Chapter 3, Harvest

From the moment Jinyang's son rushed out, she stood at the door in a daze, waiting. Her husband's leg injury had already plunged the family into difficulty, and she simply could not bear to see her son follow in his father's footsteps. However, upon meeting her husband's resolute gaze, she had no choice but to relent, as family matters must ultimately be decided by the man. Although Junru was just a child, he had now become the pillar of the family, and she could not act like a hen protecting her chicks. As she pondered this, tears began to flow down her cheeks. Although Junru was just a child, he had now become the pillar of the family, and she could not act like a hen protecting her chicks. As she pondered this, tears began to flow down her cheeks

"Junru, what your mother said is not correct. The lives of others in the village are also difficult. If you can avoid causing trouble for others, then do not ask them for help. This is the principle of being a person, do you understand?" Lian Yunfei's face was exceptionally serious, "However, to catch such a fat wild rabbit, my son is quite capable!"

As he moved the tip of his toes, a large cloud of dust was instantly raised, sweeping towards the strange bird. Lian Junru felt he had no confidence in confronting such a large creature head-on and had to resort to some tricks. However, that strange bird was quite clever; it flapped its wings and took to the air, and all that could be heard was the sound of rushing wind, clearly indicating that the sand and dust had no effect at all. Lian Junru dashed out of the woods and, relying on his instincts, swung his knife. With a 'thud,' he unexpectedly hit his target. Yet, the subsequent outcome was beyond his expectations. Although the sickle was not of high quality, its daily use and frequent sharpening had made it reasonably sharp. However, that strike just now did not harm the strange bird in the slightest; instead, the tremendous recoil caused him to stagger back several steps, and the hand that wielded the knife even felt somewhat numb.

"Look at how happy you are!" Jin Yang said, half complaining and half feeling sorry, "Look, your hands and feet are all worn out. Why are you working so hard? If it really doesn't work out, can't I just shamelessly borrow some from the villagers?"

As the monstrous bird lunged at him again, Lian Junru had no choice but to dodge aside. However, his speed could not match the bird's powerful wings, and he received a heavy blow to his shoulder, instantly feeling a searing pain that numbed half of his body. Gazing at the enormous shadow before him, Lian Junru fearfully closed his eyes. Yet, the monstrous bird halted just a foot away, its two eyes fixated anxiously on the thicket.

The actions of the four chicks were quite strange; not only did they not rush towards the strange bird, but instead, they moved closer to Lian Junru, with one of them playfully hopping onto his head. The strange bird seemed very angry, letting out a piercing wail as it slowly approached Lian Junru. The four chicks appeared to be somewhat frightened, continuously burrowing into the folds of Lian Junru's clothing, leaving him both amused and exasperated. In that moment, he even felt as if these four little creatures were like long-lost friends.

"Why are you crying? Look, our son has already returned!" A pair of broad and sturdy arms embraced her, and she immediately came to her senses. Who else could it be but her husband? However, those words brought a smile to her face, and in the distance, her son's figure became increasingly clear.

A bloody mass was thrown at Lian Junru's feet. Although it appeared somewhat terrifying, to him, it was undoubtedly the most wonderful thing. A wild rabbit weighing at least three to four pounds! Overjoyed, Lian Junru rushed forward, picked up the rabbit, and examined it from left to right, nodding in satisfaction. Just as he was about to take his catch home, a dark shadow immediately blocked his path, showing no intention of yielding. Lian Junru was momentarily taken aback, but soon understood the strange bird's intention. However, looking at the lively little creature in his hands, he truly could not think of any way to smoothly hand it over to the massive being beside him.

Lian Jun looked at the strange bird leaving with a mix of laughter and tears, feeling a great sense of relief in his heart. For some reason, ever since he switched to this current body, his previously depressed mood had become much brighter. In the past, he would never have mustered the courage to confront such a creature. Remembering how long he had been entangled with it, as well as the spoils beside him, he couldn't help but cheer, swiftly picking up his prey and running down the mountain.

Just as he had just relaxed, Lian Junru felt a gust of wind by his ear, followed by a sharp pain in his left arm, as a tremendous force instantly knocked him to the ground. Although he was caught off guard, the danger was imminent, and the instincts of a hunter immediately manifested. He used his legs to push off the cliff wall slightly, rolling several times before quickly tumbling into the nearby thicket. Even without thinking, he knew what had attacked him; he had clearly intended to steal those few bird eggs, and it seemed he had encountered the rightful owner. He just did not know what kind of large bird could be so fierce.

A series of crackling sounds suddenly erupted, as if something had shattered. Lian Junru, disregarding the immense threat posed by the giant bird, quickly turned to look. A plump little creature appeared before him, followed by another, then a third, and a fourth. At this critical moment, all four bird eggs had miraculously hatched. The four newly hatched chicks swiftly broke free from the vine-made cage and joyfully rushed out. Witnessing this scene, Lian Junru felt a wave of darkness wash over him, and he collapsed onto the ground. Alas, it was all in vain; in the end, he would have to pay with his own life. It seemed he truly was useless.

Lian Junru's face flushed suddenly, and how could he have the audacity to say that he merely employed a bit of cunning trickery

The low thicket stood less than one zhang high, covering an area of merely a dozen steps in diameter. However, the trees grew surprisingly dense. Through the gaps in the branches, Lian Jun was alarmed to discover a bird, nearly as tall as a person, anxiously flapping its wings. Unfortunately, its wings were too large, preventing it from doing anything but fret outside the thicket. The bird was exceedingly ugly, yet its eyes sparkled with brilliance, and its pitch-black feathers emitted an eerie glow. A person and a bird, one inside the forest and the other outside, confronted each other in a standoff, representing two entirely different forms of life.

A large bird continuously glided through the sky, searching for potential prey on the ground. The Thunder Roc, being a mythical creature, typically leaves immediately after the female lays her eggs, with the male taking on the responsibility of raising the chicks. Therefore, it shows no mercy to those who covet its offspring. However, now it found itself compelled to obey humans because its child had fallen into their hands. The thought of that detestable little one made the Thunder Roc unable to resist the urge to snatch and kill him, yet its precious offspring stubbornly clung to that human, leaving it with no recourse. Although somewhat reluctant, the ruler of the skies was not without its prowess; its sharp eyes noticed a small dark shadow on the ground and immediately dove down.

After only a short while, Lian Junru felt sweat pouring down. His every move just now had consumed too much of his energy, and if this continued, he would inevitably be unable to hold on. Gripping the sickle tightly in his hand, Lian Junru let out a bitter laugh, casually cutting the basket off his back and placing it on the ground. If he were to die at the hands of this monstrous bird, these would naturally be of no use.

Father, Mother, what do you see?" Lian Jun raised the rabbit in his hand as if presenting a treasure, "Today I can properly nourish Father!

The affection of a parent for its offspring is universal, even among animals. The strange bird ultimately came to a halt, but its two eyes remained fiercely fixed on the youth who had stolen its young. Lian Junru felt a sense of relief, yet the moment he recalled the lack of food, his expression immediately darkened. Given the menacing presence of this colossal creature before him, he dared not entertain any thoughts of the four chicks, especially since the little ones had grown quite attached to him. The thought that he had initially intended to treat them as food sent a chill down Lian Junru's spine.

Helplessly shaking his head, Lian Junru clumsily made a few awkward gestures, seemingly trying to explain to the strange bird that he was also at a loss and that it should return its young ones by itself. At this moment, Lei Peng was not polite; with a flap of his wings, a strong gust of wind immediately knocked Lian Junru to the ground, and the four chicks were also blown about, tumbling off him. Seizing this opportunity, Lei Peng spread his wings lightly, gathering the four little treasures within his embrace. He hesitated for a moment, glancing at the fallen Lian Junru, but ultimately decided to spare this peculiar human, as his babies seemed to quite like him.

With the gentlest of movements, he picked up a fledgling bird. Lian Junru tentatively stood up, and indeed, the strange bird hesitated for a moment but did not launch an attack. At this point, Lian Junru felt a bit amused; he completely ignored the other three little creatures bouncing and jumping on him and walked straight up to the strange bird, pointing to his mouth and mimicking the action of eating. At that moment, he resembled a child who had successfully pulled off a trick.