The eastern outskirts of Chaoge.
Two youths in brocade came galloping over after leaving the city gates, thirty guards with sabers at their waists following behind them.
The guards were all brimming with vigorous blood and qi, their formation neat and not the least bit disordered as they ran; clearly, they had received specialized training.
Before long, they arrived at the woods in the eastern outskirts outside the city.
The group had not gone far into the woods when they saw seven or eight sturdy men ahead, dressed as hunters, bows and arrows on their backs and iron forks in their hands, standing in a half-moon formation.
There were also some commoners from the city gathered behind them, constantly craning their necks to look into the thicket up ahead.
Near them sat several burned hunters on the ground, baring their teeth and grimacing as they groaned softly.
Vaguely, one could see that in the woods about three zhang ahead of these people, there was now a divine bird the size of a person lying prone.
However, its current condition was very poor.
It had been badly wounded. One of its wings had been pierced through, and glossy blood dripped drop by drop onto the ground, mixing with the soil to form a sticky crimson fluid.
In addition, it kept coughing up blood, looking sick and listless, and the colorful feathers all over its body had lost their original luster.
At this moment, it was forcing itself to stay alert as it faced off against those hunters.
"Move aside, move aside..."
The two youths rode over, reined in their horses here, then dismounted and walked forward.
Their guards stepped up and very domineeringly parted the onlooking crowd, allowing the two gorgeously dressed youths to stride forward.
"Who are those two? What