85: Chapter 82: Focus of Darkness 85: Chapter 82: Focus of Darkness (From now on, the protagonist’s name will be unified as Suo Lun, and the name Lanling will gradually fade away, brothers, I sincerely beg for your recommendation tickets.)
In the morning, after breakfast.
Suo Ningbing personally dressed Suo Lun in a tight-fitting archer’s attire, made of python skin, which was very expensive.
At this moment, as he wore it, he appeared exceptionally heroic, causing Suo Ningbing’s beautiful eyes to shimmer with admiration.
“It’s really beautiful,” Suo Ningbing said.
“Gui Qinshao would definitely regret her poor attitude towards you before if she saw you looking so splendid now.”
Hearing his sister mention the name of his unappreciative fiancée again, Suo Lun just smiled and then slightly furrowed his brow, indicating his reluctance to talk about Gui Qinshao at this time.
Still not noticing his discomfort, Suo Ningbing continued, because Suo Lun’s eyes looked as bright and mischievous as ever, still so enchanting.
As she smoothed out Suo Lun’s furrowed brow, she said, “Silly child, our marriage alliance with Earl Gui Xingfu of Linhai City is very important.
Plus, you haven’t seen your fiancée yet; she’s really, really beautiful, the kind of beauty that is dazzling to the eyes.
Once you successfully inherit your title and become the Lord of Tianshui City, we will go to Linhai City to formally propose and get your marriage settled.”
Suo Ningbing helped him fasten the belt around his waist, examining his lean and upright figure, complemented by an extraordinarily handsome face, indeed enough to captivate countless young girls, then she nodded with satisfaction.
“Child, what’s wrong with your eyes?” his sister, overly concerned about Suo Lun, asked.
Even though his eyes looked undamaged, she still felt something was slightly off.
“They’re fine, just dazzled by your beauty,” Suo Lun teased.
“Our child is the real beauty.
Now go and dazzle everyone else,” Suo Ningbing joked for once and then affectionately rubbed her nose against Suo Lun’s.
Taking the opportunity, Suo Lun wrapped his arms around her slender waist and stole a kiss on her lips.
Suo Ningbing’s body shuddered, her cheeks flushed instantly red, and she whispered softly, “You little rascal, let me go.”
Suo Lun did not release her but instead tightened his grip, letting her soft body press closely against his own, then he moved his lips to her crystal-clear earlobe and whispered softly, “Sister, wait for me to come back home.”
After speaking, he gently bit Suo Ningbing’s earlobe, then he walked straight out.
Half of Suo Ningbing’s delicate body went numb, her stunning face looked as if she were intoxicated, watching Suo Lun’s receding figure with her big, misty eyes.
She didn’t know when it started, but this beautiful and melancholic boy had become the center of her world.
Yet, for some reason, even as Suo Ningbing felt happiness and shyness from their intimacy, a shadow crossed her heart, an unease for which she found no reason.
“Good morning, young master.”
“Good morning, master.”
“Go for it, young master.”
Blindly relying on his memory, Suo Lun walked out of the Earl’s mansion, with family samurai and maids along the way bowing and greeting him.
He greeted them back with a smile and a nod.
Upon leaving the Earl’s mansion, Ye Jingyu’s carriage was already prepared.
Suo Lun walked over and whispered to Ye Jingyu, “Help me onto the carriage.”
Ye Jingyu was taken aback before taking Suo Lun’s hand and helping him onto the carriage.
“We wish the master a triumphant return,” shouted all the maids and samurai at the entrance of the mansion.
Suo Lun waved back at them with a smile, bidding farewell.
Ye Jingyu wielded the whip, driving the carriage towards the Royal City Academy.
At this moment, the gambling match between Suo Lun and Princess Zhining had become the focus of the entire royal city.
Today, the final outcome would be decided.
Now, the roads from the Earl’s mansion to the Royal City Academy were filled with crowds eager to see the spectacle, variously cheering and shouting for Suo Lun.
“Suo Lun, we support you, you must win the final match.”
“Suo Lun, you must win, defeat Princess Zhining!”
“Suo Lun, go for it, you must win, you must!
Although Suo Lun was a noble and had once had a notorious reputation, he dared to resist the oppression of the royal family, creating miracles time and again.
Thus, he had already won the support of countless citizens of the royal city.
Everyone was waiting for his final performance, waiting for him to create the ultimate miracle.
However, what no one knew was that Suo Lun, whom they regarded as a miracle worker, now saw a world engulfed in darkness.
An archer blinded is like a gourmet who has lost his taste or a perfumer who has lost his sense of smell.
Over at the Silver Casino, the stakes on Suo Lun winning had increased by more than a thousand Gold Coins, accumulating to over thirteen thousand Gold Coins in total.
And if Suo Lun really won, the Silver Casino would have to pay out one hundred thirty thousand Gold Coins.
This was an astronomical sum, exceeding the annual taxes of an entire province.
If Suo Lun truly won, the Silver Casino would go bankrupt three times over with that amount, and Zhi Ning and Zhi Li would be completely crippled.
Even just for that astronomical sum of Gold Coins, it was enough reason to cheat Suo Lun a hundred times over.
In the eyes of countless expectant onlookers, Suo Lun’s carriage entered the Royal City Academy.
There was no longer a rowdy crowd on either side of the road, Suo Lun was still the center of attention, but now it was filled with coldness and hostility.
Every student of the Civilian Academy glared angrily at Suo Lun’s carriage.
Because these people were the most loyal supporters of the royal family, and Suo Lun was an enemy of the royal family, he had blocked Prince Zili’s path.
What was utterly unforgivable was that Suo Lun had desecrated their goddess, Princess Zhining.
Both Princess Zhining and Prince Zili held extremely high reputations within the Civilian Academy.
Moreover, Suo Lun’s treatise on how partisan strife destroys a country had put him firmly against these civilian elites.
As for how astonishing Suo Lun’s artistic accomplishments were?
Sorry, they were not interested and did not care for such elusive things at all.
As Suo Lun passed through the central axis of the Civilian Academy, he once again faced intense mockery and insults from the civilian students.
“Suo Lun, this final exam will be the moment when you completely reveal your worthless nature.”
“Suo Lun, after today, your Suo family will be finished.
You will be nothing, you will have become a commoner just like us.”
“Oh no, although we are commoners, we have outstanding literary and martial skills.
But you, once you lose your noble status, will become completely useless.”
“Suo Lun, when you’ve lost everything, you can wholeheartedly serve those lowly women, paint for them, play the piano for them – that’s what you’re best at, isn’t it?”
“By then, I’m afraid he won’t have the luxury to do so.
However, he has a pretty face and can work in a brothel, catering to clients – spreading his legs would make money come faster.”
Driving the carriage, Ye Jingyu was so angry her delicate body trembled.
At this moment, Suo Lun was no longer just her lord, nor the stranger from Lanling.
He was a man who made her heart ache and whom she found incredibly fascinating.
Instead, Suo Lun, listening to these insults and mockeries, sat quietly in the carriage with no reaction.
After passing through the Commoner Branch, they arrived at the Noble Branch, and here was a different scene altogether.
“Suo Lun, we support you.”
“Suo Lun, you must win!”
Many noble girls rushed up to Suo Lun’s carriage, calling out passionately.
In their eyes, a man with high martial skills was just a samurai.
Only art is eternal, and that night, Suo Lun completely subdued them with a song “Fate”.
They supported him not just with words, but also with actions, especially with Gold Coins.
They emptied all their pocket money, betting on Suo Lun’s victory at the Silver Casino, even though they felt certain the money would go to waste, as they knew Suo Lun was virtually powerless in Martial Arts.
Lanling could not see these girls, but he could feel their passionate breaths.
A smile appeared on his lips as he thought to himself, “Originally, I could have made you win a dowry, but now…
The carriage stopped in front of the archery range, the venue for today’s final big exam.
“Jingyu, help me out,” Suo Lun said, extending his hand.
Ye Jingyu was surprised once again, then helped Suo Lun out, teasingly saying, “Yes, my lord.
From tonight on, I’m not your samurai, but your maid.”
“As a maid, are you responsible for warming the bed?” Suo Lun teased, then looked in Ye Jingyu’s direction.
At that moment, Ye Jingyu realized something was wrong.
Although she was holding Suo Lun’s hand, her body was busy adjusting the saddle.
And Suo Lun’s gaze towards her was empty; she was not there.
“My lord, what’s wrong with you?” Ye Jingyu asked tremulously.
Suo Lun said, “I can’t see out of my eyes.
Yesterday at Marquis Jian Yong’s Mansion, a woman with a small stature but extremely high martial skills blinded me.
I didn’t think much of it yesterday, but when I got up today, I couldn’t see.”
Instantly, Ye Jingyu stood rooted to the spot, and tears began to flood from her eyes that had never cried before.
Then, Ye Jingyu knelt on the ground, letting out a sorrowful cry.
Why had it come to this?
Why had the heavens treated her master this way?
He was so kind, so talented, so strong, and so pity-inspiring – why do this to him?
Then, a boundless grief and rage surged within Ye Jingyu’s heart.
She fiercely gripped the saber in her hand, ready to charge out and cut Princess Zhining into a thousand pieces and do the same to that serpent-hearted woman.
Take my hand and let’s enter the archery range; the big exam is about to start,” Suo Lun said.
Ye Jingyu said, “But how can you take the test ?
How can you shoot arrows if you can’t even see?”
“I want to try,” Suo Lun said.
“There’s a saying that goes, ‘When destiny plays with you, you simply choke it by the throat.
If you can’t make it submit, then perish together with it.'”
Then, Suo Lun forcefully pulled Ye Jingyu up, saying, “Get up, take my hand into the archery range.
Today, let me try once more to see if I can grip its throat again.
And if I can’t, if I fail, I might aim the last arrow at Zhining!
If it really comes to that, the Suo family will be wiped out, and you’ll have to die with me.”
Ye Jingyu stood up abruptly, holding Suo Lun’s hand, saying, “If we die, we die together.
If your last arrow doesn’t kill Zhining, I’ll use all my cultivation, all my strength, to rush over and cut her to pieces.”
Then, Ye Jingyu led Suo Lun by the hand, into the vast expanse of the archery range, surrounded by darkness.