“Han Ziqing, what’s wrong with your legs?”

Jun Beiyue shouted loudly, holding nothing back, but Ziqing simply let the words pass by unheeded, her eyes fixed intently ahead, whip cracking as she galloped on, her legs still showing no movement.

Jun Beiyue immediately spurred his horse to ride directly toward her. “What exactly is wrong with you?”

To his astonishment, Ziqing suddenly dug her legs sharply into the horse’s flanks. At that single kick, the Blood-Sweating Horse seemed to receive some kind of jolt and shot forward like a loosed arrow, streaking past him in a blur!

This speed was several times faster than what she’d shown that day at the Imperial Training Grounds. Such explosive power proved that this woman’s legs couldn’t be all that badly injured—could she be playing some kind of trick?

Suspicious, Jun Beiyue wheeled his horse around and gave chase.

By now, Chu Feiyan had already safely cleared the muddy stretch and was charging toward the spiked planks, while Ziqing had fallen a full obstacle behind, only now approaching the mud. Among skilled riders, especially in a contest of speed, the smallest margin could mean the difference between triumph and disaster.

In truth, no matter how hard Ziqing pushed to catch up, the outcome of this first contest was already essentially decided. The crowd gathered on the small hill at the finish line had their attention fixed entirely on Chu Feiyan!

Chu Feiyan leaned low over her horse’s back, her legs clamped tight to steady herself, one hand cracking the whip urgently while the other gripped the reins. Her posture, her bearing—she looked every bit like a female general charging fearlessly into battle, striking and valiant, proving that a woman could match any man in courage! The sight left everyone watching in awe.

Her speed grew faster and faster, her red riding attire streaking forward like a fierce arrow cutting through the air. She was mere moments from reaching the spiked planks, her horse’s hooves about to come down upon them!

Suddenly!

The white horse reared up, its hooves lifting into the air…

And at that very same moment, someone in the crowd suddenly pointed behind Chu Feiyan, shouting in alarm, “Quick! Look there!”

Everyone turned to look, and there, soaring above the muddy stretch, a horse and rider leapt through the air!

The horse, red as blazing fire, its body glistening with blood-red sweat catching the sunlight, looked from a distance like a streak of dazzling light—its front legs stretched forward, its back legs extended behind, its body powerful, sleek, and magnificent!

The rider wore a set of white brocade riding attire, sharp and capable, her feet locked firmly in the stirrups, her body leaning low against the horse’s back. Her expression couldn’t be made out at this distance, but her posture, the aura radiating from her figure—she herself was like a loosed arrow, swift as the wind!

Horse and rider, soaring through the air together, like a fleeting vision of breathtaking beauty!

Suddenly, the Blood-Sweating Horse’s hind legs kicked off sharply into the air, clearing the entire muddy stretch completely and plunging down onto solid ground beyond it!

In that instant, everyone’s hearts leapt with shock—she had actually cleared it! Such a long stretch of mud, positioned right in the middle specifically to create distance between riders.

Who could have imagined that Han Ziqing would dare to simply leap clean over it, and pull it off so flawlessly?

Just how much speed, how much sheer momentum, must that have required beforehand?

Before anyone could fully process what they’d just seen, that streak of white and that streak of crimson were already rushing forward again, sharp as a blade, swift as lightning, fierce as the wind.

Suddenly, a loud “thud” pulled everyone’s attention back—Chu Feiyan’s horse had landed. She had cleared the spiked planks and was now making her final push toward the finish.

At the very same moment, with a resounding “thump,” Ziqing’s horse soared high into the air at the far end of the spiked planks, as though leaping over a deep ravine, front legs bent, back legs stretched straight out behind!

For a moment, everyone tensed at once, their eyes darting back and forth, unsure where to look.

On one side, the spiked-plank obstacle was only half a li from the finish line—Chu Feiyan was about to arrive at any moment!

On the other side, Han Ziqing was soaring through the air, her speed nothing short of extraordinary!

From being hopelessly left behind, with no chance at all, to now surging forward with everything she had—though the odds remained slim, everyone watching found themselves swept up in the intensity of Ziqing’s relentless pursuit, unable to stop themselves from hoping she would win! Hoping she would pull off a miracle!

Even Chu Tiange, momentarily forgetting the enormous stakes he’d wagered, watched Ziqing with his sword-like brows furrowed, unable to tear his eyes away.

The spiked planks were already well behind her, and yet the Blood-Sweating Horse still hadn’t touched down—it remained airborne, soaring with fierce, magnificent grace.

How was this possible?

No! Looking more closely, the Blood-Sweating Horse held its head high, neighing proudly, its hooves light and swift, three legs suspended in the air with only one leg touching down to push off, galloping forward at breakneck speed!

“The Flying Swallow Gallop!”

In the crowd, Chu Tiange suddenly cried out in astonishment, the first to recognize this legendary riding technique!

This was truly the pinnacle of equestrian mastery! Without achieving genuine unity between horse and rider, it would be utterly impossible to pull off!

That was Jun Beiyue’s own treasured Blood-Sweating Horse—even Jun Beiyue himself, riding it personally, had never displayed such a magnificent feat. And yet Han Ziqing had actually managed it!

“Yes! That’s it! It’s the Flying Swallow Gallop!”

“Heavens, she actually did it!”

“Absolutely magnificent!”

…

The crowd, coming back to their senses, erupted in astonished uproar. And at that very moment, Ziqing had already caught up right behind Chu Feiyan!

Chu Feiyan was one stride from the finish; Ziqing was two strides behind. Ahead of them both lay the finish line!

Just then, Chu Feiyan’s white horse reared its front legs, and at the very same instant, so did Ziqing’s Blood-Sweating Horse. In that fleeting moment, Chu Feiyan, who had been utterly focused, finally realized in shock that Ziqing had caught up to her!

She turned her head to look, her face full of disbelief, while Ziqing remained fully focused ahead, driving her legs sharply into the horse’s sides. The Blood-Sweating Horse’s front legs surged forward, closing the final two strides into one, crossing the finish line!

With a resounding “thud,” its front hooves landed just a few paces past the finish line!

Right behind it came another “thud,” as Chu Feiyan’s white steed crossed the line and landed as well!