Chapter 78 The Royal Hunting Grounds Part Two
Before long, under the watchful eyes of everyone, a golden eagle with a black-feathered arrow stuck in its body plummeted from the sky into the forest.
The hunting ground's officer stepped forward to pick it up. When he brought it back, everyone realized how big the golden eagle was. Its wingspan was half again as wide as a person's outstretched arm, which was truly astonishing.
The golden eagle was so large that it was obviously easy to aim at, but the group hadn't seen it at all, so it was hard to say whether it was hiding in the clouds. If it were anyone else, they might have questioned whether someone had hidden the prey beforehand, rather than actually hitting it. But the person in front of them was the Poison King, who had led his army to recapture three cities and annexed three more. They didn't find it impossible for such an extraordinary event to happen to the Poison King.
Therefore, this momentous "launch" was met with thunderous applause, and everyone in the hunting grounds sincerely shouted "Your Majesty is mighty!"
The King of Zhen gave the golden eagle to the Crown Prince, who was quite surprised. Before he could even feel happy, he saw the King of Zhen say to Shinju, "Golden eagle is hard to eat. I'll get you something else."
"..." The crown prince picked up his bow and arrow with a blank expression and led the other noble sons into the woods.
Next comes the trial for the younger generation.
Anyone who hunts a large animal will receive different levels of reward depending on the rarity of the prey and the difficulty of the hunt. If the animal is a rare and auspicious beast, the king will be informed, and the king will personally decide whether to kill it. However, if the animal is extremely dangerous and the hunter is not confident in his ability to handle it, he must not act rashly and must send someone to report it; otherwise, he will bear the consequences.
Although this place is a royal hunting ground, it actually covers a vast area, including a large unmanaged wild area. Therefore, the number of birds and beasts that appear during each spring and autumn hunt is unpredictable.
Most civil officials were not interested in this; they were more interested in showing off in front of the King of Zhen. Some even brought attractive male family members with them, their purpose being self-evident.
However, the family members, who were dressed in their finest attire, did not have a chance to get close. Instead, they discovered that a young man was always by the side of the King of Zhen, dressed in riding clothes of the same color as the King of Zhen. The two were very well matched, one in motion and the other still. But upon closer inspection, it was quite outrageous.
"Who is that?" Many people couldn't help but ask their family members in a low voice.
Shinju was not dressed as an attendant today. Apart from high-ranking ministers who had seen Shinju before, most of the others had only heard a little about him and knew that there was such a vixen by the side of the King of Poison, but they did not take Shinju's bewitching appearance seriously.
Even now, when they saw with their own eyes that the man turned his head slightly to speak to the King of Poison, his stunningly beautiful appearance made them hesitate and abandon their absurd idea of taking his place.
In an instant, without needing to ask any further, they knew who this person was, and the rumors were not exaggerated in the slightest. The crowd was filled with complex emotions.
Shinju was unaware that his mere presence had extinguished the burning ambitions of a group. At this moment, a flicker of elation filled his eyes; though outwardly calm, his mood had been instantly lifted by the Poison King's arrow, igniting his hunting desires. In truth, he had harbored a vague anticipation since hearing of the autumn hunt, and upon arriving at the hunting grounds and witnessing the Poison King's effortless arrow, as a cultivator who had dedicated his life to the pursuit of power, and as a man who hadn't encountered a worthy opponent in a long time, it was difficult not to feel exhilarated.
The King of Zhen noticed that Shinju was no longer deliberately distant, perhaps because he was too excited. He didn't flinch when the King of Zhen approached, but obediently held out his palms, letting the King of Zhen help him put on leather finger guards and a quiver slung across his shoulder. Finally, the King of Zhen helped him put on his military cap, with two snow owl feathers sticking up on either side and two ropes hanging down from his chin. He looked like a mountain spirit or wood sprite that would appear in the snow, extremely cute.
His accessories were all dyed snow-white, which, combined with his original white, gold, silver and blue riding attire, added a touch of noble elegance to his sharp and handsome appearance, making the King of Zhen unable to look away for a long time.
It was Shinjuku who couldn't wait any longer. He tugged at the sleeve of the stunned King of the Powder, and King of the Powder snapped out of his daze, picked up his dwarf horse, and led Shinjuku into the forest.
A group of ministers were left looking at each other in bewilderment, and could only sit by the tent, drinking tea and chatting.
Unable to please the King of Poison, some people immediately turned their attention to a young man dressed in a robe with star patterns.
"Young friend Gu, why don't you go hunting for something, as a lucky charm?"
The boy smiled shyly, "I have no knowledge of archery, so I won't embarrass myself. The autumn breeze is refreshing lately, and it's already very pleasant to play chess and drink tea with the adults here."
"That's right, we old folks are even less likely to get involved. Speaking of which, why didn't Eunuch Pan come? I was hoping to ask him how he was doing."
The boy paused noticeably before saying, "My godfather is busy, as he is currently selecting a new batch of servants and cannot get away. If you don't mind, I can convey your greetings."
"Excellent! Speaking of which, Eunuch Pan is truly responsible, handling such matters personally. No wonder he can mentor such talents as Young Friend Gu and Lord Qing. The job of the Lingtai Lang of the Imperial Observatory must be quite demanding. Recently, I have often heard the Director of the Observatory praise Young Friend, which shows that your star-gazing skills are truly unmatched."
"You flatter me, sir." The young Gu Yixiang scratched his head, glancing in the direction where the King of Zhen and his men had left. "Today is a good day for hunting. I look forward to seeing what kind of prey His Majesty will bring back."
"If we could hunt a deer, we might have a whole deer feast tonight."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yixiang's gaze suddenly became intriguing.
.
Shinjuku and the King of the Night walked for nearly half an hour, stepping on the withered yellow leaves and the slightly damp soil, without encountering any animals.
"Why are there no prey in the hunting grounds?" Shinju asked the question that struck a chord with many.
"..." King Zhen also found it strange. Logically speaking, once the autumn hunt was set up, the person in charge of the hunting grounds would at least drive some small rabbits, pheasants, jackals, and roe deer to a position near the entrance so that those who were not familiar with hunting could also enjoy it.
They searched for footprints and studied water sources and animal habits, but despite finding many animal tracks on the ground, they couldn't find anything.
King Zhen, fearing that Shinju would be disappointed, became somewhat impatient.
Masakatsu guessed that perhaps his aura frightened ordinary birds and beasts, just as it had been at the West Horse Farm before. However, if he showed goodwill, they would lower their guard and come closer.
But this is hunting, and Shinjuku has no intention of doing the same thing as deception.
But along the way, he really didn't see any big creatures, and he had no intention of drawing his bow and aiming at any slow-moving rabbits or mice.
That's too easy.
After walking for nearly half an hour, Shinjuku and the King of the Forest felt as if they were strolling through the woods. The breeze was exceptionally refreshing, and the midday sun cast dappled shadows through the leaves, creating a golden and reddish spectacle. Everywhere they looked was a colorful and vibrant landscape.
While feeling utterly bored, Shinju picked up a poisonous mushroom in the forest. With his divine sense activated, he pretended to be curious and squatted down to pat the cap of the mushroom. Right under the nose of the Poison King, he openly and honestly absorbed all the toxins.
The King of Poison simply thought that Shinju was craving mushrooms, but he couldn't tell the difference and was afraid that Shinju might mistakenly pick poisonous mushrooms. So he planned to go back and order someone to prepare some chicken stew with mushrooms or a mushroom-based offering for that night.
However, Masaya didn't actually pick any of them; she just patted them here and touched them there, so docile that it melted the heart of the King of Poison.
He walked behind Shinjuku with his hands behind his back, while Shinjuku led the way with "Kifuku" by the hand, occasionally turning back to glance at the King of Venom. The King of Venom suddenly felt that this was good enough, and wished that time could flow slower.
But just then, the roars of a bear and the howls of a tiger came from two directions at the same time. Shinju's golden eyes lit up immediately, and the King of Poison understood his meaning instantly.
This is to have a match with him.
The King of Poison shrugged helplessly, raised his chin, and tacitly agreed.
"If you can't handle it, call me." King Zhen didn't look down on Shinju's strength, but he was always worried, so he added a reminder even though it might offend others.
Shinjuku wasn't angry. He nodded solemnly at him, then quickly disappeared eastward.
The King of Zhen also took the heavy bow off his horse, tied "Qifeng" to it, and then walked alone into the dense forest on the other side.
As they ventured deeper, the bears' sniffing became more pronounced, though their earlier high-pitched roars subsided, as if they had quieted down.
The King of Poison could sense a hint of agitation in the air, mostly from the scent of a bear. This was not a good sign, often indicating that the bear was currently in an unusually aggressive state.
It seems that they unknowingly ventured into an area they had never been to before and encountered a rare and large animal like a bear.
The King of Zhen couldn't catch what kind of bear it was, but the most dangerous bear among bears is the large bear, which is not good at climbing trees. So the King of Zhen chose a particularly thick and tall tree and climbed up it empty-handed.
As soon as Fang Yi stepped onto the lowest branch, a tremor ran through the ground and even the base of the tree trunk. A moment later, a tall, brownish-brown beast suddenly charged fiercely towards the tree where the Poison King was located.
The King of Poison nimbly climbed up the branches one by one, and then reached a slightly higher place. Leaning against the thick tree trunk, he held his breath, drew the heavy black iron bow, and pointed the arrow downwards. He found that this angle was extremely difficult to aim at, as the figure directly below was blocked by the messy branches.
"It turned out to be the most troublesome bear..."
Those who can roar at a bear are probably... no ordinary tigers. The Poison King suddenly had a bad feeling, and his gaze toward the east became serious.
.
Rest area at the hunting ground.
Some family members who hadn't participated in the hunt were idly chatting and eating tea and snacks around a table in the shade.
"His Majesty must have had a great haul this time, considering how long he hasn't returned. I've heard there's something extraordinary lurking deep within the hunting grounds!"
"As expected of His Majesty, how can one be as brave as His Majesty? If it were me, I would be afraid of being kicked by a rabbit."
"Pfft. Young Master Wen, you're far too incompetent."
"...Mu Ziren, what did you say?!"
"Gu Lang, you be the judge—"
Gu Yixiang, who was suddenly called out, did not respond for a long time. Both sides of the argument stopped and looked at the unremarkable Lingtai Lang, who was highly regarded by Master Pan, with puzzlement. Just a moment ago, he was chatting and laughing with them, but now Gu Yixiang seemed to have left his body, not moving and with lifeless eyes.
In fact, Gu Yixiang was almost like his soul leaving his body at this moment; he was "communicating with the gods." He had once again received a decree from the "gods" from beyond the heavens.
"Establish the Snake-Tortoise Hexagram with eight coins, two books, and three balances, placing it on the Kun trigram. At the first quarter of the hour of You (5-7 PM), I will receive auspicious omens. Seize the moment when 'Jade Face' is careless and strike with swift precision. Carry it out immediately."
"Yes, Immortal Master."
A moment later, Gu Yixiang's eyes regained their luster. He blinked, then took out the snake and tortoise shell from his sleeve and began to divine.
Those nearby were puzzled, but were intimidated by his expression and dared not disturb him.
At this moment, Shinjuku had just stepped into a territory that belonged exclusively to a certain ferocious beast and was not visible to others.
The autumn wind rustled the withered leaves, but Shinju's footsteps did not disturb a single leaf or stir up a gust of wind. However, from the moment he stepped across that border, a white tiger with beautifully muscular body silently stared at him.
Its beautiful, frosty white fur, crisscrossed with pure black lightning stripes, rose and fell slightly with its breath, appearing as lifelike as a living creature. Its inherently majestic face was turned towards Shinjuku, its dark eyes radiating an extremely sharp gaze.
It turned out that Masakatsu saw a resemblance to someone.
Shinju did not act rashly. Although he did not think that the White Tiger could harm him, he had come to hunt and would win by shooting arrows.
To Shinju's surprise, the white tiger suddenly opened its blood-red mouth, stretched out its left front paw and right hind leg at the same time, and stretched out its body in a yawn.
Masu: "...??"
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