After all, this was Huo Yuhao's first time leaving home. Even with a map to guide him, he couldn't avoid getting lost a few times, forcing him to constantly ask passersby for directions to find the correct path.
Perhaps it was just as the saying goes: traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books. After a few days, he felt he had learned many new things. The sense of restraint and confinement from his time at the Duke's Mansion had faded quite a bit, and his mood had improved significantly as well. Seeing so many novel things along the way filled him with excitement. Because he was young, his body recovered quickly. Not only did he run without feeling tired, but he was also like a little bird released from its cage, finding joy for the first time since his mother's passing.
"I've been walking for six days now; I should be arriving soon."
Huo Yuhao carefully compared the location on his map with the road sign in front of him, finally confirming that he was very close to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Huo Yuhao walked into the woods by the roadside to find some shade to sit down and meditate to recover his strength. Suddenly, the sound of gurgling water reached his ears, instantly making Huo Yuhao, who was about to sit down, jump up in excitement.
With water, he could improve his situation!
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes and focused on listening for the direction of the flowing water. As someone with a spiritual Martial Soul, his six senses were much stronger than those of ordinary people. Especially when he closed his eyes, his other senses would sharpen even further.
In an instant, he located it and carefully made his way over. His caution was not out of fear of any danger in the woods, but rather because he was afraid of tearing his clothes on the thorns; these were clothes his mother had made for him in the past.
Walking less than two hundred meters, he spotted his target. It was a small stream about three meters wide, its water so crystal clear that he could see the bottom. The cool spring water made him feel refreshed and invigorated.
Huo Yuhao cheered, quickly stripped off his clothes, and jumped into the stream, which was less than two meters deep. His last bath had been two days ago, and two days of continuous walking had left him covered in sweat. Taking a bath in this small stream was truly refreshing and pleasant.
After washing himself clean and stepping back onto the bank, he felt like a completely different person, his spirits brightened. He thought to himself that since he would reach the Star Dou Great Forest soon anyway, he might as well take a good rest here first.
He changed into clean clothes from his bag, washed his dirty clothes in the stream, and hung them on a branch to dry. Then, he picked up another branch about a meter long.
With his right hand, he drew a short dagger from behind his waist. This dagger was about one foot and two inches long, with a dark green scabbard made of polished tough hide. Huo Yuhao didn't know if it was the hide of a soul beast or some other animal; he only knew that this dagger was the only gift his father had ever given his mother, and she had always treasured it like a precious gem. It wasn't until just before she passed away that she gave this dagger to Huo Yuhao.
The hilt was about five inches long, without any ornate decorations, yet it gave off an ancient aura. Holding it in his hand felt completely natural and exceptionally comfortable.
Drawing the blade from its scabbard did not make the slightest sound. The blade was about seven inches long, as clear and bright as autumn water. It was thin, almost translucent, and radiated an intense, icy chill, causing even Huo Yuhao to shudder involuntarily.
The White Tiger Dagger—this was the name his mother had told him.
When Huo Yuhao looked at the White Tiger Dagger, the excitement in his eyes instantly turned into heartache. Seeing this dagger was just like seeing his mother.
Picking up the branch he had just snapped off, Huo Yuhao used the White Tiger Dagger to shave one end of it. The blade emitted a faint jade-colored glow as it sliced through the wood, each cut incredibly effortless, as if cutting through tofu. In just a brief moment, the branch was whittled to a sharp point.
Huo Yuhao sheathed the White Tiger Dagger and tucked it back behind his waist. Holding the branch, he walked over to the small stream.
Taking a deep breath, his eyes suddenly lit up, magnifying every tiny detail in the stream. The minutest ripples in the flowing water, and even the tiny fish and shrimp at the bottom of the stream, could not escape the gaze of his Spirit Eyes. Furthermore, everything slowed down in his vision.
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao struck as fast as lightning, thrusting the branch into the stream.
*Thwip.*
Pulling the branch back up, he brought with it a black carp half a foot long, skewered on the end.
Spearing fish required a great deal of skill for ordinary people, but for someone like him who possessed the Spirit Eyes, it was incredibly easy. This was also why he had been so excited when he heard the sound of running water. Aside from the fish in his hand now, he hadn't tasted a single bite of meat in the past six days.
A single small fish was naturally not enough to fill him up. A short while later, Huo Yuhao had pulled more than ten more half-foot-long black carp from the stream.
"This is great! It's enough to last me at least two days. Once they're roasted, they won't spoil easily."
Delighted and energized, Huo Yuhao squatted by the stream and used the White Tiger Dagger to clean the black carp. The White Tiger Dagger was incredibly sharp; whether scaling or gutting, it performed effortlessly. For Huo Yuhao, who had helped his mother cook since childhood, this kind of chore was no trouble at all. In a short while, all of them were prepared.
He then went into the woods to gather some large leaves, washed them in the stream, and laid the fish on top of them. After gathering a large bundle of dry firewood, he soon had a small campfire crackling by the stream.
The only seasoning he carried was salt, but for roasted fish, that was more than enough. He fashioned several small skewers out of branches and threaded them through the black carp. Then, he rubbed salt inside the fish's bellies, took out some leaves he had gathered in the forest a few days ago from his bag, washed and tore them up, and stuffed them inside as well. Only then did he rest the skewers on a larger branch to form a makeshift roasting rack.
Before long, a unique aroma began to waft from the fire. It was a rich, incredibly enticing scent. Huo Yuhao leisurely turned the skewers over and over. Gradually, the black carp turned a golden-brown, releasing a rich and irresistible fragrance.
For his first batch, Huo Yuhao only roasted two fish. Because he needed to turn them evenly, roasting too many at once would make managing the heat a difficult task.
"It smells so good!"
Just then, a pleasant cry of surprise rang out. The voice was crisp and sweet, but it startled Huo Yuhao, making him jump.
He looked back toward the source of the voice and saw two figures walking along the small stream. Leading the way was a young girl who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. Her long black hair hung down behind her in a ponytail. Dressed entirely in light blue, her smile, which resembled a newly blooming bud, infused her with a vibrant, youthful energy.
She had large, playful phoenix eyes, a high nose, and an almost perfect oval face. Her beautiful features carried a mix of apprehension and delight as her gaze locked onto the spot where Huo Yuhao was grilling fish.
Following behind the girl was a youth of similar age. He was tall, with long, dark blue hair that shimmered in the sunlight as if crafted from precious gems. Though young, he exuded an air of refined elegance. A lazy, gentle smile played across his handsome face. With his hands clasped behind his head, he also looked toward Huo Yuhao with great interest—though he was looking at the person, not the grilled fish.