I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 566 Autumn Hunt

Xu Longxiang rode his horse slowly along the edge of the valley for a while, then turned back and stopped not far from Qin Mu.

His gaze swept across the valley, as if he were checking the terrain, or perhaps waiting for something.

A moment later, the sound of hooves came from the woods on the other side of the valley, unhurried, as if a person was walking along the path.

Qin Mu looked in that direction and saw a moon-white figure slowly emerge from the shadows of the trees.

It was a moon-white riding outfit of excellent quality, with tightly fitted cuffs and a wide belt of the same color around the waist, which outlined the waistline neatly and clearly.

Chen Ruoyao rode on a pure white horse, with a slender bow case hanging beside the saddle, its straps swaying gently in the morning breeze.

She wasn't wearing a mask, and the sunlight fell on her face, illuminating it clearly and brightly—a face that was exactly like Yun Suxin's.

Xu Longxiang's gaze flickered slightly the moment she appeared, like the surface of water rippled by the wind for a fleeting instant before quickly returning to calm.

He spurred his horse forward to meet her, stopping a few steps away. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but carried a hint of concern he tried to suppress: "Why did you come along?"

Chen Ruoyao reined in her horse, her gaze sweeping across his face before landing on Qin Mu behind him, as if she were merely glancing at him as she passed by, before looking away again: "I heard that Your Highness is going on an autumn hunt today. It just so happens that I haven't been out and about for a while. If I've disturbed Your Highness's plans, I'll head back now."

As she spoke, she slightly turned her horse's head, as if she were truly preparing to turn and leave.

Xu Longxiang didn't let her leave: "Since you're here, come along. There's plenty of prey here, it'll be more lively with another person."

After saying that, he seemed to realize he had spoken too quickly, and added, "Besides, Mr. Fan isn't here, so your arrival is just in time. One more person means one more pair of eyes."

Chen Ruoyao did not refuse again, and rode her horse to his side, her position exactly one horse length away from Qin Mu.

After she settled down, her gaze fell on Qin Mu as if it were just a passing by. Her voice was as calm as if she were stating something she already knew: "This must be Mr. Zhao San, the one who even Bai Yujing was willing to stay with? It's an honor to meet you."

Qin Mu looked at her, his gaze as if he were appraising something he was meeting for the first time: "You flatter me, young lady."

Chen Ruoyao then looked away and didn't say anything more, as if she had already finished the pleasantries and didn't need to say anything more.

She raised her hand and adjusted the straps of the bow bag next to the saddle, the movement very natural.

Xu Longxiang's gaze swept between the two men, as if confirming something, or as if he had just glanced at them unintentionally.

He didn't say much, but gently spurred the horse's belly and took the lead into the depths of the valley: "Let's go, if we go a little further north, we should be able to find a herd of deer."

The three rode side by side, while the other riders were scattered further away, as if they didn't want to disturb the conversation between the three ahead, or as if they had been deliberately placed at a distance where they wouldn't hear the conversation.

The soft rustling of horses' hooves as they trod through the dry grass mingled with the occasional birdsong from the distant woods, echoing gently across the open valley.

After traveling for a while, Xu Longxiang reined in his horse beside an old oak tree, turned to the side, and asked as if casually, "Sir, do you have much experience traveling in the mountains and fields?"

Qin Mu reined in his horse and followed his gaze to the denser forest in the distance: "Not much, but not little either. I've been into the mountains in Jiangnan before, but the paths there are different from here. The soil here is firmer, the wind is drier, and the trails are quieter."

Xu Longxiang nodded slightly, as if he had considered the words in his mind, then smiled and said, "Sir, you are quite observant. Then, sir, why don't you guess which grove of trees in this valley the deer herd might be hiding in?"

Qin Mu did not answer immediately.

His gaze swept over the slightly undulating terrain at the edge of the valley, then glanced at the denser pine forest in the distance, as if making a judgment he wasn't in a hurry to give: "If I had to choose, I'd pick the forest to the northeast. The wind blows that way in the valley, and the deer herd will follow the wind. It's also higher up there, offering a wider field of vision and making it less likely to be ambushed."

Xu Longxiang looked at him, as if confirming something, and then he nodded: "Then I will take a gamble with you, sir, and head northeast."

After saying that, he turned his horse around and rode off in that direction. After riding a short distance, he turned his head and glanced in Chen Ruoyao's direction. "Miss Suxin, why don't you come and take a look too? If the deer herd starts running, your bow should come in handy."

Chen Ruoyao didn't follow immediately. Instead, she glanced at Qin Mu with a light look, as if she was waiting for something, or as if she had just been touched by a breeze. She blinked and said, "Mr. Zhao, please come along too. I can't catch up with the deer herd by myself."

Her tone was perfectly natural, like an invitation casually offered by someone who needs a companion while hiking in the wild.

Qin Mu did not refuse and rode his horse to follow beside her.

The three of them walked slowly along the edge of the valley, the horses' hooves clattering on the dry grass as softly as if they were walking on a thick carpet.

Upon entering the pine forest, the light dimmed further, and the overhead branches filtered the sunlight into fine, dappled patterns that fell onto their shoulders and the backs of their horses.

Xu Longxiang led the way, as if he was looking for a place he had memorized, while Chen Ruoyao and Qin Mu walked side by side, about half a horse's length apart.

She spoke in a very low voice, so low that only the two of them could hear her, like a fallen leaf carried by the wind to his ear: "Your Majesty, Xu Longxiang arranged this autumn hunt today to take the opportunity to see the true relationship between you and Bai Yujing. He is afraid that you and Bai Yujing are old acquaintances."

Qin Mu didn't turn his head, his gaze fixed on Xu Longxiang's back ahead, his voice equally low: "So what do you think? Don't Bai Yujing and I look like old acquaintances?"

Chen Ruoyao's lips curved slightly: "It doesn't seem like it. Your fight in the arena was so real that I almost thought you didn't know each other. But—" Her voice lowered a bit, "He asked me to come here today not just for hunting."

Qin Mu turned his head slightly to look at her, the angle just right for his gaze to sweep over her moon-white collar: "Did he send you to test me?"

Chen Ruoyao neither nodded nor shook her head: "He asked me to come to see if you were truly interested in me. If you're just saying it, you might not even give me a second glance. If you're really interested in me as you say..." She paused, "then he'll feel more at ease, because he thinks someone who can be swayed by beauty is easier to control than someone who wants nothing at all."

Qin Mu withdrew his gaze, seemingly momentarily distracted by the road ahead, or perhaps waiting for her to finish speaking: "So, how do you think I should act to appear 'genuinely interested'?"

Chen Ruoyao's voice carried a hint of composure that he could understand: "There's no need to do anything deliberately. Just walk half a step faster or half a step slower when Xu Longxiang can see you, or glance at me more when I'm speaking, and that'll be enough for him."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Xu Longxiang's back in front of her. "He's been sitting in that position for too long, so long that he's forgotten how to tell a person from a fake. He only sees what he wants to see."

Xu Longxiang reined in his horse ahead, turned his head, and scanned the two men with his eyes, as if to confirm whether the distance between them was still within his expected range: "There are traces of deer here."

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, like someone who had finally found a topic to talk about but wasn't in a hurry to delve deeper.

Qin Mu spurred his horse forward and followed, with Chen Ruoyao beside him.

The two remained half a horse's length apart, neither too close as if they were deliberately getting closer, nor too far as if they were deliberately avoiding each other.

Xu Longxiang's gaze lingered between the two for a moment, then he turned around, his voice softer than before: "Sir, Miss Suxin, what were you talking about just now?"

Chen Ruoyao didn't rush to reply, and Qin Mu simply said, "Let's talk about which direction the deer in this forest will run. Miss Suxin said that the deer like places with water sources, so if there's a stream nearby, it shouldn't be too far away."

Xu Longxiang nodded slightly, as if considering the reliability of the statement, and then he said, "There is indeed a stream to the south, and it hasn't dried up yet this season. The deer should be drinking there."

He didn't ask any more questions, as if he had already obtained the information he wanted, and spurred his horse forward again along the faint path in the woods.

His silhouette appeared and disappeared among the shadows of the trees, like a ship slowly sailing into the mist.

Chen Ruoyao and Qin Mu exchanged a glance, a very brief exchange, like two leaves lightly touching the surface of water before separating.

As Chen Ruoyao spurred her horse to catch up with Xu Longxiang, her voice returned to its usual perfectly composed tone: "Then let's head south. Maybe we can run into the deer before they leave."

Xu Longxiang did not turn around, but only slightly turned his face, as if using this gesture to replace a response.

A breeze blew from the south through the forest, carrying the scent of moisture and withered grass, gently ruffling the robes of the three.

When we arrived at the stream, the sun was already high in the sky, making the water sparkle.

The stream was not wide, with low shrubs growing on both banks. The sound of the water was shallow and could be heard from a few steps away.

There were no deer, but there were several fresh hoof prints on the muddy ground by the stream, as if they had just left.

Xu Longxiang dismounted, casually draped the reins over a bush, walked to the stream, squatted down, tested the water temperature with his finger, then straightened up: "The water is still cold, the deer herd shouldn't have gone far. If we walk upstream along the stream, we might be able to catch up."

After saying this, he looked away from the stream and onto the withered grass beside him, as if he was thinking about something.

Chen Ruoyao also dismounted, walked to the stream, bent down, scooped up a handful of water, and washed the dust off her fingers.

When she straightened up, a small patch of her dress was damp from the moisture.

Xu Longxiang's gaze lingered on her for a moment before shifting away, the speed at which it moved away was neither fast nor slow.

Qin Mu did not dismount, but simply stopped a few steps away, his gaze fixed on the denser pine forest in the distance, like someone who did not intend to disturb others.

Xu Longxiang turned to the side, his voice casual and natural as he spoke: "Sir, why don't you go down and take a look? The stream is quite cool; washing your face with it will refresh you."

Qin Mu glanced down at him and said, "I don't feel sleepy when I ride a horse for a long time."

Xu Longxiang did not force him.

He turned and walked a few steps upstream along the stream, as if looking for a better place to step.

Chen Ruoyao straightened up and gently pressed the edge of her wet clothes with the back of her hand.

She turned around and met Qin Mu's gaze; the distance between them was only three or four steps.

Her gaze fell on his face, as if she were looking at a single strand of hair at his temple that had been ruffled by the wind, or as if she were confirming something.

Xu Longxiang stood a few steps away, his back to them, as if he were looking at the surface of the water somewhere upstream, or as if he was simply leaving space for the conversation behind him.

A silence lingered among the three for a moment, then Xu Longxiang turned back, his voice softening: "Sir, I was just thinking about something—if the Northern Border and Northern Mang were to form an alliance, would you be willing to act as a liaison between them?"

Qin Mu shifted his gaze from Chen Ruoyao to Xu Longxiang's face.

When those words reached his ears, they were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, sinking briefly.

His voice remained largely unchanged as he spoke: "Has Your Highness consulted anyone else before making this decision?"

Xu Longxiang looked at him and said, "The people I have consulted are the people I trust."

Qin Mu neither declined nor immediately agreed.

He paused for a moment: "The contact's job is to deliver messages. If it's just delivering messages, I can do that. But if it involves making decisions for the Prince in Northern Mang, then I need to see the specific conditions there first before considering whether it's appropriate."

Xu Longxiang nodded: "I will have someone compile the specific conditions from Northern Mang into a document and send it to you in a few days. You can make a decision after you have reviewed it."

After he said that, it was as if he had put something down.

He remounted his horse, patted its neck, and gently nippled its belly towards the upstream direction: "Let's go, the deer herd shouldn't have gone far."

Chen Ruoyao also mounted her horse and followed beside him.

Qin Mu lagged behind, his horse's hooves clattering over the pebbles by the stream.

He looked at the two figures walking side by side ahead, one in deep black and the other in moonlight.

Sunlight fell on their shoulders, flickering uncertainly in the shadows of the trees.

He reined in his horse at the edge of the valley and looked into the distance.

Xu Longxiang and Chen Ruoyao had already turned back along the stream and were slowly walking in the direction they had come from.

A breeze blew from behind them, gently ruffling their robes like two leaves being carried by the wind, not in a hurry to fall.

Xu Longxiang rode up to Qin Mu's side, reined in his horse, and looked at the distant mountain ridge that was now completely illuminated by the sunlight: "How do you feel about today, sir?"

Qin Mu followed his gaze and said, "The mountains and fields are open, we saw deer, and drank from the streams. This autumn hunt arranged by Your Highness is indeed more interesting than sitting in the mansion to discuss matters."

Xu Longxiang did not respond.

He seemed to have gotten the answer he wanted, so he stopped asking questions.

He gently turned his horse around and trotted slowly back the way he came, with Chen Ruoyao following beside him.

Qin Mu lagged behind, several horse lengths behind.

The morning light bathed the entire valley, casting long, long shadows of the three people, like three strings gently plucked by the wind.