Five hundred heavy armored cavalry surged from their position in an irresistible wave, thundering toward that force a dozen or so li away.
The hunt assessment mentioned by the supervising eunuch referred to the official evaluation of the participants. The King of Jin, alongside Prince Cheng and Prince Ying, reviewed each party's performance to determine their standing. Points were awarded based on how many Liao were slain and whether treasure vaults were unearthed, and the combined score formed the basis of the hunt's overall rankings.
Wei Yuan was already fretting over how to guarantee last place; a negative hunt assessment would suit him just fine.
In the distance, the force flying the banner of the Military Commissioner of Yunxiang consisted of fifty skirmisher cavalry and four hundred and fifty infantry, all clad in light armor—a textbook loadout for mountain skirmishing.
The commander, a vice-general, heard the drumming of hooves and glanced back. The sight of a massive host of heavy cavalry charging down upon them turned his face chalk-white.
The Autumn Hunt grounds were covered in mountainous terrain; who in their right mind would drag a force of heavy armored cavalry into such a place? There were passes they would not even be able to squeeze through!
Furthermore, the Liao sheep and pigs marked for the slaughter wore at most a layer of hides and carried nothing heavier than iron blades and spears. Without powerful bows or arbalests to fear, heavy armor was entirely superfluous against them. Cumbersome plate would only hinder one's movements; in rugged hill country, only light infantry could operate with true freedom.
A thought struck the vice-general as he looked at the direction the heavy cavalry was coming from. "Wei the Barbarian's men! Of course—they're making a run for the treasure vault!"
He made a split-second decision, ordering his skirmishers to break away from the main column and race directly for the vault. Then, gathering the remaining infantry, he drew them into a broad horizontal line to intercept Wei Yuan. Well aware of the bad blood between his master and Wei Yuan, the vice-general had no intention of letting him reach the vault uncontested.
Seeing his opponents deploy into a flimsy line a mere two ranks deep, a cold sneer touched Wei Yuan's lips. He gave a sharp hand signal. Beside him, Xu Yi drew breath and projected her voice, calling out from afar, "To dare obstruct the Military Commissioner is a capital crime! Strip your armor and kneel at the roadside at once, and your lives will be spared!"
Her voice was clear and melodious, reinforced by her high cultivation, carrying across dozens of li so that it could be heard clearly.
The vice-general sneered inwardly and shouted back, "Within the grand hunting grounds, anyone may come and go as they please. What is this talk of obstruction? Besides... you!"
Seeing the heavy cavalry thunder closer without the slightest deceleration, the vice-general's face finally changed.
In an instant, he shifted dozens of paces sideways, escaping the direct path of the cavalry charge. A heartbeat later, Cui Yu's spear thrust through the very spot where he had just stood, breaking him out in a cold sweat.
They were actually playing for keeps?!
Hundreds of heavy armored cavalry tore through the light infantry's thin line like boulders crushing eggs. Blood sprayed into the air. Hundreds of foot soldiers were sent flying by colliding warhorses, while many more were skewered and flung aside on the tips of lances.
By the time the cavalry thundered through, barely half the infantry remained on their feet.
The vice-general was both terrified and furious. A single charge had inflicted two to three hundred casualties—how could they dare strike to kill?!
Suddenly, the light around him dimmed. He looked up, only to see a massive shadow expanding above him, bearing down with an irresistible pressure that sent shivers through his entire body, leaving him momentarily paralyzed.
With an earthshaking crash, a deep crater appeared in the earth. At its center sat the statue of a warrior, cross-legged, a horse-cleaving saber resting across its lap, exuding an imposing aura without displaying outward wrath.
Judging by the size of the pit alone, the force of the statue's descent was staggering. Whether the vice-general pinned beneath its seat was alive or dead was anyone's guess.
The immediate terrain was flat, with mountains several li away. The surviving infantry knew full well they stood no chance against heavy cavalry in open ground, and the carpet of corpses around them proved that their attackers had no qualms about slaughtering them wholesale. None dared resist any longer. They dropped to their knees, stripped off their armor and garments as ordered, and piled them in a heap.
Cui Yu, Xu Yi, and seven or eight Dao Foundation cultivators joined forces to heave the weapons and armor into the sky, then summoned a fierce gale that hurled the gear dozens of li away. Watching more than two hundred bare-bottomed men standing in the open, Wei Yuan finally felt a sense of vindication and profound contentment, and he ordered his forces to withdraw.
With two hundred naked men to his name, Lü Wenbai was sure to be firmly pinned in eighth place. He would certainly not threaten Wei Yuan's hold on ninth.
Returning to their position, Wei Yuan posted a few dozen men on watch and sent the rest back to their tents to sleep or idle as they pleased. He returned to the central command tent, sat quietly, and turned his mind inward to contemplate his sword.
A hundred li away, in the King of Jin's traveling palace hall.
Staring at the projected face of Wei Yuan peacefully contemplating his sword, Lü Wenbai felt an overwhelming urge to drive a fist straight into it.
He abruptly rose from his seat and declared, "Sovereign King! Wei Yuan's conduct is outrageous and disruptive to the hunt! His crime warrants execution!"
In the center of the grand hall stood a sand-table model of the entire Autumn Hunt grounds. The object was actually a True Monarch-grade magical treasure capable of projecting scenes from anywhere across the hunting grounds at the controller's whim.
It was a replica of the famed immortal treasure, the Heaven-and-Earth Chessboard. After injecting karmic luck and setting the board, the chess pieces were left to battle on their own, thereby simulating the grand tides of the world. Depending on the amount and nature of the karmic luck invested, it possessed a measure of prophetic power, and with sufficient fortune, might even offer a fleeting glimpse of heavenly secrets.
Since it was a chessboard, the pieces required a fair arena. Consequently, all combat within the hunting grounds was restricted to below the dharma idol realm, and any treasure exceeding the permitted threshold would be suppressed by the grand array.
Everyone present understood that the Autumn Hunt served two purposes: first, for the King of Jin to test each commander's martial governance; second, as a ritual offering to the heavens to seek heavenly insights. Naturally, no fool would dare violate the rules before the king by secretly sending a dharma idol cultivator into the field to wreak havoc. Even if brawls broke out, they had to be fought on equal terms.
Otherwise, the King of Jin losing a few prizes was a trifling matter compared to disrupting the annual sacrifice and severing access to heavenly secrets—an offense for which beheading would be considered a light sentence.
Seated high upon the dais, the King of Jin merely replied, "Once the pieces enter the board, their actions are their own; even We cannot interfere. If Lord Lü has grievances, it would be best to air them after the hunt concludes."
Having participated in several previous hunts, Lü Wenbai knew full well that Wei Yuan could not be penalized mid-contest. He was simply lodging a formal complaint to stake out moral high ground.
Aside from Prince Ying and Prince Cheng, the Crown Prince and Prince Wei were also present in the hall. Next to them sat a young boy, fair and handsome, striving to maintain a grave and mature expression as he stared earnestly at the sand table—it was Prince Fu.
Seated at the outermost edge was a resolute, sturdy man in grayish-white armor, clearly from the northern border army. That seat had previously belonged to Yue Jinshan, but following his recent punishment and demotion, someone else had taken his place.
Apart from Prince Wei and Prince Fu, everyone present had achieved at least the dharma idol realm. The two military commissioners, Xu Tongshou and Lü Wenbai, were both late-stage dharma idol grand cultivators.
Watching Wei Yuan's deliberately impassive face projected above the sand table, Lü Wenbai ground his teeth in silent fury. Wei Yuan was merely a mid-stage Dao Foundation cultivator, barely stronger than the not-yet-eight-year-old Prince Fu. What right did he have to sit among their ranks?
With a shift of the King of Jin's intent, the projection switched to another sector. Wei Yuan had retreated into his shell to contemplate his sword through inner vision; staring at a large face that did not move for ages was hardly worth watching.
The swift collapse of Lü Wenbai's unit had not been unexpected. Infantry were already at an absolute disadvantage against cavalry, and having failed to anticipate that the other side would strike in earnest, deploying in a two-rank line against charging heavy cavalry was sheer suicide. His defeat was entirely deserved.
The view shifted again, suddenly revealing a small band of Liao men. Concealed behind a heap of jagged boulders, they peeked out, gazing down toward the valley below.
Intrigued, the King of Jin shifted the perspective repeatedly. Each transition revealed another group of Liao, ranging from a dozen to over a hundred, all concealed behind rocks.
Over a dozen groups of Liao lay in wait around this single valley, easily numbering over a thousand in total!
A unit of Western Jin soldiers in pristine armor appeared, advancing in a single-file serpent formation at a brisk trot along the flat valley floor. Once through this valley, they would be less than thirty li from a treasure vault.
This force wore bright crimson armor accented with yellow trim—resplendent, sharp, and exceedingly conspicuous. Their fluttering main banner bore the character "Fu" written large.
A few subtle glances darted toward Prince Fu before swiftly looking away. Though Prince Fu appeared composed, the color had drained from his small lips, and his hands gripped his sleeves tightly.
Amidst a rumbling crash, several massive boulders tumbled down, severing the column in the valley into front and rear sections while sealing the valley's exit. Countless Liao warriors appeared along the heights on both sides, heaving rocks downward that sent soldiers and horses sprawling in catastrophic disarray.
Several officers under Prince Fu bellowed and charged toward the slopes, attempting to storm the high ground. Yet several Liao stepped forward, each clearly possessing mid-to-late Dao Foundation cultivation, and moved to intercept them, cutting off any ascent.
Seeing his subordinates slaughtered, the leading vice-general grew frantic. He drew the saber at his waist, and an arc of saber aura erupted toward the heavens, surging dozens of paces upward! The blade possessed the terrifying might of the late dharma idol realm!
A few discreet glances drifted toward Prince Fu once more. Seeing the boy's face flush with excitement as he bit his lower lip fiercely, the onlookers shook their heads in silent pity: he was nothing more than a spoiled child.
Had the Dao Foundation realm been capable of wielding True Monarch artifacts, his backers would likely have handed him one or two of those as well.
Prince Wei's eyes held open disdain, his face practically spelling out the word "cheater." The Crown Prince, by contrast, remained dull and wooden, showing not the slightest ripple of emotion.
Inside the hunting grounds, the emergence of the saber light triggered immediate suppression from the ambient arrays. The beam shrank until barely ten paces remained, forced down from late dharma idol to early dharma idol strength. Even so, the weapon possessed tremendous power; a single sweeping arc sheared more than ten Liao warriors clean in two!
Suddenly, an otherwise unremarkable Liao man spiked his aura, climbing until he reached the peak of the late Dao Foundation realm, and barred the vice-general's path. In his hands was only a rusted iron spear that could not bear the slightest touch of the saber light, yet his spear technique was peerlessly exquisite, allowing him to bind the vice-general in a relentless struggle.
Having exhausted their stones, the Liao warriors charged down into the valley with roaring fury.
Prince Fu's soldiers, though tall, handsome, and splendidly equipped, were largely terrified out of their wits; many dropped to their knees to plead for mercy. The Liao showed no hesitation, raising their blades and severing heads with ruthless efficiency.
Prince Fu turned deathly pale, and the tears that had been welling in his eyes finally spilled over.
A moment later, pierced by over a dozen crossbow bolts, the vice-general collapsed to his knees, dead. The bolts had been carried by his own soldiers, only to be scavenged by the Liao and turned against him.
The spear-wielding Liao warrior was bleeding from several wounds, but paying them no heed, he stepped forward and picked up the dharma idol-grade saber. He slashed open his own chest and drenched the blade in steaming blood. The radiance upon the weapon flickered several times before finally settling.
The Liao warrior gave the blade a sweep, unleashing several yards of blood-colored saber light—he had successfully subdued the weapon.
Though the power of the blood-colored blade light had diminished further, it still brushed against the threshold of the dharma idol realm.
A murmur of disbelief rippled through the hall. The Liao, who were meant to be hunted like sheep and pigs, now possessed a dharma idol-grade saber?
With Prince Fu's vice-general slain, all five hundred soldiers had been wiped out. The Liao swiftly stripped the corpses of their armor and donned it themselves. In the blink of an eye, nearly half the Liao were dressed as Prince Fu's troops, while several chieftains disguised themselves as Western Jin officers.
After a brief conference, the chieftains dispatched a dozen mounted scouts to gather intelligence on the surrounding area. The remaining Liao disguised themselves as captives and were marched out of the valley under the armed escort of their own disguised kin.
They had advanced less than three li when another army appeared ahead, barring their path—troops belonging to the Crown Prince.
The commanding officer spotted the hundreds of Liao prisoners and wore a look of naked greed. He trotted his horse forward and called out, "Is that Prince Fu's unit? Heh, it's only a hunt, how did you end up in such a sorry state? And what's the point of dragging all these prisoners along? How about I relieve you of a few..."
Before he could finish, a flash of blood-red saber light swept across, and his head flew high into the air!
Chapter 319