Chapter 755 The New King (First Update)
Gu Jiao's victory surprised everyone. Before the results were announced, Xiao Liulang was nowhere to be found at the scene.
Although "Xiao Liulang" was already well-known in the polo circle, there is no such thing as a world apart from the military.
There were more than 200 people participating in the preliminary selection. Six people per round, for a total of 44 rounds. Not every cavalryman who advanced would receive attention.
Clearly, Han Che, being Han Ye's younger brother, garnered a lot of attention for Gu Jiao. Coupled with the Black Wind King and the Feng family experts, Gu Jiao instantly became the most popular focus throughout the entire event.
Many people wanted to come and talk to her, but they were all too frightened by the Black Wind King beside her to approach.
The Black Wind King's aura was so powerful that it automatically created a spacious area around Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao enjoyed the feeling of not being jostled around.
She stood quietly on the sidelines of the training field, watching the selection process for the others.
Gu Changqing walked towards Gu Jiao.
Black Wind King stirred.
Gu Jiao gently stroked its neck.
Black Wind King no longer guarded against Gu Changqing.
Outsiders naturally couldn't understand the communication between the man and the horse. They only thought that the young man was too bold, daring to approach the Black Wind King and not afraid that the Black Wind King would kick him away with one hoof.
You should know that Han Che and the Feng family experts were kicked away in the same way.
Several members of the Han family stood not far away. Gu Changqing turned around and exchanged a glance with them.
The group made a hand gesture, and Gu Changqing nodded knowingly.
He then went to Gu Jiao.
There were explosions and screams all around, and no one could hear what the two of them were saying.
But judging from Gu Changqing's expression, it seemed that he was questioning Gu Jiao.
"Frown slightly, hmm, that's it," Gu Changqing said.
Gu Jiao frowned dramatically.
Gu Changqing: "..."
I'm telling you to frown, not to punch your face.
Gu Changqing said, "You performed well just now, but the horse has lost some weight."
Gu Jiao hummed in agreement, stroked the Black Wind King's mane, and said, "He hasn't eaten properly for a few days and has lost weight, but he should try to eat more in the future."
Gu Changqing had already learned about Black Wind King's departure from the Han family members.
Han Ye could have retrieved the horse, but he didn't.
He had no faith in the Black Wind King.
He never truly regarded Black Wind King as his war mount, but rather as a valuable object.
Once the value is gone, there is no need to keep the item.
"Luckily, I ran into you," Gu Changqing said sincerely.
Encountering someone else might not be enough to revive Black Wind King.
"It wasn't me who ran into him," Gu Jiao said. It was Horse King who brought Black Wind King back.
It was also on the way to find the Horse King that the Black Wind King was brought back for the second time.
Gu Changqing was at a loss for words after hearing this.
My sister loves picking up people, and her horse loves picking up other horses too...
"You're being watched." Gu Changqing hadn't forgotten his business after all. If it weren't to remind her, he wouldn't have told the Han family members that he was coming to "give this kid a warning."
"Oh." Gu Jiao wasn't surprised. "The Feng family?"
She killed Feng Laosan of the Feng family in the forest.
"Not only that, there are also the Dong family, the Du family, the Chen family, and the Yang family."
"Oh." Gu Jiao was even less surprised. She had injured all four of them in the forest. Among them, Lord Du and Lord Chen were the most seriously injured, while the Yang family head and the Dong family head were slightly less injured.
After leaving the woods, she wondered if these people would report her to His Majesty, but they didn't.
She and Xiao Heng analyzed the problem carefully and concluded that they dared not.
They forcefully snatched the young princess, causing her to fall and get injured, and the young princess remembers it all.
The king was worried about not being able to find out who those people were, so how could they dare to mention the matter in the woods?
However, precisely because they couldn't resolve the matter openly, all of them harbored resentment towards Gu Jiao.
Gu Changqing said softly, "Be careful. I'll tell the Han family that I'm trying to win you over."
"Okay," Gu Jiao replied.
In order not to arouse suspicion, Gu Changqing could not stay too long.
“The Han family has been watching this area, I have to go over there,” Gu Changqing said. “I won’t be going to the Imperial Preceptor’s Hall for the next few days, contact me if anything comes up.”
Gu Jiao nodded.
Thinking of something, Gu Changqing asked again, "By the way, what identity did you use?"
"I haven't looked at it yet." Gu Jiao said, opening her purse and about to take out the token when she heard a shout from ahead.
"Xiao Liulang! Come over and get your number!"
Gu Changqing glanced at the deputy examiner and said to Gu Jiao, "The selection order for the next round is determined by drawing lots. I've already drawn mine, and it's the first of the Heavenly Stems. You should go quickly."
The order of appearance is arranged according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Among the Heavenly Stems, Jia is equivalent to number one, hence it is also called Heavenly Stem Jia-1.
The drawing of the numbers is not made public, so Gu Changqing does not know who the other person who drew the first of the ten Heavenly Stems will be.
Gu Changqing said, "As long as you don't draw the first of the Heavenly Stems, it's fine."
It's not worth it for them to face off so early; he wants to wear down a few more opponents for her.
Gu Jiao looked at him and said, "You can't set a flag, it will backfire."
"Huh?" Gu Changqing was completely confused.
Gu Jiao said, "It's nothing, I'll tell you in detail next time. I'm going now."
“Go,” Gu Changqing said.
Gu Jiao led Black Wind King towards the military camp to the east.
Another round of selections is underway on the field, and one of the participants is none other than Master Qingfeng.
Gu Jiao was somewhat surprised.
He came too.
Yes, he is the elder brother of the Feng family head.
The Feng family has two spots, and the one they had just used was clearly not enough. If he doesn't personally take the stage, the Feng family will truly have no chance of winning.
Master Qingfeng rode a beautiful white horse.
He had an ethereal and otherworldly appearance, and even when riding a horse, he exuded an extraordinary, otherworldly aura.
He rushed out of the fire, his eyes clear and resolute, his face smeared with a bit of flying ash, giving him a battle-worn beauty.
He rode ahead of the other five, leading his steed as he ascended the high platform.
Gu Jiao could tell that he was deliberately going easy on her.
In the first round, just making it to the next round is enough; there's no need to push yourself too hard.
Everyone's been a little lenient, right, boss?
Gu Jiao patted Black Wind King and stopped paying attention to the situation on the high platform.
Master Qingfeng didn't lose on horseback, so he certainly wouldn't lose in martial arts.
When she arrived at the gate of the military camp, she ran into an acquaintance.
Compared to Master Qingfeng, the person in front of them seemed less surprising.
"Mu Qingchen," she greeted.
Mu Qingchen looked slightly tired, perhaps because the events that happened in the Mu family had affected him.
Mu Qingchen's face didn't show much surprise, not because he expected Gu Jiao to come, but because he saw her during the selection process.
He didn't ask Gu Jiao how she ended up there; his intuition told him that Gu Jiao wouldn't answer.
He looked at Gu Jiao with a complicated expression and said, "I will do my best."
Gu Jiao said, "Me too."
At this moment, soldiers came over and led Gu Jiao and Mu Qingchen's horses to the stable to feed them.
Mu Qingchen handed the horse to the soldier.
Gu Jiao said, "My horse doesn't need to be fed."
The soldier said, "It's hot, and the horses are expending a lot of energy. If they don't get enough water and food, they'll easily become dehydrated."
Gu Jiao still said, "I know, no need."
The soldier opened his mouth as if to say something, but Mu Qingchen spoke up: "Take the horse away."
"Ah, yes." The soldier took Mu Qingchen's horse away.
After the soldiers led the horses to the stables, two men in fine clothes came over; one was fair-skinned and beardless, and the other had a goatee.
The pale-faced, beardless man asked, "Why didn't you bring them?"
The soldier reported, "Reporting to Master Dong, that boy said his horse doesn't need feeding."
"Heh, what did I tell you?" The head of the Dong family sneered as he looked at the man with the goatee beside him. "Old Yang, now you should believe me, right? That kid is definitely not a reckless fool. He is cunning, vigilant, and not so easy to deal with."
The head of the Yang family frowned and asked, "Who exactly is this kid?"
The Dong family head laughed and said, "This boy is a student of Tianqiong Academy, a native of Zhao Kingdom, and a classmate of Mu Qingchen. I suspect that the masked man in white who took her away from us that day was Mu Qingchen."
The head of the Yang family asked suspiciously, "Why is Mu Qingchen doing this? Isn't he Old Master Mu's grandson? Why isn't he helping the Mu family?"
The head of the Dong family smiled faintly: "Perhaps the Su family has its own ulterior motives, who knows?"
The head of the Yang family said thoughtfully, "Since he is not from Yan, he must have used the identity of a collateral descendant to participate in the selection. Could his purpose be to help Mu Qingchen weaken her opponents?"
The head of the Dong family agreed, "Very likely."
...
On the other side, Gu Jiao and Mu Qingchen had both finished drawing lots.
Inside the tent, the two did not exchange any information.
After coming out, Mu Qingchen hesitated for a moment before calling out to him, "I am an Earthly Branch."
Gu Jiao hummed in agreement: "What a coincidence, I'm also a member of the Earthly Branches."
Mu Qingchen's breath hitched slightly: "Shen Jiu."
Gu Jiao: "Wei Ba. I'm in the round before you."
Mu Qingchen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
For some reason, he didn't want to confront Gu Jiao.
Even if it was inevitable, he hoped that their showdown could be delayed, and delayed even further.
While they were drawing lots, the cavalry from the ten great families took to the field one after another. Among them, nine members of the Han family participated. Apart from Han Che, who was eliminated by Gu Jiao, the other eight all advanced.
Everyone was marveling at how terrifying the Han family's Black Wind Cavalry's strength truly was.
Gu Jiao didn't think that the Han family was that powerful. The Black Wind Riders were taken from the Xuanyuan family, and the training methods were also passed down from the Xuanyuan family.
The Han family is nothing more than profiting off the blood of the Xuanyuan family.
Gu Jiao lost interest in watching any longer and decided to go back to feed the Black Wind King.
"I'm leaving now, see you next time."
Just as she was saying goodbye to Mu Qingchen, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, as if a terrifying killing intent was sweeping in from the other side of the battlefield, with an unstoppable force that instantly permeated the entire battlefield.
The horses on the field began to become restless, and even the horse that was concentrating on the race swayed.
What a powerful aura!
The only horse that was unaffected at the scene was probably Black Wind King.
"ah--"
A horse attempting to mount the platform faltered in mid-air, failed to ascend, and tumbled down with its rider.
The cavalrymen cried out in alarm.
Gu Jiao and Mu Qingchen both looked toward that powerful aura.
A silver-haired man rode a chestnut warhorse at a leisurely pace. Although his movements were elegant and composed, he exuded a kingly aura that commanded the respect of even the most valiant warriors.
The silver-haired man was very young, around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, definitely not yet thirty.
As for the horse, Gu Jiao couldn't tell its exact age, but she could sense that it was a young and agile horse.
Mu Qingchen's expression turned serious: "It is the new Black Wind King of the Han family. He is six years old this year. The one on horseback is Fifth Master Han, the eldest son of Old Master Han. He has been studying how to train the Han family's own Black Wind Riders all these years."
Gu Jiao looked at Mu Qingchen: "Your own Black Wind Rider?"
Mu Qingchen looked at her and said, "Master Han once said that the Black Wind Riders bred by the Xuanyuan family are not the most powerful warhorses in the world. He will use his own methods to bred even more powerful Black Wind Riders. The new Black Wind King he rides is the result of his bred horses."
"Oh." Gu Jiao stroked her chin, carefully observing the person and horse not far away.
Mu Qingchen said earnestly, "I know your Black Wind King is very powerful, but... I'm afraid it's no match for that horse."
Han Wuye's new Black Wind King is not only younger, but also more agile and swift. Its explosiveness, endurance, speed, and strength are all impeccable.
Mu Qingchen paused, then said, "Furthermore, it also has a name."
Gu Jiao asked, "What's your name?"
Mu Qingchen opened his mouth and said, "Black Demon Horse."
Dark Lord has entered the arena.
It was the middle track, but before the drums even sounded, the horses on the side tracks were already too scared to move.
The other two horses managed to charge forward despite their efforts, but they made frequent mistakes and were eliminated before even completing the fire bridge.
Han Wuye advanced without any doubt.
Mu Qingchen looked at the invincible black demon horse on the high platform and frowned slightly, saying, "Your Black Wind King took seventeen breaths from the start to the moment it mounted the platform, while Master Han's Black Demon Horse only took twelve breaths."
In such a short distance, the Black Demon Horse was a full five breaths faster than the Black Wind King!
This is like a 110-meter hurdles race, where the first-place runner is five seconds ahead of the second-place runner.
Mu Qingchen said, "I know your Black Wind King wasn't using its full strength, and neither was Master Han's Black Demon Horse. Moreover, Master Han's martial arts are superb... You have no chance of winning... If you encounter them again, I hope you can choose—"
"Let's fight," Gu Jiao said.
Mu Qingchen frowned.
Did she say the opposite of what she meant?
Gu Jiao mounted her horse, gripped the reins tightly, and gazed at Han Wuye, who was riding a black demon horse on the high platform.
Han Wuye's eyes were filled with disdain.
Gu Jiao sensed the provocation from the Black Demon Horse and the powerful fighting spirit from the Black Wind King.
She straightened her back, her eyes resolute: "I will fight, and Black Wind King will fight too!"
(End of this chapter)
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