The next day, he rode out towards the southern mountains with several young officials of similar standing.
There were indeed many prey animals on the mountain, and the few of them were very excited.
"Hunting together like this is so boring. Let's split up and see who can catch the most prey, and the rarest ones." Young Master Li suggested.
"Are there any stakes?" Young Master Liu clearly agreed with their proposal.
"How about I use the bow in my hand as the stake? What do you all think? This was given to me by my grandfather, and it has been used on the battlefield to kill enemies." Young Master Wu raised the bow in his hand for everyone to see clearly. His grandfather was a Zhenguo General, who had earned his rank through actual military achievements.
"That sounds wonderful." What man doesn't have the patriotic fervor of serving the country with loyalty? Yet, they also knew that with their skills, they would only be cannon fodder on the battlefield, and their families would not allow them to take such risks.
Everyone separated. Jiang Chen, with his guards, headed east. They encountered many animals along the way, and everyone quickly drew their bows and shot arrows. Although they caught many prey animals, they were all very common rabbits and pheasants, neither rare nor large.
Suddenly, a sika deer appeared not far from Jiang Chen. He immediately drew his bow excitedly, but the sika deer narrowly missed his arrow.
Since childhood, Jiang Chen had a competitive spirit, always striving for first place, and hunting was no exception.
No matter what, he was determined to capture the sika deer today. He urged his horse and kept pace with the sika deer, occasionally shooting an arrow.
Completely engrossed in hunting, he didn't notice that the surrounding environment had changed. Unknowingly, he had ventured deep into the mountains, and his guards, who always protected him, were now nowhere to be seen.
Seeing that the sika deer had finally tired and was drinking water by a stream, Jiang Chen, with a smug expression, cautiously drew his bow and fired three arrows in rapid succession.
Finally, one arrow hit the sika deer's vital spot. Seeing the sika deer fall, he excitedly dismounted, intending to claim his prize.
Just as his hand was about to touch the sika deer, he suddenly heard a "whoosh" sound. Before his brain could react, his body had already rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging several arrows, and he quickly scrambled behind a large tree.
Hiding behind the tree, Jiang Chen finally noticed the changes around him. It seemed he was in for a tough fight today, and he immediately braced himself with full concentration.
Soon, more than a dozen figures in black, each with their faces masked and holding swords, rushed out of the woods towards him.
Seeing their hostile intent, Jiang Chen quickly drew his soft sword from his waist. His slightly trembling hands betrayed his current tension. Although he had been meticulously trained by the Marquis himself, and the Marquis's manor had invested all its resources into teaching him, it was, in fact, his first time facing such a real combat situation. Moreover, without any assistance, a single mistake could cost him his life.
The enemies were already upon him. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and charged to meet them.
Although Jiang Chen was initially overwhelmed due to his lack of practical combat experience, suffering multiple cuts, he was undoubtedly intelligent. After a few rounds, he found weaknesses in his enemies' defenses, and soon the situation improved significantly.
The leader of the black-clad figures frowned and gave an order to end the fight quickly.
Jiang Chen soon discovered that the enemies' attacks were becoming more fierce, his wounds were increasing, and sweat soaked his back.
As time passed, Jiang Chen grew more desperate, feeling that he would perish today. He hadn't even ascended to the position of heir apparent, nor had he become the Marquis yet, and he didn't want to die.
While his mind was wandering, Jiang Chen tried his best to resist. Seeing a saber coming towards him, he quickly grabbed a sword he had taken during the fight to block it.
Evidently, the opponent had put all their strength into this blow. Jiang Chen felt his hand go numb, and he suspected it had bled.
At the same time, the leader of the black-clad figures struck again from above. Jiang Chen had no time to dodge and instinctively closed his eyes, believing he was doomed.
He heard the clash of swords and imagined the pain that followed, but it didn't come. Jiang Chen immediately opened his eyes and saw his guards arriving, gaining a decisive advantage. He felt a wave of relief and slumped onto the ground weakly.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, the black-clad figures quickly retreated, vanishing into the forest.
When Jiang Chen was carried back to the manor, Yun Duo and Madam Huang were startled. Madam Huang, seeing Jiang Chen covered in blood, fainted directly. Although she hated Jiang Chen's womanizing ways, she didn't want to be a widow.
In fact, Yun Duo wasn't much better. He forced himself to instruct the servants to fetch a doctor and managed the manor in an orderly fashion.
He stayed by his son's side and, upon learning that his son, while looking terrifying, was not critically injured, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He was determined to supervise the servants to take good care of his son, as recovery from severe injuries took a hundred days, and he must be well-nurtured to avoid any sequelae.
Marquis Jiang Yu was inspecting agricultural affairs when he saw someone in Marquis's manor attire running towards him from a distance. He knew something had happened at the manor, as they would not disturb him under normal circumstances.
"Marquis, something has happened. The young master is injured, and Madam asks you to return immediately." Upon hearing that the young master was injured, Jiang Yu's ears buzzed, and his mind went blank. His son, whom he held so dear, was injured. Without asking the reason for the injury, he galloped back to the manor.
When he arrived at his son's bedside, dust-covered and weary, he saw his son covered in blood. His hands trembled slightly, wanting to touch him but afraid of causing him pain.
"Marquis, do not worry. Your son is not critically injured, only superficial wounds," Yun Duo said quickly, seeing his appearance.
"If I find out who injured my son, I will skin them and dismember them," Jiang Yu said through gritted teeth after inquiring about the incident.
"Investigate for me, investigate thoroughly. I want to see who dares to harm my son." As he spoke, the steward immediately made arrangements.
Within just one afternoon, there were some leads.
"Marquis, please see. This is the message from the dark guards," the steward hurried to Jiang Yu's side and handed him a slip of paper.
Jiang Yu unfolded the paper and, after reading its contents, his brow furrowed even tighter.
"The ones who injured my son are assassins from the Sword King Pavilion. Doesn't the Sword King Pavilion take money to kill? Tell them not to worry about the money. I must know who is against my son and has harbored murderous intent. To harm my son and expect to walk away unscathed is not so easy," Jiang Yu said fiercely. Especially since his son was still unconscious, his heart ached even more.
Although he had no feelings for Jiang Feng and was indifferent to his disappearance, Jiang Chen was his first child, the one he cherished most, whom he wouldn't even casually harm. Now he had been targeted by an assassination attempt, which was enough to shake him.
Having managed the manor for twenty years, although Yun Ya was not favored, she had her own network. After obtaining the information she desired, she was filled only with indignation and extreme disappointment in Jiang Yu. The treatment of his sons was so vastly different.