【The Divine Eagle Empire】(Unabridged Volume 1, Prologue)

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Volume One ,

Prologue:

The Monster Forest, the most expansive forest on the Dragon Continent, lies in the north-central part of the continent and the northwest of the Divine Eagle Empire.

Vast and boundless as the sea, it is a mysterious and dangerous place teeming with countless magical beasts. It is

a magical beast kingdom independent of humankind, a paradise and hell for adventurers seeking adventure and training.

Near the northeastern edge of the Monster Forest lies a mountain range stretching for hundreds of miles, called Green

Ridge. Within Green Ridge are numerous mountain villages inhabited by hunters, who live a

life of hunting and near isolation from the outside world.

Dinglong Village is the largest village in the Green Ridge area, with over a hundred households and a population of no less than three hundred. Most of

the villagers are hunters, relying on hunting for their livelihood. They sell their game in the towns outside the mountains or exchange it

for necessities. Hunting is the traditional way of life for the villagers of Dinglong. Everyone here knows how to hunt, crafting

mechanisms , setting traps, and shooting arrows; each person is an excellent hunter.

Village Chief Zhao Qingshan was the village's most skilled hunter. He had been hunting since he was fifteen, for over twenty years,

accumulating vast experience and killing countless prey. Consequently, he was the wealthiest hunter in the village and,

naturally became its head.

Chief Zhao was proud of three things in his life, things that were widely talked about. The first was when he was twenty-three years old

, in the winter he hunted down a black bear. Black bears were level six magical beasts, incredibly strong, ferocious, and not easily killed by

ordinary people. Zhao Qingshan's kill of the black bear undoubtedly made him famous overnight, turning him into

a celebrity in the Green Ridge area. As for how he managed to hunt a level six magical beast like a black bear, despite his embellished and exaggerated stories

, people remained skeptical to this day.

The second thing, and the thing Zhao Qingshan was most proud of in his life, and also the

thing , was that in the spring of the year after he hunted the black bear, he used a bear skin as a dowry to marry

Li Cuilian, the "Number One Beauty of Green Ridge" at the time. This caused countless young men in Green Ridge to be heartbroken and weep, some

even challenging him to a life-or-death duel. Of course, the result was self-evident: Zhao Qingshan won. In his words

, "Without some skill, could you marry the number one beauty of Green Ridge?"

The third thing, and also the thing Zhao Qingshan was most proud of, was that he had a daughter as beautiful as a flower.

His daughter's name was Zhao Xianxian, and she was already sixteen years old. She inherited her mother's genes and had grown into a

graceful . Following her mother, she became the new generation's "Number One Beauty of Green Ridge." Some people described her as a phoenix,

and over time, she became known as the "Green Ridge Phoenix." The Zhao family had a daughter, and countless suitors sought her hand in marriage.

From the time Zhao Xianxian turned fourteen, Dinglong Village became lively. Every day, people would come to the Zhao family to propose marriage. In those days, most men and women married young; eleven or twelve was considered early for a girl to be engaged, fourteen or fifteen was just right, and sixteen was considered old maid. Zhao Xianxian, at sixteen, was already considered old maid, but her outstanding beauty made everyone want to marry this "Green Ridge Phoenix." Matchmakers, suitors, and men coming to the door in person—they came one after another, wave after wave, almost wearing down the Zhao family's doorstep. 　　Although it was customary for parents to arrange marriages, Zhao Qingshan only had this one precious daughter and was very cautious about her future. He didn't want to marry her off hastily and hoped she could find a suitable husband herself. Therefore, he rejected all the marriage proposals. In his mind, his daughter was still young, and two more years wouldn't be too late. 　　Although Zhao Qingshan was happy to have a daughter, every time he faced her, he would think of his deceased wife, and his heart would inevitably ache. Years ago, when his wife was giving birth, he was out hunting . When he returned home, he learned that his wife had died in childbirth, leaving behind a newborn daughter. This was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue ; he hadn't even seen his wife one last time. Normally, with his circumstances, remarrying wouldn't be difficult, but he could never forget his deceased wife and worried that a stepmother would treat his daughter badly. Therefore, he remained unmarried. 　　Every autumn, starting from the fifteenth of August, Dinglong Village holds a grand hunt. On this day, all the hunters in the village form hunting teams and enter the Monster Forest to hunt for three to five days. The hunted monsters are divided equally among all the villagers. The villagers call it the "Hunting Festival." Zhao Qingshan is the village chief of Dinglong Village and also the village's most skilled hunter. He has extensive hunting experience and has been the captain of the hunting teams for nearly twenty years, leading them into the mountains to hunt. This year is no exception. Hunting is different from hunting; hunting is an individual activity, while hunting is a cooperative, multi-person activity. The Monster Forest is teeming with monsters and fraught with danger. Hunters can only hunt on the outskirts of the forest. To venture deeper, they must go in groups; going alone almost always results in death , becoming food for the monsters, leaving no trace. 　　Early this morning, Zhao Qingshan, fully equipped with hunting gear, carrying provisions and water, a knife and fork, and a hunting bow and arrows , bid farewell to his daughter and led ninety-three hunters from the village into the mountains. 　　Zhao Xianxian and the villagers watched the hunting party depart until they were out of sight before she returned home. Just as she reached her door, a voice called out from behind, "Sister Xianxian!" 　　The voice was clear and melodious. Zhao Xianxian immediately recognized the voice as that of her best friend, Lanxiang. The two were about the same age , had grown up together, and were as close as sisters, almost inseparable. 　　Zhao Xianxian turned around and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw a girl in a floral dress running towards her, carrying a vegetable basket and a small shovel. It was Lanxiang! She seemed to be heading out to work. Zhao Xianxian quickly asked, "What is it, Lanxiang?" 　　Lanxiang reached her and smiled, "Sister Xianxian! How about we go dig for wild vegetables outside the village?" 　　"Dig for wild vegetables!" 　　Zhao Xianxian had been thinking the same thing and quickly replied, "I was just about to go! We'll have company!" 　　Saying this, she went home to get her basket and shovel, and went with Lanxiang to the fields outside the village. Accompanying them was the tall and fierce Xingxing. 　　Xingxing was a wind wolf, a level four magical beast. Ten years ago, Zhao Qingshan went hunting in the mountains and happened to find a wolf cub that had fallen off a cliff and was wedged in a crevice. He took it home, intending to kill it and cook it for a delicious meal. To everyone's surprise, Zhao Xianxian took a liking to the wolf cub immediately, overflowing with affection. She hugged it tightly and refused on raising it. Seeing his daughter's delight, Zhao Qingshan couldn't dissuade her and had no choice but to give in. It was nighttime.

In the darkness, the wolf cub's eyes shone unusually brightly, like stars in the sky. Therefore, Zhao Xianxian named

the cub "Xingxing" (Star).

Wolves are fierce and monstrous beasts, known for their ruthlessness. Initially, Zhao Qingshan was very worried that Xingxing would harm his daughter when it grew up, and

he worried a great deal about it. However, to his surprise, Xingxing was quite intelligent and, after growing up, not only did it not

harm Zhao Xianxian, but it also acted as its master's guardian, driving away many lecherous wolves. This made Zhao Qingshan very

happy; he thought that even wolves know gratitude and repay kindness.

Of course, the main reason Zhao Qingshan felt safe leaving his daughter alone at home was because Xingxing was

there to protect her. As long as Xingxing was there, he believed that no thief in the Green Ridge area would dare to offend his daughter.

In autumn, wild vegetables were scarce. Zhao Xianxian and Lanxiang worked all morning, but only managed to gather less than half a basket of

wild vegetables . Before they knew it, they had already traveled five miles from the village. The sun shone brightly, but the lingering heat of late summer was

still

biting. Zhao Xianxian was drenched in sweat, took out a handkerchief to wipe it away, and went to sit down and rest in the shade of a large tree. The wilderness was silent. Zhao Xianxian looked around, but Lanxiang was nowhere to be seen.

Where had Xingxing gone?

Suddenly, a mournful wolf howl echoed through the wilderness, its

sound It was Xingxing's howl, as if she had encountered danger.

"Xingxing!"

Zhao Xianxian cried out in alarm, jumping up and running towards the direction of Xingxing's howl.

After crossing a hillside, Zhao Xianxian stood on the slope and was immediately stunned by the scene below.

Xingxing lay motionless in a pool of blood, her body riddled with arrows.

"Xingxing!"

Zhao Xianxian cried out in anguish and ran down the hillside. The hillside was steep, and in her panic, she slipped and

fell, tumbling down the slope like a rolling stone. She rolled to Xingxing's side, hugged her, and sobbed

uncontrollably .

"Eh—"

Suddenly, someone cried out in the distance, "Master, we killed the wrong one! That wolf seems to be someone's

pet!"

Another person said, "We finally encountered a magical beast, only to find it was someone's pet! What bad luck!"

Zhao Xianxian looked up at the sound and saw two men on horseback approaching, bows and arrows in hand,

looking in their direction. Needless to say, they were the ones who had killed Xingxing. Zhao Xianxian jumped up, ran to the horses, pointed at

them, and shouted, "You killed my Xingxing! You have to pay for my Xingxing!"

The man on the right was a middle-aged man, probably in his teens, with fair skin, dressed in full hunting attire,

a quiver slung , a powerful bow in his hand, and riding a pure white horse without a single stray hair. When he saw Zhao Xianxian's

beautiful and charming appearance, his eyes lit up, and he chuckled, saying, "Pay! How do you want me

to pay you back?"

"I want you to pay me back for my star!"

Zhao Xianxian said. The middle-aged man laughed heartily and said, "You're hopeless! How can I pay you back? How about this, I'll give you a wind wolf

instead ?"

"I don't want it! I just want my star! My star has been with me since I was a baby. I

don't want !"

Zhao Xianxian insisted.

The middle-aged man frowned and said, "Then I can't pay you back. I have two wolf cubs at my camp,

not far from here. Do you want them? If you do, come with me to get them. If not, we're leaving."

"Yes!"

Zhao Xianxian decided immediately. How could she say no? She was heartbroken to lose her star, but it was better than nothing if the other party was willing to pay

.

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Then come with me to get them!"

He winked at his companion beside him. On the left horse was a burly, dark-skinned man in his thirties

, riding a jet-black pheasant. Receiving

a signal from the middle-aged man, the dark-skinned man immediately nodded in understanding, dismounted, and approached Zhao Xianxian, saying, "Miss! Please

mount!"

Zhao Xianxian had ridden Fenglang Xingxing before, but never a horse. She looked fearfully at the pheasant and said, "No!

You ride, I'll follow behind."

The dark-skinned man laughed, "You want to ride my horse? I won't allow it! I mean, you ride my master's

horse, and we'll ride together."

"What?"

Zhao Xianxian was startled. Before she could react, the dark-skinned man grabbed her arm, lifted her up without a word,

and carried her to the middle-aged man's horse like an eagle snatching a chick. The middle-aged man immediately

embraced Zhao Xianxian as if he had found a treasure, laughing heartily. Zhao Xianxian, both ashamed and frightened, realized the danger and

struggled fiercely, crying out, "What are you doing? Let me go!"

How could a frail woman like her possibly defeat a middle-aged man? The middle-aged man held her tightly, his hands roaming freely

over her body , chuckling wickedly, "Little beauty! Didn't you want me to 'compensate' you? Tonight I'll definitely

'compensate' you properly!"

With that, he turned his mount and rode away. The dark-faced man picked up Feng Langxing's corpse, leaped onto his horse, and spurred

it on, giving chase.

The two riders quickly disappeared into the distance, gradually vanishing on the horizon. In the distance, Zhao Xianxian's screams

and curses could still be heard... On the hillside, a figure slowly rose from a clump of grass, gazing in the direction she had disappeared. This

person was none other than Lan Xiang. She had witnessed everything, staring blankly ahead,

a complex expression on her face.

It wasn't until evening that Lanxiang returned to the village, not mentioning Zhao Xianxian's abduction to anyone.

Although she and Zhao Xianxian were good friends, she harbored a degree of jealousy and resentment towards Zhao Xianxian. She was jealous that Zhao

Xianxian was better than her in every way, and resentful that Zhao Xianxian had stolen her beloved Aniu. Now, Zhao Xianxian had been

abducted, and Aniu was hers; no one could take him away.

However, Lanxiang didn't expect that the next afternoon, Zhao Xianxian returned to the village, looking perfectly normal,

as if nothing had happened.

Three days later, the hunting party returned to the village. Two days later, Zhao Qingshan suddenly discovered that Fenglang Xingxing

had disappeared, and his daughter had changed; she was taciturn, and her usual cheerful demeanor was gone. He attributed it to Xingxing's disappearance

and didn't think much of it, assuming it would pass in time.

Days passed, and two months went by in the blink of an eye. Gradually, Zhao Qingshan noticed

something unusual ; she frequently vomited. Initially, he thought it was just an upset stomach and wanted to take her to the doctor, but Zhao Xianxian refused

.

Another month passed, and the observant Zhao Qingshan noticed another abnormality: his daughter's

stomach seemed to be swollen. It was then that he realized, as a father, that his daughter was pregnant.

His daughter's premarital pregnancy was a devastating blow to Zhao Qingshan; he nearly fainted on the spot. He never

imagined his daughter would commit such a shameful act, so disgraceful and disrespectful to the family.

Zhao Qingshan was furious. Under his questioning, Zhao Xianxian, realizing her belly was growing bigger every day and she could no

longer hide it, had no choice but to confess to her father.

After hearing his daughter's story, Zhao Qingshan slumped into a chair like a deflated balloon, his face filled with sorrow and

dejection . If it were someone from his own village or a nearby village who had harmed his daughter, he might have been able to find that person

and burn them alive. Of course, since Zhao Xianxian was referring to outsiders, he had no choice but

to swallow this bitter pill.

Zhao Qingshan was troubled. Family scandals couldn't be aired in public; his daughter had been raped and was pregnant out of wedlock. If word got out

, her life would be ruined. What to do? After much deliberation, Zhao Qingshan decided to abort his daughter's child.

However, his daughter couldn't have an abortion at home, or it would arouse suspicion.

That night, the father and daughter packed their belongings and left Dinglong Village overnight. But they

never returned to Dinglong Village; no one knew where Zhao Qingshan and his daughter went.

Three months later, on a snowy night, a band of robbers suddenly broke into Dinglong Village, burning, killing, and looting. More than three hundred

villagers died under the robbers' knives; none survived. No one knew where these robbers came from. The bandits didn't

loot the nearby villages; they only plundered, burned, and massacred Dinglong Village, leaving no one alive. The entire village was reduced to scorched

earth and vanished from the world forever...

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【The Divine Eagle Empire】(Unabridged Volume 1, Prologue)

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