At the foot of Wu Yi Mountain.
Inside the pavilion here.
It was already filled with all kinds of teams.
At this moment.
The sun had not fully risen yet.
But everyone had arrived at the scene early.
No one dared to keep the young master of the County Duke's Mansion waiting. Most people had gotten up and dressed at the second watch of the night and rushed here.
Xia Jingning came slowly.
Surrounded by the crowd.
He was a natural favorite of the heavens and was bound to be the focus of everyone's attention.
Xia Jingning dismounted from his horse.
He glanced at the crowd.
Then he said to Yue Wu beside him, "Is everyone here? Then get ready and start."
Everyone looked around.
They all bowed their heads and saluted Xia Jingning.
At this moment.
Yue Wu shook his head.
He leaned over and whispered in Xia Jingning's ear, "That 'high - ranking expert' hasn't arrived yet."
The man's eyebrows frowned involuntarily.
He looked up.
At the sun above his head.
This was exactly the best time for beast hunting.
No one had ever dared to keep him waiting, not even the current monarch of the Hailing Kingdom.
That so - called 'high - ranking expert' really put on a big show.
"Have you informed the people of the Duke Wang's Mansion?"
"Reporting to the young master, we've informed them all. They said that person will definitely come today."
There was already anger in Xia Jingning's heart.
Was that person making fun of him?
"I'm late. Please forgive me."
From afar.
Suddenly, a voice came.
They looked in the direction of the voice.
They saw a woman wearing a simple scarlet beast - hunting suit with a red veil covering her face. She was riding a tall red - maned horse and walking slowly towards them.
As soon as she appeared.
She caught everyone's attention.
Xia Jingning looked at the woman.
Naturally, Zhao Shuning also looked at him.
At first sight.
Zhao Shuning couldn't help but stop her gaze.
The handsome young man in gorgeous clothes in the front should be the descendant of Xia Qingyan. He looked somewhat similar to Xia Qingyan, but that wasn't what shocked her.
What surprised Zhao Shuning was.
She always felt that she had seen Xia Jingning's face somewhere before.
Scenes flashed through her mind.
Finally.
Zhao Shuning widened her eyes and reined in her horse.
She remembered.
After so many years, the impression was a bit blurred.
But.
She could still recall this face. She had seen someone who looked eight - tenths like him.
That person was Xia Wanning.
Xia Wanning.
How could it be Xia Wanning?
Zhao Shuning's heart skipped a beat.
A bad premonition quickly rose in her heart.
The scene at this moment was a bit awkward.
Zhao Shuning stood still.
Xia Jingning was just ten meters away from her. The two of them just stared at each other.
However.
Their looks were different.
Zhao Shuning's face was full of curiosity.
While Xia Jingning.
He was looking at Zhao Shuning as if she were a "prey".
She had a good figure.
Good physical fitness.
Her spiritual power also seemed to be good.
The scarlet - clothed woman in front of him was more suitable than Qi Yurou to be the substitute for this magic formation.
"Isn't the young lady going to dismount? Do you want this young master to carry you off the horse in person?"
Xia Jingning spoke.
Only then did Zhao Shuning regain her senses.
Just now, although it was only a short moment.
But in Zhao Shuning's mind, a great change had taken place.
Could it be.
Back then.
Was even saving Xia Wanning part of someone else's plan?
Had she been just a pawn from beginning to end?
Was it like this?
After all, had she still not seen through human nature?
"What? Do you really want our young master to invite you to dismount?"
Zhao Shuning frowned slightly.
She lightly swept her right leg. The movement was clean and neat. She easily jumped off the red - maned horse, looking quite like a daughter of the grassland.
It was natural.
More than five hundred years ago, Zhao Shuning was a daughter of Ruoqiang. She had lived in Loulan since childhood. Not to mention horses, even creatures more peculiar than horses, she could tame them.
"Are you the young master of the County Duke's Mansion?"
Zhao Shuning walked straight towards Xia Jingning.
She asked directly.
Xia Jingning's expression changed.
A look of disgust flashed across his face. Although it was only for a moment, Zhao Shuning still caught it.
Naturally.
In Xia Jingning's heart, Zhao Shuning's behavior at this moment reminded him of a woman, Dongfang Yinuo. If it weren't for her, he and Yu Chen wouldn't have ended up in such a situation.
Could it be.
This woman also wanted to attract his attention?
Zhao Shuning looked at Xia Jingning.
In her eyes, Xia Jingning was just a kid. Zhao Shuning had practiced for so many years. How many years had Xia Jingning lived? Yet he dared to be so arrogant and show his emotions so obviously. Didn't he underestimate Zhao Shuning, the eight - phase spiritual pharmacist?
Seeing Xia Jingning's disgust towards her, Zhao Shuning was just about to speak.
But she saw that he had already put on a polite look.
He said, "Is the young lady the noble person from the Duke Wang's Mansion? I've long admired you."
Changing his face?
The speed was a bit too slow.
"There are too many fierce beasts in Wu Yi Mountain. The young lady should be careful. If you trust this young master, just follow behind this young master. This young master will try his best to protect you."
Protect me?
Zhao Shuning gave a charming smile.
Her eyes were extremely beautiful.
For a moment, Xia Jingning felt a bit lost.
Unexpectedly, although Zhao Shuning saw Xia Jingning's ill intentions, she didn't expose him.
She simply said, "Then I'll trouble the young master."
This sentence.
Immediately attracted the jealous looks of many young ladies from wealthy families.
"I don't know where this woman came from. She can actually win the young master's favor like this."
"The young master hasn't actively invited a woman to his camp like this for many years."
"Could it be that this woman has a great background?"
The whispers of speculation.
Although they were not very loud.
Zhao Shuning had excellent hearing and could sense them.
She could only mutter in her heart.
Was this a blessing?
I'm afraid the fierce beasts in Wu Yi Mountain are not the most terrifying. The most terrifying one is probably this so - called polite young master in their eyes.
Zhao Shuning led her horse.
She obediently followed behind Xia Jingning.
Saying she was obedient.
Actually, it was because Zhao Shuning's mind was wandering at this moment. All she could think about was whether there was any relationship between Xia Wanning and Xia Jingning.
Right.
Xing Chen had said on the way here.
It seemed that many years ago, the County Duke's Mansion had lost a little princess in swaddling clothes.
At that time.
Since the Xia Wanning Zhao Shuning had seen had a family, she hadn't associated her with the little princess in swaddling clothes. Now that she thought about it, the strangeness was even more obvious.
"Miss, it's time to mount your horse. We're going into the mountain."
Zhao Shuning let out a soft "hmm".
Without waiting for the young master to come and help, she directly flipped onto the horse.
Xia Jingning's hand.
Just hung there empty in the air.
By the time he reacted.
Zhao Shuning was already riding her horse several meters away from him.
Looking at the woman's back, the smile on Xia Jingning's face slowly faded away, and the sinister look in his eyes gradually emerged.