Chapter 63: Deer Can Be Hunted in Youzhou

For the next several days, Gu Liuwang sat in a carriage driven by He Huoluo, occupying an entire carriage by himself. At night, he stayed alone in his own tent, devoting all his focus to the wood-chopping saber in his hands.

He did not spare a single stray thought for the Zou family’s affairs.

Although Granny Long and Yin Shiniang occasionally crossed paths with him during brief stops to rest, they were undoubtedly well aware of his cultivation progress. They never asked him a single question, let alone imparted any new teachings.

Yet, among the unruly vagrants of Yinshan, the most enigmatic figure of all was undoubtedly that Xu Qi.

From Mianbai Slope until now, he had not even caught a single glimpse of Xu Qi.

He only knew that Chen Tu was certain Xu Qi had been tailing them the entire time. How he managed it remained a mystery, for even Hua Cangming and his subordinates had failed to notice his presence in the slightest.

Another midnight arrived.

Alongside a highway more than two hundred li west of Yunzhong Commandery, numerous carriages stood haphazardly parked.

Several bonfires blazed within the campsite beside the carriages, and a group of youths sat gathered around one of them.

There were eight young men and four young women in total. Aside from a few who clearly looked several years older than Gu Liuwang, the rest were between sixteen and seventeen, or not yet twenty years of age.

The garments worn by these individuals looked luxurious, clearly marking them as children of affluent households.

A large iron pot hung suspended over the fire, and the mutton soup within was just coming to a rolling boil, bubbling gently.

Someone carefully extracted some spices, shaking a pinch into the pot.

A hundred paces away from this bonfire, quite a few attendants were busy pitching tents.

Suddenly, several whistle blasts echoed from the official road coming from the direction of Yunzhong Commandery, followed by the sound of pounding hooves.

Six riders emerged from the darkness. The leader in front laughed heartily from afar, shouting, "Qin Land, Rong Xiu, you could never have guessed what distinguished guest I've brought along!"

A youth dressed in cyan brocade quickly stood up and shouted back at the rider, "Don't charge in so close! You'll kick up dust all over the mutton soup!"

"A bit of dust is of no consequence!"

The rider let out a hearty laugh. True to his words, however, he reined in his horse fifty paces away, dismounted, and walked over.

He was a vigorous youth clad in tight-fitting martial attire. Tall, with sharp, radiant eyes and a swift stride, he seemed to radiate an inexhaustible reservoir of energy.

The young woman following close behind him looked travel-worn, yet her features remained remarkably clear and pretty even amidst the darkness.

"Hua Linyi?"

The youths gathered around the bonfire had just managed to make out her face when they all sprang up in astonishment.

A white-robed girl with an ample bust and a slender waist immediately leaped forward in delightful surprise. She threw her arms around the newcomer, spun her in a circle, and cheered, "Weren't you supposed to be in Chang'an? How did you end up here?"

With a weary expression, Hua Linyi patted the ecstatic girl's forehead, glanced down at her chest, and sighed as if she had a headache. "Rong Xiu, they've grown quite a bit larger again, haven't they?"

The full-bosomed, slender-waisted girl in white feigned anger and retorted, "You little wretch! It was a waste sending you to Chang'an to read all those books of the sages. The moment you open your mouth, you utter such improper nonsense. You'd be better off coming back and finding an upright family to marry into, so your husband can properly discipline you."

Hua Linyi smiled faintly and replied, "I had some urgent family matters to attend to and needed to meet with my elder brother. He will likely pass through Yunzhong Commandery in two days at most. I had originally planned to resume my journey tomorrow, but unexpectedly ran into Yan Changshou in Yunzhong. Hearing that your entire crowd had come out to hunt deer, I rushed over to catch up with you all."

The tall youth in martial attire was the Yan Changshou she had mentioned. Hearing this, he laughed triumphantly once more, "Who knows which talented scholar in Chang'an Linyi was daydreaming about? I shouted behind her for ages before she finally snapped out of it."

At that moment, a young woman in pale yellow robes offered a graceful bow toward Hua Linyi, speaking softly, "Linyi, will Brother Cangming be lingering around these parts?"

The young girl possessed exceptionally delicate facial features, instantly striking anyone who looked at her as an ethereal beauty of the mortal world.

Every single movement she made effortlessly drew the gazes of everyone present.

"Ziyuan, stop always trying to make yourself Linyi's sister-in-law." Yan Changshou was extremely familiar with the young woman and tossed out a casual joke, causing a flush of crimson to bloom across the exquisite beauty's porcelain cheeks.

Hua Linyi smiled slightly, returning the courtesy as she said, "My elder brother has military duties to attend to and probably cannot afford any delays. However, if I do meet with him, I will certainly convey your yearning for him, Ziyuan."

The breathtaking girl stamped her foot, extended a finger as delicate as a spring onion, and jabbed it in Yan Changshou's direction. "You lot only ever know how to make sport of me. Am I really that easy to bully?"

The youths gathered by the bonfire were all aristocratic scions from the Youzhou region. Yan Changshou, who had brought Hua Linyi here, was the son of Yan Chihu, a General of Mighty Defense of the fifth rank. Jiang Ziyuan’s father was Jiang Qingyuan, a Secretariat Drafter of the lower fifth rank. As for Rong Xiu, she had grown up with Hua Linyi since childhood; her father was Rong Qi, the Youzhou Military Counselor and a high-ranking official of the lower fourth rank.

Naturally, compared to these noble houses, their lineage held a certain distance from the Hua family. Consequently, aside from those who were already on intimate terms with Hua Linyi on a daily basis, the rest maintained a rigid reserve, terrified of accidentally saying the wrong thing and displeasing Hua Linyi.

Yet Hua Linyi was genuinely happy. Having spent a long time in Chang'an, she had deeply missed these old friends. Therefore, despite being utterly exhausted from days of hard riding, the moment she heard from Yan Changshou that so many people had gathered here, she had eagerly rushed over without a moment's hesitation.

Rong Xiu had always been able to speak freely with Hua Linyi and was eager to help Jiang Ziyuan's cause. She ladled a bowl of mutton soup for Hua Linyi by the fire and, watching her drink it, began to persuade her, "Since Brother Canglang is passing through, we aren't in any rush to head into the mountains to hunt deer. Why don't we simply arrange to meet Brother Canglang first, and then head into the mountains afterward?"

Jiang Ziyuan sat quietly by the fire. Of course, she understood Rong Xiu's intent, but she had merely tagged along to see the sights and felt reluctant to delay everyone else's schedule. Instead, she earnestly spoke in a soft voice, "Linyi mentioned that Brother Cangming has military affairs on his mind. Perhaps we shouldn't hold him up?"

Yan Changshou immediately chuckled, "Well, never mind that busybody Brother Cangming for now. Since Linyi has already made the trip, we must find a way to make her stay a while longer! If Linyi has other plans, we'll naturally accompany her—there's no need to rush off hunting deer."

He spoke with absolute candor, holding nothing back.

For this group of people, hunting deer was merely a game; how could playing games compare to deepening their bonds with Hua Linyi?

Seeing that the others still seemed somewhat reserved, the youth in cyan brocade named Qin Lan smiled at Hua Linyi and asked, "What do your inclinations say, Linyi?"

Having finished her bowl of mutton soup, Hua Linyi felt her spirits lift slightly. She smiled and replied, "Qin Lan, as long as it doesn't get in the way of your and Rong Xiu's amusement, I'm fine with whatever."

Rong Xiu let out a cold snort, "When you weren't around, this fellow was constantly muttering your name. Who is getting in whose way is hardly certain."

Qin Lan showed no sign of embarrassment. He shot back at Rong Xiu, "If you were to leave Youzhou for Chang'an, Rong Xiu, and I couldn't see you, I'd undoubtedly have your name on my lips every single day."

Hua Linyi smiled faintly, reaching out to gently pat Rong Xiu on the hip. "Such a springy touch. You'll certainly be able to bear many children. If you ever leave Youzhou, I wonder how many young gentlemen will lose their appetite and toss and turn in longing."

Rong Xiu glared fiercely at her. "Spare me those tricks! If you ever find yourself a cherished husband in the future, I'll make sure to recount every single one of your childhood embarrassments to him."

Hua Linyi chuckled. She had originally intended to continue bantering, but a sudden thought struck her. She looked at Yan Changshou, who was vigorously chewing a piece of mutton, and said, "On my way here, I heard that the bandit infestation around these parts is severe. For you all to go hunting in the mountains right now strikes me as rather dangerous."

Yan Changshou forcibly swallowed the stubborn lump of mutton and laughed dismissively, "Linyi, you've been staying in Chang'an for too long, and you never paid attention to these things before. Bandit troubles aren't anything new this year—they happen every single year and can never be fully eradicated. Those scoundrels either rely on perilous terrain or hide deep in the mountains like venomous insects and ants. They're nothing more than bullies who fear the strong; how would they ever dare lay a hand on us?"

Hua Linyi knew Yan Changshou quite well. Seeing the slightly mischievous glint in his smile, she instantly figured it out: these people were likely using the pretext of deer hunting to track down and slaughter mountain bandits.

While these youths cared little for minor military merits, what excitement could possibly rival hunting down mountain bandits?

Yan Changshou glanced at Hua Linyi, realizing she had seen through his ruse, and provocatively teased, "Linyi, you've lived strictly by the rules in Chang'an for too long. Why not come wild with us in the mountains for a change?"

Hua Linyi was quite tempted. Pondering for a moment, she said, "If you've decided to wait for my elder brother, I'll make my final decision after I've met with him."

Yan Changshou winked animatedly. "If Linyi joins us for the hunt, wouldn't that be like adding wings to a tiger? You can give us all a proper demonstration of the exquisite swordsmanship of the Yongping Sword Academy."

"Eat your mutton." Hua Linyi didn't dislike Yan Changshou at all.

While the talented young men of Chang'an were certainly refined, many of them habitually put on airs in their bones. Although Yan Changshou was also a shrewd fellow at heart, he had the saving grace of being straightforward and speaking his mind, laying everything out in the open. Furthermore, he was generous and unsparingly petty.

Most importantly, he was always quite willing to cater to everyone's ideas and join in on entertaining pursuits.

For a practitioner, sword cultivation was originally intended for slaying enemies. Yet upon arriving in Chang'an, she had noticed that in the eyes of many nobles, a sword and cultivation seemed to have devolved into mere decorative accessories.

Quite a few talented youths had attained the fifth rank yet had never experienced a genuine life-and-death struggle.

She held such people in utter contempt.

Youzhou offered unique advantages compared to Chang'an—there were fewer rigid rules, and no shortage of outlaws and bandits. Yan Changshou's request to witness her swordsmanship inadvertently served as a reminder that perhaps after returning to Chang'an, she could instigate a few like-minded individuals to occasionally return to Youzhou to "hunt deer."

Wouldn't that be far more interesting than those tedious poetry gatherings and sword tournaments?

It should prove immensely beneficial for her in cultivating connections back in Chang'an.