Shen Yueshan's guards swiftly formed a protective circle around him, standing ready against the approaching figure.
Astride his towering steed with reins taut, Shen Yueshan narrowed his eyes against the biting wind, watching the man tear through the curling mist. The blurred silhouette gradually sharpened into focus, revealing a face of such extravagant beauty that few in this world could rival.
Recognizing the newcomer, Shen Yueshan waved his guards back and assessed Xiao Huayong as he drew near. Remaining mounted, Shen clasped his fists in greeting: "Crown Prince."
The guards exchanged glances before dismounting in unison to bow: "We pay respects to the Crown Prince."
"Generals need not stand on ceremony." Xiao Huayong returned the salute with reins still in hand, then turned to Shen Yueshan. "Your Highness, I've come specifically to escort you through this pass."
"Such petty foes hardly warrant Your Highness's personal attention?" Shen Yueshan made no attempt to conceal his skepticism.
"When you entered the capital, you mentioned testing my martial skills. I come today to fulfill that promise." Xiao Huayong replied with humble courtesy.
During his audience with His Majesty, Xiao Huayong had indeed seen him out of the palace when they agreed to spar someday. But as Crown Prince residing in the Eastern Palace, Xiao Huayong rarely left the imperial grounds, while Shen Yueshan remained occupied with his daughter—thus the agreement had remained unfulfilled until now.
"Excellent! Let me see if Your Highness possesses the skill to qualify as my son-in-law!" Shen Yueshan agreed heartily, turning his horse to survey the chaotic narrow path ahead. "Does Your Highness choose left or right?"
"Your Highness—"
A subordinate attempted to dissuade him, but Shen Yueshan raised a hand to silence the protest. His keen eyes fixed on Xiao Huayong, chin slightly lifted with a knowing smirk.
Xiao Huayong urged his horse forward two steps, drawing alongside Shen Yueshan's left flank: "I follow heaven's will."
With this declaration, he tightened his reins and glanced sideways at Shen Yueshan, who simultaneously turned to meet his gaze. Both men's eyes ignited with competitive fire as they shouted in unison, cracking their whips. Hooves tore through snow-spattered ground as they charged up opposite sides of the valley.
Across the vast white wilderness, their black cloaks swept through the wind like soaring eagles—powerful and swift. They raced forward as sharp arrows came flying: one, two, three...
The arrow barrage intensified in relentless waves, their forms expanding in the men's vision. Xiao Huayong rolled sideways, gripping the reins with one hand while hooking his foot firmly in the stirrup, pressing himself between the horse's belly and stone wall.
Shen Yueshan instead drew his long blade. Anchoring himself with feet in stirrups, he released the reins and spun the sword between his hands until it became a blur, deflecting every arrow while his horse maintained its furious pace.
When another dense volley arrived, he arched backward until his spine met the horse's back, his blade still humming through the air.
Then stones came tumbling down from both cliffs above. Xiao Huayong's dark eyes narrowed as he flipped upright, dodging several arrows while pulling his mount into serpentine maneuvers—evading both falling rocks and hidden projectiles.
Shen Yueshan followed closely behind, watching Xiao Huayong's solitary figure cutting through the chaos. The prince's erect posture combined with his robust yet agile steed to accurately judge each falling boulder, dodging every one with precision. Approval flickered in Shen Yueshan's eyes.
Xiao Huayong produced a bone whistle and blew. A circling eagle fixed its sharp gaze on the ambushers before diving down, throwing the enemy into disarray. Cracking his whip fiercely, Xiao Huayong shouted: "Hyah!"The horse, stung by pain, galloped wildly. He stared ahead—the Turkic commander who had set this ambush was the third prince, Munuha. Reacting swiftly, Munuha immediately gestured, ordering some of his men to shoot arrows at the eagle emblem, while others continued to fire hidden arrows to obstruct Xiao Huayong, and those pushing boulders kept at their task.
Munuha drew his bow, initially aiming at Xiao Huayong. Their eyes met from a distance, but at the moment of release, Munuha twisted his bow. Xiao Huayong, misled by the feint, dodged what he thought was an arrow meant for him. Unexpectedly, the arrow struck the thick snow on the cliffside, causing large chunks to shake loose and roll down the stone face, growing larger as they descended.
Xiao Huayong immediately reined in his horse, leaping upward just in time to narrowly avoid the avalanche. As the horse’s hooves touched ground, the Turkic leader repeated his trick, aiming another arrow at Xiao Huayong. Gripping the reins, Xiao Huayong dared not slow down, or he would be hit by stray arrows or crushed by the incessant falling rocks. A misjudgment now would be fatal: if he dodged this sharp arrow and it struck the thick snow on the cliff, he might not have time to evade the resulting snowslide; if he didn’t dodge and the arrow was aimed at him, he would surely be severely wounded.
A slow smile curled at the corners of Xiao Huayong’s lips. He first made a move to rein in his horse and dodge the rolling snow, tricking Munuha into instinctively releasing the arrow toward him. The instant the arrow left the string, Xiao Huayong leaped into the air, soaring upward and successfully evading the fierce shot.
Munuha cursed himself for falling for Xiao Huayong’s ploy: "Cunning Han!"
His capable subordinate, almost the moment Munuha shot, nocked and drew his bow, firing three sharp arrows toward the direction Xiao Huayong had leaped. Munuha quickly followed, drawing his bow and predicting how Xiao Huayong would evade the three arrows. A cold smile spread across his face as he released a long arrow into the void.
Xiao Huayong dodged Munuha’s first arrow and had just landed, not yet back on his horse, when three sharp arrows shot toward him. Twisting mid-air amid swirling snowflakes, he drew the soft sword hidden in his belt, using it to brace against the cliff wall. At that very moment, Munuha’s second arrow shot forth swiftly.
Xiao Huayong turned his head—the arrow loomed large in his pupils, seemingly about to pierce his flesh in the next instant. But then, a whistling long arrow flew in from the other side, intercepting Munuha’s cold shot right before his eyes.
Xiao Huayong’s lips curved into a smile. Quickly assessing the situation, he planted a foot on the cliff wall and lunged downward toward his galloping horse: "Your Highness, cover me!"
With several leaps and bounds, he avoided the chaotic arrows. Xiao Huayong whistled, and his horse raced toward him. Landing on the horse in a roll, he hooked a foot into the stirrup to keep from falling, snatched the bow tied to the saddle with one hand, and yanked the reins hard with the other, using the horse’s momentum to soar upward again.
Drawing an arrow, notching it, aiming—all in a spinning motion—he rapidly shot two sharp arrows, speeding toward Munuha and his trusted aide.
The two were hiding in a narrow spot, with the cliff edge beside them. Instinctively, they stepped back, but Xiao Huayong’s arrows were too swift, arriving in the blink of an eye. Munuha precisely blocked with his curved blade in front of his chest. The arrow pierced through the blade, its tip embedding slightly under his skin, but the immense force still sent Munuha tumbling backward.Munuha's confidant lacked such precision and failed to intercept Xiao Huayong's arrow, which pierced straight through the center of his chest and back, killing him instantly.
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