Chapter 189: Lost Without Being Defeated
Xiao Ye offered a slight smile, but the contempt in his eyes was plain to see.
He clearly didn't see them as opponents. It was more like he was toying with a pack of clowns.
"You lost the equestrian match, so let's compete in something else. If you can beat me, we'll call this one a wash. How about it?"
"But if you lose, it won't just be the loser who has to kneel, call me 'Grandpa,' and say the Xiao Family are all trash."
"Instead, *all* of you will not only have to kneel, but you'll have to kowtow, too!"
"You've gone too far!"
"There's no way we'll agree to that! Don't even think about humiliating the Xiao Family!"
"Don't think you're safe just because you have people protecting you. It gets dark, the roads get slippery... you never know when an 'accident' might happen."
Xiao Ye completely ignored their threats. He just repeated himself, "So, are we betting or not? If not, hurry up and honor the original wager!"
"If you still refuse, then I'll have to resort to my own methods."
The members of the Xiao Family exchanged glances. They didn't believe for a second that Xiao Ye could do anything to them.
But before they could speak, one of the Ouyang Family members cut in. "My friend, your riding skill is incredible."
"I've got my money on you. Don't worry. Since I'm the referee today, I'll make sure they don't go back on their word!"
A member of the Fifth Clan chimed in, "That's right. If you're going to be a referee, you have to do a referee's job."
"If they don't comply, I'll *beat* them until they do!"
As he spoke, he flexed his powerful frame, and his muscles bulged instantly, creating a very intimidating sight.
The members of the Xiao Family immediately gulped in fear.
The people from the Fifth Clan were fighters—*exceptionally* good fighters.
They didn't dare provoke them.
Xiao Ming clenched his fists. At this point, it seemed he had no other choice.
"Fine, I agree! But *we* get to decide what we're competing in!"
Xiao Ye scoffed. "Fine."
'After all, he'd come today with the express purpose of humiliating the Xiao Family.'
'He could win no matter what competition they proposed from this venue!'
"Then we'll compete in archery!"
"Moving targets. Ten arrows each. Whoever has the highest total score wins. How's that?"
Xiao Ye hadn't expected them to be so bull-headed as to walk right into his area of expertise.
"Fine. One at a time."
"How about I go first?"
Xiao Ming couldn't have been happier to let him go first. "Good, you're up!"
The archery range was quickly prepared.
The Ouyang and Fifth Clans once again acted as referees.
This time, even staff members who heard what was happening came over to sneak a peek at the spectacle.
They wanted to see who on earth would dare to compete against someone from a Hidden Clan.
The members of these clans received the finest elite educations, learning these upper-crust skills from a young age.
How could they possibly lose to a nobody?
Xiao Ye stretched a bit, selected a bow, and placed ten arrows to one side.
The moving target began its course.
Xiao Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, aimed, and let an arrow fly!
THWACK!
A direct hit to the bullseye!
"Ten points!" the scorekeeper immediately shouted.
The faces of the Xiao Family members paled slightly.
They whispered among themselves, trying to reassure one another. "The kid must have gotten lucky. That's the only way he hit it. The next one will definitely miss!"
"Brother Ming's archery is even better than his riding. He'll definitely win!"
"The kid's form isn't even standard!"
Xiao Ye stretched again, but this time, he nocked two arrows.
"What is he doing?" a staff member exclaimed. "Is he going to shoot two arrows at once?"
"That's impossible! It's a moving target, and its speed is only going to increase. No one can do that."
They had hosted professional archery masters here before, but none of them could shoot two arrows at once at this speed.
When the Xiao Family saw this, they weren't scared at all. In fact, they started laughing.
"This kid's gotten cocky. Daring to try two arrows at once? I bet he'll miss with both!"
"Exactly! He should just shoot them one by one. Insisting on two at once will just make him a laughingstock!"
"Brother Ming, you've definitely got this one!"
Even the members of the Fifth Clan shook their heads. As inheritors of martial arts traditions, they naturally had to be skilled in archery, as well as hidden weapons and the like.
The biggest difference between a bow and hidden weapons is that one is thrown by hand and the other is launched by a bow. The projectiles are different, which also determines their upper limits.
Xiao Ye stretched, and everyone assumed he would need to take aim.
But who would have thought? The moment he nocked the arrows, he drew and fired instantly!
THWACK! THWACK!
A double shot!
"They... they hit! Two arrows, both ten points!"
"What!"
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
At that moment, the expressions on the faces of the Xiao Family were as ugly as they could be.
"Brother Ming, it's fine! We only agreed to count the total score, not give bonus points for stuff like this!"
"Shut up!" Xiao Ming snapped.
Xiao Ye moved again. This time, he took out three arrows.
"He's going for three arrows at once!"
"There's no way. I bet he hits two at most!"
"Even that would be insane! Hitting two is already badass enough. I almost want to ask him for lessons!"
FWOOSH FWOOSH FWOOSH!
A triple shot!
"They hit!" The scorekeeper was even more excited than Xiao Ye, his voice trembling slightly.
"All three are ten-pointers!"
The crowd erupted.
The staff, in particular, began to discuss it excitedly among themselves.
Several members of the Fifth Clan immediately moved closer to Xiao Ye. They didn't dare get too close, but from this distance, they could get a clear look at how he was firing!
Now, only four arrows remained.
Everyone held their breath.
As Xiao Ye took them all out at once, some people had already clenched their fists in anticipation.
A quadruple shot!
That's simply impossible!
Xiao Ye gave them no time to react. He drew the bow and fired!
"They... they all hit!" the staff member confirmed after a careful check. "All of them are dead-center bullseyes!"
"Total score: one hundred points!"
This happened right in front of everyone. Even if the Xiao Family wanted to deny it, they couldn't.
The Xiao Family had lost before they even competed.
Even if Xiao Ming managed to score ten points with every shot, it wouldn't be able to compare to the sheer spectacle of Xiao Ye's performance!
In terms of sheer skill, he was already utterly defeated.
Xiao Ye turned to face Xiao Ming. "Your turn. Don't tell me I scared you so badly you can't even pick up a bow?"
Xiao Ming's pride wouldn't allow him to back down without even trying.
He took a deep breath and picked up another bow. The range was cleared.
But every time he looked at the bullseye, the image of Xiao Ye's godlike archery skill flooded his mind.
He was truly afraid.
'Once fear takes hold, you've already lost.'
Xiao Ming drew his bow and fired!
THWAP!
"Nine points!"
He had lost on the very first arrow.
Xiao Ming truly felt like he could barely hold the bow anymore. If he continued, he would only humiliate himself further.
One of the Ouyang Family members chuckled. "Alright, you don't need to bother with the rest. He got a hundred points. Even if all your next shots are ten-pointers, you'll still only have ninety-nine."
Xiao Ye's gaze swept over the members of the Xiao Family. Every one of them looked as if they were mourning their own parents, their expressions utterly devastated.
Losing the first time was one thing.
But to actually lose a second time...!