Revised: Chapter 38 Counterattack

Zhui Xue kicked at the ground with his front hooves, letting out a low growl, clearly agitated. Fengyu sensed something was wrong. Li Pengfei's steed suddenly went berserk and charged straight toward Fengyu. His steed was a Ferghana horse, tall and muscular—a powerful warhorse. Zhui Xue, still young, was neither as robust nor as strong as the Ferghana horse. As the other horse charged, Fengyu gripped her reins tightly and fled backward.

Fang Lingjun rode after her, shouting, "Li Pengfei, what's wrong with your horse? Why is it going wild?"

"It got startled just now, I'm not sure myself," Li Pengfei feigned panic and purposefully shouted, "Fengyu, run faster! Don't let it hit you..."

Lin Yu Yan smirked smugly, clearly waiting to see Fengyu's embarrassing moment, hoping she'd be thrown off the horse in disgrace. "She may have dodged once, but she can't dodge forever," Zhang Jingmiao gloated maliciously. "This is going to be fun—Fengyu is doomed."

Fang Lingjun spurred her horse forward, hoping to save Fengyu, while Zhang Boxin shook his head disapprovingly and said, "Li Pengfei, Lin Yu Yan, you two are taking this too far."

Quarrels and physical fights were one thing, petty squabbles even, but a stunt that endangered someone's life crossed into sheer cruelty.

"The horse is out of control! It's got nothing to do with me," Li Pengfei shrugged, completely unconcerned.

Lin Yu Yan sneered, "Dead is dead. She's just the daughter of a military officer—who would care?"

The group showed utter indifference toward Fengyu's safety, as if her life were no more significant than a squashed ant.

Fengyu rode desperately, glancing backward. The crazed Ferghana horse was relentless in its pursuit. Zhui Xue, still a juvenile, lacked the stamina and speed to outrun an adult Ferghana horse—catching up was inevitable. She had to save herself. The gathering today was for archery and horseback activities, and there were bow racks placed around the course. Fengyu scanned the bows and arrows as she rode past them.

"What's Fengyu planning to do? Is she trying to shoot Li Pengfei's horse dead?"

"Can she even pull that bow?"

"Li Pengfei's Ferghana horses are exceptionally rare. If she kills one, there's no way Li Pengfei would let her off the hook lightly."

Fengyu grabbed a female bow. There were different bows made for men and women—the men's bows required more physical strength than her delicate frame could muster. Aristocratic families had custom-crafted bows for their daughters, made with less tension, which Fengyu could manage to pull. Releasing the reins, she drew an arrow and nocked it to the bow, gripping Zhui Xue tightly between her legs. Abruptly, she spun around and fired the arrow directly at the crazed Ferghana horse.

"Fengyu, how dare you!" Li Pengfei's face turned ashen. This horse was exceedingly rare and highly intelligent; he cherished it immensely. If someone dared to harm it, he would absolutely retaliate with blood.

As Fengyu fired her arrow, at that exact moment, on the other side of the course, Xie Xun sat upright on his horse, bow drawn and arrow nocked. The black shaft of his arrow shot through the air with lethal sharpness, slicing the wind. Before Fengyu's arrow connected with the Ferghana horse's leg, Xie Xun's arrow struck its target with precision—piercing the horse's throat clean through. The Ferghana horse shrieked in agony, its front legs raised high before its massive body crashed heavily to the ground.

Fengyu pulled her reins tight with one hand while gripping the bow tightly in the other. She stared in shock at the fallen Ferghana horse. The arrow that had pierced its throat was meant to kill—it carried an intense force.

"Impressive!" King Qi clapped enthusiastically from the spectators' stand, calling out to Lin Cheng, "I didn't expect such a fine display before the archery and horseback event even began. Lin Cheng, you ought to better discipline your sister. She's far too reckless."

Lin Cheng nodded, smiling faintly. "Your Highness is right. My younger sister has been spoiled into arrogance. I shall make sure she is properly chastised once we return."

King Qi said no more but smiled faintly, his gaze shifting to the red-clad figure within the crowd. In this breathtaking, tension-filled display laced with deadly intent, the allegedly foolish Miss Feng San remained calm, her adornments unruffled. Her demeanor was serene yet striking. What was more unexpected was Xie Xun's intervention—decisive and disruptive. It was truly intriguing.

Fang Lingjun rode closer to Fengyu. "Ayu, are you hurt?"

Fengyu shook her head, "I'm fine."

Li Pengfei knelt beside his steed, throat pierced clean through, killed in a single strike. Blood pooled beneath the fallen Ferghana horse, its vibrant redness a knife to Li Pengfei's heart.

Lin Yu Yan, furious, pointed accusingly at Fengyu. "Fengyu, how dare you kill such a prized horse? This was a gift from Xixia, an imperial tribute—sanctioned by royal decree. Killing it is tantamount to defying the emperor. Do you know the crime you've committed?"

Fengyu's expression turned cold. This was an imperial tribute? Their actions had moved beyond mere teasing—they had intended for her death.

Outside the crowd, Feng Ling clutched Feng Wan's arm nervously, "Elder sister, what do we do? She killed an imperial horse. Will this implicate our entire family? I knew she'd bring trouble the moment she stepped out, and now she'll doom us all!"

Feng Wan's face turned pale as well. Fang Lingjun visibly hesitated but stood her ground and argued, "You all deliberately tried to crash into Ayu, hoping to make her look bad. You failed and now dare to play the victim. Ridiculous!"

"Who deliberately crashed into her? It was her lack of riding skill that had her blocking our path, causing the horse to go berserk. How dare she blame us! Fang Lingjun, you're accusing us unfairly!" Zhang Jingmiao countered. Others nodded in agreement, claiming it was Fengyu who had entered their lane and caused the commotion. They insisted the fault lay with Fengyu.

Lin Yu Yan venomously added, "Fengyu, killing an imperial tribute horse means implicating your entire clan. You're dead for sure."

Feng Wan and Feng Ling broke out in a cold sweat.

Fengyu sat composedly on her white horse, dressed in vivid crimson, her elegance unmatched. Both pitiful and innocent, she remarked lightly, "What shall we do then? It wasn't me who killed the horse, after all."

"Everyone saw you do it. What more do you have to argue?" Lin Yu Yan sneered. "Facing death, yet you still dare to be stubborn."

Suddenly, Li Pengfei stood upright, his gaze burning with fury as he drew his longsword and rushed at Fengyu. "Fengyu, I'll kill you myself!"

Fang Lingjun raised her whip to strike, but before she could act, a long arrow flew through the crowd, striking Li Pengfei's sword directly. The vibration numbed his hand, forcing him to stagger backward as the sword clattered to the ground.

Riding atop a white horse with silver saddle, dressed in dark riding attire, Xie Xun approached, holding a grand bow with a quiver hanging by the saddle. He was like a blade cutting through the vibrant grandeur of the aristocratic gathering—cold and aloof. His sharp gaze swept past Fengyu before he arrogantly proclaimed, "Li Pengfei, I killed it. If you seek revenge, don't go after the wrong person!"

Only now did Li Pengfei notice the two arrows in his steed: Fengyu's arrow had struck its leg, while the lethal arrow matched the ones in Xie Xun's quiver.

"Y-Young Marquis..." Li Pengfei's face stiffened, unable to meet Xie Xun's gaze. The young general's battlefield prowess was undeniable, and from his high vantage on his horse, Xie Xun regarded Li Pengfei with disdain. Li Pengfei dared not return his gaze. "Young Marquis, why did you shoot my steed?"

"Your steed went berserk and endangered others, yet you stood by idly. Since you failed to control your animal, I took it upon myself to discipline it," Xie Xun said coldly, placing his bow across his saddle, his piercing stare locked onto Li Pengfei.

Li Pengfei felt disgruntled but dared not voice his anger. Lin Yu Yan, meanwhile, had been quietly admiring Xie Xun. A young general with a stellar reputation, praised for both his looks and talents, Xie Xun was every maiden's dream in the capital. Even his rumored romances were dismissed as youthful indiscretions—his achievements and the power of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion made him the most sought-after young man in the city.