Chapter 502: Shocking Display of Skill

Chapter 502: Shocking Display of Skill

As the two riders set off from the north, with the targets to the east, Lu Qi pushed his speed to the limit to seize the initiative.

Confident that he had left Lu Yuan behind, he believed he had hit two targets.

Logically, Lu Yuan should be chasing him from behind.

But when he saw Lu Yuan's arrow aimed right between his eyebrows, his heart skipped a beat.

In that instant, even he couldn't explain his surprise—was it at Lu Yuan catching up, or at Lu Yuan daring to point an arrow at him?

"What are you doing?" he asked coldly.

The third arrow he was about to shoot halted, but the horse continued its relentless gallop.

This was not good; if he missed the target, it would be difficult to aim again.

Lu Yuan smiled meaningfully, "Guess."

Lu Qi gripped his bow and arrow, "You're crazy!"

"Why isn't the kid shooting?"

Ming Wang stretched his neck, wishing his eyes could grow on his horse's back.

From the crowd's perspective, Lu Yuan was aiming at the target, but Lu Qi was between him and the target, causing Lu Yuan to hesitate.

Only Meng Qianqian understood the cunning of the great villain; he had been holding back, most likely planning something big.

She wondered if the Jian Junwang could keep his cool.

She lowered her gaze and took a sip of tea.

"Arrows have no eyes, second brother, catch it," Lu Yuan said with a smirk, and shot his first arrow of the day!

Lu Qi never expected Lu Yuan to dare shoot him in public.

Without time to think, his body instinctively reacted to save his life; he leaned back, lying flat on his horse.

The arrow passed through the air above him, emitting a sharp sound as it sliced through the sky.

He even felt the chilling killing intent carried by the arrow, sending shivers down his spine.

Slap! Lu Yuan's arrow sliced through Lu Qi's arrow and landed on the first target.

This scene stunned everyone.

Lu Yuan wasn't directly facing the target; he had already reached the front of the third target and was shooting backward at an angle.

It was impressive that he hit the target, let alone the bullseye, and even more so that he sliced through Lu Qi's arrow.

"It must be a coincidence!"

"Indeed, could anyone shoot such an arrow?"

"No, the Grand General is the best archer in the Southwest, he could hit it, but only he could."

The military officers debated, refusing to believe Lu Yuan's skill.

The civil officials, less familiar with archery, were impressed but unsure of the extent of Lu Yuan's ability.

In comparison, they were more concerned with Lu Qi's evasive maneuver.

What's with the Junwang?

Is he that timid?

Look how scared he is, as if the arrow from the Imperial Grandson could hurt him.

Meng Qianqian curved her lips, "Is that so?"

After shooting the first arrow, Lu Yuan immediately drew the second.

This time, he aimed at Lu Qi again.

Since he hit the bullseye with the previous arrow, no one suspected that he was initially aiming at himself.

Even Lu Qi thought he might be overthinking it, but when he faced Lu Yuan's arrow and the intent to kill in his eyes once more, he realized Lu Yuan was serious.

He truly wanted to kill him.

Or more precisely, Lu Yuan was gambling.

He was betting that Lu Qi would dodge.

Lu Yuan wanted to force him to lose face in front of the Imperial Grandfather and the civil and military officials.

That provocative gaze seemed to say—you'll lose either face or your life.

Dodge, and lose face.

Don't dodge, and lose your life.

"You're not afraid..."

Before Lu Qi could finish, Lu Yuan released the arrow.

As a martial artist, Lu Qi knew without a doubt that this arrow would pierce his heart.

If Lu Yuan killed him, he would surely be punished.

But what good would it do to have Lu Yuan pay with his life after he was already dead? Could he come back to life?

This arrow was even more swift than the previous one, and with Lu Qi's mental preparation, he dodged more smoothly.

From the bystanders' perspective, it looked even more embarrassing.

The civil officials were perplexed.

What's going on? The Imperial Grandson shoots, and you dodge.

As expected, Lu Yuan's second arrow also sliced through Lu Qi's arrow and hit the bullseye.

"Well done!"

The Chief Scholar of the Hanlin Academy applauded.

Jiang Guogong stepped onto the table, "Shoot! Shoot! Finish him off!"

The Qi King had reached his limit, "Jiang Guogong!"

Jiang Guogong replied, "I didn't mention any names."

Then, waving his arms, he roared passionately at the center of the horse field, "Finish him off! Finish him—"

The Qi King was furious.

Prince Jin and General Hu's faces darkened.

They understood Lu Qi; he wasn't one to overreact, so he must have dodged because Lu Yuan was indeed aiming at him.

Lu Yuan's aiming angle was extremely tricky, connecting Lu Qi and the bullseye in a straight line.

Others only saw the result and assumed that Lu Yuan had aimed for the bullseye from the start, dismissing any suspicion.

Lu Qi was like a mute eating bitter herbs, unable to express his frustration.

"So despicable!"

The Qi King sighed.

The Rui King shook his head, "One move away from victory. If only we had changed the target's position beforehand."

It was too late to discuss this now.

The current solution was to create distance from Lu Yuan or move to his outer side.

But unfortunately, the black horse couldn't outrun Lu Yuan's white horse.

An injured horse unleashed an astonishing display of power.

It seemed to understand every command from Lu Yuan, each leap and acceleration perfectly executed.

Lu Yuan released his third arrow.

This time, he didn't show off with Lu Qi but shot a proper arrow.

Lu Qi almost dodged again, but the arrow flew past him, and he realized Lu Yuan had surpassed him.

Lu Qi hurriedly shot his third arrow.

However, perhaps influenced by Lu Yuan, this arrow only grazed the edge of the bullseye.

"Hahahahaha! You missed!"

Jiang Guogong didn't hide his mockery.

Fu Wang touched his forehead.

On the other side, the female relatives also clearly saw the first three arrows shot by the two Imperial grandsons.

Liu Qingyun beamed with pride, "My son is so amazing!"

Chenfei nodded indulgently, her eyes fixed on her grandson on the horse, reluctant to look away.

Jiang Huiyi praised Lu Yuan's performance, "Unexpectedly, Zhaoyan doesn't practice martial arts, yet he has an extraordinary son."

Chenfei smiled, "It's Xiao Bai's credit."

Jiang Huiyi agreed, "This daughter-in-law is a good choice. When will I get to drink the wedding wine? I don't want to drink from Jin Wangfu, but I must have my fill from the Crown Prince's Mansion."

There was a hidden meaning in her words.

Chenfei glanced at Meng Qianqian on the Imperial Platform and leaned closer to Liu Qingyun, asking softly, "Is the girl by His Majesty's side my granddaughter-in-law?"

Liu Qingyun was taken aback and whispered, "How does Your Highness know?"

Chenfei smiled, "Yuan'er shot three arrows and looked at her eighteen times."

Before he started shooting, he was secretly glancing at her.

Liu Qingyun was speechless. That rascal, can't he be serious for once...

Lu Yuan raised his eyebrows and looked towards the Imperial Platform.

"Your father is watching you."

The Liang Emperor said to the little one in his arms.

Bao Zhu Zhu shook his little head, "Hmph!"

Lu Yuan wasn't looking at her.

Meng Qianqian's expression turned serious: Do your best.

The daughter-in-law is fierce.

Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze and sighed, "Alright, let's get serious."

Lu Qi, beside him, almost fell off the horse in anger upon hearing this.

"I hope your archery skills are as good as your boasting abilities!"

"That won't do. My Highness's boasting skills are even better."

Lu Qi: "..."

Lu Yuan smirked, "But it's enough to deal with you."

Lu Yuan shot three arrows in quick succession, each hitting the mark.

Then he drew out an arrow and bit into it.

The crowd didn't understand his intention.

Only three arrows were left in the quiver.

He drew them all out and placed them on the bowstring.

The deputy commander of the Imperial Guards stood up in surprise, "Is he going to shoot three arrows at once?"

The white horse beside Lu Yuan didn't slow down at all; instead, it galloped faster.

In such a situation, not only was it impossible to shoot three arrows at once, but even a single arrow would be difficult to aim at the target.

"Has he gone mad?"

Rui Wang muttered.

Qi Wang scoffed, "Show-off!"

Lu Zhaoyan took a deep breath.

That rascal, always showing off in front of his wife. I wonder who he takes after.

Ming Wang said, "Second brother, it seems your sister-in-law is looking at you."

Lu Zhaoyan immediately picked up a cup of tea and assumed the most elegant and handsome posture.

(Newest Chapter at 69 Shubara!)



Lu Yuan galloped forward, made a sharp turn at the finish line, and shot three arrows simultaneously!

Each arrow hit the bullseye!

Then he took out the last arrow from his mouth.

He stood like a warrior before a majestic castle, fighting against thousands of troops alone.

He drew the bowstring, and in his eyes, there was no Lu Qi, no Riding and Archery Contest.

"In the flourishing age, peace prevails. The tenth arrow, dedicated to Your Majesty, will determine the heavens and the earth!"

As his voice fell, the arrow left the bowstring, like a star piercing the sky, hitting the bullseye of everyone's target.

The civil and military officials gasped in awe.

In that moment, even the critical martial artists couldn't find a word to refute.

The reason was simple; they were deeply impressed by his archery skills and aura.

"Look! The Prince of the Commandery also shot three arrows at once, and each hit the bullseye!"

A military official exclaimed.

Since everyone's attention had been on Lu Yuan, when they looked at Lu Qi, his arrow was already on the target.

To be fair, his posture was also quite handsome.

Unfortunately, everyone missed it.

Moreover, after Lu Yuan's impressive display, the second three-arrow shot didn't have the same impact and awe.

Jiang Guogong waved his hand, "Well done! Magnificent!"

Hu Da Jiangjun spoke calmly, "The competition isn't over yet. It's too early to declare victory."

Jiang Guogong chuckled, "If it weren't for your shamelessness and adding difficulty, the outcome would've been certain!"

"In a prolonged battle, exhausting one's energy first is not advisable."

Hu Da Jiangjun implied that Lu Yuan was holding back. What's the point of showing off in the first round when there are two more rounds to go?

"Tsk~"

Jiang Guogong waved his hand, "If you can't win the first round, don't even think about winning the later ones. Go dream!"

Hu Da Jiangjun spoke with authority, "Jiang Guogong, with such disrespectful words, do you even have His Majesty in your eyes?"

Jiang Guogong pointed at Zhang Qufeng diagonally across, "Am I being disrespectful like him?"

Zhang Qufeng choked, "I didn't say anything this afternoon!"

Yesterday, at the Jin Luan Pavilion, Zhang Qufeng had spoken rudely to Lu Yuan, and now he was doing the same to Jiang Guogong.

"If you're going to arrest, arrest us all. If you're going to punish, punish us all."

"And him too."

Jiang Guogong pointed at Qi Wang, trying to shift the blame, aiming for two sure wins and no losses.

The others were left speechless by his words.

The competition continued.

Lu Yuan and Lu Qi dismounted and climbed the high platform with their bows and arrows.

Only when they reached the top did they realize that the platform was made of moving poles.

A sudden gust of wind made the platform sway, causing the two on top to nearly fall.

There was only one Hou Yi Bow, and whoever got it would win.

Both men reached for the bamboo pole in front of them, but Lu Qi blocked Lu Yuan, "Big brother, stop now to avoid hurting yourself. I'm doing this for your own good."

Lu Yuan curled his lips and avoided Lu Qi's hand with one hand, tightly grasping the bamboo pole, "With such good intentions, why don't you go down?"

"It's better for big brother to go down."

"I'll listen to you."

After Lu Yuan finished speaking, he did let go and jumped down.

Everyone was shocked.

The Liang Emperor said, "Look at your father."

"I won't look!"

The little bun sat in the Liang Emperor's embrace and decisively pulled up her small curtain—the Liang Emperor's cloak.

Then, she couldn't help but open a small slit to sneak a peek at her smelly father.

The Liang Emperor found it amusing.

Only this little bun could distract and relax the Liang Emperor at such a tense moment.

Lu Qi didn't expect Lu Yuan to jump so suddenly.

He always thought he was crazy, but Lu Yuan was even crazier, stepping in places no one could have imagined.

"Ah—He's falling—Murder—Cheating—The Prince of the Commandery is killing his brother—Using underhanded means to win the competition—"

Jiang Guogong let out a pig-slaughtering yell.

Lu Qi jumped up.

...But he couldn't jump.

He looked down and saw Lu Yuan holding his foot, smiling up at him.

A sense of foreboding rose from the bottom of his heart.

The next moment, Lu Yuan grabbed his foot and swung himself, performing a backflip in mid-air and landing on the edge of the platform. He hung upside down on the bamboo pole where the Hou Yi Bow was hanging.

Qi Wang, with a dark face, questioned Jiang Guogong, "Who's using underhanded means?"

Jiang Guogong touched his nose, "I didn't say it's not allowed to grab."

Lu Yuan kicked with one foot, and the Hou Yi Bow was shaken out.

It seemed like an effortless kick, but only Hu Dajiangjun knew that shaking out the Hou Yi Bow required extraordinary strength.

This opponent of the Prince of the Commandery was more formidable than expected.

Seeing the Hou Yi Bow fly, Lu Qi quickly shot a flying dart, hitting the Hou Yi Bow that was about to land in Lu Yuan's palm.

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, "If you're using hidden weapons, I won't hold back either."

He reached into his pocket and took out a silver needle, throwing it at Lu Qi like scattering flowers.

Qi Wang turned to the Liang Emperor, "Father Emperor! Lu Lin Yuan is cheating!"

Ming Wang chuckled, "Lu Qi used a flying dart first."

Qi Wang gritted his teeth, "Qi'er shot the bow!"

Ming Wang said, "Your nephew also shot the bow. Don't believe me? Look."

Qi Wang turned to look.

Lu Qi swung the Hou Yi Bow in his hand, blocking the flying silver needles.

Qi Wang gritted his teeth and said to Ming Wang, "You... you're twisting the truth!"

However, the Liang Emperor didn't call for a stop, implying that their fight was within the rules.

Seeing this, Lu Qi no longer held back.

After all, he was the son-in-law of Qian Ji Pavilion, and hidden weapons were their specialty.

He continuously used hidden weapons, but Lu Yuan dodged them all.

After shooting the silver needle, Lu Yuan didn't have any more, relying solely on his agility to dodge.

Ming Wang clicked his tongue, "How can he have so many hidden weapons on him? Is he here for the competition or to assassinate?"

The speaker had no intention, but the listener's heart understood.

Although hidden weapons were useful, in the eyes of the officials, they were not considered the right path.

The Prince of the Commandery's excessive use of hidden weapons seemed too underhanded to the onlookers.

In their minds, the Prince of the Commandery wasn't the type to use hidden arrows to harm others.

If the Imperial Grandson used hidden weapons, it wouldn't be surprising, as he had never been a proper person.

But the Prince of the Commandery was well-read, humble, and respectful, and his behavior should have been open and upright.

Disappointment flashed in many people's eyes.

Lu Qi had said that he wanted to win the competition and the hearts of the people.

But now, he was gradually losing the hearts of the people.

Lu Qi suddenly realized, as if waking up from a dream.

He had fallen into Lu Yuan's trap.

What a sinister guy!

Lu Qi quickly stopped and no longer entangled with Lu Yuan. He grabbed the Hou Yi Bow and leaped.

Suddenly, a whip wrapped around his wrist and tightened, causing the Hou Yi Bow to slip from his grasp.

Lu Yuan flew and caught the Hou Yi Bow, curved his index finger, and whistled.

The white horse neighed and galloped away.

Lu Yuan landed steadily on the horse's back.

Lu Qi punched the bamboo pole, "Damn it!"

Qi Wang mocked, "What's the use of grabbing it? Can you pull it?"

A useless person who couldn't even pull a three-stone bow, how could he handle the Hou Yi Bow? A blind man lighting a lamp, wasting wax!

Qi Wang's thoughts flashed by.

In full view of everyone, Lu Yuan's eyes turned cold as he pulled the Hou Yi Bow.

The end of the 4400-word chapter, early release! Do you have tickets?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end