Chapter 26 Chapter 26 I am very vengeful.

Cui Yuanying was dragged all the way to the lottery box. She sighed, picked up the lottery box with both hands, shook it a few times, and a long stick fell out. She picked it up and looked at it—thirteen.

Seeing this, the referee announced loudly, "Cui Yuanying of the Qinghe Cui family, Xie Tingyu of the Chenjun Xie family, and Wang Lanzhi of the Langya Wang family are riding together."

Cui Yuanying lowered his head to look at the sign, then turned to look at Xie Tingyu and Wang Lanzhi who were riding side by side. He felt embarrassed and safe for a moment.

The embarrassment was because she had personally thrown Xie Tingyu into the lake when she challenged him last time, and she unilaterally felt that there was something unpleasant about the argument with Xie Tingyu.

I feel very safe to be on the same team with Wang Lanzhi and Xie Tingyu, and it is very likely that these two golden thighs will directly lead me to first place in this competition.

Amidst the internal conflict between his conscience and his own, the urge to survive, not wanting to be scolded by Huan Zhanyue, ultimately prevailed. Cui Yuanying gritted his teeth, leaped onto his horse, shouldered his bow and arrows, grabbed his moon staff, and galloped towards Xie Tingyu.

Cui Yuanying brazenly bowed to the two men, smiling an ingratiating smile. "This time, we'll be working in teams of three. You two should bear with us." He then said to Xie Tingyu, "Let's let what happened last time be over. What do you think?"

Xie Tingyu looked easygoing and calm. When he saw Cui Yuanying, he just nodded slightly. It was obvious that he had put the last disagreement at Qingliang Villa behind him.

Wang Lanzhi pulled the reins of his horse and stepped aside to make way, saying no more.

Cui Yuanying gave two awkward laughs and rode obediently between the two men.

Boom!

A deep drum beat sounded. As the referee shouted the start of the match, the flag was waved, and the drumbeats suddenly accelerated, pouring across the entire stadium like a torrential rain.

A ball tied with a colorful silk ribbon flew into the air, and the ladies present chased the ball without blinking.

Bang!

The crisp sound of the ball hitting the grass had not yet faded when the sound of horses' hooves suddenly thundered on the field, and grass debris mixed with dust rolled up.

Xie Tingyu luckily hooked the ball with his moon staff and was about to pass it to Wang Lanzhi on the wing when another moon staff suddenly rushed in, like a spirit snake spitting out its tongue, and snatched the ball away with a light flick.

But the ball was picked up by the sticks of Yuan Wangshu's three-man team, first passed under Cui Yuanying's crotch, then bounced over Wang Lan's horse's head, and finally drew an arc in the air and flew straight to Yuan Wangshu's stick.

Yuan Wangshu raised her staff and struck, sending the arrow straight into the hole. Before anyone could react, she had already drawn her bow and arrow, and with a whoosh, the arrow hit the bull's eye of the target.

There was a sudden burst of thunderous applause from the sidelines, and the referee immediately sang the score.

Yuan Wangshu first bowed to Huan Zhanyue who was watching the game on the sidelines, then raised his eyebrows and glanced at Xie Tingyu, and then leisurely rode his horse back to his team.

Xie Tingyu weighed the moon staff in her hand and said with genuine emotion, "Mother Wangshu's horsemanship is truly remarkable, and her polo skills are also passable." She looked up at the arrow on the target, which was perfectly aligned, not tilted or slanted. She then praised, "Your archery is quite good, too. Even with such a poor shot, it didn't go astray."

Cui Yuanying, standing aside, hated to see others praising Yuan Wangshu. She curled her lips and said dissatisfiedly, "I say, can you please stop trying to boost her morale? What is there to praise about her? Didn't she lose to you last time?"

Xie Tingyu straightened his wristband and said, "I was just praising you casually. If you could make the shot, I would praise you too. I am a very fair person."

Wang Lanzhi rode over and reminded him, "Xie Er has been away from Jiankang for a long time, so he might not know that Yuan Wangshu's horseback riding and polo skills are among the best among the noble ladies in Jiankang."

Xie Tingyu nodded: "I just noticed it. The moon staff in her hand is very flexible." She muttered softly, "How could such a good woman with good riding and shooting skills be so cruel?"

Once the referee throws the ball back into the field, a new round of competition begins.

Yuan Wangshu was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He grabbed the ball first and galloped away on his horse.

Xie Tingyu clamped her legs against the horse's belly and, like a flash of lightning, cut between Yuan Wangshu and her teammate, staying just one step away. She imitated Yuan Wangshu's move, turning beautifully to grab the ball. She caught a glimpse of Cui Yuanying riding into the perfect position and immediately passed the ball to him.

After Cui Yuanying caught the ball, she held her breath, raised her cue, and with a bang, the ball hit the goal post, missing. She touched her nose, turned back, unable to bear the sight, and under Huan Zhanyue's expressionless gaze, she dejectedly walked over to Xie Tingyu.

Xie Tingyu: "You are quite a loser."

Cui Yuanying: "I know, go ahead and scold me."

Xie Tingyu: "Why are you so honest all of a sudden? Where did that arrogant attitude you had in front of me last time go?"

Cui Yuanying coughed and said, "Let the past be the past. Don't mention it again."

The horses on the field began to gallop again.

After Wang Lanzhi intercepted the ball, he turned around and hit the ground. The ball drew an arc and flew straight to Xie Tingyu's staff.

Xie Tingyu leaned over to meet the ball, and lived up to everyone's expectations by hitting the ball into the hole with one stroke. Then he drew his arrow with his backhand and the new arrow hit the target squarely, standing side by side with Yuan Wangshu's arrow.

The people around burst into cheers upon seeing this.

Huan Zhanyue's gaze shifted from Cui Yuanying, who was frantically pursuing him, to the moon-white figure. Xie Tingyu was leisurely collecting his bow and returning to his platoon, his back as straight as a pine tree. Even after hitting his target, he remained calm and composed, riding his horse back to the platoon.

"He's quite skilled indeed." Huan Zhanyue sighed sincerely, "It seems Zheying was right. This man's riding and archery skills are quite good."

Xie Tingyu once again raised his club and hit the ball, sending three balls crashing through the net. Like shooting stars, each shot pierced the bull's eye. This fluid skill once again impressed Huan Zhanyue.

As Wang Lanzhi galloped with the ball again, Yuan Wangshu deliberately rode closer and whispered, "Commander Wang, why are you doing this for someone else? General Huan is watching from the sidelines, and are you so willing to let Second Master Xie steal the show? Her Xie family's ancestors never produced anyone capable of commanding a military force. They're no match for your Wang family of Langya."

Wang Lanzhi couldn't help but look sideways. At this moment, Yuan Wangshu took advantage of his teammates' cover and used the moon staff to hit Wang Lanzhi's crotch - the leg under his horse.

The horse raised its hoof in pain, and Wang Lanzhi hurriedly pulled the reins to steady himself. In just a moment, Yuan Wangshu had snatched the ball, and with a few beautiful feints, he dribbled past the other players, raised his staff, and slotted the ball into the hole, finally sinking an arrow—a perfect shot.

Yuan Wangshu kept smiling, "It's true that I stole the ball from you, and what I said to you was also sincere." After that, he left.

Xie Tingyu rode over and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is Yuan Wangshu tripping me?"

Wang Lanzhi nodded and said bluntly, "I just scolded you."

"Oh?" Xie Tingyu looked at Yuan Wangshu, who smiled back and pretended to be completely unaware.

Cui Yuanying's condition gradually improved, and he scored two goals in a row, narrowing the score gap with Yuan Wangshu's team.

When the game was in the last minute of the first half, a wooden eagle suddenly appeared in the air. This was the wooden kite.

"Look, it's a wooden kite!"

"Five points for hitting the target!"

This is actually called a flying target. It will float in the air and be erratic, testing the women's upward shooting skills.

Two stones suddenly struck Step Moon's eyes. The steed screamed and reared, thrashing madly. Xie Tingyu was thrown into the air, only to hold on to the horse's belly with his legs and a firm grip on the reins.

Yuan Wangshu took the opportunity to grab the ball and shot an arrow into the left wing of the kite with his backhand.

"The first half is over. Yuan Wangshu's team is temporarily leading. There will be a quarter-hour halftime break." The referee shouted.

Looking at the current score on the field, Yuan Wangshu is in the lead, followed by Xie Tingyu's team, while the other ladies are left far behind.

Xie Tingyu dismounted, and the waiting attendant quickly handed her a wet handkerchief. She carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead, her eyes fixed on the fallen wooden kite in the distance, her mind lost.

Wang Lanzhi came closer and frowned at her. "I just saw your horse suddenly go crazy. It must be Yuan Wangshu's doing. She's always good at these little tricks."

Xie Tingyu raised his hand and stroked the mane of Stepping Moon Horse. "Indeed, she hit my horse's eye with a stone." He pointed at the wooden kite in the field and said, "I came in a hurry today and didn't ask clearly. Does this wooden kite score the same no matter where it hits?"

Wang Lanzhi shook his head: "No, if you hit both eyes, you get 20 points, which is the highest score."

Xie Tingyu placed his cheek against Step Moon's forehead and soothed him gently, "Good boy, I won't hand you over. Wait and see how I can get an explanation for you later, okay?"

Ta Yue Zhui affectionately bent his legs and knelt half a step, burying his head in her arms and rubbing it in response.

Cui Yuanying suggested, "She is so unethical and uses tricks everywhere. I tell you two to stop being so rude and act like decent ladies."

Xie Tingyu nodded: "What you said is exactly what I want to hear." She waved her hand, and Cui Yuanying immediately understood and leaned over to listen. Seeing this, Wang Lanzhi also leaned over to listen.

"The break is over, the game begins." The referee's flag fell.

Yuan Wangshu sat on her horse, looking at the three people standing side by side in front of her. She felt an inexplicable chill creep over her. But it was only for a moment, and she immediately threw herself into the competition. Just as she was about to seize the lead again, Wang Lanzhi had already galloped towards her. As the two moon staffs clashed, Cui Yuanying suddenly swooped in from the side, deftly transferring the colored balls as if they were glued to her staff.

Cui Yuanying caught a glimpse of the man out of the corner of his eye and reached out with his stick.

The moment Xie Tingyu caught the ball, he suddenly turned around and smiled at Yuan Wangshu, then turned his wrist and swung it -

"call out!"

The ball flew straight into Yuan Wangshu's face. The whistling of the exploding wind filled his ears, and Yuan Wangshu was caught off guard. Normally, polo balls were passed to teammates, but hitting an opponent in the face like this was unheard of.

Yuan Wangshu's pupils suddenly constricted. She hadn't expected the ball to be so fast, like lightning, leaving her unable to react. She ducked her head, but the edge of the ball still grazed her cheek, sending a burning sensation.

Wang Lanzhi, standing nearby, intercepted the ball mid-air and passed it to the ground with his back to the basket. Xie Tingyu flicked the ball with his moon staff, sending it careening into the net. Then, with a swift, moon-like bow, the arrow dinged and landed squarely in the center of the target.

A very beautiful three-person encirclement and suppression plan.

For the rest of the game, these three completely ignored everyone else and focused on attacking Yuan Wangshu. His teammates and other women saw what was going on and wanted to take advantage of the situation, but they didn't know how to start.

After five rounds of this, Yuan Wangshu's face was covered in scratches. This wasn't polo; it was clearly using her face as a target.

Yuan Wangshu's face turned from white to red and then to blue. He was gritting his teeth in hatred, but he was helpless. As long as he didn't knock the man off his horse, this level of cooperation could only be considered tactical ingenuity. Moreover, it was a blatant provocation and there was no way to find fault with it.

The competition entered a fierce stage. Xie Tingyu rode his horse close to Yuan Wangshu, and their horses were almost touching. "I heard that you cursed me behind my back? How does it feel to be beaten?"

Yuan Wangshu was badly beaten, her hair now disheveled. She looked at Xie Tingyu with a sinister look: "What are you so proud of? The match is still undecided..." Before she finished speaking, she suddenly swung the Moon Staff and used the same trick again, attacking Stepping Moon Pier's abdomen.

Xie Tingyu saw the opportunity and quickly blocked it. He hooked Yuan Wangshu's moon staff and swung it with all his strength, sending it flying into the air.

Yuan Wangshu felt a numbness in his palm, and when he came to his senses, the moon staff in his hand had disappeared, and behind him he heard cheers as the ball went into the hole.

Xie Tingyu reined in his horse, turned around, and waved to her gently.

Yuan Wangshu felt a surge of blood rushing to her head. She took a deep breath, waved to the referee, and with a gloomy face, she picked up the moon staff and looked at Xie Tingyu with a look that made her want to tear her into pieces.

Cui Yuanying: "Why do I feel like Yuan Wangshu is so angry that he wants to do something cruel to you?"

Xie Tingyu: "Ah? Is that true? You are so narrow-minded."

Wang Lanzhi: "How dare she do such a thing in front of General Huan? Doesn't she care about her reputation?"

The cooperation between the three players gradually improved, from the initial unfamiliarity to the current tacit understanding. The offensive was like a tide, and in a blink of an eye the score was narrowed to only five points.

Yuan Wangshu's eyes were completely red with anger. He rushed forward without hesitation and used all his strength to snatch the ball from Xie Tingyu's hand. After hitting the ball hard into the goal, he drew his bow and aimed.

The sound of arrows breaking through the air and exclamations from the sidelines rang out at the same time.

Xie Tingyu turned his head and the arrow brushed past his nose.

Yuan Wangshu said with a forced smile: "Sorry, my hand slipped."

Xie Tingyu simply glanced away before spurring his horse back to the battlefield. The indifference in his eyes only made Yuan Wangshu's chest tighten even more.

Before the final whistle blew, the last wooden kite soared into the air. Yuan Wangshu quickly drew her bow and shot an arrow like a meteor, aiming straight at the kite. She thought she had secured victory, but she didn't expect two more arrows to arrive first.

One of them intercepted her arrow in mid-air, tangling with it and falling to the ground, while the other pierced the wooden kite's left eye.

As the wooden kite spun and fell to the ground, the referee shouted, "Xie Tingyu shot the wooden kite in the left eye, 20 points added. The game is over, Xie Tingyu's team wins!"

Yuan Wangshu stood on his horse in a daze, the finger bones holding the bow and arrow tightened and turned white.

"Wangshu's mother."

Xie Tingyu sat on his horse, about five feet away from Yuan Wangshu. "Do you remember the bet we made before the match?"

Yuan Wangshu turned around and looked at Xie Tingyu with forced composure, "Xie Tingyu, I lost. I promised you five beauties, and you won't be missing one, but you can't even think about the dog barking."

Xie Tingyu laughed out loud, "I knew you would regret it right then and there, so I thought of something more fun."

Xie Tingyu leaned over and took out another eagle-feather arrow from the quiver beside the saddle. He drew the bow like a full moon and aimed it at Yuan Wangshu's eyebrows.

The two women on Yuan Wangshu's team were so frightened that they galloped forward to try to persuade him, speaking gently, "Xie Er, we're all in Jiankang together, and we'll see each other sooner or later. Don't be so ruthless. Do you really want to kill someone in front of General Huan?"

The rest of the people stared at Xie Tingyu with sharp eyes.

"Murder?" Xie Tingyu's fingertips loosened, and the bowstring vibrated. "At most, it's a lesson for her."

Everyone exclaimed in surprise as they saw the arrow shot quickly and accurately, piercing Yuan Wangshu's bun, knocking off the hair crown used to tie his hair. His black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and a few strands of broken hair fell to the ground.

Cui Yuanying fiddled with Wang Lanzhi's arm and said, "She is so handsome. It makes me feel so good."

Yuan Wangshu's face was as pale as paper, only her eyelashes trembling violently. Cold sweat had already soaked through her undergarments at the back of her neck, yet she forced herself to remain calm in front of everyone. She clenched the reins tightly, her body swaying, afraid to fall at any moment.

"Don't do anything bad to my Moon-Stepping Horse again. I hold a grudge." Xie Tingyu put away his bow and looked at Yuan Wangshu with a victorious look. "If you do it again, I won't be shooting at your hair crown."

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The author has something to say: Historically, there has never been a sport combining archery and polo. This chapter is pure speculation, inspired by the golden ball in Harry Potter's Quidditch.

Ji Lian will appear in the next chapter, and in the following chapters.