Chapter 1153: Chapter 724 Hunting Deer

Under the Yellow Luo Umbrella,

locking eyes with that turbid gaze, Xu Yinhe’s voice was somber and resolute:

“Your Majesty, this humble servant still has duties yet unfulfilled. This time, forgive me for being unable to accompany Your Majesty.”

Li Yaoxuan’s frail body trembled ever so slightly. Narrowing his eyes, he replied with a smile:

“But I must see to it that unfinished duties are brought to completion.”

Upon hearing this,

Xu Yinhe slowly lowered his gaze, kneeling with composure, his eyes closing as he rested his spirit, uttering just two words:

“As you wish.”

“……”

Silence followed his words.

A palpable killing intent hung in the air, distorting the surrounding space ever so subtly.

Ran Jianli squinted, his grin spreading as he chuckled softly under his breath.

He made no move, merely watching as these two men, who had spent their lives fighting for a shared ideal, now clashed at what seemed to be the end of their road.

But truth be told, Ran Jianli couldn’t quite understand why Xu Yinhe dared to step forward alone at such a critical moment.

The Emperor’s invitation to this Northern Hunt, no matter how one looked at it, was nothing short of a Hongmen Banquet orchestrated by the Imperial Family. A banquet aimed squarely at the leaders of the Sect Alliance and the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Ran Jianli’s willingness to attend this dangerously precarious feast stemmed from political necessity.

He needed to discern whether the Emperor’s dying act would be to strike against the Prime Minister’s Mansion or the Sect Alliance. Furthermore, he needed the prestige of fearlessly attending this sharp-edged meeting to cement his position within the Sect Alliance.

Still, long before setting out for Di’an, Ran Jianli had already mentally prepared himself for the possibility of death.

Yet Xu Yinhe’s situation was altogether different…

For Ran Jianli, his life was expendable when it came to the Sect Alliance, but Xu Yinhe was irreplaceable within the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Although both were leaders of their respective factions, Ran Jianli was more of a voice of authority than a true sect master. Without him, the Sect Alliance might plunge into brief chaos but would ultimately remain operational and appoint a new leader to helm its efforts.

But if the Prime Minister’s Mansion were to lose Xu Yinhe, its centralized system might still function in the short term, but beyond that, the challenges it would face would go far beyond mere disorder, likely descending into outright collapse.

The fact that Xu Yinhe dared to attend this feast…

Was it because of that wretched brat, Xu Yuan?

On this point, Ran Jianli could not make a judgment.

Unpalatable as it was to admit, Xu Changtian was indeed an extraordinary and unpredictable scoundrel.

But even an existence as extraordinary as him couldn’t possibly rise to a position to succeed Xu Yinhe in such a short span of time.

While the Prime Minister’s Mansion infiltrated the Sect Alliance, the Sect Alliance was simultaneously eroding the Prime Minister’s Mansion. From this, Ran Jianli, as the Sect Alliance leader, deeply understood the monumental requirements for securing the mantle of the Prime Minister’s Mansion Master.

It would be no exaggeration to say that if he, Ran Jianli, were to suddenly take up the position of the Prime Minister’s Mansion Master, he likely wouldn’t even be able to begin emulating Xu Yinhe’s mastery in the short term.

Lost in thought,

Ran Jianli gradually reined in his wandering emotions and, with a laugh, broke the tense deadlock between the two:

“Your Majesty, Prime Minister, if we have no intention of striking here and now, shall we begin the hunt?”

Ran Jianli could sense the tension between the two men, their energies locked in combat, yet he did not for a moment believe they had truly fallen out beyond repair.

Bluffs and falsehoods—who among them couldn’t employ such tactics?

Yes, the Sect Alliance was rife with internal strife over vested interests, but to think a few words or the death of several thousand soldiers could lure the Sect Alliance into believing that the Emperor and Prime Minister had broken ties? That would be an insult to the collective intelligence of all under heaven.

To convince the Sect Alliance of an Imperial-Prime Ministerial rift, some tangible evidence would need to be produced. At the very least, Emperor Li Yaoxuan would need to kill the Prime Minister here and now, wouldn’t he?

Yet after so much posturing, no action was taken—just a staring match, standing idle in this silent impasse…

All seasoned tacticians, posturing as cunning yet naive wolves—what was the point?

Amid the silence,

Li Yaoxuan took a long, deep breath before exhaling it as a misty white vapor:

“Prime Minister, your words make it seem as if I intended to have you buried with me.”

“…..”

As Ran Jianli had anticipated, Li Yaoxuan did not act. However, this forbearance of action served as a troubling signal for him.

Of the three present, if the Emperor did not strike at the Prime Minister, then who else could his target be?

Though, of course, nothing was ever absolute.

Xu Yinhe’s move to attend this feast alone was far too enigmatic.

With the cunning of this old fox, it was inconceivable that he lacked a fallback plan for what was essentially a suicidal maneuver.

With this thought,

Ran Jianli cast a subtle glance at Li Yaoxuan.

Perhaps… the Emperor was waiting for Xu Yinhe to reveal his cards.

It remained to be seen what means Li Yaoxuan would employ to force Xu Yinhe’s fallback into the open.

Losing himself in contemplation,

Li Yaoxuan suddenly clapped his hands, speaking loudly:

“Grand Chamberlain, bring forth the Auspicious Beast.”

“Oh? What kind of beast is it?” Ran Jianli asked.

Li Yaoxuan smiled in response: “The Glacial Snow Deer.”

With those words,

Eunuch Nie brought forth a white deer to the side of the Emperor’s Palace.

Its coat gleamed like crystal glass, its pupils shone like tranquil lakes, and it emitted an iridescent glow. Walking as though treading on air, its every step stirred cyclones that summoned a gentle drizzling rain.

At the sight of this beast, a trace of astonishment flickered across Ran Jianli’s face:

“This truly is a rare creature.”

The Glacial Snow Deer resonated with the heavens and earth. Wherever it ventured, treasured earthly resources often appeared. Upon maturity, it naturally possessed a cultivation akin to the Primordial Realm, yet its temperament was docile, disinclined toward harm. Even against would-be hunters, it merely summoned gales to sweep them away.

As a result, the Glacial Snow Deer had become a symbol of auspicious offerings among the highest echelons of the Imperial Court.

Li Yaoxuan offered a faint smile, rising from his prayer mat.

Xu Yinhe opened his eyes and asked calmly:

“Your Majesty, are we to hunt this deer on this day?”

Ran Jianli chuckled wryly:

“The Glacial Snow Deer commands Yang Wind, treading without a trace. For us, wouldn’t hunting it be far too simple?”

The hunt was typically an opportunity for the younger generation to showcase their prowess. For three Supreme Saints, even a Primordial-Realm Auspicious Beast, let alone a Mortal Transcendence-level Demonic Beast, was nothing more than a single arrow’s challenge.

“Do not be so hasty, State Preceptor.”

Li Yaoxuan gave a faint smile, retrieving an ancient wooden bow from his Sumeru Ring, and said, “Our cultivation makes hunting this beast far too easy. Thus, we shall use this bow to add some difficulty.”

Ran Jianli raised his eyebrows, a spark of interest flashing as his gaze swept over the wooden bow’s materials:

“A mundane bow with a strength of only two stone?”

Li Yaoxuan nodded, elaborating on the rules:

“One must use this bow’s power without shattering it. As for the means, they are open to interpretation.”

With this,

he glanced at Xu Yinhe, who remained expressionless, and inquired:

“Prime Minister, what are your thoughts?”

Xu Yinhe deliberated briefly before asking:

“Are there arrows prepared?”

“Of course,” Li Yaoxuan replied nonchalantly, tossing three plain, headless, featherless wooden sticks onto the ground, where they rolled several feet before stopping under their gaze.

“…..”

Ran Jianli narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at this.

Mundane materials could not withstand Origin Qi. While Sacred Origin was an exception, using it excessively would also cause such materials to break.

Using this wooden bow to hunt the Glacial Snow Deer required imbuing Sacred Origin evenly and meticulously into every fiber of the bow, while simultaneously infusing the wooden stick with lethal Sacred Qi.

When Ran Jianli’s Will-spirit swept over the Glacial Snow Deer below the palace, he discovered its Origin Qi already rivaled Mortal Transcendence.

Sensing this, Ran Jianli couldn’t help but frown slightly.

As a creature of inherent speed, surrounded by protective Yang Wind capable of deflecting any physical arrow, attempting to kill a Mortal Transcendence-level Glacial Snow Deer with a mundane bow bordered on sheer fantasy.

He couldn’t do it.

With that realization, Ran Jianli’s pupils contracted faintly.

The Emperor—

Was he trying to gauge Xu Yinhe’s cultivation?

Reflexively, Ran Jianli glanced at the black-robed middle-aged man just a few feet away, his eyes brimming with heightened vigilance.

Li Yaoxuan knew Xu Yinhe better than anyone.

For him to do this, one could only assume he believed Xu Yinhe capable of the feat.

If so,

how unfathomable must Xu Yinhe’s cultivation truly be?

Ran Jianli dared not expand upon the implications.

For if this speculation held true,

he might finally understand why the Prime Minister dared to attend alone.

But the notion was almost too absurd to entertain.

Taking a deep breath, Ran Jianli suggested:

“Prime Minister, why don’t you go first?”

Li Yaoxuan echoed his sentiment:

“Yinhe, it has been over twenty years since I last saw you in action. Shall we give you the honors for the first shot?”

With both pairs of eyes upon him,

Xu Yinhe’s profound, unfathomable black pupils betrayed no emotion. Slowly, he brushed his hand over his black robes and rose unhurriedly from his prayer mat:

“It appears I have no choice.”

Li Yaoxuan handed the wooden bow to his old comrade with a smile:

“Proof is a necessity, after all.”

[Prove that you, Xu Yinhe, possess the power to break through an army formation alone.]

The dagger hidden within the map was laid bare.

Just as Xu Yinhe understood him, Li Yaoxuan understood his old confidant equally well.

This confidant had clung to their original aspirations resolutely, but achieving those aspirations required Imperial collaboration. Thus, despite knowing full well the banquet was a trap laid against him, this confidant still came as promised.

Now,

despite the life-or-death nature of this test, Xu Yinhe once again had no choice but to take it.

To refuse,

would be to instantly invite the Emperor, the State Preceptor, and tens of thousands of soldiers to turn upon him in an encircling slaughter.

Whether or not he could break through the encirclement,

it would result in the permanent fracturing of the Emperor-Prime Minister alliance.

Xu Yinhe could only meet the test head-on, shooting the Mortal Transcendence-level Glacial Snow Deer with the wooden bow,

proving his strength,

proving he could burst through an encirclement solo. Only then would this banquet lose its edge and turn temporarily benign.

But only temporarily.

This was Li Yaoxuan’s first trial for Xu Yinhe as his own end approached.

Its purpose, to assess the true depths of the Dayan Prime Minister’s cultivation, was to prepare for the ultimate plan for a complete betrayal.

Did Xu Yinhe understand this intention?

He undoubtedly did.

Yet he had no alternative.

For the sake of his lifelong ideals.

Li Yaoxuan exhaled a quiet sigh from deep within his heart.

This Northern Hunt, at its core, was nothing more than the purposeful and merciless trampling of both their ideals by his hand…

In the silence,

Eunuch Nie cut the tether binding the Glacial Snow Deer. In an instant, the white deer leapt into the air, transforming into a streak of light that bolted like lightning toward the Imperial Dragon Mountain Forest.

Xu Yinhe took the wooden bow without a word, summoning a slender wooden stick. A terrifying aura began to emanate from his form, spreading wide and suffocating.

And at that precise moment,

thunderclouds gathered across the Sky Dome,

transforming into an epic maelstrom. Fierce gales swept the landscape,

as a massive, spiraling storm’s eye—colossal like a firmament-commanding giant—came into view…

Sensing the intimidating presence bearing down on him, Xu Yinhe’s face remained neutral, his fingertips calmly drawing the arrow into place.

The bow’s body arched, its string tautly drawn,

as a vortex of atmospheric force swept a hundred meters in every direction.

Just as the breathtaking arrow was about to be released from the string,

three urgent messages rang out simultaneously from the storm-laden horizon—

“Prime Minister! The Third Young Master has submitted the Immortal Tax proposal to the court…”

“Your Majesty! The Crown Prince has aligned with the Prime Minister’s Mansion, using the Imperial Jade Seal without authorization…”

And lastly,

“Sect Master, run!!!!”