USWHC -Chapter 537 Coincidence (Part 7)

That person spun around in one swift motion, leapt lightly, and landed back on the shore. Lanyi, still shaken from the fright, looked up—and her eyes met that tall, resolute face once more. Her head buzzed, and her cheeks flushed bright red.

Yes, at this moment, she was resting in Ji Yi’s arms. If he hadn’t leapt up and caught her just in time, she would have fallen into the water.

A wave of sweetness filled Lanyi’s heart, and she leaned further into that warm embrace. But in the next instant, a gentle breeze blew, and the warmth vanished suddenly.

Ji Yi respectfully took a step back, bent his knees, and bowed, saying, “Please, Princess, accept my apology!”

Lanyi froze for a moment, then shyly murmured, “What crime have you committed? You’re not only innocent, you deserve reward!”

But she didn’t know what reward to give. Blushing, she just stood there. The emperor saw this and couldn’t help but feel pleased—these two might have a chance after all.

He laughed and said, “Then we’ll note the Princess’s reward for now. There will be plenty of opportunities later.”

Hearing this, Lanyi couldn’t help but smile brightly, then coquettishly ran to the emperor, calling softly, “Father!”

Zhu Jie looked at her with that shy demeanor and felt a surge of irritation. She shot Ji Yi a glare full of silent resentment, as if blaming him for stirring trouble.

Ji Yi kept his head lowered, not even looking at her, seemingly unaware that Zhu Jie was angry.

Then, Yelü Haonan laughed loudly and said, “So it turns out Scholar Ji knows martial arts! Perfect. No need for all those flowery, poetic words. Let’s test our skills instead! We men of Great Qi love to make friends through martial prowess!”

Hearing this, both Zhu Jie and Lanyi’s hearts skipped a beat. It was clear Yelü Haonan hadn’t come for friendship—he was trying to reclaim some advantage. But swords and blades are unpredictable—who knew what might happen?

The emperor, apparently having the same concern, immediately looked at Ji Yi anxiously, as if waiting for him to speak.

Ji Yi lifted his head, smiled slightly, and agreed without hesitation: “Alright! If Second Prince desires, I will gladly accompany you!”

Yelü Haonan laughed with delight at this, but the emperor quickly said, “Blades are merciless. You should stick to archery!” Clearly, he was still worried.

“I wonder how Scholar Ji’s archery skills are?” Yelü Haonan probed.

Ji Yi modestly replied, “Adequate, I suppose.”

Hearing “adequate,” Yelü Haonan immediately became excited. “Why be modest? Let’s test it and see!” His triumphant laugh showed he was confident, convinced of victory.

Soon, someone set up the targets and arrows—but these arrows were unusual. Truly, silver shafts with wax tips—no arrowheads at all.

After all, Yelü Haonan was a prince of an enemy nation. Who knew if he might suddenly attempt an impromptu assassination? So, the arrows had no tips.

But such arrows were hardly suitable for shooting. Just looking at them made one doubt their usefulness. Light as they were, how could anyone hit a wooden target?

Yelü Haonan tilted his head to glance at Ji Yi. Seeing no reaction on his face, it seemed these arrows were perfectly normal. Seeing this, Yelü Haonan had no choice but to remain silent—if he said anything, it might appear as an excuse to back down.

“Keep it simple—three arrows each to decide the winner!” the emperor chuckled lightly, as if unaware of the difference in arrows, politely gesturing to Yelü Haonan, “Second Prince, please go first.”

In truth, the emperor’s intention was deliberate. Let Yelü Haonan shoot first—if he missed, everyone could mock him. As for their Scholar, if he missed… well, missing would be understandable.

Yelü Haonan noticed the emperor’s subtle support. He clenched his teeth with determination. Indeed, his posture for drawing the bow looked practiced and proper. No wonder the Qi men were known for being fierce and bloodthirsty—this prince clearly trained often.

With a swoosh, the feathered arrow shot forward. The arrow swayed lightly in the air—without a tip, it wobbled precariously. Could it even hit the target? Everyone held their breath, eyes wide, watching intently.