The wild boar collapsed with a loud thud. Gu Linchen jumped off the beast and wiped his face with his sleeve. This outfit was definitely ruined, but his face was still salvageable, so he had to clean it up. As he wiped his face, he walked toward Gu Shui, who was still clinging to the tree. The man was pale and dizzy from blood loss.

“Can you climb down on your own?” Gu Linchen asked.

Gu Shui tried to move but, due to his injured leg, he nearly slipped and fell from the tree.

Seeing this, Gu Linchen reassured him, “Stay still. I’ll help you.”

He nimbly climbed up the tree, supporting Gu Shui as he carefully helped him down. Once on the ground, he noticed Gu Shui’s leg was still bleeding heavily. Gu Linchen reached into his pocket and pulled out a cloth to bandage the wound. It was originally meant for holding candies for Xige’er’s future playmates, but saving a life was more important now.

“Thank you,” Gu Shui said weakly, realizing Gu Linchen wasn’t as bad as people said. His lips were pale, and his face had lost all color.

Worried, Gu Linchen had him lean against the tree. “Rest here. I’ll be right back.”

He quickly moved into the forest and, with a swift motion, accessed his hidden space, collecting some mystical spring water using leaves he plucked along the way. Returning to Gu Shui, he crouched beside him.

“Here, I found some water. Drink this quickly,” Gu Linchen urged.

“Thank you, Brother Gu,” Gu Shui whispered.

Gu Shui was the son of Uncle Gu Mu, making them distant cousins, though nearly everyone in the village was related in some way.

“Stop talking and save your strength,” Gu Linchen replied firmly.

He glanced at the massive wild boar lying nearby. There was no way he could carry both Gu Shui and the boar alone, so he had to wait for help. The heavy scent of blood worried him—it might attract wolves or other dangerous predators. He retrieved his cleaver from the ground, just in case.

Luckily, within fifteen minutes, He Shu returned with a group of men. The village head’s eldest son, Gu De, and his second son, Gu Yuan, had arrived with two other strong villagers following behind.

Gu Linchen stood up and greeted them, “Uncle Gu De, Uncle Gu Yuan.”

Seeing Gu Linchen covered in blood, Gu De asked, “Linchen, are you hurt? Did you get injured?”

“No, it’s all wild boar blood. Gu Shui was the one who was hurt,” he explained, motioning to the wounded man.

“Good! As long as you’re not hurt,” Gu De said, then eyed the bloodied cleaver in Gu Linchen’s hand and the massive wild boar on the ground. He slapped Gu Linchen’s shoulder, laughing. “You really are something! Taking down such a huge wild boar by yourself—impressive! Let’s carry it down the mountain.”

Gu Linchen helped Gu De and the other two men lift the boar while Gu Yuan carried Gu Shui on his back. Once everything was set, the group began their descent toward the village.

Meanwhile, Feng Ge’er and Gu Linchen’s mother had taken Xige’er to the base of the mountain. It wasn’t long before they saw the village head arriving with more people, followed by his two sons and other men heading up the mountain with He Shu leading the way.

The noise quickly drew the attention of the villagers, and a crowd gathered at the foot of the mountain, curious about the commotion.

Back at home, Gu Mu was weaving baskets when he heard frantic knocking at the door. He set down his work and opened it to find the village Chief’s eldest grandson, Ping.

Before Gu Mu could even ask, Ping, panting heavily, blurted, “Uncle Mu, Gu Shui was injured by a wild boar on the mountain! My dad and Uncle Yuan have taken men up there to help.”

Hearing this, Gu Shui’s mother, Fang Shi, and Gu Shui’s husband, Cao Ge’er, rushed out of the house. Upon hearing her son was hurt, Fang Shi nearly fainted, but Cao Ge’er caught her just in time.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Gu Mu sprinted toward the mountain without a second thought, while Fang Shi followed closely behind, still pale with worry. Cao Ge’er hurried back inside, grabbed their child, and quickly caught up with the others.

At the mountain base, Gu Mu was about to head further up when the village head stopped him.

“Mu, stay here. My sons, De and Yuan, already went up with a group. It’s better to wait for them here,” he said firmly.

Gu Mu still wanted to go and check, but the village chief had someone hold him back.

“Look! They’re coming down!” someone with sharp eyes shouted.

Feng Ge’er and Gu Linchen’s mother turned to look and saw Gu Yuan carrying Gu Shui on his back at the front, followed by Gu Linchen, Gu De, and two other men carrying a massive wild boar. When they noticed Gu Linchen covered in blood, both were startled.

“Dad!” Xige’er squirmed out of Feng Ge’er’s arms upon spotting his father.

Feng Ge’er and Gu Linchen’s mother hurried forward to meet them.

“Chen’er!”
“Lao Gong!”

Seeing their worried faces, Gu Linchen quickly reassured them, “Don’t worry, I’m fine. This is just the boar’s blood.”

Hearing this, they finally relaxed, though their eyes still drifted toward the massive wild boar being carried.

Gu Mu broke free from the hands holding him back and rushed over. Fang Shi and Cao Ge’er followed closely behind. Thanks to the effects of the mystical spring water, Gu Shui’s leg had stopped bleeding, and his face had regained some color.

“Father, Mother, I’m fine now. Don’t worry,” Gu Shui said weakly but reassuringly.

Gu Mu studied him closely for a moment, then swallowed hard and nodded. “Good, as long as you’re back safely.” He then turned to Gu Yuan and said, “Thank you for your hard work, Yuan.”

Meanwhile, Fang Shi and Cao Ge’er were shedding tears silently on the side.

After getting a full explanation from Gu De, the village chief stepped forward and commanded, “Everyone, make way! Yuan, take Gu Shui home immediately. Mu’er, go find Doctor Li quickly. The rest of you, don’t crowd around. Now, this wild boar—Chen’er, you took it down, so what do you want to do with it?”

Gu Linchen replied humbly, “Village Chief, although I was the one who killed the boar, it was Gu Shui and He Shu who first discovered it, and everyone helped carry it down the mountain. I suggest we share it among everyone.”

The village chief looked at him in surprise. He clearly remembered this young man being the type who never took a loss. The fact that he was willing to share the credit shocked him.

“Share it? Did I hear you right?” the village chief asked, still doubting his ears.

“You heard me right, Village Chief,” Gu Linchen confirmed, not blaming him for the reaction.

Noticing the many familiar and unfamiliar faces of the villagers gathered around, Gu Linchen stepped forward, clasped his hands respectfully, and addressed the crowd:

“Everyone, since you’re all here today, I would like to say something. In the past, I admit I was reckless and caused trouble for everyone. I apologize for my past mistakes. I’m truly sorry. From now on, I will live honestly and strive to be a better person.”

After speaking, he bowed deeply.

The villagers were stunned by his words and gesture. The village chief was the first to react, patting Gu Linchen’s shoulder.

“Good, good! Knowing your mistakes and correcting them is what matters. Live well and don’t make your family worry anymore.”

Gu Linchen nodded, then turned to Gu Linchen’s mother and Feng Ge’er. Seeing their relieved smiles filled his heart with warmth.

Since Gu Linchen’s house was small and he disliked the strong stench of blood, they decided to take the wild boar to the village chief’s house for butchering.

Gu Linchen, Gu De, and the two other men carried the boar at the front while the curious villagers followed behind, chattering along the way.

A few women whispered among themselves:

“Has that Chen boy from the Gu family really changed?”
“He certainly looked sincere just now.”
“Well, people can change, but time will tell if he’s really different.”
“Still, he did take down that wild boar and is even willing to share it.”
“Yeah, but Gu Shui and the others spotted it first. Would he have caught it alone otherwise?”

Gu Linchen, having sharp hearing, caught bits of their conversation but didn’t let it bother him. He knew that actions spoke louder than words—time would reveal his true change.