5: Kill the python!

The newly acquired [Throwing] Skill excited Chen Linsheng greatly.

After leaving Hunter Zhang's home, he entered the mountains before dawn for the next two days.

Relying on his Skills, he gathered herbs in the mountains, filling his Basket each time before taking them home to dry and process.

Ordinary herbs, once processed, fetched a much higher price than when they were fresh.

At the same time, relying on the Divine Effects brought by the Minor Achievement Cleaver Technique and his increasingly accurate Flying Locust Stones, the pheasants and wild rabbits on the outskirts of the forest could no longer escape his hunt.

On the evening of the second day, Chen Linsheng returned to the village, carrying two plump pheasants.

The continuous harvests over these two days naturally attracted the attention of the villagers.

"Oh, Chen Family Boy, what good fortune have you stumbled upon, eating meat every day?"

A familiar villager, seeing the wild game in his hand, couldn't help but ask, their eyes full of surprise.

Chen Linsheng wasn't secretive. He held up a round stone in his hand, shook it, and said frankly, "I rely on this. If you practice enough, you can always hit something."

These understated words, however, stirred ripples in the quiet village.

Soon, a strange sight appeared in the open space at the village entrance and even in some Courtyards:

Many idle men and even half-grown children followed suit, picking up stones and merrily Throwing them at tree trunks and dirt mounds, fantasizing that they, too, could easily hunt wild game.

These are stories for later.

When Chen Linsheng returned home, his Sister-in-law Su Wan came up to meet him, took the two plump pheasants, and happily carried them to the kitchen for preparation.

With the continuous nourishment from meat over the past two days, coupled with the conditioning from the herbs Chen Linsheng gathered, Su Wan's weak body had visibly improved, and a healthy blush appeared on her pale cheeks.

A moment later, the two sat opposite each other eating a simple dinner. A bowl of thick Wild Vegetable and Meat Congee was already a rare delicacy in this household.

Su Wan ate slowly, hesitated for a moment, and then sighed softly, "A Sheng, this wild game is good for nourishing the body... but what about the Autumn Tax of five taels of silver..."

Chen Linsheng put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked at her with determination:

"Sister-in-law, I already have a plan for the tax matter, and I will definitely solve it. You must not overthink things or do anything that would... distress me."

Hearing this, Su Wan smiled brightly. That smile dispelled her worries, carrying a hint of reckless playfulness: "Mhm, Sister-in-law will listen to you. If push comes to shove, we'll just hide deep in the mountains. Can they really find us then?"

These words, filled with dependence and resolve, rushed through Chen Linsheng's defenses like a warm current.

Under the surge of emotion, he, as if possessed, reached out and gently pulled Su Wan into his embrace.

Su Wan's body initially stiffened, then softened. Her cheeks flushed scarlet as she buried her face in his shoulder, making no move to push him away.

Silence filled the room, broken only by the slight crackle of the Oil Lamp wick occasionally flaring up.

The night was deep, and all sounds were hushed.

After telling Su Wan that he had something to take care of outside, Chen Linsheng went to the familiar woods outside the village.

The cool night wind brushed his face, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Over these two days, he had not only hunted and gathered herbs but also raced against time to diligently practice his various Skills. Now, the results were finally showing.

With a slight shift of thought, he stretched out his body and lightly climbed a large, sprawling tree like a monkey.

As he used his hands and feet, an unprecedented sense of smoothness flowed through his entire body. Even though the tree bark was slightly slick with cold night dew, he still felt as if he were walking on level ground.

This was the bonus brought by Minor Achievement Climbing!

[Divine Effect: Rock Climbing and Wall Sticking, Effortless Balance, Like Walking on Level Ground. Able to move on slick, steep Cliffs with the agility of a monkey.]

He stood steadily on a higher branch, gazing around.

Chen Linsheng suddenly reached for his waist, spun around abruptly, and threw a stone. A Night Rat that had just moved instantly fell down.

Originally, this body of his suffered from Night Blindness due to lack of nutrition. Although he had been eating nourishing food for two days, it wasn't enough to eliminate the symptom.

However, his Tracking Skill had also reached Minor Achievement.

[Divine Effect: Traces and Clues, Beast Intuition, Night Vision. Able to track through tiny traces like hair and scent, gain premonitions of danger, and possess greatly enhanced night vision.]

Relying on these Divine Effects, he had avoided the threat of Wild Boar Herds and Wolves multiple times while gathering herbs in the mountains.

"Hoo, tonight I will make Throwing reach Minor Achievement."

He exhaled, leaped down, and landed lightly, like a falling leaf, making almost no sound.

Immediately, he grabbed a handful of stones from the Leather Pouch at his waist.

Combining Waist and Stance, he flicked his wrist and swung his arm.

The stones whistled through the air, accurately hitting the tree trunk. Every hit brought Chen Linsheng an increase in proficiency.

A quarter of an hour quickly passed. After Chen Linsheng threw another stone, he closed his eyes.

"Swoosh!"

When he opened them again, his wrist erupted with a short burst of sudden force. The whistling sound of the stone was sharp and piercing, knocking a flapping Night Owl right out of the sky!

"Caw!"

A short, mournful shriek cut through the night sky, and the Night Owl plunged directly from the air.

Chen Linsheng did not go to pick it up, but instead looked at the spirit book.

[Skill: Throwing (Minor Achievement)]

[Progress: (1/800)]

[Divine Effect: Hit Where Aimed, Initial Power Manifestation, Consecutive Flying Stones. Within twenty steps, target weaknesses and eyes, accurately striking small vital points; stones fly with wind and can stun small birds; able to fire two stones consecutively in a breath's time, blocking the enemy's evasion route.]

It's done!

Chen Linsheng clenched his fists, feeling the brand new Throwing Skill in his mind, and a powerful surge of confidence welled up.

Now he could climb like an ape, track like a hunter, his cleaver could cut through thorns, and his flying stones could smash hard wood!

Even if tomorrow's journey is perilous, he now has the confidence to fight with all his might!

He picked up the Night Owl and turned to walk toward his home... The Next Morning.

The darkness of night had not completely receded; there was only a sliver of light on the horizon.

Chen Linsheng, carrying his Basket and holding his cleaver, silently entered the mist-shrouded Deep Mountains once again.

His goal was very clear.

To harvest the Spiritual Plant that was about to mature.

As for the Giant Python guarding it... If it wisely retreats, so be it. But if it insists on blocking him, today will be its death day!

Chen Linsheng quickly arrived at the foot of the Cliff again and looked up.

The Morning Light was faint and struggled to penetrate the dense canopy above, leaving the area around the Cliff face shrouded in cold darkness.

Chen Linsheng didn't hesitate at all. The Divine Effect of [Climbing (Minor Achievement)] naturally flowed, and using both his hands and feet, he ascended steadily and swiftly, like a Spirit Ape Clinging to the Wall.

When he approached the flat area, he stopped, hid behind a protruding rock, and cautiously peeked out.

The Spiritual Plant was still growing quietly. The light emanating from the Crimson Fruit at its peak seemed stronger than two days ago, and its strange fragrance was incredibly tempting.

Next to the Spiritual Plant, the smooth, wide indentation was clearly visible, appearing even fresher than before.

The Giant Python was nearby.