Amidst the croons of blessings, a hunting party from Ning Village once more headed into the forests of Qingqiu Mountain at the break of dawn.

There were approximately two hundred households in the village, and fifty men in the hunting party. The hunters were the strongest and most well trained in the village, and Ah Zhuang was their leader and the overall number one expert of Ning Village.

Lu Yun was allotted a longbow, ten feathered arrows, and a broadsword of fine iron. He wore a wicker basket on his back and brought up the rear.

Elderly craftsmen in the village had forged the bow and arrows, while the broadsword had been obtained through trading with others around the foot of the mountains. The broadsword in particular displayed exquisite workmanship....