Chapter 274: There’s No Such Thing As An Impossible Task, Only Those Unwilling To Try
“The Beast Supervision all say it’s beyond saving, but you say it can be saved? I know you want to trick me out of my Thunder Smoke Beast, so stop lying. I actually like it this way now.”
The mocking smile on Yun Ce’s face made the Bearded Man extremely angry. He turned and smashed a fist over. This fist didn’t bring up any wind sound; the previous moment he clenched his fist and turned, the next moment the fist was about to smash into Yun Ce’s face.
Yun Ce’s hand strangely appeared right in front of the fist. After the two fists collided, both Yun Ce and the Bearded Man retreated one step.
The Bearded Man said in shock: “You actually also broke through to Thousand-man General.”
Yun Ce protected the Red Date Horse and said: “Is being a Thousand-man General that impressive?”
Perhaps because they had exchanged a punch earlier, the Bearded Man’s demeanor started to become respectful. He cupped his fists toward Yun Ce and said: “The Thunder Smoke Beast behind you was nailed with a ‘Soul Suppressing Nail’ by the Beast Supervision yet can still maintain some sentience. This is extremely rare.
Such a Thunder Smoke Beast is just a plaything to you, but in my hands, it has great use. If you’re willing, I’m prepared to trade three Thunder Smoke Beasts for this one that’s gone mad.”
Yun Ce shook his head and said: “To me, it’s not just a horse so simple. It’s also my brother.”
The Bearded Man said: “I can add money—one thousand taels of gold, plus three Thunder Smoke Beasts.”
Yun Ce continued shaking his head: “It seems your brothers can be taken out or sold off as long as there’s money. Mine can’t. No matter how much money or how many Thunder Smoke Beasts you offer to exchange, I’ll still choose my brother.”
1 Before the words had even fallen, the Bearded Man’s fist smashed over again. In his nearly crazy eyes, Yun Ce saw endless greed.
1 “Bang bang bang.”
1 In a short time, Yun Ce’s fist collided with the Bearded Man’s fist no less than ten times. Though the noise of each collision wasn’t loud, it placed a heavy burden on the bodies of the two combatants. As Thousand-man Generals, every fist they threw had force that wouldn’t disperse—it would only act on the opponent.
1 By the time Yun Ce’s hair tie was shaken loose by internal breath and his long hair scattered down, the Bearded Man opposite him wasn’t much better off either. His right arm’s sleeve had already been shattered by internal breath, turning into butterflies that quietly fell to the ground.
1 Seeing that force still wouldn’t work, the Bearded Man retreated two steps and said to Yun Ce: “Five Thunder Smoke Beasts, two thousand taels of gold—this is my final offer. If you can accept it, we’ll be friends. If not, you’ll be mortal enemies of the Prefectural Office of Yongzhou.”
1 Yun Ce, who had originally been calm and composed, clearly froze for a moment upon hearing the name of the Prefectural Office of Yongzhou. He immediately puffed out his chest and said: “I fear the Prefectural Office of Yongzhou, but who are you? What virtue or ability do you have to represent the Prefectural Office of Yongzhou?”
1 “I am Eagle Soaring General Chu Xiong of the Prefectural Office of Yongzhou.”
1 After hearing Chu Xiong report his name, Yun Ce immediately pulled out a handkerchief and tied it over his face. Then, he lunged at Chu Xiong. Chu Xiong sneered, sank his waist into a horse stance, and thrust a fist at the oncoming Yun Ce. The two fists clashed again. This time, Chu Xiong held a great advantage and sent Yun Ce flying with one punch.
1 Just as Chu Xiong was about to speak and continue threatening Yun Ce, he saw that his body had been sent flying seven or eight zhang by that punch. Chu Xiong secretly cried out that it was bad and pounced forward, but at that moment, Yun Ce’s body landed perfectly on the back of the Red Date Horse. The Red Date Horse neighed loudly, dashed forward rapidly for a stretch, then suddenly leaped up, soaring more than two zhang high. Carrying Yun Ce, it flew over the Qianjiaji barricade gate, landed in the open ground outside the gate, and without stopping, madly galloped into the dim light of early dawn.
1 Chu Xiong leaped onto the barricade gate and only saw a shadow rapidly receding from him. Unable to contain the anger in his chest, he let out a mad howl.
2 For the first time, he realized that sometimes riding out alone wasn’t a good thing. Today, if he had only brought along one Hundred-man General, that slippery little brat couldn’t have escaped his grasp.
2 After running for a while, the Red Date Horse stopped running and continued learning to jump like a rabbit. Yun Ce sat on the bumpy horse’s back and asked Doggy.
2 “This guy is probably after the Tiger Guards. From what he said, it seems he has a way to unlock the Tiger Guards’ shackles.”
2 Doggy said: “Even if not, he’s been researching it. Think about it—he saw the Red Date Horse in its dumb state and immediately associated it with the Beast Supervision, with the Beast Supervision’s secret method being useless on the Red Date Horse.
2 Let me tell you, this kind of association absolutely isn’t a spur-of-the-moment thought, but a flash of insight upon seeing something similar after deep consideration. Maybe he really has a way to solve the Tiger Guards’ problem.
2 By the way, why didn’t you grab him earlier? You should believe I could dig everything out of his brain.”
2 Yun Ce laughed: “I want a foolproof method and don’t want to disrupt their ongoing research. It’s not too late for us to strike once they really make a breakthrough.
2 Doggy, do you think he got a clear look at my face?”
2 “No, the sky was dim, and your face has no special marks—except for being handsome. He has no way to describe your appearance. Unless he sees you again, he can’t spread word of your looks.”
2 “Ah, Doggy, you’re really getting better and better at talking.”
3 “You know, I just like telling the truth now.”
3 Yun Ce entered Liang City with his front foot; Chu Xiong entered Liang City right on his heels. But Yun Ce entered from the East Gate, while Chu Xiong came in from the West Gate.
3 The reason for wasting some time was mainly that Yun Ce had changed the Red Date Horse’s appearance. After the red-date color turned pure black, this black Thunder Smoke Beast became completely unremarkable—after all, black was the most common among Thunder Smoke Beasts.
3 When normal, the Red Date Horse was extremely normal. No matter who came, they could only say that the Red Date Horse turned into a black Thunder Smoke Beast was just a standard Thunder Smoke Beast—stupid, obedient, moving only at a signal.
3 It was fundamentally different from the red-date-colored one Chu Xiong had seen, which although had abnormal nerves, was full of sentience and vitality.
3 Liang City was a barren place for Xinping Prefecture, but placed in the entire Great Han, it was a rare wealthy city—because the Grassland was here, and Liang City’s most developed industry was naturally the Leather Industry.
3 Cities with the Leather Industry inevitably had terrible smells. This was true in the ancestral land, and the same in Liang City. Not only was there sewage flowing everywhere, but the peculiar rotting meat smell of the Leather Industry attracted scavenger birds from a thousand li around.
3 They circled densely in the sky, like a dark cloud forever hanging over the city, giving an indescribable sense of oppression.
3 Perhaps this was the reason why Inspector Qian Feng of Xinping Prefecture lent Liang City to He Tian for garrisoning troops. It was broken enough here, and the common people wild enough—even if battle broke out, it wouldn’t matter.
3 The leather industry was very profitable but extremely unfriendly to the environment. As long as one had even a bit of a scholar or gentleman’s heart, they wouldn’t choose to live amid the stench. Only those men and women who loved money and wanted to make it would endure the foul odor day after day, year after year.
4 Therefore, to find a good place to live in Liang City, the first choice was the upwind position in the west. Liang City had a structure of two mountains clamping a hook, with the city in the valley, and the valley running east-west. For some reason, Liang City had prevailing westerly winds year-round, which made West City one of the few places in Liang City where nobles and rich people resided.
4 Yun Ce entered from the East Gate and endured the stench all the way west against the wind. When the smell faded to near disappearance, he saw the West Gate from afar.
4 Chu Xiong entered from the West Gate. First, he confirmed Yun Ce hadn’t passed through the city to elsewhere, then inquired all along from the west, asking if anyone had seen Yun Ce and a red-date-colored Thunder Smoke Beast by scent and description.
4 Both were single riders going alone. Though heading toward each other, they perfectly missed each other.
4 The Tiger Guards’ camp was in South City. Yun Ce should have gone to live in South City too, but he really couldn’t stand the smell there, so he chose West City—moreover, West City had Liang City’s best guesthouse.
4 He had thought that with the whole world watching the Tiger Guards’ movements, Liang City’s best guesthouse would be packed. Unexpectedly, after checking in, he found the business here wasn’t good.
4 Only after asking the Shopkeeper did he learn that most people had gone to South City. Those choosing to live in West City were nobles and rich merchants passing through Liang City.
4 He had thought they would allow the Thunder Smoke Beast to stay with its owner, but the Shopkeeper absolutely refused. The Red Date Horse, dyed black, had no choice but to obediently stay in the stable. Though it was a luxurious stable, the Red Date Horse had no interest in showing off and quietly stood alone in the luxurious stable with only it, eating grass.
4 Yun Ce also changed into a set of black tight-fitting clothes, with a black mask on his face that only exposed his eyes. He carried a saber on his back and had a dagger at his waist. This outfit easily made people think this gentleman must have some unknown advanced skills—otherwise, why carry a slender saber on the back and hang a dagger at the waist.
4 After settling the Red Date Horse, Yun Ce went to South City. He wanted to find Chu Xiong, see what he was up to, and if there was a chance to take advantage of the chaos.
5 A column of cavalry thundered past on the main street. Pedestrians scattered upon hearing the sound. Then, Yun Ce saw the famed Tiger Guards.
5 Yun Ce, who had ducked into an eatery, watched the iron-tower-like Tiger Guards and asked the Shopkeeper.
5 “Do these people come out of the barracks every day?”
5 Seeing Yun Ce start pulling out money to buy and eat things, the Shopkeeper warmly said: “They come out every day to patrol the city, saying it’s to capture bandits and intimidate petty thieves. This old man thinks they’re more like those vendors hawking business—putting on a show specifically for others to see.”
5 Yun Ce felt the same. He had been about to buy their soup, but saw the shop assistant’s right thumb dipped in the dark yellow soup. Combined with the faint stench at his nose, he couldn’t help dry-heaving at the Shopkeeper, quickly packed up his money bag, and left the shop. Leaving behind the furious Shopkeeper and the innocent shop assistant.
5 He Tian resided in the Liangcheng City Lord’s Mansion and didn’t live with his Tiger Guards. Yun Ce couldn’t tell if this was He Tian’s final stubbornness or final sorrow.
5 In any case, he planned to go take a look at the Liangcheng City Lord’s Mansion tonight. Maybe there would be big excitement to see.
