Chapter 163 Pitch-Pot

Shen Kai gasped, but immediately told himself it must be an illusion, a mere coincidence.

Calming down, Shen Kai did not let the loss of a single arrow throw off his rhythm. He picked up another one. Instead of showing off, he played it safe to secure victory, and predictably landed it right in the mouth of the pot.

The pitch-pot official’s voice rang across the courtyard, "Consecutive hits! Record—five points for Young Master Shen!"

"Young Master Shen is remarkably steady. It looks like Heir Jiang is in for a tough time."

"That previous hit was probably just beginner's luck, with Heir Jiang acting like a blind cat running into a dead mouse. Young Master Shen hasn't even unleashed his ultimate moves yet; he's just maintaining his pace. The real excitement is yet to come."

Xue Mingfang usually didn't play pitch-pot and only understood the basic etiquette to avoid losing face. He had certainly never heard of these so-called ultimate moves of Shen Kai's that everyone was raving about.

"Second Brother, do you know about this?"

Xue Ming睿 nodded, but before he could reply, Zhao Yang wedged himself into the conversation.

"I know, I know!"

Completely ignoring the Xue family's disdainful glares, Zhao Yang walked over with the help of his attendant.

"This Shen Kai is famous for showing off his pitch-pot skills. Ever since he turned thirteen, every single match he's played has resulted in a clean sweep, with every arrow hitting the target. Once he started crushing all opponents effortlessly, he began showing off during competitions—fancy tricks like 'The Dragon's Head' and 'The Dragon's Tail' that constantly astound the audience. And there's even more..."

Xue Mingfang clutched his chest. "He's that powerful? What's the point of even playing then? Poor cousin, he's being kept completely in the dark!"

Xue Minghao strode over and grabbed Zhao Yang by the collar. "If you knew he was this formidable, why did you drag him into a match? And even if you wanted to compete, what was your intention in dragging my cousin into it?"

Zhao Yang's attendants rushed forward to protect their master, but Xue Mingfang quickly pulled his still-clueless fourth brother aside to block their path.

"Hey, hey, hey! Good brothers, let's not resort to violence, alright? I only found out just now myself. I previously thought those rumors were just exaggerations, but I never expected them to be true. I'm feeling quite wronged here too~~"

Xue Minghao released Zhao Yang's collar. "I'll settle accounts with you after this is over. Hmph!"

Zhao Yang cupped his hands in a salute. "No need for you to seek me out; by then, I'll go straight to my cousin-in-law to offer a humble apology with a rod strapped to my back."

"Hmph!"

On the courtyard, Shen Kai turned sideways, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Lan's every move.

The exact same motion, the exact same technique, executed in one fluid fluid motion—it went in again.

Shen Kai stared in shock at Jiang Lan, who had turned back to face him. Pointing a trembling finger at him, he stammered incoherently, "You, you, you... how is this possible?" Those movements and techniques were the result of seven or eight years of bitter practice! How could he possibly master them after just a few tries?

"Impossible, impossible..." Shen Kai muttered. Once again, the pitch-pot official's voice rang in his ears, "Consecutive hits! Record—five points for Heir Jiang!"

"He hit it! He hit it! Cousin hit it again!" Xue Mingfang cheered, hugging his fourth brother.

Zhao Yang was equally overjoyed, clapping aggressively and shouting, "Cousin-in-law, you're brilliant!"

The sudden outcry drew the attention of many onlookers.

"Well, well, well, aren't Young Master Zhao and the Third Young Master Xue a bit too excited?"

"Understandable. After all, being able to respond with such composure against an unmatched master like Young Master Shen makes Heir Jiang quite impressive indeed. I just wonder how long he can keep this up?"

Everyone was guessing how much longer Jiang Lan could maintain a tie. In their hearts, not a single one of them believed Jiang Lan could actually win. After all, one was the undefeated myth of the imperial capital, while the other was a notorious playboy from a circle of good-for-nothings who had never even played pitch-pot before.

Only someone out of their mind would think Jiang Lan stood a chance of winning.

Hearing that Young Master Shen had scored consecutively, Jiang Si grew tense all over again. Even Madam Zhou nearby took a large gulp of tea out of anxiety, and Madam Zheng of the fourth branch was even more frantic.

Knowing this trouble was caused by her own reckless son, Madam Zheng had already received several severe glares from the Old Lady.

At that moment, Madam Zheng pressed her palms together in a silent prayer to all deities, begging only that Lan'er out there would achieve total victory. Otherwise, the Duke of Ying's Mansion would lose all its face today, and she herself would undoubtedly face days of reprimand from the matriarch.

Should Lan'er lose face as well, the Noble Consort would surely make a note of it in her heart. However, considering that Hao'er had only acted rashly because the Shen fellow had spoken disrespectfully to Jiang Lan, the Consort would likely hold no grudge against her eldest son.

No matter what, Lan'er, it all depends on you now!

Suddenly, another servant came running toward them. Madam Zheng stared fixedly without blinking as the servant shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Reporting! The young master has scored consecutively! Record—five points!"

"Splendid!" Madam Zheng immediately thanked the gods in her heart.

Seeing Jiang Si let out a long breath of relief, Madam Zhou took Jiang Si's hand and comforted her with a smile, "Don't worry. It seems Lan'er's true skills were just hidden beneath the surface."

Jiang Si gave a bitter smile. "There are still several rounds left. I just hope my brother can hold his ground."

In truth, Jiang Si had also heard of Shen Kai's brilliance. As for whether her brother was genuinely concealing his abilities and just how formidable he truly was, Jiang Si had no idea at all.

Sitting in the seat of honor, the Old Lady watched her eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Gu, return and said softly, "Never mind. Since the Shen family looks down upon our Duke of Ying's Mansion, there's no need to send them invitations in the future."

Madam Gu nodded and offered reassurance, "I specifically sent someone to ask Second Brother. It appears Lan'er has genuine strength, so Mother need not worry."

The Old Lady smiled. "That child is a good one. He excels in everything."

As Madam Wang spoke, she reached out to stroke the walking cane beside her.

The Princess of Anping, sitting nearby, had sharp eyes and immediately noticed the unique nature of the Old Lady's cane.

"Old Lady, if this concubine's eyes do not deceive me, is this aged sinking wood?" As soon as the Princess of Anping spoke, every noblewoman present turned to look.

"Ah, the Princess's eyes are truly discerning! We ignorant folk only knew the Old Lady had changed to a new item, yet we never realized it had such an extraordinary origin." The lady who spoke was exceptionally slick, lifting both the hostess and the princess high with a single remark.

She flattered the princess without stealing the thunder of the birthday celebrant, the Old Lady.

"Could it be a filial tribute from one of your young lords?" a lady asked.

The Old Lady, Madam Wang, waved her hand and replied with a smile, "They don't have that kind of thoughtfulness. Birthdays come every year, and they are busy handling affairs for His Majesty and the Consort. Where would they find the time to ponder such things?"

"Then was it specially sought out by the young masters and misses of the estate to honor the Old Lady?" another asked. "How terribly filial."

"Those mischievous monkeys didn't have the wits for it. It was my unruly grandson who wasted good material. Imagine taking a whole, flawless piece of aged sinking wood and carving just this finest section into a walking cane with his own hands. Oh~ such a terrible waste of a treasure."

The noblewomen present all drew in a sharp breath. A grandson who could be doted on like this by the Old Lady, and spoken of so fondly—aside from the one from the Duke of Wei's Mansion, who else could it be?

"Had the Old Lady not mentioned it, this concubine would have remained puzzled by such exquisite craftsmanship... To think it was carved personally by Heir Jiang! How thoughtful indeed. Looking at the character for longevity carved upon it, the Heir must have poured a tremendous amount of effort into this."

The Princess sat close enough to see clearly, while the ladies further away could only listen to the excitement, marveling at how unimaginably wealthy the Heir must be. First, he gifted an entire casket of luminous pearls to his cousin for the pitch-pot game, and then turned around to present the Old Lady with a rare aged sinking wood walking cane.