Ever since the first day he ventured into the mountains alone and tasted success.
In the past, Gu Sheng would head into the mountains once every three or four days. Of course, most of the time it was a solo trip.
Occasionally, he would collaborate with other hunters. After all, when it came to large prey, even if Gu Sheng managed to catch it, it would be difficult for him to carry it back alone.
But nowadays, Gu Sheng only chose to enter the mountains when Gu Erniu was available—keeping the profit within their circle.
Gu Erniu's trips into the mountains had also become increasingly frequent.
With the arrival of autumn, the prey had grown fat, with a single catch worth double that of spring.
Moreover, to save money for Gu Wan, Gu Erniu had been working diligently.
In the blink of an eye.
A month had passed.
During this time, Gu Sheng had greatly grown.
Gradually familiarizing himself with the mountain's environment, Gu Sheng had begun venturing deeper into Cang Mountain. His mastery of archery had made him as agile as a fish in water, with success rates far surpassing other hunters.
He almost never returned empty-handed.
And not just that.
He often managed to hunt medium-sized prey like roe deer, wild deer, and wolves, earning abundantly—so much that many hunters were envious.
Fortunately, Gu Sheng was humble and low-key.
Sometimes, he partnered with other hunters, sharing some of the profits. Plus, Gu Erniu's high reputation among hunters ensured that there was no hostility or exclusion toward Gu Sheng despite their jealousy.
This was only natural. To many hunters, Gu Sheng was akin to a god of wealth.
If they ventured into the mountains with Gu Sheng, unless there were absolutely no traces of prey, they would rarely leave empty-handed.
Gu Sheng had gradually revealed archery skills surpassing those of Gu Erniu, astonishing everyone.
His reputation was steadily rising.
If not for his young age, becoming the leader among the hunters of Gu's Manor would have been a matter of time.
But Gu Sheng didn't care about such matters.
Maintaining good relations with the other hunters was merely to smooth his hunting trips, to live more comfortably, and to avoid wasting energy on trivial matters.
What he cared about more was himself.
He always remembered his goals.
Saving money, mastering martial arts!
As hunting progressed over this period,
Gu Sheng's wealth had begun to grow visibly. He now possessed five taels of silver in cash alone—an amount that exceeded the savings of most residents of Gu's Manor.
But Gu Sheng remained low-key, quietly accumulating his fortune.
And that wasn't all.
Gu Sheng also had some animal hides at home, waiting to be sold on the next procurement trip into the city. They could fetch a good price.
Unlike meat, hides were valued based on their appearance. If the buyer liked them, they could fetch an exceptionally high price.
Although the Manor's estate did purchase hides, most hunters preferred to save up and sell them in Canghe County, where buyers were much more generous.
...
On this day.
Gu Sheng didn't go hunting but stayed at home chopping wood.
A few days earlier.
Gu He had approached Gu Sheng to inform him that the stockpile of chopped wood was nearly sufficient. Considering Gu Sheng often needed to go hunting, Gu He suggested that he resign from the wood-chopping job with a sincere tone.
Gu Sheng pondered briefly and agreed.
Firstly, he felt somewhat apologetic; he had gone into the mountains over ten times in the past month alone.
If this were any other odd job, he would've been dismissed already!
Although Gu He was a steward, he wasn't all-powerful. Other stewards, who didn't get along with him, were around too, so he couldn't act recklessly.
Secondly, Gu Sheng realized that his "Chopping Wood Perfection" was nearly complete. Since the estate didn't require more firewood, he decided to chop some for his own winter use instead. It would be enough to fully ascend to the Perfect realm.
As for what lay beyond the Perfect realm—if further progress were possible—he'd consider it when the time came.
With these considerations.
Gu Sheng resigned from his wood-chopping task. After all, the ten coins he earned were now only a minor matter to him.
For this, Gu He felt somewhat guilty and insisted on inviting Gu Sheng to his home for a meal.
During the visit, Gu Sheng also met Gu He's niece.
Though still young, she was undoubtedly a beauty in the making. Given time, she might even surpass Li Lian in allure.
But Gu Sheng wasn't interested in such matters, leaving Gu He rather disappointed.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Gu Sheng's movements remained swift.
Crack!
Gu Sheng didn't even need to look at the wood. His axe seemed to have eyes, effortlessly splitting the wood into two halves with precision as if measured by a ruler.
Under the sunlight.
Gu Sheng, bare-chested, displayed a lean yet muscular physique. As he lightly swung the axe, his muscles rippled with graceful curves. Sweat dripped, tracing perfect arcs.
Though chopping wood with an axe required more effort, with Gu Sheng's current mastery of Chopping Wood, it was no problem.
Crack!
Crack!
...
The crisp sound of wood splitting grew increasingly rapid. Gu Sheng felt himself entering a peculiar state.
The axe seemed to gather a mysterious power, aiding him as though possessed.
An epiphany struck—he knew he had reached a crucial moment.
Swinging the axe, chopping wood, then swinging again, chopping again…
Gu Sheng's movements became progressively smoother, imbued with an almost artistic beauty. The power on the axe was palpable, developing further.
It was unclear how much time passed.
Suddenly.
Gu Sheng's arms trembled, muscles flexing. He swung the axe lightly, splitting the wood without the slightest resistance—as if cutting through air.
Gu Sheng froze, staring blankly at his hands and the axe, unable to believe that such an effortless strike had been achieved by him.
It was beyond mere perfection, transcendent and seamless. He even doubted whether the wood he'd split was hollow or decayed.
But the two halves of solid wood before him confirmed otherwise.
He even entertained a thought.
With that strike just now, even the hardest ironwood could be split effortlessly!
"Chopping Wood Perfection, finally advanced!"
Gu Sheng's eyes gleamed with delight.
After months of relentless effort, his chopping wood skill had finally ascended to the next realm, as he'd long anticipated. Not hesitating for a moment, he opened his skill panel.
[Name]: Gu Sheng
[Age]: 14
[Realm]: None
[Martial Arts]: Chopping Wood (Effect: First-level Tear), Archery (Great Success 61%)
...
Gu Sheng's archery skills had also reached 61% mastery at the Great Success level, with full mastery likely just a month away. After stepping away from wood chopping, it might require even less time.
But what intrigued Gu Sheng the most.
Was the information accompanying the chopping wood skill.
Effect: First-level Tear!
"Perfection leads to effects? The overwhelming power of my last strike was due to this Tear effect?"
Recalling that extraordinary swing, Gu Sheng felt as if aided by divine intervention, with an unseen force condensing upon the axe. The wood had been effortlessly split, like thin paper being torn!
He struggled to imagine.
If a strike imbued with the Tear effect landed on a person, the result would be horrifying.
He even pondered testing whether this effect could tear through the toughened skin membrane of a Refining Skin Realm martial artist.