FID – Chapter 1005

 Chapter 1005: Ignoring Her Again, Huh?

  Just as the arrow was about to leave the bowstring, Xue Qinglian’s eyes darkened, deep and unfathomable.

  “Whoosh—”

  For a brief moment, the entire square fell into silence. Everyone instinctively held their breath, eyes fixed on the arrow’s path, watching it strike the target across the way.

  A soft thunk followed, clearly audible in the still air.

  The arrow had pierced the bullseye, gone through the target, and even after passing through, it continued to fly a short distance before falling to the ground!

This arm strength rivaled Qian Liu’s—and in many ways, even surpassed it!

  The crowd remained silent for a long moment.

  “Wonderful! Amazing! Xue Honglian, you’re incredible!” The first to erupt in cheers was Qian Yi, clapping and jumping with excitement. Her joy was genuine, her cat-like eyes curved into half-moons with her smile.

  Her cheering sparked a chain reaction, as the villagers began applauding and shouting their approval.

  The people of the village were practical. Even though Xue Qinglian was an outsider, his strength was undeniable. He had the skill, and he deserved their praise.

  Watching the man slowly return to his spot, Qian Liu suppressed the flicker of disdain in his eyes. “Two more rounds remain. You haven’t won yet. Don’t get too proud.”

  “That’s something I could say to you as well,” the man replied, expressionless, meeting his gaze without a hint of emotion.

  Qian Liu furrowed his brow. For some reason, he felt that the man standing before him now looked different from before, but he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what had changed.

  It was clearly the same person, so why did his aura seem subtly altered?

  Before, he had been casual, relaxed, and unconstrained. Now, he radiated a quiet steadiness, a calmness that carried an unmistakable edge of danger.

  The traces of human warmth that had lingered on him before had suddenly vanished.

  Standing at the edge of the square, Qian Yi stared dumbfounded at the man’s sudden coldness. Her legs went weak. Why did the icy expression just return? One moment he was one way, the next he was another—right here in front of everyone. Thankfully, the villagers weren’t familiar with him yet, or they might have thought him a monster.

  Meanwhile, Qian Xi, who had also kept her gaze fixed on him, felt her eyes widen. The sudden aura of danger around the man made her heartbeat quicken involuntarily.

  Xue Honglian stood in the center of the square, silent, waiting for the second round, paying no heed to the surrounding cheers and shouts.

  The second round was a test of speed. But it wouldn’t take place in the small square.

  Watching the crowd begin to move, Xue Honglian furrowed his brow, only to be quickly pulled along by Qian Yi, who tugged at him insistently.

  “The speed contest will be at the southern edge of the village, by Saintess Lake. Follow the villagers,” Qian Yi explained as they walked. “There’s a windmill by the lake that spins really fast. The villagers will attach the target boards to it, and whoever shoots the most arrows onto the targets within the time of one incense stick wins.”

  Xue Honglian’s expression remained calm. With a flick of his wrist, he casually freed his arm. “Don’t squirm.”

  ”…” Qian Yi’s face flushed crimson in an instant. She was furious. “You’re my protector! You already made me lose face once this morning. If you don’t give me some respect now, I swear I’ll really get angry! And when I’m angry, the consequences are serious!”

  Don’t think she was easy to intimidate. She usually let things slide, but if she chose to get serious, even she feared herself!

Her cat-like eyes widened, trying desperately to show her anger. But the slight droop at the corners of her eyes made her look less fierce and more like a spoiled kitten throwing a tantrum, amusingly pitiful.

  Xue Qinglian glanced at her briefly, then strode ahead in long, confident steps, leaving her behind, both angry and helpless.

  Ignoring me again, huh? Really?

Fuming, Qian Yi surged forward and threw her arms around his, tilting her head up to glare at him.

  I’m not letting go—what are you going to do about it?

You had better not make me mad!

Xue Honglian’s lips twitched faintly, almost imperceptibly, but his expression remained unreadable as he continued walking, carrying the tiny, stubborn weight dangling from his arm.

  He had no interest in watching the girl make a fool of herself any longer.

  To the south of the village lay the Saintess Lake. The lake was vast, its water a clear, deep blue, and standing at the shore, one could see the swaying aquatic plants beneath the surface.

  A flock of ducks glided lazily on the lake, their flat, pointed beaks preening their feathers as quacks echoed in a gentle, overlapping rhythm.

  Xue Honglian’s gaze fell on the windmill by the lakeside.

  Atop the tall wooden pole, two circular wheels—one large, one small—turned steadily in the wind.

  “The skill we’ve just witnessed from Mister Xue is truly remarkable. If we were to follow the usual rules, it would be far too easy for him. So we’ve made a small adjustment for this round. Red and blue cloth strips will be hung on the windmill. Each contestant chooses a color, and the winner will be whoever shoots down the most strips without damaging them. Agreed?” the elder in charge of judging announced. His gaze swept over Xue Honglian and Qian Liu.

  The two exchanged a glance and nodded.

  Immediately, someone threw a large fishing net over the top of the windmill. Countless red and blue strips of cloth dangled from the net by thin threads, spinning and fluttering in the breeze as the windmill rotated.

  Without exceptional eyesight, predictive judgment, and precise aim, attempting to sever the threads and claim the cloth would be nearly impossible.

  The contest would be held simultaneously by both competitors. If an arrow accidentally knocked down a strip of the opponent’s color, it would count as a point for the other side—essentially sewing a victory for them.

  Some villagers had already lit incense sticks, embedding them in the soft earth by the lake.

  The duration of the duel was set to the burn time of a single stick. When the incense burned out, the contestant who had collected the most strips would be declared the winner.

  The duel officially began.

  This time, everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the two men. The challenge was far more difficult than any previous contest.

  And after witnessing Xue Honglian’s strength just moments ago, the villagers were no longer confident in predicting the outcome.

  Although Qian Liu was the village’s top warrior, facing Xue Honglian… somehow made everyone feel a quiet, unsettling sense that Qian Liu’s chances were not high.

  Having already lost the first round, the odds for him did not look favorable.

  When Qian Yi had brought this outsider into the village, the villagers had been curious, but few had taken him seriously. 

  Judging from his appearance, to them he had seemed merely a handsome man, perhaps lacking the skills to match the village’s best.

  But now it appeared they had been wrong.

  Xue Honglian was far from just a pretty face. On the contrary, he radiated an enigmatic aura.   He had dared to come here and issue a challenge, yet his demeanor remained calm and unhurried, as if victory was already in his grasp. 

How much skill did this man truly possess? Everyone was eager to find out.

  Qian Liu cast a glance at the calm, indifferent man beside him, steadied his mind, nocked an arrow, and began aiming at the windmill. Though he appeared composed, no one could see the sweat beginning to bead on his palms.

  The man was starting to make him nervous.