Chapter 25

In the dense forest, with the sound of a drum, the servants who had surrounded the entire forest began to make a commotion, releasing the hunting dogs. This immediately startled many deer, hares, pheasants, and rabbits, causing them to panic and run madly in one direction.

On a cleared patch of ground, Xu Hao, standing behind his brothers, held a blade of grass in his mouth and watched as his brothers drew their bows and shot arrows at the animals fleeing toward them.

Hongye and Lüzhu led the women’s team, standing ready with a large net spread out in two layers, and many traps and animal snares buried in the grass.

Occasionally, small animals were shot down, their limbs twitching and struggling. The cruel scene made Xu Hao lose his appetite for watching, and he mounted his horse to look into the distance.

Xu Song, while drawing his bow and shooting arrows, couldn’t help but tease, "Brother Three, don’t go! Are you afraid?"

Xu Hao replied honestly, "I am a bit reluctant."

"What’s there to be reluctant about? Purely the sentiment of a woman," Xu Jingqin sneered, and with a release of his hand, an arrow whistled through the air and shot down a deer.

Lüzhu couldn’t help but whisper, "Brother Three is such a coward." "You’re the coward," Hongye retorted unhappily.

Suddenly, the sound of a gong rang out, and a group of young gentlemen on horseback charged out from the side, shooting wildly at the animals around them.

Zhu Gaoxu was instantly furious and shouted at the newcomers, "Where did you come from, you reckless fools? Get out of here."

The young gentlemen, upon hearing this, didn’t get angry but laughed heartily. Xu Jingqin, recognizing all of them, hurriedly explained to the furious Zhu Gaoxu, "Brothers, calm down, they are all our brothers."

Zhu Gaoxu had actually met most of these young men before. He deliberately turned his head proudly and coldly said, "Who are their brothers?" Then he spurred his horse to the side.

Xu Jingqin smiled and let him go, scolding a few words at one of the young men. Xu Hao watched coldly from the side, seeing that both sides knew each other. They seemed to be the sons of nobles from the capital. Since his status was lower, he didn’t bother to greet them, watching as they rode their horses and laughed and joked with each other.

"Hey, there are a bunch of heroines here? Who is so gallant to bring his favorite concubines out?" A few young gentlemen smiled and rode their horses to the women.

Hongye, seeing the prey being intercepted, was already in a bad mood and said unhappily, "Get out of here, you blind fools."

One of the young men, with a pockmarked face, pointed at Hongye and laughed, "What a beauty, how old are you? Which brother’s sweetheart are you, little lady?"

Before Hongye could speak, Lüzhu scolded, "Where did you come from, you rogue? A motherless bastard."

At this moment, Xu Wen rode over and hurriedly apologized, "These are my two younger sisters, Hongye and Lüzhu. This is Lord Jingchuan’s son, Cao. You must not be impolite."

"Oh, so they are your sisters, I apologize, I apologize," Cao said without a care, casually bowing and smiling, "Your sisters are so charming and interesting, I am greatly impressed. Do they have a husband yet?"

"They are too young, not yet married," Xu Wen said.

Cao’s eyes darted back and forth between Hongye and Lüzhu, smiling, "Please forgive me, I was impolite. It’s not that I meant to offend, but recently Brother Jinglong is planning to take a concubine and asked us to help find a talented and beautiful woman. I thought of being a matchmaker."

Before he could finish, someone nearby shouted, "Get lost, you matchmaker." An arrow whistled through the air and shot straight into the neck of a horse.

"Stand there and do nothing, attack!"

The one who shot the arrow was Xu Hao. Throwing the short bow, he picked up a halberd and ran over quickly, slashing at the horse that was about to fall. Blood splattered everywhere. Before Cao could react, he fell off the injured horse onto the grass. The women’s team, as if waking from a dream, screamed and rushed forward to tear and scratch.

"Stop it!" Xu Wen was terrified.

The others finally reacted, but before they could do anything, Zhu Gaoxu, with a fierce look in his eyes, roared, "Kill them for me, anyone who stops will be beheaded!"

In an instant, the guards of the Yan王府 (Yan王府, Yan Princely Palace) charged like tigers down a mountain, attacking the panicked young gentlemen. A few quick-witted young men spurred their horses and shouted, "Run!"

There were also some fearless young men who shouted at their subordinates, "Attack!"

Thus, a melee began. Although the Xu brothers didn’t participate and occasionally tried to stop it, they couldn’t prevent the one-sided beating.

Neither side used real weapons, and no one dared to. In the chaos, despite his young age, Zhu Gaoxu fought like a tiger among sheep, causing his opponents to fall in disarray. He was the most ruthless, showing no restraint.

Xu Hao silently followed behind Zhu Gaoxu, guarding him. He kicked a man who was charging at him, and the excited Zhu Gaoxu immediately called out, "Good brother."

Because of the sudden attack, the young men couldn’t organize an effective counterattack and were on the defensive from the start. The guards of the Yan王府, used to Zhu Gaoxu’s quick temper, were well-trained and disciplined, and the outcome was clear.

Soon, the grass was littered with bodies, and the rest ran or fled, causing a commotion. Zhu Gaoxu, having had his fill, stopped and laughed loudly. The others gradually stopped fighting.

Xu Hao, as if nothing had happened, patted his hands and said indifferently, "Deserved it."

"Ha, well said," Zhu Gaoxu laughed, putting his arm around Xu Hao’s shoulder and giving him a thumbs up, "I recognize you as my brother, a real man."

Hearing that the most ruthless young man was actually a prince, no one dared to speak.

Both sides began to clean up the mess. The most pitiful person was Cao, who had been mauled by the women. His face was covered in bloody scratches, and he had been kicked countless times. He was barely alive, supported by his companions, and said before leaving, "This grudge will not be left unavenged, wait and see."

Zhu Gaoxu sneered, "Wait and see, Xu family training ground, we’ll see you there."

"Fine, it’s settled," Cao said through gritted teeth, and was carried to his horse by his servants, leading a group of injured and defeated men away.

The Xu brothers gathered around, and no one blamed Xu Hao for starting the fight. After all, they were all young and hot-blooded. Since the grudge was already formed and a rematch was agreed upon, right and wrong didn’t matter anymore.

In the world, nothing was more important than the family’s reputation, and the Xu family quickly united in solidarity.

Xu Jingzhi, the most calm among the brothers, said, "They will seek out Brother Jinglong for help. With the support of six or seven noble families and their friends, they will have more people. We need to be careful."

"A bunch of rabble, let them see the might of the Yan王府," Zhu Gaoxu said nonchalantly.

Xu Jingqin frowned, "Don’t underestimate them. We caught them off guard this time, and we had more people. In a real battle, the odds are fifty-fifty. Moreover, Li Jinglong is well-versed in military strategy and will use battle formations against us, which could be very dangerous."

Zhu Gaoxu glared and shouted, "Is Li Jinglong better than his father, the late Prince of Qiyang? You are all descendants of the Xu family, why are you afraid of him?"

This statement immediately stirred the pride of the Xu brothers. They discussed for a moment and ordered the servants to gather the game and return the same way.

On the way, Lüzhu excitedly told Hongye, "I never thought Brother Three, who is usually so timid, would be the first to step forward. His courage is really great! And he was so impressive, cutting down that horse with one stroke. I was really scared at the time. I really envy you having such a good brother."

Hongye frowned, as if still shaken, and patted her chest, her eyes red, "For me, brother did it for me."

Lüzhu sighed, looking at her own brother, Xu Song. She remembered during the fight, Brother Three had come over, pulled Hongye and her to safety, and then rushed back. Her own brother, however, had hidden to the side the whole time and didn’t even offer a word of comfort.

Who is the real coward? The answer is obvious!