Experience
After a long time of waiting, stalking, and countless mistakes, Lin Shu finally managed to capture a normal rabbit — not a Wind Rabbit, but a plain, ordinary one.
It was his second prey, the first being the bird from before.
The hunt had been grueling, testing both his patience and will. He missed several shots, had to retrieve his arrows more times than he could count, and almost gave up midway from the frustration.
But in the end, he won.
The rabbit struggled weakly in his grip, its warm body trembling against his cold fingers.
Lin Shu stared at the creature beneath him.
It wasn't the faster Wind Rabbit he had hoped for — just another common animal.
But what mattered wasn't the prey itself...
It was the experience he gained.
Without hesitation, Lin Shu tightened his grip and snapped the rabbit's neck.
He cleaned his arrow once more, eyes cold and sharp —
— already thinking about his next prey.
---
A month quickly passed by.
During this time, Lin Shu honed his skills — both in hunting humans and animals.
He learned how to set traps, the weaknesses of certain animals, and how to stalk prey without being noticed. His success rate steadily increased.
But he had to reduce the number of human victims.
The slums were becoming wary. Beggars stuck close to each other, whispers of disappearances spread, and some even informed the authorities. Killing became too risky.
Lin Shu knew when to lay low — patience was something he had long learned.
Yet, the month hadn't been without its triumphs.
He managed to kill two Wind Rabbits after countless failures. For a child, it was an impressive accomplishment — the beasts were swift, and Lin Shu's body was still weak.
With the combined wealth from animal pelts, meat, and his human hunts, Lin Shu amassed a total of 62 copper coins — more money than he'd ever seen.
The greatest sources of that wealth were still human lives... and the two Wind Rabbits.
He also found a new place to stay — another rundown house, hidden and forgotten by most.
---
Today, Lin Shu set out with a different goal.
He wanted to understand what cultivators truly were.
He had always seen those powerful figures from afar — people who could control wind, fire, or strength beyond humans. But what made them different?
He knew the libraries in town wouldn't sell any books that could turn him into a cultivator — those methods were kept secret — but he needed knowledge nonetheless.
After reaching the library, Lin Shu paid 15 copper coins for a book about cultivators and returned home.
He spent the whole day reading.
The book explained that cultivators were beings who could control something called Qi — using it for alchemy, medicine, poison, fighting, and countless other arts.
It also stated that the older one got, the harder it became to become a cultivator — a bitter truth that made Lin Shu's chest tighten.
There were no methods of how to sense or cultivate Qi — only legends, stories, and surface knowledge.
He felt like he'd wasted his money... but even scraps of knowledge were precious to someone like him.
---
That night, after filling his stomach with a proper meal, Lin Shu set out into the forest once more.
Tonight, he aimed for a different prey —
Nightfall Foxes.
They only emerged after nightfall — hence their name — and were known for their sharp senses and elusive nature.
Lin Shu reached the eastern part of the forest, covering himself in mud and dirt to mask his scent.
Hidden behind a bush, bow in hand, he waited...
Hours passed.
He didn't fidget.
He didn't complain.
He simply waited — sharp amber eyes scanning every rustle in the shadows.
Finally, his patience paid off.
A faint rustle.
The sleek shape of a Nightfall Fox emerged — its fur dark, blending perfectly into the shadows.
Lin Shu's heart raced.
Slowly, he raised his bow, arrow nocked.
The fox sniffed the air, eyes glowing faintly under the moonlight.
Lin Shu's breath slowed.
He didn't blink.
He didn't tremble.
The arrow was released —
— slicing through the night —
— and piercing the fox clean through the neck.
It twitched, let out a faint sound, then collapsed silently into the dirt.
Lin Shu quickly retrieved the arrow, wiping the blood on the grass.
His hands shook — not from fear, but from excitement.
He was getting better.
This was only the beginning.
But before Lin Shu could think of his next step —
A loud explosion shook the forest.
Small animals scattered in every direction.
Lin Shu's breath caught in his throat, frozen in fear for a brief moment — but only a moment.
His instincts screamed at him to move.
He snatched up his bow, arrows, and the fox's corpse, before quickly diving into the nearest bush.
Just as he was about to run further —
A red-eyed wolf dashed past, fleeing from the direction of the explosion.
Lin Shu's heart pounded.
If a bloodbeast was running away, then whatever caused that explosion was far worse.
He abandoned the fox's corpse, tossing it far away to avoid drawing attention. The warm blood leaking from its wound would attract other beasts... or worse, the very thing that caused the explosion.
Moving carefully, he smeared mud and dirt over his body once more, burying himself deeper beneath the undergrowth.
He didn't run.
Running might attract the eyes of whatever lurked out there — and the beasts fleeing the explosion could easily turn on him if they noticed him.
Instead, Lin Shu pressed his body flat to the cold ground, steadying his breath.
He stayed hidden.
He waited.
Eyes cold.
Heart steady.
No matter how afraid he was —
He was already used to waiting in the dark.
Moments before the explosion—
On a narrow, dimly lit road not far from Lin Shu's hiding place, a carriage creaked forward.
Inside sat Huang Lie, the illegitimate child of an elder from the Huang Clan — a small clan, neither prosperous nor powerful.
Unlike his half-brothers, Huang Lie had no talent for cultivation.
He was a mere mortal, destined to live beneath the shadow of those blessed by the heavens.
Today's journey was supposed to be his lucky break — a small mission entrusted to him by his father. The goods he was tasked with buying weren't particularly important, but they also weren't something you'd normally entrust to a non-cultivator.
Perhaps his father was finally starting to acknowledge him...
Or perhaps it was nothing more than a way to shut him up.
Huang Lie clenched his fists, his mind swirling with hatred.
"Those arrogant bastards... Just because you're cultivators and born from the first wife, you think you're better than me?"
His heart burned with rage every time he thought of his two half-brothers.
They were showered with resources, praised, and placed on pedestals — while he was left to rot.
If not for the faint kindness of his father, he would have been cast out long ago like trash.
Many clans wouldn't have even spared him that mercy.
"One day... I'll return everything you ever did to me tenfold."
Huang Lie's nails dug into his palms.
He didn't know how or when — but he refused to accept his fate.
Outside the carriage, two Huang clansmen rode on horseback — assigned to protect both him and the goods.
They were only outer disciples, far from powerful, but even the weakest cultivators could crush any mortal with ease.
As the carriage rolled on, the forest grew darker.
Unbeknownst to Huang Lie...
His lucky day was about to turn into hell.
A loud explosion shook the night.
The carriage was flung to the side, its wheels snapping as it crashed into the dirt.
One of the Huang clan outer disciples — the one closest to the explosion — barely managed to activate a martial art at the last second, shielding himself with a thin layer of qi.
Even so, the blast shattered his arm, leaving him pale and drenched in cold sweat.
The other disciple had jumped away just in time, escaping with only minor scratches. Without wasting a second, he rushed toward the overturned carriage.
"Huang Lie! Are you hurt?!"
Inside the wreckage, Huang Lie's head throbbed. The force of the explosion had rattled him, leaving his mind buzzing.
He struggled to sit up, his breath uneven.
Although he was lucky to avoid any wounds, the shock still left him dizzy.
After a few moments, his mind gradually cleared.
"What the hell was that? Was it... a demonic cultivator? Or a rival clan?"
It didn't matter.
Both were death sentences for someone like him.
Huang Lie's heart pounded. He crawled out of the broken carriage, clutching his bag tightly.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
His two guardians were locked in a fierce battle — but they weren't winning.
The attacker was a solitary figure, shrouded in dark clothes. Not a single wound marked his body.
The Huang clan disciples, on the other hand, were already at a disadvantage.
One had a broken arm, his movements sluggish.
The other could only barely hold the line, buying time.
It was a stalemate — but one that would only grow worse.
Huang Lie's heart squeezed in fear.
He had always fantasized about revenge — but when death stood right before him, all that hatred crumbled.
"I need to run... I need to run right now."
His mind raced.
If there were more enemies hidden nearby, why hadn't they attacked together?
That meant...
There was only one attacker.
Without hesitation, Huang Lie snatched his bag — filled with money and personal belongings — and fled into the darkness.
He didn't even glance at the merchandise.
It was far too heavy for him to carry.
His survival was the only thing that mattered.
As he disappeared into the woods, the battle behind him raged on — and the night seemed even darker than before.