9 Chapter 9

Xiao's village head! Name one person as your village representative!" Officer Ai loses his bearing.

"Or your village will be charged with treason".

"Man! Spread the words about the charges to the villages. Let's see if they still want to hide." Officer Ci start to lose his calm.

Li Zian and the others in the village heard the announcement. Some of them scared so much and start telling the hideout of the hunters. Two hunters are found by the officers but that two hunters are already old. One of them is limp due to an injury. They cannot possibly ask those old hunters to go with them, they might die after a few walks.

Then, someone shout Li Zian's name. That person said Li Zian is a good hunter and venture deep into the forest. She is skillful enough to find horn fruit. The officer grabs Li Zian and brings her to the village head house.

Mother Qing and her sister-in-law try their best to protest but they unable to fight with the officer. Mother Qing shouted at the person that intentionally said Li Zian's name but that person runs away.

"Officer Ci and Officer Ai, this is Li Zian. The villagers told us that this girl is a good hunter."

Officer Ci and Officer Ai look at each other. This village is absurd. They dare to send a girl to them. Alright! You think do not dare to use a girl, ah!

"Xiao's village head, look like you still got a hunter, ah! Girl what is your name?"

Replying to officer, I am Li Zian." The head village want to interfere but Li Zian shakes her head towards him. The village head trust Li Zian, he knows she is a capable hunter even though she is still young. He sees a lot of things that she sold to Uncle Wang that can only be found in deep forest.

"Pack your things and ready to depart within one hour." Officer Ai smirk thinking that he has win but Officer Ci saw the interaction between Li Zian and the village head. He looks at Li Zian with curiosity.

Mother Qing and her sister-in-law is downcast. They want to get Father Qi and her eldest brother but Li Zian prevents them. The path towards the hideout is steep and full of thorny bush. After reassure her family, Li Zian walks out from her house. She gazes at her right side a shadow quickly runs away.

Li Zian's presence in group is very obvious. Well, she is the only girl in the team. The hunting team consist of fifty soldiers plus twenty-one local hunters that is seventy-one people. If you count third prince, Officer Ai, Officer Ci and ten attendances to serve his highness the third prince, we have eighty-four in the whole hunting team.

The hunting team is divided into three teams. The third prince is in the second team and their team is in the middle. Li Zian and the local hunters are thinking, 'Is the third prince going hunting or picnic? With those attendance and what with those robes?'

Li Zian is in the front team specially ordered by Officer Ci. He wants to see how good she is. The soldiers are not that happy to have a girl in their team but the local hunters did not mind it because they trust Xiao's village head judgement. Those soldiers did not know how crafty that old man so if he send Li Zian that means Li Zian is capable.

Right now, they already travelled for two weeks and the centre is still far but by the way they travel, they probably need a longer time to reach the centre.

"Brother Wei, we cannot go on like this. This group moves to slow. Plus, with all this noise it scares away the divine deer." Brother Rou whispers when the local hunters group together to have lunch.

"Yeah! We move when the sun up high and stops for lunch and tea for evening, this is...sigh!" Brother Shun also feels helpless.

Brother Wei is the leader that the local hunters choose to lead them and act as bridge with the soldier.

"I already discuss with Leader Fei but he gives priority to the third prince safety. He does not care whether the third prince get the divine deer or not."

"Tsk! That spoil prince. If he wants the divine deer so much, he should..."

"Shh! Leader Fei and Soldier Wen is here." Li Zian warn Brother Rou to stop talking. Li Zian jumps from the tree and stand beside Brother Wei. All the local hunters turn their head to the coming soldiers. Leader Fei and soldier Wen feels the pressure from the local hunters. They know that the local hunters are not satisfy with the journey pace. Leader Fei tells them that he already discusses with the third prince and he agrees to send one team to advance first. Ten people from local hunters and ten people from the soldiers.

During discussion Li Zian volunteer to join the advance team. She already fed up staying with the third prince. She has wasted a whole two weeks babysitting him. Brother Wei will stay and he choose the other nine people.

Twenty people moves quickly towards the centre. Their movement is quick, silent and full of cautious. The local hunters may not have any cultivation base but their strength is equivalent to level one or level two Qi Refinement. The soldiers are shocked seeing how good these hunters are and they are struggle to follow the hunters. Within three days, they already cover one week journey with third prince. They did not stop during the day and only stop at night. This level of intensity, the soldier found it a bit hard to follow. Only a bit... they feel that their pride is being trample.

In four days, the group arrive at the centre but they did not enter it. The centre is the place where demonic beast hangs up with each other. You can imagine what happen if they rashly barged in. The precious expedition failed because of these demonic beasts. They can feel the concentration of spiritual energy is thick at the centre. The centre seems to call for them. The allure of spiritual energy is too much for this ordinary hunters and soldiers. Only two soldiers with cultivation base and Li Zian manage to resist it.

Li Zian's voice wake all of them, "Look at your left. Is that the deer that the third prince looking for?"

Everyone turns their head toward the left of the centre. There, they sees a herd of deer.

"That it!" One of the soldiers pointed towards the herd, "The stag is the divine deer." Soldier Wen confirm it with a nod.

The stag looks normal. Not too big and not too small. The soldiers get excited, they start to unload their bow and wants to fire. Soldier Wen also starts to go forward. The local hunters know the dread of the centre. Brother Rou put his hand on Soldier Wen's shoulder to warn him.

"You asked for local hunters to help you people. This is our homefield."

"Hump! What do you know, Leader Wen once goes to a war?" The soldier refute. To them the local hunters are only needed to guide them. The other hunters did not show a pleasant face. A line form between the hunters and the soldiers.

"Suddenly..." Retreat!" Li Zian's warning echoes and the hunters follow her warning and retreat as fast as they can. The soldiers did not pay attention but when they realise it is already too late.

A black shadow moves towards Soldier Wen. He dodges the shadow and swiftly rolled to the ground. "Hiss!" Soldier Wen right arm is hurt. The soldiers are dumbfounded in front of them is a small squirrel. But it is this squirrel that harm their leader. The small squirrel is radiated with power. It is a demonic beast. Damn!

"Everyone backs off! Soldier Wen retreat quickly towards the hunters. The other soldiers follow their leader instruction. The squirrel did not follow them. It just let out a "Squeak!" and return to the centre.

"This centre is that divine deer territory. Once you targeted it those in the centre will retaliate." Li Zian said.

"Why did you not tell us earlier?" One of the soldiers went rage.

"Li Zian already told us to retreat. It is not her fault if none of you take time to listen." Brother Rou said with a stern voice.

Soldier Wen injury went worse. It only a small wound but it did not stop bleeding. They retreat towards their camp and Brother Rou give special paste to soldier Wen to stop the bleeding. That night, Brother Rou ask Soldier Wen how did the third prince found the divine deer? Soldier Wen tell them that the divine deer appear itself during the annual hunt last year. It come and take all the deer in the hunting ground and disappear. The emperor is interested and ask people to hunt it but none of them come alive. The third prince want to please the emperor so he gathers the people to hunt it.