Chapter 740 - 448: Falling from a Horse Is Nothing Unusual

Duan Rong leaned to the side, hiding in the shadows of the stable, and looked towards a clean and tidy horse stall not far away.

The horses in the stall were all groomed with bright coats, their stirrups and bridles neatly assembled. At the moment, there were two grooms dozing off against a wooden post under a dim lantern.

Duan Rong flicked his sleeve, and a cloud of powder was pushed forward by the wind from his hand.

The two grooms felt a cool breeze pass through, making them shrink their necks. The next moment, their bodies suddenly went limp, and they fell unconscious to the ground.

The instant they fell, Duan Rong’s figure appeared as if by magic, dragging the two into the shadows beside them. He then stood in the shadows, gazing intently at the second horse from the east.

In fact, under his Divine Sense, Duan Rong had already inspected the horse thoroughly. Not only was its position correct, but its features were identical to the description given by Zhu Peng, confirming it was Li Shensi’s horse for tomorrow’s autumn hunting ceremony.

Duan Rong leaped forward, standing not far behind the horse. With a flip of his hand, he held a piece of black cloth. In a swift motion, he passed by the horse’s head, covering its eyes with the cloth.

He feared that his upcoming maneuvers might spook the horse, leading to a blunder.

After blindfolding the horse with the black cloth, Duan Rong stood to its side, his Divine Sense instantly focusing on the stirrup on that side of the horse’s belly.

The stirrup shone brightly, with engraved patterns on its surface to prevent slipping.

Duan Rong pinched the knuckle of his index finger with his thumb, while at the tip of his index finger, Primordial Qi flickered faintly.

With Duan Rong’s Spiritual Power and Cultivation Realm, his control over Primordial Qi had reached an extremely refined and delicate state.

At this moment, the Primordial Qi at his fingertip was nearly a mere thread, like a blade of wheat.

Duan Rong used this delicate Primordial Qi to tap at the connection points on both sides of the stirrup, creating countless tiny holes, so the surface appeared intact while inside it was full of small holes.

After completing this task, Duan Rong swiftly removed the black cloth covering the horse’s eyes, and in a flash, dashed out of the horse stall.

Upon dashing out of the stall, he flicked his sleeve, scattering a cloud of medicinal powder into the dark corner where the two grooms lay unconscious.

Duan Rong’s figure had already vanished into the pitch-black night as the two grooms crawled out of the shadows, exchanging confused glances.

"Why did you fall asleep?"

"You’re saying that about me? Didn’t you fall asleep as well?" The two almost climbed out of the shadows simultaneously.

"Alas! It’s exhausting handling these horses for the autumn hunting ritual over the past couple of days..."

The two grooms complained a bit and then inspected the horses once again, finding nothing amiss. They returned to their positions under the lantern, pretending to doze off.

The next day was the day of the autumn hunting ritual.

The three-day ritual was most grand on the first day.

Last night, even at midnight, crowds swarmed out towards Wuji Mountain early, vying for good spots around the Celestial Altar to observe the ceremony.

Especially the poor folks, they arrived even earlier. Not only could they sell their spots, but they might also sell the hunted game from the ritual to others.

The civil and military officials assembled at the South City Gate at three-quarters past 5 a.m. With the grand procession and horn sounds, the dense crowd marched along the official road towards Wuji Mountain.

Leading the procession was Mansion Master Wang Maochun, followed by one order and the Five Ministers, all riding tall horses, dressed elegantly.

No wonder Zhu Zhengfu was reluctant to participate in the hunting ceremony, as wearing official attire while drawing a bow to hunt was quite inconvenient.

The procession moved slowly, with the timing all planned to reach the foot of Wuji Mountain at the auspicious hour. Only after offering sacrifices to the mountain could they proceed to hunt, and then offer the game as a sacrifice to Heaven.

Every step of the ceremony had established procedures for timing and protocol.

The dignitaries swayed leisurely on their horses.

Mansion Master Wang Maochun, looking at Li Shensi and Jiang Zhuoyun, smiled, "Lord Li, Lord Jiang, it’s your first time attending this grand autumn hunting ceremony. Lord Jiang, as the leading General, will certainly participate in the hunting ceremony. I wonder if Lord Li has any interest in hunting?"

Li Shensi laughed heartily and replied, "I won’t hide from you, Mansion Master Wang, my ancestors came from hunting. Today, I can even invoke my ancestors for good fortune in bagging a few fine game!"

Li Shensi’s words made everyone nearby chuckle.

Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Chen Shanmeng, remarked, "As the saying goes, ’Rites, Music, Archery, Equestrian, Writing, Numbers.’ Archery is one of the six arts, a noble pursuit."

Wang Maochun laughed, "Minister Chen, you are quite right. However, this year’s hunting ground might be bustling. In previous years, Minister Chen frequently topped the Civil Servants’ competition. This year, with Lord Li present, you might have to yield."

Chen Shanmeng replied, "In the hunting ground, there is no regard for feelings; the capable prevail."

Li Shensi exclaimed, "Minister Chen, such bold sentiments! Indeed it should be so!"

The grand procession reached the foot of Wuji Mountain as the sky brightened. Wuji Mountain was dotted with sparse dark specks among the trees, which were early-morning climbers among the common folk. Some were halfway up the mountain, while others seemed about to reach the summit.

As the procession arrived at the foot of Wuji Mountain and the long, resonant horn sounded, the mountain sacrifice ceremony commenced.