Chapter 31 Horse Racing Showdown
ed remains of the Spring View Pavilion and then glanced at Li Yun, who sat atop the horse behind him. With a faint smile, he said, "It burned well!"Li Yun was taken aback and momentarily dazzled by hi...Chapter Thirty-One: Horse Racing Showdown
Just as Yun Qianyue was thinking, Ye Qingran suddenly reached out to pull her reins, causing their two fine horses to turn around.
Yun Qianyue was taken aback and looked at Ye Qingran.
"We took the wrong path. The eastern mountain area is spacious; it's much more suitable for horse racing!" Ye Qingran explained to Yun Qianyue, then whipped his whip towards both her horse and his.
Yun Qianyue immediately understood that Ye Qingran did not want their horse race interrupted.
Before Ye Qingran's whip could land, a crimson one shot across the air to intercept it.緊接著，一匹棗紅色駿馬疾步擋在兩人麵前。Ye Qian看了Ye Qingran一眼，“Ye Qingran, what do you think you're doing We've been waiting for you two all morning! What are you running away from”
Ye Qingran was forced to pull on the reins and looked at Ye Qian with an ugly expression, "Aren't you having fun in the mansion Why did you come here"
"Of course we're going to horse race! Where's as exciting as that" Ye Qian rolled her eyes. "You really can pull Yun Qianyue away from the mansion for a horse race and not even tell me about it! I wouldn't have known if Wen Dajiang didn’t tell me you went looking for Yun Qianyue at Yunwangfu to horse race!"
Yun Qianyue's thoughts turned as she looked towards Wen Ruyan, wondering how she knew Ye Qingran was going to take her horse racing.
Ye Qingran also quickly turned his head towards Wen Ruyan and raised an eyebrow, "How did Miss Wen know about me taking the little girl for a horse race"
Wen Ruyan still had her face covered with a veil, though this time she wore a slightly thinner one. She sat elegantly on her horse with Leng Shuli to her left and an unfamiliar woman to her right who Yun Qianyue did not recognize. Upon seeing Yun Qianyue and Ye Qingran look at them, the woman looked over at the woman beside her before immediately responding to Ye Qingran, "Miss Zhao from the Ministry of War informed me."
Yun Qianyue realized that the woman on Wen Ruyan’s right was the daughter of a minister in charge of military affairs named Zhao Kehan. She took another look at the girl and noticed she was slightly more robust than an average maiden, with an aura of martial spirit. It was said that this Miss Zhao was proficient with eighteen weapons and especially adept at wielding a large saber. She could be considered a tiger daughter from a military family.
"Oh How did Miss Zhao find out" Ye Qingran asked Zhao Kehan.
Zhao Kehan met Ye Qingran’s gaze, her face slightly red but still replied briskly, "It was the Second Miss of Rongwangfu who told me."
Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Linglan.
Ye Qingran also turned to look at Rong Linglan with a cold raise of his eyebrow, "Don’t tell me your weakling brother was the one who informed you!"
Rong Linglan seemed very afraid of Ye Qingran and shook her head immediately, "No, I heard it from the Sixth Princess."
Yun Qianyue looked at the Sixth Princess, thinking that this really had spread like wildfire.
Ye Qingran also turned to look at the Sixth Princess with a raised eyebrow, "Your information is very reliable!"
"No, I heard it from Miss Qin of Xiangfu," the Sixth Princess immediately shook her head and denied.
Yun Qianyue looked at Qin Yuning who today had completely changed from her usual plain appearance. She now wore a pale pink robe that made her look vibrant instead of weak and sickly like before. Her eyes flickered as she thought about how well the Sixth Princess seemed to be taken care of by Ye Tianqing recently.
"Oh How did Miss Qin find out" Ye Qingran looked at Qin Yuning, "Miss Qin is in her mansion recuperating from injuries and yet knows what this little prince is up to. Does she have precognition"
Qin Yuning smiled gently as she glanced over at Ye Tianqing beside her before speaking softly, "It was His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince who mentioned it! I was chatting with Her Royal Highness today and casually brought it up, not expecting for it to spread so fast. Please forgive me, Little Wangchu."
"So my royal brother has precognition" Ye Qingran looked at Ye Tianqing.
“My fourth younger brother told me about this. You might as well say your brother is a seer.” Although Ye Tianqing was addressing Ye Qingran, his eyes were focused on Yun Qianyue. Despite Qin Yuning's gentle and dignified demeanor sitting elegantly in her pale pink robe atop her snow-white steed, he was mesmerized by the way she appeared as if all sunlight gathered around her as soon as she arrived, clear and ethereal with a refined allure that left an unforgettable impression.
Yun Qianyue thought this was quite a twist of events. She pretended not to see Ye Tianqing's gaze as she turned to look at Ye Tianyu.
Ye Qingran also looked at Ye Tianyu with a darkened expression, "When did you start reading fortunes"
Ye Tianyu seemed unprepared for how the information had spiraled around everyone and lightly coughed before saying, “I heard it from Prince Wei. He’s the one who studies fortune-telling; I can’t do that.”
Yun Qianyue looked at Nan Lingrui, thinking to herself that today was a complete gathering of all she knew and didn't know.
Nan Lingrui sat regally on his horse in magnificent brocade robes with a fan, looking extremely dashing. Upon seeing Yun Qianyue and Ye Qingran look at him, he smiled without waiting for Ye Qingran to ask, "I heard it from Shizi!"
Rong Jing Yun Qianyue's thoughts stirred. Although everyone was present today, there was still one person missing—Rong Jing.
"Weakling beauty" Ye Qing looked around and did not see Rong Jing either. He sneered at Nan Lingrui coldly, "How would he know And why tell you about it"
"Viscount Jing is a prodigy; predicting the future isn’t strange for him. Anyway, I heard this from Prince Tai Zi myself. Why don't you go ask him yourself" Nan Lingrui raised an eyebrow at Ye Qing, showing no sign of embarrassment over spreading rumors with just one sentence.
"How did he tell you" Ye Qing was furious inside. He had a feeling that today's events were definitely related to the heartless weakling beauty—indeed, it turned out to be him causing trouble again.
"Why should I tell you how Prince Tai Zi told me After all, I am going to marry Yue Er as my Imperial Consort. Naturally, she can't spend Qiqiao Festival with you. If she wants to celebrate the festival, she will have to do it with me."
Ye Qing was enraged, "You’re dreaming! She wouldn’t marry into Nan Liang!"
"Whether or not she marries into Nan Liang isn't up to you to decide!" Nan Lingrui rode his horse over to Yun Qianyue’s side and snapped open and shut his fan. He leaned in closely, pretending to be intimate: "Although I like Su Su, deep down, I still think you’re the best. Look at today—on this special day, I left her behind to spend time with you instead. Are you touched"
Yun Qianyue looked at Nan Lingrui’s fan as it opened and closed before her eyes, familiar lines flashing past momentarily. She thought about what connection he had with her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yun Muhuan biting his lip while watching her, with Princess Qing Wan seated beside him looking clueless. Her head ached; she pushed Nan Lingrui away, "Don’t get so close!"
Nan Lingrui remained unmoved and was displeased at Yun Qianyue: "Little girl, I haven't seen you for days. What’s wrong with being close Anyway, you’re going to marry me one day."
Yun Qianyue thought to herself that she regretted agreeing to come out with Ye Qing; this was such a bothersome situation! The horse race between the two of them turned into an outing for everyone. She did not like these kinds of gatherings, especially since it involved people she didn’t want to see. She glared at Nan Lingrui and ignored him. Suddenly, she whipped her whip and changed direction; the snow beneath her started galloping back along the original path.
"Yue Er, wait for me!" Nan Lingrui was alarmed and hurriedly rode after Yun Qianyue.
Ye Qing immediately whipped his horse too when he saw this.
"You can't leave!" Ye Qing’s fiery whip intercepted Ye Qing's way.
"Move out of the way!" Ye Qing was furious at Ye Qing, detesting her as she always spoiled everything every time she appeared.
"I won’t move! If you go away, who will spend Qiqiao Festival with me Your little girl has someone to accompany her, but I don't have anyone."
Ye Qing held onto Ye Qing's horse’s reins stubbornly. "Who needs your company for the festival You're unreasonable!"
Ye Qing didn’t retaliate; she stood firm in front of Ye Qing like a stake, unmovable.
Ye Qing’s palm wind was abruptly halted. He glared at Ye Qing and warned in a low voice: "Do you want to get out of the way If not, don't blame me for being harsh on you. I’ll bind you up and give you to Nan Lingrui!"
"That trick won’t work anymore! I no longer like him; I only like you." Ye Qing glared at Ye Qing and whispered back: "She doesn’t have any feelings for you—do you still not see through the truth I’m actually saving you here, so don't be ungrateful."
Ye Qing’s gaze was sharp as a knife; he fumed, "You needn’t meddle in my affairs!"
"Alright then, go ahead! When your head is bleeding and broken, don’t blame me for not having warned you!" Ye Qing suddenly retracted her whip.
Ye Qing looked towards the direction Yun Qianyue had left; there was no sign of her. He glared at Ye Qing in a darkened face before he grabbed her reins with one hand and said fiercely, "If you like me, then I’m going to take you to His Imperial Uncle right now and ask for his permission so that you can marry me! You will have to!"
Ye Qing was startled.
Ye Qing pulled her along as they rode their horses towards the imperial palace rather than in Yun Qianyue’s and Nan Lingrui's direction.
"Who said I’m going to marry you" As Ye Qing was dragged along for a short distance, she seemed to have realized something suddenly. She opened up her hand and pushed Ye Qing away.
"Don’t you like me" Ye Qing’s voice was icy, holding Ye Qing tightly so that she couldn’t move.
"Even if I do like you, I don't—"
"You have no choice!" Ye Qing huffed angrily and whipped his horse. The horses could not withstand the force, galloping towards the imperial palace.
Ye Qing spoke another sentence that was unclear from afar.
In a short while, both of them disappeared at the end of the long street.
Night Tianyu looked in the direction where Night Qingran and Ye Qian had left, suddenly smiling. "That little demon king wants to facilitate a good match for Princess Ye; today is a perfect day! Father Emperor has been hoping for an alliance with Southern Nian all along and will certainly agree."
Night Tianqiong looked at the direction where Yun Qianmo and Nan Lingrui had ridden off without saying anything.
"Prince, Senior Sister Moon, Prince Rui and Princess Ye have left. Are we still going to go horse racing on West Mountain" Qin Yuning reached out and tugged at Night Tianqiong's sleeve as she asked in a gentle voice.
"Of course! You've been shut up inside the manor for several days, I originally wanted to bring you out to clear your mind. But since four of them are gone now, it doesn't matter. We can still go!" Night Tianqiong withdrew his gaze and gave Qin Yuning a gentle smile.
Qin Yuning nodded with a grin.
"You all go ahead! I want to see the grand ceremony for that little demon king and Princess Ye's marriage proposal. Such a happy occasion can't be missed!" Night Tianyu suddenly said as he turned his horse around, chasing after Night Qianran and Ye Qian.
"Fourth Prince!" Zhao Kehan suddenly called out to Night Tianyu.
Night Tianyu pulled back on his reins and turned to look at Zhao Kehan with a smile. "Miss Zhao, what do you wish for me"
“Today is the Qiqiao Festival. I know that Fourth Prince's horsemanship skills are excellent; I wanted to invite him to horse race with me. If… if you go to the palace…" Zhao Kehan looked at Night Tianyu as she changed from her usual brisk and straightforward manner when talking to Night Qianran to a more nervous one. The last part of what she was trying to say didn't come out, but the meaning was clear.
Yun Qianmo blinked his eyes and looked at Zhao Kehan as something flashed in his gaze before he remained silent for now without immediately replying.
"Fourth Brother! Miss Zhao knew you would come today and has been here waiting especially for you," Night Tianqiong glanced over at Zhao Kehan, then said to Night Tianyu.
"Oh Then I can't disappoint Miss Zhao's expectations!" Night Tianyu turned his horse back around as he readily agreed. "Alright, instead of going to the palace and watching a spectacle, why don't I get to see how good Miss Zhao is at riding It'll be fun seeing women who are on par with men! Anyway, that little demon king and Princess Ye's matter has been long overdue anyway; there’s no novelty in it. Not worth seeing."
Zhao Kehan was delighted as her face turned slightly red. "Many thanks to Fourth Prince for coming!"
"Miss Zhao is too kind." Night Tianyu laughed, looking at Zhao Kehan with a playful expression.
Night Tianqiong looked at the exchange between Night Tianyu and Zhao Kehan before turning his gaze towards Yun Muhuan. "Young Master Yun, what do you plan on doing Are you still going to go horse racing"
Yun Muhuan did not answer; he only stared in the direction where Yun Qianmo and Nan Lingrui had left without revealing any expression.
"Of course I want to go horse riding! Muhuan, will you accompany me for a ride" Princess Qingwan reached out to grab Yun Muhuan's sleeve as she whispered with entreaty. "I want to go horse riding; you promised me and can't take it back…"
Yun Muhuan turned his head to look at Princess Qingwan, staying silent for a while before slowly nodding. "Alright! I'll race with you!"
Princess Qingwan immediately cheered up like an excited child.
Night Tianqiong seemed reluctant to look at Princess Qingwan any longer and turned his gaze towards the Six Princess, Rong Linglan, Leng Shuli, and Wen Rushan. "Sixth Sister and Second Miss Rong, Little Countess Leng, and Miss Wen Are you still going horse racing"
"Of course!" Leng Shuli immediately replied. She had always wanted to join the Crown Prince's Manor. Even if Qin Yuning was the soon-to-be Crown Princess, it didn't mean she couldn’t have a chance at joining as well. Furthermore, Qin Yuning liked Young Master Jing; don't think that she did not know this.
"I won't go!" Rong Linglan shook her head. She no longer had feelings for Night Tianqiong and naturally wasn't going to compete with Leng Shuli anymore either. Her gaze fell on the direction Yun Qianmo and Nan Lingrui left before she hesitated for a moment, turning her horse in that direction.
Leng Shuli was taken aback; she had fought Rong Linglan fiercely at the Crown Prince Manor back then, yet now Rong Linglan seemed to be giving up. She turned her gaze towards Night Tianqiong.
Night Tianqiong looked at Rong Linglan's departure without revealing any emotions.
"I'm not going either!" The Six Princess shook her head too. Her goal for today was to see Young Master Jing, and since he seemed so concerned about Yun Qianmo that she knew he would come if Xiao Ran invited him, it never crossed her mind that he wouldn't show up. This meant that did he really have no feelings for Yun Qianmo If he did, why didn't he want to celebrate the Qiqiao Festival with her She was secretly delighted at this thought and decided she needed to think of a way to invite Young Master Jing as well. If Young Master Jing had no feelings towards Yun Qianmo, then there would be an opportunity for her. With that said, she turned her horse in the direction of the Rong王府.
"I'm not going either!" Wen Rushan shook her head too. She originally thought that if Xiao Ran invited Yun Shu to come and race horses today, Yun Feng would definitely show up; however, when she didn't see Yun Feng there, it seemed like he wasn’t as concerned about Yun Qianmo as she had thought. On the day of the Military Top Rank Exam Competition when she was left behind at Rong王府's entrance, he had sent Yun Qianmo back to the manor by himself; this was probably because of what happened during that exam competition. She felt secretly delighted and decided to head towards Rong王府 again to look for him. Seeing the Six Princess ride in the direction of Rong王府, she also turned her horse around to follow.
Several women left with their own thoughts, reducing the number of people gathered at West City Gate by half. In a moment, only Night Tianqiong, Qin Yuning, Night Tianyu, Zhao Kehan, Yun Muhuan, Princess Qingwan, and Leng Shuli remained, along with all their retinues.
"Sixth Sister likes Young Master Jing, Miss Wen likes Yun Feng, and Second Miss Rong seems to like Prince Rui of Southern Liang," Qin Yuning said with a smile as she looked at the three people who had left. "If they can all be paired off today during the Qiqiao Festival, it would make for quite an interesting story."
"Hmm!" Night Tianqiong watched as the figures of these three disappeared before he turned his head towards the remaining few. "The sun is already setting; let's leave the city now!"
The group nodded at once and rode out of West City Gate to head towards West Mountain.
Yun Qianmo did not ride back to Yun Manor but turned her horse down a street before heading in the direction of East City Gate. Nan Lingrui saw where she was going and followed suit, turning his horse in the direction of East City Gate as well.
The two horses, one in front of the other, quickly exited through the eastern city gate.
After exiting the city gate, Yun Qianyue pulled on her reins and looked back at Nan Lingrui, "Do you mean to replace Ye Qingran with me today" "Why not My horsemanship isn’t any worse than Ye Qingran’s." Nan Lingrui looked at Yun Qianyue with a lifted brow as he smiled.
“A race requires stakes. Are you sure you can afford to lose” Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows. She had just heard from Ye Qingran that the Eastern Mountain was spacious and suitable for horseback riding. Since she had come out today, even though she couldn’t compete with Ye Qingran, it wasn't bad to have someone else racing with her. From what he showed when he rode from the western city gate to the eastern one just now, his horsemanship didn’t lag behind Ye Qingran’s.
“As long as you can afford to lose, so can I!” Nan Lingrui said.
"Alright! We’ll race until we reach Smoke Rain Pavilion at Eastern Mountain." Yun Qianyue said: “You tell me what the stakes are first!"
“If you lose, come with me to Southern Liang,” Nan Lingrui said.
Hearing this, Yun Qianyue’s gaze flickered slightly. "What would I do in South Liang Become your crown prince consort or concubine"
“It’s all the same!” Nan Lingrui replied.
"Alright." Yun Qianyue nodded her head.
“Little miss! Don’t regret it if you lose! I won’t go easy on you!” Nan Lingrui reminded Yun Qianyue, “And once a gentleman gives his word, there’s no turning back. A promise is worth a thousand gold pieces; we don’t talk about friendship in the gambling world. If you lose, there will be no way for you to not go to South Liang at that time."
“I won’t regret it if I take your surname!” Yun Qianyue didn't think she would lose.
"Haha! Alright!" Nan Lingrui laughed. "Now, say what the stakes are for you!"
“If you lose, hand over that fan you’re holding,” Yun Qianyue said as she looked at the fan in Nan Lingrui's hands.
Nan Lingrui was taken aback. Looking at Yun Qianyue with a smile, he asked, "That day I wanted to give you this fan at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, but you didn’t take it, so why do you want it now"
“Are you sure the one you gave me that day was the same as the one in your hand” Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows.
"How did you tell they weren't the same fan" Nan Lingrui asked with a slight upward curve of his lips.
“I’m not blind!” Yun Qianyue said as she looked at the fan in Nan Lingrui’s hands. She had noticed some small details; whenever Nan Lingrui held this fan, he always kept the side with the picture of a beauty facing outwards, so what was on the inner side She thought that perhaps she could find her answer there.
Nan Lingrui's gaze flickered and he nodded. "Alright! I agree!"
"I’ll count to two and we'll start together when I say three," Yun Qianyue no longer looked at Nan Lingrui as she sat up straight.
“Alright!” Nan Lingrui agreed.
Yun Qianyue got ready, and then spoke clearly: “One, two…"
"Three!"
The two of them said it together. The horses instantly galloped towards the Eastern Mountain.
Nan Lingrui’s horse was not inferior to Ye Qingran's Snow Tread which he had given Yun Qianyue; both horses raced forward side by side, their hooves lifting and landing at identical intervals. A gust of wind carried them past, leaving clouds of dust behind.
Yun Qianyue inwardly praised him as she thought that although Nan Lingrui seemed like a playboy from the start, with more interactions, he often surprised her. She had been somewhat indifferent before but now began to take it seriously. With all thoughts out of her head and eyes focused only on their destination, as she sped forward with the horse, her worries were thrown away. One person and one horse looked incredibly light.
Nan Lingrui was no different from his usual self; he was still charmingly flirtatious and unrestrained. His gorgeous brocade robes fluttered in the wind; a single man and horse appeared incredibly agile and equally carefree.
The two of them raced for ten miles without any change, side by side and neck to neck.
Yun Qianyue looked sideways at Nan Lingrui. He raised an eyebrow at her. Yun Qianyue turned away from him; she suddenly leaped into the air on her horse’s back and stood lightly atop the saddle, lifting all of her weight onto a single point causing Snow Tread to speed up instantly. She thought that having lightness skills was indeed advantageous.
Seeing Yun Qianyue's actions, Nan Lingrui’s gaze flashed; he then leapt into the air and stood lightly on his saddle with the tips of his feet just as she did, causing his horse to speed up instantly too.
The two of them after their moves still raced forward side by side.
Yun Qianyue turned her head to glance at Nan Lingrui once. Nan Lingrui proudly raised an eyebrow at her, and she pursed her lips slightly before suddenly swinging her wrist. The light gauze she was holding flew straight towards Nan Lingrui. Due to her current possession of inner strength and martial arts skills, the light gauze, though delicate, had been infused with internal energy by her, making it as sharp as a sword. A flash of purple光芒一閃，徑直擊向南淩睿的臉部。
Such an unexpected move was aimed at knocking him off his horse!
"I knew you'd make your move, so I prepared this!" Nan Lingrui watched Yun Qianyue's light gauze flying straight towards him from her wrist. Suddenly, he laughed and shook his wrist, sending a piece of silk directly to intercept Yun Qianyue's gauze.
Yun Qianyue snorted and flicked her fingers, infusing true energy into the gauze which sliced through like a blade, cutting it in half. One part intercepted Nan Lingrui while another flew past him to hit his face again.
Nan Lingrui did the same by slicing his silk with an infused true energy and splitting it in two as well, blocking Yun Qianyue's gauze.
Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows and separated her fingers again to split both pieces of gauze into four parts each.
"This doesn't faze me!" Nan Lingrui laughed loudly as he did the same, splitting his silk into four parts too.
"And what about this" Yun Qianyue suddenly used all five fingers to activate her true energy and disintegrate the gauze into countless pieces. She then flicked her sleeve, sending a flurry of shredded gauze towards Nan Lingrui.
"This doesn't trouble me either!" Nan Lingrui likewise used his five fingers to break his silk into countless pieces with true energy and flicked them back at Yun Qianyue as well.
Between the two horses and riders, it was like petals scattered by the Goddess of Heaven; gauze scraps fell everywhere instantly.
Their bout did not affect the horses' pace in the least. They had traveled another ten miles, leaving twenty more to reach Dongshan Rainy Pavilion.
Yun Qianyue hadn't expected her move to work and pursed her lips tightly, realizing that winning Nan Lingrui today wouldn't be easy. But how could she lose She couldn't go south with someone whose character she didn't know. Her competitive spirit flared up; she suddenly let go of the reins and lightly tapped her foot, flying gracefully into the air.
"Not racing horses anymore Want to compete in agility instead" Nan Lingrui also let go of his reins as he followed Yun Qianyue's lead.
"Of course we're still racing horses. My horse will reach Rainy Pavilion whether I'm riding it or not! If your horse doesn't make it there, you'll be no use!" Yun Qianyue's voice called out ahead, "Step on it, Snow Treader! Whoever beats his old nag gets whatever food I eat!"
Seemingly understanding her words, Snow Treader sprang into action to catch up with Yun Qianyue.
"Little brat! You've got some skills!" Nan Lingrui laughed heartily and said to his horse: "Moon follow closely. If you beat Snow Treader, I'll give you a new name! No more Moon!"
The steed immediately galloped after Snow Treader like it had been injected with stimulants.
Yun Qianyue was ahead of Nan Lingrui but hearing him calling his horse 'Moon' made her true energy dissipate momentarily, nearly causing her to fall from the sky. Quickly regaining her composure and focus, she shot a glare at Nan Lingrui: "Rotten!"
She had heard him call her Moon more than once!
Nan Lingrui caught up with Yun Qianyue in this brief lapse of concentration. He laughed heartily as he said, "If you want me to change my name, just beat me! Not only a horse but everything within the Southern Liang Crown Prince's Manor would be at your disposal for naming!"
"You're dreaming!" Yun Qianyue tossed back and ignored him. She threw her full weight into her agility skills; with such refined inner strength, she didn't believe he could outdo her in this.
Nan Lingrui laughed again as his speed matched hers perfectly despite the increase in pace.
Yun Qianyue was surprised by Nan Lingrui's excellent agility skills!
"Do you know what my most proficient martial art is It's agility! Though my inner strength may not be as profound as yours, I've worked hard to hone this skill. So, I don't think you can win over me." Nan Lingrui looked at Yun Qianyue pursing her lips and said with a smile.
Yun Qianyue snorted but didn’t pay him any mind; she focused on the endurance required for agility.
Nan Lingrui remained silent too, both of them resembling two wisps of cloud floating past scenery at incredible speed.
Riding closely behind them, their horses raced side by side, kicking up dust as they challenged each other to be faster than their owners.
Before long, another ten miles were covered. Nan Lingrui showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
Yun Qianyue thought she needed a different approach; both West and East Mountains had flat areas for racing but due to the limited space on Dongshan, it wasn't suitable for full gallops. Hence, the preference among nobles in Tian Sheng Capital was to race at Xishan. They were now thirty miles through, leaving ten more to reach Rainy Pavilion. Ten miles weren’t far enough to exhaust Nan Lingrui's stamina; she couldn't let him make it under those conditions. With this thought, she turned around and attacked Nan Lingrui.
Nan Lingrui immediately countered with a laugh: "Use whatever skills you have! Otherwise, you'll end up going south with me!
"Going to Nan Liang isn't necessary. Making you lie here unable to move for three days and nights might just do the trick!" Yun Qianyue said.
"The scenery here is beautiful; lying down here after winning wouldn’t be bad either!" Nanyingrui glanced around with a smile.
Yun Qianyue harrumphed and didn't say anything more. After her first palm missed, she immediately followed up with another strike. Nanyingrui easily dodged it and even managed to counterattack. Nanyingrui’s moves were quick and chaotic; Yun Qianyue was unfamiliar with ancient martial arts techniques and was momentarily at a loss. She could only rely on her pure internal energy and light-footedness to dodge.
"So you have internal energy but no martial arts skills! You’re doomed!" Nanyingrui’s phoenix-like eyes flashed in surprise as he laughed heartily.
"Don’t be too happy before the final moment," Yun Qianyue dodged while memorizing Nanyingrui's moves with her eidetic memory. Although his moves looked dazzling and disorganized, they weren’t random at all. Every move flowed naturally like clouds and water, making them look very beautiful.
"Then let me show you my strength!" Nanyingrui continued to deliver frequent attacks.
Yun Qianyue was on high alert.
The two of them fought while simultaneously using light-footedness to move forward.
A moment later, Yun Qianyue finally figured out the pattern of Nanyingrui’s moves. Just as she was about to counterattack, two fast horses caught up with them and quickly overtook them, their hooves making a consistent sound that couldn’t be distinguished between each other. A cloud of dust rose around them.
Yun Qianyue suddenly closed one eye and reached out to grab Nanyingrui’s horse's tail. However, the horse didn't slow down at all but continued to pull her forward. At the same time, Nanyingrui grabbed the tail of Yun Qianyue's steed, Taixue, which also didn’t stop moving.
The two of them fought each other with punches and kicks while holding onto their horses' tails.
Yun Qianyue switched from defense to offense, using her close combat skills from a previous life. She immediately put Nanyingrui in a difficult position, but he continued to dodge while firmly grasping the horse's tail. After some time of fighting back and forth, he also figured out Yun Qianyue’s style and was able to respond skillfully.
The two horses were pulled by their riders’ strength equally, slowing them down but still making them struggle forward.
Finally, they reached the last ten li. Through the dust, Yun Qianyue faintly saw a pavilion standing ahead. It was less than five hundred meters away from them. As she attacked, she thought of strategies. Suddenly struck by inspiration, she immediately released her grip on the horse’s tail and did a forward roll for ten zhang (a unit of distance), then kicked with her foot, sending the embroidered shoe flying straight towards Nanyingrui's face.
Nanyingrui seemed unprepared for Yun Qianyue's move. He was momentarily stunned but quickly let go of the horse’s tail and dodged sideways to avoid getting hit in the face as the embroidery slipper flew toward him. Because he wasn't prepared due to his fast-moving horse, his body lost balance and rolled backward instead of forward. Yet, being a martial artist, he managed to spring up after rolling several times and suddenly threw out his belt to entangle Yun Qianyue.
Feeling the wind from behind her, Yun Qianyue knew that if she retaliated, Nanyingrui would stop her from reaching the pavilion. She didn't believe he would hurt her even though they had only interacted a few times. Because of the fan painting, she felt certain that Nanyingrui wouldn’t harm her and thus ignored him without turning back. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she stood up straight and flew towards the pavilion.
Nanyingrui suddenly changed direction with his belt to aim at Taixue.
Yun Qianyue was startled by Nanyingrui's cunning move. She immediately turned around to save Taixue.
Satisfied, Nanyingrui smiled and opened his mouth to speak to Yun Qianyue when a sudden cry of pain from behind made them both stop their fighting actions and turn their heads.
The woman who had been following on another horse must have lost control because she was hit in the head by Yun Qianyue's embroidery slipper. She screamed as she fell off her horse.
Yun Qianyue recognized that woman as Rong Linglan and didn't stop to think about how she got there but realized the force with which she kicked could injure a martial artist like Nanyingrui without serious harm, yet Rong Linglan was an ordinary untrained woman. The impact would knock her out, but falling off the horse at that speed might kill or severely injure her. Yun Qianyue immediately stopped and used her light-footedness to try to catch Rong Linglan. Regardless of their past conflicts, a life was at stake here. However, she and Nanyingrui had been fighting since they left Dong Chengmen, both tired and slightly exhausted; her true qi wasn't fully replenished yet.
Seemingly shocked too, Nanyingrui immediately retracted his belt and flew towards the fallen Rong Linglan. Although he was closer to her than Yun Qianyue, he hesitated momentarily and was also very fatigued, so his actions were a bit slower.
Seeing Rong Linglan about to fall off the horse with no one able to catch her in time,
Suddenly, a snow-white figure appeared from behind them and caught Rong Linglan before Yun Qianyue and Nanyingrui could react. This person’s light-footedness was extraordinary; they were much faster than both Yun Qianyue and Nanyingrui.
Yun Qianyue and Nanyingrui arrived later to see Rong Linglan being caught, and Yun Qianyue heaved a sigh of relief. She then realized it was a man wearing a snow-white brocade robe with an jade belt around his waist, his body slender and straight, his back like that of bamboo. He immediately bent down to take her pulse after catching Rong Linglan but she only saw half of his face, which seemed youthful and handsome.
"Prince Qi has excellent light-footedness! Just in time!" Nanyingrui praised the young man before him.
Prince Qi Yun Qianyue was stunned.
"Your Highness Nanyingrui’s praise is excessive," Ye Tianyi released Rong Linglan and spoke to Nanyingrui but looked at Yun Qianyue, "She only fainted; there's no serious harm!"
Yun Qianyue recognized him when he raised his head, instantly frozen in place.
-------Omitted Part------t while, Nanyingrui's reference to Yun Qianyue had changed from Miss Qianyue to Moon兒 (Moonie)."Are we that familiar" Yun Qianyue immediately turned black as she coolly looked at Nanyingrui. Moon兒 (Mo...