Chapter 744 - 449: Strange Death (Part 2)

The rhino’s majestic body, running at high speed, seemed just like a speeding tank.

At that moment, a figure flashed not far in front of the rhino.

It was Duan Rong who leaped down from the nearby treetop.

Duan Rong landed only four or five feet away from the rhino, and the rhino was charging at high speed, its sharp black horn gleaming coldly, on the verge of piercing Duan Rong’s abdomen.

However, Duan Rong merely brushed it with one hand; without any visible movement, he had already tightly grasped the sharp black horn on the rhino’s head.

The massive rhino’s body suddenly halted in its swift movement, stopping right in front of him, plowing two deep earth pits into the ground before Duan Rong, burying his feet in soil.

At the instant the rhino was restrained by Duan Rong, Duan Rong’s sleeve fluttered, and a handful of medicinal powder scattered into the mouth and nose of the massive gray rhino. In just a moment, the gigantic gray rhino collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Without warning, Duan Rong bent down, reached out and lifted the massive gray rhino, next, his entire person floated away like falling snow and leaves, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest...

The massive rhino in Duan Rong’s hand seemed weightless.

Meanwhile, the hunting ceremony was already concluded.

Led by the honor guard, the crowd proceeded with the harvest from the autumn hunt, grandly heading toward the Celestial Altar atop the mountain.

Li Shensi’s face remained pale and his spirit dreary; his Divine Soul was injured—how could it heal easily?

He could no longer ride a horse and had to be carried by his assistant.

Ge Hengtai sat on his horse, looking at Li Shensi with contempt.

When the crowd reached the mountaintop at Wuji Mountain, the horn sounded at the Celestial Altar, signaling that preparations were underway. In half an hour, the grand ceremony of worshiping heaven would begin.

A circle of Heavy Armor Guards, armed with knives, surrounded the altar.

Beyond the Heavy Armor Guards, there was another circle of soldiers holding Long Halberds.

Outside these two layers of guards, throngs of people, dense as a swarm of bees, nearly covered the entire platform of the mountaintop. Especially near the Celestial Altar, they were packed tightly; although slightly sparse toward the back periphery, those people were already close to the edge of the cliff. If they pressed forward, someone might fall off.

As the hunting party ascended from the mountainside hunting grounds, the crowd cheered. Seeing the honor guard and officials followed by carts loaded with hunting bounty, the cheers echoed through the mountain.

Upon the arrival of the hunting party, clerks from the Prefecture Government Office immediately came over to take away the cartloads of bounty, preparing to display them in batches on the Celestial Altar.

Upon the altar, there was a massive Incense Burner, and at this moment, three towering fragrant sticks were inserted into it. Various fruits were already laid out on the bronze table in front of the burner.

But these fruits were only accompanying sacrifices, not the main offerings. The main offerings were fresh kills from the hunting grounds.

On the vast space behind the Incense Burner, empty bronze tables were ready, and clerks and government constables from the Prefecture Government Office were beginning to offload the bounty from the carts, placing them on the bronze tables behind the Incense Burner.

Meanwhile, Mansion Master Wang Maochun was performing a final check of the ceremony preparations. Other than the main offering of bounty, all other items were already in place. And Zhu Zhengfu stood beside Wang Maochun; however, his mind seemed distracted, his eyes constantly roving. He already knew Duan Rong planned to do something at this autumn hunting festival for worshiping heaven.

When the hunting party ascended, he searched around but did not see Li Shensi among the officials. He wondered whether Duan Rong had already made a move.

Just then, Chen Shanmeng, Ge Hengtai, and Jiang Zhuoyun approached.

Seeing the trio coming over, Wang Maochun immediately greeted them with a smile, "Lords, I see the bounty is plentiful; I presume today you have all harvested quite a lot!"

Saying this, Wang Maochun scanned the surroundings with doubt, "Hmm, why don’t I see Lord Li Shensi? Didn’t I hear him say he was going to outshine Chen Master at the hunting grounds and take the top spot among Civil Servants?"

Chen Shanmeng’s face changed slightly as he replied, "Mansion Master, Lord Li encountered an unexpected occurrence."

"Unexpected occurrence?!"

Wang Maochun and Zhu Zhengfu were both taken aback upon hearing this! Especially Zhu Zhengfu, who thought, hearing the word ’unexpected occurrence’, that Li Shensi might have died.

Chen Shanmeng said, "While hunting in the grounds, Li Shensi fell off his horse, losing consciousness for a time."

"Falling off his horse and losing consciousness for a time?" Wang Maochun and Zhu Zhengfu both repeated in surprise.

Though their reactions seemed similar, their thoughts were entirely different at that moment.

Wang Maochun considered falling off a horse to be understandable, since it’s hunting and in the forest, some accidents are normal. But Li Shensi is a Martial Artist of the True Qi Realm Fourth Level; how could falling off a horse lead to such serious unconsciousness?

Zhu Zhengfu, on the other hand, was surprised that it was merely falling off a horse and unconsciousness! Was he not dead?

At this moment, Li Shensi’s assistant had already brought him over.

The assistant squatted down, and Li Shensi got off his back, clasping his hands in a respectful greeting toward Wang Maochun and others.

While returning the courtesy, Wang Maochun looked at Li Shensi, noticing his pale complexion and dispirited eyes.

Chen Shanmeng said, "Mansion Master Wang, Lord Li encountered an unexpected occurrence; his spirit seems somewhat weak. The rituals of the grand ceremony are quite complicated, and I worry Lord Li might not withstand them."