56: Chapter 56 Hunt

Hoofbeats shattered the silence of the forest, and fallen leaves rustled as they were crushed by the galloping party.

Young Master Tang Shaojie's eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at the dazzling white shadow in the sky. He whipped his horse even harder, cursing incessantly, "Vile beast! Stop right there! Today, I will definitely skin you alive!"

The White Eagle seemed to have figured out his temperament, consistently circling not far above his head, occasionally diving low as the wind from its massive wings swept over him.

At other times, it would soar higher and let out sharp cries, as if urging him on or mocking him.

Provoked by it, Young Master Tang Shaojie was consumed with rage. He had long forgotten his original hunt and everything around him; his only thought was to catch this White Eagle and tear it into a thousand pieces.

Unknowingly, the party had reached the outskirts of the hunting grounds. Ahead lay a dense forest filled with lush foliage, tangled vines, and withered branches.

Fearing danger, a servant shouted loudly, "Young Master! The mountains ahead are deep and outside the Tang Family's hunting grounds. It might be dangerous; we should head back!"

"Shut up!"

Young Master Tang Shaojie turned back and barked, "It's just a damn forest, what danger could there be! Dammit! If I don't catch this White Eagle today, I'll drop the name Tang!"

Just as he finished speaking, the White Eagle in the sky suddenly let out a completely different cry. It stopped circling and instead sped deep into the forest, its figure instantly vanishing among the leaves.

"Trying to run? No way!" Young Master Tang Shaojie urged his horse forward in pursuit and immediately charged into the woods.

The trees in this forest were dense, blocking out the sun as soon as he entered. However, this also forced the circling White Eagle to fly lower.

Seeing that it couldn't fly high, Young Master Tang Shaojie was overjoyed. "Vile beast! You won't escape this time!"

He notched another arrow and continued firing. The arrows flew out, missing several times again, and Young Master Tang Shaojie immediately rode harder to keep up.

After chasing through the dense forest for a long time, the servants following behind him grew further and further away until their voices vanished.

They could no longer be heard, having disappeared within the dense woods.

He continued the relentless pursuit through the intricate forest; only Young Master Tang Shaojie remained, bow and arrow ready as he gave chase.

Seeing that the people behind Young Master Tang Shaojie were gone, the White Eagle flapped its wings and vanished into the dense forest.

"Damn it! Where did it go!" Unable to discern his direction, Young Master Tang Shaojie pulled on his horse's reins and cursed loudly.

Just then, a red shadow flashed through the forest, immediately catching Young Master Tang Shaojie's attention.

In the dim forest, a fox with fiery red fur appeared, stopping to watch him from within the thicket.

Young Master Tang Shaojie immediately prepared to notch an arrow and fire.

Suddenly, an eagle's cry rang out from above. Quick as lightning, the bird lunged for Young Master Tang Shaojie's neck, and in an instant, a blood-red gash appeared on his arm.

"Ah!" Sharp pain flared from his arm. Young Master Tang Shaojie winced in agony, and with a "clatter," his bow and arrow fell to the ground.

Before he could react, the White Eagle had already circled back, aiming straight for his head.

Young Master Tang Shaojie was a Second-Stage Martial Artist after all, and he immediately realized that this White Eagle had lured him here on purpose to attack him.

He quickly drew the saber from his waist and slashed upward at the White Eagle. The massive bird immediately dodged the blade, and then a red shadow carrying flames charged toward him.

In an instant, a burst of fire erupted before Young Master Tang Shaojie's eyes, and a searing pain from a burn immediately spread across his face.

"Ah!" A wave of intense pain hit Young Master Tang Shaojie's face. He was horrified to discover that the unremarkable fox was actually covered in flames; this fox was also a Essence Spirit!

The White Eagle swooped in and clawed at the horse's eyes. Driven mad by the pain, the horse bucked wildly, throwing the unprepared Young Master Tang Shaojie to the ground.

Young Master Tang Shaojie leaped up quickly, jumping off the horse's back, and then roared in fury, "Beasts! Die!"

His blade lunged at the White Eagle still clawing at his head. The White Eagle dodged, but the sharp swordplay made it difficult to get close, so it could only harass Young Master Tang Shaojie from the periphery.

Seeing the two monsters start to dodge him, Young Master Tang Shaojie laughed triumphantly, "Just two beasts! You think you can ambush me like humans? Die!"

He gripped his saber and slashed at the Fire Fox beside him, calculating that its small size would leave it with nowhere to hide.

Suddenly, a cold light flashed. Young Master Tang Shaojie immediately turned to parry as a hidden weapon carrying hundreds of pounds of force hurtled toward him. He swung his saber frantically to block it.

The force behind the flying dagger was so great that his hands trembled.

However, in that brief opening, the circling White Eagle immediately seized the chance. Its talons lunged forward, aiming for Young Master Tang Shaojie's eyes.

He scrambled to block, but his arm was cut again, the wound deep enough to see the bone.

Now covered in wounds, Young Master Tang Shaojie immediately realized that someone was assassinating him from the shadows.

Leaning exhausted against a tree trunk, he shouted hurriedly:

"Who exactly is Your Excellency? I am a member of the Tang Family! I have no grievances with Your Excellency; why do you wish to kill me?"

At that moment, a figure appeared by a nearby tree trunk. It was Ye Jing, who had been lying in wait for a long time.

He stood on the tree, looking down at Young Master Tang Shaojie. Ye Jing's appearance immediately enraged Young Master Tang Shaojie, who roared, "Ye Jing! It's you! I'm telling you! If you dare touch me, I'll make sure your Ye Family... Ugh!"

Before Young Master Tang Shaojie could finish, a flying dagger plunged straight into his head, and his curses came to an abrupt halt.

He stared fixedly at Ye Jing with eyes that would not close in death, blood gushing from his mouth as he collapsed.

Ye Jing walked over and pulled the flying dagger from Young Master Tang Shaojie's head. He flicked off the blood, picked up the other fallen dagger from the corner, and said to Xiao Chi and Xiao Yu, "The rest is up to you!"

With that, he leaped away. Xiao Chi and Xiao Yu looked at the blood-soaked Young Master Tang Shaojie with a hint of disdain before pouncing on him.

In the distance, the servants searching for Young Master Tang Shaojie were driving their hounds and calling out for him.

Just then, the accompanying hounds suddenly became paralyzed with fear, their tails tucked between their legs, refusing to take another step forward.

Seeing the hounds so terrified, the servants also began to feel afraid. Everyone knew that these were the deep mountains of the Qinling Range, home to many Essence Spirits.

"You go in and scout the path; call for the Young Master!"

"No, you go. You're a Martial Artist!"

"What time is it to be acting like such a coward! If something happens to the Young Master, we'll all be in deep trouble!"

"Let's go in together!"

The servants argued fearfully for a long time before finally dragging the dogs into the dense forest.

Just a few steps in, they smelled a pungent scent of blood. A few brave Martial Artists pushed aside the bushes and saw a bloody scene they would never forget.

The White Eagle that Young Master Tang Shaojie had been chasing was using its talons to disembowel a mangled male corpse, while a Red Fox was clawing at the corpse's face.

If not for the fine silk robes and military attire on the body, the servants would not have recognized the corpse as Young Master Tang Shaojie at all.

"Young Master! Vile beasts!"

Several Martial Artists immediately charged forward to attack the White Eagle and the Red Fox.

Seeing the humans attacking, the Red Fox let out a loud roar. Its entire body erupted in flames, the intense heat nearly igniting the surrounding dry branches.

Seeing this, the Martial Artists who had been shouting for revenge immediately threw down their equipment and fled.

"A... a monster!"

"Run!"

These servants had never seen a Essence Spirit that could emit flames from its entire body. This was far more terrifying than Essence Spirits with sharp teeth and claws; it indicated that this Essence Spirit had already absorbed Spiritual Qi and transformed into a Yao Beast.

It was not an existence that Mortals like them could handle.

The servants who had just been shouting about avenging their Young Master all fled in a frenzy.

Leaving behind only the mangled corpse of Young Master Tang Shaojie.