Qin Yining’s horse was a tall yellow steed. A quiver hung from the saddle containing thirty arrows, and her bow was the same half-stone bow that A’na Ri used.

Hunting was no difficulty for Qin Yining. In her early years living on the mountain, she had relied on hunting to survive. Initially, she would set traps and snares to catch small animals, and could also identify medicinal herbs and wild vegetables. When she grew older, she would go to the market at the foot of the mountain to sell mushrooms and herbs for a little money. Learning that people also bought pelts, she learned some hunting skills and knowledge from various hunters.

Although she had lived three years without worry about food and clothing, skills once learned were never forgotten. However, shooting arrows while riding a horse was quite difficult – it would be much easier if she were standing on the ground.

But Qin Yining didn’t want to perform too well. Her very presence had already made A’na Ri fall into a vat of vinegar. If she also displayed hunting talent, A’na Ri might die of anger. She held her bow merely for self-protection.

Clearly Lu Heng thought the same way. He too only held his bow, controlling the reins with one hand while staying beside Qin Yining.

All the way out of the great capital, they entered vast, boundless grassland.

In October weather, the grass had turned yellow with frost on top, with occasional patches of neat but sparse pine forests. The sky was full of clouds that pressed against distant mountaintops, forming light mist, making even breathing feel especially humid.

The group galloped for a full half hour before arriving at the base of a great mountain. This mountain was mostly covered with pine and cypress trees unique to northern cold regions, and compared to the sparse woods they had passed on the way, the trees here appeared particularly tall.

A’na Ri waved her hand, and everyone stopped.

“We’ll hunt here! Let’s compete to see who gets the most prey!”

“Yes!”

Everyone, including the guards who had ridden over and the slaves who had been driven to run breathlessly all the way, followed A’na Ri into the forest, dispersing into several teams and moving stealthily.

Qin Yining and Lu Heng both naturally walked beside Si Qin.

Seeing Qin Yining “shamelessly” staying close to Si Qin, A’na Ri flushed with anger. She wasn’t eager to hunt her own prey, but instead also followed beside Si Qin.

Qin Yining quietly observed the surrounding terrain without making any moves.

A’na Ri, as if showing off, sometimes shot a wild pheasant, sometimes pursued rabbit tracks.

After moving through the pine forest for a while, A’na Ri grew bored. “Bad luck today – only caught these few things. Why don’t we ride out and look around?”

Si Qin was originally just trying to make A’na Ri happy, so naturally he agreed to whatever she said. He whistled to call everyone to exit the pine forest, return to where the slaves were guarding the horses, mount their steeds again, and resume searching on the grassland.

Rounding a gentle slope, what came into view was actually a herd of wild yellow sheep.

A’na Ri became interested and spurred her horse to lead the charge. The yellow sheep raised their heads in alarm, then fled in panic after seeing the approaching people.

A’na Ri loved this feeling of pursuit, leading the chase with shouts and calls. But just as everyone chased over a hillside, the sheep herd that had been fleeing ahead suddenly became even more panicked and scattered in all directions.

“It’s a wolf pack! Khan, it’s a wolf pack!”

The men shouted.

A’na Ri said excitedly, “Perfect! I was just finding hunting sheep boring. Let’s catch a few wolves to play with!”

A’na Ri thought for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. She reined in her horse and stood on high ground watching the sheep being chased and scattered by wolves. Smiling at Qin Yining, she said, “I’ve long heard that Great Zhou’s Prince Zhongshun is very brave – he’s Great Zhou’s war god prince. Even his consort is a heroine among women, a rare talent. The Princess Consort must have learned much from Prince Zhongshun. Why don’t you go down and show us your skills?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Heng’s expression changed dramatically. Before Qin Yining could speak, he moved to block her, saying in a deep voice:

“Khan, please withdraw this order! Our Great Zhou has different customs from your country – women don’t typically learn archery and martial arts. The Princess Consort comes from a distinguished family background. How could she fight wild wolves? Not to mention the Princess Consort – even your country’s men might not be able to handle a wolf pack. For the Khan to give such an order inevitably has the suspicion of deliberate murder.”

A’na Ri was indeed planning deliberate murder! Anyone with eyes could see it.

But she wanted to do exactly that! This was on Tatar soil, she was the ruler of this country, so whatever she said was law. Whoever she wanted to live would live, whoever she wanted to die had to die!

Seeing Lu Heng so nervously jumping out again to help Qin Yining, A’na Ri felt displeased and laughed coldly in a shrill voice: “It’s you again! Surnamed Lu, what’s your relationship with Prince Zhongshun’s consort? Why do you always butt in whenever there’s something involving her?”

At this point, A’na Ri deliberately raised her voice as if very surprised: “Oh my, you two couldn’t have that kind of relationship, could you? Surnamed Qin, you really have some nerve – daring to openly flirt with other men in public. You have no shame, but your husband still needs his face!”

Qin Yining gripped her bow so tightly that her fists and knuckles turned white.

A’na Ri had repeatedly slandered and provoked her – she really couldn’t bear it anymore.

Qin Yining suddenly smoothly drew two arrows, stepped forward two paces, nocked her bow and aimed, drawing the half-stone bow to a full moon.

Down the slope, the yellow sheep herd was scattered in chaos by the wolf pack.

Wild wolves were extremely intelligent and very disciplined. They chased the sheep and killed only a few. An extremely robust adult gray alpha wolf howled several times, and the other wolves began cooperating, apparently trying to drive the entire sheep herd in one direction.

Qin Yining’s sharp arrowhead pointed directly at the alpha wolf. After steadying her mind and taking aim, she shot an arrow with a “whoosh.”

With keen wolf instincts, it immediately sensed danger and leaped in place trying to dodge, but Qin Yining’s arrow had already arrived, striking its hind leg.

The alpha wolf howled “awoo” and limped a few steps, then its fierce gaze followed the arrow’s direction. Seeing Qin Yining with her bow drawn and arrow nocked, it immediately bared its fangs viciously and barked several times.

But Qin Yining’s second arrow had already arrived, striking the alpha wolf again and sending the fierce male wolf tumbling to the ground, blood flowing onto the grass.

“Excellent!”

“Great archery!”

Lu Heng and Si Qin simultaneously called out in praise. Even the accompanying guards and slaves couldn’t help but look at Qin Yining with searching gazes, never expecting that such a delicate beauty, like a jade carving, could bring down the alpha wolf with just two arrows.

A’na Ri flushed red with anger. She had only wanted Qin Yining to preferably lose her life feeding the wolves. She had intended to make her go down and fight the wolf pack alone, but who knew she would be so cunning!

“Khan,” Qin Yining smiled, “the alpha wolf is wounded. Please have them open a gap to let the remaining wolves leave.”

“Who do you think you are to command me? I insist on killing these wolves – not one can be spared! You!”

A’na Ri pointed through gritted teeth at a group of slaves behind them, coldly indicating the wolf pack: “Go! Capture all the wolves alive for me!”

Hearing this, Qin Yining’s willow eyebrows stood on end in anger as she scolded: “What does the Khan take her subjects for? Livestock to be driven at will? Look at these people – there are elderly, weak, women and children among them. How can you have the heart to make them capture wild wolves alive? You’re sending them to their deaths!”

A’na Ri flew into a rage, glaring at Qin Yining with furious eyes, then waved her hand at the guards and attendants beside her.

These people immediately understood, took their horse whips and charged into the group of slaves, driving them toward the wolf pack. Several who refused to go obediently were killed on the spot.

The slaves’ cries and screams were filled with despair. They could only rush down with their eyes closed under the guards’ driving, as if to end such a miserable and hopeless life.

Among the wolf pack that had lost its alpha, another wolf had already taken the former leader’s position. They seemed eager to avenge their alpha wolf. Seeing so many people charging over, they showed no fear and ignored the yellow sheep herd completely, howling as they rushed toward the slaves.

The slaves were all unarmed, and from daily labor on insufficient food, every one of them – regardless of their former noble status or the distinguished treatment they had enjoyed – was now skin and bones. Combined with having run on foot behind the horse team all the way here, their stamina had long reached its limit.

Under the angry wolves’ attack, people soon began falling, frightening the yellow sheep herd into bleating as they fled.

Qin Yining watched with eyes about to split from rage: “Khan! Please withdraw your order! Doesn’t the Khan want to accumulate virtue? Harming the people like this – aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”

“Divine retribution? That I can sit in this position is heaven’s will – how could there be any divine retribution? Even if there were, I wouldn’t care! Look for yourself – are those people dying unjustly? Not unjust at all! So many people can’t even handle wolves – how could they serve under me? They’re just lowly slaves who don’t deserve to serve me! They deserve to die!”

Qin Yining gritted her teeth in anger and cursed: “You should let all the Tatar people hear this – you as Khan, do you only want to learn from King Zhou and enjoy life without caring whether others live or die?”

“Shut up!” A’na Ri angrily raised her hand and lashed out with her whip, aiming straight for Qin Yining’s face.

Qin Yining reacted quickly – seeing A’na Ri raise her hand, she had already wanted to dodge. But her health had been poor recently, her energy insufficient. Though she wanted to dodge, her body wouldn’t obey her commands and she nearly fell.

Seeing the whip flying toward her, Lu Heng couldn’t care about anything else and grabbed the whip’s tip.

“Khan, please calm down!”

Lu Heng was born into wealth and came from the main branch of the Lu family. Having been in business for so long, he thought he had seen all kinds of people, but never expected to now see someone so heartless they didn’t seem human.

One end of A’na Ri’s whip was tightly gripped by Lu Heng. She pulled hard twice, but Lu Heng showed no intention of letting go.

At this time, more slaves were being torn and bitten by the wolf pack, with screams and crying incessant.

A’na Ri had wanted to tell Qin Yining that on her territory, disobedience only had this one outcome. She had even wanted Qin Yining to become wolf food directly.

But she never imagined that at the crucial moment, Lu Heng would dare to stand out and openly oppose her.