The assessments for everyone were incredibly thrilling. Even if Luo Xiaofeng wanted to play favorites, he was powerless and was forced to eliminate two candidates through an archery contest in the end...

Of course, the rules for this archery contest weren't like the Olympics, with targets set up to measure precision. Instead, they prepared eight sparrows, each smaller than a fist, to be released into the air. Each contestant held only one bow and a single feathered arrow, the arrow meticulously carved with their own name. Whoever failed to shoot a sparrow would be eliminated...

Naturally, to prevent a single arrow from taking down two birds, the release points for each sparrow were spaced apart. Furthermore, the eight competitors were forbidden from shooting before receiving the command...

The sun shone high, warming the body pleasantly, making one forget it was the dead of winter. Ye Jingyu, clad in fitted black attire, his long hair tied back, gripped the longbow that once belonged to Hu Yanqi. A single feathered arrow was slung on his back, and a confident smile played on his lips as he walked toward his designated spot. Upon arrival, he found the others had already assembled, including Huangfu Buyue, who nodded courteously upon seeing Ye Jingyu approach...

However, Ye Jingyu's gaze immediately settled upon a man dressed in white fitted clothes, the collar embroidered with gold thread, his eyes wide with astonishment...

"Heh heh, Junior Brother, I never expected to meet you here. How have these days been for you?" The man also spotted Ye Jingyu, a faint smile gracing his lips, as if greeting a long-lost relative. Yet, the killing intent in his eyes was incredibly intense...

"Qin Yunxiao... You... How can you be here? You... Aren't you..." Ye Jingyu found it utterly unbelievable that Qin Yunxiao, who had fought so hard to kill the traitor Qin Yan, was still alive? How could someone with Qin Yan's nature possibly let him live?

"Heh heh, Junior Brother, the name Qin Yunxiao is not one you should use. You can call me Eldest Senior Brother, or you can call me Little Marquis. Do remember that, or it wouldn't be good if the Minister of Rites used it against you later..." Qin Yunxiao chuckled lightly, thoroughly appreciating Ye Jingyu's shocked expression...

"Little Marquis? You... You... You actually acknowledged a thief as your father..." Upon hearing the other address himself as Little Marquis, Ye Jingyu was suddenly struck by something Luo Ruofeng had once mentioned—that Qin Yan had a son who would inherit Qin Yan's title. He had initially assumed it was an illegitimate child Qin Yan had found somewhere and hadn't paid it much mind. Now, it turned out to be Qin Yunxiao...

"Acknowledged a thief as my father? Heh heh, I forgot to tell you, Qin Xuan is not my biological father..." Qin Yunxiao whispered this final sentence into Ye Jingyu's ear...

This staggering piece of news shocked Ye Jingyu even more. If Qin Xuan wasn't his father, then his biological father must be Qin Yan. This meant Qin Yan had an affair with Qin Xuan's wife and fathered Qin Yunxiao. And Qin Xuan, who had been wise his whole life, ended up raising someone else's son for twenty years, passing on his entire martial legacy, only to suffer the destruction of his family?

This... this... this news was simply too seismic...

Of course, Ye Jingyu didn't blame Luo Ruofeng for not telling him; this was entirely internal gossip from Baiyun Mountain Villa, information unknown to anyone except Qin Yan and Qin Yunxiao...

"What? Are you surprised? Actually, I was just as shocked when I learned the truth, even disbelieving it at first. But tell me, if it weren't true, would I still be alive?" Qin Yunxiao smiled faintly. After spending time with Qin Yan, his temperament had grown much colder; or rather, without Qin Xuan's guidance, the icy aspects of his nature were constantly surfacing...

Ye Jingyu remained silent. Indeed, given Qin Yan's disposition, if Qin Yunxiao weren't his biological son, he certainly wouldn't have allowed him to live. It seemed Qin Yan had been plotting against Qin Xuan, the Master of Baiyun Mountain Villa, for many years...

Though Ye Jingyu held no deep affection for Qin Xuan, he despised villains as insidious and vicious as Qin Yan. Coupled with the hundreds of lives lost from the Ye family, a surge of killing intent erupted from him...

"Heh heh, Junior Brother, don't be in such a hurry. If you are lucky enough to advance to the next round, perhaps we will meet again on the arena stage. Then, killing me won't be too late... Of course, that is if you can manage to kill me... Hahahaha..." Qin Yunxiao laughed triumphantly. In his eyes, Ye Jingyu, though powerful, could never be his match...

Ye Jingyu's body rose and fell rapidly, his eyes blazing with intense killing intent, yet he knew he absolutely could not make a move here...

Absolutely not...

Knowing that the son of his enemy was participating in this martial examination, Ye Jingyu secretly resolved that he must pass this stage. If he encountered Qin Yunxiao, there would be no mercy...

"What's wrong?" At this moment, sensing Ye Jingyu's agitation, Huangfu Buyue approached...

"Nothing, just ran into someone I dislike," Ye Jingyu replied calmly, his eyes fixed on Qin Yunxiao's retreating back...

"Qin Yunxiao, the son of Marquis Qin Yan of Baiyun. He has now pledged allegiance to the Eldest Young Master. If you have a deep grudge against him, you must be cautious. Currently, the Third Young Master's influence is far less than the Eldest Young Master's," Huangfu Buyue, ever astute, had clearly discerned the tension and cautioned him quietly...

"Thank you, Brother Buyue," Ye Jingyu nodded to Huangfu Buyue, suppressing the surge of killing intent within him...

"Heh heh, I was hoping to have a fair fight with you on the stage. I wouldn't want you to lose your composure because of hatred. Let's go, the competition is about to start," Huangfu Buyue smiled slightly and turned to walk away...

Ye Jingyu took several more deep breaths before following Huangfu Buyue toward the testing grounds...

The competition area was a circular slope. Ten contestants stood atop the incline, each holding a longbow, facing a flat expanse hundreds of meters away. There, eight soldiers stood, each holding a birdcage. Inside each cage was a sparrow smaller than a fist. Shooting a tiny sparrow from such a distance was incredibly difficult, yet confidence shone in the eyes of all contestants...

Ye Jingyu did not spare Qin Yunxiao another glance. Instead, he focused his vision forward, his spiritual energy concentrated as never before, awaiting the command from the proctor behind them...

"Release!" Seeing everyone prepared, the proctor suddenly gave the order. The eight soldiers simultaneously opened their cages, and eight black shadows shot out like lightning—the 'Flash Sparrows,' moving faster than eagles.

However, none of these competitors were ordinary. Their figures leaped out almost simultaneously. At this distance, even with their powerful arms, hitting the target was uncertain, and the rules explicitly allowed for movement...

Only Ye Jingyu remained perfectly still, directly nocking the arrow, drawing the string, not even bothering to aim... His drawing hand released the string with a gentle flick...

A black meteor shot forth...

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