Gan Qiongying moved towards the platform halfway up the mountain with lightning speed, and Manyue almost couldn't keep up with her.
As dusk fell and the sky pressed down heavily, birds fluttered their wings, trying to return to their nests to rest before darkness descended. Yet, the platform halfway up the mountain was still bustling with activity. The noise could be felt from afar, with people jostling each other and creating a lively atmosphere.
As Gan Qiongying approached, she realized that the commotion was indeed as she had suspected: the hunters had returned.
The game was piled up on the ground, and the young masters who were skilled in riding and archery almost all returned with a full load. One of them even hunted an adult black bear. The black bear was lying on the ground and weighed several hundred pounds. It took nearly ten people to move it.
A servant was counting the animals. Wild rabbits and pheasants were not unusual, but wild foxes were quite rare. What was even more surprising was that there was a double kill with one arrow. I wonder whose archery skills were so good.
Everyone was happy about the harvest. The young masters of noble families even used their hunted prey to win the smiles of their beloved women, promising to make them a winter coat from the fur. In such a harmonious and pleasant scene, two people inappropriately drew their swords at each other.
Zhongli Zhengzhen's expression seemed to have a hint of amusement as he stared with interest at the arrow in the black bear's left eye. Then, he slowly raised his head and turned his gaze to the regent, who was also riding a horse with a cold expression.
"There are two arrows on this black bear." When the attendants were counting the prey, they discovered that the two arrows did not come from the same person; they were the arrows of the Regent and the hostage prince of Jinchuan, respectively.
The people in the room were drawn to the two arrows lodged in the black bear's body. One was stuck in its heart, and the other pierced its left eye and emerged from its head. The black bear was already dead, but the attendants who were counting the arrows were puzzled as to which one was the fatal wound. The crowd began to discuss among themselves.
The servant dared not draw any conclusions about who had shot the black bear, for he could not afford to offend either of his two masters.
Upon seeing this, some young masters from prominent families whispered among themselves.
"Wouldn't it be more deadly if it hit the eyes?"
"That arrow pierced my heart quite deeply."
"Perhaps the eye injury startled the black bear, which led to it being shot in the chest with an arrow."
When Gan Qiongying was still some distance from the arena, she heard the discussions. Just as she was about to go forward to listen more clearly, she was stopped by a group of guards.
Gan Qiongying looked up and saw that there were other female relatives who were also being stopped.
The guards prevented the women from getting too close for their safety, as the hunters had dismounted, but their horses had not yet been completely taken away and tied up.
Some horses are quite spirited and become very excited after a vigorous run, panting heavily and unwilling to be led. The guards dare not let their guard down at this time, as their duty is to protect the safety of all the guests and they dare not make any mistakes.
The number of guards today was twice that of yesterday. They were tall and strong, forming a barrier to keep the women out of the room, but this did not stop their curiosity.
They tiptoed forward, eager to see what their beloved young master had hunted. They were also curious to see what he had hunted, especially since they had heard that someone had hunted a black bear.
Gan Qiongying was surrounded by layers upon layers of female relatives and couldn't see anything.
As time passed, the sunlight gradually faded and disappeared. A few stars could be faintly seen in the sky. The torches in the hunting grounds had not yet been lit, and the light on the field was dim.
Gan Qiongying pushed through the crowd and moved to the front. Suddenly, gasps and the neighing of horses rang out from the arena. The guards rushed forward to investigate, and those on the periphery took the opportunity to move closer. Gan Qiongying gradually heard the sounds of arguing in the arena.
Through the gap, she saw a man with his back to her suddenly dismount and fling the reins. The attendant next to him was startled because the reins hit him on the shoulder, and it was he who had just exclaimed.
The man who dismounted had long legs and a menacing aura, but the light was dim, and Gan Qiongying did not recognize him at first. However, based on his figure and aura, she guessed that he should be the Regent.
The green grass was trampled by his boots, and the dust was swirled by the wind. Regent Sima Rui's footsteps were heavy, and his cold face exuded an imposing aura. He went straight for the black bear, approached it to examine the carcass, and even he could not tell which arrow had killed the bear.
Not far in front of him was Zhongli Zhengzhen, who had not dismounted.
Zhongli Zhengzhen held the reins in his hand. After making eye contact with Regent Sima Rui, he still did not dismount. Instead, he manipulated the horse to circle around the black bear and even the Regent in the arena.
This is clearly an extremely unreasonable and provocative act, especially since Zhongli Zhengzhen is merely a hostage from Jinchuan, while the Regent is the true ruler of Nanzhao.
Gan Qiongying smiled. Although she wasn't standing at the best vantage point, she knew the story was about to unfold.
The first showdown between the two most formidable male protagonists from the original work has finally arrived.
People in the room lowered their voices. The lively discussion that had just been interrupted by the servant's exclamation had turned into whispers when they saw Zhongli's real actions.
The Regent's features were sharp and piercing, his gaze seemingly freezing everything in its path, making everyone afraid to meet his eyes. Zhongli Zhengzhen, however, neither flinched nor avoided his gaze, looking down at him with scrutinizing eyes.
The atmosphere in the arena was tense and confrontational.
Thinking about how the plot would unfold, Gan Qiongying began searching for Wen Xueling's shadow in the room.
Wen Xueling was sandwiched among a group of noble ladies, but did not move to the front as in the plot.
She frowned, stood on tiptoe to look into the arena, her gaze fixed on Zhongli Zhengzhen.
Zhongli, riding his horse high above, spoke slowly and deliberately: "This is a mother bear. To protect her cubs, she stood up from the pit, trying to distract people."
There were still some murmurs in the arena. Zhongli Zhengzhen raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet. Then he dismounted, walked to the black bear, and said slowly, "Everyone, please stop arguing. Although I shot the mother bear in the heart, the arrow in her eye was the fatal wound. The Regent's archery skills are indeed exquisite."
Zhongli Zhengzhen observed the Regent's expression. He seemed polite, but his tone was very strange. "This black bear should rightfully belong to the Regent."
Sima Rui remained noncommittal and turned to leave.
Zhongli Zhengzhen looked at the Regent through a dead bear, and suddenly said, "I remember that the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet is coming soon, and the black bear skin is a very sincere birthday gift."
Sima Rui paused in his steps.
"This beast does have some intelligence; it actually tried to save its bear cubs by sacrificing itself."
Zhongli gave a strange smile, stared into the Regent's eyes, and said, "I do want the bear skin, and I have already found its cubs."
The Regent's eyes were cold, as if frozen. His jaw was clenched and his brows were furrowed, but he still listened to Zhongli Zhengzhen continue speaking.
"I was lucky; those few kids managed to piece together a whole sheet."
Zhongli Zhengzhen laughed heartily, as if he had encountered some good fortune. He bent down and reached out to grasp the arrow in the black bear's heart. "The bear cubs are very clever. They hide in the caves that their mother built for them. When the people who captured them arrived, the bear cubs even tried to resist."
"Pathetic and laughable..."
Zhongli Zhengzhen suddenly pulled out the arrow, and the blood that came out immediately splattered all over the ground. His eyes were full of provocation as he looked at Regent Sima Rui again and said, "Little do you know that a beast is a beast. No matter how much you hide or try to sacrifice your mother, how can you escape people's discerning eyes?"
Sima Rui finally understood his unspoken meaning. His heart trembled, and he stared intently at Zhongli Zhengzhen in front of him, his eyes brimming with ruthlessness.
Sima Rui's knuckles had turned white from excessive force, and his teeth were chattering from the exertion. How did this hostage from Jinchuan know about his entanglement with the Empress Dowager?
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