Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Horse Taming with a Horse
Seeing his speed and utmost confidence, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but look at the servant, “This guy… is he amazing?”
The servant nodded, “Yeah! Master Zhou’s horse taming abilities are among the top in Baiyan City. Not to mention others, Mo Yanxue’s Suxiang horse, you should have heard of it, right?”
“Yes!” Zhang Xuan nodded.
It was the one I killed…
“It was tamed by Master Zhou! And also Liu Mingyue’s Dao Li, both were tamed by him. Practically all the renowned thousand-li horses of Baiyan City were trained by him, his strength is beyond question, otherwise, he wouldn’t hold such a high status.”
As the servant spoke, he seemed to remember something, his eyes showing a hint of confusion, “Speaking of Dao Li, it just occurred to me, the horse you rode earlier, it looked a lot like it…”
“Yes, it is Dao Li!”
Zhang Xuan nodded, “Miss Liu gave it to me.”
“What?” The servant’s eyes widened, full of disbelief.
That was Dao Li… A famed thousand-li horse throughout Baiyan City, worth hundreds of thousands of Origin Currency, to be given away just like that… And most importantly, for Miss Liu to present such a precious gift, this man’s identity couldn’t possibly be simple?
While the two of them were conversing, Zhou Qun had already appeared on the pasture, not far from Scarlet.
This Wild Horse had been lassoed several times, and, clearly furious about being tamed, it no longer cared about teasing the mares. It exerted force in all four hooves and charged straight at the burly man before it.
Indeed, being a Wild Horse with Primordial Beast blood essence, its sudden force flung the earth around, shook the ground slightly, and within the blink of an eye, the several dozen meters had been crossed, leaving the onlookers with just a blur before Zhou Qun was confronted.
“So fast!”
Zhang Xuan’s gaze turned serious.
With a speed like this, it was not far off from Dao Li’s. If it charged suddenly, with no time to guard himself, he might only be able to kill it, left with no other option.
Continuing to watch, the sturdy man on the grassland was clearly shocked by the Wild Horse’s speed. His body suddenly leapt to the side as the rope in his hand formed an arc, landing on Scarlet’s neck.
“Hiss hiss hiss~~”
Scarlet let out an enraged neigh, leaping up with its front hooves pounding down.
Zhou Qun was large but unexpectedly agile. With a quick roll, he dodged the lethal attack. His legs sprang up, using the rope’s force to lightly vault onto the horse’s back.
These fluid actions, like a well-rehearsed sequence, were unhesitating and impressively smooth.
“Good!”
“Truly Master Zhou…”
The many coachmen all shouted excitedly.
Those skilled in horse taming understood the difficulty of the scene and knew of Master Zhou’s power and fearsomeness.
“Impressive!”
Even Zhang Xuan, who wasn’t too knowledgeable, couldn’t help but offer praise.
Certainly, there’s a specialist for every trade. If it had been him, it would have just been a chaotic beating, forcing submission. He definitely couldn’t have pulled off those techniques…
Once atop the horse, Zhou Qun immediately gained the upper hand, his legs clamping tight. Even as Scarlet bucked and twisted, he didn’t fall off. At the same time, one hand tugged at the rope while the other formed a fist, hammering down hard onto the horse’s back.
Thump thump thump!
His punches were forceful, causing immense pain to Scarlet upon landing on its back. It let out another roar and, with its four legs powering a swift escape, galloped for a hundred meters before suddenly stopping, as if slamming brakes.
This action was too quick. Zhou Qun, unsteady, was thrown forward by the inertia, flying off the horse’s head and landing heavily on the ground.
Pfft!
A mouthful of fresh blood was spat out. Just as he thought to get up, he saw Scarlet was already in front of him, two front hooves crashing straight down toward his chest.
“This is bad…”
His pupils shrank, and Zhou Qun hurriedly rolled away, but, already at a disadvantage, how could Scarlet let him succeed? After several hoof strikes, it finally landed a blow.
With a loud “Bang!” the man flew backward, his ribs broken in several places, and his face turned deathly pale.
Horse taming, much like bullfighting, is all about momentum. As Zhou Qun was continuously struck, his momentum completely dissipated, while his opponent’s grew stronger. With this give-and-take situation, the so-called submission became an empty promise.
“Master Zhou has failed?”
“This horse is simply too strong, it’s impossible to tame…”
Seeing their last hope kicked away, left without the ability to resist, everyone present exchanged bewildered looks.
If Zhou Qun couldn’t manage, naturally they stood no chance.
Injured, knowing he could not tame it any longer, Baiyan City’s number one in horse taming, Zhou Qun, scrambled away in a mix of rolling and crawling, only to see the young man who had mocked him earlier looking over curiously.
“Is this what you just called ‘absolute strength’?”
He had thought he would overwhelm with ease, but in the end, he rolled and crawled back…
If that’s the case, why put on an act!
“You…”
Seeing his thoughts, Zhou Qun’s face reddened, and he spat out another mouthful of blood. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he clenched his teeth, “I underestimated this fellow’s strength. Even if I can’t tame it, no one else in Baiyan City can. That statement still stands…”
“Fine, then!”
Zhang Xuan, not caring to argue further, stepped forward and approached the pavilion, his gaze shifting to Scarlet in the pasture.
Ten thousand Origin Currency! He was not willing to give up that easily.
“What are you planning to do? You’re not thinking of trying as well, are you! A person who doesn’t even know horse taming dares to underestimate Scarlet?”
Zhou Qun scoffed, “Do you know when to throw a rope to catch a horse? Understand when to jump on its back to command its respect? Know the weaknesses of these wild horses…”
Zhang Xuan offered no reply but continued to observe. Scarlet, by this time, had bitten through the rope around its neck, glaring at everyone with eyes full of rage, as if ready to charge at any moment for revenge.
“Young Master, are you… really going to tame it?” asked the servant, shrinking back.
Though not sure who he was, but knowing that Miss Liu Mingyue personally delivered a horse, he must not be simple. If something really happened, as the guide, he feared he might be implicated…
Zhang Xuan gave a slight smile, “Don’t worry, I never said I would go myself!”
“You’re not going?” the servant was taken aback, “Then how will you tame it?”
Zhang Xuan’s light smile accompanied his sonorous voice as it slowly rose, “Dao Li, come quickly!”
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop!
As his words ended, Dao Li, who had just been tied to the stable, had somehow already broken free and charged towards them swiftly, arriving in an instant like a shooting star.
“Dao Li?”
“The horse sold to the Liu Clan?”
“Why bring another horse over?”
Everyone was stupefied, including Zhou Qun who was utterly confused.
You’re supposed to be taming a horse, aren’t you?
Why bring another one in?
Seeing everyone’s puzzlement, Zhang Xuan casually smiled and addressed the magnificent horse before him, “Dao Li, go, tame that Scarlet for me! Wanting to eat high-quality fodder without working for it, where’s the justice in that…”
“???”
In that instant, everyone was left dumbstruck.