Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

The next day, before dawn, Li Xiangyang took his tools and went out.

The black cat was already waiting in the yard. When it saw him come out, it immediately jumped lightly onto his shoulder.

He was very clear about his goal when he went into the mountains this time.

Ordinary prey is no longer enough; he needs to find something truly valuable.

But the mountains and forests are not your own backyard; every step is fraught with unknowns and dangers.

Therefore, despite his anxiety, he still tried his best to adjust his mindset.

The wind was biting cold, and the snow in the mountains was thicker than usual.

Li Xiangyang trudged through knee-deep snow, making his way deeper into the mountains.

He walked slowly, testing the depth of the snow with each step.

In this kind of weather, accidentally falling into a snow pit can be a matter of life and death.

The black cat led the way, glancing back at him every now and then.

It knows this mountain forest like the back of its hand and can always find routes with shallower snow.

After walking for about two hours, Li Xiangyang's trouser legs were soaked through with snow water.

He had to stop and take out spare straw leg wraps from his backpack to change into.

This was something his experience had taught him: in this kind of weather, soaked pants would draw away body heat, making a person unable to move.

By the time the sun rose, they had already ventured deep into the mountains.

The trees are denser here, and the snow is thicker.

Li Xiangyang's breath formed white mist in the cold air, and he could feel the muscles in his legs trembling incessantly.

The black cat suddenly stopped, and all its fur stood on end.

Li Xiangyang immediately became alert, slowed his pace, and followed the gaze of the black cat.

In an open area ahead, he saw several faint marks on the snow.

Those are traces of animal activity, but we still need to carefully identify what kind of animal it is.

Li Xiangyang crouched down and carefully examined the marks.

Judging from the size and shape of the footprints, they should be those of a roe deer.

But he did not rashly pursue them.

In this kind of weather, recklessly chasing prey could easily put you in a dangerous situation.

He needs to determine the freshness of these traces and the possible direction the animal may have moved.

Just then, the black cat suddenly pricked up its ears and stared intently at a clump of bushes in the distance.

Li Xiangyang followed its gaze and saw the bushes swaying slightly, and a grayish-brown shadow flashed by.

That wasn't a roe deer, but a large male mink.

This animal is extremely rare in the deep mountains, and its fur is exceptionally precious.

But it's not easy to catch it. Male minks are not only alert but also agile, and they can easily escape if you're not careful.

Li Xiangyang did not act rashly.

He knew that in times like these, patience was more important than anything else.

He slowly crouched down, observing the male sable's movements.

The black cat then silently circled around to the other side, forming a flanking maneuver.

Time passed second by second, and the cold wind stung Li Xiangyang's cheeks.

But he remained motionless, like a statue.

Finally, the male mink seemed to lower its guard and began to focus on searching for food in the snow.

Li Xiangyang slowly raised his hunting rifle.

Just then, the black cat suddenly let out a soft meow, which made the male sable turn its head to look.

At that moment, Li Xiangyang pulled the trigger.

"boom!"

Gunshots echoed through the valley, startling a flurry of snow-covered trees.

The male sable fell to the ground with a thud, its bright red blood staining the surrounding white snow.

The black cat then strolled over leisurely, looking quite smug.

Li Xiangyang smiled and patted its head: "I can't do without you."

After putting away the sable, Li Xiangyang did not rush to leave.

Now that we're here, we should hunt as many animals as possible.

However, he was very physically exhausted and needed to rest and replenish his energy.

Finding a sheltered spot, Li Xiangyang sat down against a large tree and took out some dry rations from his backpack.

The black cat crouched beside him, its eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

In these deep mountains and forests, a slight misstep can turn you into prey for other predators.

After resting, they continued their search for prey.

Having achieved his previous success, Li Xiangyang felt much more relaxed, but he still dared not be careless.

In the mountains, any oversight could lead to disaster.

The sun gradually set in the west, and the sky began to darken.

Li Xiangyang knew that in this kind of weather, he had to leave the deep mountains before dark, otherwise he would easily lose his way.

But he still wanted to find some more prey.

The black cat seemed to understand his thoughts and led him upstream along a stream.

The stream has frozen over, but the sound of flowing water can still be heard beneath the ice.

Animals often come to drink water in these places, leaving traces.

Sure enough, in a spot where the ice was thinner, Li Xiangyang discovered several fresh animal footprints.

Judging from the shape of the footprints, they belong to several snow hares.

To his surprise, among these footprints, there was an even larger hoof print.

“Roe deer,” Li Xiangyang said in a low voice, “and more than one.”

The black cat meowed softly, as if confirming his judgment.

Its tail was slightly raised, indicating a state of excitement.

Li Xiangyang carefully observed the surrounding terrain.

The terrain here is slightly sunken, forming a small puddle.

There should still be some dry grass under the snow, which is exactly where wild rabbits and roe deer like to be.

But direct tracking is not a wise move.

At this point, the best approach is to find a secluded spot and wait for the rabbit to run into the trap.

Li Xiangyang chose a big tree and sat down with his back against the trunk.

The black cat then jumped onto a thick tree branch, gaining a better vantage point for observation.

Waiting is agonizing.

The cold wind relentlessly crept into his collar, and Li Xiangyang could feel his fingers gradually losing sensation.

But he dared not move, not even take a deep breath, for fear of disturbing any potential prey.

Suddenly, the black cat's ears twitched.

Li Xiangyang held his breath, his eyes fixed on the direction of the stream.

Under the moonlight, a roe deer cautiously walked to the edge of a puddle.

It would occasionally look up and peer around, vigilantly observing the movements around it.

Behind it followed two other, slightly smaller roe deer.

Li Xiangyang's finger slowly pulled the trigger, but he did not fire immediately.

Patience is a hunter's most basic quality; he must wait for the best opportunity.

Sure enough, after a while, the largest roe deer seemed to relax its guard and began to dig for dry grass under the snow.

The other two also lowered their heads.

It's now!

Li Xiangyang aimed at the largest one and gently pulled the trigger.

"boom!"

Gunshots shattered the silence of the night.

The large roe deer fell to the ground with a thud, while the other two jumped away in panic, but in their haste, they collided with each other.

Li Xiangyang quickly fired another shot, which also hit the target.

Two roe deer lay on the snow, while the third had already vanished without a trace.

"We've had a very fruitful day," Li Xiangyang said with a smile.

The meat from just these two roe deer is enough to make a lot of money.

But he also knew that it was getting late and he should go back.

He tied the two roe deer together with a rope and carefully wrapped up the male mink's carcass.

Although the trip was arduous, the rewards exceeded expectations.

When he carried the prey on his back, he realized that his legs were already a little weak.

A whole day of trekking and waiting had taken a toll on my energy.

Xuanmao seemed to sense his fatigue, slowing down considerably as she walked ahead, glancing back at him every now and then.

"Don't worry," Li Xiangyang said, panting, "I won't die."

As night fell, they finally emerged from the deep mountains.

The lights of the distant village reflected on the snow, giving Li Xiangyang a sense of warmth.

The day's harvest should be enough to handle the troubles to come.