The full moon hung in the star-sparse sky, while the sounds of music, song, and silk strings continuously drifted from the main hunting grounds.
Daxia valued martial prowess, its people fierce and bold. To commemorate their ancestors' nomadic spirit and never forget their tribal roots, the Great Xia Dynasty held two grand hunts each year in spring and autumn, which were absolutely essential.
It was still early spring. In Hongchuan, the snow wouldn't cease until May or June each year. Summers were extremely short, while winters stretched long. From the nearby woods came sporadic human voices—Chu Qiao knew it was soldiers searching for hibernating tigers and bears to eliminate dangers for the next day's hunt.
She wore a snow-white marten-fur jacket, draped with a lavender cloak, her small boots also white, making her dark eyes and jet-black hair stand out even more. Truth be told, Jing Yue'er's delicate face could be considered quite beautiful—though not yet fully matured, it radiated an undeniable aura of intelligence and charm.
Inside the tent, a brazier burned warmly, yet for some reason she felt stifled. Walking alone to the northwest corner of the camp, she listened to the distant music, her heart gradually growing restless. A sense of resistance slowly welled up within her. She lifted her head, exhaled deeply, then swallowed everything down, striving to calm herself and cease her thoughts.
The night sky was pitch black when suddenly, with a soft flutter, a white pigeon landed on the snow. It watched Chu Qiao from afar, tilting its head, then cautiously approached step by step.
It was a wild pigeon, not a domesticated carrier, still wary of humans. Perhaps curious about this motionless figure sitting there so long, it ventured closer. Noticing the bird, Chu Qiao smiled slightly, reached into her pocket, and scattered a handful of horse-feed wheat onto the ground.
In the vast snowy expanse, finding food was difficult. The pigeon chirped happily and fluttered toward Chu Qiao.
But at that moment, two sharp arrows suddenly shot from the distance, simultaneously piercing the pigeon's chest and abdomen. With a swift sound, blood sprayed, painting the snow with crimson blossoms like scattered plum flowers.
The thunder of hooves immediately followed as two swift horses surged ahead of the crowd behind—one red, one black, both powerful and striking. The man on the red horse appeared around twenty-five or twenty-six, arrogant and overbearing. Spotting the youth seated on the snow, he didn't even ask questions but directly drew his bow and shot an arrow straight at Chu Qiao's heart!
With a dull thud, Chu Qiao exploded into motion like a pouncing leopard. She braced one hand on the ground, spun around, and rose with fluid, lightning-fast movements. Her right hand swept back, snatching the arrow firmly from the air. The wind whipped her long cloak, making it billow like a white eagle spreading its wings. Her gaze sharp as ice, she coldly stared at the approaching riders.
"Whose servant are you? Why are you wandering the hunting grounds so late at night?"
A chilling voice came from the man on the red horse. Having injured someone without cause, he showed not a hint of remorse. Clad in luxurious snow-marten furs from the far north, his noble appearance barely concealed an indescribable coldness and menace."Thump!" The man on the black horse dismounted. He appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with eyes as round as bronze bells and a dark complexion. He ran a few steps toward the pigeon, reached out, and lifted it up. "Mu Hexifeng, how do we settle this?"
The man on the red horse cast a cold glance at Chu Qiao before turning to the other man. "Zha Lu, my arrow struck its throat, so naturally I win."
The man frowned angrily. "How do you know your arrow hit the throat? We didn’t use marked arrows."
"I know where my own arrow lands."
"Hmph, no way," Zha Lu said. "We’ll compete again."
Mu Hexifeng raised an eyebrow. "What do you propose?"
"Her," Zha Lu said, pointing casually at Chu Qiao. "Isn’t she a ready-made slave? Let’s shoot at her."
Chu Qiao slowly furrowed her brow, slanting her eyes to look at Zha Lu. Zha Lu, completely unaware, turned and climbed back onto his horse. Seeing her gaze, he urged, "Hurry up and run. Get as far away as you can."
Chu Qiao scrutinized the two men for a moment, her brow tightly knit, then said firmly to Mu Hexifeng, "I am not a slave."
Mu Hexifeng raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued, and replied, "So what?"
Yes, so what? Even if you weren’t a slave, these nobles could still kill you on a whim, without any reason at all.
Chu Qiao said nothing more and turned to walk toward Yan Xun’s camp. Suddenly, a sharp "swish" sounded, and an arrow struck the snow right at her heels. Zha Lu roared angrily, "I told you to run fast! Didn’t you hear me?"
In the biting wind, the girl abruptly turned around. Her eyes were pitch-black, and her sharp gaze swept across Zha Lu’s face. Zha Lu, the young master of the northwestern fiefdom, felt a chill in his heart and swallowed back the curse he was about to utter.
"If I were on horseback, would you two masters be able to hit me?"
Mu Hexifeng’s lips curled slightly, but before he could speak, Zha Lu snapped, "Give her a horse."
A pitch-black warhorse was led before the girl. Chu Qiao gently patted the horse’s head, then glanced back at the two men. The night wind was strong, whipping up snow from the ground and pelting their faces like grains of sand, stinging sharply.
Suddenly, the girl vaulted onto the horse, drew the small dagger from her waist, and without hesitation, plunged it into the horse’s hindquarters. The warhorse let out a mournful cry and bolted away with lightning speed. Before anyone could react, it had vanished from sight.
Zha Lu stood dumbfounded, his eyes wide as saucers. After a long moment, he turned to Mu Hexifeng and said, "She just left like that?"
Mu Hexifeng turned his horse toward the bustling camp and snorted indifferently, "What did you expect?Zha Lu erupted in fury, his irritable voice echoing from behind. Mu Hexifeng’s expression turned cold, his eyes flashing with sharp intensity.
Before she could reach the camp, a group of riders galloped toward her. Chu Qiao reined in her horse and frowned as the figures drew closer—it was Yan Xun, A Jing, and a group of guards.
"A Chu!" Yan Xun pulled sharply on his reins and hurried forward, his voice low and urgent. "Are you all right?""It's nothing." Chu Qiao shook her head and asked, "Has the night hunt ended? Why have you returned so quickly?"
Yan Xun looked the girl up and down, his chest heaving slightly as he caught his breath. He shook his head and said, "Let's head back to the camp first."
Yan Xun seemed particularly tired tonight. After returning to the tent, the two parted ways and went to their respective rooms. As she stepped out, she happened to run into A Jing and several guards leading a few children into the camp. Chu Qiao paused in surprise before walking over to inquire.
A Jing replied respectfully, "Miss, these are children the Crown Prince bought back from the night hunt grounds."
Chu Qiao was taken aback and said gravely, "Bought back from the night hunt grounds? What does that mean?"
"Tonight was the human hunt. The Crown Prince said he had drunk too much and wouldn't participate, but Young Master Jing and the others insisted, joining forces with the sons of the Spirit King to pressure him. Left with no choice, the Crown Prince paid a hundred gold for each child in his cage to save them."
"Oh." Chu Qiao nodded. "You may carry on. I'll head back now."
The girl turned away calmly. The night wind was chilly, whistling as it brushed against her. She lifted the tent flap and stepped inside, where it was warm and cozy, yet not the least bit stifling. She took off her heavy fur coat and settled onto the soft couch. After a long while, a faint smile suddenly touched the corners of her lips, like a brilliant sunset glow.
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