Chapter 5: The Grim Reaper Brushes Past! Lu Qingshan's Soul Shatters!

He takes a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Slowly, he pulls the rough yet powerful slingshot from his waist.

He picks up from the ground a stone with sharp edges and a suitable size.

He carefully places it onto the rubber pouch.

Then he turns the slingshot sideways and slowly draws the bowstring.

The fully drawn string emits an extremely faint "creak" sound.

Almost simultaneously, the rabbit jerks its head up, its long ears swiveling warily, and its red eyes flicker with unease.

It senses danger!

It's now!

Lu Qingshan's arm is as steady as a rock, his gaze locked onto the rabbit's plump side profile.

His fingers snap open!

"Whoosh—!"

The stone whistles with a fierce rush of wind, tearing through the air as it shoots out!

Yet, at the instant the stone is about to hit, the rabbit seems to anticipate, leaping sharply to the side! The stone makes a muffled "puff" and embeds deeply in the snow.

A spray of snow froth splatters up.

The startled rabbit bolts on its four short legs, like a gray ball, a headless fly darting into the dense forest ahead!

"Damn!"

Lu Qingshan mutters a low curse, his mind both urgent and irritated.

He's still too nervous; his aim off by more than a hair.

But he does not give up.

At the moment he aimed and fired, Mountain Wild Heart's strange perception seemed to capture the escape route the frightened rabbit would most likely choose!

That's the one!

A slope hidden among a few big trees, a trail with relatively shallow snow!

The thought flashes like lightning!

The rabbit's hind legs powerfully thrust; if it fled up the slope, no one could catch it.

Fortunately, the rabbit's upward escape is blocked by several massive stones weighing tons, a dead end; it can only detour downward, running toward the path at Lu Qingshan's feet.

Almost as a bodily instinct, Lu Qingshan's form plunges down sharply the moment he releases the stone.

He, with a speed wholly different from his earlier clumsiness, swiftly draws the axe at his waist and grips it horizontally.

All this transpires in the blink of an eye, unbelievably fast.

Indeed!

In just a few seconds, the rabbit darts to a spot not far from his feet.

He thumps the rabbit with his left hand.

The panicked rabbit, having not seen ahead, crashes straight into Lu Qingshan's front!

Lu Qingshan lifts his hand and the axe falls!

"Clack!"

A crisp, piercing metallic clang suddenly rings through the silent forest!

The axe flies straight, pierces the rabbit, embeds in a large stone, then bounces back.

Immediately follows a squeaky, mouse‑like scream from the rabbit!

It's done!

Lu Qingshan feels ecstatic, almost leaping at the rabbit with both hands and feet.

In the snow.

The plump hare is pierced by the axe from a hind leg into its belly.

Bright red blood quickly stains the surrounding white.

It still twists, emitting a desperate wail, but all is futile.

Lu Qingshan steps forward quickly, his eyes sharp, ready to finish the rabbit cleanly and neatly.

Yet just as he is only a few steps away from the rabbit—

An extremely intense, ice‑cold, bone‑piercing warning erupts suddenly from the deepest part of his heart!

As if an icy needle had violently pierced his brain!

Mountain Wild Heart screams wildly in his consciousness, issuing an unprecedentedly strong alarm!

Danger!

Fatal danger!

The feeling arrives so suddenly, so terrifying, making every hair on his body stand on end instantly!

He doesn't even have time to consider where the danger comes from; his body is wholly driven by survival instinct!

A terribly clumsy yet incredibly swift lazy donkey rolls!

He lunges into the snow ahead to his side, using all his strength!

"Boom—!"

Almost at the exact moment his body leaves the spot!

A deafening roar suddenly erupts behind where he had just stood!

Directly above his former spot, a massive old pine so wide two people must embrace it, bearing countless days of heavy snow, along with several thick, broken dead branches, crashes down with a thunderous fall!

Like an avalanche, it crashes down!

Heavy snow blocks and broken branches fell from over ten meters up, smashing onto the ground like cannonballs!

They kicked up a vast cloud of drifting snow mist, emitting a terrifyingly deafening, muffled roar!

The surrounding earth seemed to shudder with it!

Lu Qingshan lay in the icy snow, his face splattered with snow foam, his heart pounding, his complexion ashen, and he turned his head back in stunned shock.

A single glance instantly drenched the tattered cotton coat on his back with cold sweat.

The spot where he had just stood was now completely covered by thick snow and snarling broken branches!

It formed a massive snow mound exuding an aura of death!

If his reaction had been half a second slower…

If he hadn't heeded the sudden, frantic warning from Mountain Wild Heart…

At this moment, he was like that fat rabbit, probably already smashed and pierced to death!

Or, in this snowfield, if he had fainted…

Death had just brushed past him!

Cold!

The bone‑piercing chill came not only from ice and snow, but also from the Fear deep within his soul!

He gulped breath after breath, his chest heaving violently like a battered bellows.

The lingering Fear of surviving a disaster clutched his heart like an icy giant hand, nearly suffocating him.

Mountain Wild Heart……

This thing… actually can save a life!

For the first time he realized so clearly and profoundly that this inexplicable ability that had manifested within him could not only help him locate the prey he depended on for survival, but also save his life in such a dire predicament!

This is his greatest reliance in this second life!

His trust and reliance on Mountain Wild Heart, at this moment, surged to the peak!

After the intense palpitations, he slowly, trembling, pulled himself up from the snow.

His gaze became extremely vigilant, carefully observing every rustle of wind and grass around him.

After confirming no immediate danger, he stepped lightly toward the animal trap.

The rabbit was barely clinging to life, collapsed in the snow, only weakly twitching.

Lu Qingshan did not hesitate, his eyes steeled, and he cleanly and decisively dispatched it.

Carrying the heavy, plump rabbit in his hands, Lu Qingshan felt an indescribably complex emotion.

Joy of the harvest.

Deep gratitude for Mountain Wild Heart's life‑saving favor.

And an awe for this seemingly tranquil yet perilously hidden primitive forest.

He no longer greedily pressed further inward.

Today's haul was already sufficient, and the near‑death thrill he had just experienced left him with lingering fear, unwilling to risk again.

He carefully tended the rabbit's leg wound to prevent the scent of blood from attracting other beasts, dried and sheathed his hatchet, clarified his bearings, and began descending the mountain.

His steps down the mountain were far steadier than when he came up.

Not only because he now held a plump rabbit enough for a family of three to eat two meals.

But also because his heart now brimmed with greater confidence and a clear plan for the future.

The newly crafted tool proved effective.

Mountain Wild Heart is the trump card that can save his life in critical moments!

He seemed to already see the light of future hope dispersing the gloom that shrouded his home.

He saw the day when Yue E and Xiao Xue would no longer starve or freeze, their faces showing genuine smiles.

However, just as he was about to leave this dim forest and step onto the familiar path back to the village,

Several figures, bearing unabashed malice, lazily blocked his way.

At the head was the village‑wide despised thug of Shanwan Village—Ma Liu!

Ma Liu still bore the lazy, carefree demeanor typical of a second‑rate loafer.

His black, greasy cotton coat was unbuttoned, revealing an equally filthy lining.

He held a withered yellow grass root in his mouth, cocked his head, his slanted triangular eyes scanning Lu Qingshan with aggressive intent.

His gaze finally fell greedily on the conspicuously plump rabbit in his hand.

Behind him trailed two sharp‑mouthed, monkey‑faced little henchmen, also notorious slackers in the village.

At this moment, the two wore hostile expressions, rubbing their hands, eyes like hungry wolves spotting meat, fixed on the prey in Lu Qingshan's hands.

"Yo, isn't this our Lu Lai… oh, no, look at my stinky mouth, should call me Lu Liehu?"

Ma Liu spat out the withered grass, forced a fake smile onto his face, his tone dripping with unabashed mockery and a sense of entitled greed.

"Fine, Lu Qingshan, you failed the imperial exam, can't return to the city, stuck in our village to marry as a leper, you ought to pay some bride price to our brothers."

"Haven't seen you these past few days, really a bird‑shot turned cannon, you've grown some skill, huh?"

"You can even go into the mountains and hunt rabbits yourself now? Why didn't we see you had this skill before?"

He stepped forward, almost closing in on Lu Qingshan, extended his filthy finger, and pointed at the rabbit in Lu Qingshan's hand still dripping blood.

He lifted his chin slightly, speaking in a tone that was both patronizing and threatening:

"Lucky, huh, kid?" Yet the things in these mountains have always been shared by those who see them.

"Do you understand the rules?"

"Give it to me."

Ma Liu, in a commanding tone, reached out toward Lu Qingshan, rubbing his fingers, his eyes nakedly fixed on the plump rabbit.

Show respect, show respect to my sixth lord and my two brothers—today we'll let this matter pass.

The two lackeys behind him immediately joined in, shouting and stirring up trouble, ill‑intentionedly cracking their knuckles, giving a sinister heh‑heh laugh, faintly surrounding Lu Qingshan in the middle and cutting off his retreat.

A biting cold wind swept over the hill, lifting the snow foam from the ground, swirling and dancing between the few people.

The atmosphere instantly became tense and explosive, filled with the smell of gunpowder.