Chapter 13: On a Black Horse
After making that announcement Cai Yan clearly wasn't pleased but she already had full trust in me and if I said I would return alive then I would, and while returning to saves is possible, I can still feel the pain of dying and death itself, it wasn't as if I wouldn't feel it at all, the save system isn't that kind when it comes to pain and death itself, thus I wasn't going to arbitrarily go and throw myself into deadly situations intentionally unless I need to like on the battlefield.
"Haaa, well you seem to have made up your mind, but before you go, head over to the Horse Merchant and buy yourself a Warhorse, Red is more of a travel horse and city horse than a natural warhorse, find a good hardy horse that can hold you up along with it having barding on top of it." Cai Wang suggested to me which made sense as Red gets tired easily while I ride him with my armor on, though he can go long distances when I don't have it on.
"You should also look for someone who would be willing to come along with you as your adjutant or your attendant, or find some to be your allies before you can form your own group or join another's group instead, the world is your oyster, just keep to your promise and return to us safe and sound will you." He told me to which I nodded in return.
Soon enough we finished our breakfast before father prepared me some provisions along with handing me 500 gold coins from what I earned to save Cai Yan for expenses I'll need for my travels along with buying a purebred warhorse which usually cost a staggering 10 gold coins to own but are some of the best horses out there.
So before I departed from Langye I needed to go to the Horse Merchant and also find myself at least an Adjutant and if I can get lucky some men that I could call my allies in battle.
So after everything was set I said my goodbyes to them both and continued on my own, leaving Red behind for Cai Yan to care for as I head for the Horse Merchant.
'Luckily this isn't a Wuxia story, I'd hate to have to deal with young masters getting pissed for the smallest things and wanting to kill everyone in your family for the most minor of slights.' I think to myself as frankly I'm glad I'm not in those Wuxia novels with how hectic and dangerous they always turn out being for the MC.
The streets were bustling with activity from shops and stalls, everything seemed peaceful, almost as if everyone was subconsciously ignoring the fact that China was falling apart and is in a constant state of civil war to see who has the right to lead it, or even if the young Emperor, who is actually only a few years younger than me now that I think about it, has the 'Mandate of Heaven' to make China Whole once more.
But I believed that those living under Liu Bei are probably the most happiest people in all of China, so I made my way down the streets, greeting people along the way before I finally made it towards the Horse Merchant where I could hear a commotion going on.
*NEIGHHH!!!* A Large Black Horse with a Crimson Mane bellowed out as it was being held down with ropes by ten different men while its eyes glowed an ominous red.
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"Hold him steady! Alright Lord Zheng Fei! Now's your chance to break in this wild beast!" The Horse Merchant called out to Zheng Fei who was grinning from ear to ear at the horse he saw.
"Haha! I knew it! This wasn't some drunken stupor at all but a real vision from the gods and this horse was just meant for me!" He shouts out as he hops onto the extremely large horse(Almost as big as a Shirehorse) back.
*NEEEEIIIIIGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!* But as soon as Zhang Fei got on his back the beast of a horse went completely ballistic, completely making the ten men who were barely able to hold it down get flung off as it began to rampage in the open pasture area where the other horses would graze to eat grass, luckily all the other horses sensed what was about to happen when this horse was released from his cage on Zhang Fei's order and returned to their stables showing fear as their bodies shivered at the sight of the rampaging horse.
Now Zhang Fei isn't called one of the strongest men of the Three Kingdoms Period for nothing, but even with all his strength he couldn't get a firm grip on his harness as he was thrashed all about.
*NEEEEEIIIIIIIGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!* The Beast gave one extremely hard hindleg buck which was the final straw for Zhang Fei as he could no longer keep his grip as he was sent flying towards the stables as he crashed through the gates, breaking them before tumbling along and only coming to a full stop when he landed in a large pile of hay.
"Ohhhh….. I think I'm gonna be- *Hrrgk! Bllerggghh!!!*" Was all he could say before he began to puke from the equivalent of heavy wash cycle tumbling he was put through trying to break in that horse.
*NEIGH!* It bellowed out as it still thrashed about, clearly showing how angry it was trying to be ridden by someone like that, someone they hadn't approved of in the first place.
"What is going on here? And what's with that horse?" I asked as I had finally arrived after everything that had happened as I saw the angry horse thrashing about while the attendants were to scared to get close to it.
"Oh! Young master Gongsun! I am terribly sorry you had to see my wonderful shop in such a state of disarray as this! Truthfully I had just received a majestic horse all the way from the plains of Shofang no less where the best of the best horses are found in the wild and they were able to capture this Mare somehow, but no one has been able to break her in, Lord Zhang Fei even tried and he was sent crashing into the stables as a result!" The horse merchant explained to me as I scratched my head while looking at the mare.
'Was there ever a horse like this? Maybe it's based upon one of the extra skins for Red Hare? Red Hare did have various dlc Skins in the Dynasty Warriors games and other various Romance of the Three Kingdoms games as well.' I think that while I continue to look at the horse to which it has calmed down but seemed to be staring at me.
"…. Do you have some carrots?" I ask the horse merchant.
"Oh, of course." He said going over to a nearby cart before grabbing some carrots he had on stock before I took them as I hopped on over the fenced as I approached the horse while the horse merchants legs couldn't stop shaking in fear.
The horse snorted while giving me the side eye as she saw me approach, she scratched at the ground with her front making a clear sign she didn't want to be approached.
I held up my hand and approached her slowly showing to her I meant no harm while I held my right hand with the carrot out towards her.
I slowly and steadily got to her as she stared at me and the carrot before I finally reached her to which she brought her head down and slowly started to eat the carrot while I began to rub my hand through her mane.
"There there, I know your probably scared more than anything, you were taken from your home by force, forced in a cage to hold you while you were taken what feels like half the world away from the lands you grew up in, away from those you consider to be friends and family." I spoke to her softly as thanks to growing up in a family that are known for being horse generals when they enter the military world it's imperative that we can understand what our horses want and need from their riders as they are the other half of what makes one a horse General with Gongsun Zan being the Famous White Horse General as he rides on the back of his Pure White Warhorse.
Hearing me say that and actually being able to understand what I am saying the horse noticibly calmed down, but she seemed saddened nonetheless as her red eyes appeared more watery than how they normally would be.
"Tell you what, if you become my steed then the first time I get the chance I will make my way across China and to the region of Shofang and allow you to run wild a free and maybe even see your brethren again, but that might be a long time from now until then, even with that said will you travel along with me?" I asked her as I kept running my fingers through her hair.
Out of all the the Gongsun's to date I was known as the first ever Gongsun to be able to tame a wild horse without ever needing to break it in with calm words, carrots and apples alone, I never knew why but since that was during my NPC era I had to guess that it was my title at work, it didn't having anything like that as for what the title does but as the Yellow Emperors Chosen, all animals, even wild ones, have felt calm and trusting of me as a result and maybe it's something the only someone chosen by a god can do, or something like that cause I really don't know.
Hearing that she looked at me as I looked back at her before she bowed her head towards me to which I placed my forehead against hers, signifying the bond we had just created with each other.
I then turned to the horse merchant who's eyes were comically bulging out of his sockets with his mouth agape from the sheer shock of what he was seeing as I kept peering her, "Merchant, how much for her, I would like to buy her off your hands." I said to the man as he slowly reached up to his mouth to forcibly shut it before shaking his head and getting back into focus.
"Young Master I am in awe in what I have seen today, never in my dreams would I ever see a person ever take a wild horse without breaking it in, initially I was going to sell this marvelous creature for a mere 25 gold coins, but you did something nobody else could ever do, so I'll only sell her to you for 5 gold coins, it should at least recoup the expenses needed to get her from one half of China to the other." The merchant said which made me sweat a little inside.
'She's the equivalent of a luxury sports car in this era for the original price….' After all one gold coin can keep a family of four well fed for an entire year, and the original price was worth 25 years of a family of fours food expenses, it almost reminded me of the dreaded college debt with that price, but with me being exceedingly rich without being a lord, 5 gold coins wasn't an issue.
I patted her head before I grabbed at my robes to open them up with a small pouch of gold coins, sad to say that I only just found out I can actually store all my money within my system so as to not get stolen by would be pick pockets, now I wish I had all my gold, but it's for the best it stays with Father and Cai Yan for the time being, so I pulled out five gold coins and handed it to him to buy the Mare of his hands.
"Thank you for your purchase, have you decided a name for her young master?" He asks as I grab onto the saddle on her back as I pull myself up and reposition myself on her back.
"Hmm, I think I have a perfect name for you girl, I have read some Buddhist scriptures when I was younger so I think this name is fitting for you." I say while stroking her crimson blooded mane.
"I shall name you Kali after the goddess of destruction and creations namesake, I think it suits a strong and powerful horse like you perfectly." I said with a grin as I patted her neck.
She shook her head before lifting her head *NEIGH!* she let out a loud neigh clearly pleased with the name I decided to give her.
And thus began the beginning of my journey with Kali at my side.
*****
"I shall name you Kali after the goddess of destruction and creations namesake-"
*BFFFTTT!!!* *COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!*
The Yellow Emperor, who right now wasn't busy with any of the courtly politics he had to deal with in the Heavenly Court under purview of the Jade Emperor himself and not having much to do recently he decided to have a little fun and have a kid who died in his mortal tomb become reincarnated in several games he enjoyed playing on his off time just for the fun of it, spat out his tea he was drinking after hearing him name a horse after Kali of all people.
"That Idiot Descendant of mine! Does he not know the consequences of what he just did?!?!…. Aggghhh…. This is going to be such a headache….." The Yellow Emperor bemoaned to himself as this little thing he did for fun is now going to get her attention of all people soon enough.
Now the boy will have another god meddling with his new life soon enough….
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