Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 352 Hunting (seven)

   Before dawn, everyone started to prepare.

  There were no stray horses to be seen near the hunting ring, and the horses were all digging their heads to chew on the feed; the hunters checked the bows and arrows one by one, grinding and grinding the arrows.

  When the first ray of sunlight fell on Qingqiu, the hunters of all tribes rushed out of the camp and spontaneously gathered towards the hunting ground.

   The hooves were thundering, the smoke covered the sun, the hounds barked, and the horses neighed.

   "Ms. Navarre, please don't do anything dangerous." Lieutenant Colonel Moritz politely expressed his concern: "You weren't frightened, were you?"

   "Don't worry." Anna replied with a smile. She didn't feel scared, just pity.

   Just listening to the sound of rolling hooves, Anna seemed to be able to see the magnificent sight of thousands of horses galloping like huge waves.

   However, as part of the huge wave, Anna could only see a dozen buttocks on the horse's back, and she ate a lot of ashes.

  Unfortunately, the only place nearby where you can overlook all living beings is Qingqiu, and not everyone can go up Qingqiu.

The members of the    mission had already changed into herdsmen attire at this time, and they could hardly tell the difference from the Hurds without speaking.

  Because the Tiefeng County embassy and the Bad Earth Department knew each other, the little lion arranged for the Bad Earth Department hunters to accompany the Tiefeng County team to participate in the hunting.

  Everyone rode with the Bad Earth Department, and finally stopped outside the felt wall of the hunting ring, waiting for the order.

  More than 100 large and small tribes and nearly 30,000 hunters were diluted by a hunting ring with a diameter of [two goals] in a blink of an eye.

  [Note: The two destinations are about ten kilometers]

   The hunting circle delineated by the Chihe Department is too huge. Even if all the hunters stand by the felt wall, on average, they have to walk at least two steps before they can meet the next person. Therefore, people in Tiefeng County did not feel crowded at all.

  The sun has fully risen, and the group of palace tents above Qingqiu has become clearly visible, and there are also groups of prey that have also become clearly visible.

  The mission members who signed up for the hunt were nervous and eager to try.

  Except for Father Kaman, the blacksmith Bellion, and a few people who like to be quiet, all the other members signed up, and no one wanted to miss this rare big scene.

  Old Sergey consciously assumed the duties of a sergeant. While helping other people check the equipment, he repeatedly said, "Listen to the puppies! This is the territory of the barbarians! There must be no conflict with the barbarians! You are not allowed to reveal your identity..."

   "When will it start?" Vashika kept his mouth dry, and kept saying: "When will it be our turn?"

  Koshihachi led the horse past, and when he heard Vashka's words, he replied in a sullen voice: "Start, soon. It's your turn and I, very slowly. Get off the horse first and rest."

   "Huh?" Wasika's eyes widened.

  Koshihachi frowned, took out an arrow, and drew a row of circles on the ground from big to small.

  He first pointed to the largest circle: "King Khan". Then point to the middle circle and the small circle in turn: "Boss, you and me."

  Koshihaqi looked directly into Vashika's eyes, and said in a deep voice: "One by one, don't mess up. The little ones are in front of the big ones, and they will bleed."

   "What do you mean?" Vashka seemed to understand.

   "What he means is that hunting has to take turns, and the high-ranking ones will go first. It should be our turn very late." Pierre came to the crowd and ordered loudly: "Everyone! Get off the horse and take a break!"

  Washka immediately left the horse obediently, and the others also obeyed Pierre's orders.

  Although theoretically, the person with the highest status on the scene was Lieutenant Colonel Moritz. But in the days of his return, Pierre has regained his status as "Blood Wolf's deputy" - by taking on a lot of work and subtly instilling.

  Moritz didn't care how Mr. Mitchell established his prestige. Some people are willing to give orders, but the lieutenant colonel is happy to relax.

   He slowly got off his horse and looked around—there wasn't even a stone to rest his legs on.

  Moritz was not picky either, he sat on the floor beside the felt wall and took out a pocket water bottle from his pocket.

   As soon as he took off the plug, Ms. Navarre's soft voice came from in front of him: "Don't you want to go hunting?"

   Anna led the horse and looked at the lieutenant colonel curiously.

  Moritz took a sip of kumiss and answered without raising his eyelids, "Because Winters asked me to protect you."

   "Protection I can work in shifts, but the big hunt can only be experienced once. Are you really not participating?"

   "I don't like hunting."

   "Why?" Anna refused to give up.

  Moritz caught the words calmly: "Why do you ask?"

   "Because M. Montagne doesn't like hunting either, but he won't say why." Anna pleaded earnestly: "He respects you, so I want to know your answer."

   Moritz sighed: "I only know what I think."

   "Please speak."

   "Then, Madam Navarre, first tell me what hunting is."

"I don't know…"

   "Assuming that hunting is manual labor." Moritz spread his hands: "Then the reason why I don't like hunting is very simple - I am too lazy to move."

  Anna was sensitively aware that the lieutenant colonel was not finished: "Are there any other assumptions?"

   Moritz smiled and sat up slightly: "Yes. Assuming that hunting is a recreational activity, then my answer is simpler."

  Anna waited quietly for the answer.

  Moritz whispered, "Killing beasts doesn't give me fun."

  Anna was speechless for a while, and Moritz didn't say anything more.

  Ana pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "I don't quite understand what you mean, but I understand one thing - you are a very gentle person."

  Moritz, who was sipping kumiss, coughed violently as if he had heard the most absurd joke.

   At this moment, twelve long horns sounded simultaneously on Qingqiu.

  The extremely penetrating horn sound spreads outward from Qingqiu, continuously and clearly reaching everyone's ears.

  The attention of everyone in Tiefeng County was instantly concentrated, because the message conveyed by the horn sound could not be wrong - the hunting is about to start!

   "Are you here?!" Wasika ran excitedly to the edge of the felt wall, craned her neck and looked out: "Where is it?"

  Others also approached, and they waited anxiously, leaning against the felt wall.

  Akagawa didn't make the "audience" wait too long.

  Suddenly, several clouds of white smoke spewed out from the top of Qingqiu. The sound of the horn stopped suddenly, and the loud thunder followed one after another:

  “Long!!”

   Inside the hunting ring, flocks of deer, sheep, donkeys and other beasts were frightened by the thunder and began to flee blindly.

  Old Sergey suddenly froze: "Cannon?"

   "Of course." Pierre said with a blank face: "We have already learned it."

  Washika clenched her fists and said angrily: "Didn't you hide it well before? Now it's not hidden anymore!"

   "The past was the past, and now is the present." Pierre also clenched his fists: "The artillery alone is not enough for the Chihe Department, you have to let others know that they have it."

   "Hey!" Wasika kicked the felt wall fiercely: "What big hunting? It's just a show!"

   The crowd of Tiefeng County, who also had bad memories, resounded in harmony.

   Only Lieutenant Colonel Moritz gave a light defense for the Chihe Department: "All rituals are essentially performances."

  Pierre would have liked to say something in rebuttal. But when he turned back, all he saw in the eyes of the Bad Earth hunters was envy, admiration, and jealousy.

   Pierre had to admit that the lieutenant colonel was right—no matter how they were viewed by outsiders, for Chihebu, this opening performance had been a great success.

   was talking when someone exclaimed: "What is that?"

  The crowd followed the sound and saw a gap in the felt wall in the northwest.

  More than ten riders jumped into the hunting ground from the gap.

   All the riders wore white armor and rode white horses. Only the front one was wearing a red armor and a red horse under the crotch, which was extremely eye-catching under the white armor and white horses.

   One shot, nine ponytails, and the big blue scorpion followed closely behind the red-armored rider.

   "That's the barbarian chief?" asked old Sergey in a low voice.

  The cheers of the sky answered the question of the old Dussack.

   As far as the eyes of everyone in the embassy could see, the Hunters of Heard, regardless of tribe, were all shouting and cheering: "Yasin! Yasin! Yasin..."

  Pierre also noticed that the shock and panic displayed by the nearby Heards who looked like leaders were no less than the people in Iron Peak County.

   After the red-armored rider entered the hunting ring, he immediately started chasing the prey. I saw him draw a bow and an arrow, and shoot at a gallop, even if he killed his prey, he would not stop.

  The white-armored riders following him will pick up the corpse of the prey with a long pole and show it to the hunters without reservation.

   At the same time, Qingqiu will fire a salute every time a hunter is picked on the club head, and the hunters who have witnessed the white lion's vigorous posture will also cheer.

  While the others were watching the red-armored riders galloping and hunting with all their attention or disdain, Anna took out her drawing board and asked anxiously, "When will you see Mr. Montagne?"

   "Winters?" Lieutenant Colonel Moritz said casually, "Isn't he with the White Lion's brother?"

   "When can we see the little lion?"

"Right now." Knowing the relationship between the men and women in front of him and Batu, Kuoshhaqi explained flatteringly: "First the Khan King, then the Khan King's brother, then the Nayan of the various tribes, then the nobles of the various tribes, and then the various tribes hunter..."

   "But the white lion has already appeared, why hasn't the little lion appeared yet?"

"This…"

Lieutenant Colonel    Moritz sighed and helped Koshhaqi: "Ms. Navarre, have you ever seen a pack of wolves divide their flesh?"

"sorry, we do not have that."

   "Where's the dog?"

"…nor."

"Then I said, just listen to you. The wolves are strictly hierarchical, and when the big wolf eats meat, the little wolf can only watch. Only when the big wolf is fed can the little wolf eat." Lieutenant Colonel Moritz Talking eloquently: "It should be the same for the Hurd tribes. The white lion has not finished hunting, and the little lion will not be able to appear."

  Ana looked at Koshhaqi inquiringly, and Koshhaqi nodded heavily.

"Don't worry, you'll see Winters soon." Lieutenant Colonel Moritz was in a good mood and joked rarely: "But as far as I know, our respectable captain is not good at bows and arrows, you should Pray he won't be in public..."

   Without any warning, Lieutenant Colonel Moritz’s voice stopped abruptly. In an instant, he seemed to have become another person, and the smile that had been on the corner of his mouth disappeared completely.

   Everyone in the audience noticed the change in the lieutenant colonel and looked at each other.

   "What's the matter? Lieutenant Colonel." Anna asked carefully.

   Lieutenant Colonel Moritz narrowed his eyes slightly.

   Everyone followed the line of sight of the lieutenant colonel, and the red-armored rider was chasing the prey on his horse, and he could not see anything wrong.

   "Give me your quiver." Lieutenant Colonel Moritz said coldly to Koshkach.

  Koshihachi did not hesitate, and immediately put his quiver in both hands.

"It's not the savage chief who is chasing the prey now." Lieutenant Colonel Moritz pulled out all the arrows, and in the eyes of everyone's astonishment, he broke off the arrows one by one, but his tone was very calm: "The prey is chasing the savage. Chief."

Before the    voice fell, there was another thunder.

   This time the thunder was different from the celebratory cannon salute, it was closer, clearer and more deafening.

   "My God!" Someone from Tiefeng County exclaimed.

   The shouts and shouts of the Hurds also converged into huge waves, beating everyone's hearts.

   The amputated limbs and mud flew into the sky, and the extremely frightened beasts rushed in all directions like madness. The original position of the red-armored rider was engulfed by smoke and blood mist.

  Old Sergey's eyes were as big as cowbells: "Fengyan!"

  Behind the horizon, several beacons were piercing straight into the sky.

   In an instant, everyone realized what had happened.

   The next moment, like water into boiling oil, the leaders of each family screamed for their children, and the Hurd people rushed to the war horses. Some people mounted their horses and left without hesitation, while others rushed into the hunting ring desperately.

   "What shall we do?" Wasika asked in horror.

   "Wait." Lieutenant Colonel Moritz replied lightly.

   In the hunting ground, a white armored rider rushed into the smoke and blood mist, and dragged the red armored rider out from under the corpse of the red horse.

   "Alive?" the white-armored rider asked.

   "No... not dead..." The little lion tore off his helmet, blood dripping from his left ear. Because of the red armor, the blood and dirt were mixed together, and it was impossible to see where his torso was injured for a while.

   The little lion coughed violently, and every time his chest rose and fell, there were blood stains: "What... what should I do..."

  Winters picked up the little lion: "Qingqiu."

   [How come I wrote "seven"...]

   [Thanks to the leader of the book friend "Thousand Magic"]

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   (end of this chapter)