“Instructor Liang, you haven’t told me how we’re competing in mounted archery, “He Yan looked towards Liang Ping beside her. “Are we comparing who gets more prey, or who reaches the end of the riding ground first?”

Before Liang Ping could speak, Ma Damei spoke up with a smile, “Young one, we’ll use the time of one incense stick. Starting from here, complete one circuit – this is both the starting and finishing point. There are straw targets at the bend ahead. We four have different arrows. Shoot at the targets when you reach the bend, and whoever returns here first after shooting all their arrows wins.”

Hearing this, He Yan nodded, “Alright.”

Liang Ping couldn’t help but glance at her. The most frequent word this youth said was “right.” Whether talking to Wang Ba, Jiang Jiao, or Huang Xiong and now to them as instructors, it was still “alright.” He wondered when they would hear a “not alright.”

“Then let’s begin.” Du Mao pulled his reins, and someone behind them blew a horn. The four horses shot forward like arrows released from bows, instantly covering several dozen meters, leaving only rolling dust in their wake.

The horse He Yan rode was much more docile than the one He Sui had brought her at the capital’s training ground. It must have been specially trained by experts. It understood commands with minimal guidance. She also noticed that among the other three, while Liang Ping and Du Mao were skilled riders, they couldn’t match the unremarkable-looking Ma Damei. Ma Damei’s horsemanship was on par with her own, perhaps even slightly superior, though he hadn’t shown his full ability yet.

While she observed the three, they were also watching her. Du Mao almost popped his eyes out when he glanced over – He Yan wasn’t using a riding crop?

She had casually wrapped the crop around her arm and was guiding the horse’s gallop by gently patting its body. This wasn’t some leisure ride for capital city young masters – what was his intention? Most surprisingly, despite such casualness, he hadn’t fallen behind the instructors, maintaining pace alongside them, and even had the composure to smile at him.

Du Mao immediately turned away.

The horses galloped like shooting stars and flashing lightning, quickly reaching the bend. He Yan reached back to her quiver, drew several arrows, and prepared to shoot at the straw targets on both sides.

These targets were smaller than those at the training ground, only about palm-sized, and not very visible. Even with a crossbow, they wouldn’t be easy to hit – it depended on one’s eyesight and technique. Just as He Yan was about to shoot, Liang Ping and Du Mao exchanged glances, and suddenly pressed forward, one in front and one behind, squeezing their horses against He Yan’s mount, causing it to veer sideways and preventing her from releasing her arrow.

The horse startled, and He Yan bounced several times, hurriedly pulling the reins to steady herself. She looked toward Liang Ping and Du Mao, who were nonchalantly drawing their bows as if nothing had happened. Du Mao even called out, “He Yan, be careful not to fall off!”

As if they hadn’t been the ones who bumped into her.

He Yan raised an eyebrow – truly, in competition, she never understood the word forgiveness. How could she let them get away with disrupting her shot?

Liang Ping and Du Mao had already released their arrows when suddenly a blue arrow shot diagonally through the air, splitting their arrows mid-flight with a “thunk,” changing their trajectory and sending them to the ground.

Both men looked at He Yan, who shrugged and said, “Instructors, you seem a bit lacking in skill.”

Liang Ping: “…”

This youth was too vindictive and sharp-tongued – truly insufferably arrogant.

As He Yan prepared to draw her bow again, she hadn’t even pulled out an arrow when her body jolted heavily again. The old man Ma Damei had caught up from behind, smiling at He Yan, “Young one, no need to rush, take your time.”

He Yan couldn’t draw her bow – every time she moved, these three would come from behind, from the front, from left and right, casually “bumping” into her. The horse kept getting startled, preventing her from aiming at the target center.

After several such encounters, He Yan figured it out – the three instructors were deliberately working against her. Though she didn’t understand why, it was probably part of the test. They wanted to prevent her from shooting arrows – even if she reached the finish line first, it wouldn’t count as a win.

She was outnumbered, and since this was an archery competition, she couldn’t very well get into a fight with the instructors. But letting them have their way wasn’t something He Yan would do either.

He Yan’s eyes flickered as she muttered, “Try to scheme against me? No way!”

She suddenly raised her arm, and the riding crop wrapped around it unfurled, making a crisp sound as it cut through the air.

“What is he…” Du Mao frowned. From start to finish, He Yan hadn’t used the riding crop, and being able to control the horse so well without it was indeed rare. But now that He Yan was doing this, was it because she couldn’t handle it anymore and needed to use the crop?

As he was thinking, He Yan suddenly smiled at him, giving Du Mao an ominous feeling. The next moment, he saw the riding crop flying toward him. Du Mao startled and instinctively dodged, both shocked and angry – He Yan dared to attack him!

His dodge exposed the quiver on his back.

The crop didn’t hit Du Mao but instead curved gracefully, wrapping around the arrows in his quiver. He Yan made a pulling motion, the crop unwrapped in mid-air, and all the arrows scattered in the wind.

Liang Ping, who witnessed the entire process from the side, was dumbfounded. Before he could react, He Yan’s crop was already aimed at him. He jumped in fright, hurriedly steering his horse away, but now it was He Yan’s turn to strike – how could he escape? With a pull and a hook, all the arrows in his quiver were also thrown to the ground.

“He Yan!” Du Mao’s face turned iron-gray with anger.

“I see the instructors don’t want to let me shoot arrows,” He Yan said with a smile, seemingly oblivious to his ugly expression. “But I don’t want to lose either. No choice – let’s all forget about shooting arrows and see who can ride faster, shall we?”

“Hahaha!” Ma Damei’s laughter came from behind. He showed no tension or anger, instead appearing thoroughly entertained. “You clever little one, I wonder if you can handle my arrows?”

He Yan smiled slightly, “How could I? I don’t plan to take your arrows.”

Ma Damei’s horsemanship was superior, making it difficult for her to get close enough to take his arrows, but it didn’t matter. Once they passed this bend, with no targets to shoot at, he would have to compete with her purely on speed to the finish line.

She rode neck and neck with Ma Damei – when she shot arrows, Ma Damei would block them with his own, and when Ma Damei shot, He Yan would intercept them. The two of them had left Liang Ping and Du Mao behind, neither able to gain an advantage over the other. In this deadlock, they passed the final bend.

Since no one had hit the targets, now they could only compete on who would reach the finish line first.

Ma Damei glanced at He Yan and smiled, “Young one, you’re quite impressive.” He cracked his riding crop, and suddenly his horse shot forward – apparently, he hadn’t been using his full skill until now.

He Yan watched his receding figure and praised, “There are indeed always better people out there.” She squeezed her horse’s flanks and gave chase.