novelraw Chapter 13 : Chapter 13
Chapter 13 : Chapter 13
Chapter 13: The Special-Grade Warhorse, Yaogu!
Under Old Zhou’s lead, Qin Zhanye and Li Mu entered the stables.
The warhorses on both sides all looked extraordinarily magnificent, and their appearances varied greatly.
Some had twin horns growing from their heads, some had bony protrusions on their shoulders, some had beaks like eagles, and some had sharp claws on their hooves.
“These warhorses were all bred through genetic fusion and crossbreeding with various monsters.”
“At present, the finest warhorses humanity has managed to develop fall into four major types.”
“They are the Luyao, Guya, Yingzhan, and Guishou.”
“Each excels respectively in endurance, toughness, top speed, and support in battle…”
Although Old Zhou kept bickering with Qin Zhanye,
he still explained things to Li Mu as they walked.
And while explaining, he did not forget to emphasize how difficult it was to breed these warhorses.
Before long, Old Zhou led the two of them to a stable.
Each stall here had guards stationed outside. Li Mu counted them and found that there were nine guarded stalls in total.
At that moment, someone was just walking out of one of the stalls.
“Do not lock it yet,”
Old Zhou shouted.
“Huh?” As the man turning the lock looked back, an earth-shaking neigh suddenly erupted from inside the stall.
Then, with a boom, the stall doors were smashed open, and the guard at the door was sent flying several meters.
A black horse burst out through the broken doors, reared up, and let out a piercing neigh.
Then it tore off toward the distant open training grounds!
Several guards shouted, “Damn it, it got loose again! Hurry and chase it!!”
Four or five guards sprang after it, but their speed was nowhere near enough to match the warhorse.
“Old Zhou, this is the fine horse you were talking about?”
Qin Zhanye immediately looked dissatisfied.
But Old Zhou merely lifted his chin.
“Instructor Qin, when did you become incapable of recognizing quality? This is a top-tier Special-Grade horse!”
“It is two and a half years old this year, right at the age when its spirit is strongest!”
“That is not the point. Of course I can tell it is Special Grade. But it has not even been tamed yet!”
Qin Zhanye pointed at the galloping black horse.
“It actually was tamed, but this horse underwent a mutation, and its quality jumped straight from Premium to Special Grade!”
“I was delighted at first. This is currently the youngest Special-Grade warhorse in my stables.”
“But who would have thought that after the mutation, this little fellow would become so fierce and hard to tame?”
Old Zhou explained.
Qin Zhanye immediately objected. “Then give me ano— Hey!!”
Before Qin Zhanye could finish speaking, Li Mu had already shot forward!
He dashed straight after the black warhorse, leaving behind only a bold shout:
“I want this horse!”
Back on Earth, when Li Mu watched film and television dramas,
he would see great generals fall hopelessly in love with a treasured blade or a fine steed, to the point that they could set aside even beauty and gold.
He had never really understood it before.
But just now, the moment he saw this horse, a powerful urge to conquer it rose within him!
Its entire body was black, a lustrous, gleaming black. Li Mu was so struck by it that an absurd line sprang into his head.
It had delivered charcoal from the eastern mountain and dug coal from the western one.
Twin horns grew from its head, and bony protrusions rose from its shoulders.
Mixed in among the mane on its neck were strands of silver hair.
Its scarlet eyes shone like red lanterns.
Li Mu had a feeling.
This horse is mine!
“Damn it!” Qin Zhanye ground his teeth and burst into a run as well.
No matter how large the grounds were, they still had boundaries.
Qin Zhanye ran no slower than the horse, and it did not take long for him to catch up to the black steed.
He grabbed a fistful of its mane and planted his feet hard.
The black horse let out a cry of pain, but it still kept charging forward, dragging Qin Zhanye’s boots across the ground and gouging furrows behind him.
Its speed did drop sharply.
“Get on!” Qin Zhanye shouted.
Li Mu had already caught up and leaped onto its back.
The black horse instantly went mad and reared up.
With one violent jerk, it threw Li Mu straight off.
The guards nearby no longer dared approach.
But Li Mu kept climbing back up, mounting the horse, being thrown off again, then climbing back up once more.
Qin Zhanye continued forcing the horse’s head down the entire time, and even he was soaked in sweat.
Li Mu, meanwhile, was soon covered in dust and dirt from head to toe, but the amount of time he could stay on the horse grew longer and longer.
At last, on the final attempt, Qin Zhanye released the horse’s mane.
The black horse let out a chilling cry, and Li Mu suddenly had an idea. With a whoosh, he pulled out the Size-Shifting Cloak and threw it over the horse’s head!
The horse’s piercing neigh stopped instantly, and its entire body rapidly calmed down as well.
Its breathing came in harsh pants, and it looked thoroughly exhausted too.
Joy appeared on Li Mu’s face as he slowly removed the cloak.
The black horse stirred restlessly again, but this time it did not struggle with all its might.
“It was not the effect of covering its head. It was that cloak!”
Qin Zhanye reminded him excitedly from the side.
When many newcomers tried taming horses, they would instinctively cover the horse’s head, thinking it would calm the animal.
But practice had proven that covering its head did not help at all.
Li Mu looked at the cloak. Sure enough, a strange energy was flowing through it, and it seemed to have established some sort of connection with the warhorse as well.
Who would have thought that this cloak had such a special function too?
“Go! Hyah!”
Li Mu tentatively tapped the horse’s flank with his heel, and the black horse immediately burst into a gallop.
Its form was beautiful, and its speed was astonishing.
Even Qin Zhanye stared in a daze. He could tell that this horse possessed the traits of both the Luyao and the Guya,
yet in terms of speed, it was no slower than the Yingzhan-type monster horses. In fact, it might even surpass them.
What kind of mutated monster horse was this?
Li Mu rode it freely and joyfully for a full ten minutes. Even after he put away the cloak, the horse still seemed to have accepted him.
Li Mu reined in before Qin Zhanye.
He was filthy, his hair blown up like a Super Saiyan, but he wore a foolish grin so wide it looked as if his mouth might split.
“You have already picked a name for it, have you not?”
Qin Zhanye asked with an amused smile.
“Yaogu!” Li Mu slapped the horse’s neck. He really had already decided.
Qin Zhanye smiled and nodded.
Though Old Zhou was unwilling in every possible way, he still handed the Horse Token over to Li Mu.
And he kept reminding both Qin Zhanye and Li Mu that if they ever had the chance, they must speak well of his stables.
After Old Zhou and Qin Zhanye chatted a little longer, Qin Zhanye led Li Mu out of the stables.
As they left, both of them were riding horses, ambling along so that Li Mu’s horse could gradually get used to the environment outside the stables.
And that scene happened to be witnessed by two women.
Those two were Li Xiaohong and Li Lan.
Li Lan was also Li Mu’s cousin, and she was very close to Li Xiaohong.
Ever since entering the Abyss that day and seeing the warhorses ridden by officers, the two of them had liked them very much.
Taking advantage of the lunch break, they had asked around and found the military district stables.
They had been thinking that with the Li family’s current influence, spending a bit of money ought to be enough to make an exception and purchase military warhorses.
But unexpectedly, the moment they arrived, they saw Li Mu walking out with Qin Zhanye, the two of them chatting and laughing.
Naturally, they recognized the rank insignia on Qin Zhanye’s shoulder.
Both women frowned deeply.
“How is that bastard chatting and laughing with a Wolf Guard officer?”
“And he is even riding such a beautiful warhorse!” Li Xiaohong said furiously.
She still remembered the humiliation of Li Mu’s slap.
She was still missing a tooth because of it.
He had dared to strike her, so she was absolutely going to find someone to beat Li Mu senseless.
It was just that she had been busy coaxing Sun Long yesterday, and today she had come for military training.
She had not yet had the chance to arrange for anyone to make a move.
Li Lan shook her head, indicating that she did not know either.
Then she seemed to think of something and began to speculate.
“Could it have something to do with his father? His father killed quite a few Abyssal monsters while fighting for the family back then.”
“Could it be that he knows officers in the Abyss Suppression Army, so that officer is taking care of him?”
Li Xiaohong nodded.
“That must be it! Otherwise, they would never have made an exception to sell him a horse.”
“It is just that I have no idea where that wretch got so much money. As far as I know, he has none at all!”
Li Lan waved a hand and looked toward the entrance of the stables.
“Who cares? In a bit, we can call home and report the situation first.”
“Come on. Let us go pick out a horse!”
“Mm!”
Li Xiaohong pursed her lips into a smile, not without a trace of smugness, and said,
“It looks like we worried too much. Even a broke loser like Li Mu can buy a horse here.”
“If we just reveal our identities, they will probably give each of us a horse for free.”
As they spoke, the two of them quickly walked toward the entrance of the stables.
Before they even got close, two guards stopped them.
“Halt!”
The guards stood tall and pressed their sabers forward slightly, blocking the two of them.
“Military district stables. Students, keep away!”
Li Xiaohong smiled faintly and said with utmost confidence,
“The Li family of the Eastern District.”