Phuc Trach Village.
"Huff."
"Huff."
"Huff..."
A sturdy youth with shoulder-length hair, bare-chested, was lifting stones tied with hemp ropes in both hands. Each of the two stones weighed over ten kilograms. He lifted and lowered them one by one. The muscles on his arms, already somewhat explosive, bulged and rippled. Sweat, like beads of oil, dripped and splashed onto the ground.
"Uncle, time to eat."
From the room outside, Han An Nuong's voice sounded.
"Coming."
Tran Mac stopped, then called up the system panel.
[Name: Tran Mac.]
[Age: 16.]
[Cultivation Technique: Nourishing Blood Technique (Entry 11.5/100).]
[Realm: None.]
[Strength: 7.]
[Skill: Thien Hop Saber Technique (Perfection. If breakthrough is needed, please increase personal strength to 30.).]
"Indeed, without meat supplement, I fundamentally can't train effectively. Can't wait. After eating, I'll go up the mountain." Tran Mac let out a soft breath, put on his clothes, and exited the room.
"Uncle, why do you torture yourself like this every day, making your head full of sweat?"
These days, Han An Nuong also knew well what Tran Mac did in his room all day. She hadn't read books, didn't understand why Tran Mac lifted stones every day, wasting effort for nothing, nor was she afraid he'd get tired.
Seeing Tran Mac walk over with a head full of sweat, she quickly grabbed a towel from the side to wipe it for him.
It was already late November; the weather was so cold one could clearly see one's breath. During this period of living together, Han An Nuong seemed to have forgotten the distinction between men and women, like a virtuous wife, wiping sweat for Tran Mac. Tran Mac's exhaled breath even sprayed onto Han An Nuong's face.
Han An Nuong also noticed something was amiss. Feeling the strong masculine scent from Uncle's body, her face immediately flushed red, her breathing quickened, and she hurriedly pulled her hand back.
"Uncle, hurry and eat..."
The meal was wheat rice prepared in the morning; now at noon, it was already cold.
Tran Mac held a bowl half the size of a washbasin, eating ravenously.
A robust young man in his teens is precisely the time for body growth; appetite is inherently astonishingly large. Moreover, Tran Mac's training intensity was also high, his physical energy consumption severe, so naturally, he ate more.
As for the problem of wheat rice being hard to eat.
During this period, he had already adapted.
"Uncle, eat slowly, don't choke," Han An Nuong reminded, eating with small bites.
Tran Mac nodded lightly. After finishing the meal, he looked up at Han An Nuong: "Sister-in-law, we are planning to go hunting in the mountains."
Han An Nuong paused: "Hunting? Uncle, are you going deep into the mountains?"
"Mm."
"Why? There's still food in the house. Why risk going up the mountain? I heard people say, the tigers and those dangerous beasts on the mountain have all been chased deep into the mountains. If Uncle isn't careful and encounters a tiger..."
"Pah, pah." Tran Mac spat twice, interrupting Han An Nuong, saying, "Sister-in-law, I haven't even gone up the mountain yet, and you're already saying I'll encounter a tiger. There is still food in the house, but now we're only consuming without earning. It's hard to say if we can even last through this winter. We can't just eat away our resources until there's nothing left."
"I still have money, can go buy grain."
"Sister-in-law, to tell you the truth, I want to eat meat, big mouthfuls of meat. That two hundred-plus wen of yours can't buy many jin." There was another sentence Tran Mac didn't say: he had to become stronger; the Thien Hop Saber Technique ultimately wasn't his own strength.
Han An Nuong bit her lip: "Then Uncle can go to Dai Dong Lake to fish. This money of mine is still enough to pay the tax."
"Let's talk about that later. If I don't catch any prey on the mountain, then I'll go fishing."
"But..."
"Rest assured, Sister-in-law. I know what you're worried about. I will act within my capabilities and pay attention to safety." Tran Mac looked into Han An Nuong's eyes, his mind made up.
...
After resting, Tran Mac picked up the wood-chopping knife, took two cornmeal buns, and went up Dai Trach Mountain.
Having come to the mountain every day for a period to catch insects, Tran Mac was also familiar with the path, heading deep into the mountains.
However, compared to the outskirts of Dai Trach Mountain, the deeper one went, the more complex the mountain terrain became. Perhaps very few people had been inside; there wasn't even a path leading in. Tran Mac needed to clear it himself.
After wandering for over half a shichen (one hour), Tran Mac finally discovered prey: it was a Grey Fox.
However, that fox also discovered Tran Mac. After one glance, it ran off without looking back.
Later, Tran Mac also discovered wild hares and Foolish Roe Deer.
Without exception, these animals all ran when they saw him. And their speed, Tran Mac fundamentally couldn't catch up.
After all, his strength was in his saber technique, not speed.
Encountering this kind of animal that fled upon seeing him, Tran Mac had no solution; he wasn't an archer.
He needed to find the kind that wouldn't run upon seeing him, that would charge up and fight him head-on. Only then would his saber technique have a place to be used.
Suddenly, he heard a roar from ahead. Quietly sneaking over to take a look, he immediately swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Only to see in the bushes, a White Tiger with upturned eyes had pounced on the Foolish Roe Deer Tran Mac discovered earlier, its fangs biting through the roe deer's blood vessels.
Its fur was grizzled, with clear black stripes. From head to tail, it was about eight or nine chi long. It slightly loosened its shoulders, tightly biting the Foolish Roe Deer.
A layer of cold sweat instinctively broke out on Tran Mac's back. This tiger was much fiercer than those he had seen in zoos.
Wu Song could fight this thing?
And that tiger seemed to have discovered him too. It released the roe deer, turned its head. A pair of green eyes shot out a fierce light, its mouth bloody, letting out a low growl.
Tran Mac's expression changed; he gripped the wood-chopping knife in his hand tightly.
Fortunately, having caught its prey, it didn't launch an attack on Tran Mac, but carried the roe deer and left.
After the tiger left, Tran Mac's legs felt a bit like jelly, his palms soaked with sweat.
After all, he had no actual combat experience. For his first actual combat, he didn't want to face this thing. One careless move, and his old life would be forfeit.
After calming down, Tran Mac quickly left this area.
Tigers have a sense of territory, and a very strong one at that. Tran Mac didn't dare stay long.
After spending another half a shichen, the two cornmeal buns were also finished.
Tran Mac finally discovered his target.
Only to see less than ten meters ahead, a wild boar with tusks, weighing at least three hundred jin, was scratching its itch against a tree. As it continuously rubbed, that pine tree swayed back and forth.
Before transmigration, he had heard his father say that before wild boars became protected animals, his father had hunted them.
Wild boars, under normal circumstances, will not attack humans, only when they feel threatened or in danger.
He also told Tran Mac, if encountering a wild boar, must maintain distance with it, especially leave its path forward open, to prevent provoking it.
And Tran Mac precisely wanted to provoke it, to prevent it from running away.
He directly blocked its path forward, and at the same time picked up a dry branch from the ground, hitting it on its head.
Then strode towards the wild boar.
The wild boar was enraged. Especially since this Two-Legged Beast dared to provoke it. It stopped rubbing against the tree, spread its legs, and charged towards Tran Mac...