"Now, at last, I have a bit of strength to protect myself."
Gu Sheng felt slightly at ease.
In such turbulent times, he was merely a frail fourteen-year-old boy. If he encountered a strong adult, he'd be helpless.
Now that his woodchopping had reached Great Success, he could fully harness the strength of his entire body.
Should he have an axe or a hatchet in hand, Gu Sheng felt his combat strength would greatly increase.
Returning home.
Gu Sheng lit the fire and cooked a meal.
The rice jar was nearly empty, enough to last just four or five more days.
Now that his woodchopping had reached Great Success, starting tomorrow, his chopping wages would, for the first time, exceed his daily expenses.
"Er Niu hasn't come back yet. Could something really have happened to him?"
Gu Sheng felt a tinge of worry.
After eating, he went to check on Li Lian.
He helped Li Lian carry several buckets of water to fill her water jar. It was clear that Li Lian was distracted, her complexion much worse from days of worry.
"Your Er Niu has been gone for so long and hasn't returned. If something really happened to him, what would we do?"
Li Lian sighed softly.
Gu Sheng could only patiently console her:
"Sister-in-law, no one from the manor has come back yet. Perhaps they were delayed in the mountain. You just take care of things at home. Brother Er Niu will surely return."
Li Lian nodded silently.
Gu Sheng had no other solutions, so he could only pray in his heart for Gu Erniu's safe return.
Though he now had greater strength and his woodchopping had reached the Great Achievement Realm,
the thought of venturing into the mountains alone to search was impossible. He'd likely get devoured by wild beasts halfway.
...
The next day.
Gu Sheng continued chopping wood at the manor.
After reaching the Great Success stage in woodchopping, he could fully harness his body's strength, surpassing the effort needed to split a single log. This allowed him to conserve a lot of energy.
His efficiency skyrocketed.
In a single day, Gu Sheng chopped a total of nine hundred logs.
Even more than he had anticipated!
"Nine coins! I can finally start saving money!"
Gu Sheng was exhilarated. Maintaining his nutritional intake while still saving a coin a day was already an impressive feat.
To think.
His father, after working for most of his life, had only managed to save five hundred and thirty-two copper coins.
"But today, my woodchopping proficiency only increased by 4%. I need to chop about two hundred logs to raise it by 1%."
At this rate, Gu Sheng estimated it would take nearly a month for him to reach the Perfect stage in woodchopping.
Compared to before, it felt slower, but Gu Sheng understood that this was already a very fast pace. Most people, even after a lifetime of chopping wood, wouldn't reach the Great Achievement Realm.
Harnessing full-body strength.
It sounded simple, but in reality, it was immensely difficult.
...
The steward's quarters.
Gu He's face was openly astonished.
"What? You're telling me you chopped nine hundred logs?"
In less than half a month.
Gu Sheng had completely overturned Gu He's expectations. At the start, Gu He thought Gu Sheng would struggle to chop even two hundred logs a day. Now, he could chop nine hundred in a single day.
This was already equivalent to the workload of two strong adults.
Gu He suddenly stood up.
Even though his time spent with Gu Sheng had shown him the boy wasn't the type to lie, his shock was undeniable.
He wanted to know how Gu Sheng managed to do it.
The two walked to the woodshed.
Before Gu He could speak, Gu Sheng had already placed a log upright.
With a twist of his step and a shift of his waist, he raised the axe and brought it down. In Gu He's eyes, Gu Sheng moved like a drawn bow, releasing in an instant to unleash tremendous power. His motions were fluid, with an inherent beauty to them.
Crack!
The log split effortlessly in two, as if there had been no resistance at all.
Gu He's eyes displayed his wonder, and he couldn't help but exclaim:
"Such talent!"
He could easily see that Gu Sheng's increase in woodchopping output was entirely due to technique, not brute force.
"Harnessing power from the whole body and deducing such refined skills from simple woodchopping—this is truly remarkable. If this boy were to train in martial arts..."
Gu He deliberated for a moment before suddenly asking:
"You're fourteen this year?"
Gu Sheng respectfully replied:
"After this winter, I'll be fifteen."
Gu He's eyes lit up, and he nodded slowly:
"Fifteen is good. Once the boys in the manor turn fifteen, they can go to Gu Jingang's training sessions to learn martial arts. Did you know this?"
"I do."
"Work hard. If you get the chance, you must give it a try. In times like these, only by training your body can you protect yourself and take control of your destiny. You have great potential—don't waste it."
Gu He's words carried a tone of heartfelt encouragement.
It was a pity that he was merely a steward. Were he part of the manor's main family, he'd surely invest more in this promising young man before him.
With such talent, given time, this boy could likely become another martial arts expert in the manor.
Even so,
Gu He silently resolved to offer Gu Sheng as much help as he could in the future, forging a connection that might one day prove valuable.
Gu Sheng earnestly expressed his gratitude.
For Gu He to go this far with his words already showed great kindness.
Stepping home in the light of the setting sun.
Having earned nine coins for the first time ever, Gu Sheng was in high spirits.
He gathered the copper coins from the past days and counted them carefully—sixty-nine coins in total, roughly enough to buy seventeen pounds of rice husks.
Looking at the remaining rice in the jar,
Gu Sheng pondered.
"In the past ten days or so, I've only used up about ten pounds of rice husks. Fortunately, starting today, I can achieve basic financial balance."
Gu Sheng was overjoyed inside.
Eating rice husk porridge mixed with wild vegetable roots, along with the last small piece of smoked meat that Gu Erniu had given him, Gu Sheng felt deeply satisfied.
"Tomorrow, I'll go buy more rice. It's a shame, though—there's no more meat."
Even just two small pieces of smoked meat were enough to fulfill his cravings. Over the past ten days, the two pounds of rice husks consumed daily had been an expense, but the benefits were clear.
Gu Sheng could distinctly feel his body growing stronger—not as sickly and frail as before.
"If I keep it up, I should become even sturdier."
Gu Sheng's mind was filled with thoughts,
and he drifted off on the heated brick bed.
...
In the night sky.
The wind howled faintly. In the distance, there were sporadic barks of dogs and chirping of cicadas, seeming both near and far.
Gu Sheng furrowed his brows slightly in his sleep.
Howl~!
He seemed to hear the cry of a wolf.
Tossing in his sleep, he was hazy at first, but then suddenly he jolted awake.
The wolf's howl sounded as if it was right by his ear!
His drowsy eyes became instantly alert. Gu Sheng's pupils flared with shock.
"Wolves have entered the village!"
A chill surged through his entire body. It was the peak of summer, yet goosebumps covered his arms, and his heart began to race uncontrollably.
This was no small matter—these were wolves!
One-on-one, an armed adult might manage to fend off a wolf, but wolves lived in packs. If encountered in the wilderness, it was usually certain death.
"How could this be? Why would a pack of wolves suddenly attack the village?"
Gu Sheng's heart pounded even faster. Listening to the increasing proximity of the wolf howls, he felt both fear and confusion.
By logic, Gu's Manor had a large population. Wolves were intelligent creatures and wouldn't usually risk a suicidal assault.
But this wasn't the time for questions.
Gu Sheng took a deep breath, took down the hatchet hanging inside the room, and quietly approached the door. Through a crack, he could vaguely see two or three dozen agile figures spreading out across the village.
Their silhouettes reflected grim determination in his eyes. Gu Sheng sighed inwardly:
"Though they seem scattered, their presence spells greater danger for the common folk. By the time the manor's experts react, who knows how many lives will already be lost to wolf jaws."
Dozens of wolves wouldn't destroy the manor outright, but to the villagers, this was a catastrophe!
Just as Gu Sheng was relieved that the wild wolves hadn't found their way to his home,
a rustling sound made his scalp crawl. His previously softened muscles tensed up again!
The friction of claws against dirt and the heavy breaths of a wild wolf stood out starkly against the quiet night. Gu Sheng cautiously peered through the crack in the door.
He saw a robust wild wolf sniffing about. With a sudden leap, it jumped over the yard's fence.
A wolf had locked its sights on this place!