Reborn in the Great Northern Wilderness in 1982, I farmed and hunted to support my whole family.

Upon hearing this, the Oroqen women immediately came forward to greet them warmly.

Which village are you from?

"Lijia Village."

"Oh, Lijia Village? It's not close to here. Why did you come all the way to this back mountain by yourself?" the Oroqen woman asked curiously.

Li Mu chuckled and scratched his head: "I heard there were deer in the back mountains, so I wanted to see if I could hunt one and make some wine with its blood. I didn't expect to be so lucky and actually managed to find one. But while I did manage to hunt the deer, I almost got eaten by a black bear."

Upon hearing this, the Oroqen woman looked surprised: "A black bear? You're really brave. Those black bears are not to be trifled with. But you're very lucky to have escaped from their jaws."

Li Mu chuckled, secretly rejoicing in his heart.

If I hadn't been quick-witted, I would probably be eaten by the black bear by now.

The Oroqen woman led Li Mu into the village, arranged a place for him to stay, and sent someone to slaughter a sheep.

Shepherd sat in the house, thick animal hides hanging on the walls, the air filled with the faint aroma of meat and the smoke of burning firewood, and soft hay spread under his feet.

"Brother! He's inside." Ali lifted the curtain and walked in, followed by several Oroqen men dressed in animal skins, hunting knives hanging at their waists, their faces full of bravado. As soon as they entered, they sized up Li Mu.

Li Mu stood up abruptly: "Hello, everyone."

The oldest Oroqen man was over seventy years old, with white hair and beard, but his eyes were bright and piercing, exuding an aura of authority without anger.

He looked Li Mu up and down and nodded: "Hmm, not bad, a young man. Ali, do you think this young man can brew a good wine?"

Ali nodded quickly: "Yes, brother, I just ran into him on the back mountain. He treated us to deer blood wine. The taste was absolutely amazing! It was a hundred times better than the wine we usually drink!"

The Oroqen old man became interested.

"Oh? Deer blood wine? I'd like to try it."

As he spoke, he sat down by the fire in the room and gestured for Li Mu to bring over the wine.

Li Mu had previously divided the contents into two flasks; one flask was finished, and there was still one left.

Li Mu quickly took out a small jar from his cloth bag and handed it to the Oroqen old man.

The Oroqen old man took the small jar and opened the lid: "Goji berries, deer antler, ginseng... the medicinal ingredients in this wine are quite complete."

He brought the jar close to his mouth, took a gentle sniff, and instead of drinking it, set it aside.

"Tell me, what do you want to do in the back mountains?"

Li Mu's heart tightened. He knew this question was difficult to answer, and a slight misstep could arouse the other party's suspicion and hostility. He smiled calmly and said, "Actually, I don't have any particular purpose. I just heard that there are many medicinal herbs in this back mountain, and I want to pick some to take back and brew wine."

The Oroqen old man waved his hand: "I've been dealing with you Han people for quite some time now. How could I not see through your little scheme?"

"Ali said he's seen you twice in the back mountains, and this time he even brought wine, so he must have come prepared. Tell me, who sent you, and what is your purpose in coming to our back mountains?"

The old man was clear-headed, so Li Mu stopped pretending and said straightforwardly, "Brother, to be honest, I did come prepared. But I came to the back mountain not on someone else's orders, but for my own purpose."

The Oroqen old man raised an eyebrow: "Want prey?"

"No, I've heard that you are excellent hunters. I've come here to learn your hunting skills."

Upon hearing this, the old Oroqen man's eyes flashed with surprise, then he laughed heartily and said, "Learn hunting skills? You've got quite the idea, kid."

"The Oroqen people have relied on hunting for generations, living in these mountains for countless years. We are number one, and no one dares to say we are number two. If you want to learn hunting skills, you can."

Li Mu awaited his response; a skill is acquired through apprenticeship, not something that can be mastered overnight. Overjoyed, he quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for taking me in, brother. I will definitely learn diligently and live up to your expectations."

The Oroqen old man waved his hand: "Don't thank me yet, I have some conditions."

"Tell me your conditions, I'll agree to anything," Li Mu assured, patting his chest.

The old Oroqen man looked at him, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "Alright, then I'll get straight to the point. If you want to learn hunting skills from us, you must adapt to local customs and abide by our Oroqen rules."

Li Mu nodded repeatedly: "Of course, I will definitely abide by it."

The Oroqen elder continued, “First, you must respect our beliefs and customs and not offend them in the slightest. Second, you must be diligent in learning and asking questions and not be lazy. Third, the skills you learn can only be used for hunting and must not be used for any other improper purposes.”

Li Mu readily agreed: "Brother, don't worry, I will definitely do it."

"And this wine, you have to send us a pot every five days so we can have a taste. If the wine is good, we Oroqen people will never treat you unfairly."

"Alright! I'll provide plenty of wine! As long as you brothers are willing to teach me hunting skills, I can brew as much wine as I want!" Li Mu patted his chest, looking very generous.

The Oroqen old man laughed heartily and said, "Good! You have guts! I like young men like you. Since that's the case, you're one of us Oroqen from now on. Tell me what you want to hunt?"

"Fox and bear skins, and mink."

"Bear? You dare to think about hunting one? That's not something to mess with. Luckily, there's a dense forest behind the mountain. Come with us now."

The Oroqen elder stood up and led Li Mu and several other Oroqen men into the dense forest behind the mountain. For some unknown reason, the Oroqen people moved silently, their footsteps light and swift, leaving no sound on the snow.

They followed a winding path deep into the dense forest.

After walking for about half an hour, the Oroqen old man suddenly stopped and pointed to a clearing ahead: "Look, that's the black bear's den."

Li Mu looked in the direction the Oroqen old man was pointing, and saw that there was indeed an open space in front of him, piled with withered branches and leaves, and a cave about half a person's height, the entrance of which was covered by some weeds.

"The black bear should not be in its den at the moment. Judging from the messy footprints and the overturned branches on the floor, it has obviously just left."

The Oroqen old man said to Li Mu, "You wait here, we'll go in and take a look."

As he spoke, he led several Oroqen men and quietly approached the cave.

Li Mu stood nervously in place, looking around anxiously.

After a while, the Oroqen old man and several men came out of the cave, carrying a bear cub that had just been captured.