In the dead of night.
In the jungle.
With no moonlight and strong winds, it was an ideal time for murder and arson.
Sheep are not commonly found in the mountains.
Mountain goats tend to live closer to the base of cliffs rather than deep in the forest.
But this one might have gotten lost, standing alone halfway up the mountain, making it an attractive target.
Li Qi crouched slightly, drawing his hatchet and aiming at the goat's neck.
At that moment, he was thirty meters away from the goat.
But that was close enough.
He needed just a second for the blade to pierce the goat's carotid artery; he was merely waiting for the right opportunity.
The goat lowered its head to graze on the dry grass beneath its feet.
Li Qi swiftly raised his hand, launching himself like an arrow released from a bowstring.
The blade cut through the goat's neck, but contrary to Li Qi's expectations, the goat did not immediately collapse.
Even a lone goat in this world is not so easy to deal with.
The goat let out a mournful cry and, with a final burst of energy, leaped forward quickly.
Goats are adept at climbing steep cliffs and can leap fifteen meters, hopping along paths where ordinary humans cannot follow.
In an instant, the goat, now missing half its head, had left Li Qi far behind.
"Damn!" Li Qi sheathed his hatchet and sprinted after the fleeing goat. Although the goat could not survive much longer, it could still run several miles before dying. At this point, Li Qi dared not chase it that far, as encountering a fierce beast would be fatal.
The mountains were home not only to goats but also wolves, tigers, and leopards.
Usually, traveling on main roads near villages kept most predators at bay.
These "main roads" were not specially constructed but were natural paths formed by frequent travel between villages and towns. Over generations, villagers had mapped out safe routes, clearing away dangerous obstacles to facilitate travel for both villagers and merchants.
Even wild animals learned to avoid these areas, knowing they belonged to humans. Many years of human activity made these places relatively safe, though occasional attacks still occurred.
Without unexpected events, these paths were generally safe for Li Qi.
However, if the goat escaped deeper into the mountains, things would be different.
Deep in the old forests, there were not only fierce beasts but possibly demons as well.
Still, Li Qi didn't want to give up on his prey. A goat could provide him with food for days, and its horns and hide could fetch a good price.
Li Qi followed swiftly behind the goat, but it ran too fast, widening the gap.
Reluctantly, he weighed the pros and cons and decided to abandon the chase. Pursuing further would be too dangerous and not worth it.
"Darn, my knife skills are still lacking," Li Qi stopped and shook his head.
His knife skills were insufficient; relying on his hatchet and Carp Flow Intent's explosive power, he couldn't even sever the goat's head.
But abandoning the chase didn't mean giving up on the goat.
He blew a sharp whistle.
The piercing sound echoed through the night sky!
Then came a powerful neigh!
A horse galloped swiftly across the mountainside, moving much faster than the goat!
Its hooves seemed to float on clouds, rushing through the forest at an astonishing speed!
While the goat could leap fifteen meters and climb vertical cliffs effortlessly, this horse could fly!
Riding on clouds, the horse leapt thirty meters in a single bound, nearly fifty meters in distance!
From afar, it looked almost like flying.
The horse caught up to the goat in no time, leaping up and knocking it to the ground, then kicked it forcefully against the cliff wall, killing it instantly.
The goat finally stopped, having already bled profusely from the neck wound. The kick delivered the final blow, leaving it lifeless.
The horse landed gracefully, happily trotting towards Li Qi, who called out, "Here comes Old Horse!"
Li Qi shouted, using both hands and feet to navigate the forest, albeit slower than the goat or Old Horse.
Soon, he reached Old Horse, lifted the goat onto his shoulder, mounted the horse, and patted its neck, saying, "Let's go back to Miss Shen."
Old Horse neighed affectionately and began to run.
Even in the forest, the dragon steed moved swiftly and effortlessly.
During sprints, it could cover thirty meters in a second, equivalent to over ninety meters per second or nearly three hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. With wings, it could take flight.
Even when carrying someone, conserving energy, it could easily travel eight hundred miles a day.
Yes, Old Horse had fully recovered.
It had been seventeen days since Li Qi sustained his severe injuries.
Over those seventeen days, Li Qi trained tirelessly, healing any fatigue or muscle damage with Great Forest Wood Qi and continuing his practice.
With ample water sources and sufficient water Qi, he had begun to master Carp Flow Intent, though still below rank. Nonetheless, he was much stronger than before.
Now, he wasn't just relying on brute strength; he had martial skills and internal Qi flowing through his meridians, capable of exerting five thousand jin of force explosively.
This was skilled strength, distinct from raw power techniques like Ox Power Technique. Martial arts played a significant role in combat.
Using stones for testing, combining Ox Power Technique with Carp Flow Intent allowed him to lift and throw a twenty-thousand-jin rock effortlessly.
According to Shen Shuibei, while Witchcraft and his other practices were below rank, their complementary nature, combined with his high-quality military longsword imbued with deadly aura, enabled him to compete evenly with ordinary Ninth Rank cultivators.
In other words, he was now qualified to work as a bodyguard or security guard, professions reliant on physical prowess.
During this period, his food supplies had run out, forcing him to rely on hunting for sustenance.
Li Qi discovered he could now hunt using his martial skills, ambushing goats and foxes that were previously out of reach, striking them down with precision.
Li Qi felt satisfied.
Finally, he could consider himself a true person!