Chapter 49

Unedited

Having come to this point, it was difficult for Shen Fengyue to back down. He could only smile on the surface while feeling annoyed in his heart as he went to change clothes.

The process of a woman dressing up was extensive and time-consuming, and Shen Fengyue was forced to do the same as a man disguised as a woman. When he entered the tent, Concubine Zhang and others were waiting outside, determined to monitor him to prevent him from running away.

Concubine Zhang said, “Your Majesty, you can dress up carefully, this concubine can wait.”

Shen Fengyue replied, “…” Bah!

After taking his time to familiarize himself with the clothes, the beauty in the tent, pulled back the curtain, before Hong Mei and others walked out. Concubine Zhang’s mocking expression was in place, some words were already brewing in her heart ready to come out, but the words got stuck when she saw Shen Fengyue.

The woman wore a bandana and her black hair was tied up high, leaving a ponytail decorated with two or three long white feathers. Her elegant face was free of makeup, with all the hairpins removed, and she wore a fiery red riding outfit that burned brightly, making her stunning and captivating, almost too dazzling to look at directly.

Shen Fengyue, although dressed like a woman, exuded a masculinity unique to men, looking dashing and heroic. 

“What do you think?” he asked, raising an eyebrow like a proud peacock.

Concubine Zhang’s eyes were suddenly cleared of the haze of beauty as she responded, “Your Majesty looks very handsome in that outfit. It’s only after seeing you that I understand the saying ‘women can match men in literary grace and men can rival women in beauty.’ Isn’t that right, Eunuch Shen?”

“Concubine Zhang speaks the truth,” replied Eunuch Shen, taking the opportunity to chime in. He glanced at Shen Fengyue and said, “Imperial Concubine really looks like a handsome man rather than a delicate woman, in this outfit.”

Shen Fengyue, “…” He felt that there was more to what this guy was saying.

A guard brought over a mare, which appeared docile and friendly. However, Shen Fengyue did not know how to ride and was worried about falling off. Just as he was about to grab the guard’s hand to climb up, the guard took a step back.

“?”

Seeing this Eunuch Shen stepped forward and explained, “Your Majesty, ordinary guards are not qualified to touch your noble self. Let this servant help you instead.” He held out his arm, indicating for Shen Fengyue to hold on and get on the horse.

“…” Shen Fengyue reluctantly grabbed his forearm and climbed onto the saddle, giving him a bad look in the end.

Eunuch Shen bowed his head, looking humble and respectful. However, he still felt that this person had a streak of provocation and disobedience in him.

Shen Fengyue stared at him for a while, but he didn’t see him raise his head. The moment he retracted his eyes, he accidentally caught a glimpse of the arc on the other’s lips.

Was he smiling?

When he looked back again, there was no trace of it, as if what he saw just now was an illusion.

“Your Majesty, I will go ahead first,” Concubine Zhang greeted him and led a group of people in one direction.

Shen Fengyue also set off with a group of guards and a eunuch. Except for the eunuch, who walked due to his status, the rest rode horses. However, to accommodate Shen Fengyue, the speed of the team was slow, and Eunuch Shen followed without much effort.

A small white rabbit appeared ahead, seemingly unaware of the impending danger, still happily lying on the ground nibbling grass.

Shen Fengyue waved his hand, and the team immediately stopped, waiting quietly for him to hunt.

Shen Fengyue grabbed an arrow from the quiver on his back, placed it on the bowstring, and aimed at the small white rabbit nearby.

With a swoosh, the arrow attacked the small white rabbit, but its two slender ears moved, and it suddenly jumped to the side, avoiding the fierce arrow, and continued to nibble on grass.

One arrow missed, and Shen Fengyue didn’t believe in evil. He pulled out three more arrows from his quiver and fired them in succession.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh, all three missed perfectly. After dodging four deadly arrows with its nimble movements, the small white rabbit looked up at the foolish human who tried to shoot it, turned around, and quickly ran away with a hop.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The team was silent, and the air seemed to solidify into substance. No one dared to speak. The Imperial Concubine’s face was ugly as if she would explode in anger.

The guards cherished their lives and dared not speak, but there was someone who feared nothing.

“Hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hahaha, hiccup!” The system’s laughter sounded crazy in Shen Fengyue’s ear.

Shen Fengyue heard that it just hiccuped at the end, “Did you just laugh until you hiccuped?”

System, “No, no, hahaha, you really cracked me up. Blindly shooting, missing every time. The Southwest’s Divine Archery is truly exceptional!” After speaking, it opened another bottle of wine and gulped it down.

Shen Fengyue’s face grew even darker, and he seemed to be on the verge of exploding in anger. 

The guards were all astute individuals with a strong desire to live. Before the Imperial Concubine could erupt in anger, one of them quickly said, “Your Majesty, there aren’t many preys in this area. It might be difficult for you to showcase your skills. Shall we go and drive some prey towards you?”

Shen Fengyue nodded in agreement, feeling that the fewer people around, the better. He ordered everyone to leave.

The few guards signaled each other with their eyes, understanding each other’s meaning, and rode off on horses to fabricate some prey for the Imperial concubine to hunt.

Only Eunuch Shen remained, and Shen Fengyue felt a headache coming on when he saw him. “Why haven’t you left yet?” he asked.

Eunuch Shen shook his head and honestly replied, “There should be someone to serve Your Imperial Majesty. Besides, it may not be safe to leave Your Imperial Majesty alone. This servant stayed for the sake of Your Imperial Majesty’s safety.”

Hearing this, Shen Fengyue swept his eyes up and down on him. Eunuch Shen habitually bowed and lowered his head, looking particularly servile.

Shen Fengyue thought, What use is this weakling who looks like he doesn’t even have two ounces of strength on him? However, he still agreed to let him stay. He looked at Eunuch Shen still standing on the ground and pointed to the remaining horse next to him, saying, “Come up, there’s no one else here, and it’s tiring to stand like that.”

Eunuch Shen did not refuse and quickly got on the horse. He deliberately drove the horse closer to Shen Fengyue and asked with a smile, “Is the Imperial Concubine showing concern for this servant?”

Shen Fengyue sighed and turned his face away. “We are like fleas on the same rope now, and I…” Before he could finish his sentence, Eunuch Shen interrupted him and smiled, “Your Majesty is beautiful and kind-hearted, I am grateful for her concern.”

“…”

Shen Fengyue was momentarily speechless, feeling a strange sensation in his heart. He didn’t know how to respond and it took him a while to finally blurt out, “Impudent.”

Seeing that he had annoyed the other person, Eunuch Shen stopped teasing for a while. He followed Shen Fengyue at a slow pace, and after watching him miss several shots, he couldn’t help but speak up.

He sighed and successfully attracted Shen Fengyue’s impatient gaze, then said, “Your Majesty is perfect in every way, except that your archery skills are not very good.”

This only fueled Shen Fengyue’s anger. “So, you’re better at it?”

“This servant is not a master, but has some knowledge.” Eunuch Shen raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “Does the Imperial concubine know the key points of archery?”

Shen Fengyue didn’t say anything, just crossed his hands and looked at him with a displeased expression.

“The hand must be stable, the shoulder must be straight, exert force from the dantian, clamp the saddle tightly with both legs, and the whole body should be in a straight line. After pulling the bow to a full moon shape, release the bowstring smoothly by lightly releasing the fingers.” He demonstrated as he spoke.

Shen Fengyue frowned and scolded, “Bold!”

But Eunuch Shen still demonstrated the correct posture and corrected his stance.

“Concubine, look!” Shen Fengyue heard a voice in his ear and suddenly his body was forcefully turned to a certain angle, with an arrow pointing at a familiar little white rabbit.

“Your Majesty, that little thing won’t be able to escape from your grasp.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the arrow shot straight toward the target. The little rabbit tried to dodge like before, but it was too late, and the arrow pierced through its body.

With a sharp scream, the rabbit fell to the ground and couldn’t get up.

Eunuch Shen dismounted and went to pick up the prey, holding it up to show Shen Fengyue. “This is what you hit, Your Majesty.”

Shen Fengyue was still stunned and couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t until he saw the prey in front of him that he snapped out of it, his eyes full of joy, his spirits soaring, and his mouth curved into a smile that revealed his white and neat teeth.

It was the first time today that he had smiled from the bottom of his heart.

Eunuch Shen put the little rabbit into a special storage box and continued to follow Shen Fengyue forward.

Shen Fengyue was still immersed in the joy of hitting the rabbit and couldn’t help but smile all the way. While passing by a big tree, Eunuch Shen noticed a hidden shadow guard in the dense branches and leaves. The shadow guard met his gaze, understood his intention, nodded to show compliance, and withdrew.

“Your Majesty, it seems like all the prey in this area has been scared away. There’s a place I know where there is plenty of prey and it’ll be easy to hunt. What do you think?” He called out to Shen Fengyue, who was in front.

“Okay.”

The weather changed rapidly and not long after, the clouds in the sky became denser and darker, with signs that it was about to rain.

“Looks like it’s going to rain soon. It’s slippery to walk on the mountain road when it rains, so let’s just hunt one or two and call it a day,” Shen Fengyue said, looking up at the sky.

Eunuch Shen agreed.

Just as Shen Fengyue lifted his bow and aimed at a deer standing behind a tree, his pupils suddenly dilated the next moment. His hand trembled and the arrow missed its mark, startling the deer away.

After the deer ran away, a creature behind it was revealed. It looked like a dog, with a pointed snout, upright ears, grayish-yellow fur, and a pair of brown-yellow eyes staring straight at him, revealing sharp fangs outside its mouth.

-It was a wolf.

“System!”

“What?” The system was slightly intoxicated and was startled by the sight. “Oh my goodness, what is this thing?!”

“Your Majesty, how can there be a wolf here?” Eunuch Shen was also shocked.

“Don’t panic.” After a brief moment of surprise, Shen Fengyue quickly regained his composure. His extraordinary calmness caused Eunuch Shen to feel suspicious.

Shen Fengyue was still communicating with the system.

System, “Don’t panic, it’s just a small wolf. I will give you a boost, let’s take it down!”

Shen Fengyue nodded, pulled out an arrow from the quiver, dismounted, and walked toward the wolf.

“Your Majesty!” Eunuch Shen also dismounted and pretended to call out anxiously, but his footing was as steady as a rock and his mind filled with doubts.

Why is the Imperial Concubine rushing forward recklessly and seeking death?

With the boost from the system, Shen Fengyue felt an unlimited amount of strength surging through his body, as if he could fly. He walked confidently toward the wolf, making it somewhat afraid of him.

“Don’t panic, look straight into its eyes, and don’t let it see your next move.”

“Don’t turn your back on it, in nature, doing so is equivalent to showing yourself as prey.”

“Don’t run away or let it see that you want to run away, just slowly back away. In nature, some animals indicate their intention to attack when they back off, and all beasts know this. If it follows you, stop backing away immediately.”

“Wolves are also afraid…@#$%^&*$%” The system was explaining to Shen Fengyue, but halfway through the explanation, it got stuck, and then there was a series of garbled codes.

“System, what’s wrong with you?!” Shen Fengyue asked.

The system said intermittently, “Oh no… it’s bad, I drank too much, I’m going offline first…$#%@^&*” After speaking, the system went offline.

At that moment, Shen Fengyue had already walked a few steps away from the wolf. Upon hearing the system’s words, he suddenly felt an endless stream of profanity in his mind.

Meanwhile, two or three more wolves came from behind.

Shen Fengyue, “!!!”

Shen Fengyue and the four wolves locked eyes, his throat choked up.

“System, I’m going to hit you!! Can you hear me?! I’m going to hit you, damn it! I told you not to drink, drinking hurts your body and causes problems! You don’t listen! I’m going to hit you! You come here!!!!”