Skillfully Outmatching Cai Shang, Appreciating Dragons and Slaying Dragons

"Aren't you going to keep up?"

The lady spurred her horse, and the white steed galloped away, disappearing into the woods.

Li Xian only wanted to enjoy the hunt, not compete. But what could he do in this situation? Holding the reins, he softly called out "Giddy up!" and immediately followed the bushes.

Madam Wen smiled and said, "Mountain hunting is much more difficult than hunting by a hunter. The terrain in the mountains is complex, with slopes, pits, and trees blocking the way. You need to be skilled at driving a horse in order to spare the energy to shoot the wild animals in the mountains."

"Only the finest horses are permitted to go hunting in the mountains and forests. Ordinary, inferior horses, upon smelling tiger urine or bear odor... will become weak in the legs and unable to run."

Madam Wen rode ahead on her horse, White Cloud, light and agile. Suddenly, she stomped her hooves on the ground and leaped up, soaring several feet into the air. White Cloud then pushed off a tree trunk, rising several feet higher still.

The lady took down her precious bow, nocked an arrow, and shot it. The arrow flew like a nimble snake, killing a bear-like beast. White Cloud landed lightly, and snowflakes scattered, highlighting the lady's heroic spirit.

More than a hundred feet away.

The giant bear fell to the ground.

Li Xian praised, "Madam, your archery is superb!" Madam Wen replied, "I have already hunted a bear. If you catch nothing else, you will lose badly."

Just as he was about to speak...

Li Xian's ears twitched slightly as he heard a strange noise. Although his Horse Beast was of good quality and exceptionally handsome, it could not compare to "White Cloud." He stepped onto the horse's back, leaped high, drew his bow, and shot.

Several miles away, a large bear collapsed to the ground.

"What excellent Archery!" the lady exclaimed, thinking to herself, "What a fine young man! What Intent-Qi, what style! In terms of accuracy and archery technique alone, I am no match for him."

Overjoyed, she Winter Hunt, and the hunt was bountiful, but she could only amuse herself. No one shared her prey, and no one saw her beautiful arrow.

Madam Wen competitive spirit ignited, said, "Good, only then can you truly compete with me. Hurry up and follow me." She then rode ahead on her horse.

The two rode one after the other through the mountains and fields, the lady enjoying herself immensely. Li Xian pondered, "It seems the lady is truly serious about the competition. In that case, I will go all out. If the lady is suppressing her full strength and only using Archery, wouldn't it be utterly useless of me to lose again?"

Then they saw a colorful deer. Madam Wen exclaimed with delight, "What a colorful deer! What a lucky omen!" She immediately drew her bow and shot at it, but the arrow flew halfway through its flight.

Another arrow came, but it was faster than her, killing the colorful deer.

Li Xian laughed and said, "Madam, I'm so sorry, I've gotten ahead of you!" He rode away, passing his wife.

Madam Wen raised an eyebrow and smiled gently, "Good lad, you really don't hold back."

It is impolite not to reciprocate. The two rode their horses one after the other, traversing the mountains and fields. They saw a tiger drinking water by a stream. Li Xian raised his bow and shot it, but his wife stepped forward and shot the tiger dead as well.

Madam Wen asked, "How is it?"

Li Xian said, "Why not give it to the lady?"

"Hmph, you can't beat me, so you say you let me win. You little brat, you're so glib. I'll punish you severely after you lose." Madam Wen said with a smile and a hint of reproach.

His tone sounded angry, but he was actually enjoying the feeling.

The two chased after a deer. Before they knew it, night had fallen. The Winter Hunt lasted three days, and they wanted to find a cave to stay in.

A temporary ceasefire is in effect.

Li Xian led his Horse Beast on a hunt all day, and both were sweating profusely.

Madam Wen said, "I will teach you the methods of geomancy. In the future, when you are away from home, you can use this method to find hidden caves in the mountains."

Upon arriving at a certain place, Madam Wen said, "Look at this place; the stone walls are mottled, eroded by wind and rain year after year. Observe the mountain range; there must be a cave here."

"But the cave is damp and stuffy, and there might be an underground river. It's also a place where snakes, beasts, and bats congregate. It's a good place to escape, but we don't need to go there."

She pointed to the mountainside. Following the path, she indeed found a cave. It was surrounded by poisonous snakes, and the stench was unbearable.

Madam Wen was highly skilled in geomancy. From the terrain, vegetation, and other features, she could discern where there were rivers and caves.

Li Xian had accompanied his father on hunts in the mountains and fields, and knew the tricks of finding mountains and caves, and exploring rivers and streams. But these were all based on experience, and he didn't know the underlying principles. Today, listening to his wife's personal instruction, he suddenly understood, and the thought "So that's how it is" repeatedly came to mind.

"Madam's knowledge is so profound, when will I ever be able to acquire even a fraction of it?" Li Xian sighed.

Madam Wen chuckled, "You're very intelligent; you'll learn it soon. My only fear is that once you've mastered it, you'll become too independent and fly away."

"How could this be?" Li Xian retorted.

Madam Wen smiled but remained silent.

They soon found a cave, spacious and well-ventilated, with a bright, colorful glow inside, and stalactites of various shapes. It was like cave abode.

I'll stay here for the night.

Madam Wen sat cross-legged on the ground, practicing martial arts inside.

Li Xian then peeled the skin off the colorful deer, sliced off the meat, and skewered it. He lit a fire to grill it, sprinkling it with salt, hay, and many other things.

[Proficiency +2]

[Skill: Culinary Arts]

[Proficiency: 897/1500 Minor Accomplishment]

[Description: You can easily create delicious dishes with a simple touch. Your culinary Minor Accomplishment quite good; you know how to use everything to cook tasty meals.]

The colorful deer is a rare delicacy from the mountains, with tender and delicious meat. Li Xian carefully controls the cooking time, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender interior, perfectly seasoned.

The aroma of meat is irresistible.

Madam Wen stopped her internal practice and slightly raised her eyebrows.

Seeing Li Xian grilling venison, the firelight illuminating his face, making his youthful features appear quite mature, I thought to myself, "When this young man is Intent-Qi and exuberant, he is truly captivating. But when he is calm and collected, he is incredibly reassuring."

Li Xian roasted the venison and handed it to the lady. The lady chewed slowly and savored the meat, finding it sweet, fresh, and delicious. Although she was of noble birth and accustomed to delicacies, this simple roasted meat had a unique flavor.

Madam Wen asked, "When did you learn to cook?"

Li Xian said, "I figured this out myself. Did you find it delicious, Madam?"

"Not bad." Madam Wen nodded gently.

Nothing was said that night.

Morning arrived in the blink of an eye.

Frost and snow fell, but the weather warmed up. Madam Wen rode on White Cloud and said with a smile, "The contest is not over yet. If you beat me, the matter of the hunt will be wiped clean, and I will reward you handsomely. If you cannot beat me, I will punish you severely."

On the first day, Madam Wen hunted four deer, seven tigers, and five bears. Li Xian hunted three deer, six tigers, and six bears. In terms of the animals alone, they were evenly matched.

The next day, Li Xian hunted seven deer, seven tigers, and seven bears, displaying his heroic spirit and chivalry. His wife hunted six deer, eight tigers, and five bears, falling slightly behind.

As they rested for the night, Madam Wen scolded, "How dare you steal two of my bear beasts!"

Li Xian laughed and defended himself. After chatting for a while, Madam Wen said, "You, with your feathers still unfurled, dare to be so presumptuous. I wonder how you will treat me in the future."

Li Xian said, "I will definitely treat my wife well." He reached out and embraced her. His wife felt tenderness and joy.

In two days, Li Xian learned a lot about geomancy. When he looked at the mountains and rivers, he saw not only the beautiful scenery, but also the terrain and the flow of feng shui.

Day three.

The day was the day to determine the winner. Although Madam Wen was strong, she was truly sincere in her approach to the competition. She began preparing for the archery contest at the crack of dawn.

Bear-Tiger Mountain stretches for dozens of miles, and some of its peaks no longer belong to anyone. Madam Wen said, "White Cloud, let this brat see what you're capable of."

With two hissing sounds, the White Cloud emitted white mist. Its body was shrouded in flowing blue cloud patterns. With a stomp of its four hooves, it gradually lifted off the ground. The potholes, snow, and obstructing bushes along the way could all be ignored.

As if flying through the mist, Madam Wen fired several arrows in quick succession, hunting down three strange bears in one go. Li Xian, not to be outdone, declared, "If Madam says to punish, she will surely punish."

With his keen eyesight, he noticed that bears and tigers were gathered here, and there were many bear-like beasts. With a quick glance, he knew that there were traces of bear-like beasts in the distance. He immediately drew his bow and shot three arrows in succession.

The three strange bears died instantly.

Madam Wen, her tone a mix of praise and reproach, "Good lad."

The two fighters enjoyed their contest to the fullest, but it was the tigers and beasts in the mountains that suffered.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

The number of Bear-Tiger Mountain has increased, with Scale-Armored Bear, Giant-Strength Bear, and Stone-Breaking Bear appearing in large numbers. This is not due to natural population growth.

Instead, a month earlier, an uninvited guest arrived in the mountains. He had his own plans and used some means to fabricate a strange bear beast.

When he returned home that day, he saw that Xiong'er was badly injured and killed. He cried out in shock and anger, "Who, who shot my beloved son?"

They moved with the ferocity of a raging beast, smashing rocks and trees with Withered-Wood Shattering. After things calmed down, they learned that Xiong'er had died not long ago and that the culprits were nearby.

He rummaged around, climbing and leaping through trees, searching for the villain who killed the bear. He followed the path along the path, clinging to the animal carcass in the forest.

Finally, two figures appeared, riding horses and hunting. He cried out and said coldly, "You adulterous couple, you adulterous couple, I will make you put on bear armor and become my bear cubs!"

He leaped forward, grabbing at Li Xian with one hand and at Madam Wen with the other.

He moved with the speed of a flying dragon, possessing immense strength. His moves were simple and unremarkable, yet extremely powerful. Li Xian, quick-witted, knew he was no match for him. He rolled off his horse, avoiding the deadly attack.

Madam Wen returned the hand with a light palm strike. The figure was greatly startled and, disregarding everything else, immediately defended itself. This palm strike, seemingly light, actually contained a complex Inner Qi circulation.

The figure flew backward, landing steadily. Li Xian exclaimed in surprise, "I have never seen anyone withstand a palm strike from Madam. This opponent is extremely strong!"

He silently retreated behind his wife.

Madam Wen said, "Bear Lord?" Recognizing the man, she dismounted.

It turned out that this person who suddenly appeared was not an unknown figure, but rather the notorious villain on the Crimson List: Bear Lord.

He has an eccentric personality and is rumored to have been raised by a bear since childhood. He later had a strange encounter and embarked on the Martial Dao. After undergoing a cleansing ritual, he revealed a "Scarlet-Fur Aspect," with his entire body covered in red down.

His appearance was so bizarre that it instilled fear in people. As a result, he was disliked and spent his days associating with bears. Later, he held a high position in a heretical sect.

Madam Wen raised an eyebrow and said, "Since it was you, then most of the bears we hunted today were your doing? No wonder we encountered so many bears; it turns out it was your doing."

Bear Lord roared, "Wen Caishang, why did you kill my Xiong'er!"

Madam Wen said, "I killed him, so what? Do you want an explanation from me?"

"Fine, fine, since it's you, I can't do anything about it. I'll remember this grudge." Bear Lord turned and left.

Madam Wen's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Bear Lord is quite strong. Meeting him at this time is probably no coincidence. I'll try to get some information out of him, and if necessary, I'll kill him here and now."

She said, "Bear Lord, why are you in such a hurry to leave? I was hunting in the mountains just now and didn't know that these strange bears were all your cubs. Cai Shang apologizes."

Bear Lord's expression softened, and he was greatly pleased. "Then you'll compensate me?"

"We're all on the same side, why hurt our feelings? We'll need each other's help at the grand banquet another day," Wen Caishang said. "That's not enough. Why don't you go to the county town and capture some strangers, dress them in bear costumes, and then they won't be obedient bear cubs anymore?"

"Pah! Pah! Pah!" said Bear Lord. "You're such an amateur, how could you possibly know the effort involved!"

He suddenly said, "You said you're on my side, could it be... you've also come for the Dragon-Slaying Banquet?"

Li Xian thought to himself, "Another Dragon-Appreciation Banquet, another Dragon-Slaying Banquet! Madam once said that if I mastered the second Minor Accomplishment the Second Layer of the Waning Sun Blood-Draining Sword, she would take me to the banquet. What kind of banquet is this?"

Madam Wen said, "Indeed, you and I are of the same ilk..." With a flick of her sleeve, she suddenly unleashed a deadly move.

A long sword emerged from his sleeve, as supple as a silk ribbon. This sword was extraordinary; it could extend and retract, resembling both a whip and a sword.

The Sword-Ray light flashed, instantly carving a sword mark several feet long on the ground. Bear Lord exclaimed in surprise, "The White Snake in the Sleeve..." and tried to retaliate, but the White Serpent Flexible Sword had already pierced his heart.

Bear Lord bled profusely, yet his blood possessed a fragrant aroma. Madam Wen arrogantly declared, "How dare this mere villain be worthy to be my companion?"

Li Xian asked, "Madam, what exactly is the Dragon-Appreciation Banquet?"

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