The strangest thing happened this year: two of the four people who came in later actually made it all the way to the preliminary rounds before the finals. Both of them were connected to the nine-time champion, Luo Ningshuang. Li Xian'er is indeed talented; the reason she wasn't invited before was largely due to the Li family's restlessness and their past illustrious status.
However, the organizers were not afraid of trouble. They accepted the invitation, but Li Xian'er performed well, which satisfied the organizers.
However, the other Luo Zhiheng, she entered the finals by sheer luck, stumbling and making all sorts of unexpected mistakes. No one in the competition made any comments about Luo Zhiheng, for one simple reason: she had nothing to offer and nothing worth commenting on.
In the afternoon, Luo Zhiheng and the other three drew lots to select their opponents. The four sat at the selection table, and everyone except Luo Zhiheng seemed very nervous, especially Li Xian'er, who was genuinely afraid of being matched against Luo Zhiheng. But she also desperately wanted to win and capture everyone's attention. She sat there, her palms sweating, unsure of what to choose.
Luo Zhiheng glanced at the woman opposite her with her captivating cat-eye eyes. She was the great-aunt of the Duke of Zhenguo's family, the Duke's youngest sister, nearly thirty years younger than him. She was pampered, of noble status, and a great beauty with a lively and cheerful personality. Among the remaining people, this young but senior great-aunt was the most cheerful and noble, so of course she chose her first.
At this moment, she was looking at Luo Zhiheng with her captivating eyes, extremely interested. Seeing that Luo Zhiheng was also looking at her, she smiled generously and said, "You are very interesting. I really hope to have a duel with you."
Those who fought against her were either afraid of her and dared not go all out, or they flattered her and deliberately held back, so she never got to fully enjoy herself or use her true abilities. On the other hand, Luo Zhiheng, who was just the eldest daughter of a third-class noble family, dared to be rude to everyone and dared to torment anyone she wanted, which made the aunt of the Duke of Zhenguo's family very fond of her.
Luo Zhiheng flirtatiously twirled a strand of hair with her long, slender, fair fingers, laughing heartily as she said, "I had the same idea, but it remains to be seen whether we are destined to have a good, satisfying battle."
The Duke of Zhenguo's surname is Murong, and this young lady's name is Murong Qianxue. Upon hearing Luo Zhiheng's words, she laughed: "It's a pity we can't break the competition rules, otherwise I would definitely drag you onto the field for a match."
The title "Duke Zhenguo" implies protecting and expanding the country's territory, and such great achievements were naturally won on horseback. In such a powerful and martial family, their daughters would naturally be bold and outspoken, influenced by their upbringing.
Luo Zhiheng liked her personality; there weren't many women in ancient times with such a forthright and generous nature. She instantly felt a sense of kinship. She sat up straight and said, "Nothing is impossible. I'll draw, and I'm sure I'll win."
The judges next to her glared sharply at Luo Zhiheng, as if they would throw her out immediately if she dared to deviate from the script or cheat.
Luo Zhiheng, however, sat there with an air of nonchalance, her smiling face beaming. Her hand, adorned with sparkling jewelry, casually moved back and forth between the four envelopes. The other three watched her fingers nervously, their eyes following her every move. Li Xian'er and the other person were naturally afraid of encountering Luo Zhiheng.
"This one... I'll take it!" Luo Zhiheng's hand suddenly fell, selecting the first one. She casually tore open the envelope, took out the paper, and her movements were so fast that no one could stop her.
The judges' faces were extremely grim. Although there were four letters on the table, two of them were blank. This meant that two out of the four people would not be able to draw a letter, thus ensuring that no one would draw a blank. If two people drew letters, they could form a team to compete. And the person who could draw first should definitely not be Luo Zhiheng, who had the worst score.
Luo Zhiheng stared at the paper, while the three people, including the judges, looked at her expectantly. She deliberately widened her eyes and looked at Li Xian'er in disbelief, her gaze suddenly turning cold, and Li Xian'er's face also turned pale.
Could she really be that unlucky? How could she have run into such a despicable person as Luo Zhiheng? She was confident she could defeat Luo Zhiheng, but only if Luo Zhiheng didn't cheat! Li Xian'er suddenly felt her world had turned gray.
After teasing Li Xian'er enough, Luo Zhiheng whistled loudly, arrogantly waving the paper around. She raised an eyebrow at Murong Qianxue, her tone haughty: "How about that? I told you I could draw it, and I definitely will. Girl, are you ready to be thoroughly humiliated by me?"
Murong Qianxue's eyes lit up. Surprisingly, she wasn't angry at Luo Zhiheng's irritating tone. She snatched the paper, on which were beautifully written four large characters: Murong Qianxue!
"Hahaha! Heaven has eyes! You brat, just wait until I beat you to a pulp!" Murong Qianxue laughed loudly, her tone even more arrogant than Luo Zhiheng's.
The two men's erratic behavior left everyone bewildered.
Li Xian'er breathed a sigh of relief, only to find herself drenched in cold sweat. Luo Zhiheng had almost become her inner demon; those domineering words that had pinned her head to the ground filled Li Xian'er with both hatred and fear towards Luo Zhiheng.
The chain competition had a very appealing rule: participants could choose their own events to compete in, but both had to be proficient in them. This condition was incredibly generous to two like-minded individuals.
Both Luo Zhiheng and Murong Qianxue come from military families. While they might not be adept at feminine stunts, they are quite skilled in martial arts. Luo Zhiheng is grateful that her father is a military general, as this allows her to showcase her skills without arousing suspicion.
The second round of the pre-final series of the competition has officially begun.
The first competition was for arts and literature categories, because they were afraid that Luo Zhiheng, the troublemaker, would cause some kind of earth-shattering commotion.
Li Xian'er and another talented woman were competing in painting.
The two girls were exquisitely beautiful, and both came from prominent and noble families, naturally possessing a strong foundation in family learning. The weather was fine when they were painting; although thick clouds rolled across the sky, the sun was still shining. Everyone around them had their eyes fixed on the two girls, seemingly following the speed of their brushstrokes.
Time passed quickly, and by then the clouds in the sky had become somewhat gloomy, as if a storm was brewing.
Time's up!
The two artists displayed their paintings, and the judges came down from the stage to appraise them. Appraising paintings requires careful attention, so it took some time.
Both paintings are of considerable skill and demonstrate profound artistry. Li Xian'er's work emphasizes overall structure, conveying a sense of grandeur and order while subtly incorporating a playful and expressive quality, characteristic of a daughter's wedding. It is a garden painting. The grandeur, refinement, and luxury of the garden are readily apparent, immediately suggesting that the garden in the painting may well be based on the imperial gardens of the previous Li dynasty. Regardless, this painting is undoubtedly a masterpiece.
The other artist's style is more restrained, but it wins in its exquisite charm. However, it's a pity that compared to Li Xian'er's domineering painting, this one seems petty.
Undoubtedly and controversially, Li Xian'er won this round! Li Xian'er was also lucky; she won because she was born into such a rich environment, surrounded by royal gardens from childhood, which naturally made her painting extremely lifelike and expressive.
Standing on the arena, Li Xian'er glanced at Luo Zhiheng with a contemptuous look that made her seem arrogant, as if she were the ultimate winner. She practically wanted to crush Luo Zhiheng with her eyelids.
Luo Zhiheng had already changed her clothes and was tidying herself up, completely ignoring Li Xian'er.
Murong Qianxue also saw this scene and sneered, "What's so smug about? She's just benefiting from her ancestor's fame. Luo Zhiheng, why don't you keep cursing her? You looked so domineering stepping on her head. I'll find someone to try it when we get home."
Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow and said narcissistically, "Why bother with an idiot? I'll send her home to her wet nurse later. I can't let that kind of idiot lower my standards and status."
Murong Qianxue chuckled mischievously: "This is the first time I've met someone even more shameless than my older brother. How dare you praise yourself like this? You better watch out, or you'll face my fierce attack later."
"Likewise, I won't go easy on you either. You'd better protect your pretty face," Luo Zhiheng said with a mischievous smile.
"Next match, Murong Qianxue versus Luo Zhiheng, the event is a martial arts contest!" the tournament organizer announced helplessly.
The crowd burst into laughter. A dance competition? Was Luo Zhiheng's dance even watchable? It was downright terrifying! How could someone be so overconfident? People wanted to throw cabbage stalks and rotten eggs, but since it was Miss Murong herself taking the stage this time, they didn't dare to be too presumptuous.
Luo Zhiheng was still dressed in fiery red, but she had changed into a light gauze dress, which made it easier for her to move around. She was also wearing a veil, and the gold glitter in her hair had decreased, but it was still shiny.
She stepped steadily onto the stage and clasped her hands in greeting to Murong Qianxue opposite her.
Murong Qianxue, however, was dressed in proper military gear, the kind from her family, the pure white of which made her look even more beautiful. She laughed, "I really want to see your face under your veil. What do you look like? You bold infatuated girl, are you perhaps an unwanted ugly duckling?"
Luo Zhiheng said with a grin, "Big sister, I'm afraid you'll be terrified when you see my face. But how about this, after the competition, I'll show you?"
"No, I prefer to get what I want by myself. I want to see your face now, so you'd better protect your veil. If I take it off, you'll lose! How about it?" Murong Qianxue said with a sly smile.
Luo Zhiheng rubbed her forehead, looking extremely troubled. After a long while, she gritted her teeth and said, "Alright, it's settled then! I hope you won't regret your decision later!"
"Don't worry, I never regret my decisions. So, shall we begin?" After Murong Qianxue finished speaking, her entire demeanor changed, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, arrogant and murderous, recklessly attacking Luo Zhiheng.
Luo Zhiheng's lips curled into a smile. Finally, she had encountered a competition where she was willing to show off her skills. Murong Qianxue, you'd better have the magnanimity and awareness to accept the consequences!