Chapter 470: Chapter 170 Assassination Encounter_3

Fortunately, Huangmao Hill was vast, and avoiding people was easily accomplished if one so desired.

As the hunting dog crouched low to smell the earth beneath the forest carefully, the guard beside him whispered, "Young Master, the female doctor is now in the camp at the foot of the mountain. Should we lure her here now?"

Qi Yutai’s gaze flickered.

"No."

He watched the greyhound, "It’s still early. Let Huan Hu grind its teeth first."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hunting dog burst forth, dove into a nearby bush, and in a flash, came out with a rabbit in its mouth.

"Good!" Qi Yutai immediately rejoiced.

The hunting dog barked wildly, tossing the white rabbit it was carrying in front of Qi Yutai’s horse. The rabbit’s neck was snapped by the sharp teeth of the hunting dog, its blood staining the fur red. It kicked feebly a few times before its chest slowly quieted down.

Qi Yutai took a piece of fresh jerky from his bag and threw it to the hunting dog. The dog swallowed it in one bite and then dashed back into the forest ahead.

Qi Yutai felt exhilarated.

Strangely, every time he saw Huan Hu kill an animal, he always felt overwhelmingly comforted, as if it wasn’t the hunting dog that had bitten through the rabbit’s neck, but himself.

He enjoyed seeing the weak prey struggle helplessly before a stronger creature. The thrill of the hunt excited him. This excitement was different from the rush of taking Cold Food Powder, but it was equally exhilarating.

A joy from the depths of his heart.

Unfortunately, his father governed him strictly, always making him consider the Qi Family’s reputation when acting out. At home, he had to adhere to the rigid rules set by his father. It was only here, in these woods, through Huan Hu’s sharp bite, that he could savor the joy of bloodthirst and brutality.

Huan Hu was alert, pricking its ears as if it had discovered something. It suddenly dashed into the trees, and shortly after, the sound of an animal’s strangled screams, like a death struggle, could be heard.

Qi Yutai’s eyes shone with more satisfaction, shouting, "Good, good!"

The more prey the hunting dog killed, the fiercer it became. After a few more rounds of Huan Hu’s biting and tearing, once its bloodlust was fully aroused, it would be time to bring Lu Tong to this place...

The frail body would be torn to shreds in an instant.

That would be the most delightful prey.

At this thought, Qi Yutai’s eyes reddened with excitement, his veins surged with anticipation, and he even shivered with expectation!

"Let’s go!"

He couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

...

"Whoosh—"

An arrow flew from the woods, piercing through the leaping body. With a "thump," a deer fell at the sound, its blood splattering everywhere.

"Wow—" The boy exclaimed with delight, dismounted, and dragged the deer over to tie up, then heaved it onto his horseback. He patted the deer’s body, admiring, "This deer is so plump!"

The deer was fat and sturdy, hefty to heft—it would make for a good venison ball, minced venison, venison dumplings, venison rolls... nourishing for qi and yang, enriching blood and dispelling wind. The boy licked his lips.

Atop his black steed, the young man put his bow and arrows away and glanced at him, asking, "Is that enough?"

"It’s enough, it’s enough."

Duan Xiaoyan laughed and said, "It’s neither eye-catching nor plain, just right for earning a moderate reward without overshadowing the princes. Two words to describe it—perfect."

Like a comedian setting up a joke, Pei Yunmeng glanced at him and urged his horse forward with a whip.

With the hunt begun, the young nobles competed in archery and falconry, scarcely able to wait to pile their horses with game to claim the top prize when it came time for rewards.

But Pei Yunmeng remained disinterested throughout.

Firstly, as the Commandant of the Palace Front Office, he could not overshadow the princes—that was the rule. Secondly, he never took any interest in such competitions, seeing them as mere formalities.

Even with his excellent archery skills, emerging as the top archer was a piece of cake for him.

Accompanying him along the way was just Duan Xiaoyan hunting a fox or rabbit for him, with the black hound Zhizi following behind—an opportunity to be on official leave not to be wasted.

The Third Prince, Yuan Yao, had already gone ahead. He didn’t like Pei Yunmeng following by his side, and as soon as they started the ascent, he signaled that Pei Yunmeng didn’t need to stick too close.

Duan Xiaoyan had an "I get it" look on his face, "Think about it, brother, with your graceful poise and brilliant archery, who wouldn’t feel ashamed walking in front of you? If I were the Third Prince, I wouldn’t be pleased to have you following me either. You’d overshadow all my luster, and it’s downright irritating."

"Oh?" Pei Yunmeng raised an eyebrow, "So the person following him is there to do what?"

"Of course, to set him off!"

The two glanced at the person bustling around the Third Prince and fell silent in unison.

The person accompanying the Third Prince was the youngest son of the Vice Minister of the Secretariat.

This Vice Minister’s son was delicate and charming, the spitting image of his father. It was said that his father was once a sixth-rank official with mediocre talent who happened to attend to his immediate superior, who had unfortunately slipped and broken her leg. He would rise before dawn every day for a whole year to look after her personally, with a care that surpassed that of her own children, and afterward...

Afterward, he climbed the ranks steadily and became the current Vice Minister of the Secretariat.

The Vice Minister’s son not only inherited his father’s looks but seemed also to have inherited his father’s good fortune in official circles. In less than half a day, he had the Third Prince in high spirits. Indeed, his slight and frail figure, walking alongside the Third Prince, made the Third Prince appear even more handsome and commanding.

Of course, being of noble birth, the Third Prince shouldn’t care about these details, let alone deliberately make use of them for his benefit.

There was a waterfall in front, cascading down the cliff face. The Vice Minister’s son pointed at the lush pine forest behind the waterfall: "There! Last summer, during Xia Miao, Minister Wang from the Department of Military Affairs saw a white wolf here, but unfortunately, he missed his shot and it got away. I remember clearly, it was this pine forest!"

A white wolf was a rare sight, and Yuan Yao’s eyes lit up at the prospect, eager to lead the way in.

Pei Yunmeng rode up beside Yuan Yao and spoke up to stop him: "The pines are dense and the cliffs are steep. Your Highness, please allow this official to search the forest first..."

"Marshal Pei," Yuan Yao interrupted him impatiently, "If you go first and scare away the wolf, what’s left to hunt?"

Pei Yunmeng paused.

The Vice Minister’s son, hearing this, also chimed in with a chuckle: "Exactly, exactly. The fun of hunting lies in being swift and spontaneous. Marshal, there’s no need to be such a killjoy. Don’t be too tense."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yuan Yao, without waiting for Pei Yunmeng to reply, raised his riding crop and charged into the pine forest.

Pei Yunmeng frowned, and Xiao Zhufeng, who had followed, shook his head helplessly. Without further ado, the two of them, along with the Ban Wei, followed closely into the pine forest.

Huangmao Hill’s pines were lush, and the foliage concealed the base of the mountain, like a heavy green cloud hovering overhead. The ground’s grass startled insects and beasts as the horseback riders passed.

After racing around for half a circuit, although there was no sign of the white wolf, they spotted a small wild boar.

The young wild boar was fast. Yuan Yao excitedly pursued with arrow nocked and bow drawn, the arrow flew like a swift wind or lightning, hitting the boar in the rump. The creature let out a howl and sped up. Yuan Yao laughed loudly and drew another arrow from his quiver, placed it on the bow, and with a release, the arrow shot straight towards the boar!

The Vice Minister’s son couldn’t help but praise from behind: "Good! Your Highness’s archery is splendid!"

Pei Yunmeng smiled, catching up on horseback, ready to casually offer some compliments when he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

The keen sound of arrows slicing through the air came in rapid succession, but they weren’t only coming from Yuan Yao’s hands.

Pei Yunmeng’s body jolted, disregarding his horse, he drew his sword and lunged forward: "Your Highness, be careful!"

"Ambush in the forest—"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Deep within the pine forest, dozens of arrows rained down like a sudden storm. Yuan Yao was in the midst of chasing the fleeing boar when the unexpected occurred, and in his panic, he forgot to dodge. Just as the arrow rain was about to descend upon him—

At the critical moment, someone yanked him to the side, and a silvery blade shone brightly, with a loud clang it collided with the incoming arrows, slicing the flurry of arrows in two!

Yuan Yao exhaled in relief, and as he lifted his head, his eyes widened in terror.

The young man shielded him at his side, and from behind him, a silvery arrow flew through the air, heading straight for his heart!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read