Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Spring Hunt
The Lie Mountain Valley encampment.
Deep within the valley, a temporary wooden viewing platform stood thirty feet high, its banners fluttering in the wind. The people seated upon it each possessed an unfathomable aura, far surpassing that of the young Martial Artists below.
"The people from the City Lord’s Mansion and the stewards from the Martial Arts Academy have all arrived," Zhou Hu whispered, his gaze sweeping over the viewing platform and lingering for a moment on several particularly imposing figures.
Liang Cheng looked up.
Several figures were seated in the center of the viewing platform.
The middle-aged man in the brocade robe at the very center was none other than Shen Wenyuan, the special envoy who had granted Liang Cheng the Ministerial Decree. His gaze swept over the crowd; though his expression was mild, he exuded a natural authority. Flanking him were several individuals, each with a unique aura.
To his left sat an elderly man in a green scholar’s robe. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as they opened and closed. He was from the Martial Arts Academy, here to select exceptional talent.
To his right sat an unfamiliar official in a purple robe, around forty years of age. His skin was slightly sallow, and his gaze was cold and severe as he occasionally scanned the people below the stage.
When Liang Cheng’s gaze happened to meet his, the purple-robed official’s eyes seemed to freeze for a split second before he looked away without a trace.
"That’s Wu Zhenshan, the Treasurer of the Martial Preparation Hall."
’Wu Zhenshan...’
Liang Cheng understood instantly. ’Regarding the case with Chen Bainian’s shipment, nobody knew the Martial Preparation Hall had lost two men. It seems this Treasurer is blaming me for it, he just doesn’t have any proof.’
At that very moment, Shen Wenyuan also spotted him. He gave a slight nod, a barely perceptible smile touching his lips, his gentle gaze filled with encouragement.
’Shen Wenyuan chatted with the old man from the Martial Arts Academy from time to time, but wouldn’t even deign to look at Wu Zhenshan. It seems the political waters of the City Lord’s Mansion run deep indeed. The glance Wu Zhenshan shot my way was filled with even more loathing.’
Liang Cheng averted his gaze, understanding clearly. ’By granting me the Ministerial Decree, Shen Wenyuan has automatically branded me as part of his faction.’
The masters of the major Martial Arts Halls were seated in the lower rows. Yang Wei’s eyes were fixed on Zhou Hu and his group, filled with a mixture of hope and tension.
...
At three quarters past the hour of Noon, a deep bell toll resounded through the valley.
On the viewing platform, a burly man dressed in black martial arts attire stepped forward. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried to every corner of the grounds.
"Silence!"
The noisy encampment fell silent in an instant.
"I am Yue Shan, Army Commander of Lin Wu City. By order of the City Lord, I will be presiding over the affairs of this year’s Spring Hunt." The man’s gaze was like lightning as he scanned the crowd. "I will only state the rules once, so all of you listen closely!
"The hunting ground spans one hundred li and is divided into three major zones!
"The Outer Ring is thirty li deep, consisting mainly of Tier One Demon Beasts, with the occasional Tier Two!
"The Central Domain is fifty li deep, where Tier Two beasts travel in packs and Tier Three beasts lie in wait!
"The Core is twenty li deep." Yue Shan’s voice rose sharply. "It is ruled by Tier Three beasts, and filled with poisonous, disorienting miasma! Anyone not at the Transformation Force realm, stay out!"
The crowd below held its breath. How many of the Martial Arts Hall disciples had actually reached the Transformation Force realm? This was clearly just a warning to stay out of the core.
"There are three ways to score points."
"First, by hunting Demon Beasts. Points are awarded according to the beast’s tier, with its left ear and Demon Core serving as proof."
"Second, by collecting designated Spirit Medicines. A list will be provided to you shortly."
"Third, by finding the three Lie Mountain Iron Orders scattered throughout the hunting grounds. Each one is worth a thousand points!"
"The top ten finalists will be handsomely rewarded, and the top three will earn a direct recommendation to the Martial Arts Academy!"
The crowd erupted in an instant.
His gaze was as sharp as a blade, and the field fell silent once more. Only then did he continue, "This Spring Hunt, you must proceed alone. You will now draw lots to determine your mountain entry point and be randomly assigned a starting position. The hunt will last fifteen days. Your life and death are in your own hands!"
"Of course, each of you will carry a Vitality Order. If you face a life-threatening crisis or can no longer continue, you may crush the token, and someone will come to your rescue."
The faces of the crowd changed. This meant they would be fighting alone from the very start. All the plans they had made were now useless.
Even the expressions of the Martial Arts Hall masters on the viewing platform shifted. None of them had known about this change in the rules, and a flicker of worry crossed their faces.
But regardless, the drawing of lots began.
The wooden box was sealed. The disciples from the Martial Arts Halls lined up to draw numbered Wooden Tokens.
Liang Cheng drew "Bingxu Seventh."
Not far away, Wu Xiao clutched his token, "Jiayin Third," and shot a cold smirk back at him.
Yang Wei glanced over at Wu Tianxiong, who was whispering something to the Steward managing the lots. A dark look flickered in Yang Wei’s eyes.
’The entry points are assigned randomly? Are they really that random?’
Half an incense stick later, the drawing was finished. The disciples from each Martial Arts Hall collected their Vitality Orders and headed to their assigned mountain entrances. Liang Cheng, along with the twenty-some people in group "Bingxu," arrived at the third western entrance.
He had just taken his position when he saw Zheng Biao of the Zhen Nan Martial Arts Hall looking his way from the adjacent "Binghai" entrance.
The two entrances were barely a hundred zhang apart.
"What a coincidence."
Zheng Biao grinned.
Liang Cheng’s face remained impassive. ’This is no coincidence.’
Just then, the bell rang again. Yue Shan’s voice boomed once more, still perfectly clear despite the distance to the viewing platform.
"Enter the mountain!"
The groups of twenty-some disciples shot into the boundless forest like arrows from a bow, not lingering for a moment. Sometimes, the most frightening things in the hunting grounds weren’t the Demon Beasts.
Liang Cheng executed his Body Technique. In just a few bounds, he left most of the others behind and vanished into the dense woods. Ancient trees blotted out the sky and vines hung low, plunging the forest into shadow. The air was thick with the stench of rot and blood.
Based on the types of plants, Liang Cheng judged, ’This must be the border between the Outer Ring and the Central Domain.’
He dropped into a low crouch, his five senses on full alert, and slipped into a concealed spot. He pulled out the map of the hunting grounds that had been distributed, which contained information on various Demon Beasts and Spirit Grasses.
’Time spent sharpening the axe is never wasted.’
’I have to know both my enemies and myself. I am determined to win this Spring Hunt.’
’To break through from the Transformation Force and become a True Qi Realm expert, I must learn an Inner Cultivation Method. That’s impossible to do in the Three Towns Martial Arts Halls. The Martial Arts Academy is my only path forward.’
’A Transformation Force expert might be a big shot in the Three Towns, but in Lin Wu City, they’re just high-level muscle. Only those in the True Qi Realm truly have a voice.’
’Yue Shan, for example—he’s a True Qi Realm expert!’
He finished reviewing the materials, tucked them away, and was about to move when the bushes to his left suddenly rustled. A foul, bloody stench wafted out, followed by an iron-backed boar charging at him, its eyes crimson and its tusks bone-white.
Liang Cheng calmly sidestepped and threw his right fist like a heavy hammer.
"THUD!"
The boar’s skull caved in instantly. Its body crashed to the ground, killed in a single blow.
Liang Cheng moved with lightning speed, pulling out his Cold Iron Dagger to slice off an ear. Unfortunately, there was no Demon Core. The entire process took him no more than three breaths.
Just as Liang Cheng was about to leave, his ear twitched. He heard footsteps approaching in the distance. He froze, then slipped back into the bushes.
A moment later, two figures crept closer. They were both wearing the uniform of the Liuyun Martial Arts Hall. ’Looks like they got lucky with the random assignments,’ Liang Cheng thought. ’Teaming up with fellow disciples greatly increases your chances of survival.’
"I thought I heard something over here..."
"Be careful. We might be able to scavenge something."
A flash of greed passed through their eyes.
The two searched the area and their faces lit up when they saw the boar’s corpse. But the older one’s expression suddenly changed. "Wait! It was killed in one hit! This is the work of an expert! Fall back!"
They retreated in a hurry. When no one emerged to attack, they breathed a sigh of relief. In the Spring Hunt, one had to be wary of not just the Demon Beasts, but also the disciples from other Martial Arts Halls.
After all, an unwritten rule of the Spring Hunt tacitly permitted murder and robbery. As long as one wasn’t too brazen about it, everyone would turn a blind eye.
If a Martial Artist doesn’t fight for what they want, why even practice martial arts?
As for those who died, it only proved they weren’t the talent the City Lord’s Mansion was looking for. Dead was dead!
Once the sounds in the distance faded completely, Liang Cheng moved. He shot out as silently as a cheetah, heading straight for the Central Domain.
The hunt began.
