The warm yellow sunset cast its glow on the treetops as the sky grew darker. The giant wolf picked up the wild boar and escorted the young man out of the forest.
This forest wasn't very large, and the Spirit Beasts living here weren't particularly strong. The giant wolf, with its Tier 5 strength, was enough to reign supreme here, and no beasts or Spirit Beasts dared to disturb them along the way.
Reaching the edge of the forest, the giant wolf set down the wild boar. Ahead lay the village, and being seen by the villagers could cause unnecessary trouble.
The young man grabbed the wild boar by its front hoof and effortlessly swung it over his shoulder. Despite its apparent weight of four to five hundred pounds, he carried it as if it were only forty to fifty pounds.
With the boar secured on his back, the young man still had a free hand to wave goodbye to the giant wolf. "Frostmoon, I'm heading back. I'll come find you in three days."
The giant wolf sat back on its haunches, watching the young man's figure disappear into the distance. Such farewells had occurred hundreds, if not thousands, of times over the years. It should have been used to it by now, yet each time it watched the young man's retreating figure, a trace of reluctance lingered in its heart.
As the sky grew darker and the sun finally set, the young man's figure vanished completely, and even the leaves that had swayed in his wake stilled. Only then did the giant wolf turn back into the depths of the forest.
At this moment, its eyes were filled with deep sorrow, memories flashing through its mind. How could it tell the young master about his origins? It was too cruel a truth for a young man to bear.
Chu Shaoye carried the wild boar home, encountering many villagers along the way.
"Shaoye, you caught such a big wild boar!"
"This boar is huge, enough to last a year."
Chu Shaoye responded to each of them, "Uncle, Auntie, come to my house for a feast another day."
Even after he walked away, the villagers continued to discuss behind him.
"The village chief is truly blessed, having such a capable adopted son. Even if he doesn't become a Spirit Master, he'll be a great hunter."
"I think this boy Shaoye has a bright future. If he becomes a Tier 3 Spirit Master, our Chu Family Village will benefit from it."
Though the villagers' voices weren't loud, Chu Shaoye's keen senses allowed him to catch snippets of their conversation.
He had long known that the village chief and his wife weren't his biological parents, so the villagers' talk of him being adopted didn't affect him.
The Chu Family Village chief lived in the center of the village. Chu Shaoye carried the wild boar into a neatly kept farmhouse courtyard and called out, "Mom, I'm back."
His adoptive mother, Lan Fang, emerged from the main hall, exclaiming when she saw the large wild boar on his shoulder.
"Why did you go hunting wild boar again? Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?"
Though Lan Fang scolded him, she hurried to help Chu Shaoye unload the wild boar. The hefty four to five hundred-pound boar hit the ground with a thud, shaking the earth.
Lan Fang exclaimed again, patting and checking him over. "How did you catch such a big boar? Are you hurt?"
Chu Shaoye wiped the sweat from his face, smiling gently as he let Lan Fang fuss over him. "Mom, it's just a wild boar. How could I get hurt? You underestimate your son."
Lan Fang glared at him, retorting, "Just a wild boar? How do you think Wang San'er ended up with a limp? Didn't a boar gore him? You're only twelve, catching rabbits and pheasants is enough. Why hunt boars?"
After a scolding, Chu Shaoye dared not speak further, obediently listening to her lecture.
Though Lan Fang continued to nag, even though Chu Shaoye wasn't hurt, she couldn't help but fuss. "Look at you, covered in boar hair. Such a big boar, you could have asked your dad to help carry it. What if it stunted your growth?"
Lan Fang brushed the boar hair off him and nudged him inside. "Go change your clothes. You're as skinny as a stick, where do you get the strength?"
Chu Shaoye followed her push into his room, finally free from Lan Fang's "nagging symphony," and sighed in relief.
His room contained only essential furniture but was very clean and tidy. Chu Shaoye opened the wardrobe, filled with black and gray clothes, chosen simply because they were dirt-resistant.
He grabbed a black outfit and changed, tossing his dirty clothes into the laundry basket. By the time he finished changing and stepped out, Chu Wangshan and Chu Qingyao had returned.
Chu Wangshan, the village chief and Chu Shaoye's adoptive father, was honest and kind-hearted.
Chu Qingyao, the biological daughter of the village chief and his wife, was only three months younger than Chu Shaoye.
Seeing him, Chu Qingyao's eyes lit up, and she bounced over to link arms with him. "Brother, you're amazing! Next time, I want to go hunting with you."
Chu Shaoye poked her forehead with his finger. "Your brother has always been amazing. You just realized?"
The siblings playfully bantered, while Chu Wangshan tied the boar's hind legs with a rope and hung it on the slaughter rack.
Patting the boar's plump back, Chu Wangshan clicked his tongue. "It must weigh around four hundred and fifty pounds, enough for a three-day feast."
In Chu Family Village, there was a tradition: if a child was found to have Spirit Master potential at twelve, the family would hold a grand feast, inviting the entire village to celebrate.
The boar Chu Shaoye caught today was for this feast.
Typically, if the parents were Spirit Masters, the child had a high chance of becoming one. Lan Fang was an ordinary person, but Chu Wangshan was a Tier 1 Spirit Master, so Chu Qingyao had a chance of becoming one.
As for Chu Shaoye, his origins were extraordinary. Frostmoon had mentioned that both his biological parents were Spirit Masters, making his potential to become one almost certain.
Thus, Chu Shaoye caught the boar in advance to prepare for the feast, easing the burden on Chu Wangshan and Lan Fang.
Chu Qingyao placed a small stool nearby, sitting to watch Chu Wangshan slaughter and butcher the boar. The village girl was unafraid of such bloody scenes.
She nudged Chu Shaoye with her elbow. "Brother, what kind of Natal Spirit Beast do you want to contract?"
Chu Shaoye replied, "A Natal Spirit Pet and a Spirit Master are like twins. The Natal Spirit Pet is determined at birth. You can't just choose any Spirit Beast to contract."
"I know that," Chu Qingyao said. "I was just imagining. I want a beautiful Natal Spirit Pet, even if it's not very strong."
Chu Shaoye flicked her forehead with his finger. "The world outside isn't as peaceful as our village. Without strength, how will you protect yourself?"