The village gates opened just after sunrise. Mist still lingered over the fields as a group of six hunters gathered beside a weathered cart. Each carried a bow, a short blade, and a worn leather pack. Their movements were well-drilled, almost routine.
One of them yawned loudly. Another tossed him a waterskin. "If you fall asleep again, I'm leaving you for the rabbits."
"They'd bring me back."
"No."
"They'd complain."
The group burst into laughter.
Xu Yuan arrived carrying only his twin swords. "Morning."
"Morning!" Liang waved him over. "You're just in time."
Xu Yuan glanced at the loaded cart. "I thought we were checking traps."
"We are." Liang grinned. "Unfortunately, traps don't walk to the forest by themselves."
Xu Yuan looked at the mountain of ropes, baskets, and tools. "...I understand."
Without another word, he lifted the heaviest crate onto his shoulder.
The hunters exchanged surprised looks. "You make us feel useless."
Xu Yuan smiled. "Then carry the next one."
The oldest hunter laughed so hard he nearly dropped his own bundle. "I like this kid."
The forest greeted them with cool air and birdsong. Morning light filtered through the branches in scattered patches, painting the narrow trail with shifting shadows.
Nobody hurried. The hunters chatted as naturally as neighbors walking home after work.
"Did your wife forgive you?"
"No."
"For what this time?"
"I forgot our anniversary."
Liang sighed dramatically. "You deserve whatever happened next."
"I know. I slept in the barn."
Someone behind them snorted. "The donkey kicked him twice."
"It was only once."
"It kicked you twice."
"The second one doesn't count."
Xu Yuan listened. Back on Earth, people at work rarely joked like this. There was always another deadline. Another meeting. Another reason to rush. Here, even the conversation had room to breathe.
After nearly an hour, they reached the first trap. It sat beside a narrow animal trail hidden beneath thick bushes. The trap was empty.
Liang crouched to inspect it. "The bait's gone."
"Fox?"
The oldest hunter shook his head. "Too neat." He pointed toward a series of tiny footprints in the mud. "Mountain raccoon."
Xu Yuan leaned closer. The prints looked almost identical to him. "You can tell?"
Liang looked up. "After enough years."
Xu Yuan nodded slowly. Experience. Not talent. There was a difference.
They continued deeper into the forest. Some traps were empty. Others held rabbits or pheasants. Whenever they caught something, the hunters worked quickly and respectfully. No boasting. No unnecessary excitement. It was simply part of life.
At one trap, Xu Yuan noticed Liang resetting the mechanism. The rope looked frayed.
"It'll snap."
Liang stopped. "...You think so?"
Xu Yuan pointed. "The fibers are splitting."
Liang pulled on it gently. The rope broke immediately. "...Good catch."
Another hunter laughed. "If that snapped tomorrow, we'd be blaming bad luck."
Xu Yuan shrugged. "I just noticed it."
Near noon, they stopped beside a small stream. Everyone unpacked lunch. Nothing elaborate. Steamed buns. Dried meat. Wild berries gathered along the way.
Liang tossed Xu Yuan a bun. "Catch."
Xu Yuan caught it one-handed. "...Thanks."
The oldest hunter leaned against a tree. "You know... We've all been wondering."
Xu Yuan looked up. "What?"
"Where did you learn to fight?"
The others fell quiet. No suspicion. Just curiosity.
Xu Yuan looked at the flowing stream. For a long moment, he searched for an answer that wasn't a lie. "I learned... because I didn't want to lose."
The hunters waited. He didn't continue.
Surprisingly, no one asked another question. The oldest hunter simply nodded once. "We've all got our reasons." Then he took another bite of his lunch.
The conversation drifted somewhere else. Someone complained about the price of salt. Another insisted his wife's cooking had improved. Liang claimed both statements were impossible. Within moments, everyone was arguing over whose family made the best stew.
Xu Yuan ate his lunch without a word. No one pressed him. No one tried to uncover his past.
He realized something he hadn't expected to learn this early. Acceptance wasn't always loud. Sometimes it was as simple as people deciding they didn't need every answer before calling you a friend.
Lunch ended sooner than anyone expected. Liang brushed the crumbs from his hands before standing. "If we stay here any longer, Old Peng will fall asleep again."
The oldest hunter looked offended. "I've only slept on the job twice."
"Three."
"Twice."
"The rabbit stole your lunch the third time."
"...That wasn't sleeping."
Everyone laughed as they packed their things. Xu Yuan helped gather the empty waterskins before following them deeper into the forest.
The trail gradually disappeared. Instead of following a clear path, the hunters began moving from tree to tree as though each one served as a landmark.
Xu Yuan looked around. To him, everything looked the same. Towering trees. Dense bushes. Moss-covered stones. Yet not one of the hunters hesitated.
"You remember all of this?"
Liang smiled. "You don't."
Xu Yuan shook his head.
Liang pointed toward a crooked pine growing beside a large boulder. "See that tree?"
Xu Yuan nodded.
"My father used to tell me if I got lost, keep that tree on my left." He pointed farther ahead. "And after that, the stream bends around a black rock."
Xu Yuan looked. The rock was almost completely hidden beneath vines. He hadn't noticed it at all.
"You've walked this route since you were little?"
Liang nodded. "So many times I stopped counting."
A sudden rustling came from the bushes. Everyone froze. The conversation disappeared instantly. One hunter slowly raised his bow. Another stepped to the side without a sound. Xu Yuan followed their movements the same way.
The bushes shook again. Then a rabbit burst out, sprinting between their legs before vanishing into the undergrowth.
Liang lowered his bow. "...Lucky."
The youngest hunter sighed dramatically. "I thought it was another boar."
"If it were another boar, I'd already be halfway back to the village."
"You'd trip before you got there."
"I probably would."
The tension disappeared as quickly as it had come. Xu Yuan noticed something. None of them had panicked. Years of hunting had taught them when to move and when to wait.
By mid-afternoon, the cart had grown noticeably heavier. Several rabbits. A pair of pheasants. Bundles of medicinal herbs. Nothing extraordinary. Just enough to make the trip worthwhile.
As they crossed a narrow hillside, Liang suddenly frowned. "...Wait."
Everyone stopped. "What is it?"
Liang crouched beside the muddy ground. "There are footprints."
Xu Yuan stepped closer. These were much larger than the animal tracks from earlier. Boot prints. Fresh.
Old Peng knelt beside them. "Three people. Maybe four. They're heading east."
Another hunter scratched his chin. "Travelers?"
Old Peng slowly shook his head. "Travelers stay on the main road. These avoided it."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. Xu Yuan remained silent. He still couldn't tell much from the tracks. To him, a footprint was just a footprint.
Liang stood. "We should tell the Chief."
Old Peng nodded. "No reason to take chances."
The others agreed without argument. No one suggested investigating. No one tried to act brave. Xu Yuan appreciated that more than he said. They understood their limits. That alone kept them alive.
The return journey was noticeably quieter. Not because anyone was frightened. Simply because everyone had something to think about. The mysterious footprints. The travelers Shen Yu's visitors had mentioned yesterday. The mountains suddenly felt a little larger.
The village came into view just as the afternoon sun dipped toward the western hills. Children immediately ran toward the cart. "Did you catch anything?"
Liang lifted one of the rabbits. "Only enough so your mothers don't complain."
Cheers erupted. The hunters laughed. Old Peng shook his head. "They're excited now. Wait until they're old enough to clean them."
One of the children immediately stopped smiling. The adults burst into laughter. Xu Yuan couldn't help joining them.
As he helped unload the cart, he realized something. This had been the longest day he'd spent in this world yet. Still, he hadn't drawn his sword once. And somehow it had been one of the most enjoyable days he'd had in a very long time.
Just as he set down the final crate, a familiar voice drifted across the square. "So..." Shen Yu stretched lazily beneath the old willow. "Did you learn anything from chasing rabbits?"
Xu Yuan looked at him for a moment. Then smiled. "I learned they run faster than Old Peng."
For a heartbeat, the square fell silent. Old Peng stared at him in disbelief. Then everyone erupted into laughter.
Even Shen Yu looked honestly surprised before grinning. "Haha... There you are. I was beginning to think you didn't know how to joke."
Old Peng pointed at Xu Yuan with an accusing finger. "You little brat. I've defended you all day. And this is how you repay me?"
Xu Yuan spread his hands innocently. "I only answered honestly."
The hunters laughed even harder. Liang leaned against the cart, barely able to breathe. "He's learning too fast."
Old Peng snorted. "Next time he carries the rabbits."
"I already carried the cart."
"Then you'll carry me."
"I don't think I can afford that."
Even Old Peng couldn't keep a straight face. He burst into laughter with everyone else.
The day's catch was divided as usual. No one argued. Each household received its share according to long-established custom. The rabbits went one way. The pheasants another. The herbs were set aside for the village healer.
Xu Yuan watched. There wasn't a written rule. Everyone simply knew what to do.
Liang noticed his expression. "Strange?"
"A little."
Liang tied two rabbits together with a rope. "When food is short, we argue. When food is enough, we don't."
Xu Yuan nodded slowly. Simple. Practical. No unnecessary speeches.
As the square gradually emptied, Xu Yuan helped return the empty baskets to the storage shed. While stacking them against the wall, he noticed one of the younger hunters struggling to lift a broken wagon wheel.
"I've got it."
The young man looked relieved. "Thanks."
Together they leaned it against the shed.
"You fixed wagons before?"
Xu Yuan shook his head. "No."
"It looked heavy."
The hunter laughed. "Fair enough."
When they stepped back outside, the village had become lively again. Women prepared the evening meal. Children chased each other between the houses. Someone was repairing a roof. Near the blacksmith's forge, two old men argued passionately over a game played with carved wooden pieces.
"No, no. You moved that one."
"I absolutely didn't."
"You absolutely did."
Xu Yuan paused to watch. The two old men noticed him. "Boy. You saw it."
Xu Yuan looked at the board. He had no idea what the rules were. "...I don't think I'm qualified."
One old man immediately nodded. "Wise answer."
The other sighed dramatically. "He's smarter than you."
"I've known that for thirty years."
The argument resumed as though Xu Yuan had never been there. He kept walking.
The smell of roasted meat drifted through the village. His stomach growled. He looked down. "So you finally remembered."
A familiar voice came from beside him. Shen Yu stood outside a small food stall, holding two wooden bowls. "I was wondering how long you'd ignore being hungry."
Xu Yuan accepted one. Inside was a simple stew filled with wild vegetables and pieces of rabbit. Steam rose gently into the evening air. "...Thanks."
"Don't thank me." Shen Yu nodded toward the woman running the stall. "She said if I didn't bring you one, she'd chase me with the ladle."
The woman waved from behind the pot. "You've been working all day. Eat while it's hot."
Xu Yuan bowed his head slightly. "I will."
The two sat beneath the old willow. Around them, village life continued without paying much attention to either of them. A child cried after falling. His mother dusted him off before sending him running again. Someone called for more firewood. The blacksmith finally admitted defeat in the board game and blamed the lighting.
Shen Yu ate another spoonful of stew. Then he spoke without looking at Xu Yuan. "You smiled more today."
Xu Yuan blinked. "...Did I?"
"You did."
Xu Yuan thought back. Old Peng. Liang. The children. The hunters. Without realizing it, he had laughed several times. Not because someone had tried to cheer him up. Simply because the day had been enjoyable.
He looked into the bowl resting in his hands. "When I first came here, I kept thinking about leaving."
Shen Yu remained silent.
"But today..." Xu Yuan looked toward the lively village square. "...I forgot to."
Shen Yu's lips curved into a faint smile. He didn't respond. He simply continued eating. Sometimes silence was the best answer.
Above the village, the evening sky slowly darkened as the first stars appeared. For now, tomorrow could wait.
The evening meal ended with the usual noise. Children were called home one by one. The hunters carried the last of the day's catch away. Someone somewhere started humming an old village song while sweeping the front of their house. Little by little, the village eased into its nightly rhythm.
Xu Yuan volunteered to return the empty bowls. The woman running the food stall accepted them with a smile. "Did Shen Yu pay?"
Xu Yuan paused. "I... don't know."
She narrowed her eyes toward the old willow. Shen Yu had already disappeared. "...That means he didn't." She sighed. "Next time you see him, tell him I know exactly where he sleeps."
Xu Yuan couldn't help laughing. "I'll let him know."
"You'd better."
As he walked back across the square, he noticed Old Peng sitting alone outside his house. The old hunter was slowly sharpening a hunting knife. Not because it needed sharpening. Simply because his hands had grown used to the motion.
Xu Yuan stopped nearby. "You don't seem tired."
Old Peng smiled without looking up. "I am."
"Then why aren't you resting?"
The old man held the blade against the fading light. "When you get to my age, your body rests. Your hands don't."
Xu Yuan nodded, though he wasn't sure he fully understood.
After a short silence, Old Peng spoke again. "You did well today."
"I didn't do much."
"You listened." The old hunter smiled. "That's rarer than you think."
Before Xu Yuan could answer, Old Peng stood, stretched his back, and walked inside. The conversation ended as naturally as it had begun.
The night air grew cooler. Xu Yuan wandered toward the edge of the village. Beyond the last row of houses, the Spirit River reflected countless stars across its calm surface.
He sat on a large stone overlooking the water. No cultivation. No training. Just quiet.
His thoughts drifted back to the mysterious footprints from earlier. Travelers avoiding the main road. Shen Yu's visitors. The unopened bamboo message. None of it seemed connected. Yet somehow he felt the mountains had begun to change. Whether that change would reach the village, he couldn't tell.
A pebble suddenly skipped across the river. One. Two. Three. Four. It disappeared beneath the surface.
Xu Yuan looked over. Liang stood several meters away, holding another stone. "You've been here the whole time?"
Xu Yuan asked. Liang nodded. "I usually come after hunting." He tossed another pebble. This one skipped five times. "You?"
"I was just thinking."
Liang laughed. "That's dangerous."
"So I've been told."
The two sat in comfortable silence.
After a while, Liang suddenly asked, "...Have you ever left home before?"
Xu Yuan looked at the flowing river. "...Yes."
"Far?"
"...Very far."
Liang nodded. "I've never gone beyond these mountains." He smiled sheepishly. "Maybe one day."
Xu Yuan looked toward the dark silhouette of the distant peaks. "...You probably will."
Liang threw his last pebble into the river. "I hope so."
The village bell rang once. A signal that the gates would soon be closed for the night.
Liang stood. "My mother worries if I'm late."
Xu Yuan smiled. "You should hurry."
"You too."
Liang waved before jogging back toward the village. Within moments, he disappeared between the houses.
Xu Yuan remained beside the river for a little longer. The cool breeze carried the scent of water and pine. Somewhere across the river, an owl called once before falling silent again.
He slowly rose to his feet. Tomorrow would likely be another ordinary day. Checking traps. Helping around the village. Perhaps listening to one of Shen Yu's strange stories.
And that thought, for once, didn't disappoint him. He was, if anything, looking forward to it.
With one final glance at the starlit river, Xu Yuan turned and walked back toward the warm lights of the village, where another quiet evening came to an end.