Two goshawks flew above the white clouds. They flew towards the sun and circled around it, turning into two black dots. Then, they spread their wings and glided down. It was as if they were swimming in the sea.
Suddenly, a whistle came from the ground, as if they had received some kind of order. The two goshawks turned in the air and suddenly swooped down. Their bodies swept across the ground, splashing blood and the miserable cries of the pheasants.
Then, the two colorful pheasants were grabbed by them and flew directly to the huge open space outside the forest.
Gratified laughter suddenly sounded. The Tian Luo King, Yu Ruipei, laughed heartily. He waved his hand and naturally, people went up to serve the two goshawks that had won glory for him.
This was the royal garden twenty miles away from the Tian Luo Kingdom. In the garden, there was an entrance to the mountains. It was the place where the Tian Luo Kingdom's royal family and some noble children hunted.
Of course, after so many years of hunting, it was difficult to find any fierce prey in the garden. If they wanted to have a good harvest, they had to enter the entrance to the mountains and go further to search for prey.
The current season was not a good time to hunt, but the Tian Luo King, Yu Ruipei, still ordered the warriors to accompany the princes and princesses of the Kai Rong Kingdom and the country's protector to hunt.
This was also closely related to the flourishing martial arts of the Northwest Countries.
Seeing that the two falcons had broken the record, Yu Ruipei naturally beamed with joy and said, "Everyone, today the Kai Rong Country's envoy has arrived. Our Tian Luo Country's warriors will welcome him with the warmest welcome." His voice spread far and wide and could be heard for miles in this spacious area.
Although his internal energy cultivation had not reached the peak of Level Ten, he still had the strength of Level Eight. With Shui Xuan Jin's support, his position as the Tian Luo King was as stable as Mount Tai.
Beside him, there was a loud bang. More than a thousand people were so excited that their eyes shone. It was as if they had already taken the lead in this hunt.
Yu Ruipei turned around and said, "Your Highness the Third Prince, are your people not participating?"
The Third Prince, Zhan Zhichao, smiled and said, "Since Your Highness has invited us, let us show off our skills." He was clearly prepared as he strode out. Behind him, four attendants followed closely.
Yu Ruipei's expression changed slightly as he asked, "His Highness the Third Prince wants to hunt personally?"
Zhan Zhichao laughed and said, "That's right. Our Kairong Country passes down the country through martial arts. As a prince, I should set an example. How can I not participate in such a grand event?"
Yu Ruipei's expression was somewhat stiff. Suddenly, a figure scuttled out from behind him, bowed deeply to him, and said, "Father, the Third Prince is right. I am not talented, but I also want to enter the forest."
Everyone looked up and nodded inwardly. At this moment, the one who stepped forward bravely was Tian Luo Kingdom's Crown Prince, Yu Xiaoyi.
Yu Ruipei's expression eased a little. He looked at him deeply, not hiding the gratification and appreciation in his eyes.
"Alright, since that's the case, let the hunt begin. You may go."
Following the king's order, countless figures immediately dashed towards the forest not far away.
Outside the garden, exquisite tents could be seen everywhere. These tents were temporarily set up by the king of Tian Luo Kingdom and the others when they came to hunt.
The reason why they did not build permanent houses here was that they did not want to excessively disturb the creatures in the garden.
At this moment, in one of the tents, He Yiming took a sip of the fragrant milk tea that Yuan Lixun had given him. Looking at the crowd that was scrambling to leave, he could not help but shake his head. Rather than saying that this was a hunt, it was better to say that this was a farce. Admittedly, people were afraid of ferocious beasts, but ferocious beasts were also afraid of people. This was especially so when the human's momentum was great.
With so many people swarming in, any ferocious beast with a little bit of intelligence would choose to temporarily avoid them. Unless they entered deep into the mountain pass, they would definitely not be able to obtain a good harvest.
His gaze suddenly focused, and he actually found two extremely familiar figures among these people.
It turned out that his Eldest Uncle, He Quanxin, and his Eldest Brother, He Yitian, were also among the crowd.
With their strength and his Eldest Uncle's familiarity with the forest, as long as they did not encounter any spirit beasts, there would basically be no accidents. On the other hand, it would be unbelievable if a spirit beast could still exist in such a crowded place.
He Yiming only took a glance and immediately retracted his gaze. He Yiming was very assured of the father and son duo.
After retracting his gaze, He Yiming looked at the steam that was spreading from the teacup in his hand. His heart was also in a mess.
At this moment, seven days had passed since he eavesdropped on Cheng Fu and the others' conversation. During these seven days, He Yiming's heart had always been hesitant, but he did not tell Shui Xuan Jin about the contents of the conversation.
At this moment, seven days had passed and the hunt had officially begun. At this time tomorrow, the hunt would end. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be the time when Cheng Fu issued a challenge.
He Yiming knew he could not drag it on any longer.
Yuan Lixun looked strangely at He Yiming. He Yiming seemed to be in a daze at the moment. Ever since she interacted with He Yiming, she rarely saw such a look in his eyes.
Inexplicably, a strong desire to erase this strand of blankness welled up in her heart.
Although her rationality told her that if it was something that even her young master couldn't solve, then she definitely couldn't do anything. Nevertheless, for some reason, she still asked gently, "Young Master, is there something on your mind?"
He Yiming was surprised. He turned his head and saw a pair of bright eyes that contained worry. He couldn't help but feel warmth in his heart. He sighed softly and said, "Yes, there is one thing that I can't make the final decision on, so I feel very vexed."
Yuan Lixun was hesitant. "Can you tell me about it? Perhaps you'll feel better after you tell me. "
The corner of He Yiming's mouth twitched. He wanted to say it, but for some reason, the words stopped at the tip of his tongue. He asked himself and suddenly understood that he didn't want her to know that he had eavesdropped on other people's conversations in the Royal Manor.
If she were to find out that he had done such a thing, would her impression of him be greatly reduced?
He Yiming smiled bitterly. 'Since when did I become so sensitive?'
He shook his head. Yuan Lixun could not help but look disappointed. However, before she could continue to comfort her, He Yiming said, "If a person does something, even though he didn't do it on purpose, and this matter isn't a bad thing, it's still not a good thing. However, this incident caused another person to have a misunderstanding. This misunderstanding was very big, and it could lead to some very bad consequences. However, this outcome will not affect the first person. Tell me, should the first person ignore it, or should … "
He raised his head and looked at Yuan Lixun quietly. It was as if he was trying to find an answer from her beautiful face.
Yuan Lixun was startled. Although He Yiming's words were vague, and she did not know about this person or the other person, she understood what he meant.
When her eyes met with He Yiming's, her gaze immediately jumped away like a little deer. She was rather excited and secretly delighted. It was a feeling that even she could not completely understand.
Her heart beat violently for a few times before it slowly returned to normal. She gently bit her lower lip and thought about it seriously. Her cheeks flushed red, but the words that came out of her mouth carried a trace of unusual firmness.
"Young Master, my mother had always taught me and my younger brother when she was alive. Everyone living in this world has their own responsibilities. Some of these responsibilities are big, and some are small. Those who are strong will bear the big ones, and those who are weak will bear the small ones. As long as you can do it to the best of your ability, then … it's enough. "
He Yiming sat calmly, and his mouth was constantly chewing on these words.
Yuan Lixun did not disturb him, and only watched silently by his side. She looked at He Yiming's eyes that were gradually brightening as he pondered, and suddenly had a feeling that she was going to sink into it.
This man, although was a Connate master, but in the past, he always gave people the feeling of a big boy.
But thinking about it, no matter what realm his martial cultivation had reached, he was only a sixteen-year-old youth. At this age, wasn't he just a big boy?
However, at this moment, He Yiming seemed to have a subtle change. It was as if a big boy had shed his naivety, and had the responsibility and charm of an adult man.
Yuan Lixun's gaze softened, and this scene seemed to be forever imprinted in her heart.
Finally, He Yiming put down the teacup in his hand, and nodded heavily at Yuan Lixun, and said sincerely, "Thank you."
"Uh …" Yuan Lixun was stunned, and then came to her senses, and was at a loss for what to do for a while. It was as if the deepest secret in her heart had been seen through, and the blush on her face became even brighter, and spread to the back of her ears and neck, as if the gentle and sweet smell of meat was evaporating.
He Yiming's eyes lit up, but at this moment, he had made a decision in his heart, and immediately restrained his thoughts, and looked away.
He said softly, "You are right, no matter what, I am still a person of the Tian Luo Kingdom." Then, he said clearly, "Brother Shui, please come over for a meeting."
The voice of this sentence was not loud, but it spread out endlessly, as if it was whispering in everyone's ears, so that everyone could hear it clearly.
Yuan Lixun opened her mouth in surprise. She did not expect that He Yiming would invite Shui Xuan Jin over so suddenly.
In the distance, in the tent area of the Kairong Kingdom, Cheng Fu frowned slightly, and a bad premonition seemed to shroud him. But he immediately threw away this stray thought. For him, the next challenge could not be lost. At this moment, there was no room for other thoughts in his mind.
※ ※ ※
A figure flashed in front of him, and Shui Xuan Jin's figure appeared outside the tent. He walked in with a smile, and sat down in front of He Yiming.
Yuan Lixun did not wait for instructions, and immediately served another cup of milk tea. Shui Xuan Jin picked it up, drank it in one gulp, and praised, "Very good."
Yuan Lixun bowed her head and smiled, "Thank you, Master Shui, for your praise."
Shui Xuan Jin looked outside and let out a long sigh, "Over a hundred years ago, this old man would personally participate in every hunt. But now, my temperament has already faded and I am not willing to work anymore."
He Yiming was slightly startled, and said, "Brother Shui, if you participate, then who can compete with you? Wouldn't you be able to get first place every time?"
Shui Xuan Jin laughed involuntarily, and said, "Who said that? Although I participate every time, I have never shown off. I just do it for fun."
He Yiming was relieved. If Xiantian experts were allowed to participate in this kind of hunt, then it was simply cheating.
"Alright, why are you looking for me?" Shui Xuan Jin put down his cup and asked casually.
He Yiming also put down his cup, looked up, and said seriously, "I want to know if the Tian Luo Kingdom has to pay tribute to the Kai Rong Kingdom every year."
Shui Xuan Jin sighed softly, and said, "That's right, it's not just the Tian Luo Kingdom. In fact, one-third of the small kingdoms in the Northwest have to pay a huge amount of tribute to the Kai Rong Kingdom every year."
"One-third?" He Yiming said in surprise, "The Three Strong Kingdoms in the Northwest?"
Shui Xuan Jin nodded slightly, and said, "Brother He is wholeheartedly focused on cultivation, and may not know the reason behind this. Actually, in the Northwest Kingdoms, the Three Strong Kingdoms are the true rulers, and the rest of the kingdoms are their subordinate kingdoms. In order to prevent these small kingdoms from developing, the Three Strong Kingdoms set the terms of tribute, and we have to pay according to a certain proportion of taxes and food. "
He Yiming frowned, and said, "Can't we resist?"
Shui Xuan Jin laughed bitterly, and said, "A plate of loose sand, it's difficult …"
These four words were enough to express all his helplessness.
Indeed, in the Northwest Kingdoms, other than the Three Strong Kingdoms, the rest of the kingdoms had at most four or five counties, and at least one county. Some kingdoms even only had the area of a county.
The Three Strong Kingdoms seemed to have maintained a tacit understanding, and did not have any intention of expanding, while the territories of the many small kingdoms changed unpredictably. Often, in a few decades, a kingdom would change owners.
However, although there were times when a kingdom changed owners, most of the changes were peaceful. When a family lost control of the entire kingdom, a new family would naturally rise, and replace the old royal family.
Then, the old royal family would abdicate, and become a rich and powerful family in the kingdom.
It was also because of this strange method of inheritance that there were so many aristocratic families with thousands of years of inheritance in the Northwest Kingdoms.
Of course, this strange method only existed in the Northwest Kingdoms. If it was the Great Shen Kingdom in the East, or the legendary Holy See in the Far West, it would be much more bloody and tragic.
He Yiming muttered to himself for a moment, and he was no longer the ignorant child from before.
After more than a year of experience, he understood this situation. At the same time, he faintly felt that there seemed to be an even more powerful force above the Three Strong Kingdoms, and it was the existence of this force that suppressed all discordant voices, and this strange method of inheritance appeared.
However, to the current He Yiming, all of this was simply too far out of reach.
He Yiming picked up the cup again, and drank it in one gulp. Then, as if he had decided on something, he said, "Brother Shui, you should know my true age, right?"
Shui XuanJin nodded slightly, and said, "That's right, Brother He, little brother He Yiming, you're only sixteen years old this year, and you've already become a Xiantian Master at such a young age. This is simply unprecedented, and will never be repeated."
He Yiming's face flushed red, and he said, "Brother Shui, let's not talk about this, let's get back to the main topic." He calmly looked into the other's eyes and said, "I know that you want me to be the Guardian of the Tian Luo Kingdom."
Shui XuanJin's eyes immediately lit up, and he said, "That's right, I know that this request is indeed too difficult for a genius like you. However, I's lifespan is approaching, and I really can't bear to see the rising Tian Luo Kingdom decline again. So, Brother He, please reluctantly accept this difficult task. "
As the old man spoke, he stood up from his cross-legged position, and bowed deeply to He Yiming. Although he was old, his waist was still straight, and he bowed deeply without hesitation.
He Yiming hurriedly reached out to support him, and said, "Brother Shui, if you can promise me one thing, then I'll agree."
Shui XuanJin suddenly raised his head, and his eyes revealed a mixture of surprise and joy.
In fact, after he knew He Yiming's true age, he also didn't have much hope. This was the same as Ting Shiguang in the past. After seeing He Yiming, he didn't mention this matter at all.
If it weren't for the fact that Shui XuanJin knew that he didn't have long to live and was too worried about the future of the Tian Luo Kingdom, he would have been like a drowning man who saw the last straw after seeing He Yiming. Although he knew that it wasn't likely that he would be saved, he still couldn't help but hold on tightly.
At this moment, after receiving He Yiming's reply, the old man's heart suddenly surged with emotions, and even the death aura on his body seemed to have dissipated a lot at this moment.
He originally thought that this hope was as faint as mist, but when he grabbed it, he realized that it wasn't a straw, but a piece of wood, a huge piece of wood. This naturally made the drowning man, who knew that he was going to die, ecstatic.
After taking a deep breath, Shui XuanJin said, "As long as Brother He's request isn't for the Yu Family to abdicate, then no matter what it is, I will agree on behalf of the Yu Family."
With his status in the Tian Luo Kingdom, he naturally had the right to say this.
He Yiming nodded slightly and said, "Brother Shui, I'm still young, so I still want to travel the world and pursue a higher level of martial arts. Therefore, I can't be like you and stay in the Tian Luo Kingdom for a long time. Therefore, my request is that I can become the Master Protector of the Tian Luo Kingdom, but I also have the right to travel freely. "
Shui XuanJin was startled at first, then he nodded deeply and said, "Brother He, you're right. With your age, you'll naturally have greater achievements in the future, so you shouldn't stay in one place for a long time." After thinking for a moment, he said, "Brother He, I have a compromise, what do you think?"
"Please speak, Brother Shui."
"Our Tian Luo Kingdom is a subsidiary kingdom of the Kai Rong Kingdom. As long as the Master Protector can obtain their recognition, or rather, fear, then the Tian Luo Kingdom can continue to develop steadily." Shui XuanJin said with a serious face, "If Brother He can personally go to the Kai Rong Kingdom and represent our Tian Luo Kingdom to defeat any expert from the Master Hall, then our Tian Luo Kingdom can be guaranteed ten years of peace. From then on, as long as Brother He can appear once every ten years and win a challenge from the Master Hall, then no one in our Tian Luo Kingdom will dare to provoke you no matter where you go. "
He Yiming was startled, then his expression became extremely interesting.
"Brother Shui, you're saying that as long as I can defeat any Master from the Kai Rong Kingdom, then Tian Luo Kingdom can be guaranteed ten years of peace?"
"That's right." Shui XuanJin's eyes shone faintly as he said, "The enlightenment seven days ago should have allowed Brother He's cultivation to improve greatly. Even I can't tell your true strength. So as long as Brother He is willing to take action, then I believe that you will definitely be able to win. "
He Yiming's gaze shifted to a certain direction. He had a faint smile on his face as he said, "Why go through so much trouble? Isn't there a Master Protector from the Kai Rong Kingdom here?"
Shui XuanJin's expression changed as he hurriedly said, "Brother He, don't be rash. Challenging in the Master Hall is the right of us small kingdoms. It is through this method that we decide the amount of tribute from each kingdom. But if we challenge the Master from the Kai Rong Kingdom in other places, then it is a deliberate provocation and will bring disaster to the kingdom. " He paused for a moment before continuing, "Furthermore, although Cheng Fu is young, he is very famous in the Kai Rong Kingdom. He once went to the Southern Islands and had an epiphany at the volcano. This person's strength is unfathomable. In the future, when Brother He goes to the Master Hall, it's better to change your opponent. "
This person is young?
He Yiming laughed involuntarily, and then said, "What if we don't challenge, but they challenge us in the capacity of a Master Protector?"
Shui XuanJin was taken aback. "If that's the case, then the result will naturally be the same as the Master Hall challenge."
He Yiming nodded, an unfathomable smile flashed across his face, and then he fell silent.
Shui XuanJin hesitated for a moment, and also glanced in a certain direction. He seemed to have understood something in his heart.
※ ※ ※
A day's time seemed to fly by.
At noon on the second day, the loud sound of a bugle horn suddenly cut through the sky above the garden.
This sound was long and distant, and hundreds of bugles sounded at the same time. Even deep in the mountains, it was still clear and audible.
A huge hourglass was placed in front of everyone. After the sound of the bugle horn disappeared, a burly man pulled out the stopper below, and suddenly grains of sand fell down.
After a while, people came back from the garden one after another.
When the bugle horn sounded, everyone who entered the forest had to return within an hour. If they still did not return after all the sand in the hourglass was emptied, then they would lose the qualification to be evaluated.
Entering the deep mountains, although there was a better harvest, if one did not have enough strength, then it was impossible to give one the time to go back and forth smoothly.
The first batch of people who came out were naturally the weakest, and could only wander around the garden. They did not have the strength to enter the deep mountains at all. Although they hunted some small animals, no one was interested in them at all.
As time went by, more and more strong people came back, and the prey in their hands was more dazzling than the previous. Although it was impossible for spirit beasts to appear, there was no lack of ordinary ferocious beasts.
He Yiming sighed in his heart. To hunt these ferocious beasts, not only did one have to be strong in martial arts, but one also had to have a certain level of understanding of the forest. Needless to say, the most important thing was still luck. If one was unlucky, with so many people entering the mountain at the same time, one might not even encounter a rabbit, let alone a ferocious beast.
All of a sudden, the crowd was stirred up. The Third Prince and the others from the Kairong Kingdom had successfully returned. The 5 of them hunted 3 fierce leopards and 2 fox bears.
The result instantly made everyone look at them with new eyes. The fact that they were able to discover the ferocious beasts before so many experts showed how valiant they were.
After a brief moment, Yu Xiaoyi, He Quanxin, and the others returned one after another.
Although they had also gained a lot, compared to Zhan Zhichao, they were still slightly inferior. The faces of all the subjects of the Tian Luo Kingdom turned somewhat ugly.
On the other hand, Yu Ruipei seemed to be unaware of it. He remarked, "Your Highness, you're indeed a dragon among men. You're the first in this hunt."
Loud cheers were heard coming from the tents from the Kairong Kingdom, whereas Yu Xiaoyi and the others looked even worse.
All of a sudden, Zhan Zhichao waved his hand and suppressed the cheers.
Following that, a tall figure slowly walked out of a tent.
As soon as this person appeared, he immediately attracted everyone's attention. He was like a huge sun, emitting his own brilliance at any time and place.
He Yiming slightly closed his eyes. His heart instantly entered a miraculous state, like an ancient well without ripples.
Cheng Fu walked forward step by step. As he walked, the atmosphere in the entire garden instantly froze.
Yu Ruipei could no longer maintain his calm expression. He had a faint feeling that something was wrong.
Cheng Fu finally arrived 30 meters in front of Yu Ruipei. He raised his head and his eyes that were as dazzling as sunlight locked onto Shui Xuanjin.
"I, Cheng Fu, have received His Majesty's request. I'm willing to bet 10% of your country's annual tribute for 10 years to challenge your country's Great Master Protector. I hope Your Majesty will agree."
The entire garden was suddenly silent. One could even hear a pin drop.
No one had expected Cheng Fu to propose a challenge at this time. Moreover, it was a challenge that could not be refused.
Everyone knew that if Shui Xuanjin was not present, this battle could naturally be postponed. However, in the face of such a challenge, even if he were to die on the spot, he absolutely could not refuse it.
Shui Xuanjin smiled. He was not the least bit surprised, as if he had already known this would happen.
Under the gazes of countless people, he slowly stood up. Although he did not have a strong, sun-like presence, the moment he stood up, all the citizens of the Tian Luo Kingdom immediately felt at ease.
Shui Xuanjin had protected the Tian Luo Kingdom for 100 years, so his strong, almost blind confidence spread in an instant.
However, only the Tian Luo King, Yu Ruipei, and Shui Xuanjin's eldest disciple, Xue Lie, had ugly expressions on their faces. They clenched their fists tightly, and there was a faint trace of fear in their eyes.
Right at this moment, a clear voice that seemed to come from the unrestrained clouds in the sky rang out.
"If you want to fight, I'll fight …"
PS: Today's first chapter, please guarantee the minimum monthly votes, thank you … (To be continued, if you want to know the future, please go to www.qidian.com, there are more chapters, support the author, support the original reading!)
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