Chapter 96: Chapter 94: Escaping the Pursuit

Step 1: Contextual Analysis

Literary genre: Chinese wuxia/xianxia web novel (martial arts fantasy)

Language style: Action-oriented narrative with dialogue and strategic elements

Tone: Tense, suspenseful, with moments of cleverness and relief

Plot keywords: Chase, escape, trap, strategy, martial arts, hunting, survival

Characters:

- Wang Tianying (male): A skilled tracker with a trained eagle, pursuing the protagonists

- Wu Liangchen (male): The protagonist, clever and strategic

- Yang Lian’Er (female): Appears to be a fugitive being pursued

- Master Xiao/Xiao Rong (male): Another pursuer working with Wang Tianying

- Aunt Fan (female): Helper/protector to Wu Liangchen’s group

- Wu Mengchan (female): Wu Liangchen’s sister

- Yan Zongtai (male): Appears to be a local who helped the pursuers

- Yan Yuhua (female): Related to Yan Zongtai, brings food to the pursuers

- Prince Yu (male): A royal figure, owner of the trained eagle

Setting: A pine forest in winter with snow, near Thousand Waterfall Mountain

Step 2: Integrated Translation and Polishing

Let me translate the text paragraph by paragraph, ensuring I correctly use all the glossary terms:

I notice this text contains a pursuit narrative where Wu Liangchen is cleverly evading his pursuers Wang Tianying and Master Xiao, while protecting his sister Wu Mengchan and Yang Lian’Er. The story involves strategy, wilderness survival, and martial arts elements.

Now I’ll translate it paragraph by paragraph:

Wang Tianying glanced at the Eastern eagle in the sky, which was at a loss and didn’t know how to give a warning signal. He helplessly gave a whistle.

Soon, the Eastern eagle circled above the two men.

"Don’t worry, this kid may have some tricks up his sleeve, but he can’t keep starting fires forever. Once it’s completely daylight, his little tactic will be ineffective," Wang Tianying explained.

By now his group of disciples had all arrived. The young disciple who had previously been handling the eagle took out a strip of meat and waved it in the wind while making strange noises.

As if understanding, the Eastern eagle suddenly made a swift dive straight toward the young disciple’s shoulder.

Its speed was so fast that it created a whistling sound as it cut through the air.

But just as it reached mid-air, a cold arrow suddenly shot out from the forest like a beam of black light, heading straight for the bird.

"Watch out!" Xiao Rong cried out in alarm.

But the Eastern eagle proved worthy of being a spiritual beast trained by the Prince himself, showing remarkable intelligence.

Despite the sudden attack, it managed to react in time.

With a quick sideways dodge and a swipe of its talon, it forcefully knocked the arrow down.

But before Xiao Rong and Wang Tianying could feel relieved, several more arrows flew out from the forest with a series of WHOOSH sounds.

These arrows were shot at such devious angles that they instantly blocked all the Eastern eagle’s escape routes.

With a THUD and a mournful cry, the Eastern eagle plummeted from the sky.

Wang Tianying paled in shock. Ignoring everything else, he leapt into the air and caught the falling royal bird.

After landing, he anxiously examined it and found that an arrow had pierced its left wing. Though the injury wasn’t severe, for a bird of prey, it was effectively crippled.

Wang Tianying’s face turned ashen, his eyelids twitching.

This Eastern eagle was Prince Yu’s most treasured possession, and now it had been crippled under his watch.

If he couldn’t achieve something significant to compensate for this, the consequences would be dire.

By this time, Xiao Rong had returned from the forest, shaking his head at Wang Tianying.

He had attempted to track the source of the arrows but, unsurprisingly, found nothing.

Wang Tianying finally erupted.

"If you’re so capable, come out and face me one-on-one! What kind of skill is it to hide in corners and shoot from the shadows?" he shouted.

His voice echoed through the pine forest, but the only response was birdsong from the distance.

Looking at the nearly exploding Wang Tianying, Xiao Rong suddenly felt much better.

Yes, this was exactly what it felt like to be led around by the nose. He’d had enough of it these past two days, and now it was Wang Tianying’s turn to taste it.

But while Xiao Rong was taking pleasure in Wang Tianying’s misfortune, the man, after his hysterical outburst, suddenly calmed down.

"Master Xiao, let’s now rely on our own abilities. I refuse to believe this small pine forest can stop me. I must drag out that enchantress and that Wu fellow," he said.

If Wang Tianying had previously maintained a calm demeanor, only wanting to capture Yang Lian’Er for rewards, now with the Eastern eagle injured and crippled, he had unwittingly become deeply entangled in the situation and could no longer remain cool-headed.

Xiao Rong naturally noticed this and inwardly sneered.

After several encounters with Wu Liangchen, Xiao Rong had figured out one thing: when facing him, one must never get angry, or you’d only sink deeper into his trap.

But he felt no obligation to warn Wang Tianying, so he merely nodded slightly.

"Alright."

Wang Tianying led his group of disciples into the pine forest with great fanfare.

Xiao Rong didn’t move. Instead, he squinted at the rising morning sun and ordered, "Rest here for half an hour."

As soon as he spoke, many of his men collapsed to the ground.

After all, a day and night of hunting had drained both their spirit and physical strength, and they had barely eaten anything the entire time. Many had reached their limit.

Yan Zongtai approached him nervously at this moment.

"Master Xiao, I..."

"It’s fine. Even without your guidance, that old fellow would have found his way here. Quickly get me some wine and meat—I’m hungry," Xiao Rong said flatly, knowing what Yan Zongtai wanted to say.

Yan Zongtai was delighted to hear this. "Good, I’ve already sent someone back to inform them. Food will arrive shortly."

Just as he finished speaking, a group of people entered the pine forest. Surprisingly, a woman led them, followed by servants carrying wine and food.

"Master Xiao, you’ve worked hard. Please eat something," Yan Yuhua said with a smile as she approached Xiao Rong.

Looking at Yan Yuhua, who was dressed like a flower even in this severe cold, Xiao Rong suddenly felt a rush of heat in his lower abdomen and licked his lips.

"Thank you, Miss Yuhua!"

While Xiao Rong and his men began eating, Wang Tianying was searching for traces of Wu Liangchen and the others in the pine forest.

To his credit, Wang Tianying was indeed capable.

He quickly found the position from where Wu Liangchen had shot his ambush arrows.

Looking at the small patch of chaotic footprints on the ground, and the surrounding snow surface too pristine to show any tracks, Wang Tianying frowned and then looked up to examine the pine branches.

Though the branches all looked similar, after careful observation, Wang Tianying pointed in a certain direction.

"Follow me!"

People pursued in that direction, but none of them noticed that behind a small mound in the distance, a pair of eyes was observing them.

Wu Liangchen lay in the snow watching Wang Tianying and his group leave, finally feeling somewhat relieved.

Whatever else happened, at least the greatest aerial threat had been neutralized.

Now all that remained was to find a way to escape.

Though the pine forest was vast, staying here wasn’t a viable long-term strategy.

Yet they couldn’t take the main road either—that would be equivalent to walking into a trap.

So the most secure route now should be...

Wu Liangchen took out a map and studied the area marked to the east of the pine forest—a large mountain called Thousand Waterfall Mountain.

They had to pass through there.

Wu Liangchen left the mound, stopping and starting intermittently, until he finally arrived at a low-lying area.

Due to the wind currents, a thick layer of snow had accumulated here.

At this moment, the snow pile had been hollowed out from within, forming a small snow house.

From the outside, one couldn’t detect anything unusual. Even Wu Liangchen might not have found it if he hadn’t deliberately left a small marker in the distance.

After entering the snow house, the worried Wu Mengchan and Yang Lian’Er finally breathed sighs of relief.

Aunt Fan had also returned by now.

Earlier, following Wu Liangchen’s instructions, she had lit several fires around the pine forest. She had wanted to follow along afterward, but Wu Liangchen refused, telling her to return quickly to protect Yang Lian’Er and his sister.

Now, facing the three pairs of eager eyes, Wu Liangchen smiled. "The matter is resolved. Let’s rest here for a day. When darkness falls, we’ll take the route through Thousand Waterfall Mountain and leave Dinghai City."