The Xiongnu Tribe of the Northern Region, even the maidservants can tame wild horses. However, during this time, even the best wild horses find it difficult to come and go due to the crowd. Wang Anfeng was led by a maid into the royal tent, only to wait in the outermost layer.
Around him, there were many others, all musicians with elaborate clothing. Evidently, those who could serve as musicians at this time were of no low status, perhaps even from noble families of the steppe.
Although the royal tent was a tent, it actually covered a vast area.
The space inside was enough to accommodate more than a thousand people.
The only difference from the palaces of the Central Plains' imperial family was that this royal tent could be dismantled and moved. However, to transport this great tent would require a hundred strong men and a thousand yaks; even the support structures were made from ironwood that had grown for over a hundred years.
Such plants didn't exist on the steppe, and yet, there was no shortage of ironwood used here.
Wang Anfeng casually looked at the scenes he had never seen before. Suddenly, many people entered through the door, bringing in a rush of cold wind. They were Jianghu people, experts delegated by various Western Region sects, all extraordinary talents, wielding weapons that exuded a faint, sharp chill, clearly not of ordinary quality.
Among them, surrounded by the crowd, was a young woman in her early twenties.
She held a sword, long and slender, with blooming roses and seven stars arranged on the blade.
Wang Anfeng's gaze fell on the woman, and instead of any romantic thoughts, his mind was filled with a bloody taste—the blood-soaked soil, the badly cooked horse meat by the campfire in the dark night, the blooming roses on the face and back of a young boy.
He murmured in his heart.
Rose Snow, Feng Zhanfang.
Clad in a dark red horse-face pleated skirt, with a lotus-colored top, holding a sword in her right hand, her brows and eyes were clear, her smile full. She was more like a refined lady than a swordswoman, but compared to the usual refined ladies, she had an extra hint of heroic spirit, perfectly mixing feminine charm with Jianghu's heroism.
As she tilted her head to speak with a young man, a few strands of hair hung over her fair and graceful neck, tugging at people's heartstrings.
At this moment, countless young men unknowingly gulped.
After this group passed by, a plump-faced musician next to him stroked his greasy little mustache and murmured with a sigh:
"Beauty can cause the downfall of cities, that saying is indeed true."
Wang Anfeng withdrew his gaze and asked:
"What do you mean by that?"
The musician, seeing Wang Anfeng's apparent interest, gestured toward the front.
"Do you see that hairpin?"
Wang Anfeng looked in the direction he indicated.
Feng Zhanfang's black hair was held in a bun, adorned with a white jade hairpin. The jade was clear like sycamore wood, with a flying phoenix, lifelike, clearly the work of an expert, with intricate craftsmanship, and even a faint qi mechanism flowing through it.
The musician was slightly surprised:
"Oh? Didn't expect you to know a bit about it."
"Since you recognize that as Kunlun Jade, it makes it easier to explain."
"There's an old Immortal in the Kunlun Mountains who hasn't taken action for decades; no one knows how profound his martial arts are. In recent years, this type of jade has nearly disappeared as no one dares venture there to find it. Rarity makes it precious. Moreover, that hairpin was once the beloved belonging of an imperial princess, a proud creation of a renowned master."
"Later, it drifted out, swept into the Northern Frontier during the disasters of the Central Plains, changed hands several times, and whoever possessed it was undoubtedly extraordinary."
"And now, it's in the hands of that Jianghu woman. Tsk tsk tsk."
"She's only been here for a short while..."
The musician clicked his tongue and chuckled softly, leaving much unsaid. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novęlfire.net
Wang Anfeng nodded in understanding.
Kunlun Jade is one of the finest types of jade in the world.
Ordinary jade is valued for its material.
But this type of jade is different. Its characteristics are identified not by the translucence and clarity of its exterior but by the qi mechanism hidden within, faint yet genuinely existent. While a Grandmaster's qi mechanism is like snow clouds over a thousand miles, the qi mechanism in these jades is akin to falling snowflakes.
Even so, it greatly benefits the bodies of martial artists and ordinary people.
There are three places in the world where the source of Heaven and Earth's qi mechanism converges. Legend has it, these are the nodes where all Heaven and Earth's qi mechanism circulates.
Mount Buzhou, Kunlun Mountains, and the Jade Pot of the Northern Region's sacred mountain.
Kunlun Jade is produced from the Kunlun Mountains; a stone from another mountain can refine jade, and that's Kunlun Jade.
The plump and greasy musician adjusted his strings, murmuring:
"But in this chaotic world, even six or seven emperors have died, not to mention princesses."
"In turbulent times, human lives are worthless, and princesses even less so."
"Better for them to die early."
The hunt lasts for seven days.
Today's prelude banquet, strictly speaking, isn't considered part of the hunt; the true feast begins after five days of hunting and contests have concluded. In past years, the Khan King would lead the leaders of the great tribes in his domain, along with the bravest young warriors, on a hunt outside.
The Princess Consort would stay in the royal tent, preparing the evening banquet.
With the passing of the Dichi Khan King, things have become somewhat complicated, the twists and turns beyond outsiders' understanding; neither the Princess Consort nor the Khan King's legitimate sons appeared this time.
There were many Jianghu people, which upon reflection makes sense; if there were truly many nobles present, no matter how spoiled and willful the Northern Xiongnu King's daughter might be, she wouldn't allow someone like Wang Anfeng, with no real status, to participate.
However, the noblewoman was still among them.
With a full smile, her face was filled with a lighthearted expression, likely having already greeted her good friend.