Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 166 Mr. Shen, I Will Come to Find You

Chapter 166: Chapter 166 Mr. Shen, I Will Come to Find You

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd below fell completely silent—after all, it was a hundred taels of gold!

When had the villagers ever seen so much money? Working hard their whole lives, they could not even earn a single piece of gold.

A subtle change occurred in everyone’s mind, as they each found a tree to hide behind, hoping that Shi Zhou’s arrow would come flying in their direction.

Seeing this, Qi Yu sneered, "As expected, people die for wealth."

She pulled Li Mingjue to the side and took a few steps back, then leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Do you believe that Shi Zhou’s arrow will definitely fly this way?"

Li Mingjue slightly raised an eyebrow, glanced at Shen Xiheng, who seemed lost in thought, and chuckled softly, "Then we can only hope her archery is accurate enough not to hurt anyone else."

The two exchanged a smile and, holding hands, stepped back a bit further.

Ling Xiao, hidden in the shadows, had been watching their movements and naturally witnessed this scene.

She bit her lip, a look of contempt on her face.

Shiqi caught a glimpse of her murderous gaze and was slightly startled, looking towards where her gaze was directed and his eyes suddenly darkened a shade.

On the Martial Arts Platform, Shi Zhou closed her eyes and slightly turned her body.

The next second, the arrow in her hand flew out and struck the tree right behind Shen Xiheng, precisely above where he was standing.

Shen Xiheng was momentarily stunned, his eyes revealing a hint of astonishment.

With mixed feelings of bitterness and relief, he did not know whether to feel happy or worried.

Shi Fuyou had known even before Shi Zhou shot the arrow that she had already found her target, so this result did not surprise him much.

He sighed slightly and shook his head at Zhou Ruhai.

They knew how stubborn Shi Zhou’s nature was, but they had not expected that her agreement to the contest was not a moment of impulsiveness, but had been carefully calculated.

Shi Zhou opened her eyes and looked straight at the tall, graceful figure under the tree.

The two stared at each other across the crowd for a long while, neither making any move.

Finally, it was Shi Zhou who picked up a sword from the ground, left by a previous contestant, and pointed it at a slightly pale-faced person not far away. Her clear, resonant voice echoed through the entire valley, declaring with impressive momentum, "I choose him."

Even Shi Fuyou, who was worldly-wise, spat out a mouthful of tea in shock. Who points a sword at someone and speaks like that!

Shi Zhou, having grown up among bandits, had a manner that was not only unlike a genteel lady but was even more overbearing than most men. She did not find her actions shocking or outrageous.

Turning around, she acted maturely and nodded at Shi Fuyou, "Hmm, I want this man."

For the first time in his life, Shi Fuyou felt like he had shot himself in the foot, wishing he could pack Shi Zhou off back to the village immediately, to save them from embarrassment.

Qi Yu couldn’t help laughing out loud, and glanced at Shen Xiheng with schadenfreude.

Seeing that he had an expressionless face yet his eyes still flickered slightly.

She knew that this matter was almost settled.

It must be said, she truly admired women like Shi Zhou who dared to love and hate, actively pursuing the person they liked.

Such a person marrying Shen Xiheng, he really wouldn’t lose out.

After a long silence, the crowd remained quiet until finally, Shi Fuyou stood up and said, "Today’s martial contest for marriage ends here, thank you, everyone."

After finishing, he ordered the people from the village to distribute the silver and grain they had prepared earlier to the crowd.

Having watched the show and received some benefits, the villagers all dispersed happily.

Shi Fuyou walked up to Shen Xiheng, bowed, and said, "My daughter is unruly; I apologize for the scene she caused and hope for your understanding, Sir Shen."

He did not acknowledge the marriage proposal, dismissing it as a joke.

Shen Xiheng fell silent for a while, then folded his hands and replied, "Village chief Shi is too kind."

In the end, the ridiculous proposal naturally came to nothing.

Qi Yu felt somewhat regretful, but she also knew that Shen Xiheng’s heart had not yet turned around.

She smiled at Shi Zhou, bid farewell to Shi Fuyou, and the three were already packing their belongings, about to rush to Jiangnan.

Before leaving, Shen Xiheng approached Shi Zhou, his gaze somewhat evasive, and folded his hands, "Thank you for your deep affection, Miss. I shall take my leave now."

Shi Zhou was not discouraged, her eyes bright as she looked at him openly and said, "Mr. Shen, I will come looking for you."

After speaking, regardless of Shen Xiheng’s expression, she mounted her horse and headed straight in the direction of Tuyun Village.

Once inside the village, Shi Zhou, knowing that great trouble was imminent, quickly changed her clothes and hid in the back mountains, not forgetting to take her beloved Qiyun Sword with her as she left.

Shi Fuyou returned to the village without catching anyone, he took his men towards the back mountains, and despite searching the area, they did not find Shi Zhou’s trace.

"Report to the village chief, we’ve searched all over the back mountain and have not found the young miss," the lead man in black reported to Shi Fuyou with his head bowed.

Shi Fuyou stroked his beard, speaking calmly and dismissively, "Enough, I don’t believe she can hide forever. Let’s head back."

"Yes," Gu Qi led the men away.

Once she was certain that everyone had left, Shi Zhou cautiously peeked out from a secret cave.

This was a secret hideout known only to herself, even Fushang, the maid who had grown up with her, was unaware of it.

At the age of seven, she had once gone down to the foot of the mountain for fun and, returning late, knew that Shi Fuyou would not let her off easily.

So, she tried to hide in a tree in the back mountain, but just as she was climbing up using a large rock, she accidentally fell down.

In frustration, she kicked the large rock hard, only to find that it moved a few steps.

With all her might, she moved the rock aside and discovered a cave behind it; the rock fitted just right with the cave, perfectly concealing her hiding spot when put back in place.

Shi Zhou lay on the rock, watching the sky for a while, guessing that by now, Shi Fuyou’s anger would have mostly subsided.

She dusted herself off, grabbing the Qiyun Sword and planned to return to her room.

But halfway there, she was apprehended from behind by Gu Qi, who had jumped down from a tree.

Shi Zhou exchanged a few moves with him, but lacking the strength, she was tied up and brought before Shi Fuyou.

"Father," Shi Zhou called out ingratiatingly as she wriggled free from Gu Qi’s grasp, then immediately stepped forward to pour tea into the empty cup in front of Shi Fuyou.

Shi Fuyou snorted coldly, "So you still know I am your father!"

Although Shi Zhou was a fearless and unruly type, she knew to be wise and timely under circumstances.

She busied herself pouring tea and massaging, a series of actions that significantly appeased much of the anger in Shi Fuyou’s heart.

"Since you still acknowledge me as your father, you should at least listen to few of my words. Today, you’ve injured someone again and even wanted to shoot arrows; who wouldn’t say this girl is unruly? With the reputation of a bandit, you’re really confirming it yourself."

Shi Zhou listened with her head down but still couldn’t help but retort, "We are bandits, after all."

For the first time, Shi Fuyou didn’t get angry with her but spoke with a heavy heart, "Your mother died early, and I didn’t raise you well enough to be a lady of a good family. In the early years, I was also negligent in disciplining you, letting you develop a devil-may-care attitude among the bandits. But daughter, do you understand what being a bandit signifies at your young age? Now, times are peaceful, who would want to be a bandit?"

"To be a bandit is not to resent or look down upon one’s own origin, isn’t that what you taught me since I was young?" Shi Zhou replied sullenly, holding the sword.

She had seen what those young ladies, raised in deep sheltered environments, were like; if she couldn’t practice martial arts, couldn’t leave the house, and only had to marry well, such a life would be meaningless. She might as well end it all herself.

Breaking his usual pattern, Shi Fuyou did not counter her words but looked towards the distant mountains outside the door, murmuring to himself, "After all, my fate is not my own to dictate."