Chapter 30: Traveling Light to the South

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten and the sun had not yet risen, Feng Zi had already gotten up.

He re-checked his travel pack and searched the room once more with light, quiet steps.

Confirming that nothing had been left behind, he then shouldered his pack, tucked his quiver into his waistband, and picked up the precious bow on the table.

That said, for this trip to Baishan City to participate in the Martial Examination, Feng Zi had not brought much luggage:

Aside from a few sets of clothes, enough rations for five days, a fire starter, an atlas and a compass, as well as the "Chongming Sword" technique and weapon hidden in his inner lining, there was nothing else.

He had originally thought about whether to leave later and properly say goodbye to his parents, but he later abandoned this idea—

It was just a long journey, after all; no matter what, he would always return in a few years.

Leaving the room with light steps, Feng Zi pushed open the courtyard gate, but then subconsciously turned around, wanting to take one last look before departing at this home where he had lived for fifteen years.

And then he discovered that, he knew not when, his parents were already standing before the window, watching him with moist eyes.

As a Martial Master, had he really not noticed this? Feng Zi would not believe that for a moment.

He looked toward his parents in the house and bowed deeply, only then closing the courtyard gate and turning to leave:

Long before setting out, he had already settled the affairs at home—aside from the reluctance in his heart, he had no regrets.

Walking quickly through the market that had yet to open, before long, Feng Zi arrived at the southernmost side of Wutai County.

The Constables and yamen runners patrolling the street saw his attire and asked one after another, "Martial Master Feng Zi, are you going on a long journey?"

After the Martial Assembly, the name of Feng Zi as "Champion" and "Martial Master" had spread throughout Wutai County; he could now be considered a person of some small fame.

Whenever he heard this question, he would nod slightly and reply, "Yes, it is time for me to head south to join a Martial School."

Just like that, Feng Zi walked out of Wutai County, leaving behind the small world he was familiar with.

As a frontier town of the Great Xia Dynasty, Wutai County was situated among the mountains.

If one wanted to leave here, there was only the mountain road located to the due south, where the terrain was relatively flat.

Feng Zi deliberately slowed his pace, yet it still took him no more than an hour to ascend the mountain peak that an ordinary Martial Artist would take a full day to summit.

At this very moment, the sun was already hanging fully in the eastern sky; he turned around, taking in the entirety of Wutai County at a glance.

To the former Feng Zi, Wutai County was truly large, large enough to contain his entire life.

But in the eyes of the current him, Wutai County was truly small, so small that it seemed a single palm could cover it.

"Goodbye, Wutai County..." looking at his hometown beneath his feet, Feng Zi murmured.

As he spoke, Feng Zi's aura gradually converged, and the Qi and Blood Power displayed by his entire person became increasingly faint—

In just a few breaths, the aura he revealed was no different from that of an ordinary Martial Artist of Great Accomplishment.

As a Human Grade movement technique, Ten Thousand Mile Travel was not just simple training for the legs and feet, but also training for the entire body.

It was precisely during the process of cultivating Ten Thousand Mile Travel that Feng Zi gradually developed this "little trick" of concealing his aura.

If he were still in Wutai County, he naturally would not need to use this method of concealing his aura; after all, the people in the county all knew he was the Martial Master who had won the Martial Assembly.

But the world outside Wutai County was vast, so vast that he had absolutely no concept of it!

Therefore, whether out of the reason to protect himself and not be too sharp-edged, or to lull potential enemies into a false sense of security, Feng Zi had to disguise his true strength.

"Since that is the case, exposing only thirty percent of my true strength should be barely enough..." Feng Zi pondered in his heart.

At the same time, he had also made full preparations, wrapping the body of his precious bow with coarse cloth to disguise it as an ordinary hunting bow.

Seeing that everything was handled properly, Feng Zi set off again and walked toward the mountains.

Just like that, he walked for about another half day.

At this time, Feng Zi was squatting on the branch of a tall, old tree, holding his breath and focusing his attention.

Not far below the tree, an adult stag was lowering its head, grazing on the withered yellow wild grass.

The location of Wutai County was truly too remote, so much so that few itinerant merchants were willing to come here to trade; Feng Zi had not counted on obtaining more food through trade from the start.

Therefore, long before setting out, he had already made a decision:

Hunting!

One had to admit, this was truly a good idea that served two purposes at once—

It could not only obtain the food and resources needed for the journey, but also provide an opportunity to train his archery and add a trump card for himself.

The stag under the tree had not yet noticed Feng Zi's presence; he quietly nocked an arrow on the bow and aimed carefully.

Whoosh—

Accompanied by the sound of the bowstring cutting through the air, the arrow pierced the stag's right front hoof!

But what Feng Zi had aimed for was its head; this result was truly somewhat far from the mark.

The stag felt the pain and, forcibly supporting itself on its bleeding front hoof, ran off into the distance.

"Tsk!" Feng Zi let out a click of his tongue at the outcome being contrary to his wishes, and without hesitation, he jumped down from the tree, his right hand already having drawn three more arrows from the quiver.

Nocking the bow, setting the arrow.

In an instant, in the eyes of the fully focused Feng Zi, the entire world seemed to have slowed down.

He aimed the arrow at the stag's head and released the hand pulling the bowstring without hesitation.

Only hearing three "whoosh" sounds of air being pierced, although the three arrows did not hit the stag's head, they pierced through its body.

Accompanied by the increasingly severe blood loss, the stag's speed also gradually slowed down.

Feng Zi did not let this good opportunity pass, exerted a little force from his waist and abdomen, and caught up to that deer.

Before the deer could counterattack, he used the strength of a Martial Master to knock the stag down and took the opportunity to slit the stag's throat with his hunting knife.

Before long, the life force within that stag gradually faded away, and it stopped moving.

Feng Zi closed his eyes to sense, confirming there was no threat in the surroundings, and only then collected dry branches on the spot to build a simple campfire.

After lighting the campfire with the fire starter, he knelt on one knee beside the stag's carcass and removed the four arrows.

One has to admit, this item was indeed a gift from Lu Hanwen, and its quality was truly not to be underestimated—

Not only were the arrowheads of these four arrows still sharp, but even the arrow shafts had not shown the slightest sign of bending!

Feng Zi wiped the bloodstains off the arrows and returned them to the quiver, only then beginning to skin the stag.

At the same time, he also began to reflect on the lessons from this hunt, thinking to himself:

"As expected, bows and arrows are not the same as ordinary weapons; if one wishes to accurately hit a target, not only is bitter training required, but one must also fully consider various factors."

After reaching this conclusion, Feng Zi made a decision in his heart to conduct archery training every day from now on:

Even if it is just practicing archery against a tree stump, it still has its significance!

While he pondered in his heart, the movements of Feng Zi's hands did not stop—

Half an hour later, he had finished skinning the stag's antlers and hide, and had finished sorting the venison.