Chapter 35: Change of Mindset

Gu Sheng had imagined the effects of surpassing "Perfect" would be powerful, but he hadn’t expected them to be this strong!

In that instant, as he gripped the woodcutter’s blade and swung down, he felt as if his strength was about to explode. Li Yan didn’t have even the slightest chance to resist.

And just like that, his head was severed in a bloody strike.

Gu Sheng stared at the headless body in front of him and the mangled flesh that had fallen to the side. A torrent of blood spewed out, dyeing the nearby shrubs red and saturating the air with the overwhelming smell of iron. He could even see the jagged white bones exposed.

That single stroke had shattered even the bones!

He swallowed lightly, feeling nauseous as a wave of complex emotions welled up within him.

In all of his life—both past and present—this was the first time he had killed someone.

The first three hunters weren’t as impactful. After all, they were far away and killed with arrows piercing their throats, clean and instant strikes that lacked such visceral intensity.

But this time, witnessing with his own eyes a blade cleaving a man into two, the visual impact caused Gu Sheng to feel faint.

So brutal.

His right hand, still clutching the woodcutter’s blade, trembled slightly.

For a long while.

Gu Sheng’s gaze gradually cleared.

"If I don’t kill, others will kill me. To survive in this world, sometimes you have to be ruthless."

Gu Sheng’s mindset began to change, with a subtle, indescribable transformation taking place within him.

He wasn’t someone with a fragile heart. If someone threatened his life, Gu Sheng would never show mercy.

He didn’t spare another glance at the corpse beneath him.

Gu Sheng turned his gaze to Gu Erniu and hurriedly ran over to support him. Despite the excruciating pain in his leg, Gu Erniu had forced himself forward, driven by sheer determination not to let Gu Sheng face danger alone.

Now that the fight was over, waves of agony battered him, causing him to tip sideways onto the ground. Sweat as big as beans fell continuously from his forehead.

Yet, the shock and daze in his eyes were unmistakable.

Witnessing Gu Sheng splitting Li Yan into two with a single strike left Gu Erniu gasping in fear, his skin crawling. The scene was far too terrifying. He had seen killing before, but never something so savage and violent.

It was hard to believe that this was done by the young man he had watched grow up—Gu Sheng.

"Asheng... since when did you change so much?"

He couldn’t help but mutter to himself, shivering slightly.

It was a natural reaction.

Fortunately, he quickly snapped out of it. After all, the one who had been cut down wasn’t just anyone—it was Li Yan, the man who had coveted his wife and nearly caused his death.

"Asheng, good strike!"

"Don’t burden yourself with guilt. That bastard Li Yan deserved to die!"

Though rough in appearance, Gu Erniu was careful and perceptive. Laughing heartily, he raised a thumb toward Gu Sheng, who had rushed to his side.

Gu Sheng was slightly stunned, and any lingering tension in his heart faded away.

"Hsss!"

Gu Erniu burst out laughing, only to jolt his wounded left leg, eliciting sharp breaths of pain.

Gu Sheng rushed over, assisting Gu Erniu as he looked at his injured leg with concern, saying:

"Erniu, your leg..."

His left leg had been pierced through by an arrow. In the chaos, Gu Sheng had only managed to cut off the arrow shaft, but now the bloodstains had spread extensively, leaving his entire leg soaked and drenched in crimson.

Gu Erniu gritted his teeth and said:

"It’s fine. The arrow didn’t pierce the bone. Do a quick fix, and let’s get off this mountain fast. The smell of blood is too strong here. If it attracts predators, we’ll be in trouble."

"Asheng, help me remove the arrowhead!"

Gu Sheng wasn’t one to hesitate. He immediately nodded and began by using Gu Erniu’s short knife to shorten the arrow shaft further.

"Erniu, brace yourself."

Before Erniu could respond, Gu Sheng gripped the arrowhead and yanked it out in one swift motion!

"Ah!"

Gu Erniu shouted lowly in pain, biting down hard on the stick in his mouth, leaving deep teeth marks. Beads of sweat rolled off his forehead, soaking his clothes thoroughly.

Blood poured out as Gu Sheng immediately applied prepared medicinal powder to the wound and tightly wrapped it with cloth to stem the bleeding. Gu Erniu let out another pained groan, chuckling bitterly:

"Asheng, you’re ruthless, giving me no time to prepare..."

Gu Sheng couldn’t help but laugh, noting that dilly-dallying would only make it hurt more.

Still, the quick treatment turned out effective.

With the arrow removed and the wound tended, while it still hurt, the bleeding had stopped enough for Gu Erniu to hobble along for now, leaving more thorough treatment for later.

"Let’s head down the mountain!"

"Asheng, gather their bows, short knives, and any other weapons nearby. They’re your spoils of war. Later, we can sell them secretly in Canghe County. Nothing should go to waste."

Gu Erniu instructed.

Gu Sheng nodded without hesitation.

The bodies were left where they were. Nightfall was near, and by dawn, the corpses of these four men would surely be devoured to nothing by wild animals.

Gu Sheng’s footsteps were quick.

He scoured several locations, collecting four longbows and several short blades, and even stumbled upon a wild rabbit. While checking the bodies, his hopes were low, but he tried his luck anyway. As expected, there was nothing valuable.

Who takes silver or jewels when out hunting?

Unsurprised, he wasn’t disappointed.

The weapons alone were a fantastic score. Among the hunters, three carried one-stone bows, while Li Yan’s bow was far superior—even better than Gu Erniu’s, a top-tier two-stone bow.

Gu Sheng’s eyes gleamed with delight.

He returned to where the deer carcass lay, hoisting it onto his shoulders. Though the deer had been partially gnawed by insects, Gu Sheng wasn’t one to waste; he could clean it up properly later.

Gu Erniu watched in amazement.

Gu Sheng carried the deer on his back, five hunting bows strapped to him, loaded to the brim.

Gu Sheng offered a shy smile, but it only made Gu Erniu shudder. He suddenly found it hard to meet that smile directly.

"Let’s take another route down the mountain."

Gu Erniu, experienced and strategic, directed Gu Sheng to a safer path, away from the direction to Gu’s Manor to avoid running into others.

Fortunately.

This time, they made it down safely. Gu Sheng supported Gu Erniu, guiding him down the mountain unscathed.

The last rays of sunlight bathed Cang Mountain in red as Gu Erniu glanced back, his emotions tangled. Never had he faced such peril.

He wondered, if he had truly perished at Li Yan’s hands, how his wife and child would survive in this harsh world. Quietly, he vowed that he must tread carefully henceforth, avoiding unnecessary risks.

The two pressed onward, nearing Gu’s Manor.

Gu Erniu said gravely:

"Asheng, we need to find a spot to temporarily stash these bows and blades. We’ll retrieve them under cover of night to avoid drawing attention. Li Yan has some connections; word is, his sister is married to a martial artist from Li Manor."

"Although that man may not avenge Li Yan, playing it safe won’t do any harm. Today’s events remain between you and me. We mustn’t let a third person find out."

Gu Sheng nodded promptly, having considered the same earlier. Walking openly back to the manor carrying these weapons was too risky.

"Li Yan’s bow is far better than yours. You should keep it for your personal use but make sure to erase anything distinguishing about it. Soon, the manor’s supply team will head into town. When that happens, say the bow was traded for in Canghe County. As for the other bows, we can deal with them gradually later."

Gu Erniu’s suggestion was thorough and aligned perfectly with Gu Sheng’s thoughts.

After finalizing the plan, the two quickly found a small grove nearby. Gu Sheng dug a pit, buried the bows, covered them with soil, and marked the area—all in one efficient sequence.

By the time everything was finished, the sun had fully set.

The two exchanged a knowing smile.

"Let’s head home!"

Gu Sheng supported Gu Erniu as they returned home. Li Lian rushed out in a panic, turning pale at the sight of Gu Erniu’s injury, tears streaming down her face.

Gu Erniu hurried to reassure her:

"It’s nothing, nothing. Just a wolf bite. I just need some time to rest at home. Don’t cry, don’t cry."