Leng Sha stiffened under his gaze. A long time later, Leng Sha regretted his boastful words that day. He blamed himself, knowing that his master was the kind of person he should never offend. Why couldn't he have been more compliant? In the end, he brought trouble upon himself!
For the next three days, Ouyang Yue did not leave the manor. However, Li Rushuang came uninvited to accompany Ouyang Yue to practice martial arts. The next two events were both related to martial arts. However, the seven judges had said that there would be some changes to this competition, but they did not say what the competition would be about.
However, the result of this is what we see now.
Ouyang Yue and Li Rushuang were currently nestled in Ouyang Yue's room, each seated on a soft couch. A small table sat on the couch, on which were three plates of fruit and pastries, along with steaming tea. Li Rushuang was beaming as she spoke: "Hahaha, you don't know? A few days ago, I went to the Fu residence with some other curious young ladies. Fu Meier was so ashamed she couldn't face anyone. She had Madam Fu come out to block her, but she couldn't stop the other concubines and illegitimate daughters who were hostile to them. Those concubines and illegitimate daughters immediately started describing Fu Meier to us. These concubines and illegitimate daughters of the Fu family are quite capable; every word they uttered sounded sarcastic, yet they pretended to care about Fu Meier. Madam Fu scolded them a few times, but these concubines turned around and accused us of caring about Fu Meier, saying they were worried about her and could only use words to cover up their concern. We were there, and Madam Fu couldn't bring herself to do it, so in the end, she ended up losing face herself."
Li Rushuang was so excited that she was practically spitting as she spoke. At this moment, Li Rushuang's eyes widened and she said, "Yue'er, do you know where Fu Meier was back then?" As she spoke, her eyes seemed to sparkle like stars.
Ouyang Yue took a sip of her tea and said, "Could it be that they're eavesdropping in the back room?"
"Slap!" Li Rushuang clapped her hands, looking at Ouyang Yue in disbelief: "Yue'er, you knew all this? How did you guess? She was listening in the back room. When she heard these concubines accusing her, she couldn't hold back anymore and directly lifted the curtain to shout her rebuttal." Li Rushuang was so excited that she was gesturing wildly.
"Yue'er, you didn't see that scene! Fu Meier's face was completely covered. Her whole face was wrapped in a white cloth, only her eyes, a nose, and a mouth were showing. She looked like a giant steamed bun. She ran out with her head in her hands to argue. Oh my, that scene made me laugh so hard I couldn't stand up straight. Fu Meier even got angry and kicked us all out. It was so embarrassing! I still laugh when I think about it now. That arrogant Fu Meier, who even ruined my face, I wanted to see how she would face people with that steamed bun head. It was so satisfying, so satisfying!" Li Rushuang let out a long breath, her eyebrows still curved, showing that she was in a very good mood.
"I can imagine the scene. Fu Meier has always been very arrogant. Now, seeing her in such an ugly state, it's a miracle she didn't go crazy and start hitting you. She still has some sense." Ouyang Yue smiled. Although Baili Chen was the one who did this, she hadn't originally planned to deal with Fu Meier this way. But she had no sympathy for Fu Meier. This is what they call the wicked getting their comeuppance. Fu Meier is probably regretting it to the core right now at home.
Originally, she wanted to outshine everyone and advance in a fancy way, but who knew that she wouldn't advance and couldn't continue competing, and she even got her face injured and ended up like this, being ridiculed both inside and outside the mansion, and Fu Meier also suffered the consequences.
"Hmph! She dares to make a move. The girls I hired back then weren't exactly known for their good tempers either, and they had some grudges against her. If Fu Meier really dares to make a move, they won't just laugh at her anymore. Whatever Fu Meier wants to do, I don't think Madam Fu will agree to it, unless she wants to completely ruin her reputation." Li Rushuang sneered.
Ouyang Yue squinted at Li Rushuang, who was taken aback by the stare. Somewhat confused, she touched her face and asked, "Yue'er, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Ouyang Yue shook her head and smiled, "I just feel that Ru Shuang, you've changed a bit. You're not as impulsive as before, and at least you think things through before you act."
Li Rushuang gave a wry smile: "Do you think I wanted to? I was locked up at home for more than half a year, and my mother kept nagging me to learn from you. She taught me every day. How could I not learn? I did change a little bit, but compared to you, of course, I'm far behind." Li Rushuang chuckled sheepishly at the end.
Ouyang Yue took Li Rushuang's hand and said, "That's good. At least you have to learn to protect yourself. Next time you go to the horse race with Fu Meier, you should first think about whether you will be in danger. As long as there is no danger, it doesn't matter what you do."
"Please stop talking. Even now, thinking back to what happened, I still break out in a cold sweat. If it weren't for you, I would have been ruined." Li Rushuang was still shaken, and she looked at Ouyang Yue with gratitude. She would never forget how Yue'er changed her life.
After her brief appearance in the palace, matchmakers soon arrived to propose marriage. However, this time Cheng Shi was remarkably firm. Previously, she would relentlessly pursue any suitor, but now she directly sent them away. She had three criteria for rejection: first, she wouldn't see any suitors she had previously proposed to, even if they hadn't agreed then, but now, seeing Li Rushuang's improved beauty, they eagerly came to propose. Such men, driven by lust, were certainly not good men, so she wouldn't see them. Second, many had mocked Li Rushuang when she was dark-skinned; such families were also unacceptable. Third, she would never see any notorious playboys with countless women in their households.
She would only consider the others who were acceptable to her. However, she had expected to be met with a barrage of incomprehension and criticism, but instead, everything was calm. Cheng Shi and Li Gang mentioned to Li Rushuang more than once that becoming beautiful really made a difference, and that being beautiful had its advantages.
Ouyang Yue suddenly asked, "After Fu Meier kicked you out, did she do anything else?"
Li Rushuang asked in confusion, "What movement? What other movement is she going to make?"
Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. Fu Meier was the kind of person who would hold a grudge. Regardless of who was right or wrong at the beginning, Li Rushuang had brought people to her door to laugh at her. Wouldn't Fu Meier hold a grudge? Yet she hadn't done anything? That was truly unbelievable. She still reminded her, "However, Fu Meier is no pushover either. You should still be careful and watch out for her doing something bad behind your back. Also, go back and tell your uncle and aunt about this."
They all knew Li Rushuang's personality. Even if they had stopped her back then, she probably would have still gone to the Fu residence. Besides, this was something Fu Meier owed Li Rushuang, so they didn't think Li Rushuang was wrong. Li Rushuang was somewhat indifferent, but still nodded in agreement.
Three days later, the beauty pageant's top five to top three competition officially began.
The match hadn't started yet, but the stands were already packed with people, many of whom were talking excitedly.
"What kind of competition is this five-to-three round today? I heard it's about martial arts. I watched the ten-to-nine round, and Miss Ouyang's horsemanship was truly amazing. How could her martial arts be lacking? I think Miss Ouyang will probably be number one this year." The man gave a thumbs up, looking very proud.
"Yes, Miss Ouyang is indeed both scholarly and martial. I really misjudged her before."
"That's right, that's right."
"However, it's hard to say who will ultimately be number one. Look at the fourth daughter of the Miao region, she made it into the top five. The formation that the fourth daughter of the Miao region used was quite impressive. It's hard to say that she doesn't have some hidden tricks up her sleeve. The further the competition goes, the harder it is to determine the winner."
"What you said makes sense."
Meanwhile, in the tents where the competition was waiting, Ouyang Yue, Baili Nan, Jiang Huan, Zi Si, and Mu Cuiwei each sat in their own area, not sitting next to each other, and not speaking to each other. It was as if five generals were vying for supremacy, each acting independently and wary of their opponents.
The seven judges on the judging panel outside took their seats. Mr. Qi stood up with a smile and said, "Alright, the competition to narrow down the top five to the top three begins. First, I would like to explain the rules of this competition. Please come up to the stage, ladies."
"Clap clap clap clap clap!" Thunderous applause erupted from the stands, and Ouyang Yue and the other four followed Mr. Qi's words, walking out of the tents one by one and going up to the stage.
Emperor Mingxian did not come to the main viewing platform this time. Instead, he sent his son, Crown Prince Baili Cheng, as his representative. Baili Jian, Baili Chen, and Baili Mao appeared one after another. Moreover, not only them, but also all the princesses in the palace came to watch the excitement. The second princess, Baili Jing, the fourth princess, Baili Cai, the fifth princess, Baili Le, and the youngest sixth princess, Baili Yan, all appeared.
At this moment, Baili Yan did not sit with the second, fourth, and fifth princesses. Instead, she went to Baili Chen's seat, which was slightly lower down, and sat to his left. To Baili Chen's right were naturally Leng Caiwen and Dai Yu. At this moment, both of them looked a little unwell and quietly drank their tea.
Baili Yan was quite clever and mischievous, with big, bright eyes. When she smiled, her whole face was as cute as a red apple. At this moment, she was tightly hugging Baili Chen's arm and excitedly said, "Luckily, Second Sister and the others came to watch the competition, otherwise Yan'er would still be confined in the palace. Seventh Brother, you love Yan the most, why didn't you send someone to pick Yan'er up this time? Yan'er heard in the palace that this beauty pageant was very exciting. Originally, Father Emperor was too busy with official duties to attend to the competition, but I heard that Father Emperor has ordered that he will personally preside over the final three-into-one round. It can be said that the competition was very exciting, but Yan'er didn't get to see it."
Baili Chen slightly pulled his arm away, while Baili Yan pouted and tightly hugged her hands: "Seventh brother, tell Yan'er about the previous competition. Those people in the palace only had a superficial understanding. When I was listening with great interest, they couldn't answer at all."
Baili Yan was a pitiful person. She was just an ordinary-looking palace maid who was born after Emperor Mingxian got drunk and slept with her. Perhaps because Baili Yan had no background, even the various factions in the palace were too lazy to get rid of her, and of course, they ignored her. It's easy to imagine that Baili Yan's life wasn't very good. Later, her birth mother died not long after giving birth to her because of her bad luck. Afterwards, Baili Yan's life was even worse than some of the more fortunate palace maids. Once, she was bullied and was rescued by Baili Chen who happened to be passing by. Baili Yan was very grateful to Baili Chen and from then on, she clung to him. Perhaps because they both lost their mothers at a young age, Baili Chen took care of Baili Yan, and Baili Yan's life improved. However, from then on, she liked to follow Baili Chen around more and more.
Baili Chen gently patted Baili Yan's hand, and Baili Yan pouted and let go. She didn't know why, but her seventh brother just didn't like others getting close to him. Even though she was so familiar with him, it was still not allowed. This pat was the last line. If she didn't know her place, her seventh brother would probably get angry.
Baili Chen turned directly to Leng Caiwen and said, "Ask Caiwen. He's the best at describing these kinds of things. I can't explain it to him."
Baili Yan was somewhat disappointed, but she still looked at Leng Caiwen with undisguised excitement. After all, she was incredibly bored in the palace, and she had to see and listen to such a lively event. Leng Caiwen smiled faintly and glanced at Baili Chen with dissatisfaction. The Sixth Princess clearly wanted you to speak, but Baili Chen had already turned his head to look at the competition stage and completely ignored him. Leng Caiwen had no choice but to focus on the key points.
"Alright, now I'll explain the rules for the next round of the five-to-three competition. As I mentioned before, while martial arts skills play a role, the most important thing is courage. The five ladies on stage will take turns starting. One of them will stand there with an apple on her head, and another lady will come forward with a dagger. If the first lady drops the apple out of fear, she will lose two points; if she leans to one side, she will lose four points; and if she successfully stands still until the end, she will win four points. The lady with the dagger will win four points if she hits the target, lose two points if she misses, and lose four points if she injures someone." As soon as Mr. Qi finished speaking, the entire audience fell silent.
Jiang Huan was the first to shout, "What kind of competition is this? Most of us here don't know martial arts, or our skills are poor. We just stand there motionless and let them shoot us. Isn't this gambling with our lives? What kind of competition is this? I don't accept it!"
Ouyang Yue frowned even more. This competition was indeed a gamble with her life. Although she was very confident in her hidden weapons, could she be confident in her opponents? What if she missed? What if someone deliberately sabotaged her? If she didn't want to be hit, she would have to move and she would probably lose. Such competition rules had never existed in beauty pageants from ancient times to the present!
The Miao Jiang Holy King suddenly spoke, his tone chilling: "If you have any objections, you can withdraw now, but you will also be barred from participating in the next competition!" He glanced at Ouyang Yue and the other four with a half-smile, but Ouyang Yue felt that there was something strange about that smile!
☆、142、Miss Fu, you've fainted from fright!
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan was stunned for a moment, then glared angrily at the Miao King: "You're just one of the judges, how can you represent everyone's opinion? I'm not convinced! What kind of competition is this? This is a life-or-death competition! Doesn't this mean they don't care about our lives at all? What if something goes wrong in this competition? Who will compensate us? Can you afford to compensate us?!" Jiang Huan was a high-ranking and powerful member of the royal family. Her usual arrogance and haughtiness had its reasons and basis. In her eyes, her life was more important than anyone else's. Upon hearing the danger level of this game, she naturally retorted.
The Miao Holy King merely raised an eyebrow and smiled, but the smile seemed devoid of any warmth: "Unfortunately, the judging of each round is the rule. If anyone does not wish to abide by it, they can simply choose not to participate, and no one can stop them."
"You!" Jiang Huan was furious, wishing she could run up and beat the Miao Jiang Holy King to death. The Miao Jiang Holy King was extremely handsome, but compared to Jiang Huan's interests, his beauty meant nothing. Jiang Huan now resented the Miao Jiang Holy King immensely. She even doubted his true intentions. After all, of the five young ladies on the stage, only Zi Si and Ouyang Yue were skilled in martial arts. The others did not usually pay attention to martial arts, which was a disadvantage for them in this situation.
"Hmph, listening to this five-to-three competition, it seems like they're giving the two of you special treatment. We are genuine daughters of noble families, and our martial arts skills aren't particularly refined. The next two events are both related to martial arts. Can I assume that someone here has a close relationship with the judges, so the competition was deliberately set for their specialty?" As she spoke, Jiang Huan glanced at Zi Si and then at the Miao Jiang Holy King. Her meaning was crystal clear. These two were master and servant, the kind of master and servant who were inseparable. It was even possible that Zi Si and the others were the Miao Jiang Holy King's concubines. If someone else was chosen, the Miao Jiang Holy King would also gain face. Would he not show favoritism? Even if he didn't, Jiang Huan was now convinced he did!
Jiang Huan's words immediately drew many eyes to the judging panel. Although beauty pageants have included martial arts competitions throughout history, they clearly place more emphasis on arts than literary competitions. Martial arts skills can even be replaced by others. The sudden increase in the difficulty of martial arts in this year's competition is truly unexpected.
The five distinguished guests from the five nations in the stands shared the same thought. Baili Chen sat in the stands, but his eyes were fixed on the Miao Jiang Holy King. He hadn't had much contact with this person, but his gloomy appearance was unforgettable. This person was very strange, and it was impossible to figure out what he was thinking. Just as Jiang Huan said, this competition to advance from five to three was clearly somewhat biased. It was probably impossible to satisfy everyone without any complaints.
"Do we need to perform a projection? Can't we just have other people carry apples on their heads? Why do we have to make the contestants perform? These ladies are all precious and delicate, how could they agree to that?" Baili Yan frowned slightly. She was young, but she was still a princess. Having lived in a place like the palace, she understood some things.
Leng Caiwen waved his fan, a slight smile playing on his lips: "The Sixth Princess is right. Let's see how the Miao King responds." But there was something dark and unfathomable in his eyes. Dai Yu pursed her lips tightly, and everyone in the room stared intently at the seven judges.
The Miao King was unimpressed, a cold smile curving his lips, the strange markings on his face shimmering slightly, making him exceptionally radiant: "What has always been the purpose of this beauty pageant, Princess Jiang Huan?"
Jiang Huan was slightly taken aback and said, "Of course, it's about choosing the most beautiful woman in the world."
"Oh, is that all? I was referring to the purpose."
Jiang Huan frowned and said, "Choose the most beautiful woman in the world who is skilled in both literature and martial arts."
The Miao King revealed a mocking smile: "Then how can we judge martial arts skills if someone else is found to replace you? This so-called 'world's most beautiful woman who is both scholarly and martial is a joke. This year, our seven judges value both scholarly and martial arts skills more and have raised the requirements for martial arts skills. What's wrong with that? Tell me, Princess Jiang Huan."
Jiang Huan's face darkened, and she pursed her lips without speaking. The audience in the stands nodded in agreement. Yes, being proficient in both literature and martial arts had always been a requirement. However, due to the limited energy of each young lady, it was difficult for one person to be proficient in both. Therefore, the competition gradually evolved so that martial arts could be replaced. In previous years, more emphasis was placed on the literary and artistic competitions among the young ladies. But if this competition focuses on martial arts, no one can find fault with it. After all, this is in accordance with the purpose of the competition. It's about whether you have the ability to be proficient in both literature and martial arts. The winner selected in that way will be the true first beauty who is proficient in both literature and martial arts.
The Miao King looked coldly at Jiang Huan: "If Princess Jiang is afraid, then step down. Although you didn't make it into the top three, you did make it into the top five, which is not bad. Even if you participate in the next competition, you may not make it into the top three. It doesn't really matter if you withdraw now."
"Shut up! Who said this princess is afraid?" Jiang Huan shouted coldly, glared at the Miao Jiang Holy King, and stood on the stage without making a move. Jiang Huan's previous confrontation with the Miao Jiang Holy King made the people on the stage realize that if they didn't want to participate in the upcoming competition, there would be no turning back. Even if they were unwilling, they had to fight for their advancement.
"Alright, since all the ladies wish to continue participating, let's draw lots first, and then the competition will begin." Mr. Qi waved his hand, and immediately someone came forward with a large jar. On the stage, Ouyang Yue and the other three ladies each grabbed a slip of paper from the jar and handed it to Mr. Qi.
"Now I will announce the order of the competition: Mu Cuiwei, Jiang Huan, Zi Si, Baili Nan, and Ouyang Yue. The order is that Miss Mu Cuiwei will throw first, Princess Jiang Huan will top the apple, and so on. Finally, Miss Ouyang Yue will throw, and Miss Mu Cuiwei will top the apple. Everyone will participate. Let's begin."
As soon as Mr. Qi finished speaking, someone immediately brought up a wooden pillar as tall as a strong man and placed it on the competition platform. Small white dots were drawn around it. Mr. Qi immediately explained: "The range of these white dots indicates the accuracy of each contestant's throw. The closer to the human body, the better the position, and the further back, the worse. If the scores of the ladies are similar, these white dots will play a role."
Jiang Huan coldly looked at Mu Cuiwei: "Mu Cuiwei, the daughter of the Minister of Justice, is very close to the Second Princess Baili Jing. Am I right? You'd better be careful. If you hurt me, my father will drag your whole family down with you!"
Mu Cuiwei's expression changed. She had originally planned to use this opportunity to eliminate one or two contestants, which would have made it easy for her to enter the top three. Unfortunately, her first opponent was Jiang Huan. Da Gan and Da Zhou were of similar national strength, and Jiang Huan was a princess of the Jiang clan, just like Baili Qia, a member of the imperial family. If she really injured Jiang Huan, things would be very difficult. Mu Cuiwei's mind raced, and the more she thought about it, the uglier her expression became.
Jiang Huan had already reached the wooden pillar when a pretty maidservant immediately said, "Princess Jiang, please forgive me." She then placed a white-and-red apple on Jiang Huan's head. Jiang Huan clenched her hands tightly under her sleeves, nervously glancing at Mu Cuiwei, who was already holding a dagger. Mu Cuiwei was also tense, her face pale. After all, this was a princess of Da Gan! The more she thought about it, the more she felt that if she really hurt Princess Jiang Huan, and Da Gan blamed her, or used this as an excuse to cause chaos between the two countries, wouldn't she become a sinner for all time? Not only would she die a terrible death, but the entire Mu family, the entire Mu clan, would probably be executed.
The more Mu Cuiwei thought about it, the more nervous she became. She even felt her hands trembling, her tongue going numb, her lips shaking, and her body quivering. The hand holding the dagger trembled even more, causing the gleaming tip of the dagger to flash. Jiang Huan, who was opposite her, gasped: "Mu Cuiwei, what are you so nervous about? Do you intend to poison this princess?"
Mu Cuiwei quickly shook her head: "No...no, I just haven't projected before, I have no experience."
However, Jiang Huan's face darkened even more upon hearing Mu Cuiwei's explanation. What? Mu Cuiwei had never played before? Then, wouldn't she be in even greater danger? If Mu Cuiwei really failed, would she even survive? Jiang Huan opened her mouth to say something, her face dark, but her gaze involuntarily swept towards the judging panel. When she saw the Miao Jiang Holy King, she forcibly swallowed her words. Damn it, if she refused, it would be the same as losing. She had made it into the top five; how could she withdraw so easily? How could she, a princess of the Great Gan Kingdom, do such a shameful thing? Jiang Huan pursed her lips tightly and remained silent. But while she stubbornly endured it, her heart was filled with even greater fear.
"Princess Jiang, I...I'm going to ejaculate." Mu Cui said, her hands trembling slightly, her voice full of uncertainty.
"Stop talking nonsense, just shoot!" Jiang Huan yelled angrily. Seeing Mu Cuiwei like this made her even more nervous. She gripped her sleeves tightly, wanting nothing more than to kick Mu Cuiwei. The more insecure Mu Cuiwei seemed, the more dangerous she appeared to Jiang Huan. Hiring an amateur was like entrusting her life to that person—extremely dangerous. Jiang Huan's lips twitched; she felt her heart pounding erratically in her chest. The pounding sound seemed to be ringing in her ears, making them ache. She simply closed her eyes, out of sight, out of mind.
However, when she closed her eyes, all around her was pitch black, without a single ray of light. But she could hear the cacophony of voices from the stands, her own heavy breathing, and Mu Cuiwei's nervous mutterings. All of this suddenly enveloped her ears, making her even more tense and trembling.
Just then, Mu Cuiwei suddenly said, "Princess Jiang, be careful!"
Jiang Huan felt her hearing become more acute. She heard the sound of the dagger flying towards her. Startled, she suddenly opened her eyes and saw the dagger shooting straight at her. She immediately cried out, "Oh my god!" Then she twisted her body and took a few steps back to the side.
"when!"
"Bang!"
The dagger flew heavily towards the spot where Jiang Huan had been standing, precisely at her heart. However, it missed slightly; had Jiang Huan been there, it would likely have hit her clothes. The apple on her head would have already fallen to the ground, rolling twice before stopping. Jiang Huan immediately glared and roared, "Mu Cuiwei, are you trying to kill me? You have such a vicious intention! You're asking for death!"
Mu Cuiwei was also taken aback and said, "I didn't. I didn't originally intend to shoot here. Who knew it would disobey me in the end? I absolutely did not mean to hurt Princess Jiang." Mu Cuiwei wasn't stupid. She wouldn't dare to do anything to harm Jiang Huan. Even if she resented Jiang Huan, she would secretly devise a plan. Doing such things in front of everyone would give people something to talk about. Mu Cuiwei would never do that. But the dagger simply wouldn't obey her, so who could she blame?
Mr. Qi immediately said, "Princess Jiang Huan did not hold out until the last moment, dodging the dagger before it was shot, thus losing six points for a failed challenge! Miss Mu Cuiwei missed her shot, thus losing four points."
"What? The minimum deduction isn't four points?" Jiang Huan frowned.
"The rule is that if you lean to one side, you lose four points, provided you don't leave your original spot. Princess Jiang Huan values her life and has run so far, so naturally you should lose more points. Is there any doubt about six points?" Mr. Qi raised an eyebrow and looked at Jiang Huan. Jiang Huan frowned, stared coldly at Mr. Qi, but gritted her teeth and snorted without saying a word.
Mu Cuiwei was so frightened that she took two steps back, bending over and panting heavily. This was truly inhuman! She was far more nervous than Jiang Huan. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: if she was like this, then Ouyang Yue would be too. She remembered that Ouyang Yue would be targeting her. If she just put on an act, she could probably easily oust Ouyang Yue.
Inside the competition tent, there were only three people: Zi Si, Baili Nan, and Ouyang Yue. This time, as soon as Baili Nan entered the tent, he went to sit down next to Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue raised her eyebrows, stood up, and bowed, saying, "Princess."
"Sit down, let's talk." Baili Nan simply nodded indifferently. Ouyang Yue, not understanding what was going on, lowered her head and responded, then sat down again.
However, Baili Nan did not speak immediately. He just looked at Ouyang Yue, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, Baili Nan slowly spoke: "In the previous top ten to nine competition, Miss Ouyang did not use a substitute rider to participate in the competition herself, and she achieved excellent results. I suppose you are very confident in your martial arts skills."
Ouyang Yue didn't know what Baili Nan wanted to say. After all, in the upcoming competition, she would be facing Baili Nan's projectiles. Royal relatives naturally had their pride, but they might also resort to any means to win. She didn't know what Baili Nan's true purpose was. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "As the saying goes, there are always people better than you, and there is always something beyond your understanding. I dare not make such a boastful statement. Moreover, horsemanship is not the same as throwing weapons or projectiles, and they cannot be compared."
Baili Nan looked at Ouyang Yue, his tone even colder: "Are you lying? I think you're very confident."
Ouyang Yue looked up slightly at Baili Nan, unable to understand her or see through her, so she pursed her lips and remained silent, simply watching her quietly. Baili Nan sighed, "Even if I manage to get into the top three in the next two martial arts competitions, I'm afraid I won't be able to win the final match." It was unclear who Baili Nan was referring to. She looked up outside and didn't speak to Ouyang Yue again. Ouyang Yue's eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent as well.
Zi Si, who was sitting not far away, had her eyes closed. Suddenly, she opened them, her eyes flashing with a cold, sharp light as she glanced at Ouyang Yue before closing them again.
"Second place: Princess Jiang Huan. Zi Si, get ready." Mr. Qi's voice rang out from outside. Mu Cuiwei walked down the stage very slowly and was immediately helped into the tent by servants. When she saw Ouyang Yue, she pushed the servants away and sneered, "Ouyang Yue, you are good at riding, but you may not be as good as me at this projectile. I will definitely get into the top three."
Ouyang Yue dismissively replied, "Oh, Miss Mu, are you so confident? Congratulations."
"Hmph!" Mu Cuiwei gritted her teeth and only started panting heavily after sitting down. Her hands and legs trembled uncontrollably. What a close call! If Jiang Huan hadn't dodged on her own, she might have really hurt Jiang Huan. Although Jiang Huan's style wasn't as ruthless as the Second Princess's, it was definitely flamboyant enough. She would have been in big trouble then. Luckily, in the end, it was all over without any real danger.
On the stage, Zi Si quietly walked to the wooden pillar, with an apple placed on his head by a servant. Compared to Jiang Huan's previous tension, Zi Si's expression was much calmer. He simply looked at Jiang Huan indifferently, as if they were having a casual chat. This made Jiang Huan feel depressed, and a malicious thought arose in her heart.
You see, Mu Cuiwei didn't dare do anything to her because of her noble status as a princess. But what was Zi Si anyway? She was nothing more than a dog by the side of the Miao Jiang Holy King, or rather, a woman the Miao Jiang Holy King could play with at will. If he wanted her, he could have plenty. The death of one or two wouldn't matter to him. She was no match for her at all. Besides, this competition was a test of courage. Jiang Huan had already lost six points, and it was very likely that she wouldn't be able to enter the top three. But what if Zi Si was also scared off by her, and the points deducted were the same? Then, if another one failed, she would still have a chance to enter the top three.
Thinking of this, Jiang Huan's eyes flashed with a cold light. "Zi Si, you can only blame yourself for participating in this beauty pageant and competing with me. Even if you die, you can't blame me. Of course, if you're smart, you should obediently get out of the way, and that will save your life."
Jiang Huan bit her lower lip tightly, gripping the dagger firmly in her hand. Her eyes, like frost-covered swords, shot straight at Zi Si. A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. Without any warning, the dagger in her hand suddenly shot towards Zi Si, startling everyone present.