"Xin Ci, why didn't you sell a genuine artifact back then?"
As expected, Mu Qingqing's voice sounded in Xin Ci's mind the next moment.
For a time, Xin Ci felt like a child admitting a mistake, enduring her scolding. (つ﹏⊂)
Mu Qingqing clutched her head and said helplessly, "Forget it, even without the Fire String Bow, I have a way to defeat her."
Actually, Mu Qingqing wasn't truly angry with Xin Ci; after all, Xin Ci had sold the Fire String Bow for the Yin Yang Twin Flowers.
Mu Qingqing took the bow and arrow handed over by a nearby maid and tried to draw the string.
Although it couldn't compare to the mid-grade genuine artifact Fire String Bow, it was still a decent longbow.
Pei Xiu looked at Mu Qingqing and snorted coldly, "I didn't expect you to be not only a thief but also a stalker, following me all the way to Feng Hua Pavilion."
"I say, big sister, you're quite narcissistic. Can you stop calling me a thief all the time? My name is Mu... Xin Ci!"
"Hmph, I don't care if you call yourself Mu Xin Ci or Nan Xin Ci. You won't snatch my little fox away!"
Seeing Pei Xiu's belligerence, Mu Qingqing couldn't help but roll her eyes, thinking inwardly, "Who wants to snatch your fox tribe maiden? My target is the Five Elements Spirit Pill."
"I'll make it clear. See that peach tree by the lake? When the wind picks up, it will blow the petals down."
"We will each shoot three arrows. Whoever hits the most petals with their arrows wins, and the arrows must hit the peach tree to count."
After speaking, Pei Xiu assumed a ready stance, drew her longbow taut, and aimed at the peach tree, waiting for the wind to blow the petals down.
Mu Qingqing, not to be outdone, tightened her bowstring, her arrow poised.
At this moment, both were fully focused, their gazes fixed on the peach tree.
The onlookers also craned their necks, staring at the two of them.
After about ten breaths,
The wind suddenly intensified, and countless pink peach petals rained down, creating a mesmerizing flower shower.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Pei Xiu and Mu Qingqing released their bowstrings simultaneously.
Two arrows shot through the air, piercing through the falling petals.
They finally lodged themselves in the peach tree.
Everyone's gaze followed. On the tips of both Pei Xiu's and Mu Qingqing's first arrows, five petals were impaled.
The result of the first arrow was a draw!
The spectators exclaimed in astonishment, marveling at the archery skills of both individuals.
Pei Xiu was also quite surprised, not expecting Mu Qingqing's archery to be so formidable.
However, the first arrow was merely a warm-up. While the petals were still falling, Pei Xiu shot two more arrows.
*Swoosh! Swoosh!!*
Two arrows struck the other side of the peach tree, each with ten petals on its tip.
This brought Pei Xiu's total to twenty-five petals!
Most people believed it was almost impossible for Mu Qingqing to defeat Pei Xiu now.
After shooting, Pei Xiu couldn't resist raising an eyebrow at Mu Qingqing, her challenging gaze unmistakable.
However, Pei Xiu's provocation didn't faze Mu Qingqing.
At this moment, Mu Qingqing's eyes shimmered like stars.
Under the effect of the Star Wheel Pupils, the drifting petals seemed to slow down a hundredfold.
When the moment was right, Mu Qingqing, before anyone could react, quickly shot her remaining two arrows.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Two more whistling sounds echoed as the arrows precisely struck the peach tree.
Everyone couldn't help but swallow, their gazes fixed on the tips of the two arrows.
The number of petals impaled on the two arrows reached forty!
This meant Mu Qingqing had pierced twenty petals with a single arrow.
Such exquisite archery astonished everyone, and discussions erupted.
"When did such an archery genius appear in Jing Chen Kingdom?"
"Indeed, with such fine archery, she even surpasses Pei Xiu, one of the Four Young Masters of Jing Chen."
"This young man isn't old, but his archery talent is extraordinary."
...
In an instant, Mu Qingqing became the center of attention at the Flower Casting Festival.
But Pei Xiu, who had lost to Mu Qingqing, was furious. Her coveted fox tribe maiden was gone.
"Damn it, I can't let such a cute little loli fall into the hands of this thief," Pei Xiu grumbled, clenching her fists, her mind made up.
At this moment, Mu Qingqing's gaze turned to her and she said calmly, "The outcome is clear. The prize on the stone platform is mine."
*Clap, clap, clap!*
As soon as Mu Qingqing finished speaking, Lin Ye, the organizer of the Flower Casting Festival, started applauding, looking at her with a smile, "Brother, your archery is superb, I am very impressed."
He then asked, "May I know which family Brother Mu Xin Ci belongs to? Lin is very interested."
Regardless of whether Lin Ye intended to befriend her or harbored ill intentions,
Mu Qingqing just wanted to quickly claim the Five Elements Spirit Pill and leave; she didn't have time to get entangled with these young scions.
So she replied perfunctorily, "Young Master Lin is too kind. I am just an unknown nobody, with no family background."
Upon hearing that she had no family background, Lin Ye suddenly gave a strange smile, "Brother Mu is too modest. With your archery skills, you are by no means unknown in Jing Chen Kingdom. Since you have won first place in this archery competition, the prizes on the stone platform, including that fox tribe slave, belong to you."
"Thank you for your generosity, Young Master Lin." Mu Qingqing did not refuse, walked directly to the stone platform, and placed the Five Elements Spirit Pill and other items into her Sumeru Ring.
Seeing so many treasures fall into her possession, Mu Qingqing's joy was evident, and she thought happily, "Hehe, I've really struck it rich, so many treasures."
However, after obtaining the Five Elements Spirit Pill, what should she do with the remaining fox tribe slave?
Mu Qingqing knew that Jing Chen Kingdom was a country where slave trade was rampant.
Incidents like this fox tribe slave happened almost every day. As an outsider who had just arrived in Jing Chen Kingdom, she couldn't do much.
But now that this fox tribe slave had encountered her, Mu Qingqing felt she couldn't stand by idly.
Although she couldn't save all the slaves in Jing Chen Kingdom, she could save this pitiful fox tribe maiden in front of her.
Opening the iron cage, the frail little loli inside cowered in the corner, terrified.
Her fluffy fox ears and tail trembled slightly, her timid eyes afraid to meet Mu Qingqing's gaze.
She thought this human in front of her was as bad as the others who had captured her.
Mu Qingqing knew the fox tribe maiden harbored hostility towards her, so she walked up to her and reached out towards her head.
The fox tribe maiden, thinking the human was going to harm her, closed her eyes in fear, "Don't touch me, don't..."
*Click!*
The sudden sound made the fox tribe maiden open her eyes.
She looked down and found that the iron collar around her neck had been removed by Mu Qingqing.
Looking at the iron collar in Mu Qingqing's hand, the fox tribe maiden's expression was one of utter confusion.