The Royal Hunting Grounds stretched endlessly at the foot of Mount Cang, a vast expanse of dense forests and rolling hills painted in the fiery hues of autumn.
Drums of war thundered, shaking the earth. Flags of the Great Xia Dynasty fluttered violently in the wind, creating a sea of gold and crimson.
In the center of the camp, the Emperor sat on a raised platform, surrounded by officials and generals. Below him, hundreds of noble youths mounted on spirited horses were eager to prove their valor.
But amidst this display of testosterone and martial prowess, a jarring sight drew everyone's attention.
A black carriage rolled slowly to the edge of the field.
Xie Lanzhou stepped out, supported by Ji Wanyin. He was not wearing armor like the other princes. Instead, he wore a thick white fur cloak that engulfed his slender frame, making him look more like a delicate scholar who had wandered into a battlefield by mistake.
"Cough... The wind here is truly vicious," Xie Lanzhou murmured, pulling the cloak tighter.
"Bear with it, Husband," Ji Wanyin whispered back, her eyes scanning the crowd. "The wolves are watching."
And indeed, a wolf was approaching.
A man riding a majestic black stallion broke away from the group of generals. He wore golden armor that gleamed in the sunlight, a heavy bow strapped to his back. His face was handsome, with sharp brows and thin lips, but his eyes held an arrogance that looked down on everything under the heavens.
This was Xie Yun, the Third Prince. The man favored by the Empress and the strongest contender for the throne.
"Seventh Brother!" Xie Yun reined in his horse, looking down at Xie Lanzhou from his high vantage point. "I didn't think you would actually come. The forest is full of beasts and stray arrows. With your body... are you sure you won't faint from the mere sight of blood?"
His voice was loud, causing the surrounding nobles to snicker.
Xie Lanzhou smiled weakly, looking up. "Third Brother worries too much. Although I cannot draw a bow, Father insisted I come to absorb the 'Yang energy' of the warriors. Perhaps it will cure my illness."
"Yang energy?" Xie Yun scoffed. "Be careful not to absorb too much, or you might cough up your lungs before sunset."
He then turned his gaze to Ji Wanyin. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment—not with lust, but with calculation.
"And this must be the new Seventh Princess Consort. I heard you have a... fierce temper."
Ji Wanyin curtsied perfectly, her face calm. "Third Prince praises me. I only discipline unruly servants. Unlike some people who let their dogs bite random passersby."
Xie Yun's eyes narrowed. He understood the hidden meaning. She was calling him a bad master.
"Sharp tongue," Xie Yun sneered. "Let's see if your tongue can save you when you meet a tiger in the woods."
He whipped his horse and rode away, joining a woman in pink waiting nearby—Ji Qingqing.
Ji Qingqing was dressed in a tight-fitting riding outfit that accentuated her curves. She glared at Ji Wanyin triumphantly, then turned to smile sweetly at the Third Prince.
"Did you see?" Ji Wanyin whispered to Xie Lanzhou. "She is wearing the clothes I returned to her."
"The ones with the 'Attracting Bee' powder?" Xie Lanzhou raised an eyebrow.
"Correct. And... the wind is blowing towards the forest."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The war drums reached a crescendo. The Emperor stood up, holding a magnificent golden bow.
"Today!" The Emperor's voice boomed. "Whoever hunts the 'White Tiger King' rumored to live in Mount Cang shall be rewarded with this 'Dragon-Slaying Bow' and a wish granted by We!"
A wish from the Emperor! The crowd erupted in excitement.
"Begin!"
The Emperor fired the first arrow into the sky.
Instantly, thousands of horses galloped forward like a tidal wave. Dust filled the air. Shouts and cheers echoed through the valley.
Xie Lanzhou and Ji Wanyin did not rush. They waited until the main group had disappeared into the treeline.
"Bring the horses," Xie Lanzhou ordered his guard.
Two horses were brought forward. One was a gentle mare for show, but the other—prepared for Xie Lanzhou—was a hidden gem. It looked ordinary, but its muscles were taut and powerful.
"Can you ride?" Xie Lanzhou asked, shedding his heavy fur cloak to reveal a streamlined black riding suit underneath. The sickly expression vanished instantly.
"I grew up in the countryside before being brought back to the capital," Ji Wanyin mounted her horse in one swift motion, her movement fluid and practiced. "I can ride better than half the men here."
"Good." Xie Lanzhou mounted his horse. He pulled out a black mask from his saddlebag and covered the lower half of his face.
"Follow me. We are not hunting animals today."
His eyes turned cold, shining with the intent to kill.
"We are hunting assassins."
Deep into the Forest.
The noise of the main hunt faded away, replaced by the eerie silence of the deep woods. Ancient trees towered overhead, blocking out most of the sunlight.
Xie Lanzhou and Ji Wanyin rode side by side, moving deeper into the forbidden zone where ordinary nobles dared not venture.
"According to your intel," Xie Lanzhou spoke, his voice low, "The Third Prince's men will ambush us at the Black Crow Valley."
"Yes," Ji Wanyin confirmed. "They will use the chaos of the hunt to frame it as an accident. 'The sickly Seventh Prince strayed too far and was eaten by wolves.' A perfect script."
"Too bad I don't like following scripts."
Suddenly, a strange sound drifted through the wind.
Buzz... Buzz...
It sounded like thousands of wings beating together.
Ji Wanyin pulled on her reins. "Do you hear that?"
"Bees?" Xie Lanzhou frowned.
"Not just bees." Ji Wanyin closed her eyes, listening. "Wild boars. Wolves. Something is agitating the animals in the east sector."
A scream pierced the air. It was high-pitched and filled with terror.
"Ahhhhh! Get away! Get away from me!!"
It was a woman's voice.
Ji Wanyin opened her eyes, a smirk forming on her lips. "It seems my sister has become very... popular with the locals."
"Shall we go watch the show?" Xie Lanzhou asked.
"No," Ji Wanyin shook her head. "If we go, we will be implicated. Let the Third Prince save his beauty. We have our own guests to welcome."
Snap.
A twig snapped nearby.
Xie Lanzhou drew his sword. The blade hummed with energy.
"They are here," he whispered.
From the shadows of the trees, a dozen figures dressed in black leaped out. They wore no insignias, but their weapons were military-grade—the 'Cold Iron' swords Ji Wanyin had warned him about.
"Kill the Seventh Prince!" the leader shouted. "Leave no witnesses!"
Ji Wanyin didn't wait for them to attack. She pressed the mechanism on her 'Shadow Thorn' ring.
Swish!
A silver needle flew out, piercing the throat of the first assassin mid-air. He fell to the ground, dead before he touched the dirt.
"One," she counted calmly.
Xie Lanzhou laughed. He kicked his horse forward, his black sword flashing like lightning.
"Let's see who gets more kills, my dear wife."
The couple plunged into the fray.
Back-to-back. Sword and Poison.
The "invalid" and the "weak noblewoman" were dancing a waltz of death in the middle of the forest.
And the hunt... had only just begun.