Ah, the monthly ticket count stalls after evening arrives; I truly beg for everyone’s support, please, please.

Yu Feibai, on the other hand, was brimming with confidence, believing that even if his own archery skills were lacking, with enough attempts at hunting prey, he was bound to have that stroke of luck where the blind cat catches the dead mouse. At the very least, he absolutely refused to return from the hunting expedition empty-handed.

Simultaneously, Murong Guang realized his folly and agreed that Yu Feibai’s suggestion was excellent. Since buying the hawk had failed and the old man’s stance remained unyielding, they couldn't simply retreat in disgrace. Given this situation, inviting the old man to join them offered a necessary buffer, allowing him to gauge their character, which might just lead to their desired outcome.

With this in mind, Murong Guang quickly chimed in, earnestly hoping the elder would consent to their request.

“Hunting, you say?” The old man fell into contemplation.

Just then, a joyful voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: “Third Master, those fools have started hunting again! I just saw Little Gray fly out—did they catch any rabbits…”

As he spoke, a boy of fifteen or sixteen entered, only to fall silent upon seeing Wang Guan and the others, for the three men he had just called fools were indeed standing right there.

Wang Guan and his companions felt a distinct pang in their chests upon realizing this.

Yet, truth be told, the hunting expeditions organized by Murong Guang and his group were actually quite ridiculous in the eyes of the villagers living in the mountains. Over the past few years, most of the pheasants and wild rabbits that Murong Guang's party failed to catch ended up in the hands of the nearby villagers. Thus, the annual hunting event was always the happiest harvest time for the local populace.

Of course, the villagers weren't foolish; they waited until the hunting activity concluded before easily sweeping up every pheasant and rabbit left behind. This was precisely why Murong Guang’s group had to release a new batch of game animals every year. Even if they suspected the villagers were responsible, Murong Guang’s party never pursued the matter—partly to avoid trouble, and partly because they weren't short on money.

However, the youth knew nothing of Murong Guang’s mindset. His first reaction upon seeing the hunting “fools” arrive was suspicion that they had come to press charges, which naturally made him feel guilty.

“Can’t you see we have guests? What are you shouting about haphazardly?”

The old man reacted swiftly, immediately barking, “Get back to chopping wood this instant!”

“Yes, Third Master!”

The boy, hearing this reprieve, bolted as if granted amnesty, turning tail and running immediately.

The old man now felt a touch of awkwardness, offering an apologetic smile. “He’s just a junior relative, my school is on break, and without a teacher’s oversight, he runs around all day—he’s quite mischievous. I apologize for letting the guests witness such a display.”

Fools, they are—but for the sake of the falcon, he would concede the point.

Murong Guang rubbed his nose, chuckling lightly. “Children are naturally playful, Elder.”

With that, Murong Guang gently guided the conversation back to the matter at hand. “Elder, what do you think of our proposal? Could you lend us a hand?”

The old man had intended to refuse, but being interrupted so bluntly by the boy made it impossible to voice his denial now. After all, a man must maintain his dignity. If he were secretly poaching the man's things without his knowledge, it was one thing, but now that it had been openly mentioned, the old man felt quite sheepish. Just like the boy, he felt a flicker of guilt, making refusal difficult.

Fine, he thought, consider it repayment for a favor. With that decision made, the old man nodded. “Very well, I will help you out then.”

“We thank you heartily, Elder!”

Murong Guang’s face lit up with joy, and Wang Guan and Yu Feibai were equally eager. They watched closely as the old man rose and walked toward the perch, picking up the falcon and tossing it high into the air.

In an instant, the hawk spread its wings and soared upward, circling above. A moment later, it let out a somewhat hoarse shriek. The old man heard it and immediately laughed. “Sounds like it’s spotted something! Let’s go take a look.”

“So fast?”

Wang Guan and the others were quite surprised and quickly followed the old man outside. Not long after, the group crested a hillside, and upon a gesture from the elder, they saw it: a pheasant in a patch of withered grass, pecking its head down to feed.

Honestly, the pheasant’s feather colors closely resembled those of the dry, yellow grass; without close inspection, it would have been easily overlooked. Yet the falcon had pinpointed the target effortlessly—its eyesight was truly extraordinary.

“Watch this,” he said.

Perhaps wishing to show off, Murong Guang motioned for Wang Guan and Yu Feibai to hold back. He drew his bow, sighted the pheasant, and immediately loosed the string. The arrow flew with fierce speed, embedding itself deeply into the bird, which struggled briefly before expiring.

“Huh?”

Yu Feibai exclaimed in astonishment, “Brother-in-law, when did your archery become so masterful?”

“What do you mean ‘become masterful’? I’ve always been this masterful, alright!” Murong Guang felt somewhat exasperated; he had only missed slightly on his previous attempt, and Yu Feibai thought his archery was poor—it was truly unfair.

“Whatever, just go fetch your prize.”

Yu Feibai waved a dismissive hand, then quickly turned back. “Elder, are there any more targets out there?”

“Over there…”

The ensuing events require little elaboration. Guided by the falcon, the group easily located traces of pheasants and wild rabbits. Mostly, these creatures weren't native to this exact area, and certainly weren't accustomed to the local environment, making them easily exposed.

At least, from the falcon’s perspective, these pheasants and rabbits seemed rather simple-minded, easily found.

Under these conditions, although there were occasional misses, the haul was substantial. Yu Feibai finally achieved his wish, personally hunting down a wild rabbit and avoiding returning empty-handed. Wang Guan was also lucky, accidentally striking a pheasant’s wing, allowing the four of them to surround and capture it alive.

As for Murong Guang, he finally displayed the prowess of the first-generation Hunting King; while he couldn't claim ten hits out of ten, he managed five or six solid shots—his harvest, naturally, was considerable, truly abundant.

During this time, the old man also joined in for fun, taking a light bow and shooting a few arrows. However, perhaps due to his advanced age, his eyesight wasn't as sharp, or perhaps his strength had diminished; he failed to hit anything despite several attempts. Although Wang Guan and the others harbored no intention of mocking him, the old man’s pride couldn't take it. He promptly pulled out a whistle and blew.

In that instant, Wang Guan and the others witnessed a sight they would never forget. The hunting falcon circling overhead suddenly paused, then plummeted downward like a bomber—its speed breathtakingly fast, its movements precise and agile. In a fleeting moment, its razor-sharp talons snatched a wild rabbit right off the ground.

The rabbit undoubtedly struggled violently, but within the falcon’s iron grip, it had no chance to resist.

After capturing the rabbit, the falcon immediately beat its wings and ascended, confirming the prey was dead before dropping it beside the old man. Then, with relaxed grace, it flew back and perched on his hand.

Naturally, the old man was wearing protective gear on his hand at this point. With a raised arm, the falcon settled smoothly onto his wrist—a display of skill so effortless it made Murong Guang’s eyes burn with envy.

“Well done,” the old man said with satisfaction, reaching out to stroke the falcon’s head. After smoothly grooming its feathers, he even pulled out several pieces of dried meat to feed it as a reward.

“Rongguang…”

At that moment, a call drifted across from the opposite hilltop. Several men approached, each face alight with astonishment—they had clearly witnessed the falcon capturing the rabbit.

“You’ve arrived,” Murong Guang said, his gaze sweeping over them, then smiling proudly. “Heh, it looks like your harvest wasn't very impressive.”

“How dare you say that…”

These men were relatively close acquaintances of Murong Guang, so their speech was quite casual. One young man even blurted out, “Brother Rongguang, you’re using cheats and advantages, and you have the nerve to talk about us!”

“Exactly!”

At this moment, the gazes of several people were intensely fixed on the falcon in the old man’s hand, radiating unmistakable yearning.

Birds of a feather flock together. Since they were all keen hunters, these men were certainly familiar with the hunter’s best assistant—the falcon. But, like Murong Guang, they only had a surface-level understanding and had never actually kept one. Paradoxically, this very distance made them yearn for the falcon even more deeply.

Simultaneously, Murong Guang noticed this development and immediately moved to stand protectively in front of the hawk, his posture wary. “What are you doing over here instead of hunting?”

“It’s already noon; of course, we came to find you for lunch!”

As he spoke, one man pressed the inquiry. “Rongguang, that hawk…”

“That hawk is on The Voice of China; it’s not here,” Murong Guang deftly steered the conversation away. “You all go ahead and eat lunch yourselves; we plan to keep hunting.”

“Stop trying to change the subject.”

At this point, one man bypassed Murong Guang entirely, closely scrutinizing the falcon while exclaiming in wonder, “Rongguang, you’re being terribly unfair! You quietly acquired such a treasure and didn’t tell us a word.”

“That’s right, no loyalty…”

The others chimed in with their reproaches, causing Murong Guang to offer a helpless, wry smile. “I wish the falcon were mine, truly I do, but sadly, it’s not. It’s this Elder’s pet.”

“Not a pet, but a partner,” the old man corrected gently, stroking the hawk’s feathers with a remarkably mild expression.

Hearing that the falcon did not belong to Murong Guang, the others’ eyes immediately brightened. Murong Guang was intimately familiar with this reaction; he knew exactly what they were plotting without needing further explanation.

“Give it up, all of you,” Murong Guang advised kindly. “The Elder has raised this gyrfalcon for several years; they have a deep bond, like family. It will never leave him.”

Upon hearing this, the others realized Murong Guang had already met with failure. Some shook their heads and sighed, while others began calculating privately, thinking they absolutely had to try and wouldn't give up so easily.

Yu Feibai paid no mind to the others’ schemes, but the mention of lunch made him genuinely hungry. He proposed, “Brother-in-law, let’s go eat first. We’ll have more energy to hunt after a full stomach! I want to taste the rabbit I hunted myself…”

“Is that so?” Murong Guang hesitated, worried that if they left now, he might lose his chance with the falcon.

Wang Guan understood his apprehension. After a moment’s thought, he smiled. “Feibai, do you know how to prepare a wild rabbit? And don't forget, the Elder is entitled to half of what we catch. This location is quite far from our camp. Why don't we borrow a space at the Elder’s place to cook, eat well, and then continue hunting?”

As he spoke, Wang Guan added with a friendly smile, “Elder, would you mind if we borrowed your kitchen for a bit?”

(To be continued)