Chapter 32: "Hunting up at the mountain"
Just as she was coming out of the courtyard, Ling Yue immediately took notice to Little Squeak sprawling down at the doorway.
In recent days, this little fellow has become very well acquainted with the residence of the Qiaochu quarter, making him fearless no matter where he went. Although Little Squeak's temperament wasn't any good, but who can blame him when he's born so cute. In the end, everyone ended up spoiling him.
At this moment, Little Squeak was busily chewing down some melon seeds with his little paws while not far away lay a big yellow dog by his side. This dog was the very same one rescued by Ling Yue at the forge. Its fur bristling with sheen and muscles brimming with strength, it looked nothing like the sickly dog prior to the spirit smoke operation.
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Speaking of this vicious dog, it can be said that it does hold some intellect for it instinctively knew Ling Yue was the one to save him. Though it doesn't know exactly what made the girl so special, it simply knew the girl held something great.
With this in mind, the dog would repeatedly wander around the forge after that day, constantly searching for his savior.
Then when it finally located Ling Yue, this dog would obediently follow behind her all the way till home.
She did attempt to shoo the dog away a few times, but the results were futile with the dog cleverly returning after a brief moment of departure.
This comedic scene continued until the housekeeper took notice of the issue. At first the housekeeper was amazed by the dog's appearance for the person can tell there's wolf lineage in the dog's bloodline. So, to remedy the situation, he offered to raise it as a watchdog for the manor.
Contemplating the idea, Ling Yue thought: why not? Consider it getting a playmate for Little Squeak.
Consequently, she took the dog in and placed it inside their living quarters and named it "Big Yellow".
(this brings back memories, the first dog I had was named Yellow too. Golden retriever FTW!)
"Squeak!" finishing the last of the melon seed, the little fella randomly tosses the shell aside to one corner.
Hearing the call, Big Yellow swiftly ran over like a soldier getting an order from the general, devouring the melon seed shell with a pounce.
"Squeak!" hearing another call, Big Yellow swiftly returns to his original position like an obedient follower.
Back and forth, the two acted like it's only natural.
"Who would've thought you would have the style of a boss." Ling Yue giggled at the hilarious play. In the past few days, she had already seen Little Squeak torturing Big Yellow like so without any end in sight.
Seemingly knowing they are heading out, Little Squeak hurriedly ran up to her and squirmed into Ling Yue's chest area.
Continuing on like this without incident, it wasn't until Ling Yue reached the outer perimeter of the forge when she noticed a familiar figure standing in wait.
"Big cousin, what are you doing here?" The one Ling Yue saw was Ye Saint who had been confined to solidary contemplation inside his home. Due to this reason, Ye Saint couldn't even leave to attend Ye Gu's birthday party a while back.
"In another five days will be Autumn Maple Town's annual three-year mountain hunt. This time, it will be I who leads the Ye family's children up there." Ye Saint makes a broad smile at Ling Yue for he has truly accepted this young girl as part of the family: "You get ready too Ling Yue. I intend to bring you along for the mountain hunt this time."
Autumn Maple Town's mountain hunt was as the name suggests, a three-day hunting contest up at the Seven Star Mountain.
For anyone under twenty years of age, they are eligible for attendance regardless of status.
Unlike the mountain training Ling Yue went through before, this time they will be heading up to the peak area of the Seven Star Mountain where large numbers of wolves, tigers, jackals and other predatory beasts roamed the terrain. Those beasts came with astonishing strength and holds no contempt for human flesh that even a lower celestial martialist would find it difficult to escape if circled by a pack.
The mountain hunting contest was originally proposed by the mayor of the town to help train the younger generation, but ever since the rise of the Ye family and Song family in this region, the meaning of this excursion became different. Though not official, its widely recognized by the locals that whoever from each family caught the most beasts during the hunt, that family will earn the priority acquisition right to mine in the Seven Star Mountain.
This way around, the Autumn Maple Town hunt in particular became ever more so important for both family.
The specifics for Ling Yue in participating in the mountain hunt didn't take long to be settled. Along with her, there are four other respective children from the clan: Ye Saint, Ye Qing, and Ye Ning along with another child from a branch family.
Finally, on the day of the mountain hunting contest, Ling Yue was closing in at the foot of the Seven Star Mountain when she heard a loud commotion from the back.
Clamp-clamp-clamp
Just as she arrived at the bottom of the mountainous terrain, the galloping sound of hooves hitting the ground quickly caught up to her. Due to the heavy rain from yesterday, the road was very muddy so when the horses rushed over, poor Ling Yue became mud soaked due to the splattering.
A bit annoyed, Ling Yue looked up to find five evil looking young men on horseback, their chest area etched clearly with the emblem of the Song House.
The Song family again... Ling Yue grunted and calmly walked forward again.
On horseback, the youngsters from the Song family stampeded through the road without minding anyone's safety. Eventually, these hateful bastards arrived at the foot of the mountain where the members of the Ye family had long been waiting.
Seeing the fine looking Ye Ning (girl), one of the playboy teenagers clipped his horse's belly to ride over, his face proud while making his greeting.
"And here I was thinking who it might be. Keke, Ye Qing, I heard you lost to a mentally retarded girl. Can't believe you still have the face to participate in the mountain hunt." The teenager to come spout these ridiculing words was named Song Han, the second son of Song Mo Shi.
A famous villain, this man has been bullying and terrorizing the locals of the town by relying on his cultivation of being a sixth rank martialist.
Due to Ye Ning's fine facial features, this villainous character has been harassing the poor girl long before this excursion. And due to the fact that this Song Han was the second son of the main Song house, Ye Ning can only hide herself from his presence. But as misfortune would have it, the two have unexpectedly run into each other again on this mountain hunt.
"Song Han, who are you calling useless?" Ever since being defeated by Ling Yue, Ye Qing's been very bothered by this fact. Plus, Ye Qing's been secretly holding some feelings for Ye Ning, so having himself humiliated in front of his sweetheart made him feel even worse than ever.
"Eh, not happy too. Ye Qing, if it weren't for your sister's protection then you wouldn't even reach this point today. Ye Ning, I say you might as well stick with my group here than to stick with that group full trash and retards. Otherwise they will be nothing more than a burden and drag you down inside the mountain." Song Han frivolously reaches out his hand to caress Ye Ning's face.
Flustered, Ye Qing dashes forward out of urgency and sweeps away any obstacle in his way for the bastard and his horse.
Seeing this, Song Han dodges the attack with a somersault while pulling his horse along with him in mid-air. That level of gripping and arm power should be no less than three hundred to four hundred Jin!
(1 Jin = 0.9 pound)
Never thinking the foe had such capability, Ye Qing's face promptly turned pale, unsure what to do next.
"Garbage will always garbage, can't even match an animal." Song Han began to laugh loudly with clear contempt in his voice.
But it was at this very moment a flying rock smashed right into the horse's butt, sending the animal into a frenzy.
Panic stricken, the horse promptly began to jump around like mad, and due to the suddenness of all this, Song Han was tossed into the air and kicked several feet back by the horse's hind leg, landing in a mud pile as a result. Dirty and stained with mud and dirt, Song Han looked like a total mess.
"Who, who plotted against young master here!" Not fully aware of what happened just yet, Song Han furiously cried out.
"Oh, didn't you say people are garbage if they can't beat a single dumb girl? If so, then why are you for kneeling at me in a bowing position? Doesn't that make you lower than a piece of garbage?"
As soon as that voice died down, a pair of small exquisite looking boots came into Song Han's sight.