All Heavens Strategy Game

The cold wind felt like a knife, stinging my face.

Su Ming walked slowly along the village's snow-covered path, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

One moment it's Su Wangba's timid yet ultimately resolute face,

One moment it's the stubbornness that village chief Su Dashun is forcing through his cloudy old eyes, and the deep sorrow hidden within.

The lump in his chest didn't dissipate; instead, it grew heavier and heavier, making it hard for him to breathe.

He has to do something.

This thought took root and sprouted in my heart like a seed, becoming clearer and stronger.

It's not about proving anything, nor is it about making amends—how can a human life be compensated for?

He simply felt that he had to do something for this village, for those who had protected him in such a tragic way.

What can we do?

He doesn't have much money.

Most of the money earned from selling deer and sheep hides was used to buy medicinal herbs, bows and arrows, and broadswords.

The remaining amount was barely enough for the family to make ends meet until spring.

He had no power or influence.

He is still too young now, just a thirteen-year-old boy, but he is strong and good at archery, and has some prestige among the young people in the village.

Once he left Sishui Village, who would recognize him, Su Sanlang?

They can't provide money, food, or any tangible, immediate benefits.

In the short term, it seems there's only one thing he can do.

Su Ming's gaze involuntarily drifted past the low houses and landed on the distant mountain shadow that appeared as a massive and menacing silhouette in the dim light of day—Xiao Chongshan.

wolves!

The thought struck him like a cold bolt of lightning, cleaving through his chaotic thoughts.

The villagers rely on the mountains for their livelihood.

In winter, men go into the mountains to gather firewood, women and children dig for wild vegetables and collect dry branches, and hunters set traps to catch small animals.

Xiaochongshan is the lifeblood of the people of Sishui Village; it is one of the few sources of income they can count on in this barren land.

But now, wolves occupy that place.

Like an invisible fence, a death fence dripping with saliva and flashing green light, it completely cut off this path to survival.

This is not just a current predicament.

The news Su Dalv brought back echoed in his mind: more than a dozen wolves! And a silver-white wolf king, more than ten feet long!

Such a large den of wolves, with more than a dozen mouths waiting to be fed.

How long can the few creatures that survive winter on Little Chongshan Mountain—frozen rabbits, hiding pheasants, and lucky deer and sheep—hold on?

Ten days?

Half a month?

Where will a pack of wolves, starving to death, rush next?

The answer is self-evident.

Can those barricades and traps at the village entrance stop three or five stray wolves, or a dozen hungry wolves led by a wolf alpha?

Su Ming's heart sank little by little.

The wolf pack problem must be solved!

This became the most direct and practical thing he could think of to do for the village.

The image of that giant silver wolf appeared in his mind.

Its body, over three meters long and stronger than a calf, stands in the snow like a moving hill.

His cold, dark eyes gleamed with a ghostly light in the darkness.

There's also that cunning, almost demonic, shrewdness—feigning laziness, launching coordinated attacks, and luring the enemy into a feigned retreat…

The mere memory made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

The wolves in this world are like spirits and monsters. He had never seen such large wolves on Earth.

If you can,

He really wanted to kill the wolf.

First, solve the wolf problem.

Secondly, they can sell meat and skin.

But he immediately dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed his mind.

too difficult!

Almost impossible.

In open terrain, with the help of bows and arrows and the terrain, one might be able to maneuver for a while.

But in the mountains and forests—that's the wolf's domain.

Dense forests, snow-covered slopes, steep slopes, and jagged rocks... every place could harbor deadly dangers.

He had witnessed the wolf king's speed before; it was as fast as a ghost, and his arrows might not be able to catch up.

Not to mention its cunning, which is no less than that of a human, and the dozen or so equally ferocious guards around it.

Venture deep into the wolf's den to hunt down a wounded king of beasts?

That's no different from sending someone to their death.

"Since we can't kill it, perhaps we could try to drive it away?"

Su Ming's eyes lit up slightly.

Killing them is difficult, but if you can just drive them away...

The difficulty level suddenly dropped by several levels.

Wolves are intelligent animals, and they also seek advantage and avoid harm.

They need a safe nest and plenty of food.

If we can make them realize that staying on Little Chongshan is not worth the risk, and that the benefits far outweigh the risks, perhaps...

The message brought back by Su Dalv flashed by again: the wolf king was injured, with a wound on his left hind leg, as if he had been stabbed by a wild boar's tusk.

"Being injured... is an opportunity."

Su Ming muttered to himself, his eyes gradually sharpening.

The wolf king is the backbone and soul of the wolf pack.

Its injury means that the wolf pack's fighting ability and cohesion will be affected.

Moreover, the injury needs time to heal.

Su Dashun once said that for a wolf king with his physique, such an injury would heal completely in a month or two.

One month!

In other words, he only has a one-month window of opportunity!

We must find a way to drive them out of Little Chong Mountain before the wolf king recovers from his injuries and the wolf pack returns to its strongest state!

Thinking of this,

Su Ming felt a long-lost sense of urgency, mixed with a heavy responsibility, pressing down on his shoulders.

He quickened his pace and headed home.

"Go back and break through your cultivation level. The stronger you are, the greater your chances of success."

As he approached his doorstep, a figure made him pause – it was his neighbor, Aunt Shitou.

She wasn't inside the house, nor was she working; she just stood there, lost and dejected, inside the low walls of her own courtyard, gazing at the gray sky.

"Aunt Shitou?" Su Ming stepped forward and called softly.

Aunt Shi seemed startled, then quickly came to her senses. Seeing that it was Su Ming, she smiled and said, "It's...it's Sanlang. No, it's nothing, Auntie's fine. I just...I just wanted to get some fresh air here, it's stuffy inside."

Looking at her face, which was blue from the cold, and sensing her dejected mood, Su Ming realized that perhaps things were not going well for her family.

"Aunt Shitou," Su Ming's voice was slow but earnest, "If you have any difficulties at home, or if you are short of anything, don't be shy, just come to my house and tell me. I have some venison, which is perfect for nourishing children. Little Shitou is growing taller, so he should eat more."

Mentioning Little Stone, Aunt Stone smiled and said, "Oh...oh, good boy...Auntie...Auntie knows."

She didn't say anything more, turned around and hurriedly pushed open the door, hiding in the dark room. No one knew what she was thinking.

"I'll ask Mom about Aunt Stone another day..." Su Ming turned around and strode towards home.

Back in his own yard, he bolted the door, went to his room, walked to the corner, and picked up the jar that still contained a little bit of deer blood wine.

The jar was icy cold to the touch.

The original plan was to proceed slowly and steadily.

Take a small cup every day, and slowly refine it with Xingyi Gong. Over a month, fully absorb the medicinal power and build an incredibly solid foundation, without wasting a single drop.

This is the safest and most profitable way.

But... there's no time left.

The wolf king's injury will only give him one month.

He needs power, he needs to break through as soon as possible, he needs to have enough power to threaten or even drive away the wolf pack!

Wasting some of the medicine's potency?

I can't worry about that anymore.

"I'm so close to breaking through; this last half-jar of wine should help me..."

Su Ming pulled out the stopper.

The rich aroma of herbs mixed with the pungent scent of strong liquor wafted through the air, particularly clear in the cold air.

Without the slightest hesitation, he tilted his head back and held the wine jar in both hands—

"Gulp, gulp, gulp..."

He downed the rest of the deer blood wine in one gulp!

The spicy, scalding liquor, like a burning fuse, rushed from my throat straight to my stomach, leaving a searing sensation wherever it went.

Immediately, the fire line exploded.

The drug's potency, several times stronger than any before, surged through his body like a burst dam or an erupting wildfire.

A warm sensation spread through my muscles, bones, and internal organs.

Fine wine!

Su Ming immediately sat down cross-legged, palms facing upwards, and began to fully circulate his Xingyi Gong.

The internal energy surged at an unprecedented speed, like a river driven by a gale, attempting to guide and tame this violent force.

Gradually, sweat poured out like syrup, instantly soaking through his single layer of clothing. With the help of this force, Su Ming began to break through the Xingyi Gong.

Once, twice, three times...

We are getting closer and closer to that limit.

at last,

Fourth charge!

"boom--"

It felt like a thunderclap exploding inside my body.

The fortress-like barrier was completely breached.

The surging medicinal power seemed to have found an outlet, instantly pouring into and expanding countless meridians, vast and boundless, flowing endlessly.

The originally violent and scorching power, guided by the breakthrough technique, quickly transformed into a warm and abundant energy, settling in the dantian like spring water, and then slowly spreading out to nourish every inch of flesh and bone.

The pain receded like the tide.

Instead, there is an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and power.

[Xingyi Gong: Proficient 1/200]

Become!

Su Ming slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

The breath was long and deep, condensing into a nearly two-foot-long white arrow of air in the cold air. It shot out with a "whoosh" and lingered for a long time.

He opened his eyes.

In the darkness, a glint of light seemed to flash briefly in the depths of his pupils before returning to calm.

But his overall demeanor subtly changed. He lost some of his youthful naiveté and gained a more steadfast and grounded presence, like a mountain.

He clenched his fist.

The knuckles crackled like popping beans.

A surge of overwhelming power flowed through his body. He felt as if his arms possessed the strength to shake a boulder. After a quick assessment, he knew that the strength in his arms had probably exceeded 500 jin!

My arm strength increased from 300 jin to 500 jin!

Even a casual punch can create a whooshing sound.

Even more amazing is breathing.

With each breath, long and deep, it seems to resonate subtly with the surrounding environment.

Breath is inhaled through the mouth and nose, sinks into the dantian, circulates throughout the body, and is then slowly exhaled, forming a perfect cycle.

My internal organs felt warm and full of vitality. All the previous fatigue and minor injuries were swept away, and I felt better than ever before.

"Let's test your knife skills..."

Without taking the time to fully appreciate the changes after his breakthrough, Su Ming grabbed the broadsword lying beside the kang (a heated brick bed) and went into the courtyard.

The snow shone brightly, and all was quiet.

He lowered his body slightly and began to practice slowly, following the steps of the Five Elements Sword Technique.

Chop, hack, flick, hang, smear...

The moves are still the same, but the feeling is completely different when they are used now!

The sound of the blade cutting through the air was even sharper and faster, less deliberate and more natural.

The blade seemed to be an extension of the arm; wherever the mind directed, the blade pointed, moving with perfect fluidity and power, without any hesitation.

Each strike carried a deep and concentrated force, as if it could cut through the cold air in front of it and shatter invisible obstacles.

After completing a round of swordplay, he stood still, resuming his stance.

Su Ming made a clear judgment: "His strength... has increased by at least more than double!"

If before, when facing that wolf king, he only had the confidence to rely on his bow and arrows and the terrain to maneuver and find an opportunity to escape, now, with the strength, speed, longer breath, and more precise control over his body after the breakthrough, he has the confidence to hold his own for a short time and even find an opportunity to counterattack, even in close combat!

Of course, victory will still be difficult.

The wolf king's size, strength, speed, and terrifying fighting instincts remain a huge threat.

But at least, they are no longer helpless, no longer forced to flee in a sorry state!

That's enough.

The night was deep and all was quiet except for the whistling of the cold wind sweeping through the courtyard. Su Ming returned to the house and was preparing to take a short break to consolidate and digest his rapidly increasing cultivation when his ears suddenly twitched slightly.

An extremely faint sound, almost completely masked by the wind—

It was the "crunch" sound of snow being gently trampled underfoot.

It was very light and very cautious, but it definitely existed.

It's right outside the courtyard wall!

"Hmm? A thief or... a beast?"

Su Ming instantly became alert. He quietly moved to the window, hiding his body in the shadow of the wall, leaving only one eye exposed, and peered out through the gap in the window paper.

The moonlight was dim, and the snow reflected a faint white light, making the courtyard appear hazy.

A thin, hunched figure was seen clumsily and laboriously trying to climb over the low wall of his house.

The figure moved clumsily, even somewhat frantically, using both hands and feet, and almost slipped several times. It was neither the nimbleness of a seasoned thief nor the agility of a wild beast.

Is it... Aunt Stone?

Su Ming was stunned.

It's so late, and it's freezing cold. What is she doing climbing over the wall to get in here?

Borrowing grain?

But I clearly told her to come and pick up the meat during the day...

Just as he was wondering, the figure staggered in, landing on what seemed to be frozen clods of earth. He twisted his ankle and let out a suppressed cry of pain.

She leaned against the wall, took a few breaths, and then, as if she had made up her mind, raised her head and stumbled straight towards Su Ming's window.

Su Ming hesitated for a moment before not immediately asking a question.

He wanted to see what Aunt Stone was up to.

Aunt Stone walked to the window and stood in the cold wind for a moment, her thin figure shivering slightly.

She seemed to have mustered all her courage, and with trembling hands, she reached out and pushed open the window that wasn't properly secured from the inside.

"Squeak—"

The sound of the window hinges turning was particularly jarring in the still night.

The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, instantly poured into the warm room.

Su Ming, who had been pretending to be lying in bed and just waking up, asked, "Who is it?"

By the moonlight, Aunt Stone finally saw Su Ming sitting up.

Her face appeared unusually pale in the dim light, and her eyes were filled with intense struggle, unspeakable shame, and a sense of despair, as if she had nowhere else to turn and was on the verge of collapse.

Eyes facing each other.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next second—

A muffled "thump" was heard.

Aunt Stone knelt directly on the cold, hard ground and kowtowed heavily and without hesitation to Su Ming!

His forehead slammed into the hard, muddy ground, producing a dull thud that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Sanlang...Sanlang!" She raised her head, her forehead already smeared with mud, and tears streamed down her dirty cheeks like a burst dam. "I beg you...I beg you to avenge me!"

revenge?