The next day, Qin Ziling did not go to the martial arts academy.
Logically speaking, Yin Ranyue, who was like family to him, was to be taken to Xu Family Fortress today. As the young master, he shouldn't act as if nothing happened, going to the city's martial arts academy on time early in the morning. The most normal thing to do was to stay at home.
Of course, even if Qin Ziling really went to the martial arts academy, given his status and limited abilities, the Xu Family Fortress would never suspect him.
However, out of caution, Qin Ziling still stayed at home.
In the morning, Yin Ranyue and Madam Cui were still frowning and looking anxious, especially Madam Cui, who would secretly shed a few tears from time to time.
Around noon, a middle-aged farm woman rushed into the Qin Family, her face full of excitement.
"Sister Cui, Sister Cui, good news, good news! Ran Yue doesn't have to go to Xu Family Fortress this time!" The middle-aged farm woman immediately shouted as she entered the door.
Madam Cui and Yin Ranyue, who were winding silk threads, both trembled. Madam Cui nervously grabbed the middle-aged farm woman's hand, her face full of tension and disbelief, saying, "Gouzi's mother, what did you say?"
"I said, Ran Yue doesn't have to go to Xu Family Fortress!"
"Why?" This time, Madam Cui and Yin Ranyue heard it clearly, their eyes wide with surprise.
"I just heard the news that the Seventh Young Master Xu died last night. Cao Zhenbin and his son are rushing to Xu Family Fortress in a panic! He probably drank too much or ate something bad at his house last night. Otherwise, how could a perfectly fine person just die like that?" the farm woman replied.
"Dead!" Madam Cui and Yin Ranyue were dumbfounded. They never dreamed it would turn out this way.
"But it's a good death! This way, Ran Yue won't have to be defiled by that lecher!" the farm woman said in a hushed voice.
"Haha, exactly, exactly!" Madam Cui suddenly burst into laughter, then grabbed the farm woman's hand and said, "Gouzi's mother, thank you so much! Don't leave yet."
Saying that, Madam Cui turned and went back into the house, took out four or five eggs, and put them into the farm woman's hand, saying, "Take these back for Gouzi to eat. The child is growing, so he can't be deprived."
"This, how can this be?" the farm woman quickly said.
"It's only right, it's only right. You've brought me such great news," Madam Cui said.
"Hehe, then I won't be polite," the farm woman chuckled honestly, happily taking the eggs and leaving.
Watching the farm woman leave with the eggs, Madam Cui wiped away tears of joy from the corners of her eyes and turned to Qin Ziling, saying, "Son, you were right! That villain really suffered heaven's retribution!"
The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart.
Yin Ranyue, hearing this, remembered Qin Ziling's outing in the middle of the night yesterday and gave him a thoughtful look.
"Mother, Ran Yue, now you can finally rest easy. I'll head to the martial arts academy now," Qin Ziling said... Leaving Anhe Village, Qin Ziling did not go to the county town's martial arts academy. Instead, he wandered around a mountain ridge about ten li away from Anhe Village.
For Qin Ziling, what he lacked most now was meat and medicinal herbs to supplement his vital energy and blood, not strenuous training.
The Qin Family was currently poor, and he simply couldn't afford meat and medicinal herbs for nourishment, so he had to find a way to hunt in the mountains.
This mountain ridge was called Xisheng Mountain, a branch of Wuyang Mountain. Although it was only a branch, it was still high and densely forested, with many cliffs, strangely shaped rocks, and numerous venomous insects and fierce beasts.
Unless one was an experienced hunter, one generally wouldn't dare to venture into Xisheng Mountain, so it could be considered sparsely populated.
Now, Qin Ziling was taking advantage of the daytime to scout, familiarizing himself with the surrounding terrain so he could hunt in the mountains at night.
Hunting in the mountains at night was naturally very dangerous. But Qin Ziling's greatest reliance was his Bronze Corpse bodyguard and assistant, as well as his Soul Projection technique.
The Bronze Corpse could not be exposed to light. When the soul performed the Soul Projection technique, the main body also could not be exposed to light. Once discovered and the news leaked, it would surely lead to big trouble or even death.
Therefore, the most experienced hunters hunted in the mountains during the day, while Qin Ziling, a martial arts apprentice with no hunting experience, had to choose to hunt at night.
Qin Ziling wandered around the outer perimeter and surroundings of the mountain ridge until sunset, finding several suitable places for his main body to hide before returning home.
Rural people had few recreational activities. After dinner, once it got dark, if there was nothing else to do, they would go to bed.
Qin Ziling estimated that his family and next-door neighbors should already be asleep. Dressed in a black tight-fitting suit, carrying a sack and a wood-cutting knife, he quietly left home and headed towards Xisheng Mountain.
Under the cover of darkness, Xisheng Mountain was silent, with the occasional hoot of an owl, sending shivers down one's spine.
Qin Ziling stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the pitch-black mountain ridge where tall trees seemed to dance like a horde of demons. He gritted his teeth, summoned the Arm-reaching Ape Bronze Corpse, and cautiously entered the mountain.
Insects and venomous snakes seemed to sense the Bronze Corpse's dangerous aura. Qin Ziling's keen eyes saw several times in the darkness that some insects and venomous snakes fled far away before they even got close, which saved a lot of trouble.
Otherwise, on such a late night, with insects and venomous snakes everywhere in the mountain, even with Qin Ziling's heightened senses, he would still be on edge.
With the Arm-reaching Ape Bronze Corpse leading the way, Qin Ziling quickly found one of the rock caves he had chosen during the day.
This rock cave was not large, just big enough for one or two people to hide.
Qin Ziling had already surveyed it during the day. The back of the rock cave was a solid rock wall with no cracks or exits. As long as the Bronze Corpse guarded the entrance, he didn't have to worry about any insects, snakes, or fierce beasts attacking him from behind, so he had no worries at all.
In front of the rock cave, several large rocks and several crooked pine trees blocked the view, which could be used to conceal the Bronze Corpse.
Of course, it was unlikely for anyone to be out in Xisheng Mountain at night, but out of caution, Qin Ziling still believed that it was better for the Bronze Corpse to be hidden than to stand there completely exposed.
Entering the rock cave and confirming that there were no insects or venomous snakes inside, Qin Ziling instructed the Arm-reaching Ape Bronze Corpse to lie in wait at the entrance, guarding his main body. He then sat cross-legged in meditation and performed the Soul Projection technique.
Soon, his soul leaped out and floated out of the rock cave.
At night, there was no light, making it difficult for people to walk, but for the soul, the visibility at night was no different from daytime. In fact, during the day, the sunlight, full of yang energy, shone down, making it feel uncomfortable.
The soul slowly floated within a two to three li radius of where its main body was hidden, searching for prey.
Not long after, Qin Ziling discovered a plump wild chicken.
Qin Ziling was first surprised, then hesitant, but finally, a hint of helpless bitter smile emerged.
"A wild chicken it is, let's get it first!"
Once he made up his mind, the soul pounced on the plump wild chicken.
As the soul pounced on the wild chicken, the chicken shivered violently, then stretched its neck, looked left and right, and its chicken eyes actually showed a strange spirituality.
Soon, the wild chicken seemed to recognize the direction and then quickly walked towards the rock cave where Qin Ziling was hidden.
Upon entering the rock cave, the wild chicken shivered again, then quickly sensed danger and turned to run out of the cave.
However, just as the wild chicken reached the entrance, it was directly struck dead with the back of the wood-cutting knife by the Bronze Corpse, who was holding the knife.