The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The jet-black horse immediately raised its head alertly, its amber eyes filled with resistance and agitation. Its nostrils flared, and its front hooves paved the ground restlessly, emitting a threatening neigh.

Everyone held their breath.

Tang Xixue showed no fear whatsoever.

She simply stood there quietly, dressed in a sleek, moon-white riding outfit.

Then, she slowly reached out her hand.

That hand had long, slender, jade-like fingers, and its skin was almost transparent under the snow's glow.

She didn't try to grab the reins or touch the horse's body rashly; instead, she simply extended her palm upwards, in a gesture full of trust and invitation, towards Zhuxing.

Miraculously, the frenzied breaths of Star Chaser gradually subsided.

It lowered its head hesitantly, its huge head slowly approaching, its warm, moist breath spraying onto her palm.

It sniffed carefully, and in its amber eyes, the violence and unfamiliarity gradually faded, and deep-seated memories were quietly awakened.

It remembers that scent.

It's not the unpleasant taste of those five years, but the clear, comforting taste from much earlier times.

That's its little owner.

The real little master.

The wariness in Zhu Xing's eyes finally turned into gentleness and indescribable excitement.

It let out a long, joyful cry and nuzzled Tang Xixue's palm affectionately.

Under the deathly silence of the gaze, Tang Xixue skillfully patted Zhu Xing's strong neck, deftly untied the reins, grabbed the saddle, and with a light turn, steadily mounted the horse.

The movements were as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation.

She sat upright on the saddle, her posture as straight as a pine tree.

The dark star-studded dress contrasted sharply with her moon-white riding attire, creating a scene reminiscent of a traditional Chinese ink painting against the backdrop of pure white snow.

With a gentle tug on the reins, Zhuxing obediently began to stride forward, carrying her calmly into the sunlight in the center of the meadow.

The wind seemed to have stopped completely at that moment.

The entire grassland was completely silent.

Everyone seemed frozen in place, staring dumbfounded at the figure on horseback.

"She actually succeeded!"

"That's a star chaser..."

"That's amazing."

Feng Zhuo forgot to speak, Pei Yanchuan forgot to breathe, Shen Xian's brows furrowed, and Shen Yan's knuckles, gripping the reins, turned slightly white.

Chasing the stars...

That fierce steed, which no one but the emperor dared to approach easily, was now so docile and submissive.

The seamless understanding between her and it made one feel as if it was rightfully her place.

Lintai, known as the Emperor's mount, steadily carried the returning princess.

The snow and the sky serve as a backdrop.

"The mounted archery test shall now begin."

The chief examiner in charge of this subject, Instructor Feng Yi, stood on a high platform at the edge of the arena, his voice booming like a bell, drowning out all the noise in the arena.

He first took a deep look at the dashing figure in moon-white robes on horseback in the distance, a hint of undisguised surprise flashing in his eyes, before regaining his composure and loudly announcing the rules:

"First, mounted archery on stationary targets! Ten targets at a distance of fifty paces, hitting the bullseye is the best result! Second, hunting! Enter the hunting area and hunt your own prey, with the outcome judged based on the appearance of the prey, the difficulty of the hunt, and the time of return!"

The rules were simple and clear, but they made many students even more nervous.

Static target shooting tests riding stability and shooting accuracy, while dynamic target shooting requires adaptability, courage, and absolute control over the mount.

"So what if you're riding a horse?"

Shen Nian, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, stood to the side, gazing in the direction of Tang Xixue, and pursed her lips.

"Her archery skills were notoriously poor in the past; she was lucky if one out of ten arrows hit the target. Now she's only doing well because of her good horse."

"elder sister."

Shen Yan gently tugged at her sleeve, her tone still gentle and considerate, like a confidante.

"Don't say that. Anything is possible in the assessment. Perhaps... Her Highness will perform exceptionally well today and give us a surprise?"

Her eyes darted around, looking at the field with an encouraging gaze.

Shen Nian scoffed, showing no mercy:

"An extraordinary performance? Her? She's probably not even as good as your mediocre skills!"

These words were harsh, causing Shen Yan's perfect, gentle smile to freeze for a moment.

"quiet!"

Coach Feng Yi's gaze swept across the field like lightning, and the whispers on the sidelines abruptly ceased.

He unfolded the list in his hand, which was based on the assessment order determined by yesterday's "Ascending to the Clouds List".

"First place: Tangxi Xue!"

The name was pronounced clearly, and everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to it.

Tang Xixue sat upright on the back of Zhuxing and nodded slightly upon hearing the voice.

She didn't look at anyone's expression, but gently stroked Zhu Xing's beautifully shaped neck.

The black steed understood, snorted happily, and carried her to the designated starting line with steady and rhythmic steps.

She drew a long, white-feathered arrow from the quiver on the side of the saddle and nocked it onto the sleek rhinoceros horn bow in her hand.

The bow seemed to come alive in her hands, blending harmoniously with her upright figure and the magnificent steed beneath her, forming a powerful whole.

Fifty paces ahead, ten red bullseye targets are lined up in the snow, their bright red bullseyes standing out against the white background.

Instructor Feng Yi swung his command flag down sharply!

"start!"

Almost the instant the command flag was lowered, Zhu Xing suddenly shot out like a black lightning bolt.

It didn't accelerate slowly, but instead burst into astonishing speed from the very beginning, its four hooves flying and snow spraying everywhere!

Tangxi Xue, on horseback, remained as steady as a rock.

Her gaze was as calm as a still pool, locking onto the first bullseye.

Draw the bow! Nock the arrow! Aim! Release!

The four movements were performed smoothly and without hesitation on the bumpy, galloping horseback.

"call out--!"

The first white-feathered arrow tore through the cold wind, transforming into a blur that was difficult to see with the naked eye. With a sharp whistling sound, it accurately pierced the center of the first target!

The red heart trembled, and the tail feathers continued to buzz.

And this is just the beginning!

The speed of the chasing star did not slow down at all; on the contrary, under the master's control, it ran a smooth arc that was most conducive to continuous shooting.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."

One after another, white-feathered arrows flew out from her fingers in a steady, heart-pounding rhythm.

Each time the bowstring twanged, it was accompanied by the muffled sound of the bullseye being pierced in the distance.

Her galloping gait was fluid and graceful, her archery posture composed and unhurried. Her moon-white figure, set against the backdrop of her dark steed, was so dazzling that it was almost blinding.

Ten arrows!

In just a few dozen breaths, the quiver was empty.

Just in time, the star-chasing horse reared up and stopped right before the finish line, exhaling a puff of vibrant white steam.

The girl on horseback slowly lowered her bow, her arm steady without a tremor.

There was a deathly silence on the sidelines.

Everyone's eyes froze, filled with the same extreme shock and bewilderment.

Countless gazes stared blankly at the ten targets fifty paces away—

On each of the red hearts, a white-feathered arrow is firmly embedded, its fletching arranged in an almost straight line, trembling slightly in the wind.

Ten targets! Ten arrows! All hit the bullseye!

"Hmm..."

Someone gasped, their voice unusually clear in the silence.

"Am I...am I seeing things?" someone murmured, blinking hard.

"All...all hit the bullseye?! Ten arrows, all hitting the bullseye?!"

"How is this possible... Didn't she even have trouble drawing a bow?"

"This archery...this mounted archery...you call this terribly bad? Then what are we? Useless trash?!"

"Who started this rumor? It's absolutely outrageous!"

An unbelievable gasp, like a thawing glacier, exploded and swept across the entire grassland.

All eyes were fixed on the girl who had reined in her horse and was gently stroking the star.

The snowlight illuminated her beautiful profile, and her cloak, which had billowed backward during their previous dash, now slowly draped down.

She remained calm, without the slightest hint of arrogance.

"Given her incredible archery skills... why did she either feign illness or just go through the motions in those archery lessons before?" someone asked absentmindedly.

"Isn't the sacrifice she made to avoid overshadowing Young Master Shen's brilliance a bit too great?"

Someone couldn't help but sigh.

"..." Shen Xian.