All Heavens Strategy Game

When the gate was knocked on, Su Ming was standing in the snow behind the house.

With a firm and stable foundation, the breath is long and deep, and the internal energy flows slowly like warm water, dispelling the chill of the morning.

The knocking was neither too loud nor too soft, carrying a familiar yet slightly urgent rhythm.

He slowly stopped, exhaled a straight stream of white breath, and went to open the door.

Three people stood outside the door, all wrapped in thick, worn-out fur coats, wearing rough, homemade leather boots, and their faces bearing the marks of the mountain winds and the passage of time.

Leading the group was Su Shunfa, who had his usual cheerful smile on his face, but his eyes were brighter than usual.

Beside him was Su Laonian, who always seemed a bit listless, rubbing his hands together with anticipation in his eyes.

To Su Ming's slight surprise was the third person—Su Dalv.

The donkey-faced man's expression was somewhat complex, a mixture of embarrassment, ingratiation, and a hint of barely concealed desire.

Ever since the day they reconciled after dividing the meat, Su Dalu has always been awkward and quiet whenever he sees Su Ming.

"Uncle Shunfa, Uncle Laonian, Uncle Big Donkey," Su Ming said, stepping aside. "Come in and talk."

Inside the main room, Liu had just finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes when she saw three prominent hunters from the village arrive, including Su Dalu, who had often quarreled with her family in the past. She was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Su Ming nodded to her, indicating that it was alright, and she then composed herself and went to the kitchen to boil water.

"Sanlang, are you getting the hang of the bow?" Su Shunfa asked directly, his gaze falling on the dark, serene three-stone horn bow that Su Ming was leaning against the wall, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes.

"I can barely hit a grass target thirty paces away." Su Ming told the truth. After several days of hard practice, his [Beginner Archery] had improved to the entry level (5/10), and his accuracy and stability had improved a lot.

"That's good! That's good!" Su Shunfa rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice, "Sanlang, I'm here to talk to you about a big deal... no, a huge opportunity!"

Old Su leaned forward, his voice deep and resonant, typical of mountain folk: "At this time of year, after a heavy snowfall, a herd of deer would always cross from the old forest to the north, pass through the warm valley north of our Little Chong Mountain, and head south into the warmer mountain ravines. There were quite a few of them, always twenty or thirty!"

Su Dalu licked his slightly chapped lips and continued, "Deer! Those things are much more valuable than wild boars! The meat is tender, the hide is soft and valuable, and the antlers, blood, and tendons... are all good stuff! In previous years, we could only watch from afar, not daring to make a move. Those things are incredibly clever, running as fast as the wind. Without good bows and arrows, without a good ambush, we couldn't even get close!"

Su Shunfa picked up the conversation, looking at Su Ming with eager eyes: "In previous years, there was nothing we could do. But this year is different!"

"Sanlang, you have this powerful bow and that aim to blind wild boars! If the rest of us team up, with you taking the lead in shooting and us chasing them away, tripping them up, and blocking their path... maybe we can actually catch a few!"

He paused, his tone filled with an almost pious anticipation: "The elders all say that if you can hunt deer before spring, it's a sign from the mountain god, a harbinger of favorable weather and a good harvest! If we succeed, not only will each family have a prosperous year, but when the villagers find out, that will be even more..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

This is a great thing that will make Su Ming famous, solidify his status as a "lucky star," and bring honor to those involved.

Su Ming listened in silence, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cold arm of the black horn bow.

Deer are indeed a more valuable target than wild boar.

More importantly, this is a "team operation," with an experienced hunter like Su Shunfa leading the way, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the terrain and paths of Xiaochongshan more safely and in greater depth.

This is crucial for his future solo hunting or exploration.

There are risks, of course, but the benefits and potential advantages outweigh them.

"When will the deer herd pass by?" Su Ming asked.

"In the next few days!" Su Shunfa said confidently. "The snow has stopped, and some of the grass roots and tree bark on the sunny slopes are showing. The deer will definitely come looking for food. We've been observing them for several years, and their routes are pretty much fixed."

"What do you need me to do?" Su Ming asked again.

"Take your bow and arrows and come with us into the mountains to find a place to ambush," Su Shunfa said. "Leave the rest to us. We know that area well."

Su Dalu quickly added, his face ingratiating, "Sanlang, don't worry, we'll definitely protect you and won't let any wild beasts in the mountains get close!"

Su Ming glanced at the three of them: the anticipation in Su Shunfa's eyes, the eagerness in Su Laonian's eyes, and the cautiousness in Su Dalu's eyes.

He nodded slowly: "Okay. When do we set off?"

Su Shunfa and the other two smiled simultaneously, as if relieved of a great burden.

"Three days from now! We must set off before dawn! We need to get to the location and ambush the deer before they reach their herd!"

……

Three days later, in the early morning.

The sky was pitch black, and the chill was biting.

At the village entrance, four figures quietly met.

Su Ming carried a black horn bow and quiver on his back, with a wood-chopping knife at his waist. He was dressed in a neat short outfit, with an old cotton-padded jacket that Liu had hastily mended overnight over it.

Su Shunfa and his two companions were dressed as hunters, carrying not only bows and arrows but also ropes, lassos, and several gleaming short spears.

They nodded to each other without saying much, and the four of them set off into the depths of Xiaochong Mountain, trudging through the snow.

Su Dalu led the way, carrying a pine torch to light the way, followed closely by Su Shunfa to find the path, Su Laonian in the middle, and Su Ming at the rear.

The mountain path was rugged and difficult to traverse, with snow up to knee-deep, but the three veteran hunters walked steadily, clearly familiar with the route.

Su Ming followed silently, memorizing the terrain, forks in the road, and prominent landmarks they passed.

After walking for about an hour, as dawn broke, they arrived at a sheltered valley on the northern slope of Xiaochong Mountain.

The valley is gourd-shaped with a narrow entrance, but it is relatively open inside. The snow is thin on the sunny slopes, revealing some withered yellow meadows and the branches of low shrubs.

"This is it." Su Shunfa pointed to several large, protruding rocks and dense withered grass on one side of the valley slope. "In previous years, the deer herds would come in from the pass on the other side, cross the valley, pass down this slope, and head to the mountain pass to the south."

"Let's ambush them behind those rocks and in the bushes, and then we'll make our move when they get closer."

"Remember, deer are wary. You must remain calm and wait until they are fully within range, ideally when they stop to graze!"

They had been observing this herd of deer for several years. The deer were wary and difficult to approach, and the hunting bows did not have a long enough range, so they had never dared to make a move, feeling that there was little chance.

If it weren't for Su Ming's three-stone bow, which could shoot farther, and the village's legend that Su Ming was the reincarnation of a mountain god, they probably wouldn't have bothered with these deer, fearing it would be a waste of effort.

The four men split up, each searching for the best ambush position.

Su Ming chose a recessed spot behind a rock, which provided both concealment and a wide field of vision for shooting.

He quietly lay down, placed the black horn bow beside him, untied the quiver, drew out an arrow, nocked it on the bowstring, but did not draw it, simply waiting patiently.

The cold rocks and snow seeped through his thin cotton-padded coat, but the internal energy within him circulated, so he didn't find it unbearable.

Time passed slowly, and the valley was silent except for the occasional whistling of the wind through the withered branches and the cries of unknown birds in the distance.

As dawn broke and sunlight streamed into the valley, bringing a touch of warmth, the four men lying in ambush remained motionless, like four silent stones.

The sun was rising higher, and it was almost noon.

Just as Su Ming was concentrating and almost blending into his surroundings, there was finally movement at the mountain pass opposite him.

First came a few soft "crack" sounds, like tree branches breaking, and then several nimble figures cautiously poked their heads out.

It's a deer!

Its brownish-yellow fur looked warm in the winter sun. Although it had no horns, its long neck, lively ears, and bright, alert eyes all showed the creature's intelligence.

One, two, three... more and more deer appeared from behind the mountain pass, cautiously stepping into the valley.

They walked and stopped frequently, looking up and looking around, and listening intently.

The herd was quite large, numbering about twenty-four or twenty-five, mostly females and half-grown fawns. The few in the middle were particularly robust and walked with steady steps, seemingly leading the group.

The deer herd slowly moved toward the direction where Su Ming and his men were lying in ambush, moving at a slow pace, occasionally lowering their heads to nibble on the grass roots and tender shrubs exposed under the snow.

The distance is closing little by little... two hundred steps, one hundred and fifty steps, one hundred steps...

Su Ming held his breath, his fingers lightly touching the bowstring, his gaze fixed on the largest and strongest doe walking to the side.

Su Shunfa lay in ambush not far away, giving him a "ready" look.

Su Laonian and Su Dalv also gripped their weapons tightly, waiting for the deer herd to get closer so they could be within the optimal firing range.

Eighty paces, seventy paces... The deer seemed to relax their guard a bit, and a few began to focus on foraging for food.

The perfect opportunity is coming!

Just as Su Ming slowly inhaled, slightly tightened his arms, and prepared to draw his bow—

"Whoosh—smack!"

An arrow, seemingly out of nowhere, flew past a fawn with a sharp whistling sound, grazing its back before embedding itself deeply in the snow behind it!

The arrows came from the other side of the valley, from behind a bush opposite their ambush point!

"Yo—!"

The deer herd was so terrified that they scattered instantly!

The lead, robust doe let out a short, sharp cry, and the entire herd, as if whipped, abruptly turned and fled frantically toward the pass they had come from and another narrow fork in the road to the side!

The sound of hooves was like a sudden rainstorm, raising a cloud of snow mist. In the blink of an eye, the dozen or so deer split into two groups, one of about twenty, and ran wildly toward the mountain pass they had come from.

Another group, consisting of only four or five heads, rushed into a side path in a panic and disappeared behind the rocks and bushes.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

The ambush that Su Ming and his three companions had meticulously prepared, and the opportunity they had been waiting for for nearly half a day, was completely ruined by an arrow that came from nowhere and had terrible accuracy!

"Damn it! Which bastard fired that arrow?! It couldn't have gone far, who gave you the courage?! Didn't you know to wait until the deer was closer before shooting? Idiot!" Su Shunfa was the first to jump up from his ambush point, his face turning green with anger, cursing loudly in the direction the arrow had come from.

Old Su was so angry he stomped his feet, plunging his short spear into the snow: "It's over! They've all run away! I've been squatting here all morning for nothing!"

Su Dalv was so frustrated that he beat his chest and stamped his feet. Seeing the fat meat in his hands fly away, he was so heartbroken that his face was all scrunched up.

Five or six people emerged from behind the bushes opposite, each carrying a hunting bow and wearing fur coats that were slightly different from those in Sishui Village. Their faces also showed annoyance and gloom.

The leader was a burly man with a dark face. When he saw Su Shunfa and his group, he was taken aback at first, then he started cursing, "What are you shouting for! I haven't even settled accounts with you yet! Hiding here scaring the deer, you made me miss my arrow!"

"Bullshit! Lin Laosi! It was you from Shanglin Village who broke the rules first! You startled the deer!" Su Shunfa clearly recognized him, and his anger intensified. "This Nuangu Valley was the land our Sishui Village had our eye on first! What are you doing here interfering?!"

"The territory of Sishui Village? Is your name on it? Do you own this mountain?" The dark-faced man called Lin Lao Si retorted defiantly, "The wild animals in the mountains are hunted by those who are capable! If you're not capable, you can squat for half a day and not even touch a deer hair, whose fault is that?"

Both sides were hunters who were hot-tempered and disappointed. They started arguing in the snow, dozens of steps apart, using foul language and revealing each other's secrets, bringing up all sorts of old and trivial conflicts between the two villages.

It turns out that Shanglin Village is located on the other side of Xiaochongshan Mountain, and it has a long history of friction with Sishui Village, with disputes over mountains, forests and water sources occurring frequently.

As the argument raged on, a young man with a pointed face and monkey-like features from Lin Lao Si's group caught sight of Su Ming, who was standing behind Su Shunfa, carrying a strange black bow and with a calm expression. He sneered and said in a sarcastic tone:

"Oh, I thought Sishui Village had invited some kind of expert to help them, but it turns out to be just a little brat who hasn't even grown his first beard yet!"

"Carrying around a black bow that looks like a fire poker, all pretentious!"

"Su Shunfa, is your Sishui Village deserted? You've brought a kid along to make up the numbers? No wonder you can't even catch a deer, you've brought a burden!"

His words immediately drew laughter from his group.

Su Shunfa and the other two were so angry that their faces turned ashen. Su Dalu even wanted to rush over to argue, but Su Laonian held him back tightly.

Su Ming seemed not to hear the taunts. His gaze followed the direction in which the deer herd disappeared, especially the large herd that fled towards the mountain pass.

At this moment, he withdrew his gaze, looked at the two sides still arguing, and then at Su Shunfa and the other two who were furious. He suddenly spoke calmly: "Uncle Shunfa, stop arguing. The deer herd hasn't gone far."

The argument paused.

Lin Laosi also stopped cursing and looked at the "little brat" they were talking about with surprise.

Su Shunfa, panting heavily, said, "Sanlang, the deer have all scattered in fright, how can we chase them?"

Someone on Lin Laosi's side sneered, "It's good that they've scattered! Those four or five deer that strayed off the path must have been frightened and are probably running aimlessly. They've already left the valley and entered the Lesser Mountains. They might not go far before stopping, which is a good opportunity to pick up some bargains!"

With that, the group ignored the villagers from Sishui Village and hurriedly chased after the four or five deer that had fled down the side road, not forgetting to throw down a few sarcastic remarks before leaving.

"You from Sishui Village, hurry back to your village and have some porridge! Chasing after a herd of deer? Are you crazy? The deer went back the way they came; they're long gone!"

"Exactly! Following some greenhorn's orders is hilarious!"

Watching the villagers of Shanglin Village excitedly chase after the small herd of deer, Su Dalu was both anxious and angry: "Brother Shunfa, shall we... shall we go chase after those too? If we're any later, they might beat us to it!"

The stray deer herd eventually entered Xiaochongshan. They were familiar with the Xiaochongshan area, so they still had a chance!

Su Laonian also looked at Su Shunfa with some hesitation.

Su Shunfa then looked at Su Ming: "Sanlang, you said the deer herd didn't go far? What do you mean?"

Su Ming pointed to the two directions the deer had fled in, his voice clear and calm: "The deer were startled and split into two groups. One group, with more deer, about twenty, ran back to the original mountain pass; the other group, with fewer deer, four or five, entered a side path and went into the Lesser Mountains."

"The people from Shanglin Village went to chase the one with fewer deer, thinking they were familiar with the Xiaochongshan area and that the young deer would easily stop when startled, making them easier to catch. But I think we should go and chase the one with more deer."

Su Dalv couldn't help but say, "Sanlang, the larger herds of deer have definitely run back to the old forest; we can't catch them!"

Su Ming shook his head, his gaze calm: "On the contrary, that large herd of deer has a strong leader, and they know the migration route and that they are going to the warm valley to the south."

"After running wildly in fright, the lead deer will stop, count the herd, and wait for the scattered members. Deer herds have always had the habit of migrating, and they will not easily change their established routes because it is their instinct for survival."

He paused, recalling a nature documentary he had watched before, and continued his analysis: "But those four or five that ran away are the real problem. Without a leader, they are panicked and disoriented. Although they have entered the familiar Xiaochongshan, they are likely to get lost and wander aimlessly in unfamiliar side paths and forests, searching for the deer herd. This kind of headless running around makes them hard to track and hunt."

As Su Shunfa listened, his eyes gradually brightened.

He was an experienced hunter, and upon reflection, he realized that deer herds did indeed exhibit this behavior! Large herds with leaders were more predictable and would wait for any deer that had strayed.

Su Laonian nodded thoughtfully.

Su Dalu was still somewhat skeptical, but seeing Su Ming's confident expression, recalling the incredible way he had hunted the wild boar, and remembering that he was now essentially "following" Su Mingqian, he gritted his teeth and said, "Sanlang, I'll listen to you! Whichever way you say we should go, we'll go!"

"Yes, anyway, this hunt has already been a failure because of those bastards from Shanglin Village. Even if we don't get anything from it, it's not your fault. We'll listen to you!"

Su Ming looked towards the mountain pass: "Chase the large deer herd! They should have slowed down by now, or even stopped. If we follow the hoofprints carefully, we still have a chance."

"Alright!" Su Shunfa slapped his thigh, making up his mind. "We'll do as Sanlang says! Let's go!"

Without further hesitation, and without even glancing at the fork in the road where the Shanglin villagers had disappeared, the four quickly organized their equipment, identified the dense hoofprints on the snow that were chaotic but faintly discernible and led towards the mountain pass, and set off in pursuit.

A cold wind swept through the empty valley, carrying the faint, triumphant shouts of the hunters from Shanglin Village, as if mocking their "foolish" choice.

But the four hunters from Sishui Village, with firm steps and eyes fixed on the winding tracks on the snow ahead, silently hurried off in the opposite direction from the mockery.