Hibiscus Cup · II

[From today until release, there'll only be one update a day. It's at 277,000 words now, lol. It can only go premium in the middle of the month. Let's see if I can write a few more chapters and push it to the first of next month before releasing it.]

"A clean break! Not a single horse missed the gate! They're all off smoothly! Number 3, Sichuan Brocade, has taken the early lead for now, with Number 5, Ascend the Blue Sky, close behind! On the outside is Number 11, Shu Road Hard, the favorite for this race, firmly holding a strong position near the front! And then..."

After the gates opened, Shan Yao did not rush to fight for position. Cloudstream Flying Shadow was a closer; he did not need to seize a suitable spot right from the start like a stalking horse or a front-runner. As long as he could stay within the pack and conserve his stamina, that was enough.

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So after the break, Shan Yao merely gave two light tugs on the reins, avoiding the horses fighting for position on the inside. She guided Cloudstream Flying Shadow slightly inward and settled him into the middle-rear of the pack.

Lin Zhi had repeatedly stressed this before the race: run at their own rhythm. For Cloudstream Flying Shadow, whose strength was his finishing kick, conserving energy through the early and middle stages before unleashing it in the final straight was the ideal pace.

"At the head of the field is still Number 3, Sichuan Brocade. A length and a half behind is Number 5, Ascend the Blue Sky, leading the stalking pack. Number 11, Shu Road Hard, is advancing from the outside. Behind them is Number 2, Snow over Brocade