Guo Wuchang's timely and seemingly eager shout, coupled with his desire for chaos, immediately awakened the people who were standing there in a daze. The first to rush forward were, of course, the guards of the young master. Having followed Zhao Kangning for many years, they were well aware of the young master's equestrian skills, but they could never have anticipated such an incident today, which could lead to severe consequences.
Others, upon seeing the young master fall from his horse, had varied emotions, but they all rushed forward in a swarm, especially Mei Daguo, who was particularly anxious.
Lin Wanrong wiped off the strong scent of perfume from his clothes and took out something from his pocket. After careful examination to ensure proper loading, he slowly walked forward.
The young master had already been pulled up from the ground by his attendants. His white clothes were torn, covered in dust, and half of his face was smeared with mud. Some dry grass roots even hung in his hair. He looked extremely disheveled, far from the charming appearance he had before mounting the horse.
Zhao Kangning clenched his teeth, his face turning iron-blue. He angrily stared at the group of kneeling servants. Even with good upbringing, he couldn't bear to be embarrassed in front of so many people, especially with a favored lady present. In his rage, he disregarded any sense of decorum and kicked one of the attendants, shouting, "Insolent servants, you dare..."
"Please spare the young master, mercy for the young master! The servant deserves death, deserves death..." The attendant trembled in fear.
Zhao Kangning whipped his face with a riding crop, saying, "Insolent servant, after feeding you the best food and drink, letting you take care of two horses, you dare to plot against your master. Come, take this servant down!"
"Winter Prince, spare me, spare the young master! These two excellent horses, I've been caring for them for a long time. They were always gentle, but today, perhaps due to a change of location, they stumbled. Please give this servant another chance!" The attendant desperately kowtowed.
Mei Yanqiu said, "These two horses are originally good. It's likely that this servant, under someone else's instigation, deliberately caused trouble, leading to the young master's mishap." She glanced at Lin Wanrong, intending to shift the blame to him. Seeing Lin Wanrong's disdainful expression, she boldly stated, "Lin San, did you have a hand in this?"
Zhao Kangning suspiciously glanced at Lin Wanrong, who had recently handled the horses. Could he have done something?
Lin Wanrong smirked and said, "Mei Daguo, you speak with such authority even before the young master opens his mouth. You accuse me of foul play. May I ask which eye witnessed my actions? The selection of horses was witnessed by all present, open and above board, without any clandestine activities."
His words were righteous and stern, showing no trace of guilt. People had witnessed him choosing the horses, and there was no evidence of any wrongdoing. Blaming him was baseless.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Wanrong continued, "Today's competition, the young master, in his kindness, took the initiative to test the horses. I am truly grateful for that. In my view, someone must have wanted to tarnish the young master's reputation. Just imagine, if I had mounted first and fallen right away, everyone would undoubtedly suspect the young master's character. Isn't that a form of defamation?"
Zhao Kangning's face turned iron-blue, unable to find words. Lin Wanrong sighed and said, "Winter Prince, you are a generous person. Let's forget about this competition today to prevent any unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation and tarnishing your reputation."
The young master, with a swift kick, sent the attendant who fed the horses flying. He gritted his teeth and said, "Lin San, I keep my word. If I hadn't hit the target with this arrow, and if you can hit that tree, I'll consider you the winner."
Lin Wanrong pretended to be mysterious and said, "Considering the unexpected nature of the previous arrow, which affected the young master, why not let him shoot again? This time, I invite the young master to choose the horse first, and still, let the young master shoot first."
Zhao Kangning snorted, "Do you think I'm someone who goes back on his word? Lin San, if my arrow missed slightly, I'm still a hundred times better than you. Go ahead, give it a try."
Lin Wanrong reluctantly said, "Since the young master is so generous, I'll reluctantly give it a try."
Taking the black horse, Lin Wanrong struggled to mount, drawing laughs from the crowd. Despite the awkwardness, he spurred the horse forward.
Seeing Lin Wanrong's unfamiliar movements, Zhao Kangning felt relieved. Even if he didn't shoot well, Lin San would never hit the tree.
Riding the black horse, Lin Wanrong circled twice without showing any signs of shooting. Impatient poets in the crowd shouted, "Lin San, hurry up!"
Seemingly influenced by the urging, Lin Wanrong increased his speed, ran a few steps, and suddenly exclaimed. His body seemed to bend under the horse, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Luo Ning, thinking he had fallen from the horse, cried out, "Big Brother Lin?!" She rushed forward in concern. But then, two loud bangs echoed, causing the distant big tree and nearby small trees to shake, creating a frightening spectacle.
The black horse, startled by the noise, neighed and leaped forward. Lin Wanrong, who had hidden beneath the horse, prepared for this. He swiftly rolled off the horse, hiding whatever he held in his hands back into his pocket. The black horse, now seemingly mad, galloped forward.
It was an exhilarating spectacle, and beads of cold sweat formed on Lin Wanrong's forehead.
In her anxious state, Luo Ning, seeing him standing there, ran to his side and grabbed his arm, saying, "Big Brother Lin, are you okay? Don't scare me—"
Lin Wanrong let out a long breath, wiping his forehead with his right hand. "I'm fine, it's just that the black horse got spooked."
Seeing dark traces on his wrists and even some soot on his face, Luo Ning asked in concern, "Big Brother Lin, what happened to your hands and face?"
Lin Wanrong glanced at the marks on his hand and sighed, "It's some Western gadget. The quality is not reliable. Luckily, it didn't ruin my appearance."
Luo Ning, puzzled, asked, "Big Brother, what does this have to do with Westerners?"
Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "Just kidding. Miss Luo, how do you see who won this match?"
Before Luo Ning could respond, someone exclaimed, "He hit it, he hit it! Lin San hit it!" Everyone turned to look, and indeed, there were numerous holes on the big tree, with rays of light streaming through the tiny openings. Even the nearby small trees were
riddled with holes.
People were astonished. Lin San, despite his less-than-graceful posture on the horse, not only hit the target but also shattered it. It was quite extraordinary. How did he manage to hit it? What did he use? And what were those two loud sounds? Everyone was puzzled.
"Could this be the legendary One Yang Finger?" Guo Wuchang's voice trembled with awe, adding a hint of fear.
Lin Wanrong burst into laughter, thinking that the young master was quite impressive to cause such a reaction. "So impressive, this young master is quite amazing."