Chapter 674 The Tyrant's Darling

The physical strength of a body-tempered martial monk is unimaginable to ordinary people. Despite being sent flying by such force and crashing into a pillar, he did not suffer any internal injuries and was able to return to the polo field.

The gong sounded, and the monks were still the same few monks, but for some reason, everyone watching felt that something seemed different.

A student from Wutong Academy looked up, scratching his head in confusion: "Why do I have a feeling that the weather is about to change?"

"No, the sun is really strong." His companion looked up at the sky and then touched his arm, which was a little stiff. "It does seem a bit strange."

From the stands of Sky Dome Academy, Su Xue raised her chin and said to her second sister with pride, "I told you Sixth Brother was amazing!"

Miss Su glanced at her younger sister sideways: "Did you come to see Fourth Brother or that Xiao Liulang? All I heard was you talking about Liulang, not a single word about Fourth Brother."

"I...I watched it all!" Su Xue blushed as she looked at the dashing young man on the polo field. "Didn't he knock the Shaolin monk off his horse?"

Miss Su said, "Why didn't you say anything when Fourth Brother scored?"

Su Xue pouted: "I told you! Didn't you hear me!"

Miss Su: Yes, I'm deaf.

Miss Su was dragged over by force. She wasn't very interested in the polo match itself, but after watching for a while, she found it quite good. The guy named Xiao Liulang was not good-looking, but he had an inexplicable heroic spirit that made people's blood boil.

No wonder his sister kept staring at him.

Across from the stands of the Sky Dome Academy, Second Master Jing laughed out loud: "Yes, yes, yes, that's how we fight!"

The Duke's fingertips tapped irregularly on the armrest, and he looked quite pleased.

Only Mu Ruxin looked displeased. She disliked Xiao Liulang and wanted him to lose: "Aren't the Shaolin monks supposed to be very powerful? Did he cheat?"

Master Jing didn't like hearing those words.

Wouldn't he be able to sense whether Xiao Liulang was cheating or not? Besides, the referee, Master Fu, is also a master of internal energy. If Xiao Liulang had really dared to break the rules, he would have been eliminated by Master Fu long ago.

What's going on with this Mu Ruxin?

Why would my elder brother want to take this girl as his goddaughter?

Thinking of the words his elder brother had written on the bedside table last time, Master Jing felt for the first time that his elder brother had really lost his mind.

Why would you want to think about Mu Ruxin?

Second Master Jing had no idea that he had misunderstood his elder brother's intentions, so it's true that people who are not from the same mother have absolutely no understanding with each other.

On the polo field, Gu Jiao once again won the ball. A Shaolin monk rode over to steal the ball, but Gu Jiao smiled and hit the ball away with all her might.

The Shaolin monk gave a disdainful snort, as if he had expected her to do so, and actually withdrew his cue stick in a flash.

Mu Chuan, who was watching the game from the sidelines, grabbed his arm and yelled, "Holy crap!"

What a cunning and stinking monk!

They tricked Rokuro into attacking them! Oh no, they dodged it. Rokuro's polo ball is about to go out of bounds, and they'll have to start the game soon!

Just as the polo ball was about to go out of bounds, Mu Qingchen suddenly increased his speed, extended his mallet, and gently tapped the polo ball, sending it flying back into the polo field.

Mu Qingchen's forearm felt slightly numb. This kid was incredibly strong. He hadn't taken the blow head-on; otherwise, he probably would have been sent flying like that six-precept scarred monk.

Gu Jiao narrowed her eyes. Hmm, what a scheming monk.

The green light in her eyes grew even brighter.

The Shaolin monk who won the polo ball carried it toward the hole at the Sky Dome Academy.

He pushed the speed to its limit.

However, as he ran, he suddenly felt a dark shadow looming over him.

He turned his head and saw Gu Jiao smiling.

His brow twitched, and he thought to himself, "It's alright, it's alright. The polo ball is on my right, and this kid is on my left. He can't steal it!"

The next second, Gu Jiao disappeared!

Shaolin monks: "???"

Gu Jiao hooked one foot onto the saddle, hanging upside down, and struck the Shaolin monk's polo ball from under his horse!

The Shaolin monks were completely dumbfounded!

Is it that fast?

Are you a ghost?!

Zhao Wei received the ball, passed it to Yuan Xiao, and then Yuan Xiao passed it to Mu Qingchen.

The main attacker for Tianqiong Academy is Mu Qingchen, who usually scores goals. However, Gu Jiao was riding her horse while keeping her eyes on him, so Mu Qingchen hesitated for a moment and then passed the ball to Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao dribbled the ball all the way to the opponent's hole.

This was the only time the two sides could face each other directly, and the Shaolin monks defensively stood in front of Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao's supple waist was full of power. She raised the polo club in her hand and slammed the polo ball toward the hole!

It turned out to be a spinning ball, making a whooshing sound as it spun. The Shaolin monks shouted and swung their clubs to block it!

Bang!

The Shaolin monks were sent flying!

"Hiss—" Mu Chuan gasped.

Gu Jiao looked at the row of Shaolin monks in front of her: "Who's next?"

The group of people all turned to look at each other.

Gu Jiao smiled and hit the ball again.

Bang!

Another Shaolin monk was sent flying by the blast.

Unlike when they were trying to draw fouls from Gu Jiao during a mid-game steal, here, as long as they dared to dodge, Gu Jiao would score.

Every time a monk falls from his horse, the referee will call a pause and wait for the monk to get back on his horse before continuing.

It's worth mentioning that as long as the polo player doesn't commit a foul, the game will resume from where it was paused.

In other words, Gu Jiao didn't even need to move to another spot to play with the sandbag... uh, no, polo.

For an entire short period, the Shaolin monks were repeatedly sent flying by the shockwaves, and Mu Chuan laughed heartily with satisfaction.

You tricked me, now the tables have turned!

The Shaolin monks were getting beaten so badly that they finally came up with a plan: when they were knocked away, they used their mallets to hook the polo ball out of bounds, thus making it out of bounds.

Although the opponent will retrace their steps if they cause a shot out of bounds, at least they won't be pinned down at the edge of the hole and beaten up.

But every time the ball was about to fly away, Mu Qingchen would hook it back and look at them with a cold expression, as if to say, "Keep getting beaten up."

Shaolin monks: "..."

"I'm not fighting anymore, I'm not fighting anymore..." After being knocked away again, a Shaolin monk sat on the ground and cried.

The six-scarred monk was furious, and a powerful killing intent erupted from his body.

He raised his arms and said menacingly, "Kid! You're asking for it!"

Jing Erye, standing in the stands, suddenly trembled and spilled tea all over his elder brother's head: "Damn it, it's a Shaolin martial art, using internal energy to enter the body, making one impervious to swords and spears!"

Gu Jiao struck the polo ball into the air, slapped the saddle with her palm, leaped into the air, flipped over, and used her mallet to strike the falling polo ball hard!

Six-Scarred Monk: "An indestructible body of steel!"

Bang!

"Ah—" The monk with the sixth precept scar was sent flying, his nose and mouth crooked, his tongue sticking out.

Gu Jiao hoisted the club onto her shoulder: "I don't care if you're made of steel or not."

"Hey." Mu Qingchen called out to Gu Jiao, gesturing with her eyes to the number of flags near the referee's platform, "Have you had enough fun?"

It's the last section; we still need to fill nine flags.

Gu Jiao licked her lips, still wanting more.

Even if they hadn't had enough fun, it wouldn't work; the monks couldn't take it anymore.

Gu Jiao single-handedly exhausted the Shaolin monks' morale and stamina. Then, Tianqiong Academy began to exert its full strength. The Shaolin monks' hands trembled, and they could hardly swing their cue sticks. In the end, Tianqiong Academy won the game with a score of 13 to 10.

Inside the attic room, Gu Jiao treated the injuries of Mu Qingchen and the others. Of all the battles they had fought, this was the most serious, with almost everyone suffering from numb arms and abrasions and cracks in their palms.

Mu Chuan had a sling around his neck and occasionally helped Gu Jiao by handing her some wound medicine: "These Shaolin monks are too ruthless."

The Shaolin monks who had just been helped past the entrance stumbled a little.

Who really went all out?

You guys are still jumping around after the game, while we don't even have the strength to walk!

The Shaolin monks were in a terrible state, being dragged into a side room by the guards.

Five monks came in total, and all of them were bruised and battered, their faces swollen and their bodies smashed like pigs.

They slumped dejectedly in their chairs to rest, unable to even move their fingers.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open with a bang, and a demon-like boy appeared in the doorway with an icy expression.

The men shuddered!

He's here, he's here, he's coming with murderous intent!

Gu Jiao lightly tapped her palm with her golf club, glanced at the group, and asked, "Who sent you?"

The group was startled and looked at each other in surprise.

Gu Jiao grunted, "What? You won't tell me?"

"Young Master Qingchen".

A guard from Lingbo Academy called out from outside the door, "The doctor is here."

Mu Qingchen said calmly, "No need. I have invited a doctor, who has already gone in to treat the monks of Shaolin Academy. You can go back now. The doctor... will take good care of them."

The monks all widened their eyes.

Don't go! Don't go!

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

The guards took the doctor away.

The monks looked at Gu Jiao in despair, but Gu Jiao tilted her head and smiled.

...

Gu Jiao came out of the side room and scratched her back with her golf club: "Phew~"

Mu Qingchen has recently been drawn to his various little gestures and finds him inexplicably cute.

This idea is wrong.

Mu Qingchen decisively cleared her mind of distractions and asked seriously, "Have you finished asking?"

"Yes." Gu Jiao nodded. "They are not real Shaolin monks, but a group of masters who have infiltrated Shaolin and secretly learned Shaolin's martial arts techniques, but are used by aristocratic families in private."

Mu Qingchen was somewhat surprised by this result: "Which aristocratic family?"

Gu Jiao said, "The Han family."

Mu Qingchen frowned: "It's actually the Han family... It seems they're after the Mu family this time. No wonder they injured Mu Chuan so badly from the start."

Gu Jiao blinked. "If you insist on saying that, there's nothing I can do."

Mu Qingchen said, "The Han family and the Mu family have a long-standing feud, but I really didn't expect them to dare to use the polo match to attack me and Mu Chuan."

Gu Jiao touched her little nose.

In this situation, it seems appropriate to ask: what grudge do you hold against each other?

Okay, fine, since you're taking the blame, go ahead and ask.

What exactly is the feud between the Han and Mu families?

"It all started with military merits." Since it concerned the Xuanyuan family, Mu Qingchen was cautious, but after some hesitation, she decided to tell Gu Jiao, "Back then, the Xuanyuan family rebelled, and after their defeat, their military power was divided into four. Both the Han and Mu families coveted the Xuanyuan family's Black Wind Cavalry, which was ultimately seized by the Han family. In order to win over the Mu family, the Crown Prince's Mansion arranged a marriage between the Han and Mu families in the name of Consort Han. However, the day before the wedding, the eldest son of the Han family eloped with his cousin, and the Mu family angrily broke off the engagement."

It's unbelievable that such a dramatic thing happened.

"However, it is said that... there is another reason."

"What?"

"The Crown Prince's father... and my eldest uncle... both wanted to become the Crown Princess's consorts."

"The King's Consort?" Gu Jiao heard this title for the first time. "The Crown Princess's harem?"

Mu Qingchen was taken aback: "Ah, I guess so."

The crown prince has a crown princess, and the crown princess naturally has a royal consort.

Before the Xuanyuan family's misfortune, the Crown Princess was a noble heir and a beautiful woman. Who wouldn't want to be her husband?

Of course, these are all hearsay; his uncle never admitted it himself.

Gu Jiao asked, "So who ended up becoming the Crown Queen's husband?"

Mu Qingchen shook her head: "The Crown Princess has no royal consort."

Gu Jiao asked instinctively, "Then she doesn't have any children either?"

Mu Qingchen said, "There is a child. The Crown Princess was missing for several years. When she returned, she had a son with her. The child is a month older than Prince Ming. No one knows who the child's father is, but as long as he is born to the Crown Princess, he is of royal blood."

"How old is Prince Ming?" Gu Jiao herself was surprised after asking the question; why did she care about Prince Ming's age?

“She’s a few months younger than me, also nineteen,” Mu Qingchen said.

Nineteen... Xiao Heng is also nineteen.

"And then?" Gu Jiao asked.

Mu Qingchen looked at the bonsai in the courtyard and slowly said, "Later, the Xuanyuan family had an accident, and the Crown Princess seemed to be involved. She was demoted to a commoner and exiled to Guanshan to guard the imperial mausoleum. The eldest grandson of the emperor also went with her. The eldest grandson of the emperor has always been in poor health. It is said that he was poisoned in the womb. The Imperial Preceptor went to great lengths to save his life, but it damaged his foundation. Two years ago, there were rumors that the eldest grandson of the emperor did not have long to live."

"Have you met the eldest grandson of the emperor?" Gu Jiao asked.

Mu Qingchen shook her head again: "The eldest grandson of the emperor went to guard the imperial mausoleum with the crown princess when he was very young. Apart from returning to the Imperial Preceptor's Hall for medical treatment every two years, he almost never stays in Shengdu. I have no chance to see him."

Gu Jiao seemed to be deep in thought.

Mu Qingchen thought of something, hesitated for a moment, and said, "There was a rumor about the eldest grandson of the emperor a few years ago."

Gu Jiao asked, "What rumors?"

Mu Qingchen frowned and said, "You're saying the eldest grandson of the emperor isn't the crown princess's biological child."

"Fourth Brother! Sixth Brother! What are you still doing here? The competition is about to start!"

Mu Chuan walked over with his arm in a sling.

Whether it's the Xuanyuan family or the Crown Princess, they are both taboo topics in Shengdu and cannot be mentioned casually. Mu Qingchen clearly had no intention of including Mu Chuan in the conversation. She glanced at Gu Jiao and said, "Let's go watch the game."

Gu Jiao: "Okay."

Next up was the match between Lingbo Academy and Canaan Academy. Both academies had excellent polo players. Compared to Gu Jiao's various outrageous antics, the second polo match was much more normal.

Gu Jiao and the others sat next to Dean Cen, and Su Xue and Miss Su the Second were also there.

"Hehehe." Su Xue glanced at the boy next to her fourth brother and giggled foolishly.

Miss Su looked speechlessly at the simpleton beside her, and subtly moved to the other side.

She wanted to sit further away so she wouldn't catch the virus from her sister.

As the saying goes, laymen watch the spectacle, while experts see the details. The atmosphere was always high when Tianqiong Academy appeared, but Lingbo Academy and Canaan Academy definitely contributed the best skills in the competition so far.

Mu Qingchen took on the role of Gu Jiao's explanation: "Lingbo Academy is a century-old academy in Shengdu, while Canaan Academy is an academy run by the Imperial Preceptor's Hall. I heard that the Imperial Preceptor himself gave it its name."

Gu Jiao touched her chin: "No wonder she chose such a name."

Mu Qingchen asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with this name?"

"Oh, nothing," Gu Jiao said.

Mu Qingchen's attention returned to the polo field: "They had been holding back before, but today they've gone all out, and this is their true strength."

Both sides played cleanly, without any underhanded tactics.

The polo skills of the Sky Dome Academy are far inferior to theirs, and cannot be made up for by last-minute cramming.

In fact, it was already a miracle that they were able to fight their way through to the final match, thanks in large part to someone's various stunts.

Mu Qingchen said with a solemn expression, "Our chances of winning the next match are slim. We need to intensify our training these next few days."

Gu Jiao said calmly, "I didn't really intend to win anyway."

Mu Qingchen looked at her strangely.

Gu Jiao cleared her throat and said without changing her expression, "Let's not put too much pressure on ourselves. Our studies are already so heavy, let's not create more anxiety. Second place is not bad either!"

What a joke! The second place prize is a thousand taels of gold. Who cares about the first place winner meeting the king?

She let them win effortlessly!

Mu Qingchen: "..."

What an unambitious person!

At the end of the match, Lingbo Academy narrowly lost by two flags.

Lingbo Academy was the academy where Xiao Jingkong studied, and Gu Jiao felt sorry for him.

Two seconds, no more.

As the event ended, the people from Sky Dome Academy bumped into the people from Canaan Academy.

As expected of students selected by the Imperial Preceptor's Hall, each one of them exudes an air of grandeur and heroic spirit.

The people from Canaan Academy, with their inherent aloofness and arrogance, had no intention of getting acquainted with the people from Sky Dome Academy. They merely glanced at them and then passed by.

Gu Jiao suddenly said to them, "I have high hopes for you. Play well in the next match and don't hold back! First place is yours!"

Everyone at Canaan Academy: "..."

Everyone at Sky Dome Academy: "..."

...

"Fourth Brother!"

Su Xue lifted her skirt and ran over. She glanced quickly at Gu Jiao and said to Mu Qingchen in a pretentious tone, "Fourth Brother, are you going back so soon?"

Mu Qingchen looked at her.

Su Xue's eyes flashed, and she said, "What I mean is... it's rare for you to come back to the inner city, and I haven't seen you for quite a few days. It's almost lunchtime now, so why don't we have lunch together? There's a new restaurant nearby that my second sister and I haven't tried yet, right, second sister?"

As soon as Miss Su arrived, she was asked a probing question by Su Xue, and she was taken aback: "What?"

Mu Qingchen sighed softly and turned to look at her companions beside her: "You guys go back first."

Su Xuexing's eyes widened: "No, Fourth Brother!"

Mu Qingchen couldn't possibly bring his two younger sisters to eat at the same table with several grown men, but he couldn't refuse his sisters' request, so he had no choice but to stay behind.

So Su Xue watched helplessly as Gu Jiao and Mu Chuan mounted their horses, her little mouth pouting with grievance.

Mu Qingchen looked at her sister, who was about to cry, with a puzzled expression and asked, "Didn't you want to eat?"

They don't actually want to have dinner with you!

Su Xue stomped her foot and stormed off!

After leaving Lingbo Academy, Gu Jiao didn't actually leave: "I... am going to buy something. You guys go back first, I'll catch up with you in a bit."

Mu Chuan asked, "Should I wait for you?"

Gu Jiao said, "No need, I can catch up."

Mu Chuan agreed, "Okay, then we'll be going now."

"What's wrong?" Dean Cen asked.

Mu Chuan rode his horse alongside the carriage and said, "Liu Lang said he's going to buy something and told us to go ahead. He'll catch up with us in a bit."

Dean Cen said, "He doesn't have the inner city insignia."

If we can't catch up, we won't be able to leave the city. Oh well, I'll just wait for him at the city gate.

Gu Jiao rode her horse toward Canglan Women's Academy. When she passed through a small alley, she saw a carriage parked inside. Gu Jiao walked over, dismounted, and handed the horse's reins to the coachman.

The coachman understood and led the horse away.

Gu Jiao boarded the carriage.

"Pretty fast," Xiao Heng said with a slight smile.

Gu Jiao said, "I must hurry to keep my appointment with my husband."

Xiao Heng raised his long, slender, jade-like fingertips and brushed a strand of hair from her temple: "I thought you didn't understand."

Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow and said, "I can still read a beautiful woman's eyes!"

Xiao Heng smiled gently, his fingertips sliding down to lift her hand: "Are you hurt?"

Even someone as clueless about polo could tell that something was wrong today.

Gu Jiao shook her head: "I'm not injured."

"What exactly happened?" Xiao Heng asked worriedly.

Gu Jiao recounted how Han Che had come to her asking for a horse, only to be beaten up by her: "...Those martial monks were from the Han family."

Xiao Heng pondered, "No wonder the young master of the Han family came today."

Gu Jiao asked, "Has the young master of the Han family arrived?"

“Yes, he came with Prince Ming,” Xiao Heng said. “I asked Prince Ming’s maid, and that person is Han Shizi, Han Che’s elder brother.”

Gu Jiao touched her chin: "Oh, he actually dared to come."

“It’s getting late, Jingkong should be done with his get out of class soon, I need to go pick him up.” Xiao Heng said, noticing Gu Jiao’s narrowed eyes, looking like she was about to cause trouble, and said, “You’re not thinking of going to cause him any trouble, are you?”

"Of course not." Gu Jiao blinked her eyes wide, looking especially obedient.

Xiao Heng watched as she swiftly grabbed the sack behind her: "..."

(End of this chapter)