Chapter 540: The Goose that Sacrifices for Love

The unexpected turn of events startled Han Cheng, who quickly stepped back two paces and released his grip on the bowstring.

He certainly didn’t want to be hit by the goose diving down like a bomb.

Moreover, he was still on the wall; even if the goose's blow caused deadly damage, being knocked off the wall would not be pleasant either.

Sadly, at this moment, facing the goose descending at full speed, Han Cheng, whose archery skills were already mediocre, predictably missed the shot, and the goose continued its downward trajectory at an increasing speed.

The good news was that the goose wasn’t coming straight for him.

With a loud "bang!" the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground was accompanied by a painful honk from the goose. This goose, which had fallen from the sky, crashed hard into the wall, right next to the one that had been shot and killed.

The goose didn’t die, but it was nearly dead after crashing from such a height.

One of its wings was broken, dangling uselessly, while its long neck was bent at an odd angle, blood oozing from its nostrils and eyes.

Its red beak was also crushed and rolled back, revealing traces of blood.

The goose’s cries, once loud, were now much quieter but had become more mournful.

It struggled to move its body closer to the dead companion, using its twisted beak to arrange the feathers of the deceased laboriously.

Blood smeared on the body of the dead goose stained the once pristine white feathers with a glaring red.

The pitiful honking gradually diminished, becoming almost inaudible.

When everything finally fell silent, the goose that had fallen from the sky laid its bent neck over the neck of the dead goose and remained motionless.

Holding his bow, Han Cheng stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him, feeling a mix of emotions.

The joy of hunting the goose and the prospect of taming it into a large gander faded, leaving behind an indescribable sensation.

He glanced at the bow in his hand and then at the two geese nestled together, feeling for the first time that what he had done seemed somewhat wrong.

What is love in this world that it leads one to life and death?

Flying together across the heavens and the earth, how many winters and summers have the old wings endured?

Joyful moments and painful separations; amidst it all, there are the foolish lovers.

You should have words drifting through layers of clouds, with the mountains cloaked in snow—who do you go to alone?

Because Li Mochou often recited it, Han Cheng had deliberately researched "The Goose Hill Poem" and memorized the first half.

Previously, he had only thought that in "The Return of the Condor Heroes," the two giant eagles of the Guo family dying and sacrificing themselves were a literary creation. He believed that the event Mr. Yuan Haowen encountered with the geese sacrificing themselves was extremely rare. Still, he never expected such an unexpected occurrence to unfold before his eyes today.

To say that his heart wasn’t moved would be impossible.

At that moment, Han Cheng suddenly regretted shooting the goose and even considered throwing away the bow and arrow, but ultimately, he still held them tightly.

The sound of footsteps echoed as Tie Tou climbed up the ladder. Upon seeing the two geese lying together, he couldn’t help but feel delighted; there would be more meat to eat at noon.

Just as he was about to reach out to grab them for plucking, Han Cheng stopped him.

Han Cheng handed the bow and arrow to Tie Tou, bent down to carefully lift the two geese, and made his way down the ladder.

Behind him, Tie Tou scratched his head, puzzled about what was happening with the Divine Child.

The goose that had fled had flown back and killed itself; wasn’t it a wonderful thing for their tribe to have an extra piece of game out of nowhere?

Why did the Divine Child look so unhappy?

Han Cheng smiled and nodded at the youngsters who had brought him the goose, praising them for their efforts.

Then he placed the two geese down in the yard and picked up a hoe and a bone spade, carrying them out of the courtyard.

Han Cheng stopped on the west side of the courtyard wall, choosing a quiet spot to dig a pit and bury the two geese, creating a small mound over them.

He found a piece of split wood and carved the words “Goose Hill” into it, placing it in front of the grave.

The tribe could eat the rest of the geese, but he simply couldn't bring himself to eat these two.

Han Cheng’s strange actions puzzled the shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, and others who had followed him.

They didn’t understand why the Divine Child would bury two seemingly meaty game birds; wasn’t that a waste?

The shaman wouldn’t hesitate to teach them a lesson if it were anyone else, but the Divine Child was an exception.

In this tribe, the Divine Child was the boss; naturally, he could do as he pleased.

After bowing to Goose Hill, Han Cheng turned and left, not explaining why he had done this to the shaman and others.

Having completed these tasks, he looked at the group of youngsters joyfully running with goose feathers in their hands, and he felt much better.

Hunting was still necessary; without enough meat, how could the people in the tribe grow strong?

Moreover, he was someone who enjoyed meat.

Although today’s event deeply affected him, it didn’t make him give up hunting.

This was an unavoidable reality; it was a brutal era in which the survival of the fittest reigned. To live, one must eat, and nature has designed things to sustain humanity.

What Han Cheng could do was ensure that no one consumed these two devoted geese and erect a simple grave marker for them.

However, he wouldn’t eat the goose meat today.

After adjusting his feelings, Han Cheng began directing the others to treat the surviving geese’s injuries.

While treating them, he applied the same method as before, trimming the feathers from their wings to prevent them from flying. This was a crucial step in domestication.

Eight geese survived; excluding the two he had buried, only three had died.

The eight live geese were temporarily placed in the chicken coop, and after a few days, a goose enclosure would be constructed next to it for them to inhabit.

The dead geese, however, did not receive such favorable treatment. After being plucked, they were gutted, salted, and slowly roasted over the fire.

By lunchtime, there were a few golden-roasted geese ready to eat.

Despite his determination not to eat goose meat, Han Cheng couldn't help but swallow hard at the sight.

The Eldest Senior Brother presented a piece of juicy goose breast and a goose leg to Han Cheng.

Han Cheng wanted to refuse but didn’t voice his rejection until the Eldest Senior Brother set the food down and left.

Well, he could hold onto the goose meat for now and distribute it to the children later.

Han Cheng found a reason for himself, then turned to drink the millet porridge in his bowl, trying hard not to look at the goose meat in front of him.

Goose meat brushed with a layer of honey should taste incredibly delicious.

Otherwise, the toothless shaman wouldn’t ignore his beloved millet porridge, focusing solely on the goose leg in his hand.

The Eldest Senior Brother and the others wouldn’t hesitate to chew the bones down.

What if he just tried a small bite?

After all, these weren’t the two devoted geese…

Amidst the temptation of deliciousness, Han Cheng continuously slid toward the edge of sin and eventually fell into the abyss, becoming addicted and unable to extricate himself.

Despite promising himself only to taste a little, he finished all the goose meat in his bowl, licking his greasy lips in delight.

If it weren’t for the remaining geese being intended for domestication, he might have also considered going after them.

As for the earlier sorrow, it still lingered, but it didn’t stop Han Cheng from eating.

Yes, he felt both sorrowful and unable to stop eating meat simultaneously.

The shot geese were an odd number, yet he hadn’t seen any other geese come to sacrifice themselves. It seemed there was a lack of harmony among those couples.

Compared to the two devoted geese, these were truly far inferior and deserving of disdain.

Only by being eaten could they better express his feelings of contempt…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay