Chapter 24.2 – The First Video

Jian Mei hurriedly ran to his brother’s side and explained, “No, no, he’s my classmate. We just met at the entrance of the restroom, and then…”

After explaining for a while, he finally clarified the cause and effect.

However, Jian Changjia’s expression didn’t soften. His sharp gaze scanned Cheng Yu from head to toe. “Are you okay?”

Cheng Yu could feel the hostility directed towards him from Jian Changjia. But he had just lost control in front of Jian Mei, and he couldn’t afford to lose composure in front of others as well. He put on a somewhat formal smile and replied, “I’m fine. It’s much better now. I really have to thank Mei Mei. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

A skillful move, taking a step back to gain an advantage.

Jian Mei felt embarrassed by the praise and quickly said modestly, “It’s nothing, really. I should do it. Luckily, you pulled me back; otherwise, I would have been the one who fell.”

Cheng Yu said, “It’s alright, as long as you’re okay.”

Jian Changjia sarcastically interjected, “Of course, if it weren’t for you insisting on taking some pictures, he would have gone back to have lunch a long time ago and wouldn’t have almost tripped.”

…

Cheng Yu’s face twisted slightly.

Jian Changjia turned to Jian Mei and said, “Grandpa has been looking for you urgently. Hurry back and let him know you’re safe. There’s a pavilion up ahead. I’ll help your classmate over there to rest.”

Upon hearing that his grandfather was waiting for him, Jian Mei indeed became a little anxious. He nodded immediately and said, “Alright.”

Cheng Yu looked at him, not expecting that he wouldn’t seize the opportunity even when his foot was twisted. But Jian Mei just waved at him and said, “Class monitor, I’m going back. See you at school when the vacation ends.”

“Um…”

As he watched the person walk away, the remaining two boys faced each other, and there was an awkward silence.

Jian Changjia, of course, wasn’t kind enough to help him. On the contrary, with his hands in his pockets, he looked like a bandit in the mountains. He looked down at Cheng Yu from a superior position and said, “Although I don’t know what your true intentions are, little classmate, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Cheng Yu quietly looked at him.

“His leukemia hasn’t completely healed. The coagulation system still has issues. Do you know? For him, even a small bleeding wound could be fatal.” Jian Changjia was no longer the unreliable brother in front of Jian Mei. At this moment, he was unusually serious. “Kid, if you dare to do anything to him, believe me, you will pay a very painful price.”

Cheng Yu’s expression also turned grave after listening, but he still didn’t show any flaws. He calmly said, “You may have misunderstood. It was just an accident.”

Jian Changjia paused and sneered, “Better be.”

He turned and left, his face turning gloomy. For some reason, although Cheng Yu appeared polite, he gave Jian Changjia a slimy feeling, even compared to the two, if he had to choose, he felt that Da Zhuang from last night, who dared to confront him head-on and seemed more straightforward, was not bad.

…

On the other side,

Stan Star.

Today was the semi-annual Autumn Hunt. Stan Star was a country that valued traditional culture, and every spring and autumn, they held an annual hunting and martial arena event initiated by the royal family. It was also a way to remind the people that no matter how advanced technology became, they should not forget their roots and ancestral traditions.

The hunting ground was a mountain, and at the foot of the mountain, it was bustling. The ministers from the palace and the dignitaries from the imperial city almost all attended this grand festival. The entire royal family participated in this hunt and competition, and some high-ranking nobles would also show their skills. It was very exciting. The flat ground at the foot of the mountain was crowded with people, and there were even many crystal balls hovering in the air, broadcasting the scene to the people in the city.

Although the outskirts were crowded, the inner field was actually very quiet.

The emperor sat at the forefront, with a table full of fruits and meals in front of him. The ministers and princes sitting below also had a variety of food on their tables. This was a banquet before the grand ceremony, but some people were not behaving properly.

The Prime Minister sitting on the left side spoke first, “Your Majesty, this year’s harvests have been good in various regions, and the GDP has increased significantly compared to last year. You see, many common people have come here. Most people are living a good life, thanks to the new policies you have introduced in the past two years.”

The emperor accepted the flattery, “We only hope for national stability and the people’s well-being. Prime Minister, you have worked hard these years.”

“Not at all, not at all.” The Prime Minister finally got to the point, “Being able to assist you and the Crown Prince in governing the country is my honor.”

The crown prince finally caught the attention of his grandfather, and a smile immediately appeared on his face. He looked at the emperor with some expectation, hoping that the emperor would praise his achievements this year.

Unfortunately, the emperor just listened indifferently and didn’t say anything.

It was the empress next to him who saw her son’s embarrassment and quickly said, “Your Majesty, look at the targets set up in front of the field. In previous years, you would always be the first to shoot, but this time…”

The emperor stood up and said to her, “I’ll do it this year. Bring me my bow.”

The empress quickly responded and had the attendants bring the emperor’s bow. She had planned this in advance. Half a year ago, she had urged the crown prince to practice archery. In previous years, Lu Xingwang had always stolen the limelight. This year, it was her son’s turn to shine.

The emperor walked to the front of the target range, displaying professional and skillful movements. He appeared to be someone who had practiced archery regularly. Squinting his eyes, he shot the arrow, and it hit the bullseye directly.

The attendant on the other end quickly announced, “Ten points!”

The whole crowd cheered. The emperor’s divine power was like the power of the wind, able to control its speed and fluctuations. So hitting the bullseye with ten points was indeed an easy task for him. However, divine power becomes rarer as one grows older, and now that the emperor was almost 50 years old, achieving such excellent results was definitely worth celebrating.

Next was the crown prince’s turn. He had prepared for this moment for a long time and appeared full of confidence. He adjusted his robe, picked up his bow, squinted his eyes, and released the arrow. Then, the attendant announced, “Nine points, ten points, ten points!”

The targets on Stan Star were technologically improved and movable. Not to mention the distance, sometimes the targets would even change size automatically. The crown prince’s divine power was a strength-based fire-type power, which was actually the most restricted within the five elements. But achieving this result still showed his dedication.

Finally, the emperor nodded in approval.

Next was the second prince, who appeared much more ordinary. He chose a moving target and achieved a score of seven, seven, nine.

However, he had a cute appearance and was good at acting spoiled. He was often favored by the emperor, so even if his performance was not ideal, he wouldn’t be scolded. After leaving the field, the second prince’s mother quickly came over to wipe his sweat and offer him water. He was truly treasured.

According to the order, it should have been the third prince, Lu Xingwang, next. In previous years, this was the most anticipated part for everyone because, without any exceptions, regardless of the achievements of other noble children or other princes, the third prince would always come out on top. This was something everyone subconsciously assumed. But this year was different from previous years…

The empress had long wanted to see Lu Xingwang make a fool of himself. She used her gaze to stop the attendant who wanted to directly call the next noble child to the stage and instead said to the emperor, “Your Majesty, the purpose of this event is to involve everyone and experience the spirit of our ancestors. Now that the crown prince and the second prince have already performed, what about Xingwang…”

Sure enough, the emperor shifted his gaze to Lu Xingwang.

Lu Xingwang, sitting in the row of prince seats below, appeared today in traditional riding attire. No matter when, good manners would make him stand tall, sitting quietly in his place regardless of how lively the surroundings were. Even in the face of the possibility of making a fool of himself, he remained calm and composed.

The emperor spoke, “Xingwang, would you like to give it a try?”

The empress was delighted and didn’t forget to make things difficult for him. She said, “Xingwang, don’t worry about your performance. The important thing is to participate. But it may be challenging for you now without divine power. If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to participate.”

Lu Xingwang stood up. When he stood up, everyone’s gaze subconsciously fell on him. There were some visible scars on one side of the young boy’s face, but his steps were steady, and he exuded a powerful aura. When he walked out from behind the table and stood in the center, no one would think this was a child poisoned with venom. Some people didn’t have to do anything to attract the attention of everyone around them.

Lu Xingwang bowed to the emperor and said softly, “I’m willing to give it a try.”

The emperor was always inscrutable, and his face revealed no signs of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. He just waved his hand and said, “Go ahead.”

Without divine power, relying solely on the strength of his eyes and physical abilities, it was unimaginably difficult to deal with moving targets. That was why this sport was not popular among the common people. Noble descendants and aristocrats could do many things because they had divine power, but for ordinary people, the difficulty seemed like an insurmountable mountain.

The attendant handed him the bow and said, “Your Highness, please.”

The small flying balls that hovered at the foot of the mountain, capable of live broadcasting, spun wildly. Over there, in the center of the city, the commoners who gathered to watch this grand live event formed one circle after another. When they learned that it was Lu Xingwang, the third prince, who would be participating in shooting at moving targets, more people from various towns and villages gathered. They had heard legends about the third prince due to his innate five-element divine power, and now they had come together to witness the prince without divine power shooting.

“Swish!”

An arrow flew through the air and precisely hit the moving target’s bullseye.

The attendant announced, “Six points.”

Undoubtedly, this score was very poor. Not only was it much worse compared to himself who always hit ten points in previous years, but it was also clearly worse than the crown prince’s first arrow. Not only did the people at the scene have different thoughts upon hearing the score, but even the commoners gathered in the central square of the city were also discussing:

“It seems that the third prince really doesn’t have divine power.”

“The rumors are true, huh?”

“You see, I told you, there’s a big difference between having and not having divine power!”

In the center of the hunting ground, Lu Xingwang could almost feel the malicious or gloating gazes from all around. Such gazes were disturbing and unsettling. Despite being someone who was always proud, he was not accustomed to being looked down upon by so many people with such contemptuous eyes. For a moment, anger surged within him.

Naturally, the discussions around him multiplied:

“The third prince is really struggling.”

“Sigh, he’s not what he used to be.”

“What a pity.”

Surrounded by the noise of these words, dark thoughts churned in Lu Xingwang’s mind. The suppressed poison within him seemed to have a faint tendency to flare up. His body became tense, tightly wound. And just when he was feeling troubled and in the worst emotional state, for some reason, another person slowly emerged in his mind. It was someone who would always babble and talk to him, a child who would never stop talking, even though most of the time it was about trivial matters. He had always thought that he couldn’t remember those things, but at this moment, those memories inexplicably resurfaced, particularly clear:

“You’re really amazing.”

“Wow, you’re so smart.”

“Although I don’t know the reason, I believe you can overcome difficulties and become a remarkable person.”

At that time, those clumsy and childish words didn’t have much impact on him, and they didn’t cause many ripples. But at this moment, as he recalled them, his heart inexplicably calmed down.

Standing tall and straight, he pulled the bowstring a bit fuller. The moving target teleported at a fast speed, but Lu Xingwang’s gaze gradually became confident and sharp. He aimed with precision, released the bowstring, with hardly any hesitation. At the moment the arrow hit the bullseye, the attendant shouted, “Nine points!”

Nine points!!

The whole scene erupted.

Even for someone with divine power, this would be an excellent result, let alone for Lu Xingwang without divine power!

The previously proud smile on the crown prince’s face gradually disappeared, and the empress’s expression became solemn. Their moods grew heavy, but many people in the audience became excited and thrilled. They focused their energy and attention on the young man standing in the center, who stood there like a poised wolf, unlike the privileged second prince with his backing or the favored one on the platform.

The bow was slowly pulled tight, and everyone’s hearts tightened along with it.

“Whoosh!”

The final arrow was released.

The whole venue unconsciously fell silent. Then, the attendant shouted at the top of their lungs, reporting the score to everyone, “Ten points!”

It was actually a perfect score, achieved by someone without any divine power and burdened with a serious illness. Once, Lu Xingwang had won first place, and people could only say that it was the result expected of someone with the Five Elements divine power. But now, even though Lu Xingwang had lost his divine power, he still achieved a score that many others couldn’t.

Some aristocratic descendants whispered to each other:

“Is that possible?”

“Is it true or false?”

“Did they cheat?”

Admitting that someone is superior to oneself, and being completely overwhelmed by them, is the most difficult thing.

The small reporter responsible for live broadcasting to the people couldn’t resist and approached Lǔ Xīngwàng, as he was preparing to return to the banquet, to interview him: “Your Highness, Your Highness, congratulations on your excellent performance. I would like to know how you managed to achieve it without divine power. The speed of the moving target was so fast that I couldn’t even see it clearly without divine power! Can you share your secret with us? Because many children from ordinary families also want to practice archery.”

This was a question that would never have been asked in front of Lǔ Xīngwàng before. It was somewhat ridiculous, but also so genuine.

Not to mention the commoners waiting for the answer on the other side of the live broadcast, even the noble elites with divine power present at the scene suddenly became curious and perked up their ears, wanting to hear the answer.

Lǔ Xīngwàng stood there with minimal expression on his face. He didn’t seem particularly happy or sad about this achievement. After hearing the interview, he remained silent for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, “There is no secret.”

The little reporter blinked in confusion.

She asked, “Do you know how many times the moving target moves per minute?”

The little reporter was taken aback. It was hard for her to imagine how many times the target, which changed every second, would move in a minute. Could anyone know?

“It’s 600 times,” Lǔ Xīngwàng replied calmly. “And I have hit every position it has moved to.”

Although it was such a surprising statement, the young man said it in such a calm manner: “There is no secret. Success comes from practice.”

In the past, because he possessed such extraordinary divine power, everyone naturally assumed that the success and superior achievements of this prince were bestowed by the heavens. But when Lǔ Xīngwàng spoke these words, the entire venue fell even quieter.

The little reporter took a while before managing to utter a sentence, “Your Highness, do you think if it were a commoner…”

“What’s the question? I am also a commoner now,” Lǔ Xīngwàng stood there and calmly said to her, “But the fact is, as long as you put in enough effort, you can hit the bullseye.”

The venue remained as silent as before, but after a short while, suddenly, there were cheers from a distance, even from the center of the city. The excited commoners who had watched this live broadcast could not contain their excitement. For a long time, in everyone’s perception, people with divine power and those without were different. The same achievements were thought to be impossible for commoners.

However, today, in front of the entire nation, Lu Xingwang achieved a perfect score of ten in archery.

Moreover, His Highness said that as long as one works hard, even a commoner can hit the bullseye just the same!

For many individuals who have long been unrecognized, this was like a soothing balm, causing excitement and waves of cheering. No one knew who started it, but someone began shouting:

“Long live Third Prince!”

“Third Prince, the eternal king!”

“His Highness is not a commoner, but a miracle!”

Such passionate voices seemed to break through the heavens and even reached the distant hunting grounds. Many ministers at the scene gradually realized the situation, and many were convinced by Lu Xingwang’s strength and achievements, willingly giving their affirmation. Even the emperor sitting in the front row, in an unprecedented manner, showed a satisfied expression, murmuring softly, “This child has the charisma I had in my youth.”

The empress’s expression changed.

Of course, the crown prince had the most unpleasant expression. Today was his only chance to surpass Lu Xingwang’s achievements, but the one receiving praise and celebration was still not him?! Not only the ministers, but even the common people were calling out a name that wasn’t his. Why? What gave him the right?! Why on earth?!

…

Evening

The camp was set up, and after finishing his cleaning, Lu Xingwang returned to his makeshift tent. He happened to receive a message from Jian Mei.

“Good evening. What are you doing?” Jian Mei seemed quite cheerful today. “What’s going on?”

Lu Xingwang looked at the feedback on the information terminal regarding the day’s live broadcast. He watched his own shooting performance, where he didn’t achieve top marks. He stared at it for a while before regaining his focus and replied, “I’m watching the replay of the competition I participated in during the day.”

Jian Mei was curious, “Replay? Did you participate in a competition?”

Lu Xingwang responded indifferently, “Yes.”

“Can I take a look?” Jian Mei gathered her courage, “Just a little glimpse.”

Lu Xingwang didn’t think there was anything impressive about himself today. It’s also ironic that he met Jian Mei during his lowest point. All the highlights of his earlier life could easily be considered impressive achievements, but for his current self, it seemed like there was nothing to show off: [There’s nothing impressive.]

Jian Mei felt somewhat disappointed. “Oh, okay…”

Through the screen, Lu Xingwang seemed to perceive Jian Mei’s dejected expression. In that moment, his thoughts shifted, and after a brief silence, the young man decided to share a portion of the footage, which only captured his silhouette. He sent it to Jian Mei. “I can show you a part of it.”

This was also the first time he was willing to share his life with Jian Mei.

Pausing for a moment, Lu Xingwang added, “But I didn’t come first in this competition.”

Because he was naturally favored by the heavens, everyone paid attention to his achievements. Because he was the Third Prince, he had to be outstanding to catch his father’s attention. Only by being the best could he silence everyone. Over time, he seemed to develop a habit of being harsh on himself. When he sent the video, he subconsciously added that line.

“Ding dong.”

A quick reply came, and it was from Jian Mei.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re not first. I don’t want to see the first place anyway.” Her words were never rational, yet they always warmed his heart. “I’m here to see you.”

It didn’t have to be the future heir to the throne, it didn’t have to be the Third Prince; even if he wasn’t the best, it was fine.

Just be Lu Xingwang.

Because I can see you.