As dusk settled, the soft, orange-red glow of the setting sun gently spilled into the Liu family’s courtyard, casting a warm halo over the entire space.
The blue silver grass swayed gently in the breeze, making a soft rustling sound.
Just then, a low bark from a dog broke the silence in the yard.
Liu Feng subconsciously turned his head to look outside the door, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
He smiled and said, “Let’s bring Gulu along too!
It’s already two years old, it’s time for it to see some blood.
Maybe it can be of great help in the forest.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Qing pondered for a moment, recalling Gulu’s usual clever and agile appearance, and finally nodded in agreement, saying, “Alright, Gulu is a rare and excellent hunting dog.
Taking it with us will give us an extra layer of protection this time we go into the mountains.”
Liu Bai sat to the side, gently stroking his beard with a warm smile on his face, and said in agreement, “Then it’s settled.
Tomorrow morning, we’ll call Uncle Li, Erhu, and Liu San, and we’ll all go into the mountains together.
More people means more strength, and it’ll be safer too.”
Liu Qing nodded in agreement and added, “Uncle Li knows the forest like the back of his hand.
With him around, we can avoid a lot of detours.
Erhu and Liu San are also quite skilled.
Taking them along will be a great help.”
Afterwards, the three of them sat together and enthusiastically discussed the details of their trip into the mountains the next day.
From the tools and rations to the various dangers that might be encountered, every aspect was carefully considered.
Liu Feng listened intently, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
He would occasionally interject with his own questions, both nervous and excited.
After dinner, Liu Feng didn’t immediately begin his cultivation as usual.
Instead, he ran briskly to the yard, squatted down, gently stroked Gulu’s head, and said tenderly, “Gulu, we’re going to the forest together tomorrow, so you’d better behave well!”
Gulu seemed to understand its owner’s words, wagging its tail excitedly and making low “woof” sounds in its throat.
Its bright eyes were full of eager excitement.
Liu Feng stood up and looked up at the twinkling stars in the night sky.
His heart was filled with anticipation for tomorrow, and every cell in his body was cheering for the journey ahead.
At the same time, Liu Bai put on a thick coat, turned to Liu Qing and said, “I’m going to talk to Lao Li about tomorrow’s plans.
You prepare the medicinal herbs and tools you need to bring.”
Liu Qing nodded and replied, “Okay, Dad, take care on the road.”
Liu Bai walked out of the courtyard with steady steps and headed towards Uncle Li’s house at the east end of the village.
A gentle night breeze swept by, carrying a hint of coolness, but it did not hinder his steps in the slightest.
He had already begun to carefully plan his route for tomorrow, as well as the spirit beasts he might encounter.
In the courtyard, Liu Feng stood quietly beside the blue silver grass, took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and began to enter a meditative state.
He could clearly feel the faint soul power emanating from the blue silver grass.
That power was gentle and warm, as if it were silently blessing his adventure tomorrow.
“The soul power fluctuations of the blue silver grass seem to be even gentler at night…” Liu Feng pondered to himself.
He tried to synchronize his soul power with the fluctuations of the blue silver grass.
Gradually, his breathing became long and steady, and the soul power in his body flowed slowly through his meridians like a trickle. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Every cell became more active under the nourishment of this soul power.
As night deepened, the Liu family’s courtyard remained busy and full of life.
Everyone was making final preparations for tomorrow’s trip to the forest.
The excitement for the unknown, like the twinkling stars in the night sky, illuminated the entire courtyard.
Tomorrow, they would venture into the depths of the forest together to face unknown challenges.
All of this was an important step on Liu Feng’s path to becoming a Soul Master.
At the same time, Grandpa Liu Bai came to Old Li’s house to discuss hunting in the mountains the next day with Uncle Li.
Uncle Li was the most experienced hunter in the village.
He had been roaming these mountains and forests for many years and knew the terrain and habits of ordinary spirit beasts like the back of his hand.
With him by their side, the safety of this trip into the mountains would be greatly improved.
“Old Li, are you free tomorrow?” Liu Bai raised his hand and knocked on Uncle Li’s door, his voice loud and cheerful.
“Uncle Liu?
What’s the matter so late?” Old Li opened the door and saw Liu Bai, his face immediately lit up with a warm smile.
“We’re planning to go into the mountains tomorrow to gather some medicinal herbs and see if we can hunt any spirit beasts.
We’d like to invite you to come along, so we can look after each other,” Liu Bai stated his purpose directly.
Uncle Li nodded without hesitation: “Sure, I don’t have anything to do lately.
Shall we meet at the village entrance first thing tomorrow morning?”
“Okay, it’s settled then.
Oh, and don’t forget to bring Erhu and Liu San along too.
They’re about the right age to get some experience.” Liu Bai patted Uncle Li on the shoulder, a satisfied smile on his face.
“Alright, it’s time to let a few youngsters see some blood,” Uncle Li replied with a smile.
Meanwhile, Liu Qing returned to the house and began to methodically organize the tools and medicinal herbs he needed to bring the next day.
He took out the shovel, sickle, and medicine basket he used for gathering herbs one by one, and carefully inspected them to ensure that the tools were sharp and in good condition.
They also carefully prepared some emergency medicine and dry food, and everything was arranged neatly.
Afterwards, Liu Qing went to the courtyard and continued working.
He sorted the medicinal herbs he had picked from the ground that day, some of which needed to be dried and others needed to be ground into powder.
His movements were skillful and meticulous, clearly indicating that he was already adept at handling these medicinal herbs.
After a while, Liu Bai returned from Uncle Li’s place and saw Liu Feng focused on cultivating.
He nodded slightly, then went to his son’s side to help process the remaining medicinal herbs.
Before they knew it, the moon had quietly climbed onto the treetops, and its bright moonlight spilled into the courtyard like a layer of silver gauze, making the entire courtyard exceptionally bright.
After finishing everything, Liu Qing walked gently to Liu Feng’s side and said softly, “Xiao Feng, it’s time to rest.
We have to get up early tomorrow.”
Liu Feng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze still carrying a trace of clarity after meditation, and nodded: “Yes, Father.”
He stood up, glanced at the blue silver grass in the yard one last time, and felt a surge of anticipation.
Under the moonlight, the leaves of the blue silver grass shimmered with a faint light.
As night fell, Liu Feng returned to his room, lay on his bed, and kept replaying everything that had happened that day in his mind.
He knew that tomorrow’s journey through the forest would be a significant milestone on his path to becoming a Soul Master.
With these thoughts in mind, he gradually drifted off to sleep, a faint smile still lingering on his lips.
In the courtyard, Liu Qing looked up at the moon and murmured to himself, “I hope everything goes smoothly, that I can gather some last year’s medicinal herbs, and…”
~~~~~~
Early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking and the first rays of sunlight had not yet fully penetrated the clouds, Liu Feng got up early.
He quickly packed his belongings, carefully checking his tools for gathering herbs, his dry rations and water bottle, as well as his bow and arrows and a short spear, to make sure nothing was missing.
The short spear was specially given to him by his grandfather, who instructed him not to risk his life in case of danger, but to use the bow and arrow for long-range shooting, while the short spear was for short-to-medium range throwing and could play a big role in critical moments.
Gulu seemed to sense its owner’s excitement, wagging its tail and running happily back and forth in the yard, occasionally letting out a few low barks, as if urging its owner to hurry up and set off.
Liu Qing and Liu Bai were also ready.
Liu Qing carried a large medicine basket on his back, filled with tools for gathering herbs and some emergency medicines.
The heavy basket did not hinder his pace at all.
He held a long spear in his hand, its shaft long and straight, its tip incredibly sharp, gleaming coldly in the morning light.
Liu Bai brought his hunting knife and bow and arrows.
He gripped the handle of the knife tightly and the bowstring was taut, clearly in preparation for any potential dangers.
“Let’s go, don’t keep Uncle Li and the others waiting.” Liu Bai waved his hand, signaling Liu Feng and Liu Qing to follow.
The three of them, with Gulu in tow, headed towards the village entrance.
Along the way, the morning breeze gently caressed them, bringing a touch of coolness that was refreshing and invigorating.
From afar, they could see Uncle Li, Erhu, and Liu San already waiting there.
Uncle Li carried a stiff bow and a quiver on his back, with several homemade bamboo arrows stuck in the quiver, the arrowheads sharpened to a razor-sharp point; his eyes were alert and sharp, as if he could see through all the dangers in the forest.
Erhu and Liu San each carried a bag and held a wooden spear, their faces beaming with excited smiles, clearly full of confidence for their trip to the forest.
Uncle Li was accompanied by three strong hunting dogs.
Their eyes were as sharp as eagles, and their bodies were agile.
They were obviously experienced hunters.
As soon as Gulu saw the hunting dogs next to Uncle Li, he excitedly ran over and happily circled around them.
The four hunting dogs looked almost identical, so they must be Gulu’s brothers and sisters.
“Good morning, Uncle Li!” Liu Feng strode forward, greeting him with a smile, his voice full of energy.
Uncle Li nodded, a kind smile spreading across his face, and said with a smile, “Xiao Feng, you’d better do your best today!
The forest is not like the village; it’s full of dangers, so be careful.”
Liu Feng patted his chest and said confidently, “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t hold you back!”
Erhu and Liu San also came over.
Erhu patted Liu Feng on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Xiao Feng, let’s have a competition today to see who can hunt the biggest animal!”
Liu Feng replied with a smile, “Okay, the loser treats to dinner!”
Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.
Liu Bai glanced at the sky; the sun was already rising, and it was getting late.
He said, “It’s getting late, let’s set off.”
The group, accompanied by four hunting dogs, set off into the forest in a grand procession.
The forest was shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning, like a mysterious painting.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, resembling golden scales.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass, the purest smell of nature.
Occasionally, the clear and melodious chirping of birds could be heard from afar, as if playing a beautiful melody for their journey.
[end of the chapter]