The peregrine falcon was hopping around Xu Ran joyfully, full of happiness.
Ever since the peregrine falcon learned to fly and hunt, it had been bringing back a fawn from the Great Mountain every day. One day, after tasting roasted venison, it couldn’t stop eating it and wouldn’t even touch raw at anymore.
For a bird of prey surviving in the wild, still not fully grown and intelligent, craving cooked at was unheard of.
But Xu Binghu understood the significance of the peregrine falcon. With it around, they never had to worry about als, so he took on the task of processing raw at.
Moreover, Xu Ran had already outgrown the need for beast milk and no longer needed Xu Binghu to venture into the Great Mountain daily.
While Xu Binghu and Lian Ji were preparing the venison, the peregrine falcon ca to Xu Ran, opened its beak, and dropped a peach, nudging Xu Ran to indicate he should eat it.
"Do you want to eat this peach?" Xu Ran asked.
The peregrine falcon nodded.
Xu Ran held the peach in his hand, not feeling anything unusual about it. It seed like an ordinary peach, and he then ate it.
Seeing the entire peach eaten up by Xu Ran in no ti, the peregrine falcon showed a satisfied smile.
This peach was actually plucked from the Great Mountain. It wasn’t special in itself, but having grown deep within the mountain, it absorbed a bit of its essence.
After eating it, at most, it could promote blood circulation and remove bruises.
However, if Xu Ran ate such a peach daily, in due ti, his body would undergo a transformation, enabling him to withstand the peculiar fruits from the depths of the Great Mountain.
Just after Xu Ran finished eating the peach, Xu Binghu and Lian Ji ca out with the prepared venison, set up a roasting grill, applied fragrant oil, and lit a fire to start roasting.
Soon, the combination of the fat on the venison and the fragrant oil began sizzling, and a delicious aroma wafted out, causing the peregrine falcon, who was watching intently, to widen its eyes, eager to swallow it right away.
"Don’t rush; wait until it’s thoroughly cooked. Only then will the aroma be truly top-notch!" Xu Binghu said to the peregrine falcon with a calm deanor.
The peregrine falcon nodded, quietly sitting beside Xu Ran, though its throat occasionally let out gulping sounds.
Finally, after a quarter of an hour, the prepared venison was fully roasted, its crispy-yellow surface constantly emitting juice.
Xu Binghu already knew the peregrine falcon couldn’t wait, picked up a small knife, cut off the largest deer leg, and threw it to the peregrine falcon.
The peregrine falcon imdiately stood up, stretched out its beak, and the deer leg landed in its mouth, the aroma bursting forth as it devoured it.
Afterward, Xu Binghu began distributing the at, one piece per person; he’d cut more if needed.
Soon, the noon had passed, and the Xu family’s courtyard was filled with the fragrance. On the ground, piles of bones of various sizes showed clear evidence of a recent gourt feast.
Two-thirds of the fawn had been consud by the peregrine falcon, and most of the remaining third had been eaten by Xu Binghu. Xu Ran and Lian Ji had only eaten a small portion.
There was no choice; Xu Ran was too young, and even if he wanted to eat more, his stomach couldn’t handle it. As for Lian Ji, she was naturally a small eater.
After everyone finished eating, the peregrine falcon opened its beak, picked up so of the bones, and flew towards the Great Mountain.
Otherwise, if word got out that a family of three had consud a whole fawn in a single lunch, it would sound too exaggerated.
"Is Binghu here?"
Suddenly, an old voice ca from the doorway.
Xu Binghu imdiately got up and walked towards the door. As he opened it, he saw the old hunter Qi Lao from Great Wilderness Border Village.
"Qi Lao, what brings you here? Please co in!"
Then he accepted the clothes Qi Lao was holding.
"Qi Lao, why did you co to deliver clothes? We could have just gone to your house to get them ourselves."
Qi Lao’s wife and daughter were the best tailors in Great Wilderness Border Village, sewing clothes for every household.
Moreover, Qi Lao wanted to repay Xu Ran for giving the village the Seven-leafed One-flowered Plant for free, so he had his family make clothes for the Xu Family for free, using the tiger hide brought back not long ago.
As soon as Qi Lao entered, he instinctively sniffed the air, "Hmm... roasted venison, not bad."
Qi Lao praised, unconsciously licking his lips.
"Hehe," Xu Binghu chuckled dumbly, "Qi Lao, not losing your edge, just one sniff and you knew what ga it was."
Qi Lao had been the best hunter in Great Wilderness Border Village back in the day. Even now, though aging, not recognizing the sll of venison would have been unthinkable.
Lian Ji took out a stool, accepting the clothes from Xu Binghu, who helped Qi Lao sit down, then placed a large piece of venison before him.
"Qi Lao, we didn’t know you were coming... so..."
Looking at the large piece of venison, Qi Lao swallowed hard.
He knew that even when he was the best hunter in the village, he couldn’t regularly eat venison. Now, as he aged, with his son not being skilled at hunting, it had been ages since he’d had venison, let alone such a big piece.
"Having sothing to eat is good enough," Qi Lao said as he took the venison, eating and talking, "Ah, my son has no knack for hunting, thirty-sothing and never even brought back a single deer, at most just hares..."
Xu Binghu and Lian Ji said nothing, only listening quietly since it was a family matter. Comnting on it wouldn’t be appropriate.
"Cough, cough..." Qi Lao started coughing as he spoke.
Xu Ran handed Qi Lao a flask of water, suggesting, "Grandpa Qi, please take it slow."
Qi Lao accepted the flask, took a big drink, and after a while, he chuckled.
"Haha, it’s been so long since I had venison, I got choked..." Then he glanced at the Xu Family.
"Your family, Xu Binghu, is exceptional at hunting, bringing a fawn every day. Lian Ji is virtuous, a model for all the won in Great Wilderness Border Village, and Xu Ran is a genius, selflessly providing the Seven-leafed One-flowered Plant to the village."
"Having you all is a blessing for Great Wilderness Border Village."
"You’re too kind, Qi Lao," Xu Binghu humbly replied.
Qi Lao patted Xu Binghu’s shoulder, "Binghu, how much strength do you have now?" Qi Lao suddenly asked.
Xu Binghu looked puzzled, "About 500 jin or so."
Though uncertain why he was being asked, he replied truthfully.
"And how old are you now?" Qi Lao asked again.
"Twenty-three!"
"Twenty-three, 500 jin of strength, just right..."
Qi Lao muttered softly, but Xu Binghu and Lian Ji couldn’t hear clearly. However, Xu Ran caught every word.
Imdiately, Xu Ran’s eyes lit up.
"Could it be that his father had t so conditions? Otherwise, why would he mutter such words?" Xu Ran speculated.
In truth, this was indeed the case.
Qi Lao’s once muddled gaze suddenly brightened, looking at Xu Binghu. He then pulled out a tattered book from his chest pocket and placed it in Xu Binghu’s hand.
"What... what is this?" Xu Binghu asked, looking down at the shabby book.
The cover was worn out beyond recognition, and even the words on the cover were unclear, but they still made out two characters.
Qi Lao slowly spoke, reminiscing about events from thirty years ago.
Thirty years ago, Qi Lao was thirty. He was already the top hunter in Great Wilderness Border Village. While he couldn’t catch a fawn every day, he managed once every half month.
One day, feeling bold, he ventured towards the territory of fierce beasts. Before entering, a figure flew out from inside, and upon checking, he found the person was already dead.
Qi Lao searched the body and found a book, the very one he just handed to Xu Binghu.
Soon after, he heard noises from the fierce beasts’ area, prompting him to hide quickly and witness an unforgettable scene.
Several robust figures flew out, checked the body, confird the death, and left.
When leaving, they too flew away.
This scene etched itself deeply into Qi Lao’s mind.
Upon returning to the Great Wilderness Border Village, he carefully examined the manual. The first page read:
[Body Refining conditions: Bone age under twenty-five, strength reaching 500 jin; otherwise, Qi Blood will boil to death.]
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