Da Wei Dynasty Dingzhou, Yongtong County.
Twenty miles west of the Prefecture City lies a lush hunting ground, the fief of Marquis Wulong of Wei Country.
A deer, panicked and fleeing through the underbrush, is chased by dozens of brightly-clad riders shouting and urging their mounts. Among them, a young warrior rides forward, and in the blink of an eye, gets within thirty paces. With a shout, he suddenly draws his bow and nocks an arrow, easily pulling the Four-stone strong bow to a full draw.
With a "buzz," the bowstring twangs, and a sharp arrow flies out, striking the deer’s chest and abdomen squarely. With a mournful cry, the enormous force instantly pins it to the ground.
The surrounding riders cheer in admiration, with someone praising, "The Young Marquis’ archery has improved considerably again."
The young warrior, referred to as "Young Marquis," has a straight nose and strong jaw, with thick eyebrows. He holds a decorative gold and red lacquered bow, and rides a magnificent white horse, looking very heroic. Although slightly flushed with excitement from the praise of his trusted aides, there is no trace of arrogance on his face.
Having hunted this deer, he still seems unsatisfied. He spurs his horse, appearing to aim for the depths of the wilderness ahead. A man dressed as a house steward hastily steps forward to stop him, clasping his fists and saying, "Young Marquis mustn’t go further."
The young warrior furrows his brow, displeased, "Why not?"
The steward replies gravely, "I heard that strange lights have been flashing on the mountain recently; something unclean might have emerged. How could the Young Marquis risk so much?"
The young warrior laughs heartily, raising his whip and pointing at a young Daoist in a Daoist robe beside him, "What is there to fear with Daoist Wang by our side? He is a top disciple of Immortal Master Bai Yue and specializes in capturing such demons."
The young Daoist chuckles at those words, and although he tries to maintain a disinterested demeanor, his eyes still reveal a hint of vanity from the Young Marquis’ praise.
The steward wants to say more, but a gallop of hooves rushes from afar, and soon another team of riders appears like a whirlwind, arriving swiftly.
This group is comprised entirely of women in bright red cloaks. At the forefront, a beautiful woman dressed in a warrior’s outfit exudes vigor, riding with a bow and sword like a man, fully displaying a bold demeanor.
As soon as the beautiful woman appears, the young Daoist’s eyes light up, with his eyes scurrying back and forth over her waist and hips.
The young warrior laughs, "Why is the Commandery Princess only arriving now? I’ve just hunted another deer, and as dusk falls, you might lose. The residence by the Luo River will ultimately be mine."
The woman bites her silver teeth, unconvinced, "Yue Shaoting, this Commandery Princess doesn’t believe she can’t surpass you!"
She turns her head, glaring fiercely at the young Daoist, then, with a crisp shout, flips her bridle with a deft hand, turns her horse’s head, and with a crack of the whip, her mount gallops off toward the forest ahead. Her entourage follows behind with clattering hooves.
After a while, seeing no one behind, a female guard rides up to the Commandery Princess and says, "Commandery Princess, that Daoist seemed to have ill intentions, be cautious of those mind-confounding evil spells."
The woman scorns, "Not to mention my fourth sister’s backing by the Beichen Immortal Sect, she also has a Sacrifice from the Mingcang Sect, who are we to fear?"
She vaguely knows that her fourth sister had secured a Sacrifice a year ago, a person seemingly of considerable status in the Mingcang Sect Lower Court. Usually, cultivators dare not provoke her. Even those brothers, who were once distant and cold, have become closer. That Daoist is just a Wild Daoist Yue Shaoting found somewhere, why would she care?
While they search for traces of prey, elsewhere, Young Marquis Yue Shaoting is somewhat worried, "Daoist Wang, will the Commandery Princess not encounter some demon? If something happens to her here, I also cannot escape responsibility."
The young Daoist pats his chest and says, "Rest assured Young Marquis, I have cleared out blood-scented creatures within ten miles, ensuring Princess Cao will not suffer the slightest grievance."
Just then, a bell at his waist suddenly rings. He utters a surprised "Oh," picks it up and looks, saying, "Blood energy is pure yet faint, looks like a hunter might have entered from the southeast."
Yue Shaoting sneers coldly, "This is the hunting ground of my Marquis Wulong Mansion, how can commoners be allowed to hunt here? Guards, let’s go forward and arrest them for punishment."
The young Daoist rolls his eyes, raises a hand to stop, and shouts, "Wait, Young Marquis, my master recently bestowed a Dharma Treasure, these people could serve as blood food for the Dharma Treasure."