Xishan Hunting Ground is located 30 li west of the royal court. It is a vast forest surrounded by mountains and is home to many wild animals. It is the traditional hunting ground of the Jie royal family.
Su Nian packed a few things—actually, there wasn't much to pack, just the same few gray slave clothes. She only brought the wound medicine given to her by the witch doctor and some clean strips of cloth—and then set off with Helian Jue's group.
The entourage was quite large, including Helian Jue and his guards, as well as several high-ranking generals and their personal attendants. Surprisingly, although Yun Ji was confined to her quarters, another favored concubine, Lady Lan, was also in the entourage. She sat in a simple sedan chair, and as she passed by Su Nian, she cast a cryptic glance at him, one that was both scrutinizing and tinged with a hint of superiority.
Su Nian walked at the back of the group with her head down, alongside some slaves responsible for miscellaneous tasks. The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves made her cough slightly, and the rugged mountain path beneath her feet was a considerable burden for her pampered (original owner) body, which had suffered so much hardship. But she gritted her teeth and silently kept up, while not forgetting to observe the surrounding environment and the interpersonal relationships within the group.
'Hunting? Team building? Or a trap?' Su Nian wondered to herself. 'Bringing a defenseless 'former princess' like me to the hunting grounds—they can't possibly expect me to wrestle wolves bare-handed, can they? What exactly is Helian Jue up to?'
[Host, based on this system's analysis of numerous palace intrigue and political intrigue novel plots, when a male protagonist takes a female protagonist to dangerous situations, there are usually several possibilities: 1. To test the female protagonist's courage and adaptability; 2. To use her as a tool to kill; 3. To create an opportunity for a hero to save the damsel in distress; 4. Simply because he finds her convenient to have around.] 088 analyzed while crunching on virtual potato chips. [Given the target character's yandere tendencies, possibilities one and three are more likely, but possibility two cannot be completely ruled out…]
Su Nian: '...Thank you, I'm even more nervous now.'
It was nearly noon when they arrived at the hunting grounds. A temporary camp had been set up in a clearing in the woods, with the huge royal tent in the center, surrounded by the tents of the generals and attendants.
Without a moment's rest, Helian Jue immediately ordered the hunt to begin. He changed into lighter hunting attire that allowed for greater freedom of movement, mounted his magnificent black warhorse, and, with a powerful bow in hand, charged into the dense forest like an arrow released from a bow. His generals and elite guards followed closely behind, the thunderous sound of their hooves echoing into the distance, leaving behind billowing dust.
The camp became much quieter, with only a few soldiers remaining and slaves in charge of logistics.
Su Nian was assigned to wait for orders near the royal tent. Lady Lan, on the other hand, rested in her own tent, attended to by maids.
After standing idly for about an hour, Su Nian felt her legs were starting to go numb. Looking at the distant, vast mountains and dense forests, her unease grew stronger. Helian Jue hadn't brought her here just to stand guard.
Just then, a guard rushed over and said to Su Nian, "You, come with me, the king has given the order."
Su Nian's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately followed.
The guards didn't lead her deep into the forest, but instead circled around to a relatively secluded hillside on the side of the camp. A clear stream flowed through it, and Helian Jue was standing by the stream, holding a map, whispering something with Batu (whose injuries seemed to be healing well) and two other generals. Several rabbits and pheasants they had just hunted lay on the ground beside them.
Upon seeing Su Nian approach, Helian Jue raised his eyes but made no comment, continuing to speak with his subordinates.
Su Nian stood a little distance away with her head down, not daring to disturb them, but her ears were perked up, trying hard to catch every word they said.
"...The people of the Gray Rock Tribe...appeared in the northern valley..."
"...Something's not right...This season...shouldn't be their area of activity..."
"...Scouts have discovered...the traces are very fresh...there are quite a few people..."
The fragmented words reached Su Nian's ears, making her heart skip a beat. Gray Rock Tribe? It sounded like a rival force of the Jie tribe? Could this hunt have involved tribal conflict?
Just then, something unexpected happened!
"call out--!"
A crossbow bolt, gleaming with a chilling blue light, shot out without warning from the dense forest on the opposite hillside. Its speed was astonishing, and its target was Helian Jue, who was looking down at a map!
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Batu reacted quickly, drawing his scimitar to parry, but the crossbow bolt was angled cunningly, grazing his blade and losing some of its momentum, yet it still shot toward Helian Jue!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye!
Helian Jue seemed to have anticipated this, and the moment the crossbow bolt pierced the air, he suddenly turned to the side. The bolt grazed his arm and struck the tree trunk behind him with a "thud," its fletching trembling violently!
"Assassins! Protect the King!" Batu roared angrily. The guards instantly huddled together, protecting Helian Jue in the center, their swords drawn, watching warily in the direction from which the crossbow bolts were coming.
However, the dense forest opposite remained silent, as if the fatal arrow from just moments ago had been an illusion.
But everyone knew that the assassin was hiding there.
Helian Jue glanced down at his arm; a gash had appeared in his leather armor, a trickle of blood seeping out. His eyes were cold, showing no sign of panic, but instead a cruel sneer.
"Search." He uttered a single word, his killing intent palpable.
The guards immediately split into two groups, one group stayed behind to protect the area, while the other group pounced on the dense forest on the opposite hillside like wolves.
The atmosphere at the scene was extremely tense.
Su Nian stood on the outer perimeter, her heart pounding. She hadn't expected the danger to come so suddenly and so directly! This was clearly a meticulously planned assassination attempt against Helian Jue!
She subconsciously looked at Helian Jue, only to see him standing there like a rock, exuding a terrifying aura of ferocity, his eyes sharp as an eagle, scanning the surrounding dense forest as if searching for hidden prey.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on Su Nian.
That look sent a chill down Su Nian's spine. It wasn't the look of someone looking at an accomplice, nor the look of someone looking at a stranger; it was a kind of... scrutiny, a cold, suspicious scrutiny!
Did he suspect that the assassin was connected to her? Because of her identity as the "Princess of Southern Xia"?
Just then, the sounds of clashing weapons and roars came from the dense forest opposite, clearly indicating that the guards had engaged the assassins in battle.
In the chaos, no one noticed that in the bushes not far downstream, a tiny, almost blend-into-the-environment dark figure was silently raising its hand, holding a strangely shaped small crossbow. The arrowheads reflected a ghostly blue light in the dappled sunlight!
His target remained Helian Jue! And he chose to launch a sneak attack from the side while drawing attention away from the main battle!
This time, the crossbow bolt was aimed at Helian Jue's slightly exposed side of his neck, which was exposed due to his attention to the battle ahead!
Su Nian's pupils suddenly contracted! She was closer to the hidden assassin and could see him clearly! Meanwhile, Helian Jue and his guards were completely absorbed by the battle in front of them and were oblivious to the deadly threat from their flanks and rear!
There was no time to think! It was almost an instinctive reaction!
Su Nian lunged forward, not towards Helian Jue, but behind a boulder about half a person's height by the stream! At the same time, she mustered all her strength and let out the most hoarse, almost broken cry she had uttered since transmigrating, in the language she knew best:
"Watch out on your left—!!"
She didn't know why she was doing it. Reason told her that self-preservation was the best policy. But at that moment, watching the poisoned crossbow bolt about to strike the man, a strange, intense feeling of disapproval overwhelmed all her calculations!
Her shouts sounded unusually abrupt and shrill in the silent valley!
Helian Jue suddenly turned his head!
"call out--!"
Almost simultaneously, the poisoned crossbow bolt was fired! But because of Su Nian's warning, Helian Jue had a very brief reaction time, and he suddenly turned his head!
"puff!"
The crossbow bolt grazed his ear, leaving a trail of blood, and embedded itself deeply in the pillar of the royal tent!
"There it is!" Helian Jue's eyes instantly locked onto the bushes downstream, his killing intent surging!
Several guards who had reacted immediately pounced like tigers!
Su Nian, due to excessive exertion and extreme tension, fell behind the boulder. Her heart nearly jumped out of her throat, and she was so weak that she couldn't stand up for a moment.
The assassins on the flanks were quickly subdued (or killed) by the guards, and the battle on the front also ended swiftly, with all the assassins killed and several corpses left behind.
The valley returned to silence, save for the babbling of the stream and the lingering smell of blood in the air.
Helian Jue didn't tend to the wounds on his arm and ear, nor did he look at the bodies of the assassins. He strode forward, step by step, toward the boulder.
The heavy leather boots made a clear sound as they stepped on the pebbles by the stream, each step feeling like it was stepping on Su Nian's heart.
He walked to the boulder and stopped.
As the shadows fell, Su Nian could feel the intense gaze upon her.
She struggled to lift her head, meeting Helian Jue's unfathomable eyes. His face was expressionless, the bloodstains on his earlobe particularly striking. He just stared at her, saying nothing.
Su Nian's heart clenched. She didn't know what awaited her. Suspicion? Interrogation? Or... resentment because of his injury?
Time seemed to stand still.
After a long while, Helian Jue slowly squatted down and looked at Su Nian, who was slumped on the ground, at eye level.
His gaze was sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to dissect her head to see what was hidden inside.
He reached out, but instead of touching her, he used his fingertips to dab a little of the blood seeping from his earlobe.
Then, he gently placed that crimson dab on Su Nian's lips, which were trembling slightly with nervousness.
The cold fingertips and warm blood created an extremely eerie and dangerous sensation.
Su Nian's body stiffened, and she dared not move.
Helian Jue stared at her face, which had turned deathly pale, and her panicked eyes. A complex and enigmatic smile slowly curved his lips. In that smile, there was scrutiny, inquiry, a faint hint of… interest, and even a touch of… cruel tenderness?
He spoke, his voice low and slow, carrying an undeniable declaration:
"You saved me once."
"I have noted it down."
He pressed his fingertip lightly against her lips, leaving a striking red mark, then withdrew his hand and stood up.
"Take her back." He ordered the guards behind him, his tone returning to its usual coldness, then turned and walked towards the royal tent, no longer looking at her.
Su Nian sat there in a daze, the scent of his blood still clearly lingering on her lips, her heart pounding wildly out of control.
Did he write it down?
Is this... a blessing or a curse?
(End of Chapter 103)
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