Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Heaven and earth nurture all things, each taking what it needs, but it should also take in moderation," Wei Chen silently recited to himself.

He knew full well that his arrival and hunting were but a negligible disturbance to the vast grassland ecosystem. Yet he still maintained this restraint.

Firstly, he had limited space and needed to store more valuable prey; secondly, he understood that these "ordinary" wild rabbits and pheasants might also be an important source of food for grassland herders struggling to survive in the harsh winter.

Since they have the ability to acquire more "high-end" prey, there's no need to cut off the livelihoods of these ordinary creatures; it's a way of leaving a glimmer of hope for the local people. This isn't about being a saint, but rather a measured approach to killing based on strong power and a long-term vision.

A plump sandgrouse was startled from the withered grass and took flight in a flurry. Wei Chen didn't even look; he simply fired an arrow with his other hand, and the sandgrouse fell to the ground. A marmot had just poked half its body out of its burrow, peering warily, when an arrow arrived, embedding itself in the snow and piercing its skull. His movements were fluid and effortless, without the slightest hesitation, as if he were not hunting, but conducting an elegant and efficient harvest.

Before he knew it, the sun was already setting, casting long, golden-red shadows across the snow-covered plains. Wei Chen estimated that he was at least thirty or forty miles away from the railway line, having completely entered the heart of the sparsely populated grasslands.

The surrounding scenery became increasingly desolate and primitive, with more rolling hills and in some places, exposed black, jagged rocks where the snow had been blown away by the wind. The wind seemed to have picked up, and the swirling snowflakes scraped against our cheeks like knives.

As he was preparing to find a sheltered slope or cave as his temporary campsite for the night, the edge of his mental perception suddenly caught a series of clearer and stronger footprints, unlike those of wild rabbits or birds, as well as a faint, peculiar scent in the air.

"It's a gazelle!" Wei Chen's spirits lifted.

The Mongolian gazelle, scientifically known as the Mongolian gazelle, is a typical gregarious ungulate of the grasslands. Slightly smaller than ordinary wild sheep, it is extremely agile, with delicious meat and valuable hides. Hunting a few Mongolian gazelles, whether to complete a mission or to keep them for personal consumption, is far more valuable than smaller prey.

He immediately concealed his aura, his figure becoming even more elusive, like a wisp of smoke on the snowfield, silently following the trail of footprints that were not very clear on the snow, but which, in his perception, were like guiding lights. The footprints were fresh, varying in depth, indicating that the herd of gazelles had just passed by, and that there seemed to be quite a few of them.

After following for about two or three miles, and passing through a low-lying valley with thicker snow, a relatively open meadow appeared ahead, backed by a small, weathered rocky hill.

The footprints became messy and dense here, the snow was trampled into a mess, and there were many fresh, granular droppings, indicating that a herd of gazelles had stopped, played, and foraged here.

But at this moment, apart from these traces and a few patches of grazed grass roots, there was no sign of gazelles at the scene, only more hoof prints pointing to the other side of the hill.

Wei Chen did not rashly cross the hill to give chase. Years of hunting experience (both in games and in real life) taught him that when tracking prey, especially in unfamiliar environments, staying alert is always more important than being hasty.

He stopped, crouched low, and used a protruding rock to conceal himself. His mental energy flowed like mercury as he carefully sensed everything around him.

In the air, besides the strong smell left by the gazelle, there seemed to be another, more dangerous scent mixed in—a faint, bloody, and wild stench, very faint, mixed in the wind, yet it made Wei Chen's hair stand on end and his mind instantly tense.

This is... the scent of wolves! And more than one!

Almost the instant he confirmed the aura and alarm bells rang in his mind, several cold, ferocious, and hungry life forms, like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, suddenly emerged from behind the surrounding snow hills and rocks in his mental perception!

They moved swiftly and silently, seemingly in some tacit understanding with each other, quickly spreading out to form a loose yet subtly enveloping semicircle!

Wei Chen felt a chill run down his spine, realizing he had been careless! He had been too focused on tracking the gazelle and had unknowingly stepped into the territory of the wolf pack, or worse—this pack of hungry wolves might also have been chasing the gazelle, and he had just walked into their ambush, perhaps even being seen as a new and easier prey!

However, for Wei Chen now, who the prey is is not certain! He doesn't care about this pack of wolves; they're just easy prey delivered to his doorstep! He slowly stood up, no longer hiding, his gaze as calm as ice as he scanned his surroundings. At this moment, any retreat or hesitation would be seen as weakness, provoking an even fiercer attack from the wolves.

Directly ahead, about thirty meters away, on a relatively high snowdrift, a giant wolf with an exceptionally robust build, shoulder height almost reaching its waist, gray and white fur, and a striking tuft of white fur on its forehead, slowly stood up.

It was larger and stronger than any dog ​​Wei Chen had ever seen, with thick, pillar-like limbs and claws that gleamed coldly in the snow. Its pair of tawny eyes gleamed with a cold, bloodthirsty light, yet also with a cruel intelligence, as it stared intently at Wei Chen, emitting a low, threatening growl from its throat, like muffled thunder.

This is the alpha wolf, or the wolf king! Just by standing there, a fierce and violent aura emanates from it.

To the left, right, and behind the wolf king, six other smaller but equally wiry and lean wolves with gleaming green eyes emerged from the snowdrifts and rock crevices.

They lowered their bodies, shifted their weight back, bared their pale fangs, dripped thick saliva from their mouths, and let out suppressed roars as they approached step by step.

Their bellies were pressed tightly against their ribs, clearly indicating that they had been hungry for a long time, but the ferocity born of that hunger was even more terrifying than when they were full, and their green eyes were filled only with greed for food.

Seven adult prairie wolves! In the depths of winter, when food is extremely scarce, such a hungry pack of wolves is far more dangerous than usual! They are fearless and will risk everything for food.

On the vast, open snowfield, with no cover whatsoever, Wei Chen stood alone, carrying only a hunting bow and a dagger at his waist.

The opponent was a pack of seven highly coordinated, fearless, and skilled apex predators. Once they got close and entangled you, the wolf pack tactics would be unleashed, tearing at you from all sides. Even the most experienced and well-equipped hunter would find it extremely difficult to survive.

Moreover, Wei Chen clearly "saw" that the wolf king's right forelimb seemed to have some old injuries, making it slightly inconvenient to move. But this only made it more cunning and patient. It would never easily attack on its own, but would instead command the wolf pack to exhaust the prey's strength.

But for Wei Chen, it didn't matter! With his current cultivation level, he could easily take down this pack of wolves!

A biting wind howled across the small valley that was about to become a battlefield, whipping up a flurry of snowflakes that added to the somber atmosphere. The setting sun cast a poignant orange-red glow on the snow, stretching the shadows of the wolves and Wei Chen long. The wolf king let out another short, sharp howl, as if it were the command for a final attack!

"Awooo—!"

Six hungry wolves from the flanks and rear launched their attack almost simultaneously! Instead of swarming forward, they methodically divided into three groups: two on each side feigned an attack to draw attention, while the two behind attempted a flanking maneuver. The wolf king, however, remained firmly in the center, poised to strike, its brownish-yellow eyes fixed on Wei Chen's throat, searching for a fatal blow! A classic wolf pack hunting tactic!

The aura of death, mixed with the stench of the wolves' mouths, instantly enveloped Wei Chen!

However, faced with this desperate situation that would terrify an ordinary person, Wei Chen's eyes remained unusually calm, and even a hint of burning fighting spirit flashed in them.

Fear? Forget it. Instead, he felt his blood boil and his fighting spirit soar! He activated the Nine Heavens Sun-Shooting Technique at full power, his true energy surging and roaring through his meridians like a rushing river. A faint current seemed to swirl around him, gently pushing aside the snowflakes around him. He was no longer the composed hunter strolling across the snowfield, but a peerless sword suddenly drawn from its sheath, its sharpness fully revealed, exuding a chilling aura!

"Come on!" Wei Chen shouted in his heart, but his actions were faster than his thoughts!

Facing four hungry wolves pouncing from the left and right, he pushed off with his feet, and the snow exploded with a "bang," creating a small crater. Instead of retreating, he advanced, darting diagonally to the left front like a ghost!

This move was absolutely brilliant. Not only did he narrowly avoid the cross-pounce attack of the two wolves on the right, but he also instantly closed the distance with the two wolves on the left, disrupting the wolf pack's initial encirclement rhythm! At the same time, his hunting bow was already raised, and three arrows were already nocked on the bowstring!

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" Three bowstring twanged almost in quick succession, crisp and deadly!

At such close range, the three arrows, like three black lightning bolts, tore through the air, carrying the condensed true essence that Wei Chen had poured into them, and shot at a speed that was difficult for the naked eye to perceive, respectively towards the two wolves that pounced from the left and the wolf that was flanking from the side and rear from a distance!

His archery skills had reached a level close to the "Tao"! His mental power locked on with precision, his true essence added penetration, and his timing was impeccable! Wei Chen didn't even look at the trajectory of the arrow; as the bowstring vibrated, his body had already made the next move as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times!

"Pfft!" "Pfft!" "Ouch—!"

The gray wolf charging at the front on the left was struck with perfect accuracy by an arrow that pierced its gaping maw and went straight to the back of its head. Without uttering a sound, it collapsed to the ground, its limbs twitching, blood seeping from its mouth and nose.

The other black wolf beside it was killed instantly when an arrow pierced its vulnerable eye socket. The wolf that was flanking from the side suffered an even worse fate; an arrow pierced its relatively soft neck, tearing its carotid artery. Blood gushed out like a fountain, splashing large patches of crimson blood on the snow. It let out a mournful howl and rolled and struggled on the snow, clearly beyond saving.

In a single encounter, three arrows slayed three wolves! One of the arrows was a precise long-range sniper kill of the outflanking enemy!