FID – Chapter 1006

  Chapter 1006: A challenge far more difficult than simply claiming victory.

  If he lost this round, even winning the final one wouldn’t save him; this duel would be over.

  He drew his bow, aimed carefully, and released. A streak of blue cloth drifted lazily from the windmill.

  Cheers erupted from the sidelines. Qian Liu steadied his breathing, refusing to relax, and drew again for his second shot.

  At this moment, he had no time to worry about anything else—not even what the man beside him was doing.

  Xue Honglian remained perfectly still, standing with quiet poise. He showed no urgency, giving nothing away. Was he already giving up on this difficult round, or was he planning something else entirely?

  He didn’t rush, but Qian Yi was nearly hopping in place with anxiety.

  The duel was timed, and the incense beside them had burned down a small length. Blue strips continued to fall from the windmill. If the man didn’t act soon, he would lose.

  If she could intervene, Qian Yi would have dashed forward to grab his head and shake some sense into him. Did he intend to lose? Or was he just stalling for some reason?

If the man remained unmoving, she couldn’t do anything.

  Qian Yi’s eyes darted around. If she couldn’t urge Xue Honglian to act, she could at least buy him some time.

  Casting a quick glance at the incense still burning, she bit her lip and discreetly moved closer. Silently, she began to dampen the incense with water, slowing its burn. That way, the time limit wouldn’t force him into a rush.

  She had barely taken two steps before Qian Xi blocked her path, arms crossed, looking at her with mocking amusement. “And where do you think you’re going?”

  “Where I go is none of your business! Why aren’t you watching the match? Why are you staring at me? Are you sick in the head? I’m going to the latrine; do you want to follow me there too?” Qian Yi lifted her chin, glaring at Qian Xi with undisguised irritation.

  “If you’re going to the latrine, naturally I won’t interfere. But if you’re planning on pulling some little trick…” Qian Xi swept her gaze over the crowd and let out a soft laugh. “Half the village is here watching. Do be careful not to do anything that’ll make you a laughingstock. It would be such a pity if the Saintess Tribe’s famed first beauty turned out to be not very bright.”

  Ptui! Qian Yi nearly tilted her nose off her face in fury. Starting today, she was officially placing Qian Xi at the very top of her Most Hated List.

  Before, because they belonged to the same village, she had always let Qian Xi’s provocations slide for the sake of harmony. 

  But now? Haha. Every ounce, every grain, she would settle the score. Who said she was easy to bully?

  She would make sure Qian Xi’s future days were filled with chaos—chickens flying, dogs jumping, nothing but noise and disorder!

  With a sharp snort, Qian Yi turned her head away and focused fully on the match. Since she was being watched, there was no way she could help secretly anymore. She could only count on Xue Honglian now.

  If he really lost, well, that wouldn’t be her embarrassment. She wasn’t the one who told him to come challenge them in the first place. Whatever came of it, she wasn’t responsible.

  On Qian Liu’s side, more than a dozen blue ribbons had already been shot down. The crowd, silent at first, gradually began to buzz with murmurs.

  Most people looked in confusion at Xue Honglian, who still stood motionless, calm as ever. No one could understand what on earth he was doing.

  The sandalwood incense beside them had already burned halfway down, yet he remained perfectly still. Was he truly planning to forfeit this round?

Qian Liu had already collected quite a few ribbons. With a challenge of this difficulty, even catching up to Qian Liu would take considerable time,let alone surpassing him.

  By their judgment, there simply wasn’t enough time left. Which meant Xue Honglian was destined to lose.

  In a three-round competition, if each won one round, the final winner would be decided by the last challenge.

  But for an outsider to win the final trial in their village? That was nearly impossible.

So many of the villagers had already concluded that Xue Honglian would lose for sure. Their eyes no longer held the expectation they’d shown earlier.

  There was no suspense left—nothing to look forward to.

  Just as sighs began to ripple through the crowd, something unexpected happened: Xue Honglian finally moved. He raised his bow, taking aim at the spinning windmill.

Meanwhile, on Qian Liu’s side, he had already gathered a full handful of blue ribbons.

  Yet despite everything, not a trace of tension could be seen on the man’s face.

  His arm holding the bow was steady—utterly unmoving. He nocked an arrow and released it without even pausing to aim.

  The crowd gasped at the sight, instantly turning their eyes toward the arrow’s trajectory.

  A strip of red fluttered down from midair—perfectly struck!

But the man didn’t stop. Nock, draw, release—each motion seamless, unbroken, flowing like water.

  Red ribbons drifted down one after another, not a single shot wasted.

  The crowd erupted in astonished whispers.

  Qian Liu stole a glance toward him, and his own aim clearly faltered. The man’s overwhelming presence had disrupted his rhythm, and his performance rapidly declined.

  On the other side, red strips continued to rain down steadily—every shot true with not a single error. His movements were so effortless it seemed, in his eyes, this trial was no more than a simple game.

  Which made the others’ tense seriousness appear almost laughable in comparison.

  The sandalwood incense planted by the lakeshore finally burned down, its last crumbling ash drifting away in the breeze.

  The round was over.

  All that remained was to count the cloth strips and declare the result.

  As the judge began tallying them, the entire crowd fell silent—holding their breath, nerves stretched taut.

  Hearts pounded as everyone waited anxiously for the verdict.

  Qian Liu stood across from him, staring unblinkingly at the cold, detached man. His face had gone slightly pale.

  He knew he had lost.

  No matter what the final count revealed—more or fewer—it didn’t matter. He had already lost.

  The man didn’t even need to aim, yet never missed. That was a skill Qian Liu did not possess, could not possess.

  The top warrior of the Saintess Tribe was defeated by an outsider…He had not only lost his own face but also shamed the entire tribe.

  “The results have been tallied. I will now announce them,” the judge called out, raising his voice. Under the weight of everyone’s tense anticipation, he slowly declared: “Qian Liu obtained twenty-four blue strips. Xue Honglian obtained twenty-four red strips. This round is a draw.” 

  For a heartbeat, the crowd went silent—then burst into an uproar.

  Qian Liu, Qian Xi, even Qian Qi all stared at Xue Honglian in disbelief.

  Twenty-four red strips—exactly matching Qian Liu’s count.

  It was obvious the man had done it on purpose.

  He had chosen to tie this round.

  And precisely because of that the shock was even greater.

  Twenty-four flawless hits proved not only his perfect accuracy, but his terrifying eyesight and ability to predict movement.

  In the middle of such a difficult trial, he had still been able to split his focus—calculating the number of blue strips falling on Qian Liu’s side and adjusting his rhythm perfectly to achieve a deliberate draw in the end.

  This was a challenge far more difficult than simply claiming victory!

Qian Yi looked at him, her eyes sparkling like stars.

  See? This was the protector she chose: good-looking, strong in martial skill, exceptional in every way.

  She hadn’t exaggerated a single word when praising him before the elder.