Chapter 672, Second Update
Xiao Heng bought two kinds of meat jerky, one spicy and the other honey and sesame. He also bought a bag of vegetarian meat jerky made from tofu for Xiao Jingkong.
He found Gu Jiao at the lantern riddle stall and handed her two boxes of dried meat.
Gu Jiao first tried a spicy one, which was sweet and spicy with a slight numbing sensation, and had a very rich flavor.
"Try one too." Gu Jiao handed the box to Xiao Heng.
To make it easier for Gu Jiao to eat, Xiao Heng took all the lanterns from Gu Jiao's hands.
Xiao Heng raised the lantern in his hand, indicating to Gu Jiao that he had no hands.
As a result, Gu Jiao took a piece of dried meat and fed it directly into his mouth.
Xiao Heng ate it with a smile.
"Is it delicious?" Gu Jiao asked.
“It’s delicious,” he said, looking at him intently.
Mu Qingchen's eyes were practically burning, and she felt incredibly irritated.
There seemed to be a strange atmosphere between the two, as if no one else could get in.
Xiao Heng bought extra, and Mu Chuan and the others also got to try the dried meat.
The three of them had a good impression of Xiao Heng. He was a talented writer, had a graceful demeanor, knew how to conduct himself appropriately, and spoke eloquently. He was someone they could befriend.
Mu Chuan, holding a box of dried meat, ate as he asked, "Young Master Long, which academy do you study at? Does your academy participate in polo matches?"
Although Xiao Heng was wearing a mask, his eyes and voice were very youthful, and coupled with his talent, Mu Chuan judged that he was a student.
Xiao Heng said, "I did not study at the academy."
Mu Chuan sighed, "What a pity, I was hoping to invite you to watch the polo match."
Yuan Xiao said, "Even non-students of the academy can watch it, Young Master Long. If you're free tomorrow, come over."
Xiao Heng nodded with a smile: "Okay."
Mu Qingchen glanced coldly at the group and said, "So you know there's a polo match. It's getting late, time to head back."
Mu Chuan pleaded, "No, Fourth Brother, let's play a little longer. I haven't won enough lanterns yet."
Mu Qingchen said coldly, "You've already given away all the lanterns you won, so what's the point of winning any more?"
Mu Chuan pouted, still wanting to struggle a bit more, when Wu Fuzi came looking for him.
Now the group was completely out of luck and could only obediently let Master Wu take them back to the inn.
With Wu Fuzi's sharp eyes watching closely, Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng were unable to have a heartfelt farewell, and each parted as if nothing had happened.
Back at the inn, Gu Jiao opened her room door, and Mu Qingchen suddenly asked, "Did you two really meet for the first time today?"
Gu Jiao replied without changing her expression, "Yes."
Mu Qingchen hesitated, then thought that even if the two were old acquaintances, it didn't seem to concern her.
"Go back to sleep," he said casually, stepping into the house.
Gu Jiao placed the two lanterns by her bedside, washed up, and rested.
The following day, after breakfast, the group headed to Lingbo Academy, led by Master Wu.
As usual, Wu Fuzi drew lots in the attic.
He arrived at the side room of the Sky Dome Academy with a solemn expression.
Mu Chuan asked, "Master Wu, which academy are we fighting against? Lingbo Academy or Canaan Academy?"
After this battle, only their three academies remained.
But Master Wu shook his head and said, "None of them."
Everyone was surprised.
Mu Chuan stared in disbelief and said, "N-none of that? How could that be?"
Master Wu said with a solemn expression, "It is Shaolin Academy."
Gu Jiao understood that Shaolin Academy had not participated in the previous competitions and had been parachuted in. The reason for this was that Songshan Academy and Zizhu Academy had fought and caused trouble, and were both disqualified from the competition, thus creating an extra spot for advancement.
As for why they weren't selected from the eliminated teams, but instead parachuted in directly, you'd have to ask the organizers.
Gu Jiao asked, "Don't the other academies have any objections?"
Master Wu said, "The eliminated academies have no objections, probably because they were all defeated by Shaolin Academy."
Shaolin Academy was the champion last year, and Wu Fuzi was relieved when he learned they weren't participating this year. But what he feared most came to pass.
"How did we end up facing off against each other? And in the very first match." Wu Fuzi's morale plummeted.
"Are all the students at Shaolin Academy monks?" Yuan Xiao asked curiously.
Master Wu shook his head: "No, there are monks, lay disciples, and ordinary people."
Yuan Xiao then asked, "Are there ordinary people among those who come to play polo?"
Master Wu shook his head again: "No, they are all first-class martial monks."
Yuan Xiao: "..."
Everyone: "..."
The Sky Dome Academy was the first to participate, and after drawing lots, they began preparing for their turn.
Meanwhile, spectators gradually entered the stadium.
Xiao Heng sat on his private viewing platform, surrounded by his three classmates, with the Prince of Ming's maidservants attentively serving them.
Prince Ming also came today, but just like the first time, he did not appear in the stands, but in the wing room on the top floor of the pavilion.
The view here is expansive, offering a panoramic view of the entire polo field, yet the polo players can hardly see them.
There was another person sitting next to Prince Ming.
"Cousin, please have some tea," Prince Ming said politely.
Han Shizi picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
Han Shizi is the most outstanding descendant of the Han family, and Prince Ming dares not treat him the same way he treated Han Che.
Prince Ming was extremely polite, even showing a hint of reverence: "Cousin, what made you decide to come watch the polo match today?"
"Just browsing," said Han Shizi.
That being said, he had been searching for Tianqiong Academy from the very beginning. He did not know the details of the lottery in the main hall of the pavilion, so he had no way of knowing which round Tianqiong Academy was in.
He did see Dean Cen and several students from Sky Dome Academy on the stands, one of whom was in a wheelchair.
Speaking of wheelchairs, his gaze swept across the room and caught sight of the Duke's mansion group entering.
He looked at the elegantly dressed man who walked out from the back of the crowd: "That's Second Master Jing."
Prince Ming followed his gaze and said, "That's right."
Master Jing took a few steps forward, but someone blocked his way, so Han Shizi didn't see clearly. Only when they were far away from the crowd did he realize that Master Jing was pushing a wheelchair.
He asked suspiciously, "Is that the Duke of Anguo in the wheelchair?"
“Yes, it is him,” Prince Ming replied.
"He really woke up." Prince Han had heard some rumors, but he didn't really believe them until he saw it with his own eyes.
Prince Ming sneered, "He has been awake for several days. I heard that it was the disciple of the divine physician Chen Guoluo who cured him. However, he still cannot speak or write. In my opinion, he is no different from a living dead."
Han Shizi's target was not Duke Anguo, and he quickly looked away.
On the polo field, the students from Tianqiong Academy made their appearance.
Mu Qingchen remained the center of attention, drawing cheers and screams wherever she went.
However, Prince Han did not look at him.
His gaze fell on the boy behind Mu Qingchen.
At such a distance, he shouldn't have been able to see the distinctive birthmark clearly. However, for some reason, as soon as the other person appeared, he became certain that the arrogant young man from the lower kingdom that Han Che had mentioned was him.
The young man rode on his horse, looking dashing and exuding an air of arrogance and untamed spirit.
Prince Ming spoke up, "Cousin, why do you think His Majesty suddenly held such a grand birthday banquet? Isn't he supposed to be very superstitious about this day?"
This day is not only the birthday of the king, but also the birthday of the crown princess, and at the same time, it is the day the crown princess was demoted to a commoner.
Just thinking about it is unlucky.
Han Shizi stared intently at Gu Jiao and said casually, "That means you're no longer afraid to say anything."
No longer being taboo could be forgiveness, but it could also be forgetting.
As Prince Ming pondered Han Shizi's words, the Shaolin Academy representatives entered the stage, eliciting gasps of surprise from the crowd. They were clearly astonished and deeply sympathetic to the plight of Tianqiong Academy.
"Sky Dome Academy is actually going up against Shaolin Academy, doesn't that mean they have no chance?"
"Shaolin Academy was number one last year, and they even defeated the royal family's polo team. Tianqiong Academy is no match for them!"
"It's such a pity. I didn't want Sky Dome Academy to lose. I wanted to see more matches, but now it's impossible for them not to lose."
"What bad luck! Of the three academies, why did Tianqiong Academy have to be paired with Shaolin Academy?"
...
The team from Tianqiong Academy consists of Mu Qingchen, Gu Jiao, Mu Chuan, and Zhao Wei. Yuan Xiao will take the stage in the second quarter.
They rode along on horseback, and naturally they heard the discussions.
Mu Chuan whispered to Gu Jiao, "Don't listen to their nonsense, we will definitely win!"
The Shaolin monks rode over on horseback and lined up in front of the Sky Dome Academy.
They were dressed in monks' robes, with burly figures, dignified expressions, and fierce faces, which inevitably reminded people of the Vajrapani Buddha statues in temples.
They look tough to deal with.
Mu Qingchen had never shown the slightest sign of seriousness in any of his previous matches, but this time, even he was not optimistic.
Shaolin Academy has never been defeated; no one can beat them.
(End of this chapter)
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