After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 33

The mountains and forests, now in winter, have shed their lush greenery of spring and summer, revealing a desolate yet robust structure.

The bare branches of the trees pointed towards the gray sky, with only some hardy pines and cypresses retaining a hint of dark green. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which made a crisp “rustling” sound when stepped on.

The air was crisp and fresh, and the breath you exhaled instantly condensed into white mist. All around was quiet, with only the sound of the wind passing through the gaps in the trees and the occasional chirping of unknown birds, adding to the sense of mystery.

Zhou Han was extremely familiar with this mountain forest. Like an agile leopard, he moved silently through it, his sharp eyes scanning the ground. He carefully examined the footprints, droppings, and nibbling marks left by wild animals. Near a sheltered mountain hollow, he found several sets of fresh rabbit footprints and some digging marks resembling those of a badger.

He chose a good spot, deftly set up several lassos, and used withered leaves for camouflage. Then, he found a high place that offered a view of the animal trail below and provided cover against a boulder. He concealed himself and waited patiently, like a hunter lying in wait.

Time passed slowly, and the cold of the mountains and forests seemed to seep into his bones, but he remained motionless, only his eyes remaining alert.

Around noon, a slight strange noise came from below.

A grayish-brown hare cautiously poked its head out, looked around, and then hopped closer. With a soft “whoosh,” the lasso sprang up and precisely tightened around the hare’s hind leg. Zhou Han quickly appeared and finished off his prey.

It deftly lifted the fish, placed it in the basket on its back, and continued the next round of catching.

His luck seemed to improve in the afternoon. While tracking a trail of what appeared to be fox tracks, he discovered a hidden burrow with fine hairs at the entrance.

Years of experience in the mountains and forests had made him familiar with the subtle clues left by every kind of creature. He immediately held his breath, moved lightly, and approached silently like a raccoon.

He didn’t rush to look inside the cave, as that would alert any potential inhabitants and expose himself to danger. He crouched down and carefully examined the edges of the cave entrance and the hair on the ground.

These hairs blend almost seamlessly into the grayish-brown soil. They are not the coarse, short hairs of a hare, nor the slightly prickly bristles of a badger. These fine hairs are softer and lighter, with a kind of… a smooth sheen. Even with a little dust on them, their excellent texture can still be seen in the dim light filtering through the gaps in the forest.

Zhou Han’s heart skipped a beat. He carefully picked up the longest hair with his fingertips and examined it closely in his palm.

The fur wasn’t a solid color; the roots were dark brown, transitioning to light gold in the middle, with a faint hint of red at the tips. This wasn’t the fur of an ordinary mountain fox or raccoon! Several valuable fur-bearing animals flashed through his mind—a red fox? Or perhaps the even rarer fire fox?

That’s it! Zhou Han made a decision instantly.

With such long, soft fur and gradient colors, once completely peeled off, it would definitely be considered top-quality by fur dealers.

Especially the pelts of red foxes or fire foxes, whose fur is at its most beautiful in winter. A single fine pelt can be worth several months’ income for an ordinary hunter! If you’re lucky enough to find one with a particularly pure and rare coat, you could easily buy not only a cow but also other animals.

The hunter’s instincts and desires boiled in his blood. He knew that this clever and cunning creature was extremely alert and would disappear at the slightest sign of trouble, making it difficult to find again. Only patience, extreme patience, could bring him the chance to strike with certainty.

He suppressed his excitement, his eyes becoming sharper and more focused.

He slowly retreated, disappearing back into the high ground he had chosen earlier. He adjusted himself into the most comfortable and least noticeable position, activating all his senses to the fullest, as if becoming one with the forest, and began the long wait, a test of endurance against his prey.

Time flowed slowly in the silence and cold. The biting chill was penetrating everywhere. My limbs began to feel heavy and stiff, especially my fingers that were gripping my arm. Even with gloves on, they gradually lost sensation and became numb.

He could only use the brief intervals when the wind was at its loudest to move his toes very slowly and slightly, curling and stretching his fingers to keep the blood flowing and prevent them from freezing completely.

As the sun gradually slanted westward, the light in the forest grew dimmer and colder. Just when Zhou Han almost thought he would have to return empty-handed, the clump of withered grass at the cave entrance swayed very slightly, not in the direction of the wind.

Zhou Han’s muscles tensed instantly, all his senses were heightened to the extreme, and even his breathing almost stopped.

A fiery red, pointed snout emerged first, cautiously sniffing the air. Its alert eyes gleamed with a ghostly green light in the twilight, darting around and scanning every corner.

It didn’t come out immediately, but lingered at the entrance of the cave for a long time, sometimes retreating and sometimes peeking out, repeatedly confirming that it was safe.

Zhou Han’s heart was in his throat. He held his breath, not daring to blink even once, focusing all his strength and energy on his nocking finger and aiming gaze.

After a long while, the red fox seemed to confirm that the danger had passed. Its entire agile body, like a flowing flame, leaped lightly out of the cave. It did not leave immediately, but paused near the cave entrance and looked back again, its fiery red, fluffy tail gracefully sweeping across the ground.

Now!

In that split second it paused and looked back, Zhou Han moved! Drawing the bow, aiming, and releasing the string—the movements were all executed in one fluid motion!

“Whoosh—!”

The sound of the arrow piercing the air was exceptionally clear in the silent mountain forest, carrying a resolute force as it shot with unparalleled accuracy toward the fiery creature!

“puff!”

With a muffled thud, the arrow pierced the side of the red fox’s neck with pinpoint accuracy. It let out a short, shrill cry and leaped up, but after only a few stumbles, it fell heavily onto the fallen leaves, its limbs twitching a few times before ceasing to move.

Zhou Han did not immediately step forward. He remained in the position after shooting, his sharp eyes fixed on the prey until he was sure it had completely lost its life. Only then did he slowly exhale a long breath of white air that he had been holding for a long time.

He stretched his stiff, wooden limbs, the bones making a slight “crack” sound, accompanied by a tingling, numb pain, but he didn’t care. He strode forward, bent down, and picked up the heavy red fox, whose fur still shimmered in the twilight.

Upon touching it, he felt the warmth of the thick fur. He checked the arrowhead and, confirming that the precious fur had not been extensively damaged, he was even more satisfied. The afternoon of enduring the bitter cold had been worth it!

He carefully tied up the red fox and put it away with the other prey. Without lingering, he strode down the mountain in the deepening twilight. The forest returned to silence, with only the sound of the wind remaining, as if the silent battle had never happened.