"Give me more points!"
Ninety-two Wind and Moon Points disappeared, and the characters in the skill bar changed.
[Tracking (Master Level 15/160)]
A familiar feeling surged in his heart, but this time the change was even greater.
In an instant, countless experiences and insights flooded into his mind. He hadn't done anything, yet it seemed as if he had lived in the forest for two decades, mastering various Tracking Techniques seamlessly.
His eyes, nose, ears, and tongue became even sharper, able to detect traces of prey in subtle details that ordinary people wouldn't notice.
"With my current Tracking Technique, isn't finding prey as easy as flipping my hand?"
Zhou Chen was filled with pride. He felt his nose was as sensitive as a dog's, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, his ears as keen as those of a cat or dog, and his tongue even more agile and sensitive, able to discern subtle tastes.
"When the Tracking Technique is perfected, it's even more extraordinary, how powerful must that be?"
Zhou Chen looked forward eagerly, gazing at Qin Hongyu who was nestled in his arms.
Qin Hongyu had been married to him for nearly a week.
Not only could they eat to satisfaction every day, but they could also enjoy chicken and meat, living a blissful and harmonious life.
Under his care, Qin Hongyu's face was glowing, her fair skin seemingly ready to squeeze out water with a touch.
"Brother Chen!"
Qin Hongyu rested on Zhou Chen's strong arm, softly caressing his broad and solid chest, speaking tenderly:
"It's been three days, Brother Chen don't exhaust your body!"
This was just one reason.
Another reason was that, although there was still meat at home, they couldn't just sit around and do nothing.
"Don't you know my body by now? It's growing stronger by the day. In a few days, I'll bring back a wild boar for you."
With his Tracking Technique, finding a wild boar shouldn't be difficult. Once found, using his Thunder Light Ruyi Hand and minor archery skills, he'd shoot the boar's leg and take it down effortlessly.
The challenge was to bring back a several-hundred-pound wild boar.
Though he was physically fit, his archery and Tracking Technique had slightly improved his physical abilities, but carrying a wild boar from the mountains alone was tough.
"Looks like I need to find a couple of people to help!"
Zhou Chen had already chosen people in his mind.
"Brother Chen, I don't like eating wild boar; I think small animals like wild rabbits are quite good..."
Qin Hongyu tensed up; wild boars are very fierce beasts, with tough skin and strong aggression, often appearing in groups.
Previously, there were many hunters who were bitten to death by wild boars.
"Don't worry, I'll act within my limits."
Zhou Chen held Qin Hongyu's soft little hand, teasingly said:
"I wouldn't let another man take you away!"
"If master hadn't been so eager and ventured deep into the mountains, encountering a big bug, you'd be my teacher's wife now!"
"I don't want to repeat that mistake!"
"Pah, pah, pah, what are you talking about!"
Qin Hongyu blushed deeply, yet the words 'teacher's wife' provoked an inexplicable thrill.
Zhou Chen looked at the extremely shy beauty and suddenly laughed:
"Teacher's wife, your disciple is hungry!"
…
Meanwhile.
By the creek in the village.
Cuihua and several women were washing clothes.
Sister Hong, Wild Dog's wife, was brushing a cloth shoe, chuckled, "Brother Chen is really something, hasn't left the house for three days!"
"Brother Chen is impressive, but let me tell you, Elder Qin seems to have been at Widow Chen's house these past three days. Anyway, I haven't seen him at home for three days!"
Eldest Sister-in-law Li said gossipingly, "I think he might even have moved in with Widow Chen!"
Her house isn't far from Elder Qin's, and she passes by there daily to do laundry, thus she knows whether Elder Qin is at home very well.
"That's not right!"
Sister Hong immediately refuted:
"I saw Widow Chen secretly meeting Zhang Dageng last night!"
Zhang Dageng was an old bachelor in the village, living alone, subsisting on fishing but only working sporadically, struggling to make ends meet.
"What's going on, is Widow Chen messing with both Elder Qin and Zhang Dageng at the same time?" Cuihua said, surprised.
"There's a saying that trouble brews at a widow's door; Widow Chen doesn't seem like a proper person, most likely!"
Women's gossip abilities are frightening, especially with the older women.
As one person added her comment, Widow Chen quickly became branded as a promiscuous woman.
Zhou Chen and Qin Hongyu were glued to each other at home, hardly aware of outside gossip.
As night fell.
After finishing his new round of mounted archery practice, Zhou Chen felt his archery skills improved immensely, his mood lifted.
Tonight was the fifteenth, and the moon was bright and full, its light enveloping the earth, all was quiet, and the villagers had long gone to bed.
In this era, villagers slept early; lighting lamps in the evening wasted oil money.
And with no modern games or entertainment, the only pastime was sleeping and enjoying harmonious married life.
Knock, knock, knock!
Suddenly, a knock on the door resounded. Embracing Qin Hongyu while relishing the aftertaste, Zhou Chen was startled, his hair standing on end, body tensed.
His lightning-fast hand instantly grasped the short knife under the pillow.
Qin Hongyu woke up in surprise, fear creeping into her heart.
"Girl, open the door quickly, it's your dad!"
Elder Qin's voice sounded from outside, and Qin Hongyu's taut nerves instantly relaxed as she let out a long sigh of relief.
"Brother Chen, it's my dad!"
Qin Hongyu felt relieved, but secretly blamed Elder Qin.
She couldn't understand why he would come knocking on their door in the middle of the night; it was really frightening.
However, Zhou Chen didn't relax at all, his expression growing more serious.
With his advanced Tracking Technique, his senses were exceptionally sharp, especially his hearing and smell.
Just now, he wasn't asleep; he was in a sage-like state of heightened awareness, making him even more sensitive to the surrounding environment.
But he hadn't heard any footsteps or breathing, he couldn't even detect a human scent — only a chill feeling!
"Shh!"
Zhou Chen made a silencing gesture to Qin Hongyu, who wanted to say something, rose quietly, and picked up the hunting bow hanging on the wall.
Qin Hongyu looked worried, though puzzled, she didn't speak, only watching nervously.
"If there's something to say, say it tomorrow if there's nothing urgent!"
Zhou Chen said coldly to the outside.
"Little Chen, open the door quickly, I have important news to tell you, it's definitely good news!"
"I've already gone to bed, whatever news, say it tomorrow!"
Zhou Chen's voice was icy, "Do you know it's rude to disturb someone's sleep in the middle of the night? I'm really angry now, if you don't leave, I'm going to shoot an arrow!"
"凸(艹皿艹)! You rabbit brat, try shooting an arrow?"
Whoosh!
An arrow pierced through the window paper and shot out through the gap.
"Ah!"
Elder Qin's scream sounded, Qin Hongyu exclaimed:
"Dad, are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm not okay now..."
Qin Hongyu hurriedly got up and was about to go out, but Zhou Chen grabbed her.
"I didn't hit him!"
Zhou Chen said in a low voice, "That's not your dad, at least that's not human!"
Just as Qin Hongyu was about to argue, she shivered.
She had long said there were demons and ghosts in this world, and she also thought it was odd for her dad to come looking for her in the middle of the night, claiming to have good news.
Her dad, that miser, would have told them if there was good news?
"Don't worry, leave everything to me!"
Pushing Qin Hongyu back onto the bed, Zhou Chen was at the peak of alertness.
He did not go out.
He couldn't be sure what was outside.
And the other side didn't come in, indicating it feared something or lacked sufficient strength.
Elder Qin wailed outside, playing the emotional card to get Qin Hongyu to open the door.
Zhou Chen felt more assured seeing the situation.
The opponent probably couldn't come in.
He casually placed the bow and arrow aside because the bow and arrow were useless.
The arrow he shot earlier had surely hit the target, but according to his hearing, he clearly heard the arrow as if it had hit air, eventually landing on a big tree at the door.
This means the opponent is akin to a ghost, ordinary arrows don't work on it.
However, Zhou Chen has a trump card.
His Thunder Light Ruyi Hand is a Divine Technique, imbued with thunder, most effective against ghostly entities.
Even if the opponent rushes in, he might have a fighting chance.
"Brother Chen, what should we do?"
Qin Hongyu asked anxiously in a low voice.
"It's alright, leave everything to me!"
Zhou Chen sat on the bed, pulling Qin Hongyu up and seated her across his legs, comforting her, "It's okay, it can't get in!"
"Hmm."
Qin Hongyu nodded lightly; if it could or dared to come in, it would have done so long ago.
"Brother Chen, what are you doing?"
Qin Hongyu suddenly widened her eyes, her body trembling, not expecting Zhou Chen still had the thought to do this at such a time?
"What do you think?"
Because of the thing outside, Zhou Chen increasingly desired to become stronger.
He naturally wouldn't miss any opportunity to strengthen himself now.
"Brother Chen, my dad... no, that monster is still outside..."
"This is called the distraction technique!"
Zhou Chen chuckled, adeptly practicing the Thunder Light Ruyi Hand, his ten fingers nimble, swift and agile.
Qin Hongyu glanced worriedly outside, fearing to startle the unknown creature there, biting her red lips to stop herself from making a sound.
...