203. Facing the enemy princess! Nobody thinks she has a chance! Strange drawing style!
Updated: 2013-07-25 11:12:46 Word Count: 7682
Luo Zhiheng arrived, making a stunning and eye-catching entrance at the critical moment. However, her words were even more astonishing. This woman dared to speak like that; what wouldn't she dare to say?
Zhi is Zhi in the sense of non-Zhi. In the brief exchange of glances between the sisters, Luo Zhiheng's sarcasm and warning were undisguised, while Luo Ningshuang harbored resentment but was powerless to do anything about it.
Luo Ningshuang had originally thought she could take Luo Zhiheng's place in the competition, and regardless of the outcome, she would benefit. However, Luo Zhiheng unexpectedly arrived, and so promptly, thwarting her plans once again. This was unacceptable to Luo Ningshuang, especially since Luo Zhiheng had wronged her!
It was obvious that Luo Zhiheng thought she was the one spreading the rumors this time, but it really wasn't her. She had been happy that someone had unintentionally helped her. She had even thought it was another of Luo Zhiheng's enemies retaliating against her. Although she didn't know who was spreading the rumors, she was certain that the comments about Luo Zhiheng were deliberately spread by someone. She knew what deliberate fabrication of rumors looked like, given what she had done.
Luo Ningshuang didn't care whether Luo Zhiheng was being slandered or framed; she only cared about herself. Being wronged by Luo Zhiheng made Luo Ningshuang extremely uncomfortable, even filled with hatred. How dare Luo Zhiheng frame her! She would definitely make Luo Zhiheng regret it.
But who exactly is the person hiding in the shadows who is slandering Luo Zhiheng?
"Although it's a little late, at least it's not terribly late." The King finally spoke; he'd had enough of Luo Zhiheng's show-off antics. His anger had completely dissipated because of Luo Zhiheng's desperate, all-or-nothing arrow. Luo Zhiheng's unwavering determination told him she hadn't intentionally been late, and that was enough. At least in front of his relatives who were there to watch the spectacle, Luo Zhiheng hadn't embarrassed him, proving that his judgment of her was correct.
The king slowly descended a few steps from the wooden platform. The handsome man smiled, looking at her with what seemed like doting affection, and said, "Get ready, let's begin the competition. I wish you good luck in advance."
The King spoke with a sense of hope, for Luo Zhiheng had just given him something to look forward to. Her beautiful archery skills had been truly astonishing. The final battle of this tournament was even more intense, having been pre-arranged by the Silver Moon Kingdom. With Luo Zhiheng's divine beast as a backup, as long as she survived the first two rounds, becoming the world's number one would be no problem!
If Luo Zhiheng were to become the world's number one, it would prove that the King would obtain the Hundred-Year Golden Toad Pearl. This would bring him one step closer to his goal of being immune to all poisons; how could the King not be overjoyed and excited?
Luo Zhiheng, on horseback, clasped her hands in a fist salute to the King and said confidently, "Luo Zhiheng will not let the King down!"
Overconfidence can easily turn into arrogance and lead to failure, but sometimes a little confidence can be a way to encourage yourself and reassure others. Luo Zhiheng struck a good balance; she appeared confident on the surface, but inwardly she was constantly encouraging and reminding herself to be wary of every enemy.
"Then let the competition begin." Madam Song's face regained its haughty expression, but a hint of heart-stirring amazement flickered in her gaze as she swept over Luo Zhiheng. She said, "The World's Number One Talent Competition is slightly different from the competitions in other countries, as you all probably know. This World's Number One Talent Competition consists of only three rounds. The first and second rounds are for each other to choose their opponents, and the topics are the same for all of you. You cannot choose your own opponents; you will be competing in the talent that won the previous World's Number One Talent Competition. The previous World's Number One Talent Competition champion was Miss Zhuge Hualuan, and her winning talent was painting. Therefore, all four of you will also be painting today, using a single painting to compete against each other."
The quiet scene began to erupt into discussion, clearly indicating that many people were still unaware of the rules of the competition, which were even more absurd and bizarre.
Competing in areas where others excel, without the option to choose one's own strengths, is extremely harsh and unfair to the participants. Lucky individuals might encounter an area they are good at, but unlucky ones will face an area they are not good at or even at a disadvantage. This rule is truly inhumane. Yet, this has been the rule of major international competitions for centuries; there is no resistance, only obedience.
Mu Yunhe's heart was pounding in his chest, his face turning increasingly grim. Painting wasn't Aheng's forte. He remembered how he'd crammed Luo Zhiheng for days to prepare her for the Mu Dynasty's First Talent Competition, yet her paintings were the most disastrous of all. The only things Luo Zhiheng could paint, was willing to paint, and was even interested in painting seemed to be those messy, grotesque turtles and tortoises…
Moreover, Luo Zhiheng has been trapped in the palace for the past few days, and I'm afraid no one has told her about this rule. I wonder if Aheng will panic?
Mu Yunhe became nervous first, his eyes under his cloak fixed on Luo Zhiheng. Although he had been resisting participating in this competition, now that he was here, he was caught up in the intense atmosphere and only hoped that Luo Zhiheng would win!
The elderly men had never seen Luo Zhiheng paint before, and they were all a little nervous. They weren't like Mu Yunhe; they were there purely to gain honor. Although they came to see Luo Zhiheng's brilliant performance, the old folks didn't want to lose face. In their minds, if Luo Zhiheng lost even one thing, it would be unacceptable. But no one is perfect. If it were a calligraphy or chess competition, the old men would be eagerly anticipating it, but painting…
Chess master Zhan Hainan looked rather displeased and quietly asked Old Master Tong, "How is your granddaughter-in-law's painting?"
The calligraphy master Tong Yunxiao's expression was even more tense than Zhan Hainan's, but he shook his head with a smile and said, "How would I know? But even if I could, I probably wouldn't be good at it. After all, who can be so well-rounded?"
Of the four arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—Luo Zhiheng is already proficient in three. They haven't even heard of her playing the zither yet; the Zither Master has been constantly praising her skills, but what the Zither Master said is probably true. However, a person's energy is limited. After mastering so many arts, it's impossible to have more, right? Besides, how old is Luo Zhiheng? It's unlikely that a teenager could truly be proficient in everything.
"I don't think so," General Murong said, his voice even more confident than Luo Zhiheng's. He was clearly still caught up in the excitement that Luo Zhiheng had stirred up. He smiled trustingly and said, "Looking at this child's calm and composed demeanor, I can tell she has a lot to say. She may have already made preparations. Just because we haven't seen her paint doesn't mean she can't or isn't good at it."
The old men looked up and saw that Luo Zhiheng was indeed riding calmly on horseback, but they couldn't see her expression clearly.
"In terms of painting, among children their age, Hua Luan is the most outstanding. As for the others, regardless of gender, I'm afraid none of them can match Hua Luan. Is this girl named Luo Zhiheng the third son's granddaughter-in-law? She has a good presence, but she's a bit rough, and her speech is coarse. Why does she seem to have a bandit-like air about her? Is the Tong family really going to develop in the direction of military generals? Even when choosing a granddaughter-in-law, they want someone with a fierce personality?" Zhuge Huahun joked with considerable pride.
It wasn't that he was boasting about his child, but Zhuge Hualuan was indeed outstanding, and most people couldn't compare. However, today's painting wasn't a competition with Zhuge Hualuan; otherwise, he would have shown these old guys just how amazing his painting skills were and how much he had truly inherited Zhuge Hualuan's talent.
"Hmph! Stop comparing your strengths to their weaknesses. If you're so capable, try comparing your weaknesses to their strengths. You old geezer, you're no good." Old Master Tong didn't hold back, immediately launching into a sarcastic remark. Clearly, he didn't believe Luo Zhiheng could win this match. After all, there were many experts gathered here.
"She's quite protective of her own. Alright, she's not competing with Hua Luan, so even if she loses, it won't be too tragic. Hua Luan, you tell the ancestors about the characteristics of the other three." Zhuge Huahun said smugly. 151.
Zhuge Hualuan stood up calmly and smiled slightly, "Yes. One of them is Princess Baihua of Wujin Kingdom, who is skilled in playing the zither. She was able to participate in the World Tournament this time because of her zither skills. The other one is skilled in calligraphy and is Princess Aman of Ximan Kingdom."
Zhuge Hualuan's words made everyone in the Mu Dynasty tense up. The soldiers even raised their swords, but General Murong waved his hand and said in a low voice, "Put them down! This is not a battlefield."
The Western Barbarian Kingdom was a nation hated by everyone in the Mu Dynasty. This was because it possessed terrifying military capabilities and even terrifying ambitions. They wanted to conquer the Mu Dynasty, as only the Mu Dynasty had the military strength to confront them. The two countries had fought many battles, with victories and defeats on both sides. However, if the Western Barbarian Kingdom hadn't provoked the war, the front lines would never have been so tense and filled with the smoke of battle. Many of the Mu Dynasty's brave sons wouldn't have died so young on the battlefield!
This was a hatred and hostility ingrained in their blood. The Western Barbarian Kingdom and the Mu Dynasty were now on the verge of irreconcilable conflict. That's why the Mu Dynasty warriors were so agitated and furious upon hearing those words! On the battlefield, capturing the Barbarian Kingdom's princess alive would be a great achievement, perhaps even earning a promotion of four or five ranks from a lowly soldier.
Unfortunately, as General Murong said, this is a competition arena, not a battlefield. Even though the two countries have already broken off relations, they still cannot be at each other's throats here; they must even put on a fake smile and pretend to be friendly.
Zhuge Hualuan was also stunned by the murderous aura emanating from the Mu Dynasty soldiers just now, and quickly smiled and said, "There is also Miss Bai Mingzhu from the Southern Dynasty."
"The Bai family?" Mu Yunhe suddenly turned his gaze away from Luo Zhiheng. Upon hearing the name "Bai family," a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes. He remembered that the Bai family of the Southern Dynasty had sent assassins to kill him twice. He didn't know before, but Xiao Xizi had told him everything later. Even Aheng's self-harm was due to the interference of Bai family assassins.
He had no grudge against the Bai family, yet they wanted to assassinate him. How could Mu Yunhe not take notice of the Bai family?
Zhuge Hualuan was surprised that this mysterious man was interested in the Bai family, but it seemed she had finally found an opportunity to talk to him. She turned to Mu Yunhe, her smile sincere and beautiful: "It is the Bai family. The Bai family is an old family in the Southern Dynasty. This Bai Mingzhu is good at painting. Although she is not as good as me, her painting skills are still extremely high. Of these three people, the only one who can put pressure on Miss Luo is probably this Miss Bai."
Mu Yunhe's face darkened as he looked at Luo Zhiheng again, unwilling to waste even a second glance on someone unrelated. Could this Bai family be the same Bai family that assassinated them? But regardless, he had to find a way to warn Aheng to be careful. The Bai family's assassination attempt was still fresh in Mu Yunhe's memory. If Bai Mingzhu in front of him was indeed from the Bai family, then Aheng's competition with her could be dangerous.
Mu Yunhe's thoughts had already wandered to Luo Zhiheng's safety, so much so that he missed Zhuge Hualuan's somewhat disappointed look and scrutiny.
This man, he really didn't even spare me a glance because of my beauty. He seemed to pay more attention to Luo Zhiheng, but was Luo Zhiheng as pretty as her? What was so attractive about a vulgar woman? Besides, she was someone else's wife. Everyone knew that Luo Zhiheng had married the sickly Mu Yunhe.
But the man in front of her already had a wife, who was also Murong Qianxue's brother-in-law. Murong Qianxue's sister was already married, but she was still a virgin. It was clear that Murong Qianxue was exceptionally annoying, as no one was willing to marry her.
Upon hearing this, the elders knew that for Luo Zhiheng to win the competition, her best option was to select two people other than Bai Mingzhu from the Southern Dynasty, as they were also not skilled in painting. But could she have such good luck? 16022413
While everyone was worried, anxious, and uncertain about Luo Zhiheng, she appeared very calm and composed, without even a trace of pressure or surprise in her eyes or on her face.
Before she arrived, the Empress had briefly explained the rules of today's competition to her. The King had also mentioned it briefly, but without going into details, perhaps intending to discuss it further after the Southern Dynasty arrived. Unfortunately, she was summoned to the palace after arriving in the Southern Dynasty. Fortunately, the Empress unexpectedly helped her.
Although Luo Zhiheng also despised this rule, since she couldn't change it, she would try her best to adapt. She had no choice but to fight this battle with her back against the wall.
"We will decide the opponents by drawing lots. I have four lots here, two long and two short. Those who draw lots of the same length will be in the same group." Madam Song walked to the center and asked the four people to come over and draw lots.
The three young ladies, all of noble birth, disembarked from the platform with the help of servants. Luo Zhiheng nimbly stepped off her horse and walked to Madam Song. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, seemingly quite ordinary.
Madam Song held up four sticks, all of the same length. Of the four people present, three acted with great poise and elegance, while Luo Zhiheng remained calm and composed. The other three were still deferring to each other. Luo Zhiheng pursed her lips, thinking to herself that they were being hypocritical, and then said with a crisp laugh, "Since you three are all being so modest, then let me choose first."
She didn't stand on ceremony, ignoring the momentary unpleasant looks on the faces of the three men. She circled her fingers over the four bamboo skewers, finally choosing one to pull out. She didn't try to hide it, because she didn't know if hers was considered long.
“Since Miss Luo from the Mu Dynasty is so straightforward, then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Princess Aman of the Western Barbarian Kingdom raised her sharp eyes to glance at Luo Zhiheng, and sneered. She also pulled out a cigarette, then her expression changed, and a ruthless glint flashed in her eyes.
Bai Mingzhu and Princess Baihua had both finished drawing their lots. The four of them lined up in front of them, and the situation immediately became clear. Luo Zhiheng had actually been paired with the Nanman, a barbarian from their nemesis country!
Their eyes met instantly, their gazes burning with the ferocity of wild beasts. This clash between them meant it was far more than just a simple world tournament. National hatred and personal vendettas—emotions not originally belonging to these two women—surged fiercely within them at this moment!
Their families were fighting on the front lines, and today, on this battlefield without gunfire, they too would engage in a life-or-death struggle. Luo Zhiheng felt her blood boiling.
"Princess Aman and Luo Zhiheng are in one group, and Bai Mingzhu and Princess Baihua are in another. They will compete together. The time limit is one stick of incense. They can bring their own materials or use materials provided by the competition. Get ready!" Madam Song announced loudly.
With a wave of her hand, four large tables for painting were immediately brought out, along with brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and paints. The paints for this era were quite advanced; although the variety of colors was incomplete, the hues were excellent. Then, five large screens were brought in and placed between the four tables, one side allowing each participant to see what their opponent was painting. However, this only blocked the view twice; others could still see all four contestants painting from the front and back. Furthermore, there were proctors supervising each participant one-on-one, making the process extremely strict.
Luo Zhiheng did not go into the competition first. Instead, she walked to the stands, pulled out the arrow, took off her hair ribbon, and then casually tied up her bright and smooth long hair, looking extremely neat.
In the third position, when Luo Zhiheng stood in her spot, she did not immediately begin preparations like the others, nor did she show any nervousness, making it impossible to tell whether she was good at or not at drawing.
A huge incense burner was placed directly in front of the four people, allowing them to clearly see the incense and candles burning.
With everyone watching intently, Madam Song announced loudly, "The competition officially begins! Burn incense!"
A tall incense stick was immediately lit, and the wisps of smoke rising from it were clearly visible in the breeze. The atmosphere finally tensed up, and everyone fell silent. But when their gazes fell upon Luo Zhiheng, who was still standing leisurely, their expressions changed.
Luo Zhiheng wasn't painting; instead, she looked up at the people watching the competition in front of her. But those people weren't ordinary people; they were the King and his male favorites from the Silver Moon Kingdom. Her gaze fell on the King.
Old Tong and the others were really sweating bullets. Zhuge Huahun couldn't help but tease, "Hey, Third Brother, what's wrong with your granddaughter-in-law? Is she dumbfounded because she can't paint? Why is she just staring at those men?"
"Could it be that she's having a crush on someone?" Murong Qianxue frowned, thinking of a possibility, and exclaimed in a tense and dumbfounded manner.
Her exclamation caused everyone's expression to change. What was Mu Wangchao Luo Zhiheng most famous for? It wasn't her beauty or talent, but her infatuation with handsome men! Everyone knew about her habit of being unable to walk past any handsome man.
Tong Yunxiao's forehead seemed to be covered in cold sweat. Indeed, the place Luo Zhiheng was looking at was filled with handsome men, a group of beautiful and alluring figures—something that would be irresistible to a woman obsessed with good-looking men. Hearing Zhuge Huahun's loud laughter, Tong Yunxiao felt utterly humiliated and had lost all confidence.
At this moment, everyone who knew Luo Zhiheng was a little confused. Could Luo Zhiheng really be so unreliable and suddenly become infatuated at such a crucial moment?
Murong Qianxue seemed to have already accepted Luo Zhiheng's shameful behavior, and looked at Mu Yunhe with great sympathy. What a pitiful man, to have such a lecherous wife. This man is so handsome, how badly must Luo Zhiheng bully him usually?
"Brother, your champion has quite the nerve, daring to stare at you like that. Why is she staring at you instead of focusing on the competition? Is she perhaps begging you for help?" the Sixth Prince mocked with a half-smile.
The princes, who had initially been quite impressed by Luo Zhiheng's arrow, all laughed at this moment. Luo Zhiheng's loss meant that the Prince Shi had lost, which meant that the Emperor Xian had won, so naturally they were happy.
"Can Luo Zhiheng paint?" The Prince's expression darkened again. His emotions had been captured by the actions of a little girl. The Prince couldn't help but feel irritable and coldly glanced at Luo Ning Shuang before asking.
Luo Ningshuang was startled and said cautiously and aggrievedly, "My sister never had time to study properly when she was at home. My sister... is not good at painting."
This seemingly cautious statement actually concealed a vicious intent, effectively betraying Luo Zhiheng to the King of the World!
The princes smiled and comforted the Prince, as if they could already foresee Luo Zhiheng's crushing defeat.
However, while people were looking at Luo Zhiheng with different thoughts, she remained calm and composed as she watched the King. After a fifth of the incense stick had burned out, the sound of hooves came from afar, and a galloping horse came running. The rider on the horse was naturally covered in dust.
"Young Miss, here's what you wanted!" The wet nurse could no longer enter the competition area, so she had to rein in her horse and throw the things she was carrying on her back to Luo Zhiheng.
"You're here right away!" Luo Zhiheng's eyes lit up as she steadily caught the package, patted the contents, and laughed, "We've been waiting for you!"
Upon learning of the unusual rules of today's first competition, she immediately figured out what the competition would be about. She and her nanny split up, with the nanny preparing the necessary items while she went to the competition venue. She trusted her nanny implicitly, so she remained confident that her nanny would not disappoint her.
A commotion arose among the crowd. A competition was underway; how could they give Luo Zhiheng anything? The competition participants immediately intervened, demanding to inspect Luo Zhiheng's belongings. Luo Zhiheng graciously allowed them to inspect, laughing nonchalantly, "I'm just using my own things for the competition, don't be nervous."
However, the organizers were very impartial. Three people came and carefully checked Luo Zhiheng. After confirming that she had nothing to cheat with, they let her continue the competition. It was just strange that Luo Zhiheng had brought the super-fast charcoal for the competition.
The scene quickly quieted down; the occasional whispers didn't disturb the contestants. Luo Zhiheng deftly arranged what she needed. She took a few simple sticks from the things her nanny had brought, quickly joined them together to form a frame, then inserted a wooden board on top. Then she laid out the paper, mixed the colors, and began grinding…
She sat down methodically, preparing everything, turning her drawing table into a place to display her tools. She completely captivated everyone's attention; whether they were curious, surprised, or mocking her for being attention-seeking, hundreds of thousands of eyes were fixed on Luo Zhiheng at that moment.
"What are you doing with your grandson and granddaughter-in-law? Painting or carpentry?" Zhuge Huahun asked with a cheerful laugh.
"Hmph!" Old Master Tong snorted heavily, his heart filled with anxiety. The five old men sat in a row, all craning their necks, trying to figure out what Luo Zhiheng was up to.
Luo Zhiheng seemed oblivious to the gossip and ridicule, and finally picked up her paintbrush—the charcoal pencil. She began sketching on the paper, which was about a meter long and half a meter wide. Her movements were irregular, and unlike others who required a calm and focused mind while drawing, she actually held the paper slightly upright.
This strange drawing method immediately attracted everyone's attention, and even the steward who had been supervising her couldn't help but come forward and watch carefully from behind. At first, she frowned slightly, not understanding at all, but gradually, as Luo Zhiheng drew the outline stroke by stroke, as the monotonous lines gradually became fuller and clearer, as if sculpted, the man was finally astonished!
Stroke after stroke, each of Luo Zhiheng's light and casual strokes seemed to possess a wondrous power, capable of transforming all ugliness. As a lifelike image gradually emerged on that unusually soft paper, another fervent trend in this dynasty was destined to be unleashed!
However, at that very moment, when Luo Zhiheng glanced at the King of the World from time to time, these important figures finally realized what was going on. Could it be that Luo Zhiheng was drawing a person? Or was she drawing someone she wasn't very familiar with? Or perhaps the most unpredictable King of the World?
The King's brothers' first reaction was, "This woman is insane! Is she looking for death? How dare she use the King as a point of reference!"
The king also realized what was happening, and his anger flared up instantly. In this dynasty, there was a despicable profession: being a life-size reference! Some pretty young men and women, due to their poor family background, would go out and be used as life-size references. Some wealthy people with peculiar habits would buy them and treat them as collectibles to play with.
How could the King not be furious that Luo Zhiheng dared to paint for him? He sat up abruptly, his languid demeanor gone, his face turning ashen.
However, he had just sat up and hadn't even stood up yet when Luo Zhiheng immediately put her hands on her hips, pointed at the Prince of Shi with a righteous air, and shouted: "Stand in that position again, and don't move!"
"Luo Zhiheng!" the King roared menacingly. How dare he order him around! This is utterly lawless!
First update! There will be more updates and bonus chapters today, the minimum is still 10,000 words. Love you all! Please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets! Group hug! My darlings, cheer for Huasha! I need your passion and motivation!