Chapter Nineteen: Selling Horses at the Villa of Two Worthies

A cold sweat broke out along Yun Hao’s spine. Thankfully, he hadn’t gotten involved in Hou Junji’s scheming today; otherwise, things could have taken a disastrous turn. He’d been so distracted by the scenery that he’d completely forgotten this was the Two Worthies Manor, and the master here was none other than Shan Xiongxin—the very man Hou Junji had just tried to provoke!

Old Su ambled over to Shan Xiongxin and whispered a few words in his ear, pointing surreptitiously at Yun Hao and Qin Qiong in a most furtive manner.

“This is Master Shan. Within hundreds of miles, only Master Shan here would be willing to purchase your horse,” Old Su announced with obsequious care as he introduced Shan Xiongxin to Qin Qiong and Yun Hao.

Hearing this, Shan Xiongxin immediately stepped forward and pressed his strong hands against the yellow steed. Though the horse was thin from poor feeding, its frame was still robust. Shan Xiongxin, whose arms were said to possess the strength of a thousand pounds, bore down on the horse, yet it didn’t budge an inch. Instead, the horse snorted disdainfully at him, as if expressing its displeasure at being challenged.

This horse was spirited and seemed to sense that it might have gotten its master into trouble. In the past, it might have responded with a bite or a powerful kick, but now it merely snorted, already showing considerable restraint.

“Hmm! The bone and sinew of this horse are decent, but it’s been starved too harshly. It’s lost too much weight. Even if I buy it for my stables, I doubt it will recover its full vigor in less than a year or two,” Shan Xiongxin observed. As a master horseman renowned for his skill with the gold-topped Zao Yang spear, he knew horses inside and out.

After meeting Old Su, he’d often discussed horse appraisal with him, and over the years his knowledge had grown considerably. He’d even asked Old Su to bring any good horses he found to the manor. That’s why Old Su had immediately brought Qin Qiong here.

Hearing Shan Xiongxin’s words, Qin Qiong silently gave him a mental thumbs up. The Red-Haired Deity’s reputation was well deserved—his insight was truly keen. Back when the yellow steed was well cared for, it had received only the finest feed, and was even given thin porridge and eggs to build its strength. Only such attentive care could make a warhorse truly formidable.

In the Western Han era, the great general Wei Qing had dominated the steppe with a cavalry force whose horses were raised on millet, even at times when the soldiers themselves went hungry to ensure the horses were well fed. That’s the principle behind feeding warhorses with the best grains.

Thanks to such care, Qin Qiong’s yellow steed had not collapsed from hunger; any lesser horse might already be on its last legs, unable to withstand Shan Xiongxin’s powerful test.

“Master Shan is quite right. This horse hasn’t been properly fed, and it’s lost a lot of weight. Luckily, it had a strong foundation from its youth, or it would have wasted away by now. If you do purchase it, I beg you to treat it well—it is a fine horse,” Qin Qiong said, stroking the horse’s mane, his heart full of emotion. Since acquiring this horse, he’d felt as if he’d grown an extra pair of legs. In Shandong, he’d caught countless bandits riding this very steed.

Never did he imagine that he would fall on such hard times in Luzhou. Forced to pawn his two gold-inlaid clubs and even sell his beloved yellow horse—truly, a single coin can bring a hero to his knees. Qin Qiong fought back tears, refusing to let them fall.

“Brother, it’s clear you’re a true horse lover—you’d never sell such a steed unless you were desperate. Wait a moment, let’s see if the horse will eat fine feed,” Shan Xiongxin said, offering comfort. He ordered the stable hands to lead the yellow steed to the feeding trough to see if it would take to the finer grains.

This was a crucial test. If a horse went too long without eating fine feed, it might refuse it altogether. For a warhorse like this, if it wouldn’t eat fine feed, it would never recover and would be worthless—unfit even for pulling carts, let alone for battle.

A short while later, the stable hand came running back and whispered, “Master, the horse must have been starving. Not only did it eat a whole bucket of steamed mung beans, but it also stole feed from your own chestnut mare’s trough. When the chestnut resisted, the yellow steed bit a notch out of its ear.”

The chestnut mare was a prized horse from the Western Regions, purchased at great cost and treasured by Shan Xiongxin, who rarely rode it except during demonstrations. Now its ear was bitten—this was no small matter, and the stable hand was pale with fear as he reported it.

“Oh!” Shan Xiongxin’s heart leapt with joy. If this yellow steed was as Old Su claimed, it was a rare treasure—worth a fortune even in Chang’an or Luoyang. And yet, he was getting it for just a hundred taels of silver!

Playing it cool, Shan Xiongxin turned to Qin Qiong. “Your horse might not have taken to fine feed before, but since it’s eaten at my trough, and we’ve agreed on a hundred taels, I won’t haggle with you. Someone, bring a hundred taels of silver for this brother. Please!” As a leader, he carried himself with the dignity expected of one. He made a polite salute to Qin Qiong, then strode off to the rear courtyard.

Qin Qiong and Old Su had arrived at just the right time—today, Shan Xiongxin was hosting a banquet. In the rear courtyard, dozens of burly men were in high spirits, drinking and playing drinking games. When Shan Xiongxin entered, they all raised their cups to him. After a few mouthfuls, Wang Bodang, standing nearby, asked, “Second Brother Shan, you look positively radiant—surely good fortune has come your way.”

“Haha! I’ve acquired a fine horse today. They call it the Yellow Steed, also known as the Bone-Piercer. Pity it’s lost so much weight… Eh! Wang, where are you going?” Shan Xiongxin hadn’t finished before Wang Bodang shot out like a gust of wind, heading straight for the stables, moving as swiftly as lightning.

“Haha! Brother Wang is a horse lover too. As soon as he heard about a good horse, he couldn’t help himself! Hahaha!” Shan Xiongxin burst out laughing at Wang Bodang’s eagerness, joined by Xie Yingdeng, Qi Guoyuan, and the others.

But before the laughter had faded, Wang Bodang came storming back, grabbing Shan Xiongxin by both arms. “Where is he?”

“Who?” Shan Xiongxin asked in confusion.

“The man who sold the horse!” Wang Bodang was shouting now.

“I just sent someone to get the money; he can’t have left yet,” Shan Xiongxin replied, a bit stunned. Wang Bodang, a champion martial artist, was usually so composed—what had gotten into him today to make him so reckless?

Learning the seller was still there, Wang Bodang leapt toward the front courtyard. Shan Xiongxin and the others exchanged glances, then all dashed after him in a swarm.

Qin Qiong and Yun Hao had just collected their silver, signed the receipt, and were about to leave when someone came rushing out. Yun Hao startled, fearing something had gone wrong with the sale and they’d want the horse back. He was about to pull Qin Qiong away when he saw Qin Qiong crouch down by the steps like a child caught misbehaving.

“…What on earth is going on?” Yun Hao muttered in confusion.