Qin Ming withdrew his gaze, slung the hide bag over his back, and retraced his steps along the path he had taken.
Today's haul was not bad at all. He was quite satisfied. With this half-bag of food, he wouldn't have to worry about hunger for a while.
The ground under the snow had depressions and rocks, making the path difficult to navigate, but Qin Ming was in good spirits.
With an ample food supply, he didn't need to hold back anymore. If he trained using certain movements for a prolonged period, there might be new progress.
At the same time, he was looking forward to early spring, the season when life burst forth with vitality.
Don't be deceived by the current icy world, the desolate trees and grass, and the stillness of all things. Once the barren period passed, the fiery springs in the dangerous mountain areas would erupt, the earth's glow would start to steam frequently, the vegetation would sprout new shoots, and everything would come back to life—a completely different scene would unfold.
As he neared the edge of the dense forest, Qin Ming suddenly stopped in his tracks, dropped the hide bag, and gripped his hunting fork tightly, spinning around abruptly.
In the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared, extremely chilling, quickly closing in on him.
His hair stood on end. Though there was still some distance between them, he could feel that the creature following him was massive and ferocious. A stench accompanied the cold wind, carrying the scent of blood.
Planting the hunting fork firmly in the snow, he quickly removed his bow and arrows. With extraordinary strength, he drew a heavy bow that was difficult for an average person to handle, bending it into a full arc. A strong iron arrow flew out with a twang, the resonant sound of the bowstring echoing through the air.
In the distance, the vicious creature charging toward him halted abruptly, seemingly hit by the arrow.
Qin Ming remained hyper-focused, firing one arrow after another, showcasing his superb archery skills. The lethal iron arrows disappeared into the night one after the other.
A deep, muffled growl came from the depths of the forest, and those blood-red eyes vanished, accompanied by the sound of breaking branches as the creature retreated behind the trees.
Qin Ming did not relax. Although the unknown creature was wounded, it was not fatally injured. It would become even more dangerous hiding in the dark.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the hide bag and hunting fork and dashed out of the forest into the open snowfield.
He didn't want to linger in the dim environment, fearing a sudden ambush. He suspected the creature was a troublesome mutant.
Loud sounds came from the forest—snow was being violently displaced. Clearly, the creature was charging after him again.
Qin Ming didn't hesitate, drawing his bow again. Some of the iron arrows embedded themselves into thick tree trunks with a loud thud, shaking the snow off the branches like a cascading snow waterfall.
The creature was forced to retreat again, falling silent in the forest.
Ordinary beasts would have either been frightened away or provoked into a frenzied charge by their injuries. However, this mutant creature was still lurking in the shadows, waiting and searching for the right opportunity.
Qin Ming kept his bow drawn and aimed at the forest, facing off against the dangerous creature.
The snow on the ground churned as a massive black silhouette flickered in and out of sight among the trees. Its blood-red eyes were cold and oppressive in the night.
However, in the end, the creature was held back by Qin Ming's powerful bow and arrows. With a low, resentful growl, it finally disappeared into the forest.
Qin Ming's expression was grave. Despite the dim light, he had seen that it was a figure that could stand and run upright—a mutant species of unknown kind.
Slowly retreating, Qin Ming remained vigilant, scanning the surroundings for any signs of movement.
Even when he was within a mile of the village's fiery springs, he didn't let down his guard.
After all, there were previous bloody lessons—villagers had once been attacked and silently dragged away by shadowy creatures when they were near the village and had let their guard down.
Outside Double Tree Village, three young men were shivering from the cold. They stomped their feet and rubbed their hands, exhaling white mist as ice crystals formed on their brows.
They were waiting along the snowy path Qin Ming had cleared when he ventured into the dark terrain, whispering to each other.
"It's freezing out here. Staying put like this is miserable. Shouldn't we just leave? I bet he's dead in the wild by now. There's no way he'll bring back any prey."
"Why rush? What if he gets lucky, like Old Li, and finds a frozen beast near the outer mountain areas?"
The three were lazy loafers, unwilling to brave the dangerous depths of the mountains. They acted tough in the village, freeloading whenever they could.
When they learned that Qin Ming had gone hunting, they got a greedy idea and decided to ambush him here to intercept his haul.
"That kid Qin Ming is quick and strong. Let's make sure we don't mess this up and let him fight back."
"What's there to fear? He's still recovering from a serious illness. He'll be weak. When he shows up, just throw a hide bag over his head and don't hit him too hard—don't want to kill him."
Though they intended to commit a crime, they weren't bold enough to kill. They only planned to steal Qin Ming's prey by sneaking up on him.
Qin Ming, however, had been on edge the entire way back, his nerves taut. With sharp eyes, he spotted three shadows from a distance.
Crouching down, he disappeared completely into the shoulder-high snow.
Silently, he crept along the snowy path he had made earlier, finally identifying the three as idlers from the village.
Stopping at an advantageous position, Qin Ming overheard their whispered conversation.
A moment later, his expression darkened. These three actually planned to ambush him and steal his prey?
Although he hadn't hunted a bear and had only raided a squirrel's nest, it wasn't exactly "glorious." Still, he had survived two near-death encounters—first with the human-faced vulture, and then with the unknown mutant creature. A single misstep would have cost him his life. Yet now, these three wanted to steal the food he had risked his life for? Such treachery could not be tolerated.
Hu Yong, Ma Yang, and Wang Youping were trembling from the cold as they dug a snow pit to shield themselves from the wind, huddling inside to lie in ambush.
They had miscalculated Qin Ming's return time, assuming he would venture deeper into the mountains to hunt, so they chatted carelessly.
"Stay quiet later," Ma Yang warned.
Hu Yong nodded. "Be quick and precise when we jump him from behind."
Wang Youping complained, "I hope he actually comes back alive with some prey. I'm freezing here."
Suddenly, the snow pit collapsed with a loud crash, burying the three inside. Snow filled their mouths and noses, catching them off guard.
Hu Yong reacted first, scrambling out of the snow. But before he could steady himself, a foot slammed into his face, sending him reeling. Pain twisted his features as a hunting fork smashed into his shoulder, making him stagger and fall.
Ma Yang didn't fare much better. As soon as he poked his head out, Qin Ming kicked him in the nose. The combination of sharp pain and intense soreness made him howl in agony, tears and snot streaming as he rolled in the snow.
Wang Youping tried to burrow deeper into the snow in panic, only to feel a sharp pain in his back. The steel fork pierced his clothes, drawing blood.
"Don't—don't kill me…" he stammered, trembling, utterly humiliated as he realized he had wet himself.
Qin Ming had no intention of killing him. His attack only pierced the skin, enough to make a point.
He yanked Wang Youping out, then kicked him three meters into a snowbank.
"Qin… Qin Ming…"
"Brother Ming, we're from the same village. Spare us. We were wrong this time."
Seeing Qin Ming holding the glinting steel fork and glaring at them, the three instantly caved. Though they carried knives and clubs, they dared not resist against his ferocity.
While their actions were despicable, Qin Ming wasn't about to kill them. A severe "lesson" was unavoidable, however. Using the hunting fork, he forced them to squat in the snow, then gave them a thorough beating to stretch his limbs.
By the end, the trio's faces were bruised and bloodied. After a harsh warning, Qin Ming finally let them go.