at Wei Chen with sharp eyes, "The combination of medicinal herbs inside is based on the principles of monarch, minister, assistant, and guide; a slight difference can lead to a huge error! The handling of bones, the control of the heat, the stirring technique during soaking, the environmental requirements for cellaring... there are many intricacies involved!"

Back then, by sheer chance, I studied with an old Chinese medicine practitioner—a life-or-death friend with ancestral skills—for almost two years before I could barely grasp the basics.

He looked at Wei Chen's young yet composed face, his tone carrying a heavy responsibility, "Next week, you must make time to come back. I'll teach you all the tricks of the trade, as well as my secret techniques. So that they don't... so that they don't rot in the ground."