Chapter 311: Alone Hunting Three Beasts, Greatly Defeating the Prodigy, White Face and Red Bow, Fame Spreads Throughout the Flying Dragon

Wang Dezhong, his spirits broken and utterly dejected, walked to the spot where Xuehu had been shot and killed. Suddenly, he paused, startled:

"The snow tiger's whereabouts are unpredictable, its fur blending seamlessly with the snow. I can detect its tracks entirely thanks to my naturally gifted eyes, which can discern minute details. Even so, at a distance of five hundred feet, even if the snow tiger is hunting and running, it's difficult to spot it. And this snow tiger is lying in the snow, hiding, making it even more difficult to find its tracks, like finding a needle in water, or selecting a grain of sand... He..."

"Not only is his archery skill unbelievable, but his eyesight—to kill a snow tiger with a single arrow from several miles away—is simply... simply... too terrifying!"

He remained speechless for a long time, his gaze flickering with complex emotions. It was past noon, nearing dusk. Wang Dezhong had returned empty-handed, realizing that returning empty-handed from his rendezvous with Tianjiao would be humiliating. Since snow beasts were hard to find, he decided to hunt ordinary wild animals instead.

When Wang Dezhong washed away the ordinary clay body, he revealed naturally beautiful "jade eyes," giving him a distinctive "jade-eyed appearance." His keen observation skills and ability to track animals are truly remarkable. His willingness to propose a "beast hunting" competition demonstrates a degree of confidence.

After searching for a short while, he spotted a wild boar. Wang Dezhong raised his bow to shoot, but as he drew the string, that figure flashed into his mind. Suddenly, he felt self-loathing, annoyed, inferior, and depressed. The movements were similar, yet the difference was vast. Wang Dezhong felt even more acutely that his archery skills were shallow and immature; his current posture was ugly and embarrassing, shameful, and he was ashamed to show himself to others.

"Archery... is made for people like him. Do people like me even deserve to shoot arrows? Even if I kill a wild boar, what good will it do? It's just for my own amusement. Archery is not my forte. Sigh, from now on, I'd better not touch arrows!"

His utter dejection was palpable. He slowly released the bowstring, sighed heavily, broke the arrow, and turned back the way he came, abandoning the hunt.

...

...

Li Xian, carrying the snow tiger on his shoulder, was unaware of Wang Dezhong's defeat and was so disheartened that he dared not shoot an arrow. He harbored no ill will towards Wang Dezhong; he shot down the arrow only because he knew that the proud and arrogant Wang Dezhong would never relinquish his prize.

He needed to gain the upper hand first before vying for the beast, which would save him trouble. Li Xian felt that carrying the tiger would be very inconvenient, so he looked around and saw a place with dense weeds.

They hid the snow tiger in the grass, covering it with snow, making it extremely well concealed. The snow tiger's fur was snow-white, its blood pale blue, with a faint, pleasant fragrance mixed with its fishy smell. Every part of it was valuable, and it was highly worthwhile on the black market.

Li Xian manipulated the surrounding five elements again, making subtle alterations to make the place even more difficult to detect. He possessed "double pupils and extraordinary eyesight," giving him astonishing eyesight; no matter how well he concealed himself, he could detect any clues. However, it was extremely difficult for others to notice.

Having finished this task, and seeing that he still had plenty of time, Li Xian immediately went to find the "Snow Ape".

Nestled in the Xuelong Mountains lies a "Snow Forest," densely vegetated with towering trees whose leaves are like needles. A snow ape hides there. Zhou Shijie and Yue Kai work together to find it within the Snow Forest.

Zhou Shijie said, "Your clan's ability to sense things is truly remarkable. Brother Yue, look, this is ape droppings; the snow ape is nearby!"

Yue Kai said, "Brother Zhou, the snow ape is cunning, has great vitality, and is incredibly fast. Once we find its trail, we'll attack from both sides. You shoot an arrow first; if you can't kill it, I'll immediately follow up with another!"

Zhou Shijie laughed and said, "Good! Although there was a difference in the order of events, I deserve half the credit."

Both knew that the "Snow Beast" was difficult to hunt. Zhou Shijie's tracking skills were still limited; after half a day of searching, he had only managed to hunt wild boars and pheasants, with only one wild deer somewhat passable. He felt a loss of face; hunting was not his forte, and his martial arts were far inferior to the others. Halfway there, they encountered Yue Kai.

Seeing that he had caught a great many wild animals, including tigers and leopards, they asked him why. He learned that the Yueshan Sword Sect had a martial art called "Wind-Smelling Nose," which was quite effective at tracking and identifying animals.

Zhou Shijie then thought... if things continued this way, he would surely be outdone. So he devised a plan to persuade Yue Kai to cooperate in hunting the "Snow Ape." If they succeeded, it would cover up his own shortcomings. Moreover, hunting a snow beast would be a great honor, and all the other geniuses of his generation would take notice.

Yue Kai shared the same idea. They then collaborated in the search, gradually following the snow ape's tracks by smelling the wind. They eventually found their way to this place and were already quietly approaching. Suddenly, Yue Kai exclaimed, "Brother Zhou, look!" pointing to the top of a tree.

The snow ape lay dormant in a tree. Zhou Shijie and Yue Kai were about a hundred feet away. Their eyes met, and they nodded to each other. They approached from either side, using their light footwork. When they realized they were close enough, Zhou Shijie and Yue Kai nocked their bows and prepared to shoot.

Zhou Shijie fired the first shot. The snow ape, with its keen hearing, immediately sensed it and leaped from the tree to dodge the arrow. Yue Kai, seizing the opportunity, immediately fired another arrow. This arrow struck head-on, precise and ruthless.

The snow ape's agility was unexpected; it twisted its body in mid-air and still managed to dodge the arrow. The arrow grazed its cheek, only scratching its fur, but not hitting any vital organs. Zhou Shijie cried out "Ouch!" and Yue Kai beat his chest and stamped his feet, feeling great regret.

Zhou Shijie shouted, "Chase!" The two used their light footwork to give chase at great speed. However, although the snow ape was not as fast as the two, its fur blended with the snow, making it extremely difficult to discern direction as it swayed among the trees.

Suddenly, the snow ape roared to the sky, its cry reverberating outwards. The snow piled up between the trees instantly cascaded down, a dark, oppressive mass descending upon them. Zhou Shijie and Yue Kai sensed danger and wanted to use their martial arts to disperse the snow, but then they thought, "This would be against the rules. If others find out, I'll be disgraced even if I manage to hunt the snow ape." Unable to use their martial arts to dodge, they were instantly buried under the thick snow.

The two struggled to emerge from the snow, only to find that the snow ape had already run far away, more than 500 zhang away, and was swaying left and right with extraordinary agility, making it clear that there was no hope left.

Yue Kaiyou was unwilling to give up and fired again. His archery skills were precise and ruthless, and his technique was highly proficient, but the snow ape was extremely intelligent and agile, dodging the arrow once more. Zhou Shijie also fired. His archery skills were also excellent, combining feints and real shots, making his arrows unpredictable.

Although they managed to scratch the snow ape, the damage was insufficient, only breaking its skin. Minor injuries and pain were hardly enough to stop the snow ape's escape. Yue Kai and Zhou Shijie, deeply aware of the difficulties, had already given up. Zhou Shijie tried to salvage the situation, saying, "This snow beast is truly extraordinary. We were unprepared, and the distance was too great. We can only allow this monstrous creature to live a little longer..."

Yue Kai sighed, "Slaying snow beasts with archery alone is indeed extremely difficult. This snow ape is an example of that, and the snow mountain spirit fox... I'm afraid..." He was just beginning to understand the difficulty of this matter.

As they were talking, they suddenly heard a soft "thump," as if something heavy had fallen from a height. Yue Kai and Zhou Shijie looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the snow ape had been shot down, lying on the ground convulsing, and had died.

The two exchanged a glance, both surprised and suspicious, completely unaware of what had happened. Upon closer inspection, they saw a pale-faced man with a red bow standing beside the snow ape's corpse. Zhou Shijie said, "Go after him!"

The two hurried after him, walking side by side. But they saw the pale-faced man with the red bow veering left and right, disappearing into the distance. He carried a snow ape on his back, his white fur blending into the snowy landscape. The two men stared intently at him, then suddenly felt a sharp pain in their eyes. Hunting in the snow was extremely taxing on the eyes, so they had to stop and rub their eyes, unable to continue the chase.

Yue Kai and Zhou Shijie exchanged a glance, feeling a strange and mysterious aura. They wondered... among the many talented individuals they had befriended, was there anyone like this?

...

On the other hand...

Gu Nianjun and Mu Hongchou had a bountiful harvest. Seeing that it was getting late, they prepared to head back to their agreed-upon destination. On the way back, Mu Hongchou suddenly exclaimed, "Sister Gu, look!"

Gu Nianjun looked and saw a bear footprint in the snow. Mu Hongchou said, "This is a snow bear footprint!" Gu Nianjun said, "Oh? I've heard that Snow Dragon Mountain has a unique terrain that breeds snow beasts, which are extremely difficult to hunt. In previous years, when my family was preparing for the winter hunt, we would often buy snow beast fur to wear among other animals when the snow was falling heavily on the mountain."

"Whoever hunts this beast will be considered to have performed exceptionally well in the winter hunt, winning first place and receiving rewards and favor. If a snow bear really does appear, I'd really like to meet it!"

Mu Hongchou said, "Sister Gu, to be honest, I arrived in Flying Dragon City before you. I didn't know you then. I had nothing to do, so I came here to hunt before. I encountered a snow bear once, but unfortunately, I was careless and it escaped." As she spoke, she felt deep regret, shaking her head and stamping her feet.

Gu Nianjun had already witnessed Mu Hongchou's archery skills, which were quite impressive and formidable. Upon hearing that even she had difficulty hunting the snow bear, she couldn't help but wonder, "Is this snow bear really that powerful? Although I've vaguely heard of this beast, I've never paid attention to it."

Mu Hongchou said, "Snow bears are cunning and extremely good at disguise. Their snowy fur is special, tough and smooth, and can withstand swords and arrows. No matter how skilled an archer is, it is extremely difficult to kill them with a single arrow unless they have a specially made bow and arrow or use martial arts to assist them. Even if martial arts are used to assist them, the snow bear has thick skin and strong vitality, so it is still difficult to kill it with a single arrow."

"Furthermore, these snow bears are naturally extremely sensitive to killing intent. Among the many snow beasts, they are among the most troublesome. Sometimes, they only reveal their killing intent before they have already fled far away."

Gu Nianjun said, “I have heard of this matter. There is a martial art called ‘Bear Heart Skill,’ which mainly trains the heart. The heart… is connected to heaven and earth, and its mysteries are infinite. There is a move in this skill called ‘Snow Bear Heart Forging Form,’ which is used to sense danger and avoid disaster in advance. It is probably derived from the snow bear. To learn this skill, one must have a mind that is different from ordinary people, and such people are hard to find. But the snow bear is born with it.”

Mu Hongchou said, "Therefore, the heart of a snow bear is extremely valuable and is considered a common item."

She took out a sharp arrow from the quiver, pointed at the snow bear footprint, and said, "This snow bear footprint is wide and very similar to the one I encountered that day. And Sister Gu, look, this footprint is lighter, while this one is heavier."

After Gu Nianjun looked at it, he found it to be true and asked, "Is its right foot injured?" Mu Hongchou replied, "That's right. That day I encountered the snow bear and used the essence of the [Wuwei Sword Technique] to quietly approach it."

Gu Nianjun said, "The Wuwei Sword Technique... is the basic martial art of the Lake Mountain Sword Sect. Its purpose is to conceal one's intentions and not reveal the slightest bit." Mu Hongchou nodded and said, "If I had revealed even the slightest killing intent, that snow bear would have already fled."

Mu Hongchou said, "Even so, when I got within three hundred feet, the snow bear immediately noticed and began to run away."

"I figured one arrow wouldn't be enough to kill it, so I planned to shoot its right foot first, then follow up and kill it. But even though I hit its right foot, it was incredibly fast, and I still lost track of it. Now that we've met again, Sister Gu... I have to try again no matter what."

Gu Nianjun said curiously, "Alright, let's follow the trail. I really want to see what this snow bear is capable of!"

The two women used their light-footed skills to follow the footprints. Seeing that the footprints were orderly, the snow bear leisurely emerged from its cave and walked towards a stream to drink water. Mu Hongchou said happily, "If it's drinking water, this is the perfect time! Sister Gu, come with me."

The two moved with incredible lightness, their boots leaving no trace on the ground; their lightness skills were truly remarkable. Following their trail, Mu Hongchou's expression suddenly changed, and she said in a deep voice, "This is bad."

Gu Nianjun said, "Someone has already been watching this bear." The two saw a faint footprint on a tree. The footprint was very light, but Gu Nianjun had already noticed it.

Mu Hongchou said, "Let's follow them and take a look." They followed the footprints for several more miles and saw that the snow bear's footprints suddenly became chaotic, and its steps became larger and heavier.

Mu Hongchou stamped her foot and sighed, "It's over, it's over. That person secretly chased us here, and couldn't hold back any longer, revealing his murderous intent. In his panic, the snow bear began to flee. In this way, it will be difficult to find it again."

She was filled with endless sorrow and regret. Looking into the distance, she felt even more furious and said, "Three hundred feet further on is a stream. If the snow bear comes to the stream to drink, that will be the perfect opportunity to shoot it. This person is too reckless and stupid to disturb the snow bear here. He is utterly despicable."

"We missed a golden opportunity to hunt it. If it were me, that snow bear would have been shot dead by now!"

Gu Nianjun observed the tracks in the snow, pointed to a spot, and said, "The snow bear ran this way. Let's follow it and see." Mu Hongchou said sullenly, "It's no use. Once we've alerted the snow bear, it'll be harder to shoot it. This bear is cunning and agile; it can even dodge arrows. When it runs on the ground, its fur blends into the snow. At first, we can follow it closely with our eyes, but after a while, it becomes difficult to see clearly, and we get dizzy. The vast snowfield will only hurt our eyes and damage our eyesight!"

"That bastard is truly despicable. If he hadn't interfered, I would have shot and killed this snow bear! If I had hunted the snow beast, hmph, they would have been so shocked they wouldn't have been able to utter a word!"

Gu Nianjun smiled and said, "Let's follow them and see if there's any chance of a breakthrough?" Mu Hongchou was ultimately unwilling to give up. Even though she knew the chances were slim, she still followed the messy footprints. Seeing occasional arrow marks along the way, some in the snow and some embedded in tree trunks, she couldn't help but feel very strange.

Mu Hongchou said, "This person is strange. These arrows were way too far off target. They didn't even touch the snow bear's fur."

Gu Nianjun said, "There are only arrow marks, no arrow shaft. This person still has the leisure to retrieve the arrow?"

Following the trail for a while longer, Gu Nianjun noticed that every time she found an arrow mark, the snow bear would run and turn in a different direction. It didn't seem like the arrow had missed, but rather like it was being driven away? Her brows furrowed in surprise, and she said incredulously, "No... could this person be driving away the snow bear?"

Mu Hongchou shook her head and said, "Sister Gu, this is absolutely impossible. Snow bears are very cunning; it's difficult to even track them, let alone drive them away."

"If this person truly has the ability to drive it away, it means he is confident that he can shoot the snow bear at any time. If he is an old monster, it is possible if he uses martial arts. But if that's the case, we can tell from the arrow marks. Although we are young, we dare not say that we know all the moves and martial arts in the world, but we can tell to some extent whether or not martial arts were used."

Gu Nianjun nodded slightly, about to speak in agreement, when suddenly she felt her throat tighten, the words stuck in her throat. The footprints abruptly stopped, turning into a large pit. It was about two zhang long, and its shape resembled a snow bear lying prone in the snow. The two women exchanged a glance and immediately went to investigate. Seeing the remnants of white fur in the pit, they were certain the snow bear was dead.

Mu Hongchou knew the snow bear's abilities well, and upon seeing it die here, she was speechless with shock and disbelief. She said, "This... how is this possible? The snow bear was perfectly fine, how could it suddenly die? What kind of method was used?"

Gu Nianjun said in a deep voice, "It seems that person was indeed driving the snow bear here, and then shooting it dead with an arrow. It was a clean and efficient way to do it."

Mu Hongchou said, "Who...who possesses such archery skills? Could it be someone traveling with us?" Her eyes gleamed with surprise and uncertainty.

Gu Nianjun said curiously, "Perhaps it is. After all, we've only just met, so it's not surprising that some of us are quite skilled in archery. But if there really is such a person, perhaps..." Thinking of what happened yesterday, her heart suddenly skipped a beat:

"Could the person who helped Xiao Fan yesterday be the same person who shot the bear today? It's highly likely, as the bear shooter is meticulous in his actions. The person last night was the same. I rarely travel to meet friends, and if I could befriend him, it would be a great pleasure!"

Mu Hongchou said, "Sister Gu, let's go back quickly. I want to see who beat us to it. I'll make trouble for them!"

Gu Nianjun laughed and said, "There's no rule that this snow bear belongs to you. You have no grounds to cause trouble for it."

Mu Hongchou said, "Just keep arguing." Suddenly her eyes lit up: "If his archery skills can truly impress me, I will definitely ask him for guidance. If he resorts to other tricks, I will not let him off the hook."

The two women returned empty-handed. After walking all day along the mountain path, their hair, foreheads, vests, and boots were all covered in sweat. When they finally emerged from the mountains, they both let out a long sigh, feeling utterly exhausted. The two women had come with great enthusiasm, but after experiencing the strange events just now, they had no interest in talking and were filled with uncontrollable curiosity.

Gu Nianjun said, "Sister Mu, let's hurry back to the inn." Mu Hongchou nodded and, without delay, spurred her horse back. They spoke very little along the way, only the howling wind and snow and the sound of hooves echoing in the air.

Outside the east side of the city is a place called "Return to Dreams Inn," a meeting place for many outstanding talents.

As the night deepened and the snow intensified, the inn was brightly lit by candlelight, where a dozen or so talented individuals had gathered. They had heated the charcoal fire, brewed fine wine, and chatted idly. Gu Nianjun and Mu Hongchou pushed open the door and entered, and everyone's eyes lit up at the sight of the two beauties returning.

Zhou Shijie said, "Nianjun, Hongchou, come and sit down." He pointed to several empty seats beside him. Mu Hongchou gave a light 'humph' and said, "Sister Gu and the others, come and sit over there with me." She pulled Gu Nianjun and walked towards the group of women from the Lake Mountain Sword Sect.

The women giggled and teased each other. The atmosphere was very harmonious. As it grew late, the prodigies gradually returned. Around 9 PM, all the prodigies had arrived, drinking and chatting happily. Mu Hongchou thought to herself, "Who among you hunted that snow bear? We'll find out later." Her gaze swept over them one by one.

The assembled prodigies were bewildered, but none were angry. They secretly tidied their clothes and arranged their long hair.

Zhou Shijie called over the waiter and ordered three pots of water to be placed over the charcoal fire to roast the game. He said, "We're only truly enjoying ourselves when we hunt and eat our prey. Please show off your catches. Let's hurry and put them into the soup while they're still fresh."

Upon hearing this, everyone showed off their spoils. Yang Wentian had the most bountiful harvest, having hunted three tiger beasts and two bear beasts... When he took out his spoils, the surrounding prodigies exclaimed in surprise and praised him.

It is said that Yang Wentian was exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts.

The martial artist is very strong, and killing tigers and hunting bears is not difficult for him. However, hunting with arrows has nothing to do with fists and feet; it does not require close combat, but rather shooting the animal's body with an arrowhead. Moreover, wild animals grow stronger with age, accumulate food, and are nurtured by favorable feng shui... Their intelligence, strength, and speed are also extraordinary.

Shooting with arrows alone is no easy feat. Therefore, large clans all have activities such as "winter hunting" and "spring hunting." This is because hunting can cultivate courage and heroism, and because it is very difficult and has many obstacles, it can better test one's skills and abilities.

Yang Wentian immediately skinned the animal, chopped off the bear's paws, and removed the tiger's heart, throwing them into the clear soup as the first ingredient. The group of elite hunters returned from their hunt; this meal featured both wine and meat, not elaborate delicacies, but rather a raw, untamed spirit.

Yang Wentian began... and the others displayed the game they had hunted one by one. The most valuable parts of each wild animal were cut off and thrown into a clear broth. Then cooking wine and seasonings were sprinkled on... the aroma of the meat filled the air, and the fishy smell was irresistible.

This feast was not about the flavors, but about the wildness of the game. Hua Wu, Zhou Ting, and others had a bountiful catch of game, including leopards, pigs, cattle, and eagles. A single pot of broth contained enough to contain dozens of ferocious beasts.

It can truly be called a "miracle soup of a hundred beasts," a pure and yang-tonifying soup.

Whenever someone hunted a large animal, the crowd would shout in celebration. Gu Nianjun and Mu Hongchou both showed their kills, drawing cheers and praise for their excellent archery skills and techniques.

Zhou Shijie noticed Wang Dezhong drinking alone and asked, "Brother Wang, Brother Wang, we're just waiting for you! Why don't you show us your spoils? I heard from your fellow disciples in the Jiushan Sword Sect that you have extraordinary eyes and are first-rate when it comes to hunting fierce beasts!"

Gu Nianjun and Mu Hongchou exchanged glances, thinking in unison: "With extraordinary eyes, one can track the snow bear's movements. Could it be that the one who shot the snow bear was this Wang Dezhong?"

Wang Dezhong shook his head and said, "I didn't catch any animals."

Everyone laughed at the sound, thinking that Wang Dezhong was being modest, and that the beast must have been very good; he was trying to praise by first belittling. Mu Hongchou put her hands on her hips and said, "Brother Wang, don't be modest. Hurry up and bring out that snow beast."

Gu Nianjun cupped his hands and smiled, "Brother Wang's archery skills are superb; I admire them greatly. After the banquet, would you allow me to pay you a visit?"

Upon hearing the word "Snow Beast," Zhou Shijie, Yue Kai, Yang Wentian, and the others all turned to look. Zhou Shijie, in particular, noticed that Gu Nianjun intended to pay him a visit, and his words revealed a deep admiration for him. Having known Gu Nianjun for a long time, he had never received such treatment. This made him even more attentive.

Wang Dezhong's expression changed, and he said, "You all knew?"

Mu Hongchou said, "Of course." Wang Dezhong sighed, "I didn't want to bring this up again, but now that I know, I might as well not hide it."

He went back and untied the shrunken pouch. He shook it on the ground; there was no beast there. Zhou Shijie asked in surprise, "Brother Wang, where is your beast?"

Wang Dezhong, looking embarrassed, said, "I already said I didn't catch any beasts. Since Sister Mu already knows about this, let her tell the story."

When Yang Wentian returned to the inn, he found Wang Dezhong drinking dejectedly. When Yang tried to speak to him, Wang remained silent. Knowing he was troubled, Yang asked, "Did your prey get stolen?"

Wang Dezhong remained silent. Everyone looked towards Mu Hongchou.

Mu Hongchou took a step back and looked at Gu Nianjun, both of them feeling completely bewildered. Mu Hongchou said, "What are you talking about? Brother Wang... This matter of yours is very strange to me."

Wang Dezhong was taken aback. "Didn't you already know? That expert... didn't tell you about this?"

It turned out... he also suspected that the pale-faced man with the red bow was one of the fellow travelers. Hearing that Mu Hongchou knew what had happened, he guessed that the pale-faced man with the red bow had already told him about it.

Mu Hongchou frowned and asked, "Who is it?" Wang Dezhong chuckled, realizing he was being overly sensitive and had misunderstood. He laughed and said, "It's alright if I don't know. I'll just pretend I lost. Anyway... I'll never shoot an arrow again."

Gu Nianjun keenly sensed something amiss and, filled with boundless curiosity, asked, "Brother Wang, what happened to you that caused you to be so dejected?"

Zhou Shijie, Yang Wentian, Yue Kai... many junior brothers and sisters from the five major sword sects, Luo Feiyan... and others were all extremely curious and kept asking questions.

Seeing that there was nothing left to hide, and with the effects of the alcohol already starting to set in, Wang Dezhong said, "Very well, very well... Since that's the case, let's talk about it. When I tell you this, you will all be shocked. Before today, I never expected that anyone of my generation would possess such terrifying archery skills."

(End of this chapter)