Near the Yu Clan borders, within the forest where a shallow pond lay, a very hungry predator stalked in the thicket. His eyes peered at a group of rabbits with a coat of bluish-white fur, drinking from this shallow pond. His breathing was calm, and his body motionless.
The snow rabbits of this region were unaware of the hunter that stalked them. They hungrily drank from the icy cold waters of the pond. At times a few more would join and some would leave, but the predator stayed still, waiting in patience.
When the flock seemed to grow vastly in numbers, the stalker lunged. His sudden presence had the critters scrambling in panic. Most of them were lucky and managed to get away, but two unlucky brethren were caught by the claws of the predator.
Su Yan grinned as he looked at the two wiggling rabbits trying to escape his grasp. He had been plenty surprised when he chanced upon the pond and found a group of rabbits drinking the water. It would seem the local fauna had adapted to these icy waters that they could easily sustain themselves from it.
It had provided an opportunity for him also, so he chose to hide in the bushes and wait patiently. When the numbers had increased vastly, he jumped upon them. Due to the crowd scrambling every which way, it was easy to grab hold of the two rabbits.
Taking a deep breath, he let it out, watching as the breath fogged before him. The temperature of the pond was so low that even standing in proximity sent shivers throughout his body. It was no wonder that even cultivators would die from the extreme cold near the apex of the Crystal Mountains.
"Maybe if I grow strong enough, I too could climb up there." That would be a goal worth striving toward. Besides, it never hurt to dream a little.
"Hmm. Now what to do with you two?"
He was feeling very hungry, but he wondered if eating both at the same time would be a wise choice. Then he thought about his destination and how he was likely getting closer still. "Yeah, you two will become my meal tonight."
Having decided on his course of action, the rest of the follow-up was easy enough. After breaking their necks, he pulled out the dagger he was carrying. Skinning the critters was easy enough. He had just had to separate the fur from the skin and pull it hard enough. He set aside the fur and skull and put up the two on a spit.
It took him no more than five minutes to gather a handful of dry leaves and a bunch of twigs. Lighting the detritus on fire, he started to roast the rabbits.
In the middle of the night, Su Yan sat by the burning fire, watching as the embers rose from the flames, lit only for a brief instance before turning to ash. When the smell of the cooked meat wafted to his nostrils, he curled his lips into a soft smile.
"Cultivation, huh..." A journey that was perilous yet also an approach to connect to the spirit of the world. It was difficult enough to birth thoughts of despair, yet also rewarding enough to walk through the pits of hell with nary a peep. Oh, how damned are those who chose to walk this path, and how fortunate are those who found their heaven.
As the meat turned dark red, Su Yan pinched and felt it give in. As he took a bite of the roasted meat, he found it delectable. Part of that was no doubt hunger taking over, but he was sure the rabbit tasted appetizing.
For twenty long minutes he gorged himself on the cooked meat. When he was done, Su Yan released a content sigh and stretched his back. His bodily fatigue was high, but his mental state was worse. As a mortal, not sleeping after such a tiring and stressful day would prove detrimental. Yet he had more pressing matters to keep in mind.
Throwing the bones in the pond, he cleared his traces by throwing each burnt piece of wood into the cold waters. He even collected ash using leaves and threw that into water also. After that he dug the earth and erased any traces of his passing.
"Hopefully they wouldn't come this way." Su Yan took a breath, feeling his eyes grow heavier, and resumed his journey. He didn't walk straight but instead took an angled path in case someone did find out his last stop. Of course, deep down he was sure no one would be coming for some time, at least until the Yang clan assessed the matter and deemed his search worthy. Still, it never hurt to be a little paranoid.
As the sun shone from the horizon, lighting the world with its burnt orange glow, Su Yan found himself moving deeper into the forest. The trees here stretched past 100 feet, and some as tall as 150 feet; he didn't have an accurate measurement but was fairly sure of his estimations.
It was when the sun had fully come out that he found a spot to hide in. It was a hole inside a giant tree with a girth that could fit five of him. He barely found enough space to sit cross-legged but deemed the space comfortable enough for a quick nap.
He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his head against the wood. In moments sleep took him, and his body relaxed. The sun was like a glowing disk of fire that washed across the horizon, growing upward till it rested right in the middle.
It was in the early afternoon that Su Yan opened his eyes feeling refreshed. The cramped state of his sleeping posture had resulted in him feeling slightly sore, but he was otherwise well rested. At least enough to continue walking for another 10 or 12 hours.
As he pulled himself straight and crawled out of the tree, he took a moment to stretch his legs. Doing some quick exercise to loosen his stiff joints, he groaned at the relief he felt.
"Now back to cultivation, I guess."