Chapter 154

Chapter 154: Was It This One

“…Ahem.” Shang Xing Yu could not stand hearing that. Shang Xing Yu coughed and cut them off. “The red fox Qi Shi-zi wanted – was it this one?”

Qi Shu Xian looked over.

Then Qi Shu Xian saw the small thing Shang Xing Yu held – it was completely red, limp, and dangling by the tail.

“red fox?!” For the first time, Qi Shu Xian lost composure.

Qi Shu Xian quickly climbed down from the horse and reached for the red fox’s body.

Shang Xing Yu pulled back and dodged aside. “Heir Apparent wouldn’t be the sort of person who stole someone else’s spoils, right?”

Shang Xing Yu backed away, full of wariness.

Qi Shu Xian forced Qi Shu Xian’s gaze off the red fox.

That day, His Majesty had summoned Qi Shu Xian alone to arrange this hunt, and Qi Shu Xian had asked for a red fox as the first prize.

Qi Shu Xian still remembered what Sheng Zhi Wan had said. The red fox hunted in Cang Nan had been taken by Mother, so Qi Shu Xian would hunt another one for Sheng Zhi Wan.

This red fox was something Qi Shu Xian himself had asked His Majesty for.

It should have been Qi Shu Xian’s.

Yet now, Shang Xing Yu had taken it.

Qi Shu Xian took a deep breath. “How did Young Master Shang Er catch it?”

With the red fox’s alertness and speed, even Qi Shu Xian would have had to spend real effort to catch it.

Yet this difficult prey had fallen into Shang Xing Yu’s hands. How could Qi Shu Xian accept that?

“…Why did Qi Shi-zi ask that?” Shang Xing Yu asked, clearly displeased.

“It’s only that I heard Young Master Shang Er wasn’t skilled in martial arts. The red fox is hard to hunt. I wanted to know… how did Young Master Shang Er catch it?” Qi Shu Xian said.

“That was all in the past. These two months, we all did special training,” Shang Xing Yu said shamelessly. Shang Xing Yu looked pleased with himself. “Besides, this little thing wasn’t as hard to catch as Qi Shi-zi said. I barely used any effort, and I caught it.”

“That’s right,” Ye Rong said, nodding.

“We were roasting a wild chicken, and Shang Er caught it!”

How could that be possible?

Qi Shu Xian did not believe it, but the truth sat right there. Whether Qi Shu Xian believed it or not did not matter.

“Could Young Master Shang Er let me have this red fox?” Qi Shu Xian asked.

Shang Xing Yu took two steps back at once. “What nonsense are you saying? This is the first prize.”

Qi Shu Xian said nothing.

“I can trade another prey of equal weight with Young Master Shang Er,” Qi Shu Xian said.

“That still won’t do. It can’t compare to the first prize,” Shang Xing Yu said, waving a hand.

“Young Master Shang Er, a gentleman helped others fulfill their wishes. Why not just give this red fox to Qi Shi-zi?” someone urged.

“But I’m not a gentleman. I’m a dandy!” Shang Xing Yu said, proud as could be.

“Enough, Xing Yu!” Shang Xiu Yuan shouted. “Hurry up and give the red fox to Qi Shi-zi! Qi Shi-zi wants to use it to gift Princess Qing Ning. What do you need it for?”

“Who said I don’t need it?” Shang Xing Yu said, moving the red fox behind Shang Xing Yu’s back. “This is my achievement. Maybe His Majesty will reward me for catching a red fox.”

“Young Master Shang Er,” Qi Shu Xian said, forcing down Qi Shu Xian’s impatience, “I can trade other prey with you, and I can also promise you one extra request, as long as you’re willing to give the red fox to me.”

“To be honest, the reason there was a red fox in this hunt was because I asked His Majesty for it, specifically for Zhi Wan…”

“Anything you ask?” Shang Xing Yu seemed tempted.

Qi Shu Xian nodded. “Yes. As long as it’s within a reasonable range, I can agree.”

“Then forget it…” Shang Xing Yu said.

Shang Xing Yu only had one request, and it was not very reasonable.

Shang Xing Yu coughed again.

“Young Master Shang Er…” Qi Shu Xian started to speak, but then several drumbeats sounded.

At the same time, a black shadow appeared in front of them.

Second Prince Sheng Yuan Qi recognized the person as a Shadow Guard from Imperial Father’s side.

“Second Highness, His Majesty and all the lords are waiting at the Drill Ground. Please come down the mountain as soon as possible,” the Shadow Guard said.

Then the Shadow Guard left as silently as the Shadow Guard had come.

Shang Xing Yu hurriedly called to Ye Rong and the others. “Hurry, hurry, we’re going down the mountain! Pack up all our prey!”

With that, Shang Xing Yu grabbed the red fox and ran off in a flash.

Qi Shu Xian stared at Shang Xing Yu’s back.

Second Prince Sheng Yuan Qi clicked Sheng Yuan Qi’s tongue. “Forget it, Shu Xian. We’ll talk about it after we get down. Right now we should bring the prey down too.”

But how were they supposed to carry it?

They had hunted plenty of prey. There were birds, beasts, and even a tiger. Some had died, but more were only injured and were trapped in pits they had dug on purpose.

Qi Shu Xian did not approve of killing them all.

Second Prince Sheng Yuan Qi thought about it and felt it was a good chance to show Imperial Father Sheng Yuan Qi’s kindness, so Second Prince Sheng Yuan Qi agreed.

So now, the whole group was stuck.

Luckily, those injured Northern Di soldiers also had to be carried down the mountain. Many Yu Lin Guard secret agents came forward to help, so Second Prince Sheng Yuan Qi ordered them to carry the prey down as well.

Everyone panted as they reached the entrance.

The official in charge of recording looked at the prey in surprise. “Why are they all alive?”

Qi Shu Xian said, “After all, they are lives. We already disturbed them by coming here to hunt. After we count them, we can release any prey that still lives back into the forest.”

“Only capture, not kill!”

“Heaven had the virtue of cherishing life. Qi Shi-zi captured them, yet could not bear to kill. This kindness and mercy were even more worthy of praise than the prey themselves!”

Many officials around them echoed agreement.

Sheng Zhi Wan stood outside the crowd. When Sheng Zhi Wan saw this scene, mockery rose in Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes.

As expected…

Qi Shu Xian always wanted a good reputation. Even while hunting, Qi Shu Xian had to be different from others, so that Qi Shu Xian could show how noble Qi Shu Xian was.

But this time, Qi Shu Xian chose wrong.

A large group of officials gathered around Sheng Kingdom’s exhausted, hard-fighting team and returned to the Drill Ground.

Only Minister Ye, Pei Ling Yuan, and Censor Chen still waited and watched with hopeful faces.

They had no choice. Those people had horses, so they came down quickly. Their sons were still up in the mountain.

After a while longer, four figures finally emerged from the forest.

They all looked pretty miserable, and their clothes were torn.

Censor Chen rushed up first. “Bao Jing, my son! Are you hurt anywhere?”

Censor Chen checked Chen Bao Jing from front to back and left to right.

Chen Bao Jing looked embarrassed. “Dad… Dad! I’m not hurt! Look at this!”

Chen Bao Jing opened the bundle wrapped in Chen Bao Jing’s outer robe.

Pei Ling Yuan and Minister Ye were more restrained. They did not grab their sons, but they still saw what their sons carried in their clothing bundles.

“What is that?” Pei Ling Yuan asked.

“Dad! Come here. Your son will show you something good!” Ye Rong said.

Ye Rong wiped sweat away, pulled Minister Ye aside, and opened Ye Rong’s clothes like Ye Rong was presenting a treasure.

Then… there was nothing after that.

Minister Ye, who was always calm, met two enormous tiger eyes.

Minister Ye’s eyes rolled back, and Minister Ye fainted.

Censor Chen collapsed right after.

“Dad! Dad!” Ye Rong and Chen Bao Jing cried out in shock.

They only wanted to make their fathers happy. They wanted their fathers to see how much they had improved in these two months.

But why were their fathers so useless?

They actually fainted?!

A huge tiger head poked out from the clothing bundle. If Pei Ling Yuan had not been a military officer, Pei Ling Yuan might have followed Minister Ye and Censor Chen too.

Even so, Pei Ling Yuan was not much better. Pei Ling Yuan could not speak for a long time.

No one came to greet Shang Xing Yu, but Shang Xing Yu did not care.

Shang Xing Yu swept Shang Xing Yu’s gaze around and saw that figure watching from the other side.

When Sheng Zhi Wan noticed Shang Xing Yu looking over, Sheng Zhi Wan turned away.

Shang Xing Yu smiled and did not mind. Shang Xing Yu called the others over to register their prey.