Chapter 1

The sky was an impossibly clear blue, and the clouds were as white as cotton candy. Wei Shiqi looked up at the sky, his eyes stinging from the brightness, and thought to himself, this world probably doesn’t have cotton candy.

The mountain wind howled, and the pine waves surged. He grabbed a charred and fragrant wild boar leg from the fire and took a fierce bite. It was a prey he had hunted just a couple of hours ago, a boar about two or three years old. After gutting and cleaning it, he roasted one of its front legs, sprinkled some salt, and it was the best meal.

The blue wolf lay at his feet, gnawing on the bloody innards. Its white fangs were stained with deep and light red, revealing its ferocity. Wei Shiqi reached out to pet its head, but the blue wolf turned its head and growled, showing its dissatisfaction with the affection.

After finishing the leg meat, he broke the leg bone and ate the warm marrow, wiping the grease off his chest. Looking up at the sky, Wei Shiqi stomped out the remaining embers, shouldered the hundred-pound wild boar, and walked down the mountain unhurriedly. The blue wolf remained where it was, stretching its neck to swallow the last piece of innards, then squinted its eyes as it watched the human male walk away.

They had been hunting together for more than half a year. The wild boars in the mountains were exceptionally fierce, and it was difficult for a single blue wolf to kill them and eat the soft, delicious innards. However, how long could this arrangement last? Humans are selfish and greedy, and perhaps they need a loyal dog more.

As the sun set behind the mountains, Wei Shiqi returned to Old Crow Ridge. The crows on the mountain peak flapped their wings in the fading light, cawing loudly. At the foot of the cliff, a slender figure with a medicine basket hurried forward, greeting him shyly, "Big Brother Wei, you’re back!"

That was the second daughter of the herbalist Lao Liu, nicknamed Mulian. She lived in Kuiteng Gully, five miles away. Half a month ago, Lao Liu had sprained his foot, which swelled up like a ball, preventing him from entering the mountains. With no food stored at home, he had to send Mulian to Old Crow Ridge every few days to seek help from Wei Shiqi. He valued Wei Shiqi’s strength and hunting skills and had already considered him as a potential son-in-law, so he didn’t hesitate to ask.

"Did you go into the mountains to gather herbs?"

"No, my father didn’t let me go. He said there are wolves in the mountains, and they howl at night."

Wei Shiqi moved the large rock blocking the cave entrance, took out an axe, and chopped off half of the wild boar, roughly cutting it into several large pieces. "Here, take this to your father. It’s getting late, go back quickly!"

Mulian hurriedly put down her medicine basket, hesitated for a moment, and then took out a bundle of wild vegetables. "Big Brother Wei, these are the ones I gathered in the gully..." Wei Shiqi took the wild vegetables and placed them aside, putting the wild boar meat into the basket and helping Mulian carry it on her shoulder.

"Then... I’ll go first..."

Mulian glanced at him, and Wei Shiqi waved his hand. "Be careful on the way. Tell your father to rest well. I’ll go to town in a few days and visit him on the way."

Mulian nodded and turned to walk back to Kuiteng Gully, her steps light and her heart full of joy.

Wei Shiqi picked up the wild vegetables. They were fresh, and Mulian had carefully picked them, removing the roots, soil, and rotten leaves, washing them clean. For some reason, he sighed.

The sun finally set on the other side of the mountain, and darkness enveloped the earth. The crescent moon was silent, and the stars shone brightly, so close that it seemed he could reach out and touch them.

Suddenly, a mournful howl echoed through the air.

Wei Shiqi was roasting the wild boar head over the fire, burning off the bristles, splitting it open, and putting it in a hanging pot to boil. When it was about seven or eight parts cooked, he took out a gourd of light wine and slowly ate the meat and drank the wine. He didn’t touch the wild vegetables; he only ate meat, for there were vegetarians in this world, and there were also carnivores.

This life had been going on for a long time.

Three years ago, he and his father lived in Kuiteng Gully, where about seven or eight households were scattered, including hunters, herbalists, woodcutters, and fishermen. They helped each other, and although life was hard, they were free from the constraints of the outside world.

Once, his father went into the mountains to hunt a wild boar and didn’t return for a night. The next day, Lao Liu carried him back to Kuiteng Gully, but he was already dead, his body cold, with a large hole in his skull.

Lao Liu was shocked and initially refused to say anything. When pressed, he reluctantly revealed that while digging for herbs, he saw a fairy flying through the air, wobbling and crashing into the mountain cliff, shattering the soft rocks. By chance, a rock hit his father’s head.

Wei Shiqi pressed for more details about the fairy, but Lao Liu couldn’t provide any, only shaking his head.

Such was the fate of mountain people, struck by unexpected disasters. Wei Shiqi buried his father, then dragged Lao Liu to Old Crow Ridge, finding the cliff where the fairy had crashed. All that remained was a deep pit, with jagged rocks and a few spots of dried black blood.

Wei Shiqi guessed the general story, but what could he do? The dead cannot be brought back to life.

He handled his father’s funeral, packed up his belongings, and moved to Old Crow Ridge alone. He gave his crude household items to Lao Liu. Lao Liu thought he was going to seek revenge on the fairy, tried to dissuade him, but to no avail. Mulian was unhappy for a long time.

Wei Shiqi didn’t know what he was hoping for, perhaps some possible change.

And so, a carnivore appeared at the foot of Old Crow Ridge.

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