Chapter 207 Departing in Confidence

Guo Wuchang's perfectly timed, chaotic yell jolted the dumbfounded crowd out of their stupor. The first to charge in were the guards of the Young Prince. They had been with Zhao Kangning for many years, and were well aware of his equestrian skills. They could not have predicted today's occurrence, an incident that could potentially cost them their heads.

The crowd, witnessing the Young Prince's fall from his horse, surged forward in a flurry of different emotions, with renowned scholar Mei being the most frantic of all.

Lin Wanrong wiped his hands on his clothing to remove the heavy scent of perfume, then pulled something from his bosom. After carefully inspecting and confirming it was ready for use, he slowly stepped forward.

The Young Prince had already been pulled up from the ground. His white clothes were tattered and dusty, half his face was smeared with mud, and a few pieces of dead grass were entangled in his hair. His appearance was a far cry from the handsome, dashing prince who had been astride his horse just moments ago.

Zhao Kangning clenched his teeth, his face ashen. He glared furiously at the servants prostrated on the ground. No matter how good his temper, he couldn't bear losing face in front of so many people, especially with the woman he admired present. Unable to contain his rage, he lashed out, ignoring any notion of dignity. He kicked a guard and bellowed, "You insolent dog, how dare you—"

"Begging your pardon, Young Prince, begging your pardon. I deserve to die, I deserve to die—" the terrified servant pleaded.

Zhao Kangning landed his horsewhip across the man's face and roared, "You insolent cur, I treated you well, fed you fine food, tasked you with caring for two horses, yet you conspire against your master! Take this wretch away—"

"Spare me, Young Prince, spare me. I've taken care of these two horses for a long time, they've always been gentle. It must have been because they're in a new place, unaccustomed to the environment, that they stumbled. Please, Young Prince, give me another chance—" the servant begged, bowing continuously.

Mei Yanqiu proposed, "These are indeed fine horses, it must be this servant who was instigated by someone to sabotage them, causing the Young Prince to stumble." She glanced deliberately at Lin San, trying to direct suspicion towards him. Seeing his indifferent demeanor, she boldly claimed, "Lin San, was it you who interfered?"

Zhao Kangning regarded Lin San suspiciously. Just earlier, Lin San had been in contact with the horses. Could he have done something?

Lin Wanrong chuckled and responded, "Teacher Mei, you're making quite the assumption. The Young Prince himself hasn't spoken, yet you're accusing me. Which eye of yours saw me tamper with anything? My selection of the horses was done in plain sight, completely above board. When did I ever do anything suspicious?"

His words were righteous and severe. There was no sign of guilt. Everyone present had seen him choosing the horses, and there had been no visible anomalies. They couldn't really blame him.

Playing nice when things were in one's favor was Lin Wanrong's nature. He solemnly said, "Young Prince Ning was kind and generous today, volunteering to test the horse first. I am greatly indebted. From my point of view, someone definitely wants to smear the Young Prince's reputation. Imagine, if I were to ride first and fall immediately, although no one would say it out loud, they would certainly question Young Prince Ning's character. Is this not a smear?"

Zhao Kangning's face was ashen. At a loss for words, Lin Wanrong sighed reluctantly and said, "Young Prince, you are a good man. It would be better not to compete today to prevent villains from taking advantage and tarnishing your lifelong reputation."

Young Prince Ning kicked away the horse-feeder, gritted his teeth, and loudly said, "Lin San, I keep my word. Today, my arrow only grazed the bark. If you can hit that tree, then you win."

Lin Wanrong pretended to be moved and said, "The previous arrow was somewhat unexpected, and you were affected, Young Prince. Why don't you shoot another arrow? This time, please choose a horse first, and shoot first as well."

Zhao Kangning snorted, "Do you think I'm a man who doesn't keep his word? Lin San, it's not that I'm underestimating you, but even if my arrow was slightly off, it's still a hundred times better than yours. Just give it a try."

Lin Wanrong, appearing troubled, said, "Since Young Prince insists, I can only reluctantly give it a try."

He took the reins of the black horse and awkwardly mounted. Seeing his clumsy actions, everyone shook their heads and chuckled. Could he really compete with the Young Prince in this state? Luo Ning approached him and whispered, "Brother Lin, be careful."

Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "I shouldn't fall off." Among everyone, apart from Young Master Guo, only Miss Luo genuinely cared for him.

On the horse, Lin Wanrong mimicked the Young Prince's salute, but almost lost his balance and fell off, causing an outburst of laughter.

Nonchalant, Lin Wanrong chuckled, whipped the horse, and the black steed trotted forward.

Zhao Kangning, seeing his inexperienced actions, felt relieved. Even if his shot was not good, Lin San hitting that large tree seemed impossible.

Lin Wanrong rode the black horse, making two laps without showing any signs of shooting. Some impatient scholars shouted, "Lin San, hurry, hurry—"

Seemingly prodded, Lin Wanrong accelerated, made a few strides. Just as everyone thought he was about to shoot, they heard him exclaim as his body seemed to disappear beneath the horse.

Luo Ning thought he had fallen and shrieked, "Brother Lin—" She lifted her skirt and ran towards him. Barely two steps in, they heard two loud "bangs." The large tree and the smaller one beside it shook, their leaves and branches trembling, creating an intimidating scene.

The black horse Lin Wanrong was riding got startled. With a long neigh, it reared its front hooves. Lin Wanrong was originally lying under the horse, invisible to others, but the horse, startled by the loud sound, threw him off. Luckily, he was prepared. He somersaulted off the horse, quickly hid something in his bosom, and watched as the black horse raced away like a mad creature.

"Darn, that was a close call," he muttered, a few beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Seeing him standing there in a daze, Luo Ning hurriedly ran to his side, grabbing his arm anxiously. "Brother Lin, what's wrong with you? You're scaring me..."

Lin Wanrong let out a long sigh and wiped his forehead with his right hand. "I'm fine. It's just this black horse getting spooked."

Luo Ning noticed a layer of what appeared to be soot on his wrist, and a few black spots on his face. Worriedly, she asked, "Brother Lin, your hand, your face, what happened?"

Looking at the traces on his hand, Lin Wanrong gave a helpless bitter smile. "This Western gadget, the quality really isn't up to scratch. Lucky it didn't ruin my face."

Luo Ning was confused. "Brother Lin, what does this have to do with Westerners?"

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "I'm just joking around. Miss Luo, who won the contest?"

Before Luo Ning could answer, she heard someone shouting from the side, "He hit it, he hit it, Lin San hit it—" Everyone followed his gaze and saw the big tree peppered with holes. Even the smaller tree beside it was riddled with holes.

Everyone was left speechless. Although Lin San's riding posture wasn't particularly graceful, he not only hit the target, he practically shattered it. It was a bit too exaggerated. How did he hit it? What did he use to hit it? And what were those two loud bangs? All these questions were swirling in people's heads.

"Could this be the legendary 'One-Yang Finger'?" Guo Wuchang's terrified voice arose, slightly trembling. [Note: A skill from Jin Yong’s Legend of Condor Heroes]

Hearing this, Lin Wanrong burst into laughter. Damn, this Young Master Guo was impressive. He had only taught him a single phrase and yet he managed to perform so vividly. It was a shame he didn't pursue acting.

"Thank you, thank you." Lin Wanrong, his face and hands covered in soot and looking utterly disheveled, walked back into the crowd with a smile.

"Lin San, how did you hit it? Do you really know the 'One-Yang Finger'?" Zhao Kangning could hardly believe his eyes. The holes on the tree did resemble those caused by a cannon, but a cannon's power would have been ten, a hundred times greater. And where could Lin San have possibly gotten a cannon? But he remembered his martial arts teacher mentioning a skill called 'One-Yang Finger'—could Lin San be a hidden master?

Lin Wanrong pretended to be mysterious. "Young Prince, you said before that all I needed to do was hit it. As for how I did it, I'm afraid I can't tell. How would you interpret this contest?"

In this competition, although Lin Wanrong also fell off his horse, and looked even more disheveled than the Young Prince, the undeniable fact was that he had hit the target. Lin San always seemed to carry a touch of magic about him. Having already given his word in front of everyone, Zhao Kangning could not deny it now. He bowed to Mei Yanqiu, saying, "I have proven my incompetence. Please forgive me, Teacher."

Wherever Lin San went, Zhao Kangning always seemed to be on the losing side. He climbed back onto his horse and, turning to Luo Ning, said, "Miss Luo, my feelings for you are as clear as day. When I find the time, I will come to visit you again."

Having said his piece, he waved his hand, and in the blink of an eye, he and his men had disappeared from everyone's sight.

Mei Yanqiu's face turned pale, her body shaking uncontrollably. In her heart, the prospect of having to work in the fields that day, and the humiliation she would feel in the face of numerous dignitaries and scholars thereafter, was a burden far worse than death.

Luo Ning softly said, "Brother, I am willing to fulfill my Teacher's bet on her behalf."

Lin Wanrong waved his hand dismissively and gave a cold laugh. "Miss Luo, let us put an end to today's matter. If a person of Mei Yanqiu's standing were to work in the fields, it would be an insult to the countless farmers and common people. I hope you can teach her to remember this."

Having said his piece, he didn't linger. With Young Master Guo in tow, he left in the face of everyone's gaze. Luo Ning watched his retreating figure, a mix of indescribable feelings welled up in her heart. Unconsciously, tears began to brim in her eyes.