Tianxu's dawn went as quickly as one's sleep.
The rooster's cry wasn't half as loud as the boy already pacing the dirt path with a grin. On his back were a few arrows with sharp edges, a small knife hanging on his waist, and a carefree attitude toward the world.
"Eh, Xiao Shun, still as early as ever?" Old Man Zhao Gong chuckled while fetching a bucket of water from the well.
The young man in front of him, Wei Shun, was deemed the village's most likely child to have a spiritual root.
"Yes, Grandpa Zhao. Is Yue'er up yet?" Wei Shun asked.
Old Man Zhao shook his head, "Yue'er is tired from last night. Though Yue'er always looks for you, haha."
Wei Shun's face turned red, "Ah, is that so? I guess I'll get going then, Old Man Zhao."
"Uh-huh," Old Man Zhao nodded and waved his hand, telling Wei Shun to go. The trifles of the young weren't his to bother to anymore, "That Xiao Shun lad, is he going to hunt another big game today?"
He still remembered the days when Wei Shun was an infant, less than a year old, yet his shocking and clear words made everyone in the village go crazy. If not for the fact that their village was a little too desolate, Wei Shun's parents would have long sent him to a nearby city for education.
Unfortunately, Caojing Village was too small and too far. Without the yearly merchant caravan, they wouldn't even get to touch anything from the outside world.
"I just hope Old Guo has managed to save some money. That lad's future is bleak with us all…" Old Man Zhao sighed, feeling that the village wasn't where Wei Shun's future was locked.
Meanwhile, Wei Shun continued to stroll along the dirt road, ignoring Old Man Zhao's thoughts.
"Xiao Shun, lad, you're out to hunt again?" another middle-aged man asked.
"Uncle Bao! Yes, I am going to hunt outside again. The merchant caravan is near, so I wanted to hunt a few more for the money," Wei Shun chuckled.
"You're very hardworking, aren't you?! Won't your parents worry about it?" Auntie Lian, Uncle Bao's wife, worried.
"No, no need! I already got some herbs from Granny Xiu, so the journey won't be that bad." Wei Shun confidently thumped his chest.
"Okay, you watch out there, young boy!" the couple shouted.
Wei Shun waved his hands and ran towards the village exit.
"Whew!"
He sighed as he stepped into the small forest.
It has been 12 years since he was reincarnated into this world, yet he had barely explored the small forest in front of him after all those years.
Wei Shun vividly remembered studying for the upcoming exams overnight and suddenly found himself being born into his new mother, Wei Lan, and embraced by his father, Wei Han.
Being born into a new world, Wei Shun couldn't help but showcase some of his abilities early on, earning the entire village's praise and envy.
He could speak clearly when he was less than 6 months old and walk stably the next month after. Then, when the village chief tutored him about worldly books, the old man was dumbfounded to see how Wei Shun managed to understand everything in less than an hour of lecturing.
His extraordinary performance made the entire village think that he was the reincarnation of an "immortal".
Wei Shun learned from the village chief that immortals existed in this world, riding on swords and cleaving mountains and rivers with their great power. However, he hadn't seen one for so long and wondered where one could even find such immortals.
"If I can hunt a big game today, mother and father won't have to worry about food in a while. Also, I can sell the hide for the merchant caravan and maybe earn a trip into the city!" Wei Shun, with the arrogance of a transmigrator, knew that Caojing village was too small for him.
The outside world was vast, and it would be a shame to die of old age in the place he was born without seeing how it looked outside.
Wei Shun traversed the small forest with ease, evading areas that were dangerous or had already been hunted by others. After a while, he suddenly crouched low and felt the depression on the ground.
"A marking. Is it a deer?"
The prints were small, scattered, as if the animal had been spooked.
He grinned, 'Perfect'
He drew an arrow from his bundle and crept along the faint deer trail. He stepped on roots, avoiding leaves that would rustle and give him away.
It wasn't long before the underbrush trembled. A rabbit, larger than most he'd ever seen, nibbled on sprouting herbs. Its fur shimmered faintly, a soft glow reflecting beneath the morning light.
Wei Shun froze while he nocked the arrow.
'What is this? A new kind of rabbit?' he narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the details of this unusual rabbit.
After watching for a while, he couldn't understand what was wrong with it and decided to hunt it instead.
'Whatever, maybe something new happened in the forest. I'll ask the others later.'
He drew the bowstring when the hares' ears suddenly twitched.
Whip!
The arrow struck, slicing across its neck. The rabbit squealed and bolted, thrashing through the ferns.
"Got you!" Wei Shun charged after it, knife bouncing at his side. Branches whipped against his arms as he leapt over roots, heart hammering.
The chase ended at a fallen tree, where the animal collapsed against the roots. Its legs twitched weakly before it lay still, eyes wide and glassy.
Panting, Wei Shun picked it up with both arms, surprised by its weight. "Heh… heavy bastard, aren't you?"
Up close, its fur looked strange. It was too smooth. Too glossy.
Wei Shun shrugged it off, thinking that maybe this rabbit had mutated or something.
Instead of wasting time, he slung the carcass over his shoulder, pride swelling on his chest. Ever since he had started hunting, never was a day did the extraordinary Wei Shun ever returned with no game.
And it seems that… this day wasn't going to be different.