He Zheng murmured, "How young must he have started training... My three elder brothers all began martial arts at four, but none are as skilled as him."
Wei Xinglu swallowed hard and silently gave a thumbs-up. "Truly worthy of being the eldest son of the Duke Protector's household."
Luo Jingfeng himself was a fierce warrior, and his son was just as formidable.
The little troublemaker also turned to his brother and said, "I had some prejudice against Luo Jingfeng. I thought his sons were all like Luo Chen—incompetent and always scheming to harm others."
Zong Wenxiu glanced at Luo Ji and remarked, "Indeed, the only wager he demanded from them was an apology. He seems quite honorable."
Zong Jincheng, no longer in a mocking mood, straightened up and watched intently as Luo Ji shot his final triple arrows simultaneously.
The Luo family servants went to retrieve the pigeons. Though the final count wasn't in yet, it was clear to everyone that he had already won. The only question was by how much.
The four young men paled, swallowing nervously as they mentally rehearsed their apologies.
"Young Master, twenty-six pigeons," a servant reported.
Luo Ji frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied. "Understood."
The four boys hurried over, offering flattering apologies: "Young Master Luo is truly exceptional. We concede defeat wholeheartedly. Earlier, we misunderstood—with your skills, there’s no need for you to take a separate path."
"Exactly! Young Master Luo truly lives up to being the Duke Protector’s eldest son, inheriting his father’s prowess. Those triple arrows left us in awe. You absolutely deserve first place in the hunt!"
"The top prodigy of the Martial Academy—no question about it!"
"Next year’s military exam champion is as good as yours!"
Amid their fawning, Luo Ji finally spoke coolly after a long pause: "My name is Luo Ji." Then he left with his servants.
As the pigeon cages were carried away, the four boys stared at his retreating figure, muttering in confusion, "We already knew his name was Luo Ji. Why did he say it again?"
He Zheng understood best. He stepped forward and explained, "Because your apologies and flattery never once mentioned his name. He is himself—Luo Ji, not just the Duke Protector’s eldest son."
The four boys didn’t grasp his meaning at all. "Hah! If he’s not the Duke Protector’s eldest son, is he yours from the Minister of War's Mansion?"
"What does ‘being himself’ even mean? If I had the Duke Protector as my father, I’d write it on my forehead!"
He Zheng: "..." Like talking to a brick wall.
Zong Wenxiu tugged at He Zheng’s sleeve, shaking his head. "Arguing pointlessly only wastes time."
He Zheng nodded in agreement.
Shen Yibai crossed his arms, puzzled. "Given Luo Ji’s skill, why did he only shoot forty-six pigeons all day? Did the Luo family block off a path with the fewest prey? What’s the point?"
While the boys were still puzzling over this, another group of youths returned with their catches, grumbling, "What rotten luck today! Not only was the path scarce with prey, but we also ran into Luo Ji. If we hadn’t stayed out longer, we’d have come back empty-handed... Damn Luo Ji! Next time I see him, I’m turning right around!"
The boy went to tally his meager haul.
The five boys who had witnessed everything were stunned.
"Luo Ji didn’t take a path alone..."
"Then why did those four claim the Luo family blocked a path?"
"Were they just slandering Luo Ji?"
"Doesn’t seem like it..."
"So who was the blocked path meant for?"
He had already felt today’s hunt was unusually smooth. Though their total catch wasn’t large, the prey they encountered were all big, sluggish targets—easy shots.
Now, putting the pieces together, he understood. Others might not know his connection to Luo Jingfeng, but he did.
Luo Jingfeng... he...
Had he spent the whole day trying to mess with him? First sending clothes to his friend, then forcing He Zheng’s father to apologize, and now rigging the hunt for him.
Furious, the little troublemaker threw down his bow and stormed off to confront Luo Jingfeng.
Luo Jingfeng was delighted to see him. "Ah, my dear foster son! Came straight to me after the hunt instead of seeing your parents?"
Zong Jincheng snapped, "Cut the act! Did you interfere with our hunt today?"
Luo Jingfeng raised a brow. "Didn’t you have fun?"
"I did—until I realized it was because you rigged it!" Zong Jincheng retorted. "This was supposed to be a fair competition. Even your son Luo Ji won his match honorably. But you turned me into a cheater!"
Luo Jingfeng frowned.
He had only wanted the boy to enjoy himself, but the kid cared more about fairness. This nephew of his was raised with principles he hadn’t expected...
Still, he couldn’t admit it now and risk the boy’s resentment. "Wasn’t me." At most, he wouldn’t pull such stunts again.
The little troublemaker eyed him skeptically. "Really?"
Luo Jingfeng joked, "If you want, next time I can block off the entire hunting ground—just for you."
Zong Jincheng rolled his eyes. "Might as well go to a livestock farm. More prey there anyway."
Luo Jingfeng chuckled. "Not a bad idea. Might help your terrible archery."
Zong Jincheng, insulted again, yelped, "You don’t get it! I don’t have time for martial arts—no time! Do you know how hard the imperial exams are? With less than a year left, if I don’t focus, I’ll never rank first!"
"Such ambition?" Luo Jingfeng was surprised. Zong Zhao had mentioned the boy was bright, but he hadn’t expected him to aim for the top honors.
The Duke Protector lowered his gaze, thoughtful.
The little troublemaker issued a final warning: "Mark my words—stay out of my business. Don’t disrupt my studies or life. Find something else to do instead of obsessing over me!"
"Sure, sure." Luo Jingfeng waved cheerfully.
The moment the boy left, his smile vanished, replaced by cold determination.
A guard approached. "Your Grace, your orders?"
Luo Jingfeng smirked. "Didn’t you hear? He told me to find something to do. So—dig into the backgrounds of all twenty-some princes... no, the thirty-some princesses too. I’ll clear the path for my Jincheng. No surprises allowed."