Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 563 Win! Small score!

While Chunqiu was still in a daze, the whistle to start the competition had just fallen when the masters on the other side, dressed in red lion costumes, rushed forward in unison as if they were one person.

The starting point of the competition was on the plum blossom stakes furthest from the ladder. After rushing forward, the masters jumped and landed steadily on the stakes.

Then, accompanied by the cheerful and exciting music played by drums, suona, erhu, and other instruments, the two masters completed the crossing of the plum blossom stakes in just a few steps.

Stepping onto the highest post, the lion head master suddenly bent over and lowered his center of gravity, while the lion tail master followed suit and adjusted his height. The two worked in perfect harmony to complete the shoulder-mounting action, one stepping on the other's shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, they were standing in front of the bamboo ladder.

Immediately afterwards, the lion tail master put on a horse stance and exerted force, the lion head master jumped up nimbly, and the lion tail master followed closely. In the blink of an eye, the two completed the classic "rising step by step" movement in the picking of greens.

The audience erupted in cheers and applause, with many shouting, "Bravo! One more!"

Almost simultaneously with the Red Lion, the Northern Black Steed roared and charged forward.

Pulling on the lion's tail, it was quite peculiar. Although Spring and Autumn Equinox stumbled a bit at the start, they kept up with the rhythm of the Northern Black Steed.

Two female racehorses, carrying black lion costumes, relied on their experience from just crossing the plum blossom stakes, and although they were still a bit rusty, they managed to get through smoothly.

"Alright! Now it's time to climb up!"

Standing atop the highest plum blossom stake, the Northern Black Steed let out an excited neigh:
"Good luck, Xiaofen!"

Without waiting for Chunqiufen's response, she chuckled again and leaped off the wooden stake, landing two or three meters above the ground on the bamboo ladder.

With the current jumping ability of the Northern Black Horse, it could jump two or three meters higher.

In particular, she learned a lot of extreme sports skills from Yasui Makoto. If she were to participate in this competition alone, climbing a bamboo ladder of about ten meters would only take her a few seconds.

From the moment she decided to participate in this event, all she wanted was for Chunqiu to have a happy time together.

She couldn't quite explain why, but whether it was the first time she saw the name on a fan's letter, the subsequent communication after adding each other's contact information, or their face-to-face meeting, she inexplicably grew to like Chunqiufen more and more.

It wasn't because this was her fan, nor because of talent; even with the backstage preparations and the plum blossom stakes performance just now, she was already amazed by the other person's talent.

All she wanted was for the child to be happy and joyful, nothing more.

Even if we don't know exactly what makes a lion dance a success, judging from previous performances and the explanations from the ladies in cheongsams, it definitely requires two people to work together to make it fun.

So deliberately suppressing jumping power at this moment is precisely to take care of Chunqiufen's feelings.

Not only that, but as she landed on the ladder, she deliberately waited while paying even closer attention to what was happening behind her.

Noticing that the previously tense lion costume suddenly relaxed, she immediately realized that Chunqiu Fen had followed, and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

However, she subconsciously climbed two steps up the ladder and felt the lion's robe tighten again. She was surprised and wanted to turn around, but suddenly felt a force pulling her backward.

Oh no... Xiaofen... seems to be falling behind...

When Beifang Xuanju realized this, he had just stepped onto the ladder, and Chunqiufen felt his whole body stiffen.

Her little hands gripped the lion's tail tightly, and large beads of sweat uncontrollably appeared from her temples and then slid down her face.

She didn't want to look to the other side, but because of the Northern Black Steed's earlier leap, the lion costume was lifted, and she could clearly see the movements of the red lion costume masters.

The workers over there had already climbed two-thirds of the way up the bamboo ladder.

Not only that, the Red Lion chefs seemed completely unhurried, and actually stopped seven or eight meters above the ground.

No, it can't be said that it stopped; it's performing.

First, the lion tail master remained still, while the lion head master hooked one foot onto the bamboo ladder, and moved and flipped to the beat of the drum, making the lion head dance with great vigor.

Then, the lion head master remained still, while the lion tail master was completely airborne, allowing the red lion costume to stretch lazily on the bamboo ladder just like a real lion. After that, both masters actually moved together.

Just like a real lion, the red lion circled the bamboo ladder several times, even pausing deliberately in the middle, its head facing the audience, blinking and swishing its tail.

No matter how they moved, the two masters only had a tiny space under their feet, making onlookers nervous for them.

The two of them faced no obstacles whatsoever, performing as if on flat ground. After performing for a while, they climbed up the bamboo ladder to the top as if on flat ground.

This series of exciting and thrilling performances naturally drew cheers and applause from the audience. It was after watching such a performance that Chunqiu Fen was momentarily distracted and failed to keep up with the pace of Beibu Xuanju.

In an instant, she realized this, her throat tightened as if it were stuffed with cotton, and her heart tightened uncontrollably.

After watching her mentors' performances and comparing them to herself, she felt incredibly clumsy.

She was so distracted that she forgot about the competition and dragged down the Northern Black Horse, which made her even more panicked.

In her panic, she instinctively tried to follow, but somehow she stepped off the crossbar and instantly lost her balance.

The feeling of weightlessness as she fell made her pupils shrink, and at that moment, all she could think of was the self-blame and guilt for betraying the trust of the Northern Black Horse.

Oh no, oh no, this time... I'm really going to mess this up in front of Senior Northern Xuanju...

However, just as she was filled with self-reproach, a strong force suddenly came from her waist.

Before she could react, she felt as if she were flying, with the whistling wind filling her ears.

The scenery rushed past her, and she instinctively closed her eyes.

But then she realized she was still in a competition, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself rushing toward the top of the bamboo ladder.

The red silk ribbon wrapped around Caiqing grew larger and larger in her wide eyes. Then, she suddenly realized that it was Beibu Xuanju who had grabbed her waist and pulled her up.

Feeling the real strength and warmth in her waist, Chunqiu Fen looked to her side in surprise, only to meet the smiling red eyes of Beifang Xuanju.

"Senior..." Her voice trembled, still carrying the panic she hadn't recovered from.

Seeing Chunqiu Fen looking over, Beibu Xuanju laughed heartily, full of energy. His calm and encouraging voice then rang out clearly in the noisy arena:

"That's not right of me! This is a race, and as a racehorse girl... how can you be distracted during a race!"

She emphasized her words, but then her tone softened considerably:

"So remember this well: once you step onto the field, treat it as..."

"Win! The small score!"

Before the sound in his ears had faded, Spring and Autumn Equinox felt another surge of power.

In the blink of an eye, she was surprised to find that the Northern Black Steed had lifted her up and placed her steadily on the lion's head.

And the ever-growing scale of the "picking green" (a traditional Chinese custom) is now within reach.

The phrase "win" kept echoing in her mind, like the beating of a war drum.

The green leaves have grown so large that they now take up the entire field of vision.

Staring wide-eyed, uncontrollably, Chunqiu Fen took a deep breath and stretched out her hands from the lion's mouth.

Then, grasp it firmly.

(End of this chapter)