Chapter 115: Hunting Begins!

Gu Huanghou looked at Qu Jiang with difficulty, speaking softly: "The groups have already been divided; it wouldn't be appropriate to switch groups now."

Qu Jiang gave a light smile, his gaze resolute: "Your Majesty the Empress, Ye Qingran is indeed first place in this archery competition, capable of Hundred-step Willow Piercing; I think she alone can defeat many, and even without me, there would be no impact."

Gu Huanghou looked at Ye Qingran, smiling as she asked: "Ye Qingran, what do you think?"

Xia Meng urged from the side: "Ye Qingran, let him go; this kind of trash makes me sick just looking at it, better not to have him!"

Ye Qingran gave Xia Meng a "calm down" look, then smiled: "Empress, Qu Jiang's words are not bad, but without him our team's chance of winning drops a bit."

Gu Huanghou's expression sank slightly.

Qu Jiang's expression grew even more smug.

Yet Ye Qingran then said: "However, Qu Jiang is ugly-faced and has body odor; sending him to Ye Huanhuan would be quite fitting!"

Pfft~

Upon hearing this, everyone burst out laughing.

Qu Jiang, who had been smug, suddenly changed expression, his face turning as black as a pot bottom.

"Ye Qingran, who are you scolding?"

Xia Meng cooperatively covered her nose: "I earlier guessed I was upwind and didn't smell it, but now… bleh~"

After saying that, she bent over, looking like she wanted to vomit.

Qu Jiang's face looked even worse.

Ye Huanhuan's expression was also very grim.

What does Ye Qingran's remark mean?

Are you saying they're like-minded in stench?

Qu Jiang resentfully glanced at Ye Qingran and her companions, then walked toward Ye Huanhuan's team, his heart full of mockery. Although Ye Qingran bears the title Divine Archer, two fists can't fight four hands, and moreover her team still has a last-place, a second-last, and two archery good-for-nothings!

Without him this expert, he wants to see how Ye Qingran will win.

Ye Qingran glanced at Xia Meng and then at Wuhen, thereby understanding the hidden scheme.

The last-place and second-last are both in her team; is her luck really that bad?

After much difficulty she had a teammate who ranked high in the preliminary trial, yet he voluntarily chose to leave.

Is all this really just a coincidence?

Ye Qingran doesn't care.

To her, it doesn't matter.

Besides, Xia Meng is someone who hides her talents well!

"The hunt lasts two full days; gather at the camp at early Wei time the day after tomorrow. Everyone, you may now set out."

Gu Huanghou spoke aloud.

Ye Huanhuan looked at her team members; besides herself, there were Mu Qingrou and Dongfang Xuan, all of whom had entered the second round. The weakest Qu Jiang also ranked eleventh in the preliminary trial.

With such a luxurious lineup, Ye Huanhuan will surely capture first place in the hunt and avenge her previous shame!

Ye Huanhuan, across the vast crowd, shot a provocative glance at Ye Qingran.

As for Ye Qingran, she didn't even return her gaze.

Ye Qingran's team brushed past Ye Huanhuan and her few companions.

"Ye Qingran, although you came first in the archery contest, the final ranking still depends on the hunt results. What do you think—can your bunch of stinking fish and rotten shrimp bag any game? Victory will still be ours!"

Dongfang Xuan said with contempt.

"Hey, Seventh Prince, how can you insult people? That's wrong!"

Xia Meng said discontentedly.

"Could I have said something wrong again? A cultivation waste, bringing two archery wastes—truly like attracts like!"

Dongfang Xuan snorted in disdain.

Wuhen's face remained cold, his dark eyes flashing a hint of chill.

"You!"

Xia Meng was furious. She had never realized that the Seventh Prince Dongfang Xuan was such a person. That he was beaten by Ye Qingran in front of Wuji Hall was indeed deserved!

"Xia Meng, why bother with him? Are you going to bark back at a dog?"

Ye Qingran said lightly.

"Pfft~"

Xia Meng's previously gloomy mood vanished instantly, and she burst out laughing.

"Calling the Seventh Prince a dog?"

"Only Ye Qingran could pull that off, though the description is spot-on!"

"Ye Qingran!"

Dongfang Xuan said hatefully, but Ye Qingran turned and left with Wuhen and Xia Meng.

Ye Huanhuan watched Ye Qingran depart, narrowed her eyes, her gaze full of fighting spirit.

"Ye Qingran, this hunt's first place will be mine, Ye Huanhuan's!"

"..."

The various teams scattered in different directions into the deep forest; not long after, the bustling camp fell quiet, leaving only Gu Huanghou and some martial officials who had come to watch the match, along with their guards.

The Celestial Dome was azure as washed clean; beneath it lay vast, lush greenery, the ancient forest secluded and tranquil.

Ye Qingran and her two companions unhurriedly headed deep into Jiu Fu Lin; their leisurely pace and relaxed mood made it seem like they were out on an outing.

Xia Meng seemed like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, curious about everything.

"Ye Qingran, have you thought about where we should go hunting?"

Xia Meng was informal, her tone as if she had known Ye Qingran for years.

Ye Qingran glanced at her, chin pointing to the distant deep mountains and forests: "Deep in Jiu Fu Lin!"

Xia Meng's eyes lit up, she shouted: "Great, great!"

An eager, ready-to-try expression.

Wuhen was like a shadow without presence, following behind the two, not uttering a word.

Only from an angle unseen by others, his abyssal eyes would occasionally fall on Ye Qingran's back, sometimes showing a gentle light.

How could Ye Qingran not feel that gaze behind her?

She finally couldn't hold back, asking in a casual tone: "Wuhen, where are you from?"

A silence of a second.

"Cangzhou."

Xia Meng responded: "Cangzhou? That's far! Although I've never been to Cangzhou, I've also heard that this place is on the eastern border of our Donglin. How did you come all the way to Xiliang?"

Wuhen fell silent for a moment, looking at Ye Qingran as if waiting for his answer, then explained: "I happened to be traveling here, encountered the annual Royal Hunting Grand Event, and joined in."

The Royal Hunting Grand Event is not only for the noble sons and daughters of Xiliang City; young nobles and ladies of certain standing from other places can also participate.

So it seems Wuhen's status in Cangzhou is not low?

Xia Meng suddenly understood, and Ye Qingran gave a slight nod.

At that moment, a rustling sound of branches parting leaves came swiftly; all three stopped in their tracks, their expressions slightly grim.

"Killer intent!" Xia Meng shouted lowly.

As soon as her words fell, a loud roar came from the dense thicket ahead, and a black shadow shot out.

Upon closer look, it was indeed a wild boar.

However, this wild boar was not ordinary; it was extremely aggressive and its appearance was even more hideous.

"Leave it to me!"

Seeing that it was just an ordinary spirit beast, Ye Qingran and Wuhen paid no attention, leaving it to Xia Meng to handle.

Xia Meng let out a low shout, her aura bursting forth, her demeanor becoming fierce; she gripped a Small Dagger, spun and leapt, and went into battle with the wild boar.

Xia Meng's moves were Cloud-Flow Shooting, expansive and fluid, with ghostly footwork and uncanny technique; a gleam flashed in Ye Qingran's eyes.

Soon, the wild boar was sealed in the throat by Xia Meng's single move.

"Wow, a great start! Although it's only a first-tier bloodline Initial Tier spirit beast, we've finally begun operations, right?"

Xia Meng circled her spoils, delighted, waving her arms and kicking her legs.

This was actually her first time hunting a spirit beast alone in the wild!

It's really so much fun!

The deeper one goes into Jiu Fu Lin, the denser the vegetation becomes, with ancient trees hundreds or even thousands of years old visible everywhere; the higher the spirit beast's rank, the more precious its bloodline grows.

The three did not deliberately seek spirit beasts; most of the spirit beasts they encountered on the road were dealt with by Xia Meng, and the corpses were stored away.

Soon, the sun set westward, darkness fell, and the three cleared a patch of ground, using the sky as a blanket and the earth as a mat.

The sky grew dark; moonlight could not penetrate the dense canopy, leaving one unable to see one's hand before one's face. If not for cultivators, whose senses are sharper than ordinary people's, moving in such a place would be nearly impossible.

At midnight, a wind blew through the forest.

Immediately after, faint lights flickered up, the pitch-black canopy instantly becoming as brilliant as a Starry Sea.

Wuhen suddenly opened his eyes, his stern face lifted to gaze at the 'stars' flying overhead.

Countless points of light rained down, like scattered stars, illuminating this pitch-black forest as if in a dream.

He then shifted his gaze to Ye Qingran beside him, seeing her eyes closed, apparently sleeping soundly.

Ye Qingran is a light sleeper by nature, but today, whether from fatigue or something else, she did not wake from this commotion.