County Princess Winton and Sun Yijin vaulted over the barrier at almost the same moment, but their riding skills were clearly no match for Serena Feng’s. As their horses leaped, they lost momentum—the rear hooves clipped the fence and knocked it down.
Both girls tumbled off their mounts, but their fall made things easier for the riders behind them, who simply charged over the toppled barrier.
"Looks like someone’s running ahead just to get themselves killed this year," one of the young ladies in the rear laughed, clearly in high spirits.
With County Princess Winton and Sun Yijin in the race, none of the others expected to take first or second place, but third was still up for grabs.
Serena Feng?
So what if she’s fast right now?
In the Peach Blossom Festival’s horse race, whoever led at the start was either doomed to defeat or ended up injured—every single time.
Just like Serena Feng had said, in the eyes of these noble girls, she wasn’t a trailblazer—she was cannon fodder, the idiot clearing the path for everyone else.
Serena Feng kept accelerating. The road ahead was smooth, but so narrow that no one could ride side by side. No matter how skilled County Princess Winton and Sun Yijin were, there was simply no way for them to catch up to her on this stretch.
Of course, neither of them had any desire to be the frontrunner or take the lead.
Right now, Serena Feng was completely immersed in the thrill of galloping forward. She didn’t fear the unknown obstacles ahead—instead, she was fired up for battle.
This was a game—a game where life and death hung in the balance. She was already a player, so all she could do was charge ahead, break through every checkpoint, and slap Princess Serenity right across the face.
After about a kilometer, a small river appeared before Serena Feng. Ten plank bridges spanned the water, each barely wide enough for a single horse. If she wanted to cross, she’d have to go over one of these shaky bridges.
Serena Feng knew this part tested both riding skill and courage. From a distance, she slowed down and guided her horse onto the bridge.
The bridge rocked dangerously, as if it couldn’t hold the weight of horse and rider. Her mount was jittery too—halfway across, it edged forward a couple steps, flicked its ears, snorted, then backed up.
Serena Feng quickly tightened the reins, steadying her horse to keep them from tumbling into the river. But when she tried to urge the mare forward again, it just wouldn’t budge.
Huh?
Serena Feng was exasperated, her face dark with frustration. She leaned forward, hugged the horse’s neck, and whispered soothing words, but no matter what she did, the mare refused to move.
Right now, she didn’t dare whip the horse—if she hit too hard, both of them might end up in the river.
So there they were, horse and rider, stuck right in the middle of the bridge.