Chapter Nineteen: Sōma Hirano
Upon arriving at the Ma Qian Gang, four burly men bowed to Ma Pingchuan, saying, "Young Master!" before opening the gate to let him in. Inside, the people were scattered; some were examining horses, others were discussing them. Ma Pingchuan and his companion went directly to the rear stables. There were over thirty stables built longitudinally along the mountainside, with a high cliff behind them and a large training ground to the side. Half of the stables were empty, and under the stalls with horses, there were eleven or twelve horses—a sea of horse heads as far as the eye could see!
A moment later, they arrived at a shed. Ma Pingchuan stopped his horse and asked the groom, "Are there any abnormalities with these horses?"
Upon seeing this, the groom stopped what he was doing and said, "Young master, there is nothing wrong at the moment, except that the horse is sweating a little."
Ma Pingchuan: "Sweating is normal. They will get used to it in a few days. But if there are any other abnormalities, please report them to me immediately!"
Animal handler: "Yes, young master!"
Ma Pingchuan pointed at the horses and said, "Xiaoyao, take a good look. Keep whichever one you like!"
Xiaoyao Lang crossed his arms and said, "These horses look bigger and stronger than other horses! Can they run?"
Ma Pingchuan laughed and said, "Of course, these horses are all Hu horses. As long as they rest for a while, they can travel 300 li a day without any problem with their legs, but they are very wild and like to eat carrots, so they are not easy to raise!"
Xiaoyao Lang squinted and said, "So, you're saying these horses are better than the little white foal you gave me?!"
Ma Pingchuan shook his head: "Xiaoyao! Don't compare yourself to this little white horse when you encounter one. Sometimes you can't compare them."
Xiaoyao Lang flicked a strand of hair from his forehead and asked, "For example?"
Ma Pingchuan said shamelessly, "There are many kinds of horses, and you can't just look at the breed. Some horses run fast but have poor stamina, while others have great stamina but are wild. Just like this Hu horse, it can run and is thirsty, but it is wild and needs long-term training."
Ma Pingchuan continued, "Little White Colt was originally a wild mountain horse, with exceptional stamina and strength, and also extremely intelligent. It is not picky about food and can travel overnight; it is the best among horses, the best I have ever seen!"
Xiaoyao Lang pointed at the horses and asked, "Are all these horses wanted?"
Ma Pingchuan said loudly, "Yes! That's why I told you to keep one. Who knows when we'll be able to go to Beisha again."
Xiaoyao Lang exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing, buying so many horses?"
Ma Pingchuan smiled and said, "It's the famous Xiyu Manor in our Longyang City, so tomorrow you'll have to come with me to escort this group of horses there."
Xiaoyao Lang waved his hand and said, "Then you help me choose one, see which one is good!"
Ma Pingchuan rolled his eyes at him and said, "You're the one judging horses! You have to let the horses judge you first! Otherwise, how can there be any feelings between you!"
Xiaoyao Lang shouted, "No way! You want them to follow me?!"
Ma Pingchuan nodded and said, "Indeed! The nature of horses is no different from that of humans. You approach them and observe how they react to you. If you like a particular one, bring it out and I will help you choose."
Xiaoyao Lang glanced at Ma Pingchuan, who seemed serious, and then went to inspect the horses. He looked at and touched each one, and indeed some horses disliked him, while others he didn't like.
After searching for a while, Xiaoyao Lang arrived at a black horse. The horse seemed to sense something and stopped chewing the grass in its mouth. Xiaoyao Lang chuckled to himself and reached out to pull the grass out of its mouth. The black horse raised its head, licked his lips a few times, and suddenly bit his hand.
Xiaoyao Lang broke out in a cold sweat: "Oh my god! You bit me, you son of a bitch!" He was about to hit it when the black horse seemed to know what was going on. It actually retreated and its lips were slightly open, as if it was mocking Xiaoyao Lang.
The carefree and arrogant man said, "That's it! It even bit me, I'll teach it a lesson!"
Ma Pingchuan laughed and said, "Xiaoyao, there's a saying among the people that Mark Master bites people. You'd better think it over!"
Xiaoyao Lang: "Hey! I was just afraid it wouldn't be my nemesis! Pull it out and let me see."
Ma Pingchuan pointed at the horse and said to the groom, "Go and bring that black horse out!"
Upon hearing this, the stableman hurriedly opened the saddlebags and pulled the horse out. After the horse was pulled out, the stableman brushed the grass dust off its body, but was kicked to the ground by the horse. The stableman clutched his stomach, got up, and looked at the black horse with resentment.
"Hahaha...hahahaha...this one's got quite the temper!" Xiaoyao Lang laughed heartily upon seeing this. He reached out to touch the horse's rump, but the black horse suddenly leaped to the side, kicking him with both feet and sending him flying several feet away. The groom's expression of pain instantly changed upon seeing this, and he clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
Ma Pingchuan hurriedly stepped forward and helped Xiaoyao Lang up, saying, "Xiaoyao, are you alright? This horse is too wild, should we get another one?"
Xiaoyao clutched his chest and said, "If I can't even tame it, how will I ever deal with horses again?" After saying that, he walked towards the horse again, only to see that the horse had already turned around and was approaching him. Xiaoyao felt a little apprehensive, worried that he would be bitten again.
Who knew that the black horse would suddenly stop moving? Xiaoyao Lang gently stroked its head and body, and it immediately became much more docile.
Ma Pingchuan laughed and said, "It seems this horse is very intelligent, no need to look any further! Shall we ride it around a couple of times?" Ma Pingchuan gestured to Xiaoyao Lang.
Xiaoyao Lang mounted his horse, but the black horse wouldn't move, even when he tried to rouse it. Xiaoyao Lang chuckled inwardly; he'd never seen anything like it. He dismounted, and the black horse immediately leaped up and galloped off excitedly. Several grooms, seeing the horse running wild, went to circle it. The black horse, seeing this, ran back to its original spot, buried its head in Xiaoyao Lang's lap, and remained motionless.
When the grooms arrived and saw what was happening, they assumed it was Ma Pingchuan training the horses, and then they all went back to their nests.
Ma Pingchuan laughed loudly, "Hahaha... Interesting, this horse is really proud! The little white horse is gentle and suitable for Qingxue, but this horse's temperament is just like yours, it's suitable for you!"
Xiaoyao Langyan said, "This horse is indeed proud and arrogant."
He mounted his horse again, rode it around a couple of times, and the black horse was very obedient. Xiaoyao Lang said with satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad!"
Ma Pingchuan: "Let's give it a name!"
Xiaoyao Lang declared, "It's so dark and fierce! Let's call it Brother Black!"
Ma Pingchuan laughed loudly, "You're really something, Brother Hei! Alright, go ahead and get to know it. I have important business to attend to with my father, so I won't be back until very late. You should get some rest. We'll set off for Xiyu Manor early tomorrow morning!"
Xiaoyao Lang laughed and said, "No problem!"
In the back garden of the Yi residence, Yi Qingxue was playing the zither in the pavilion, while Yin Xiaosheng stood in front of the pavilion, performing a sword dance in accompaniment. The two occasionally exchanged glances. In another corner of the garden, Xie Yunfeng and Chunxiang were also walking together.
Chunxiang listened carefully and said, "It sounds like there's music playing over there!"
Xie Yunfeng listened carefully and said, "It must be Miss Yi playing the zither. Judging from the music, it's 'Ode to a Gentleman'."
Chunxiang smiled and said, "Brother Xie, I didn't know you knew so much. Let's go take a look!"
Xie Yunfeng: "Alright!" Then he asked softly, "Chunxiang, besides your palace master and your junior sister, do you have any other relatives?"
Chunxiang smiled and said, "You could say that, but thank you again, brother!" She then looked at Xie Yunfeng.
Xie Yunfeng sighed, "Just like you, besides Master, Junior Brother, and Junior Sister, you are now my only family!"
Chunxiang asked softly, "Brother Xie, if I go back to Tianji Palace, will you come looking for me?!" After saying that, she turned her head to the side, not looking at Xie Yunfeng.
Xie Yunfeng replied in a low voice, "If I said I would, would you believe me?"
Upon hearing this, Chunxiang immediately turned her head and said, "I believe you! I believe everything Brother Xie says!"
Xie Yunfeng smiled and said, "No matter where you go, I will find you." After saying that, he picked up the sword horizontally and said, "This sword has been with me for more than ten years. It was given to my master by the master of the Sword Pavilion. This sword is called 'Xuanjing'. Today I give it to you to represent my heartfelt feelings."
Chunxiang accepted the sword and gave her own sword to Xie Yunfeng, thus expressing their mutual affection. The two followed the sound, chatting as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the pavilion. There, they saw Yi Qingxue playing the zither, and Yin Xiaosheng performing a sword dance in accompaniment.
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