Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Chapter 360: A Kind of Intuition (2/2)

Shangguan Wuyou had no intention to explain, “It’s nothing; you keep enjoying the spectacle cheerfully.”

In just a short while, all eight pairs had been selected and stepped onto the arena. Sun Qianru was among them, accompanied by three scholars. Su Wenyue didn’t recognize them, but Shangguan Wuyou did, saying they were great scholars from Chang’an City.

Indeed, they were great scholars invited from Chang’an. The Sun Family had really invested heavily in this Lantern Riddle Contest. No wonder Sun Qianru looked so smug, gazing down on others with her chin up. It was likely she too was aiming for the colorful exquisite lamp.

Sun Qianru gave Su Wenyue a somewhat provocative look. Originally, she would have only been able to watch the contest from the sidelines. The outcome was vital for the Sun Family—they had to secure the colorful exquisite lamp. It was with considerable effort that she convinced her father to let her join the three great scholars on the arena. Now, at last, it was her time to be proud. She awaited Su Wenyue and her group’s defeat, anticipating them leaving the stage in disgrace.

If it had been an ordinary day, Su Wenyue might have paid some attention to Sun Qianru. But now, preoccupied with her thoughts, she could not be bothered to engage, causing Sun Qianru’s triumphant smile to freeze stiffly on her face. Exasperatingly, just when she finally had a chance to gloat, this Mrs. Su woman had the nerve to ignore her!

It wasn’t long before Han Yu returned, apparently having made arrangements. Su Wenyue casually asked and, satisfied with Han Yu’s preparedness, didn’t interfere further. Her mind was in disarray, not only troubled by the inexplicable pull of the dilapidated wooden box but also by the colorful exquisite lamp. She knew of the lamp before but had never heard the legend—that within the colorful exquisite lamp lay a secret treasure of immortality.

While Su Wenyue was absorbed in thought, the competition had advanced through several rounds and had reached an intensely critical phase. Four pairs had been eliminated—those remaining were Su Wenyue’s group, Yiyang Prefecture’s Four Great Talents, Sun Qianru’s group that had managed to stay, and an old man on his own.

The next phase wouldn’t eliminate anyone. It would operate on a scoring system. The first place in the Lantern Riddle Contest would emerge from these four groups. Yet, as each group boasted considerable strength, after several rounds, they proved evenly matched. Even Shangguan Wuyou, famed as a genius, could not secure an advantage, and the situation grew tense.

The host on the arena also hadn’t expected such a scenario. All the challenges they set were being solved one by one, leaving them momentarily without any harder questions. Then, a young boy approached and handed a note to the host.

Upon seeing the note, joy spread across the host’s face—it seemed he had found a solution. His anxious expression calmed as he loudly addressed the crowd, “Today’s Lantern Riddle Contest has been exceptionally intense. The problems we’ve posed have all been answered by our talented participants. The next round’s questions will not be set by me. Instead, we will pair the four groups into two, and they will challenge each other. The winning pairs will then compete to determine today’s victor.”

After the host finished speaking, he had the servants bring two boxes for a draw to decide the pairings.

The results of the draw pitted Su Wenyue’s group against Sun Qianru’s, while the odd old man was matched against Yiyang Prefecture’s Four Great Talents.