After his first successful trip into the mountains, Gu Sheng officially became a hunter of Gu's Manor.
His exceptional archery skills, especially once spread by Zhang Ze, quickly became known among the other hunters.
At first, however, the others were skeptical.
But facts speak louder than words.
During their first hunt, they brought back a wild boar. After resting for about ten days, Gu Erniu and his group ventured into the mountains once again.
By all accounts, Gu Erniu could afford to take it easy—last time's haul would sustain his family for quite a while.
But they couldn't simply sit back and consume their spoils. Some of the trophies had to be converted into money and grain for safekeeping.
Although Gu Wan was still young, Gu Erniu was already planning to save up for his martial arts training expenses.
Especially after the nighttime wolf attack, both Li Lian and Gu Erniu became even more resolute.
Zhang Ze also decided to join them in the mountains.
As for Gu Youfu, he had been gradually sidelined after the last expedition. Moreover, with no children in his household needing martial arts training, his trips into the mountains became less frequent compared to the younger hunters.
Accompanied by a few more hunters this time, the group set off into the wilderness in pursuit of a few wild wolves.
Having gained experience from the first trip, Gu Sheng was now markedly more composed and steady in his actions.
Under the coordinated assault of the group, the wild wolves were swiftly felled.
Gu Sheng's archery, comparable to that of Gu Erniu, left the hunters witnessing it for the first time deeply impressed. They showered him with praise.
Though this outing's gains were not as abundant as last time, they were still quite decent.
After dividing the spoils, they each got a share of wolf meat, bones, and pelts.
Having tasted success, Gu Sheng felt a surge of desire to venture into the mountains alone—solo hunting would yield far more than a group effort.
But eventually, he suppressed this thought.
This was only his second trip, and although he was becoming more familiar with the mountain terrain, he still lacked sufficient experience. Gu Sheng decided to continue learning and observing by participating in group hunts for the time being.
Afterward.
Gu Sheng would venture into the mountains with others from time to time.
The frequency varied.
Sometimes they went every three to five days, other times it was every seven to eight days.
Sometimes the group consisted of three to five people, while other times it was just him and Gu Erniu.
Not every trip was fruitful; there were days when they returned with only a hare or even empty-handed—it was a common occurrence.
Gu Sheng's archery skills grew increasingly refined, and each time, newly joining hunters were left in awe, exclaiming that he was a natural-born archery prodigy.
As time went on.
Nearly every hunter in Gu's Manor had ventured into the mountains with Gu Sheng. All of them acknowledged that this rising star among the hunters possessed archery skills on par with Gu Erniu. Given time, he could very well surpass him!
Gu Sheng's reputation soared, and even matchmakers began knocking on his door to discuss marriage prospects.
A young and promising hunter with extraordinary archery skills was highly sought after—he was a prized catch, especially for tenant farmers who relied solely on farming to sustain their families.
Gu Sheng even declined a proposal involving Gu He's niece, so naturally, he tactfully refused others with a smile as well.
...
Time sped by.
In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed since Gu Sheng first ventured into the mountains.
One day, after finishing chopping wood, Gu Sheng practiced archery in the forest.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!
Arrows cut through the air with a sharp whistle, piercing the target with a fierce wind.
If someone were present, they would be astounded to see that the target was a hundred meters away and no larger than a Copper Coin.
To hit the mark at such a distance—it was a level of skill that could only be described as "splitting a hair at a hundred paces."
Though occasional shots missed the mark, most of them struck with pinpoint accuracy.
Gu Sheng's current level of precision far exceeded what he had demonstrated during hunts.
In reality.
Gu Sheng's archery skills had been improving by leaps and bounds with every passing moment. As early as half a month ago, he had already completely surpassed Gu Erniu.
However, Gu Sheng deliberately kept a low profile, consistently displaying archery skills comparable to—or slightly inferior to—Gu Erniu's. After all, in group hunts, this level of skill was more than sufficient.
He wanted to keep some tricks up his sleeve, unwilling to fully reveal his capabilities.
For instance, his near-perfect close-combat skills in Chopping Wood had yet to be showcased.
Other than taking down a wolf with a cleaver during the previous attack, Gu Sheng had never used it in combat. If prey could be killed with archery, he avoided close-quarters combat altogether. The harrowing memory of Zhang Ze's brush with death served as a constant reminder to him.
At this moment.
Gu Sheng's eyes were sharp, his stance as straight as a pine. His powerful archery skills had also honed his sensory perception and dynamic vision—abilities that complemented each other.
Through his line of sight, the Copper Coin-sized target appeared especially large, as if magnified.
Gu Sheng seemed to enter a miraculous state.
He could sense the trajectory of every falling leaf around him with absolute clarity.
At full draw, the bow resembled a crescent moon, and the arrow gleamed like a star.
Whizz!
The sharp whistle of an arrow filled the air. It moved so swiftly that it was nearly invisible and reappeared only after embedding itself halfway into the target, striking dead-center.
Gu Sheng's eyes sparkled with delight and confidence.
He opened his status panel.
His archery skill had impressively advanced to Great Success (0%)!
After over a month of training and hunting expeditions, Gu Sheng's archery had broken through yet again, reaching the realm of Great Achievement!
It was an inevitable progression.
With Great Success in archery, he could now consistently hit Copper Coin-sized targets from a hundred meters away—every shot hit its mark!
Moreover, upon achieving this breakthrough, he vaguely sensed the path toward the Perfect realm.
"Dynamic vision… If I can refine my archery to perfection, I might be able to clearly see even targets as small as lice. Hitting a moving target would be no different from hitting a stationary one. Shooting through the eye of a needle would become second nature!"
Gu Sheng's anticipation grew.
That level of archery would truly be magical.
"But now that I've reached Great Success in archery, I wonder if my skills could pose a threat to Martial Artists?"
Gu Sheng's heart was filled with both curiosity and ambition.
During this time, thanks to his camaraderie with the other hunters, he had learned much about things he previously didn't know.
The first realm of Martial Artists was known as the Refining Skin Realm.
In its advanced stages, their skins became tough as iron, capable of withstanding swords and blades without injury.
"If I can maintain distance, maybe I have a chance. If my archery reaches perfection, hitting vital spots like the eyes should make it possible to deal with some Refining Skin Realm Martial Artists."
He speculated.
Though he had not formally practiced martial arts yet, Gu Sheng's combination of Chopping Wood and archery already provided him with a certain degree of self-preservation. This gave him a sense of security.
His progress in Chopping Wood had reached 50% of the Perfect realm, leaving only half the journey to complete. He estimated it would take about a month and a half more time.
Gu Sheng was filled with anticipation.
He had a hunch that beyond perfection, there might be a major transformation awaiting him.
But there was no need to rush; one step at a time was the only way forward.
Gu Sheng resumed his archery practice.
He continued until the sun set, gaining an additional 1% proficiency.
This suggested that, at the current pace of training, achieving perfection in archery would take around three more months.
"Reaching perfection in archery is impossible in the short term. Now that I've reached Great Success, should I consider venturing into the mountains alone?"
Gu Sheng began weighing his options.
Hunting with Gu Erniu and the others offered safety, but the profits were significantly diluted. Going alone, however, would greatly accelerate his wealth accumulation—possibly doubling it or more.