Chapter 117: Calling a Horse a Dragon

By the time Zhou Bai walked out of the boundaries of Hangzhou, the sun was already sinking toward the west. Bathed in the evening glow, he rode a lean horse, with a yellow dog trailing closely behind him.

He glanced back at the town behind him once and shook the reins.

"Hick!"

The lean horse let out a whinny, its speed abruptly increasing as it broke into a gallop along the official highway. Ah Huang hurriedly picked up the pace behind them to avoid being left behind.

Under the deliberate stimulation of Zhou Bai's demonic aura, the old horse's eyes turned red, and it felt a continuous surge of strength welling up throughout its body. However, this was an overdraw of vitality, premised on the complete exhaustion of its life.

Along the way, Zhou Bai found everything immensely novel. After all, this was his first time leaving Hangzhou, and he could not help but gaze around in curiosity.

Since their route wound through mountain ranges, the road was flanked by dense forests. Without a profound familiarity with the direction, one could easily get lost.

This also spoke volumes about the hardships the refugees had faced on their journey from Xuzhou to Hangzhou—difficulties hard for ordinary people to even imagine.

From time to time, he took out the map provided by Wen Meng to cross-reference it, relying also on the memories of Daoist Hou to ensure they did not stray from their course.

By the time night fell, the lean horse beneath Zhou Bai was practically at the end of its strength, and it finally carried him to the front of a dilapidated temple.

There appeared to be visitors inside already; a carriage and over a dozen fine steeds were tethered to the pillars outside.

The fine horses stirred slightly upon catching the scent of strangers, but they seemed utterly exhausted, and their sounds were faint.

Zhou Bai dismounted from his horse. This small temple served as a lodging for travelers. Though the interior was not completely ruined, the statue of the Earth Deity had been meticulously wiped clean.

Leading his horse into the temple immediately startled quite a few people.

A merchant caravan of more than a dozen people reacted like startled birds at the rustle of grass. The brawny leader instantly snatched up his weapon, while the rest wore tense expressions. Shielded in their midst were a young woman around sixteen years of age and a maid slightly younger than her.

"Miss..." The maid grasped the young woman nervously, trembling all over.

The young woman patted the back of her hand and whispered, "Qinggui, it's fine. He's just a wandering martial artist."

Watching them all prepped and ready to strike at a moment's notice, Zhou Bai comforted the lean horse while speaking up, "What is this? Surely this tiny temple cannot fail to accommodate even a single traveler like myself?"

Ah Huang bared its teeth in a posture of lunging forward to bite, but after receiving a light kick, it obediently stopped putting on an act.

The middle-aged brawny leader's expression darkened. He cupped his fists and said, "My apologies, martial hero. There are female family members in the temple, so it is truly inconvenient. Given that the temperature is pleasant tonight and there is no rain, why don't you make do outside the building?"

"Hahaha, and what if I refuse?" Zhou Bai said with a smile. Although the Tang saber at his waist remained un-sheathed, his posture shifted subtly.

The middle-aged brawny man immediately sensed trouble. The man before him was tall and robust, and the Tang saber at his waist was clearly a murderous weapon. In times like these, traveling with a horse and a dog made him rather unpredictable.

"Let's discuss this further. We are willing to offer some silver coins. After you make do for the night, tomorrow you can walk your wide open road, and we will cross our single-plank bridge."

Though the middle-aged brawny man's tone softened, he still led a dozen guards up from the ground, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

"Very well, Uncle Nan. He bears no malicious intent to begin with, so let him enter. We certainly didn't build this small temple."

At that moment, the young woman spoke. Her voice was crisp and melodious, yet her tone carried undeniable firmness, clearly marking her as the person in charge.

Uncle Nan looked hesitant, but he still motioned for the guards to clear a path before cupping his fists in apology.

"My apologies. Meeting here is also a form of destiny; we ought to look after one another."

"It's nothing at all." Zhou Bai waved his hand, leading the old horse and Ah Huang into a corner of the temple.

In truth, he had no intention of starting a fight. These people were merely mortals. Although the leading brawny man possessed some martial arts, it was mediocre at best—not even matching the level of Wang雷.

Moreover, these people wore tense expressions, and many had tiny bloodstains on their clothing. It was evident they had recently survived a fierce battle, and they were at their most exhausted and fatigued.

Just as Zhou Bai intended to rest, the young woman, accompanied by Uncle Nan, walked over once more. It was clear she was a sensible person and intended to test him out.

"How should I address this martial hero?" the young woman asked, performing an awkward cup-and-fist salute.

"Ah, this one is called Bai Long," Zhou Bai replied, returning the courtesy. Since he was heading north this time, he naturally had no intention of using his real name and simply threw out a pseudonym.

"This humble one is Sheng Li. These are some dry rations as an apology; please accept them, martial hero."

Uncle Nan handed over a small bundle containing a few large pancakes wrapped in oil paper.

Shortly after, they cupped their fists once more and retreated, appearing quite decisive.

Once they returned, Uncle Nan lowered his voice and asked, "Miss, what is this man's background?"

Sheng Li's gaze narrowed slightly. After a moment of thought, she replied, "His face is obscured beneath a bamboo hat. Though he carries a saber, his hands bear no calluses. Furthermore, that old horse of his is nearly on the verge of death from the journey. He doesn't look like any ruthless bandit."

"Then I can rest easy," Uncle Nan said with a sigh of relief. "I just hope that wretched thing stops chasing us. My scalp still tingles just thinking about it."

Though Sheng Li was also terrified inside, she forced a calm composure and said, "It won't. Once we reach Wancheng, we'll be safe. It wouldn't dare chase us there. Don't forget that place is under the jurisdiction of the Underworld Ministry."

"Right. Thanks to you, Miss. You go ahead and sleep; we'll take turns keeping watch."

Sheng Li nodded and huddled with the maid Qinggui in a pile of hay. Before closing her eyes, she couldn't help but glance over at Zhou Bai in the corner. She saw him stroking the spine of the lean horse, while something seemed to flash past his sleeve.

After looking a bit longer and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Sheng Li drifted off to sleep.

Zhou Bai naturally heard every word of their conversation. A young woman capable of leading a merchant caravan through troubled times certainly possessed some genuine ability.

And just as she observed, after such a long trek, the lean horse had reached its absolute limit. It was on the brink of drawing its last breath, half-lying on the ground with white foam bubbling from its mouth.

Zhou Bai had long since planned this, and there were specific reasons why he had chosen this particular horse.

Pulling out the Sea-Gathering Gourd, Zhou Bai first took a sip of the liquor himself. A wave of heat spread from his stomach throughout his entire body, leaving his bones with a tingling, pleasant sensation.

"Come, come. Fine wine in this world—even a beast like you can drink some, which proves I am your predestined benefactor."

With a tilt of the Sea-Gathering Gourd, a stream of liquor about the thickness of a finger flowed into the lean horse's mouth. Catching the medicinal fragrance of the wine, Ah Huang couldn't resist opening its mouth and inching closer, hoping for a share.

Such wine fragrance naturally caught the attention of the caravan. The guards were all alcohol-obsessed, and their craving worms were instantly hooked, their eyes drifting toward Zhou Bai's direction.

However, the fragrance vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, as Zhou Bai promptly stowed the Sea-Gathering Gourd away.

Upon consuming the Dragon-Tiger Bone-Strengthening Wine, the lean horse immediately broke out in a heavy sweat as the medicinal potency began to take effect.

If nothing unexpected happened, it would now possess a sliver of a chance to give birth to demonic qi.

Yet, it was at this moment that Zhou Bai made his move. A white shadow slipped forth from his sleeve.

A white snake slithered out from Zhou Bai's sleeve. Its head vaguely resembled that of a dragon, and its body bore fine, dense scales solely along its spine.

This was precisely Salted Fish in its shrunken form. It crawled from Zhou Bai's arm onto the lean horse's body and sank its fangs directly into the blood vessel on the creature's neck.

Lacking strength, the lean horse merely breathed a bit more heavily through its mouth and nose.

Uncle Nan and the others failed to notice Salted Fish, as Zhou Bai had deliberately kept it out of their line of sight.

The lean horse let out several weak, mournful whimpers. It could feel the white snake on its neck frantically devouring its blood, and its body temperature was steadily dropping.

A moment later, the lean horse's blood had been entirely drained, and its heartbeat began to slow to a crawl. If not for the residual medicinal power of the Dragon-Tiger Bone-Strengthening Wine sustaining its life, it would have already perished.

Recognizing Salted Fish, Ah Huang immediately tucked its tail between its legs and dared not move a muscle, remembering well that its own transformation into a demon had been caused by this very creature.

At this juncture, Salted Fish began to regurgitate the blood, pumping it back into the lean horse's body. Through this process, the blood now carried a faint trace of dragon aura.

The lean horse's body began to twitch. Its limbs thrashed, and blood seeped from its facial orifices.

Uncle Nan felt a chill in his heart. He had been keeping a watchful eye on the corner, and seeing the old horse behave so strangely, he immediately stood up and walked over.

"Young Hero Bai, do you need any help?"

Zhou Bai shook his head and retrieved the Sea-Gathering Gourd once more, pouring a small amount of liquor into the lean horse's mouth to sustain its life with the medicinal power.

Catching the rich aroma of the wine again, Uncle Nan swallowed hard. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the Sea-Gathering Gourd already tucked away.

Zhou Bai chuckled lightly, soothing the lean horse with his hand as he said, "Just some ordinary medicinal wine."

"What kind of medicinal wine is this fragrant? I've had the fortune of drinking the imperial capital's Brew of Bamboo and Spring, and it doesn't smell half as good as this."

The moment Uncle Nan finished speaking, he realized his slip of the tongue had exposed information. Besides, with wine of this caliber, the recipe was certainly not something he could inquire about.

"Wine brewed with dragon and serpent bones. Ordinary people would probably get drunk from just a single sip," Zhou Bai said in a flat tone. He had shared a small portion of this Dragon-Tiger Bone-Strengthening Wine with Wen Meng and the others, keeping the quantity strictly limited precisely to prevent them from getting intoxicated and messing up tasks.

"How can that be? Is there really wine in this world that knocks you out in a single sip? Sounds more like immortal brew to me," Uncle Nan muttered skeptically, suspecting the young man before him was just talking nonsense.

"Care to try?" Zhou Bai was quite generous. After all, he possessed an entire pond of Dragon-Tiger Bone-Strengthening Wine, and as long as the spiritual ingredients and medicinal potency within it remained active, the supply of liquor was endless. A single ounce given away was of no consequence to him.

"Forget it, forget it. Once we reach a town, I'll treat this little brother to a drink instead."

Though his mouth watered, Uncle Nan's innate caution prevailed, and he naturally dared not accept food or drink from a stranger along the road.

Not pressing the matter further, Zhou Bai turned to glance at the lean horse. Seeing that it had stopped moving and its steady breathing indicated it had fallen asleep, he asked, "Where are you all headed? Could it be Wancheng?"

From their previous conversation, he had gathered they were heading toward Wancheng—a small city at the intersection of Yangzhou and Xuzhou, which seemed to have some ties with the Underworld Ministry.

"Is Young Hero Bai also heading to Wancheng?"

"Indeed."

Uncle Nan sighed with emotion. "That's a fine place. Who would have thought that a mere village a year ago would transform into a renowned town today?"

Zhou Bai immediately began probing for information. Venturing blindly into Xuzhou carried too much risk, but in that city, he might just encounter people from the Underworld Ministry, giving him a chance to inquire about the situation.

"Since we're heading the same way, would you mind if I travel along with your caravan tomorrow?"

Hearing this, Uncle Nan did not dare to agree immediately. He looked hesitantly at the sleeping Sheng Li and whispered, "Young Hero Bai, our journey isn't peaceful either. We already lost a man the night before last."

He didn't elaborate on the specifics of what had happened, but the fear shimmering in his eyes was unmistakable.

This made Zhou Bai even more pleased. He hadn't expected to harvest potential clues right upon stepping out the door, and naturally, he had no intention of missing out.

Waving his hand with an air of indifference, he said, "It's fine. If there's any danger, traveling alone would probably make me even more vulnerable to trouble."

"That's true." Pondering this thought, Uncle Nan nodded. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'll ask the Miss for permission. If she agrees, you can travel with us. I'm only afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

"That horse of yours definitely won't make it. To reach Wancheng as soon as possible, we've been driving our horses at a desperate pace these past few days."

Zhou Bai patted the lean horse's head, causing its ears to twitch in its sleep.

"Rest assured. Although my horse is old, it's an exotic breed. It will recover after a good sleep."

"I hope so. You should get some good rest, Young Hero. We'll take care of keeping watch tonight."

Clearly not entirely convinced, Uncle Nan figured the hour was late and decided to get some rest himself.

Once he left, Zhou Bai leaned directly against the horse's back and drifted off to sleep, while Ah Huang curled its body tightly beside them.

Giving him another glance, Uncle Nan felt a helpless resignation and muttered under his breath, "He certainly has an easygoing nature, but traveling out in the world without a shred of caution simply won't do. Running into us happened to be fine, but next time, he might not be so lucky."

The night passed without incident. As the sky began to grow pale with dawn, the members of the caravan were already stirring—packing cargo and feeding the horses some dry rations.

Zhou Bai stretched lazily and opened his eyes. With a gentle kick, he prodded the lean horse and Ah Huang, both of which promptly rose to their feet.

After surviving the night, subtle changes had occurred in the lean horse. Its ribs, which had previously been visible, were now covered with a bit more flesh, and its coat looked noticeably smoother and glossier.

Allowing Salted Fish to infuse dragon aura mixed with blood into its body had indeed been part of Zhou Bai's own calculation.

Transforming the lean horse into a demon would have been simple enough, but he truly could not stomach the idea of riding a mount that might morph into a human form at any moment.

Since the lean horse was a mare, turning into a human as a young girl would have been manageable, but given its advanced age, it would most likely take the form of a seventy- or eighty-year-old grandmother—a prospect he simply could not accept.

Therefore, Zhou Bai chose to dragonize it. He didn't expect the lean horse to ascend into a true dragon; he merely used the dragon aura to permanently sever any possibility of it transforming into a demon.

Besides, a bald man riding a dragon-horse—that could more or less be considered a classic combination.