Lord of the Desert

Chapter 71 Hunting
On the first day of December, in the afternoon.

It has been snowing for many days in the west of Liangzhou, and it is now taking a break.

On Mount Tai in the southeast of Jinhai City, a cloak-like layer of snow was draped from the top of the mountain to the foot of the mountain, washing away most of the variegated colors.

On the mountainside, a procession moved slowly like a long snake; among them, the people and horses moved with difficulty, like the scales of the long snake.

Hong Fan, wearing a thick jacket and leading a Bentley, walked in the middle of the team.

At the forefront, the people hired by the Li family are responsible for leading the way; in the middle are the children and servants of each family participating in the hunting.

After being trampled by hundreds of people, the fluffy snow has been trampled tightly, making it convenient for the carriage and sled pulled by the last packhorse of the team to pass.

"The hunting event is held once a year, and the date is not fixed, but it is always at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month; this year, there are more than 400 companies participating, with a total of more than [-] people."

Hong Sheng also led the horse and explained with ease.

"This time, the Li family will be the host. They will be responsible for selecting and leveling the camp in advance, and preparing dry firewood and charcoal."

"A few days before the start of the winter hunting, the hired hunters will besiege many times to drive the herds into the hunting grounds; the first is to ensure that everyone will not return empty-handed, and the second is to prevent too dangerous animals in the hunting area. "

At this time, the cold wind rolled over, diluting the human voice.

Hong Ping led the two new hounds, tightened his leather cap, and was uncharacteristically reticent.

"It's snowing so much, and it's in the mountains. I think it will cost a lot of money to come to Li's house?"

Hong Fan asked freely.

As a martial artist who penetrates the realm and also practiced Yanliu Kungfu, his posture in the ice and snow is far more stretched than Hong Ping.

"It's not too much, about one or two thousand taels. It's mainly hired hunters and civilian husbands, as well as the lottery for preparation."

On the side, a stocky young man with a beard replied.

"Participating in the hunt are all the most outstanding children of the major families in the city, middle and countryside. If the lottery is too cheap, it will weaken the dignity of the rotating boss."

"Based on the practice of these years, the three surnames are the hosts of the hunting party."

His name is Hong She, he is 22 years old, and he has cultivated the Twelve Paths of the Penetration Realm. He is the best among the younger generation of the Hong family after Hong Sheng.

A total of ten people from the Hong family came this time - four with the Hong surname and six servants.

Among them, the three elders can be said to stand out, only Hong Ping relies on his background, and he is regarded as a master in the eyes of everyone.

"The story of being a hunter has been passed down for generations."

Hong Sheng answered the question.

"I heard that when the snake people had the upper hand in the past, every time there was a military disaster, the clan would arrange for the old and the weak to leave the city and enter the mountains. When life was difficult, they mostly relied on hunting to maintain themselves, so being able to hunt is also a commemoration."

As he spoke, he glanced at the line stretching hundreds of meters behind him, seeing many healthy horses and hounds with shiny fur, and the last dozen or so carriages that were extremely tightly covered, he laughed again.

"Of course, it is said to be a commemoration, but it is actually more of a social pleasure-every year there is such an event, and the friendship between the families in and out of Jinhai will not fade."

He looked away, and the smile in his words faded.

"It's money well spent."

Hong Fan interjected, and Hong She also nodded.

The wind around the mountain like an ice knife howled again, and after hitting the wall several times against the three successful young masters of Yanliu, they desperately caught the only inner vision to bully.

Hong Ping flinched slightly and held the hound tighter.

Eighty percent of his acupoints have been opened up in his first serious meridian, and he will be able to reach the penetrating state in a month or so at most.

It is said that at the age of just sixteen, the talent is not bad.

However, it's just a comparison.

Just half a year ago, Hong Ping was able to beat Hong Fan with martial arts in ethnology.

But now seeing Hong Sheng and Hong She's equal attitude towards the latter, he understands how far away he is from each other.

Maybe even further.

Against the wind pressure, the team crossed the ridge.

Hong Fanyun used his true energy to disperse the oncoming ice stream, and suddenly heard an exclamation from the front.

He turned his vision sideways and saw that there was a storm on the opposite mountain across the valley, with heavy snow flakes rolling and rolling, overwhelming mountains and seas.

At a glance, it looks like an ice dragon stretching its teeth and claws, engulfing the forest along the foothills.

The team stopped for a while, and the surroundings fell silent.

After everyone stared at it for more than ten seconds, they heard the whistling sound that seemed hollow because of the distance, slapping against their ears layer by layer like tides.

Hong Fan unconsciously slowed down his breathing, and his scalp felt numb.

The power of heaven and earth passed, and the long snake-like queue started again.

At about Shen Shizheng ([-]:[-] p.m.), the hunting team of hundreds of people arrived at the camp pre-selected by the Li family.

This is a flat and open valley next to the forest farm, with white mountains on both sides.

Based on Hong Fan's physical sense, the temperature was about twenty degrees below zero.

The sleds and carriages were scattered and stopped, and the horses, including Bentley, were locked in a wooden shed that had been set up in advance, snuggling up to each other for warmth.

The heavy snow that had stopped for a long time suddenly started to fall again.

The camp locations of each family were assigned in advance, and the Hong family's camp was naturally in the center of the camp.

The servants started to build tents against the snow, while Zheng Fuqu and the girls from various families who got out of the carriage and were wrapped up like rice dumplings looked around curiously with their hands in their hands.

With them as the center, the princes and young masters who were not alive in their eyes also surrounded them one after another.

Du Hongfan stayed where he was.

He watched as six servants hauled the sleds in, took off the shovels and worked hard to smooth the snow.

When the snow was compacted, the four-meter-long and palm-width planks were spread horizontally, creating a space of more than [-] square meters.

The servants first installed a special iron stove in the center, and then unloaded the seven or eight-meter-long lacquered wood poles, tied the tops with ropes, one every half a meter, and gathered a conical tent skeleton.

When Hong Fan saw this, it was like seeing a wood-burning earthen stove in the countryside when he was a child. He felt extremely hot and wanted to go forward to help.

The servants naturally declined, especially Mr. Tang, who had just moved into Asahi Courtyard, was even more frightened.

With Aunt Liu's love for her young master, if she knew that Mr. Tang made Hong Fan do rough work, she might not give him a good face for many days.

But if the servants don't want to, how can they overcome the master's insistence on going his own way.

"Okay, old Tang, are you not listening to the announcement?!"

After a few hard words came out, Big Tang had no choice but to droop his bushy eyebrows and give up the work in his hand.

"Young master, this iron pipe should be connected to the stove to produce smoke..."

Hong Fan took off his gloves, and while listening to the explanation of the people below, he held a custom-made iron pipe and pressed it on the stove, and it passed through the top of the tent frame to serve as a chimney.

After the main structure is completed, people tie the crossbars as beams.

And finally the "wall" of the tent.

"This big fur felt has two layers, one is deerskin and the other is sheepskin. They have been dried repeatedly before being loaded into the car..."

Tang Dagu explained, instructing the young master to lift the fan-shaped felt to the top of the tent with an eight-meter-long pole.

The felt is extremely heavy, and several people were required to operate it, but with Hong Fan's physical fitness far beyond ordinary people, it was a breeze.

Then, others went around to the opposite side, and tied the rope on the top of the felt to the bottom of the pole on the other side to fix it.

Lay the multi-layered fur blankets on wooden boards, then put on the prepared bedding, and finally compact the edge of the tent with snow...

Sitting cross-legged in the tent, Hong Fan watched the servants make the final inspection carefully, filled with a sense of accomplishment from labor.

But he soon discovered that there were only four bunks in total.

(End of this chapter)