"Wait!"
Just as the guard was about to open the cage door again to seize the next prisoner, Xin stopped him.
Just when everyone thought Xin had a change of heart and intended to abandon this cruel game, his gaze fell upon Shang Yuanjian.
"Let that beggar go first."
For some reason, Xin always felt that this beggar, who had coincidentally dodged his arrow, was somewhat unusual. Amidst all the prisoners panicking, she appeared excessively calm.
This displeased Xin. What he wanted to see was the sight of prey fleeing frantically and breaking down mentally. Moreover, this beggar had just caused him to lose face. Xin did not want to let her off; he was eager to watch her struggle for survival under the brown bear's claws.
Caught off guard by Xin's sudden command, Shang Yuanjian stiffened for a moment.
Is this Xin out of his mind? Why single her out? She hadn’t done anything out of line.
If Shang Yuanjian weren’t certain that Xin hadn’t recognized her true identity, she would have suspected he held a grudge against her original self.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Shang Yuanjian had no choice but to let the guards drag her onto the hunting ground.
The gate closed, leaving Shang Yuanjian alone on the field.
No sooner had Shang Yuanjian steadied herself than the brown bear, which had been waiting nearby, lunged at her, its sharp claws still stained with the flesh and blood of its previous victim.
Shang Yuanjian sidestepped to avoid the attack and quickly retreated several steps to put distance between herself and the bear.
The brown bear possessed immense brute strength; even several adults combined were no match for it. This body was young, weak, and showed no signs of martial training. A direct confrontation would be suicidal.
However, Shang Yuanjian had no intention of fighting it head-on.
The brown bear was massive and exceptionally clumsy. Having already killed over a dozen people in a row, its stamina was depleted, and its combat effectiveness had diminished somewhat. Perhaps she could find another way to deal with it.
The bear, having missed its target, grew furious. It turned its body around, and soon its deep brown beastly eyes locked onto Shang Yuanjian once more. Then, with another burst of energy, it charged toward her.
Shang Yuanjian turned and ran.
Relying on her agility, she changed directions frequently while running, often sprinting a few steps in one direction before abruptly braking and darting in the opposite direction.
The brown bear, on the other hand, only knew how to charge recklessly. Each time it seemed on the verge of catching Shang Yuanjian, it would inexplicably fall behind the next second.
After several rounds like this, the bear was panting heavily, yet it hadn’t even managed to touch the hem of Shang Yuanjian’s clothes.
"This beggar is incredibly nimble," Xu An exclaimed as he watched the figure darting across the hunting ground. He hadn’t expected Shang Yuanjian to hold her own against the brown bear for so long.
Earlier, she had seemed on the verge of death, so how was she now so full of life?
Li Zhengwen was also somewhat surprised. Why did this beggar seem different from before?
When he first saw her, she had been dull and foolish, easily knocked unconscious by a stone he threw.
If she had possessed such skills back then, how could she have failed to dodge it?
Seeing this, Xin also perked up. The earlier scenes had been nothing but one-sided slaughter by the brown bear, which was utterly boring. Finally encountering someone who could last a few rounds against the bear, he was eager to savor the spectacle.
Wanting a clearer view, Xin quickened his pace and approached the hunting ground, stopping just outside the perimeter wall.
Shang Yuanjian glanced in Xin’s direction, then deliberately slowed her pace, as if exhausted.
Seeing this, the brown bear immediately grew excited and charged toward Shang Yuanjian.
Shang Yuanjian's steps grew slower and slower, until she finally came to a complete stop. The brown bear quickly closed in on her.
Damn human, it would surely tear her to pieces!
"Running is all she can do. Once her strength runs out, she'll still be unable to escape death. It's nothing more than a desperate struggle," Li Zhengwen sneered. He had truly thought she was something special, but it turned out she was just fast.
As time passed, the distance between Shang Yuanjian and the brown bear narrowed to just a step. The bear panted excitedly, its eyes fixed solely on the figure swaying ahead.
Shang Yuanjian glanced back in terror at the ferocious beast behind her. Seemingly with nowhere left to hide, she panicked and rushed into the iron cage that had once held the brown bear.
By now, the brown bear was so consumed by the chase that it paid no attention to the cage—or perhaps it simply didn't care. It followed Shang Yuanjian and plunged headlong into the cage as well.
Though the iron cage was enormous, the brown bear occupied most of its space the moment it entered, making the interior suddenly cramped.
Seeing that the bear had followed her inside, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corners of Shang Yuanjian's lips.
She hooked her arms around the top of the cage, lifting her legs off the ground just in time to evade the bear's pounce. Then, releasing her grip, she landed and slipped like a fish beneath the bear's arms, emerging from the cage in an instant.
"Creak—"
Shang Yuanjian slammed the iron cage shut with great force. She wound the chain around the door several times, rendering the bear's frantic pounding inside utterly futile.
Through the bars, the brown bear roared furiously at Shang Yuanjian. Seeming to realize it couldn't break free on its own, it whimpered pitifully toward Xin a few times.
"Brilliant, truly brilliant!" Xin paid no mind to the bear's reaction. He clapped his hands in admiration for Shang Yuanjian. "You've truly exceeded this prince's expectations."
"However, your performance makes this prince question your identity."
"Are you really a beggar?"
Xin was no fool. Dodging his arrow earlier could have been a coincidence, but the agility she displayed in confronting the brown bear was certainly not something a beggar would possess.
Shang Yuanjian lowered her voice, making it sound hoarse. "Just a few small tricks for self-defense, hardly worthy of Your Highness's attention."
"But that doesn't matter," Xin said, his narrow eyes gleaming with malice as he looked at Shang Yuanjian. "You only trapped it; you didn't actually kill it. That doesn't count as a win."
"If you can't kill it, you still won't leave this hunting ground alive."
"His Highness is right. You merely used a clever trick to lock it up. Don't think you can fool us," Meng Tongji interjected before Shang Yuanjian could respond.
They were nothing but lowly commoners, existing solely for the amusement of their betters.
After Meng Tongji finished speaking, Xin eagerly awaited Shang Yuanjian's reaction, hoping to see anger or panic on her face. Unfortunately, he was disappointed.
Shang Yuanjian's expression remained unchanged. She didn't respond to Xin's words, nor did she even glance at them. Instead, her gaze settled on the walls surrounding the hunting ground.
A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Xin, as if something had slipped beyond his control.
"What are you trying to—" do?
Before Xin could finish his sentence, he watched in disbelief as Shang Yuanjian lightly tapped the ground and soared into the air like a bird. Her right hand caught hold of a protruding stone on the wall, and with effortless grace, she vaulted over the wall, which stood twice the height of a person.
The moment Shang Yuanjian left the hunting grounds, she rolled into the guard unit stationed nearby. The dense crowd concealed her petite figure, and in an instant, she vanished without a trace.
Everyone present was stunned by this sudden turn of events.
The incident happened in a mere moment, and by the time anyone reacted, Shang Yuanjian had already disappeared from sight.
Li Zhengwen, who had been observing Shang Yuanjian all along, was the first to snap out of it. He shouted, "What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and catch the fugitive!"
Only then did the crowd awaken from their daze.
Had they seen correctly just now? A beggar had actually escaped right in front of so many people?
Some stole a glance at Xin, whose face was ashen and brows furrowed, clearly enraged.
"All guards, listen to my orders! Seal off every exit and search for that lowly wretch with all your might," Xin shouted in a fit of rage.