The sharp claws missed, and the Dragon Patterned Cub opened its gaping maw, snapping at Xiao Muyu’s head.
WHOOSH! Just then, an arrow, swift as lightning, shot out, brutally striking the Dragon Patterned Cub’s wound. It detonated on impact, sending the cub flying.
BOOM! The Dragon Patterned Cub’s body slammed into a nearby tree trunk, snapping it, before falling heavily to the ground.
Critically wounded by the arrow, the Dragon Patterned Cub seemed to realize these two humans were formidable opponents. It scrambled to its feet and staggered towards the depths of the dense forest.
"Don’t let it escape!" Xiao Muyu exclaimed hurriedly.
"Don’t worry, it won’t get far." Ling Chen had measured his shot carefully; that arrow possessed just enough force—not fatal, but enough to prevent the Dragon Patterned Cub from running far.
However, just then, a series of sharp whooshing sounds suddenly echoed in quick succession. Three Divine Mechanism Arrows appeared, streaking from the distance to ruthlessly strike the Dragon Patterned Cub.
BANG! BANG! BANG! The three Divine Mechanism Arrows exploded sequentially, dealing a fatal blow to the already heavily injured Dragon Patterned Cub.
Immediately afterward, a figure on a black horse charged out, slashing his sword towards the Dragon Patterned Cub’s neck. The fierce Sword Light severed its windpipe.
With its windpipe severed, the Dragon Patterned Cub’s entire body trembled. It struggled to its feet, thrashed about in the woods for a moment, and finally collapsed, dead.
Blood sprayed everywhere, staining the ground and creating a gruesome scene.
The figure on the black horse was splattered with blood. It was none other than the Fourth Prince, Ying Wuqing.
"This bastard." Victory was within her grasp, but Ying Wuqing had unexpectedly intervened. Xiao Muyu’s pretty face darkened, and she grew pale with rage.
"Congratulations, Your Highness, the Fourth Prince." At this time, a few more figures emerged from the woods—Royal family members. Ouyang Ming and Zhang Zhenwu, whom they had seen earlier, were among them.
"Fourth Prince, this Dragon Patterned Cub was our prey," Xiao Muyu said gravely. "Your sudden intervention was a bit much, wasn’t it?"
"Heh, so what?" Ying Wuqing sneered. "You couldn’t kill the Dragon Patterned Cub and let it run right in front of me. Am I not allowed to make a move? Even if I were to give it to you now, would you have the gall to accept it?"
"Exactly. In the hunting grounds, the prey belongs to whoever kills it. The process is unimportant," Ouyang Ming and Zhang Zhenwu chimed in.
"Damn it!" Seeing their vile expressions, Xiao Muyu was about to charge forward, but Ling Chen held her back.
"Forget it, let them have it."
"What?" Xiao Muyu was incredulous. Ling Chen... is he actually choosing to swallow his anger?
"These gentlemen have taught us a lesson: whoever kills the prey, owns it. The process doesn’t matter." A glint flashed in Ling Chen’s eyes. He then waved at Xiao Muyu and said, "Let’s go."
Although reluctant, Xiao Muyu saw Ling Chen had made up his mind, so she could only suppress her anger and follow him.
"Heh, coward." The mockery on Ying Wuqing’s face intensified. Seeing Ling Chen back down before him filled him with an indescribable sense of pleasure.
"This Ling Chen truly has an undeserved reputation." Ouyang Ming watched Ling Chen’s retreating figure, his own face etched with scorn.
"This so-called number one genius of the Martial World has long lost his former valor. He has nothing now. With what can he possibly contend against the Fourth Prince?" Zhang Zhenwu also shook his head, looking extremely disappointed in Ling Chen.
"You’re both right." Ying Wuqing ordered his men to skin and debone the Dragon Patterned Cub on the ground, collecting valuable materials from its carcass. With a feigned helpless expression, he sighed, "I didn’t want to use my status to pressure him. But this Ling Chen, a fellow with no backing, always tries to compete with me. I had no choice but to teach him a lesson, to make him understand who he can afford to offend and who he absolutely cannot."
As he spoke, the coldness in Ying Wuqing’s eyes didn’t diminish in the slightest. He wasn’t done settling scores with Ling Chen yet.
Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu walked for a while before stopping, not having gone too far.
"Are you wondering why I yielded to Ying Wuqing?" Ling Chen looked at Xiao Muyu. He knew perfectly well how upset she must be with his earlier actions.
"Yes." Xiao Muyu stared coldly at Ling Chen. "Has a mere Fourth Prince made you, Ling Chen, the great genius, cower? If so, I’ve truly misjudged you."
"Do you really think I backed down because I feared the Fourth Prince’s power?" Ling Chen smiled faintly. "If that were true, why would I have offended him back in Wucheng?"
"Then why did you do it?" Xiao Muyu wasn’t a fool; she had merely been blinded by anger. Hearing Ling Chen’s words, she began to realize he wasn’t the type of person to act out of fear.
"We wanted a *living* Dragon Patterned Cub. What use is a dead one to us? Ying Wuqing killed the cub of a Dragon-patterned Leopard; I suspect he’ll soon bring disaster upon himself."
An enigmatic smile touched Ling Chen’s lips, and Xiao Muyu instantly understood his meaning.
Indeed. Ying Wuqing has gotten himself into serious trouble. A furious Dragon-patterned Leopard awaits him.
"We can head back now. I believe we won’t have to wait long." A profoundly meaningful smile spread across Ling Chen’s face.
Xiao Muyu nodded. It seemed there would be quite a show to watch next.
"Fourth Prince, the Dragon Patterned Cub’s carcass has been taken care of," Ouyang Ming and Zhang Zhenwu reported, cupping their hands in salute to Ying Wuqing.
"Good. You’ve both worked hard." Ying Wuqing nodded. He wasn’t a fool; he knew that failing to clean the site properly could easily attract the Dragon-patterned Leopard from the deeper parts of the hunting grounds.
"Fourth Prince, what should we do next?" Ouyang Ming inquired.
"Naturally, we leave this place. Let my imperial elder brother and Ling Chen’s group deal with the Dragon-patterned Leopard. Ideally, they’ll wear each other down, and we can then seize the opportunity, like a fisherman reaping the spoils." A calculating glint flashed in Ying Wuqing’s eyes.
"The Fourth Prince is brilliant!" The two men’s eyes lit up. Ying Wuqing was indeed a master schemer.
However, just as they were preparing to leave, an enraged roar suddenly erupted from deep within the forest. A silver flash, like a bolt of lightning, shot out. The incredibly violent aura it exuded instantly whipped up fierce gales throughout the woods.
"Is that... the Dragon-patterned Leopard?" Ouyang Ming and Zhang Zhenwu’s faces turned pale with horror. Judging by its demeanor, the creature was utterly enraged.
"Damn it, how did it find us?" Disbelief covered Ying Wuqing’s face. He had ensured the Dragon Patterned Cub’s carcass was thoroughly cleaned up. How could the Dragon-patterned Leopard have tracked them?
"Fourth Prince, the blood on you!" Ouyang Ming suddenly shrieked, staring at Ying Wuqing.
Hearing this, Ying Wuqing looked down sharply. His clothes were stained with viscous, fresh blood. His expression changed drastically. Damn it! He was still covered in the Dragon Patterned Cub’s blood!
The Dragon-patterned Leopard had followed the scent of blood... which meant he had become its primary target!