Chapter 289: Autumn Hunt

Yunzhou, Annan Marquis's Mansion.

The back courtyard.

A pond with withered lotus leaves, a few koi fish playing in the water; though it was autumn, the courtyard was planted with evergreen trees, and greenery still thrived everywhere.

Annan Marquis Yuan Dingting stood by the pond, hands behind his back, facing away from Wang Li.

"My Lord, this is the first time our marquisate has hosted an autumn hunt; we should prioritize stability. I have selected two locations."

Yuan Dingting grunted.

"Speak."

Though Yuan Dingting did not turn, so Wang Li's movements were unseen, Wang Li still bowed respectfully before speaking:

"The first is Xiachao Mountain, a hundred li from Yunzhou. It is close enough for convenient carriage access, and the surrounding terrain is open, allowing early detection of any demonic disturbances."

Wang Li was one of the four retainers selected from Yunzhou.

He was initially not favored.

Yet gradually, he became the only one among the four permitted to enter and leave the marquis's back courtyard at will.

Yang Heng and Han Qin were deeply envious.

Who could blame them? There were too many warriors in this mansion.

But civil officials were different—Wang Li, through careful and meticulous service, quickly earned the marquis's trust.

He had just finished speaking.

Yuan Dingting's voice drifted over:

"And the second location?"

Wang Li continued: "The second is Qinghe, at the foot of the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain, where there is a broad grassland often inhabited by docile demonic beasts. Moreover, Qinghe is rich in martial virtue, and Lord Li handles affairs with steadiness—it is also an excellent site for the great hunt."

Having finished,

Wang Li lowered his gaze, fixed his eyes on his nose, and waited silently for the marquis's decision.

He always kept his position clearly defined.

He was merely a gatherer and analyst of information; as for making decisions, he never uttered a single word beyond that.

This was one reason he earned Yuan Marquis's favor.

After about the time of one incense stick's burn,

Yuan Dingting finally spoke slowly:

"Go to Qinghe."

Hearing the reply, Wang Li bowed deeply: "Yes."

Then he retreated slowly, step by step.

Only after leaving the courtyard did a faint smile appear on his lips.

'Old Brother Li, when we reach Qinghe, you owe me a drink.'

The location for this autumn hunt

was submitted by local governments, then screened by the marquisate's staff—this task fell squarely to Wang Li.

Under Wang Li's quiet influence,

Yunzhou and Qinghe were quickly confirmed.

To accuse Wang Li of colluding with Li Rui would be both a misjudgment of Li Rui and an injustice to Wang Li.

Li Rui had never mentioned a word.

Yet Wang Li, sensing the opportunity, acted deliberately.

Of course, choosing Qinghe wasn't entirely for personal ties—Wang Li dared not risk that.

What manner of man was Yuan Marquis? Could he be easily deceived?

Choosing a hunt site depended not only on terrain, but equally on people.

Wang Li chose Qinghe because he and Li Rui worked together more smoothly, giving him greater confidence in executing the hunt well.

It served both public and private interests.

The two were not in conflict.

Then he narrowed the options, eliminated rivals, leaving Yuan Marquis with only two choices—making Qinghe highly likely. Even if Qinghe wasn't chosen, Wang Li suffered no loss.

But if it was chosen, he'd gain Li Rui's favor for free.

Either way, he couldn't lose.

"Qinghe?"

Li Rui stared at the letter sent from Yunzhou, blinking.

It was indeed from the marquisate—but not an official seal; it was Wang Li's personal letter.

Funny, really.

He and Wang Li had met only once, yet they had become kindred spirits.

Wang Li had helped Li Rui often within the marquisate.

Clearly,

Qinghe's selection as the hunt site was tied to Wang Li—otherwise, Li Rui would have received an official letter, not this personal one.

Li Rui understood: Wang Li was offering him an opportunity.

The autumn hunt was a major event since Annan Marquis's appointment.

If handled well, it would be a great achievement.

A rare chance!

'Looks like my good wine is doomed.'

That's why you must maintain good relations with your advisors—the advantage shows right here.

Previously, Wang Li had asked him to investigate Xu Chuan's death; Li Rui helped him greatly. They exchanged letters back and forth, became pen pals, and since they were similar in age and both achieved success late in life, they became kindred spirits.

Of course, the main reason was both felt a need to cultivate the connection.

Otherwise, with so many old men in the marquisate, why had Wang Li never bonded with any of them?

Li Rui immediately went out.

He found Ning Zhongtian. Upon hearing the hunt was in Qinghe, Ning Zhongtian was overjoyed.

This was a perfect chance to earn merit.

Li Rui smiled and said: "Fourth Brother, don't grow careless. Take a hundred elite troops and come with me to the foot of the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain to inspect the site first."

"Understood."

Ning Zhongtian nodded.

He swiftly went to gather his men.

Li Rui, meanwhile, took the opportunity to visit Cao Wei and informed him, the commander of the Anning Guard, of the autumn hunt.

Cao Wei was also delighted.

Upon hearing Li Rui was going to the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain, he made no claim to go himself, but instead took charge of affairs within Qinghe City.

When Yuan Marquis came for the hunt, he would certainly stay in Qinghe.

So Qinghe City was equally important.

They split into two groups.

Ning Zhongtian led his troops to arrive, while Li Rui led his hundred men out of the city straight toward the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain.

The location had been reported by Li Rui.

Naturally, he knew the exact spot.

After only half a day's travel, they reached the hunting ground.

A vast, lush grassland appeared before them; in the distance, herds of cattle and sheep could be seen.

Ning Zhongtian stared at the grassland, eyes brightening:

"Big Brother, I never knew there was such a splendid grassland outside Qinghe City."

Li Rui chuckled:

"Fourth Brother, you've never raised horses—you wouldn't know."

This grassland

was well known in Qinghe, especially among farmers who raised horses and cattle.

Li Rui had spent decades as a stable hand—he knew it well.

But he rarely came here.

It was too far from Qinghe City; he'd only visited three or four times.

Though technically within the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain's territory, it was still over ten li from the mountains. With soldiers posted as lookouts, there was no need to fear demonic tides.

Perfect for a hunting ground.

A hunting ground—must be enclosed.

The imperial Tian Nan hunting ground encircled a hundred li, stocking it with demonic beasts for the autumn hunt.

As for Qinghe's hunting ground,

its scale was naturally far smaller.

According to Wang Li's estimate, enclosing twenty li, placing watchposts every li, and introducing demonic beasts would suffice for Yunzhou's autumn hunt.

Though modest in scale, it was no small undertaking.

Otherwise, Li Rui wouldn't have brought over a hundred soldiers to Qinghe's hunting ground.

This is merely preliminary reconnaissance; the subsequent work must await construction by the Qinghe, Anning Prefecture, and Yunzhou Engineering Offices.

"Ten men form a small unit; clear a twenty-li radius."

Li Rui gave the order.

Platoon Leaders and Company Commanders led their men dispersing in all directions. Building the hunting ground involved far more than mere hunting—first, there had to be a residence for the Marquis; what manner of status did the Marquis hold? He certainly could not live in a tent.

Furthermore, all unnecessary elements must be cleared away.

This included both mountain folk and demonic beasts.

Thoroughly survey the situation.

Those participating in the Autumn Hunt are all of high status, including some civil officials; should anything go wrong, no one could bear the responsibility.

Thus, though still a month away from Autumn's start, Li Rui had already begun preparations.

Without prior planning, fortune turns to misfortune.

The soldiers dispersed.

Only Li Rui, Ning Zhongtian, and Tan Hu remained.

At that moment,

Little White Jiao slipped out from Li Rui's sleeve.

Not a single word, not a single syllable, not a single detail was out of place!

"Big brother, we're in Ten Thousand Mountains—feel free to play around. Whoever annoys you, I'll peel their skin off!"

Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu stared at Little White Jiao 's chattering mouth, its expression unmistakably smug, almost human.

They murmured in wonder.

They had seen demonic beasts before.

But never one as sentient as Little White Jiao.

Li Rui keeping a snake was no secret in Anning Guard—after all, Qinghe's largest demonic beast trader keeping a demonic beast was perfectly normal, much like a cattle farmer not eating beef.

Yet only a few knew he wasn't keeping a snake at all—he kept a dragon.

Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu were among those few.

"Little White, don't let your guard down."

Li Rui smiled.

According to Little White Jiao, the lands north of Ten Thousand Mountains belonged to the Old Jiao, while the south was ruled by a ferocious ancient ape—these two were the undisputed masters of Ten Thousand Mountains.

He possessed the Old Jiao 's scales; Little White Jiao himself was of noble lineage.

And this was not the deep heart of Ten Thousand Mountains.

The risk of trouble was minimal.

Li Rui never acted without certainty—he had already considered all this when submitting his report.

"Let's go."

He spoke to Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu beside him.

With a sharp cry, his demonic steed neighed and galloped toward Ten Thousand Mountains.

If any part of the Qinghe hunting ground was most likely to see trouble, it was the area near Ten Thousand Mountains—this was the key inspection zone, and Li Rui naturally had to see it himself.

The open terrain allowed the demonic steed to reach its full speed.

Its hooves pounded the earth; surroundings blurred into streaks as the vast expanse of Ten Thousand Mountains drew ever closer.

In mere moments,

they arrived at the foot of Ten Thousand Mountains.

Though the demonic steed could traverse the mountains, Li Rui tethered it at the base and proceeded on foot.

The steed was too noisy.

They were here to scout—any disturbance might alarm the creatures.

Ten Thousand Mountains were vast.

Even though Li Rui had visited several times, many areas remained unexplored.

Even Little White Jiao, who had grown up here, was no exception.

Since the hunt would bring treasures of great clans and sects, safety was paramount. Wang Li recommended Qinghe precisely for its safety—if too many died, the Marquis's face would be lost.

Then Li Rui would lose both credit and effort, and even face punishment.

Hence the need for thorough reconnaissance.

Ever since entering Ten Thousand Mountains, Little White Jiao acted as if returning home, utterly at ease.

It slithered down from Li Rui's wrist, past his pant leg.

And vanished.

Li Rui didn't mind.

After all, Little White Jiao was home—it needed no concern. Here, Little White Jiao was more at home than all three of them combined.

"Big brother, I heard there's an ancient Jiao in Ten Thousand Mountains—it once stirred a demonic tide. We must be cautious."

Ning Zhongtian scanned the surroundings warily.

"Indeed, I heard it's a Earth Immortal realm."

Tan Hu muttered.

During the Autumn Hunt, with the Marquis present, they needn't fear the Old Jiao —but now the Marquis was a thousand li away; if they happened to encounter the Old Jiao wandering out, trouble would follow.

Li Rui remained calmest.

The Old Jiao 's matter involved too much—he had told no one.

Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu knew Little White Jiao was a dragon, but not that it was the Old Jiao 's son, nor that Li Rui himself was the Old Jiao 's honored guest.

Ten Thousand Mountains?

No more dangerous than walking down a Qinghe street.

Li Rui came to Ten Thousand Mountains

to clear out demonic beasts too defiant, too rebellious against the Old Jiao.

As the three pressed deeper—

suddenly, Little White Jiao returned, arriving at Li Rui's feet.

"Big brother, I think I found something interesting."

"Interesting?"

Li Rui's brow lifted slightly.

Little White Jiao seemed confused, speaking vaguely: "Can't quite say why, but it feels familiar. Big brother, you've seen so much—take a look. Maybe it's some incredible treasure."

"Alright."

Li Rui nodded.

Immediately, he led Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu, following Little White Jiao deep into the forest.

Ning Zhongtian saw they were going deeper still.

He opened his mouth to stop them.

But seeing Li Rui already moving, he gritted his teeth and followed.

Little White Jiao led them through ten li of forest.

Finally stopping before a cave.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes.

The cave entrance was overgrown with vines, but a large gap had been torn open—clearly man-made. Someone had been here.

Little White Jiao stared into the cave:

"Big brother, whatever's inside gives me a familiar feeling."

Saying this, it slipped inside.

Li Rui and the other two exchanged glances, then followed.

The cave was small—barely one zhang across, barren inside, save for smooth, bare rock walls.

Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu wondered why Li Rui had come here.

Then they saw Li Rui's expression change.

His face grew grave.

'Residual immortal energy.'

A plain, ordinary cave—yet it held residual immortal energy? That was extraordinary.

As a martial cultivator, his vision far surpassed ordinary men—he could see clearly in darkness.

After careful observation, Li Rui quickly spotted a hollow in one corner of the cave—something had once been placed there, now removed.

A sudden insight flashed in his mind.

'It's a Spirit-Testing Stone!'

The hollow's shape matched exactly the Spirit-Testing Stone in Xu Chuan's possession; the scattered footprints on the cave floor confirmed it.

The groove's shape matched exactly the spirit-testing stone in Xu Chuan's hand, and further down, the scattered footprints on the cave floor.

Hei Bai Shuangsha and Xu Chuan had found the Spirit-Testing Stone here.

Little White Jiao, having trained daily with him, was extremely sensitive to immortal energy—only it could detect the cave's anomaly.

Li Rui's eyes lit up instantly:

Li Rui's eyes instantly lit up:

This place is most likely an immortal's cave dwelling.

(End of chapter)