A flame the size of a soybean flickered.
In the dimly lit room, the Liu Family was having dinner.
Compared to other families, the Liu Family's dinner was quite lavish, with both meat and vegetables.
Though it was all just leftovers that Liu Feng's father had brought back from a restaurant, a poor family couldn't afford to be picky.
"That boy Su Mu has a steady personality. I was hoping he'd become a constable so he and Feng'Er could look out for each other. But I didn't expect him to be so cautious he'd let a golden opportunity slip by."
Liu Hai said, "Since he doesn't want to be a constable, then forget it."
"What a pity. The young man is handsome and hardworking. If he'd become a constable, he would have been a good match for our Hongyu."
Liu Feng's mother said with a touch of regret.
At the dinner table sat a girl of sixteen or seventeen. She was quite pretty, with a valiant air about her.
"It's a shame the South City Bureau doesn't hire female constables, or I would have tried out myself."
Liu Hongyu said, "A grown man who doesn't even have the courage to try isn't a worthy match."
She, Liu Hongyu, was literate and quite attractive. Even if she didn't marry into a powerful family, she would at least marry a handsome and promising talent.
'That Su Mu may have been born with good looks, but he's content with mediocrity. He doesn't even dare to seize an opportunity when it's right in front of him. A man like that... better to forget him...'
The Liu Hai couple shook their heads. "Let's not talk about outsiders. Eat."
"Once Feng'Er officially becomes a constable at the South City Bureau, we'll keep an eye out for a suitable family. We can't let Hongyu down,"
Liu Hai said.
...
WHOOSH!
A woodcutter's hatchet flew several yards, accurately striking a running wild rabbit.
The sharpened blade split the rabbit's head in two.
The rabbit stumbled forward a few more steps before collapsing to the ground with a THUD.
Only then did Su Mu lower his arm from the throwing motion.
When hunting, a bow and arrow were actually the most suitable tools.
But Su Mu had no bow, no arrows, and no knowledge of archery.
That was why he had devised this technique of throwing his hatchet.
Perhaps because he had a foundation in saber techniques, after more than half a month of practice, he could hit his target almost every time within thirty yards.
However, this little trick was only good for hunting wild rabbits; it wouldn't work on larger beasts.
"My luck is pretty good today."
Su Mu took the sack from his back and placed the rabbit's carcass inside.
Including this one, he had caught a total of five wild rabbits today.
'If I sell these rabbits, I should have almost enough to buy a common Sang Wood Bow,' Su Mu calculated inwardly.
These past few days, he had been studying the functions of his panel and had made an unexpected discovery.
The rate at which a profession generated Identity Points wasn't fixed.
To put it simply, his current status was a commoner, and his profession was Hunter. He originally thought his Identity Points would increase by one point each day.
And at first, that was indeed the case.
Later, as his hunting skills became more and more proficient, although no new identity appeared on the panel, he discovered that what was once a gain of one point per day had become three points every two days!
His identity hadn't changed, nor had his profession, but the rate at which he gained Points had.
After thinking it over, Su Mu finally came to a conclusion.
Even among Hunters, there was a difference between a good Hunter and a mediocre one.
The better he performed in a profession, the faster his Points would increase!
Simply put, Identity Points were divided into a "base salary" and a "performance bonus."
The "base salary" was the income he received daily for doing nothing, while the "performance bonus" was directly related to how well he did his job.
After reaching this conclusion, Su Mu secretly resolved that even as a Hunter, he had to be the best Hunter!
Over two hours later, Su Mu left the merchant shop with a pained expression, a common Sang Wood Bow in his hand.
This Sang Wood Bow had cost him a full six taels of silver!
Fortunately, the shop had thrown in ten Feathered Arrows, which made him feel a little better.
Otherwise, having to spend more money on arrows would have felt like cutting out a piece of his own heart.
"With a bow and arrows, I can definitely take my Hunter profession to the next level."
Su Mu was filled with confidence.
Returning home, he eagerly began to practice his archery.
SWISH!
He nocked an arrow and fired.
The Feathered Arrow whistled through the air, followed by a THWACK as it embedded itself in the woodshed door, its fletching trembling slightly.
"Hmm."
Su Mu's face was expressionless.
'The form was cool, but the aim needs work. Not a big deal,' he told himself.
He had been aiming for the scholar tree five paces away.
The woodshed door was about two paces to the left of the tree.
The twang of the bowstring and the thud of arrows hitting wood echoed alternately through the dilapidated little courtyard.
For the entire night, Su Mu shot arrow after arrow.
By the end, both of his arms were trembling as he drew the bow.
His shots grew wilder and wilder.
He had to accept a certain fact.
His talent for archery was... average.
'Diligence can make up for a lack of talent,' Su Mu muttered to himself. 'Even if my aptitude is only average, as long as I practice relentlessly, I'll definitely become the best Hunter!'
Lying on his bed, exhausted, he subconsciously summoned his panel for a look.
It was something he did every night before falling asleep.
The next moment, Su Mu shot up, his face filled with pleasant surprise.
[Name: Su Mu]
[Identity: Hunter (Commoner)]
[Points: 57]
[Martial Arts: Submerging Wave Saber Technique (Initiate), Archery (Uninitiated/+)]
A new entry had appeared on the panel!
Archery!
He had just been randomly practicing archery all night, yet the panel had actually recognized it as a martial art.
'Sharpening the axe doesn't delay the chopping. To become the best Hunter, how can I lack archery skills that never miss?'
Su Mu thought to himself. With a mental command, he focused on the "+" behind Archery.
HUMMM!
10 Points were instantly consumed.
In their place, countless images flooded into Su Mu's mind.
In those images, he held a longbow, constantly drawing and firing, drawing and firing.
Practicing through the dead of winter and the height of summer.
He had no idea if he'd shot thousands or tens of thousands of arrows; converted to silver, the cost would have been astronomical.
Every scene felt as if he were there, a genuine personal experience.
But all these experiences were crammed into Su Mu's mind in a single instant, allowing him to traverse a path that would take others months, or even years.
Archery: Initiate!
Su Mu sat on his bed, casually grabbing the Sang Wood Bow and picking up a Feathered Arrow with his fingers.
SWISH!
His movements were as practiced as a seasoned veteran's. The instant the bowstring twanged, the Feathered Arrow was already embedded in the door panel.
Archery at the Initiate level meant he would not miss within twenty paces.
Su Mu suppressed his excitement and tried a few more shots.
As expected, his accuracy had improved dramatically.
Within the confines of his room, he could be said to hit whatever he aimed at, never missing a shot!
At this level, he was definitely one of the top one or two archers among the Hunters of Wuling City.
'Among the Hunters of Wuling City, there are probably very few whose archery surpasses mine now. Even if I'm not the absolute best Hunter in Wuling City, I should be one of the best.'
Su Mu thought to himself, 'I wonder how many Points I'll gain each day now.'
Merely having a professional skill didn't change the rate at which he gained Points.
This was another piece of wisdom Su Mu had figured out.
For a few days, he had stayed home practicing his saber technique instead of going out to hunt, and during that time, his Points hadn't increased at all.
Slacking off was not an option. Only by actually hunting would the panel recognize his Hunter profession.
Otherwise, even if his archery became the best in the world, the panel wouldn't consider him the best Hunter.
'Tomorrow, I'll go hunt for a day and see how many Points an outstanding Hunter like me can earn daily.'
Su Mu thought with anticipation as he gradually drifted off to sleep.