Xin Ci did not deny it, and truthfully said, "Yes."
Wang Bin frowned slightly, but still patiently introduced, "These Four Young Masters of Jingchen are four well-known prodigal sons of the Jingchen Kingdom, namely Lin Ye of the Lin family, Ouyang Kai of the Ouyang family, Yang Zihan of the Yang family, and Pei Xiu of the Pei family."
"The families of these four individuals hold immense power in the Jingchen Kingdom, so it's best for us not to cross them."
Mu Qingling, within the consciousness space, paid no mind to Wang Bin's words.
In the original work, these so-called Four Young Masters of Jingchen were all characters with poor conduct, who relied on their power to bully others.
Mu Qingling had no good impression of such people.
"Look at the four people in that pavilion over there, they are the Four Young Masters of Jingchen."
As he spoke, Wang Bin pointed to a pavilion by the lake.
Xin Ci followed his gaze and saw three young gentlemen and Pei Xiu sitting in the pavilion, drinking wine and admiring flowers.
Although Pei Xiu was the only woman among the four, she was the most boisterous.
The three young gentlemen each held small wine cups, sipping their drinks leisurely.
Pei Xiu, on the other hand, directly grabbed a large jug of wine and emptied it in a few gulps.
After finishing her drink, Pei Xiu slapped the table and said dismissively to Lin Ye, "Lin Ye, the wine you prepared this time isn't good enough. It has no flavor at all."
A hint of displeasure flashed in Lin Ye's eyes, but he still greeted her with a smile, "Pei Xiu, since you find this wine unsatisfactory, I shall present the 'Thousand-Day Drunkenness' brewed by my Lin family. Today, we Four Young Masters of Jingchen shall drink to our heart's content."
"That's more like it." Pei Xiu, with her considerable tolerance for alcohol, proceeded to finish another jug.
Ouyang Kai, in the pavilion, cast a lustful gaze at the fox clan maiden on the stone platform.
He then flattered Lin Ye, "Lin Ye, how did you manage to obtain such a rare and exquisite treasure? And you're even willing to offer her as a prize for the Pot Throwing Competition."
Upon hearing that Ouyang Kai had set his sights on the little fox girl, Pei Xiu became restless. She stood up and pointed at Ouyang Kai, shouting, "Ouyang Kai, this little loli is mine. Don't even think about having any designs on her!"
"Pei Xiu, you madwoman, why are you competing with us for a female slave?" Ouyang Kai complained unhappily.
Everyone present knew that Pei Xiu had peculiar tastes and was generally uninterested in both men and women, showing an extreme fondness only for young girls.
This made many believe that Pei Xiu not only had a problem with her mind but was also a perverted lunatic.
However, Pei Xiu was unfazed and asserted righteously, "My lady simply likes cute little ones. If you're unhappy, just hold it in. In any case, I'm taking this fox clan maiden!"
With that said, Pei Xiu turned to Lin Ye and urged, "Lin Ye, why aren't you starting the Pot Throwing Competition quickly!"
Lin Ye wasted no more time. He walked out of the pavilion and announced to everyone present, "Welcome everyone to this year's Flower Throwing Festival. The most important event of this festival is the Pot Throwing Competition."
"The ultimate winner will receive all the items on the stone platform, including that fox clan slave."
As soon as these words were spoken, the young ladies and gentlemen present became immensely excited, eagerly preparing to participate.
Mu Qingling, observing the reactions of those around her, transmitted her thoughts to Xin Ci, "The children of these influential families are quite idle. They've organized this 'Flower Throwing Festival' for themselves, and it's just about playing pot throwing. It seems rather boring."
"Despite that, for the Five Elements Spiritual Pill, we have no choice but to participate," Xin Ci replied.
On a cleared space in the courtyard, several oddly shaped pots were placed.
Xin Ci followed Wang Bin to the throwing area. Beside him, a maid held a tray with arrows approximately three feet and six inches long, each with double feathers at the tail.
Picking up an arrow, Xin Ci felt its negligible weight, as light as a feather.
He gazed at the pots positioned nine feet away from the seating area.
The necks of these pots were extremely slender, and Mu Qingling even doubted whether the arrows could be thrown into them.
Although the distance to the pots was not far for Xin Ci, the Pot Throwing Competition had another rule: no true essence or spiritual power could be used.
Therefore, a maid stood by each participant to serve and supervise. Any attempt at cheating would result in immediate disqualification.
Since the throws were done in succession, Xin Ci did not rush. He first observed how others performed.
As expected, without the use of true essence, the young lords and ladies from influential families did not fare well.
The arrows were already very light, and these individuals, accustomed to a life of leisure, did not place much emphasis on cultivation.
Their cultivation levels were mostly achieved through resources and elixirs provided by their families.
Once they were prohibited from using true essence, these young ladies and gentlemen were no different from ordinary people, and their physical capabilities were even weaker.
After a round, very few arrows landed in the pots.
Wang Bin, standing next to Xin Ci, also complained, "These arrows are too light. How can anyone hit the target?"
"Don't blame the arrows if you're just bad at it."
Pei Xiu, seated at another table, overheard Wang Bin's muffled complaint and let out a cold scoff.
She then picked up an arrow and effortlessly tossed it into the pot.
Her extremely proficient movements suggested that she had likely practiced pot throwing quite often.
The other three Young Masters of Jingchen performed similarly.
Pei Xiu looked at the scattered arrows on the ground with a hidden delight, "Now, that little fox girl will be mine. Heh heh, a cute, soft little fox, this big sister will take you home soon."
Despite being a woman, she was now grinning like a perverted oddball.
Lin Ye and the other two were so disgusted by her lecherous smile that they quietly shifted their seats away from her.
As Pei Xiu was lost in her idiotic reverie, her gaze drifted and she suddenly noticed Xin Ci, who was about to throw.
Her eyes widened, "Isn't that the thief? He's actually participating in the Pot Throwing Competition!"
However, judging by Xin Ci's awkward movements, Pei Xiu scoffed disdainfully, "He's clearly a novice. How dare he compete with me for the little fox."
The next second, Xin Ci's performance exceeded her expectations, as he actually hit the target.
Seeing Xin Ci's successful throw, Mu Qingling joyfully transmitted her thoughts from within the consciousness space, "Xin Ci, I didn't expect you to be so good at pot throwing. Did you often play it when you were at the Su family?"
"Uh... I was just trying it out just now. I didn't expect to hit it."
Even Xin Ci himself could not believe the unexpected scene. He hadn't used any true essence or spiritual power, just a casual throw to see, and it had gone in.
Mu Qingling was momentarily speechless, and could only admit that Xin Ci was indeed the male lead, blessed with immense luck.
Meanwhile, Pei Xiu was stamping her feet in anger upon seeing Xin Ci's successful throw.
"This detestable thief actually hit the pot! It makes me so angry!"
Wang Bin, next to Xin Ci, was also amazed when Xin Ci's first arrow hit the mark, "Brother Xin Ci, you're amazing! You're so skilled at pot throwing!"
"It was just a coincidence just now," Xin Ci said truthfully.
However, Wang Bin clearly did not believe him, thinking that Xin Ci was a master of pot throwing.
Xin Ci's performance in the subsequent throws further confirmed his conjecture.
Xin Ci's hit rate for pot throwing was astonishingly high, almost hitting the target with every throw.