Despite the Mu He clan losing its pillar of strength, the Great Xia royal family’s hunting festival still proceeded in an orderly manner.

Zhenhuang was located on the Red River Plain, where the Chishui region had crisscrossing waterways as far as the eye could see. The vast plain stretched for a hundred li, truly an excellent place for hunting and horseback riding. Under the stars and moon, bonfires dotted the extensive snow plain, illuminating the sprawling campsite with a fiery glow. The weather was favorable, with no wind or snow tonight and rising temperatures. Tens of thousands of Great Xia nobles scattered across the hunting grounds, roasting meat, racing horses, practicing archery, comparing knife skills, drinking, and dancing—creating an extraordinarily lively atmosphere. The sounds that reached one’s ears were the long, drawn-out melodies of Xia region and the sound of grass zithers, while one’s nose caught the pervasive fragrance of prepared wild game.

Chu Qiao wore a snow-white fur coat with white boots, riding on a warhorse. Her long hair was simply tied up, and she wore a sable hat, exposing only her delicate face. Her eyes, in the brilliant lamplight of the night, resembled dazzling stars—bright and captivating.

Yan Xun turned his head, his gaze softly scanning Chu Qiao, then smiled and said, “A Chu has grown up too.”

The young woman raised an eyebrow, frowning as she looked toward Yan Xun. “How much older are you than me? Stop acting like an old man in front of me.”

Hearing this, Yan Xun laughed heartily. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of rapidly approaching hooves suddenly came. Looking up, they saw Zhao Song in a pine-green brocade cloak, galloping over like lightning, shouting as he ran, “A Chu! A Chu!”

Yan Xun frowned, his voice carrying a hint of irritation: “How dare he call you that?”

Chu Qiao snorted lightly, “He learned it from you.”

Zhao Song, bringing more than twenty servants, rushed over like a gust of wind, smiling as he approached: “You’re both here too.”

“It’s the bonfire banquet; everyone is here.”

Yan Xun’s voice was still gentle, but his tone carried an aloofness that kept people at a thousand-li distance. Chu Qiao turned her head toward him in confusion, her brows slightly furrowed. Fortunately, Zhao Song didn’t notice anything and eagerly looked Chu Qiao up and down, saying, “A Chu, why aren’t you wearing the snow coat I sent you? Isn’t it warm enough?”

Chu Qiao nodded, smiling warmly, “It’s very warm. I just thought tonight wasn’t too cold, so I didn’t wear it.”

“Oh,” Zhao Song suddenly understood, nodding repeatedly, and praising, “But you look good in this fur coat too.”

“I heard from A Jing that there’s horse racing and archery below. Why isn’t the Thirteenth Prince down there enjoying the excitement?”

Yan Xun suddenly spoke up. Zhao Song was taken aback, his face immediately reddening. How could he say that he had hurriedly left the competition and rushed up after seeing Chu Qiao? After stammering for a while, he said, “Those… aren’t that interesting. I’m tired of them. I’d rather stand here and look at the beautiful, ice-bound landscape, so I came up to rest.”

“Is that so?” Yan Xun suddenly smiled, “What a coincidence. We were just about to go down to join the fun. We originally wanted to invite the Thirteenth Prince to join us, but now it seems we won’t have that opportunity.”

“What?” Zhao Song was stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief. He stammered to Chu Qiao, “You’re going down too?”

Chu Qiao was inwardly annoyed and secretly tugged at Yan Xun’s sleeve under her own. Unexpectedly, the man grasped her hand firmly in return, holding the reins with his other hand, smiling as he said, “In that case, we won’t disturb the Thirteenth Prince’s peace.”

With that, he pulled Chu Qiao away, spurring their horses forward.

“Hey! Hey!” Zhao Song shouted twice from behind, but could only watch as the two sped away, leaving him in the dust.

“What are you doing?” As soon as they dismounted, Chu Qiao shook off Yan Xun’s hand and angrily demanded.

Yan Xun said nothing, just looking at her with his lips pursed, appearing somewhat triumphantly delighted. As Chu Qiao watched him, her anger gradually subsided.

Never mind, it had been a long time since he had been so childishly happy.

The girl sighed, resignedly following behind him.

Just then, the clear sound of hoofbeats rang out again. Both Chu Qiao and Yan Xun were startled and turned their heads simultaneously. They saw Zhao Song running up from a distance with a group of people, feigning surprise as he said, “Oh my, you’re here too? It’s windy up there, so I thought I’d come down to warm myself by the fire. Since we’ve met, let’s walk together.”

Even with Yan Xun’s good manners, his face still darkened. Chu Qiao even burst out laughing.

Zhao Song knew his excuse was too far-fetched. After a couple of awkward chuckles, he ran up and acted as a guide for the two.

The vast campsite was now filled with laughter and merriment. Bonfires were everywhere, and the aroma of meat permeated the air. The three walked among the crowd, followed by several attendants, not standing out particularly.

Suddenly, they heard a commotion in the distance. Upon approaching, they saw more than twenty burly men with their upper bodies bare, wrestling in the snow, shouting as they grappled. A young woman in a fire-red riding outfit and red fur coat sat on horseback, her face charming and her figure graceful. Three swift arrows left her bow in succession, all hitting the bullseye a hundred meters away.

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause. The young woman put down her bow, looking around proudly. Suddenly, she leaped from her horse like a cannonball, stepping on the shoulder of a big man, unfurling her whip, and lashing it across the backs of other men, laughing loudly, “I’m on his team. All of you, come at once!”

“Zha Ma?” Chu Qiao’s brows immediately furrowed tightly as she turned to look at Yan Xun.

Years of tacit understanding made Yan Xun quickly grasp what she was concerned about. He nodded, and they both turned to leave.

“Stop right there!”

A sharp female voice suddenly came from above! The red shadow of a whip darted like a spirit snake, flashing before their eyes in an instant. Chu Qiao moved swiftly, firmly grasping the whip and wrapping it around her arm with a few reverse movements, both ends simultaneously applying force, pulling the slender whip straight!

“Just arrived and already planning to leave? Young Master Yan, are you a turtle?”

The young woman leaped to the ground, and the crowd immediately cleared a path. The heirs of various clans couldn’t help but secretly gloat, excitedly laughing loudly at the spectacle. The Northwestern Batuha clan and the Yan clan from Yan Bei had always been enemies. This young woman was old Batu’s most beloved daughter, whose status in the northwest was even higher than that of Zha Lu, the heir. She had always been domineering and overbearing. Now that she was confronting the Yan Bei heir whose family was destroyed, who knew what sparks would fly?

“Zha Ma,” Yan Xun turned around, his expression calm, his tone peaceful as he said, “It’s been a long time.”

“Indeed,” Zha Ma smiled smugly. “Since the Yan Bei line was exterminated, I haven’t seen you again. I heard you’ve been hiding in the Sacred Gold Palace in the capital, never venturing out. I thought I’d never have the chance to see Young Master Yan again in this lifetime. Today is truly heaven-sent, allowing me to see the descendant of the once-mighty Yan family of the northern frontier.”

“Zha Ma! Watch your words!” Zhao Song suddenly stepped forward, saying sternly, “In public, for a girl to speak so harshly—is this how old Batu taught you?”

“How my father teaches me is none of your business! Don’t think you can shout at me just because the Wei faction is backing you!”

“Sister, is someone bullying you?” A robust voice suddenly sounded from behind. Zha Lu strode forward, like a small mountain. It was truly hard to believe that he and Zha Ma were born to the same mother.

“No,” Zha Ma said loudly, “They couldn’t bully me even if they tried.”

“You…”

“Thirteenth Prince, don’t bother with them. Let’s go.” Yan Xun placed his hand on the furious Zhao Song, his eyes calm, his face expressionless as he spoke slowly, turning to leave.

“Want to leave?” Zha Ma suddenly sneered, shouting harshly, “Only if my arrow agrees!”

In an instant, a huge collective gasp rose. Zha Ma twisted her slender waist, drew her bow, and nocked an arrow. The arrow shot forth like a meteor, directly toward Yan Xun’s heart!

In that split second, the young woman who had been by Yan Xun’s side spun around like a whirlwind. Her enormous white fur coat danced in the wind, her hand reaching out like a phantom, her five fingers forming a net, seizing the tail of the sharp arrow, and throwing it back. Her movements were swift and formidable, clean and efficient, without any hesitation. With a crisp crack, the arrow firmly embedded itself in Zha Ma’s bow, instantly shattering the iron-wood longbow into two pieces that fell to the ground.

Everyone was shocked, and the field fell into a deathly silence, without a single sound.

A gust of wind suddenly rose from the ground. The young woman’s eyes were jet black, her skin snow-white, her eyes utterly devoid of warmth as she looked at the dumbfounded princess of the northwest. Her tone was light, yet clear enough for everyone in the field to hear what she was saying.

Chu Qiao gave her a cold look, then turned around. Her voice drifted through the air with the cold north wind, leaving only four indifferent syllables: “Courting death.”

“You, you stop right there!” Zha Ma was furious and was about to chase after her.

“Sister,” Zha Lu embraced Zha Ma, saying in a deep voice, “The banquet is starting. We’ll settle this account later.”

In the distance, the lights were brilliant. The first grand feast of the Great Xia spring hunt had finally begun.