Chapter 673: This Mortal World Is Very Dull
Hearing Xiao Mo's words, Ningxi's brows drew together slightly.
In her view, this was clearly a simple thing to do, so why could he not learn it?
"Very well, try it this way."
Ningxi thought of how the Hunt God went about tracking prey. She bent down, picked up two wooden sticks of suitable thickness, sharpened one end of each with her sword, and handed one to Xiao Mo.
"Elder Sister Ningxi, this is...?" Xiao Mo asked, puzzled.
"A hunting tool, naturally." Ningxi answered simply, and continued leading Xiao Mo forward.
Before long, Ningxi and Xiao Mo spotted a winter-zhen pheasant. The winter-zhen was a type of beast-creature, but without any particular aggression, prized for its delicious flavor and the medicinal properties of its meat, which could treat various skin ailments. Xiao Mo had seen the village men catch a few of them before and take them to sell in town, where they fetched a good price.
"Watch closely. Drive the force from your waist through your arm, and keep your eyes only on the prey. Like this."
With that, Ningxi hurled the spear in her hand.
Xiao Mo saw a streak of light, and the winter-zhen pheasant was transfixed by the spear in an instant, pinned to the ground.
"Well? Did you understand? Have you learned it?" Ningxi turned toward the small boy at her side.
Xiao Mo stared at the dead bird for a long moment, not quite sure how to respond.
He had understood it perfectly well, in theory. Was it not simply a matter of throwing the stick at the prey? Nothing about it was beyond his comprehension. The trouble was that his mind understood, his eyes understood, but his body simply could not do it. And what was to be done about that?
"You cannot even learn this?"
Ningxi's brow furrowed deeper.
She had already suppressed her divine power to its utmost, trying to bring herself as close to an ordinary person's level as she could manage. And still Xiao Mo could not replicate it.
Humans truly were rather weak. Even the demon race, at least, had their innate divine abilities once they took human form.
It was a genuine mystery how the human race had survived to the present day.
"Elder Sister Ningxi, perhaps I should give it a try?"
Seeing the faintly disappointed look in Ningxi's eyes, Xiao Mo spoke up quietly. In truth, he did not want to let her down. She genuinely seemed to want to teach him something.
"Very well. Give it a try." Ningxi nodded and went to find more prey.
For the rest of the morning, Ningxi led Xiao Mo to one animal after another with complete ease. Xiao Mo gripped his sharpened stick and tried thrusting and stabbing with great seriousness and concentration, but failed every single time.
By the time the sun was nearing the western hills, Xiao Mo was winded and exhausted. Apart from the two rabbits and the winter-zhen pheasant Ningxi had caught herself, he had absolutely nothing to show for his efforts.
"That is enough for today." Ningxi glanced at the sky. "Let us go back."
"Elder Sister Ningxi... I am sorry. I did not manage to catch a single rabbit." Xiao Mo said, reproaching himself.
"It does not matter. These three animals are plenty to eat."
Ningxi's tone was calm, and she directed not the smallest reproach at Xiao Mo. Of course, even if Xiao Mo had managed to catch something, her tone would likely not have carried the slightest surprise. Whether Xiao Mo performed well or poorly seemed, for Ningxi, to make no real difference.
"You humans... did your village used to hunt in winter? How did you get through the cold months?"
Walking down the mountain, Ningxi asked Xiao Mo, moved by simple curiosity.
"Whether in winter or in summer, the village men would always take their bows out hunting, and set various kinds of traps as well. They would come back with a good haul each time. But I have never gone up the mountain to hunt myself. The men never took me along. They said I was only eight, too young. Not until I was ten, at least."
Xiao Mo answered honestly.
He had genuinely wanted to go hunting with the village men. Those who went hunting came back with good earnings, trading their game in town for considerable amounts of grain. But at his age, if they ran into something dangerous, he would only be a burden.
"Though the Village Chief Grandfather taught me to recognize a good number of medicinal herbs and mushrooms," Xiao Mo added quickly, not wanting Ningxi to think he was entirely useless. "I sometimes go up the mountain to gather winter mushrooms. They sell for a decent price, and they taste very good too."
"Mm, you are indeed too young. You do not have the strength yet." Ningxi nodded, paying little attention to the reassurance at the end. "Let us go back for now. I will think of a better way to teach you."
"Yes, Elder Sister Ningxi."
Xiao Mo nodded, shifted the winter-zhen pheasant on his back, and followed Ningxi down the mountain.
On the descent, he deliberately gathered some winter mushrooms and a few wild vegetables that could be used for seasoning.
Ningxi assumed Xiao Mo was collecting them for his own eating and said nothing, simply waiting for him to finish before continuing on.
"Elder Sister Ningxi... may I ask you something?"
Walking back toward the village, Xiao Mo turned his head toward the woman beside him.
"Go ahead." Ningxi nodded. "Say what you have to say."
Xiao Mo scratched the back of his head. "It is just that Elder Sister Ningxi tracks prey so quickly, finding animals so easily. How do you do it?"
"Instinct." Ningxi answered plainly. "I sense where prey might be and walk in that direction. That is all there is to it."
Xiao Mo: "..."
"What is it?" Ningxi asked.
"Nothing." Xiao Mo shook his head, feeling he had asked in vain.
Elder Sister Ningxi was a master of the highest order. Of course she possessed some kind of special perception. He was nothing more than an ordinary eight-year-old child. How could he possibly learn something like that?
"Though Elder Sister Ningxi, if you find prey so quickly, why does each hunting trip take an hour and a half to two hours to complete?"
As they walked, Xiao Mo suddenly thought of this and asked.
Ningxi turned her head and looked at him.
"I was only asking casually. Elder Sister Ningxi need not pay it any mind," Xiao Mo said quickly, waving his hands, worried that a thoughtless question might cause offence.
Ningxi turned her eyes back to the path ahead. A brief silence fell between them.
Xiao Mo, afraid of saying something wrong, did not ask anything further. He walked quietly alongside Ningxi.
"I wanted to look more at this mortal world."
After a long while, Ningxi spoke.
Hearing Ningxi's voice, Xiao Mo looked up and studied her profile, blinking.
"Then Elder Sister Ningxi, what do you think of this mortal world?" Xiao Mo followed the thread of her words.
"Much as I had imagined."
Ningxi's gaze remained fixed ahead. The white expanse of snow and the sun sinking in the west were reflected in her eyes.
"This mortal world... is very dull."