Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Woof—Woof!" Big Yellow let out a short, powerful reply, and like an arrow released from a bow, it darted away in a whoosh.

No longer as reckless as it was in the beginning, it displayed astonishing tactical skill. Its massive body moved with surprising agility and nimbleness among the dense bushes and gnarled tree roots.

It would sometimes stop, its nostrils flaring rapidly as it caught the finest scent molecules in the air; at other times it would lower its body, its ears pressed against the ground, listening to vibrations from afar; its eerie green eyes, like two searchlights, scanned every inch of land ahead in the dim light, making it difficult for any hidden threat to escape detection.

Wei Chen followed closely behind, his steps seemingly slow, yet he always managed to avoid the overgrown branches and slippery moss with perfect precision, like a ghost in the forest.

His senses were heightened to their peak by the cultivation technique. The faint breeze stirred up by an owl's wings flapping across the treetops, the rustling of a venomous snake slithering through the dead leaves, even the soft sound of a night-blooming cereus quietly blooming a few meters away... everything within a radius of tens of meters was vividly reflected in his mind. This sense of control over the entire situation brought him a sense of clarity and peace.

Suddenly, the big yellow dog leading the way stopped abruptly, letting out a low, threatening growl. It crouched even lower, its eyes fixed on a shadowy area covered by giant ferns to its left.

Almost simultaneously, Wei Chen felt a sense of alarm. A strong, earthy, and wild stench wafted on the wind. His eyes narrowed, and he instantly raised his hunting bow. An armor-piercing arrow, its tail inlaid with blue feathers and its arrowhead gleaming with a cold, hard metallic sheen, was already firmly nocked on the string. The bow was drawn to its fullest extent, and true energy was silently poured into it!

Splash!

The ferns were violently knocked aside, and with a furious roar, an unusually large black shadow suddenly rushed out! It was an adult wild boar covered in thick, stiff black bristles like steel needles, with tusks like two curved daggers!

Its eyes were bloodshot, clearly startled and in a frenzied state. It pawed the ground with its hind hooves, kicking up mud, and roared as it charged toward Big Yellow with the momentum of a battering ram out of control!

A few months ago, faced with a collision of this magnitude, Big Yellow might have only been able to rely on its speed to dodge awkwardly. But now, facing the behemoth charging towards them with a foul stench, Big Yellow not only did not back down, but instead let out an even more ferocious roar!

"roar--!"

Instead of retreating, it advanced! Its four claws slammed into the ground, carving several shallow craters into the hard earth! Its entire body, like a spring compressed to its limit, exploded forth with a roar! Its speed was so great that it left a blurry afterimage in its wake! It accurately predicted the wild boar's charging trajectory, and just as it was about to be struck by its tusks, its powerful body twisted to the side at an incredible angle, narrowly avoiding the deadly sharpness of the tusks!

In that split second of passing by, Big Yellow's head, as if cast in steel, carrying the terrifying kinetic energy of its entire body's charge, slammed hard and solidly into the side of the wild boar's relatively vulnerable neck!

Bang! A dull, teeth-grinding impact rang out!

The massive wild boar was knocked off balance, its enormous body losing its equilibrium, letting out a painful howl, its forward momentum abruptly halted!

"Good!" Wei Chen's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he secretly praised. Just as the wild boar was knocked off balance and its defenses were wide open, he released his grip on the bowstring!

Thud! The bowstring rang out like thunder tearing silk!

The armor-piercing arrow, infused with true energy, transformed into a streak of azure light, almost invisible to the naked eye, tearing through the oppressive air! The arrow's target was not the wild boar's hard skull or thick shoulder blades, but rather the relatively soft triangular area behind its ear, exposed due to its tilted position!

*Thud!* The arrow pierced the boar with perfect accuracy, burying its feathers completely! The violent impact sent the boar's massive head swung violently to the side!

"Agh—!" The wild boar let out a deafening scream, the excruciating pain driving it to madness as it struggled to charge again. But Wei Chen's movements were fluid and seamless, without the slightest pause. The instant the first arrow left the bowstring, the second arrow was already in his hand! This time, the arrowhead gleamed with an even more concentrated, cold light, aimed precisely at the wild boar's gaping maw, wide open in agony and rage!

Whoosh! The second arrow, as if it had eyes, pierced precisely deep into the wild boar's throat!

The screams abruptly ceased, as if severed by a sharp blade. The massive body crashed to the ground, its limbs twitching a few times before falling completely silent. A thick stench of blood quickly filled the air.

"Well done, Big Yellow!" Wei Chen stepped forward and patted Big Yellow's broad back, which was still taut and slightly panting. Big Yellow stuck out its tongue and affectionately licked Wei Chen's hand, its dark green eyes sparkling with excitement and satisfaction. Clearly, the fierce impact just now made it quite proud of itself.

Wei Chen scanned the area with his mind and discovered that this wild boar seemed different; there seemed to be something inside its body! So Wei Chen squatted down, drew his dagger, and began to skillfully deal with this enormous creature.

The sharp blade sliced ​​through the tough hide with a soft hissing sound. He moved swiftly, butchering the whole pig like a master butcher. The fattest tenderloin and the leanest hind leg meat were removed and sorted; the thick, tough wild boar hide was carefully peeled off—excellent material for making protective gear; and the two long, dagger-like tusks were also completely removed, exceptionally hard and exuding a ferocious aura.

This skill is the result of handling large quantities of wild boars and other wild animals.

Just as he was processing the wild boar's internal organs, his movements paused slightly. He carefully used his dagger to pry open a thick layer of fat, revealing a dark purple, rooster-comb-shaped, tumor-like object wrapped in fascia, faintly emitting a strange medicinal fragrance.

"Purple Blood Tai Sui!" Wei Chen's eyes lit up. This was a treasure! The "Hundred Herbs Compendium" recorded that it was born from the body of a ferocious beast, absorbing its blood essence. It was a precious main ingredient for refining certain potent wound medicines and tonifying pills, and was extremely rare! He immediately took out a prepared jade box, carefully peeled off the warm, jade-like, and slightly cool-to-the-touch Purple Blood Tai Sui, and put it into the box to store it.

The hunt that followed went even more smoothly. The man and the dog worked together seamlessly, like an efficient harvesting machine in the outer areas of the Miasma Claw Valley.

A cunning mountain fox with fiery red fur, attempting a sneak attack, was shot down from the treetop by Wei Chen's cunning arrow; a majestic male stag with enormous, branch-like antlers, drinking water by the stream, was startled by Da Huang's silent approach, and before it could take a few steps, Wei Chen anticipated its path and pierced its heart with an arrow; even a highly venomous viper, as thick as a bowl and brightly colored, lurking at the edge of the swamp, was spotted by Da Huang's keen senses, and in the instant it lunged forward, Wei Chen casually tossed a dagger through its seven-inch mark!

After each hunt, Wei Chen, like the most experienced hunter and healer, carefully collected his spoils: fresh meat, animal hides, deer antlers, snake gallbladders, venomous fangs… as well as a few "Iron Bone Grass" plants with thick leaves and serrated edges that he had casually gathered during the hunt, and a few "Evening Primroses" that grew in shady rock crevices and emitted a cool, delicate fragrance. These were all excellent for healing wounds, stopping bleeding, and strengthening the body.

Wei Chen learned all of this from that nameless manual. He also noticed that the game world was rich in medicinal herbs, so he paid special attention to it.

When his spatial backpack was completely full and his experience points had quietly increased, Wei Chen finally stopped. He found a sheltered, dry spot on high ground and skillfully set up a small smoke grill.

A campfire was lit, its flickering light illuminating his serene face. He cut some of the perishable fresh meat into even strips, rubbed them with homemade salt and spices, and hung them on the smoker.

The other portion of the meat, with its alternating layers of fat and lean, was carefully rubbed and marinated with the coarse salt and spices he had brought, then hung in a well-ventilated place, ready to be made into cured meat that could be stored for a long time. A faint smell of smoke and the aroma of charred meat began to permeate the forest.

Big Yellow lay quietly by the fire, enjoying this rare moment of rest. Wei Chen cut off a piece of wild boar hind leg meat that was sizzling with oil, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and tossed it to Big Yellow. Big Yellow caught it precisely in one bite and began to devour it with gusto, snorting contentedly.

Wei Chen cut off a piece of grilled venison tenderloin and chewed it slowly, feeling the subtle energy contained in the meat being absorbed by his body.

At the same time, he clearly sensed the true essence of the "Nine Heavens Shooting Sun Technique" slowly circulating within his body, like a warm stream nourishing and cleansing his meridians. Each cycle of circulation brought a subtle yet undeniable boost to his physical strength, explosive power, and the coordination of his movements. His five senses also became more clear and acute, as if a dusty mirror was being constantly wiped clean.

Only after the campfire had died down and the smoked and cured meats had been properly prepared did Wei Chen, still smelling of smoke and a faint stench of blood, return to the quiet little house in the courtyard.

Outside the window, the night was deep. The front and middle yards were quiet, except for the window of Xu Damao's house in the back yard, where a dim light still shone through, and the familiar, bitter smell of medicine stubbornly drifted over, like a silent footnote.

Wei Chen walked to the window and pushed it open a crack. A cool night breeze rushed in, carrying the chill of late autumn and diluting the atmosphere inside. He looked at the lonely light in the backyard, and could almost hear Jia Zhangshi's sarcastic remarks from earlier that day. But his face remained expressionless, his eyes as calm as a deep pool.

He turned around and began to organize the mountain of spoils piled up in his spatial backpack. Fresh, dried, and smoked meats were neatly categorized and stored, like the most solid granary. Animal hides were carefully tanned and neatly stacked. The precious medicinal herbs, such as Purple Blood Tai Sui, Iron Bone Grass, and Evening Primrose, were stored separately in a specially made medicine box, like a secret treasure.

Wei Chen also had his eye on a life skill: gathering. Once he leveled up to the point where he could learn other life skills, he would learn this one, and then he wouldn't have to go through all that hard work gathering herbs.

After eating and drinking his fill, Big Yellow was full of energy. He silently walked to the door, nudged the door with his nose, and let out a low whimper.

Wei Chen understood what it meant. "Go, and be quick-witted," he whispered.