Chapter 27: The Snow-Covered Hunt
Chapter 27: The Snow-Covered Hunt
The hunt for the white fox had begun, and Lady Dan's party seemed to be having a stroke of good luck. As they traveled eastward, they found a rabbit caught in a snare trap. Two hours later, even Lady Dan's tracking skills proved successful. When they reached the easternmost point of their journey, she drew her bow and released another arrow.
The arrow whistled through the air, and within minutes, Lady Dan retrieved a small thief that had stolen her prey from the ground. It was an adorable white ermine, and its cuteness seemed to have touched the female hunter's heart, for she spared its life and added it to her bag.
The trio then turned back and headed west. Around three or four in the afternoon, their footsteps slowed to a halt once more. This time, a frozen river blocked their path. It should have been like a massive mirror stretching across the forest, but the recent snowfall had gently blanketed it with a soft, white fur rug. The silent trees on both banks were also cloaked in silver.
Occasionally, the branches trembled in the cold wind, shaking the branches and scattering snowflakes that formed tiny snowballs, creating trails of smoky beauty as they drifted across the river.
"Listen up, kid. We're not crossing here," Lady Dan said as she began to detour, explaining, "In winter, you might think the river is frozen solid, and you can just run across it. But some spots are still quite fragile, and you could easily fall into the river. If you're even more unlucky and get trapped under the frozen water... trust me, no one in our town can escape that, except for Uncle An Rui and his disciples."
"And with the river surface free of trees, you'll be easily spotted by dangerous creatures. It's crucial to hide your tracks when hunting."
As Lady Dan patiently explained, they began their journey back to town. They weren't far from it.
To make crossing the river easier, a felled log lay across the river, serving as a bridge. However, the recent snowfall had made the log treacherous.
Although the log's surface had been flattened, the snow and the melting and refreezing of some snowflakes had turned the entire log bridge into a slippery hazard.
Lady Dan had no doubts. Anyone with slightly less balance would surely slip and fall!
"Come on! Climb on!"
Before Linsey could react, Lady Dan lifted both Linsey and Ju with ease, as if carrying two sacks of grain. She strode across the slippery log with agile steps.
The entire process was incredibly smooth, as if the frozen tree trunk had transformed into a stable bridge.
During this, Lady Dan took the opportunity to promote her skills:
"Look, my legs are so steady that even carrying a wild boar wouldn't be a problem. It's all thanks to my hunting techniques!"
Even her son, Ju, felt embarrassed:
"Mom!"
"Hahaha!" Lady Dan laughed heartily, her face radiant with happiness.
She quickly crossed the log bridge and set Linsey and Ju down, ready to continue toward the town.
However, after taking only a few dozen steps, Lady Dan's expression suddenly turned serious.
She raised her right hand, signaling Linsey and Ju to stay put, and then she moved to the left.
Linsey watched as Lady Dan approached a birch tree and kicked away a pile of snow, revealing a dark object on the ground.
At this point, Lady Dan stopped all movement and stood silently.
Her figure seemed to exude a sense of depth.
Linsey wanted to go and check, but remembering his promise to obey commands, he suppressed his curiosity and waited patiently.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Ju whispered, standing beside Linsey.
"Dan suggested we wait, she must have her reasons. Let's wait here."
Ju nodded in agreement, remaining silent.
After a while, the female hunter turned and waved them over.
"You two, come here."
Only then did Linsey lead Ju over.
Amidst the crunching snow, they saw a person's head buried beneath the snow that Dan had kicked aside. Someone had died in the forest and was buried under the snow!
"A dead body? But..."
Linsey was momentarily speechless.
How could they stumble upon a human corpse during a routine hunting lesson?
Dan began to explain, "This guy is named Rezz. He ran out of town the night before the snowfall and even left a dramatic farewell letter."
Why would someone venture into the wilderness alone in winter?
Linsey couldn't fathom the reason for such an action and could only attribute it to the peculiarities of this world.
"Was he an Awakened too?"
"Did he come out to search for food or wood because there wasn't enough at home?"
Dan shook her head. "He was just an ordinary person."
This made Linsey even more perplexed.
"Then why did he come to a place like this?"
"Because he missed home," Dan slowly turned her head towards the distant east, obscured by the forest, "There are always people who can't endure the torment of loneliness. They believe that as ordinary people, they won't attract the attention of beasts, so they try to cross the Black Mountain to return to their homeland."
"And what happened?"
"He couldn't even survive a regular winter night and died in this godforsaken place."
"..."
Linsey fell silent, unable to speak.
Over the past few days in town, he had learned that many people in the frontier town yearned to go home.
The homesickness that had brewed for ten years could not be taken lightly.
However, Linsey didn't find the man's death foolish or reckless.
Because in his plan, just like the dead man on the ground, he also had the ambition to break through the Black Mountain and leave the distant frontier!
It was then that Linsey noticed a blind spot:
"Wait, Dan!"
"But this place is so close to town, how could he freeze to death here?"
The female hunter, reminded by Linsey, also realized her oversight.
She quickly crouched down and swept away more snow from the body.
The fully exposed abdomen of the corpse revealed several conspicuous penetrating wounds, with some ice chunks still frozen in place.
Dan immediately recognized the culprit behind these injuries, and Linsey, standing beside her, also realized it. They almost spoke in unison:
"Ice Spikes! A beast's magic!"
Without hesitation, the female hunter activated her technique.
She crouched before the corpse, her fingers gently brushing over the wounds, and her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings like arrows.
"He was attacked by a beast but managed to survive initially. He fled back across the log bridge and eventually collapsed here, buried by the snow."
Dan shared her observations while straightening the corpse's appearance.
She wanted to say more, but her movements froze once again.
"Hmm?"
The female hunter stood up abruptly, her gaze fixed on the other side of the ice river they had just crossed.
"I sense the essence of source!"
Dan immediately retrieved her wooden bow from her back, nocking an arrow with her right hand, ready to shoot at any moment.
But after a few seconds, there was no movement across the river.
The danger signal, the corpse not far from the village, the essence of source belonging to a beast...
The female hunter couldn't ignore these three factors combined.
So she immediately took action, walking back towards the log bridge they had crossed, while loudly instructing Linsey behind her:
"Linsey, you and Ju stay here and watch over this body!"
"Remember, no matter what, do not cross the river."
"If anything happens, run towards the town immediately!"
(End of Chapter)
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