The vast Yanbei Hall was now eerily silent.
The young girl sat with her back straight as a rod. Though petite in stature, she seemed to contain boundless strength within her, and in her every movement, there was an unyielding determination as if she could trample all obstacles beneath her feet.
Cai Lin was momentarily left speechless.
Shen Miao was right. In this mutual arrow-shooting challenge, he would be the one in the greatest danger. After all, what did Shen Miao know of archery? If her arrow deviated even slightly, it might pierce his skull. But Cai Lin hadn't thought that far ahead. His reasoning was simple: if he shot first, given Shen Miao's temperament, she would surely be terrified, her legs giving way as she begged for mercy with tears and snot streaming down her face. He could then toy with her at his leisure, thoroughly humiliating her and thus avenging Shen Yue's grievances.
As for what would happen afterward, Cai Lin hadn't even considered it. In his mind, Shen Miao would be so petrified after his shot that she wouldn't even have the strength to shoot back. Moreover, a girl who had never even drawn a bow might not even be able to pull the string—she would simply become a laughingstock.
This was how Cai Lin had envisioned it, but he had completely miscalculated Shen Miao's reaction. She simply watched him calmly, her composure far beyond her years, which suddenly made Cai Lin burn with shame and anger. The way Shen Miao looked at him was as if she were observing a child throwing a tantrum—pitiful and ridiculous.
At an age when impulsiveness ran high, Cai Lin didn't hesitate. "Why wouldn't I dare? A life-and-death contract it is!" he declared.
"Ah!" Cai Daren, seated among the male guests, sighed in frustration. He wished he could rush forward and give his unfilial son a sound thrashing. He had thought Cai Lin was merely mischievous, but he never expected him to challenge Shen Miao. As for the life-and-death contract, Cai Daren wasn't worried about his son's safety—he feared Cai Lin might truly humiliate Shen Miao or, worse, accidentally injure her. Not everyone could withstand the wrath of a rough-and-tumble man like Shen Xin.
Shen Yue anxiously said, "How can Fifth Sister agree to a life-and-death contract? This is just a verification match—why take it to such extremes? This won't do at all."
"Indeed, Fifth Sister is being so reckless," Ren Wanyun frowned. "How can she say such things on a whim? What if something goes wrong?"
She conveniently omitted the fact that Cai Lin had forced Shen Miao into this choice, instead attributing everything to Shen Miao's impulsive behavior. Chen Ruoqiu shook her head and sighed softly. "She's just too competitive."
While the women lightly "expressed concern" for Shen Miao and "worried" about her, the male guests were naturally intrigued by the spectacle.
Prince Yu stared fixedly at the purple-robed girl on the platform, his murky eyes gleaming with interest—like a beast eyeing its prey, though his gaze was utterly repulsive.
"This young lady of the Shen family is all courage and no brains," Prince Zhou remarked. "She actually signed a life-and-death contract. Doesn't she know that if something happens, even Shen Xin won't be able to say a word about it?"
"Perhaps she's trying to uphold the Shen family's reputation," Fu Xiuyi said, watching Shen Miao on the platform. "After all, no one wants to hear their family spoken ill of."
"Pity that even this won't change the facts," Jing Wang shook his head. "She's far too impulsive. No wonder people say she's ignorant and foolish."
Pei Lang took a sip of tea from his cup. He, too, thought Shen Miao's actions were excessively rash. Though he knew Prince Yu's earlier words had been harsh, if Shen Miao truly cared about the Shen family, she should have found a way to withdraw gracefully. She might have faced some temporary criticism, but it would have been better than public humiliation.
"Father, she will definitely win," Su Minlang clenched his little fists, declaring his stance to his father.
Master Su glanced at his youngest son, inexplicably feeling that Su Minlang paid unusual attention to Shen Miao. He assumed it was just a passing fancy. Ever since Su Minlang's timely warning had allowed the Su family to retreat from danger, Master Su had treated his youngest son with much more warmth. Not wanting to dampen the boy's enthusiasm now, he vaguely agreed, "Yes, she will surely win."
Su Mingfeng was unaware of his father and younger brother's attitudes. Had he known, he would have scoffed, for at that moment, he was sitting in the pavilion, gazing at the verification platform and muttering, "The young lady of the Shen family is truly bold—she even signed a life-and-death contract. Does she think this is a military competition because General Shen often tells her stories from the barracks? How utterly naive."
Su Mingfeng never minced words with his friends, but today, he noticed his most critical friend hadn't chimed in. Curious, he turned to look at him.
The purple-robed youth was deep in thought, twirling a begonia in his hand. The sunlight cast a perfect glow, and the breeze gently ruffled the tassel on his dagger. His handsome features exuded an air of heroic charm, and his contemplative expression only added to his peerless elegance.
"Xie San, what are you thinking about?" Su Mingfeng couldn't help but ask.
Xie Jingxing tucked the begonia into his sleeve and suddenly stood, a playful smile curving his lips. "This is interesting. How about we make a bet?"
"What bet?"
"Let's bet—" Xie Jingxing pointed at the platform, his smile brimming with roguish charm. "Who will win?"
"Naturally, Cai Lin," Su Mingfeng frowned. "Surely you don't think there's another contender?"
"I bet on Shen Miao," he declared.
On the platform, preparations were already underway.
Today's mounted archery challenge had everyone on edge. This was no mere verification match—it was a gamble with their lives.
The Hall of Extensive Learning had indeed prepared the life-and-death contract. The crimson characters stood stark against the snow-white silk. Shen Miao picked up the brush and signed her name with effortless grace, as if this weighty document meant nothing to her.
Of course, she had written her name countless times before—when drafting surrender letters to the Xiongnu on Fu Xiuyi's behalf, when volunteering to become a hostage of the Qin State, when Wan Yu was married off, when the Crown Prince was deposed... The name "Shen Miao" was drenched in blood and tears, a suffering no one else could fathom.
In contrast, Cai Lin was far less composed.
Though boys his age were fiercely competitive, this was his first time signing a life-and-death contract. Cai Lin was merely a child overly sheltered by his family, lacking even basic maturity. Shen Miao's calmness only amplified his fear.
His brush felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. His strokes were shaky and uneven, a stark contrast to Shen Miao's elegant signature.
Once finished, he couldn't resist asking, "Shen Miao, aren't you afraid I'll miss my first shot on purpose? If I'm scared you'll hit me in the second round, I could just injure you in the first."
Shen Miao, about to pick up the herb fruit, turned to face him. "Is that what you think? I disagree."
She continued, "Everyone knows Cai Gongzi excels in mounted archery. If you miss, it won't be an accident—it'll be deliberate. You'd be intentionally trying to kill me. But I'm different. Everyone knows I know nothing about this. If I miss, it's only natural."
Cai Lin froze, then gaped at her, a deep sense of helplessness washing over him.
She was right. If he missed, it would be intentional. If she missed, it would be expected. He couldn't even claim it was an accident—because everyone would see through him!
He had backed Shen Miao into a corner, and she had instantly thrown it back at him.
No matter what he did, he would be in the wrong.
"Cai Gongzi, to avoid being shot by me in the second round, you could also muster all your courage and kill me outright in the first. The life-and-death contract is signed. If you kill me, it's just the outcome of the match. Apart from the world's scorn, you won't bear a shred of responsibility."
"I'm right here. Do you dare?"
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