Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 45: After modification - 45 Murder

Chapter 45: After modification: Chapter 45 Murder

The Little Marquis truly couldn’t refuse the offer of five thousand stones of grain. "The last time I participated in horseback archery, I only managed to hit two large watermelons. Aren’t you afraid of losing?"

"I trust you, Little Marquis." Fengyu smiled sweetly, like a cunning little fox.

Xie Xun stood up and leaned close to her ear, taking advantage of the situation. "Ten thousand."

Fengyu felt her heart bleeding. Yet another chunk of her golden mountain had been pried away by him. "Deal!"

When Xie Xun and Fengyu galloped onto the field side by side, they stunned the entire crowd. The Little Marquis Xie Xun, clad in bright attire, and Fengyu, fiery as the red maples, appeared like a golden couple from a legend. They were youthful and unparalleled in beauty, brimming with vitality and strength. Black and white, red and black entwined, dimming the brilliance of the entire archery field.

"The Little Marquis doesn’t love horseback archery. What an unusual mood he’s in today to join the excitement," Lin Cheng said coldly. It didn’t matter who showed up—today, he would win. Xie Xun couldn’t possibly offend him for the sake of someone like Fengyu.

Xie Xun gave a languid smile. "I’ve always been obliging when it comes to beauties."

Lin Yu Yan ground her teeth in hatred, but Fengyu wasn’t bothered by Xie Xun drawing hostility towards her—the steadier he drew it, the happier she was.

In the third round, the rules shifted. Only moving copper coins remained in the arena, and within one stick of incense’s time, whoever scored the most points would win. This round allowed for free shooting, and players could also shoot down their opponents’ arrows.

The format was far more engaging than the previous rounds.

"Fengyu must be truly foolish. Ever since the Little Marquis fell from his horse, his horseback archery skills have plummeted. He can only hit watermelons. Is she dragging him here just to embarrass themselves?"

"Regardless, compared to Lin Cheng, unless it’s Xie Zhang or Chu Ning, defeat is certain!"

"The Little Marquis is truly pitiful—reduced to joining Fengyu in humiliation," one young man lamented, looking at Xie Xun with a sigh.

Lin Yu Yan shot a vicious glare at Fengyu. As soon as the incense was lit, she pulled back her bow and let an arrow fly. Fengyu also drew her bow, aiming at Lin Yu Yan’s arrows. Lin Yu Yan fired three arrows, all of which were shot down by Fengyu.

"You!"

Fengyu giggled sweetly, which only made Lin Yu Yan grit her teeth harder. Seeing her emotions destabilized, Fengyu loosed an arrow, but it was shot down by Lin Cheng. Lin Yu Yan smirked triumphantly.

Xie Xun, riding leisurely, suddenly drew his bow, loosing an arrow in a single smooth motion. His arrow pierced through a copper coin and landed on the ground. "Let’s compete using real skills. Quick and decisive, Lin Cheng—I’ll even give you half a stick of incense."

Seated atop his high horse, his expression was languid and effortless, like a carefree, elegant youth out on a stroll. Yet his archery was clean and precise.

To kill a man within ten paces, and leave no trace for a thousand miles.

Fang Lingjun, standing at the edge of the field, clutched Xue Lan’s hand excitedly, feeling a glimmer of hope. Who says the Little Marquis, after falling from grace, can only hit watermelons?!

Lin Cheng’s gaze turned sharp. Xie Xun’s single arrow had not only rattled him but also caused Lin Yu Yan to falter and left the spectating young men awestruck.

"The Little Marquis sure talks big!" Lin Cheng sneered and shot through a copper coin with his first arrow. The second arrow also hit a coin precisely, as did the third.

The crowd gasped in amazement. Lin Cheng truly was formidable, hitting three coins in a row. Lin Yu Yan also began shooting. Whether by luck, her first arrow struck a coin, and she cheered excitedly.

The Lin siblings had already hit four coins, while Xie Xun and Fengyu had only managed one. Fengyu knew her own meager archery skills—a hit was purely accidental. However, she couldn’t allow herself to drag Xie Xun down.

Xie Xun turned his head with a casual, teasing smile. "Third Miss, just relax and have fun."

With these words, Fengyu felt at ease.

Strange as it was, though Xie Xun clearly hated her and had even attempted to kill her multiple times before, this vivid, fiery, proud Little Marquis, who would never allow fate to dictate his life, was oddly reassuring when he wasn’t harboring murderous intent towards her.

And so, Fengyu indeed played around, unhurriedly competing with Lin Yu Yan. Lin Yu Yan’s streak of luck ended after her first arrow; the rest all missed. Fengyu, after missing her first three arrows, ironically hit the target when she relaxed on the fourth.

Half a stick of incense’s time later, Fengyu and Lin Yu Yan had each hit two coins, while Lin Cheng missed two arrows but had successfully hit six coins. Lin Cheng brimmed with confidence and assumed he had misunderstood Xie Xun—perhaps Xie Xun was intentionally losing to him. After all, Xie Xun had things to ask of him; why would he risk offending him?

Feeling a bit anxious, Fengyu reminded him, "Little Marquis, your ten thousand is about to fly away."

"It’s already in the bag—it won’t fly away." Xie Xun chuckled arrogantly, drawing three arrows at once onto his bowstring. His grin vanished, leaving only calm focus, sharp precision, and unshakable confidence in his handsome face. To the onlookers’ stunned expressions, he loosed all three arrows simultaneously. They flew straight, piercing through three separate copper coins, one after another.

Lin Cheng whipped his head around in shock, staring at Xie Xun. A triple-shot with three direct hits during a horseback archery competition—such a feat was unprecedented. No one had ever succeeded before. Xie Xun nocked another set of three arrows and repeated the impossible: all three arrows flew simultaneously and hit their targets dead-on.

"The Little Marquis... is incredible."

"Is this even a real archery technique?"

Fengyu was equally astounded. No wonder he had nonchalantly told her to just have fun.

The remainder of the incense burn saw Xie Xun’s uninterrupted showcase; every triple-shot scored flawless hits, as if he had been granted divine favor, clearing the field of copper coins without missing a single one.

This was absolute domination in horseback archery—this was the true meaning of being unrivaled.

Victory and defeat were no longer in question.

"Weren’t you supposed to be a cripple?" Lin Cheng blurted out in his shock.

Xie Xun tilted his head with a smile. "This Marquis’s legs were crippled, not my hands."

Fengyu mused inwardly, This is the very same Little Marquis who rides in glory, conquering battlefields bathed in golden blood—Xie Xun! Not even the lavish beauty of the Capital City could extinguish the fire of his passion and resolve.

The horseback archery competition ended in spectacular fashion, delivering an unforgettable performance.

Lin Cheng caught up to Xie Xun, his expression stewing with irritation. "Xie Xun, why did you help Fengyu? You knew perfectly well Yu Yan wanted that pair of bangles. Must you go out of your way to oppose the Lin siblings?"

Xie Xun whistled softly. His horse, Zhuifeng, roamed freely, playful and unrestrained. Xie Xun replied, "She wants the jade bangles, but so do others. Between strangers and my own, of course I’ll side with my own."

"What did you just say?" Lin Cheng sneered coldly. "Your own?"

"The elder sister-in-law is like a mother. She is the younger sister most cherished by my sister-in-law. Naturally, she’s family," Xie Xun said with an easy smile. "A pair of bangles, is it worth getting upset over?"

Lin Cheng, choking with frustration, found himself unable to counter. Xie Xun wasn’t wrong—Fengyu was indeed distantly related to him. They were cousins, sharing the same blood in their veins.

What frustrated him the most was losing face so thoroughly in front of everyone. He had always prided himself on his archery skills, yet Xie Xun had completely eclipsed him, leaving him humiliated inside and out.

Just as Lin Cheng was about to say something, a sharp scream from a young girl cut through the air: "Ah... Lin Yu Yan has killed someone!"

The two turned to see the center of the archery field. Two figures in red stood confronting each other. Lin Yu Yan was clutching a dagger, plunging it into Fengyu’s abdomen. Blood streamed down, pooling on the ground. Fengyu’s face turned as pale as paper as she gripped Lin Yu Yan’s wrist. Fang Lingjun, her face red with fury, kicked Lin Yu Yan away with immense force. The bloodied dagger dropped to the ground. "Lin Yu Yan, are you insane?"

With surprising strength, Fang Lingjun sent Lin Yu Yan sprawling. Lin Yu Yan seemed equally shocked and stammered, "I didn’t mean to... I didn’t mean it... It wasn’t me... You have to believe me."