Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Pei Dingxuan glanced at the triggered trap and looked at Pei Zeyu.

"Second brother, you take a few men and carefully check for traps in the west. I will take some men to the east to make sure no one else falls into the trap."

Pei Zeyu nodded in agreement.

He quickly instructed several people to use dry branches to clear away any remaining debris and to mark the areas where it was being cleared.

The two worked together and quickly checked all the potential hazards in the surrounding area, leaving nothing out.

Those prince's men who had fallen into the trap were helped out, their faces flushed and their heads bowed, not daring to look at their master.

Seeing the Pei brothers handle the situation in an orderly manner, and thinking of the disheveled state of his own people, Xiao Chenlin couldn't help but reprimand them sternly.

"What are you all standing there for? Keep searching for snow leopard tracks. If anyone else falls for it, you'll be sorry!"

Liu Wenying followed behind the group. Although there were unknown dangers ahead, she felt at ease with them there.

Pei Dingxuan was perceptive, Pei Zeyu was quick-witted and wise, and Pei Yaojun was agile; the three worked together seamlessly.

Following the tracks left by the snow leopard, the group searched all the way, parting the grass as the wind grew sharper.

They arrived at a precipice, which was the edge of the hunting grounds; beyond that lay a bottomless canyon.

The mountain wind howled up from the bottom of the cliff, making clothes flutter in the wind.

"There's no way out."

The group dispersed and searched the surrounding area.

The weeds were cleared away, the shrubs were turned over, and the cliff face was thoroughly examined, but it was completely empty.

Someone muttered, "Strange, we've been following the trail all this way, so how come they've disappeared here?"

"Could that beast fly? Even when cornered at the edge of a cliff, it can't possibly sprout wings and escape!"

There was nothing at the edge of the cliff except for the sound of the wind and breathing; the eerie silence was unsettling.

Liu Wenying followed at the back of the group, her heart pounding.

She felt something was wrong, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The feeling was like that of prey being locked on, sending chills down your spine.

Suddenly, a rustling sound of branches, almost drowned out by the wind, came from overhead.

Liu Wenying looked up, her pupils suddenly contracting.

"Up there! The snow leopard is up there!"

Everyone looked up in unison, and saw a leopard with silver-gray fur and black spots lying lazily on a horizontal branch of a towering tree above, its tail drooping down and swaying gently in the air.

Below its neck hung a jade-green object, its surface smooth and lustrous, carved into the shape of a pigeon.

It was the jade dove that everyone had been searching for.

"Jade Pigeon, found! It's there!"

After the joy came a deep sense of apprehension.

The crowd stood frozen in place, their expressions varied, and no one dared to make a move.

Xiao Chenlin gripped the bow and arrow tightly, his eyes flashing with excitement, but he also knew the situation was dangerous.

"That beast is cunning; it hid in a tree!"

The shout startled the snow leopard, which gracefully stood up, leaped, and landed on the ground, kicking up dust.

Behind him were sheer cliffs, and in front of him were layers of people.

It crouched low, its tail taut, and emitted a menacing growl from its throat.

Xiao Chenlin's competitive spirit surged; he absolutely could not allow himself to fall behind again. He immediately shouted, "What are you all standing there for? Capture it for me and seize the jade dove!"

The men he brought didn't dare to be negligent either. Although they were apprehensive, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and surround him.

Swords were drawn, and more than a dozen figures formed a semi-circle around the snow leopard.

The snow leopard growled, its vertical pupils sweeping over anyone who dared to approach.

The next moment, it moved.

A flash of white light, and it pounced to the left.

The people there screamed and dodged, their blades missing their mark.

One of the guards was unable to dodge in time, and his robe was torn open at the shoulder, from which blood gushed out.

The crowd gasped and scattered, their formation thrown into chaos.

The snow leopard did not linger in battle, using its momentum to dart left and right, its silvery-white figure weaving through the rocks and crowd at the cliff edge, eliciting screams of surprise.

Liu Wenying was pushed and shoved by the chaotic crowd, nearly falling over. In her haste, she hid behind a rock about half her height.

She clutched her pounding heart and peered nervously through the crack in the stone.

A crimson figure blocked her way.

Pei Yaojun held her close, cracking his knuckles as he flexed his wrists.

"Watch closely, I'll show you how I avenge you."

Liu Wenying was stunned, then recalled the day she first arrived at the hunting grounds, when the snow leopard caused trouble and almost injured the old lady.

She held up the torch and stood in front of him, almost losing her life to the leopard.

So he still remembered...

"Third Master, be careful," Liu Wenying gently cautioned.

He wasn't the only one who shared the same thoughts as Pei Yaojun.

Pei Dingxuan took the longbow from his back, nocked an arrow, and drew the string.

"Whoosh—"

The bowstring trembled, and the arrow was released.

A sharp, piercing sound cut through the air, aimed directly at the snow leopard's right eye!

The snow leopard's keen instincts allowed it to turn its head and dodge at the last second.

The arrow grazed his eyelid, leaving a trail of blood.

Blood blurred its right eye, obstructing its vision. It let out a painful roar, and its movements became sluggish.

good chance!

Taking advantage of the snow leopard's slightly slow reaction, Pei Yaojun suddenly pounced forward.

However, the beast, despite having only one eye injured, remained as ferocious as ever.

Pei Yaojun dodged the fierce claw attack by turning to the side, and then punched the snow leopard in the side.

The snow leopard was knocked back two steps by the impact.

"How dare you, you beast, be so arrogant!"

He gripped the snow leopard's neck tightly with both arms, and with a burst of strength from his waist and abdomen, he slammed the hundred-pound beast to the ground.

Dust billowed up as the snow leopard was thrown around, dazed and confused. Before it could even get up, Pei Yaojun's fists and feet rained down on it.

He specifically targeted the weak points in the waist and abdomen, as well as the joints, striking them while cursing.

"You little bastard, how dare you scare my men! You've got to show for your arrogance!"

The snow leopard's roar gradually turned into a mournful howl, its shrill voice echoing through the mountains and forests.

Pei Dingxuan drew his bow again and aimed at the snow leopard's throat.

Once that arrow lands, that beast will be completely crippled.

"stop!"

Just as the arrow was about to leave the bowstring, anxious shouts came from the woods to the side.

Several shadowy figures rushed out, dressed in Northern Di attire, their faces filled with panic.

The leader spread his arms to block the snow leopard, his voice trembling with fear.

"Absolutely not! This is our Crown Prince's beloved pet; it must not be harmed!"

Pei Dingxuan did not sheathe the arrows. "Get out of the way."

"Enough! Don't you understand?"

The Northern Di man's face flushed red with anger. He exclaimed, "The Snow Leopard is the Crown Prince's beloved pet. If it were truly killed, the Crown Prince would be furious, and it would affect the diplomatic relations between our two countries. How will you explain that?!"

Pei Yaojun rode on the snow leopard, glancing down at the dying beast beneath him.

It was beaten until it whimpered and howled, all traces of its former arrogance gone.

"Explain?" Pei Yaojun chuckled and raised his fist again.

"Bang!"

A punch landed on the snow leopard's head, and it let out a miserable howl before collapsing completely.

Pei Yaojun straightened up, patted the leopard blood and fur off his hands, and bent down to take the jade pigeon from its neck.

He held it in his hand, weighing it in his hand, and gestured with his chin towards the few Northern Di people.

"This is my explanation to you."

The Northern Di people looked embarrassed, but dared not say anything more and hurriedly stepped forward to check on the snow leopard's injuries.

…………