Chapter 741 - 448: Falling from a Horse Is a Common Occurrence (Part 2)

Three animals sacrificed, worshiping the mountain god!

Hundreds of officials kneel and ask for the mountain to open!

As the cumbersome ritual ended, nearly an hour had passed, and the crowd then proceeded up the mountain along the winding path.

This Wuji Mountain is a cliff on one side, surrounded on three sides, making the southern slope the gentlest. From the southern hillside to the mountaintop, a large area has been enclosed as a ceremonial hunting ground.

The ceremonial team divided into two groups at a platform on the hillside. A few individuals stayed behind as part of the autumn hunt ritual, while most of the team continued upwards towards the mountain top Celestial Altar, preparing for the grand ceremony.

The officials participating in the autumn hunt stopped here, holding bows and arrows, ready to enter the hunting ground.

Among the officials, Li Shensi’s eyes shone brightly like stars; he was truly excited to hunt in this ceremonial hunting ground.

After all, this place is considered the highest-ranking hunting ground in Qingzhou.

The horn sounded, and the robust fence gate of the hunting ground was opened by the soldiers!

The drums spurred the men on!

After the third horn blow, the neighing of horses arose, and the officials and soldiers at the gate surged into the hunting ground like a tide!

Chen Shanmeng, familiar with the terrain, immediately headed to the edge of the dense forest, and sure enough, he saw the shadows of deer flickering at the forest edge. Chen Shanmeng suddenly stood firmly on the horse, his feet stepping into the stirrups.

His body swayed with the horse’s gallops, yet he stood straight, as stable as Mount Tai.

"Whoosh!"

With the sound of an arrow piercing through the air, the arrow entered the forest, but it was uncertain if it hit the target.

Several soldiers accompanying him led hunting dogs into the forest, and soon emerged carrying a large deer.

"Hit!"

"Mighty Lord! It’s a full-grown male moose!"

Amidst the cheering of the soldiers, the crowd that had not yet dispersed turned to look in this direction.

Li Shensi acclaimed, "Great archery! Excellent eye!"

Li Shensi, having hunted since childhood, naturally knew the weight of Chen Shanmeng’s arrow. It was not the deer that Chen Shanmeng saw with his eyes; he judged the trajectory of the moose through the flickering shadows, enabling him to hit it with a single arrow!

No wonder, Chen Shanmeng has always been the top civil servant in past years, truly formidable!

It should be known that during this hunt, they were not allowed to use internal force, so the speed of the arrow feathers was not fast.

Moreover, this kind of wooden shaft with an iron-tipped arrowhead could not withstand the infusion of True Qi at all.

Chen Shanmeng heard Li Shensi’s praise, clasped his fists in return and said, "Luck! Just my luck to spot a deer right after entering."

Seeing Chen Shanmeng seize the first advantage, Li Shensi’s competitive spirit arose immediately, and he spurred his horse into the forest, followed by a pair of soldiers who scrambled in after him.

Li Shensi, having hunted since childhood, had an instinctive ability in the forest; he could judge the general direction of prey just by observing the droppings.

In just over an hour, he had shot four or five large game, proving to be quite fruitful.

A soldier holding a yellow dog laughed, "Lord, with our haul, we should easily outdo Lord Chen Shanmeng. Looks like the title of the foremost civil servant this year will belong to you!"

Li Shensi sat on his horse, laughed, and said, "Young man! Broaden your vision! I’m the ancestor when it comes to hunting! Since I’ve come, I am the number one on the hunting ground! What civil servant title? I don’t care for it!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Mighty Lord!"

As this hunting team moved away, beside an arrowhead stained with blood, a figure suddenly jumped down from the treetops, watching the flickering hunting team in the forest, his gaze shifting.

This person was Duan Rong, who had arrived last night and slept on the treetop.

Duan Rong’s figure flickered and began to shuttle through the treetops in the forest, while his Divine Sense spread fully, encompassing the surroundings...

Another hour passed, with the position of the sun indicating it was almost 3 p.m. And at 3:45 p.m., the grand ceremony at the Celestial Altar would start.

Calculating, only one hour was left for the autumn hunt ritual.

Li Shensi had already hunted more than ten large game, and the smaller prey were countless, but he still felt it was not enough.

Just then, Li Shensi suddenly focused his gaze on a fresh pile of dung on the ground not far away, his eyes lighting up. "It’s rhino; there’s a rhino nearby!"

"Quick!" Li Shensi shouted. "Let the yellow dog loose."

The soldier had the yellow dog sniff the dung, preparing to release it, when suddenly a gray shadow darted not far away in the forest.

Li Shensi’s heart surged with excitement. "There it is! Block it!"

He immediately spurred his horse forward, and the soldiers started to ride and encircle the area.

Quickly, the rhino was driven by the soldiers, rushing towards Li Shensi’s direction.

Li Shensi saw the rhino burst out of the dense forest, charging diagonally towards him. He curled the corner of his mouth in disdain, suddenly standing up on the horse, drawing his bow like a full moon. The arrowhead moved along with the charging rhino.

He was very sure that he could hit the vital point on the rhino’s neck with one arrow, and with the next arrow hit its belly! This rhino wouldn’t run much further before collapsing!

Just as Li Shensi was about to release the arrow, his ears caught not the "whoosh" of an arrow slicing through the air, but a light crack sound, crisp and breaking.

His right foot was unexpectedly airborne, his body suddenly tilting, and the arrow released in the same instant!

But this arrow had no chance of hitting the rhino!

At this moment, Duan Rong, hiding in the distance, was taken aback; this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Suddenly, he flickered ghost-like to a suitable location, his mind urging a Half-Life Product Divine Soul Needle to shoot towards Li Shensi.