Eager to Recognize a Master

Liu Hu, who was standing nearby, saw that his young master liked the Whirlwind Horse. He hurried over to Shen Jingchuan and lowered his voice to warn him:

"Young master, don't get too close just yet. If you really like this horse, you need to settle the price with the broker and get it in writing before you try. Otherwise, if the horse really does recognize you as its master, these horse dealers will surely raise the price on the spot. Then you'll have no choice but to buy it."

Shen Jingchuan stopped in his tracks and turned to him. "Is that how it works?"

"These Whirlwind Horses are uncanny. They only recognize one master in their entire lives."

Liu Hu nodded, his expression grave. "If it recognizes you and you don't buy it, it'll be halfway to ruined. The dealer will definitely use that as an excuse to demand the sky and make you pay whatever he asks. Let's settle the price first. It won't be too late to try afterward."

Realization dawned on Shen Jingchuan. He thought it was a good thing he had someone knowledgeable with him, or he really would have suffered a loss without a word. He glanced at the official broker stealing looks at them from a short distance away and called out:

"Broker, come here."

The broker had been watching them already. At the call, he immediately came trotting over with a broad smile.

"What can I do for you, young master?"

"How much for these Whirlwind Horses?" Shen Jingchuan tipped his chin toward the black horses in the pen.

The broker's eyes lit up. He first glanced at Liu Hu, then cupped his hands, a slick smile on his face.

"Young master, anyone can see you're an expert on horses! These are all top-grade Whirlwind Horses, just brought in from the north. Every one of them has the makings of a warhorse. They're spirited and swift. The adult stallions go for a fixed price of five hundred taels each; the slightly shorter mares over there are four hundred."

As soon as he finished, Liu Hu frowned and stepped forward.

"That's hardly an honest price, shopkeeper. An ordinary draft horse costs a dozen or so taels, and even a top riding horse only goes for fifty or sixty. Whirlwind Horses may be precious, but even the finest stallion wouldn't fetch more than four hundred taels at the very most. A mare would only be a little over three hundred. You've added a hundred taels to the price. Aren't you taking advantage of us as outsiders?"

The broker smiled sheepishly and rubbed his hands as he explained:

"You don't know the whole story, young sir. Past years were past years; this year is different. There's famine in the north, and bandits are rife on the roads. To transport horses, we had to hire a major escort agency to guard them the whole way. The escort fees were two or three times higher than usual, and our losses were heavy too. It took all we had to bring these few horses here. We really aren't naming prices at random."

"No matter how much the escort fees rose, they couldn't add a hundred taels to the price of one horse."

Liu Hu wasn't buying it. His tone remained unhurried. "How about this? We won't take advantage of you either. The young master just wants to see whether he has an affinity with the horses. If they really do recognize him as their master, we'll pay three hundred and fifty taels for a stallion and two hundred and eighty for a mare. If they don't, we'll turn around and leave, without holding up your business."

The broker shook his head like a rattle drum.

"No, no, I really can't cover my costs at that price. Honestly, the lowest I can go is four hundred for a stallion and three hundred and twenty for a mare. At that price, I'm already losing the transport costs. I really can't go any lower."

The two argued a few more rounds, but the broker dug in his heels at four hundred taels and refused to budge. Liu Hu looked back at Shen Jingchuan, and seeing that he had no objection, nodded.

"All right, four hundred it is. But a spoken promise is no proof. You have to put it in writing first: four hundred taels for a stallion and three hundred and twenty for a mare. Whichever horses my young master succeeds with, the sale goes through at that price. No raising it at the last minute."

The broker froze, then gave a wry smile.

"You really do know the ropes, young sir. All right, I'll write it now."

He immediately took paper and a brush from his robes, bent over the wooden rail beside him, and swiftly wrote out an agreement. He pressed his thumbprint onto it and handed it over. Liu Hu took it and read it carefully. Only after confirming everything was correct did he tuck it into his robes and turn back to Shen Jingchuan.

"Young master, it's settled. Go ahead and choose."

After hearing this, Shen Jingchuan felt reassured. He had ridden horses on the Bashang Grassland, and the owner had specifically told him to get acquainted with a horse before mounting. The owner had even given him two carrots to feed it and bring them closer. He still remembered that horses liked sweet things.

He lifted the backpack from his shoulders and handed it to Liu Hu. "Hold this for me."

Liu Hu hurriedly accepted it with both hands. He then saw his young master reach into the bag and rummage around, only to pull out a plump, bright red apple.

Holding the apple, Shen Jingchuan walked very slowly toward the strongest black stallion in the pen. He held his arm straight out, the apple resting on his open palm, afraid that a sudden movement would startle the spirited horse.

The black horse had been standing with its head lowered. Hearing the movement, it looked up. The instant their eyes met, Shen Jingchuan had the fleeting impression that its eyes were astonishingly bright, as though wrapped in flecks of golden light. It almost gave him the illusion that their thoughts had met—an indescribably uncanny, perceptive quality.

He steadied himself and kept walking, slowly approaching the wooden rail and offering the apple a little farther forward.

The black horse's nostrils twitched. Catching the sweet, fresh scent, it stretched its head forward, its soft, warm lips brushing his palm as it took the apple and began crunching away. Crisp sounds rang out as it chewed, and it snorted twice, looking especially pleased.

Seeing how gentle it was, Shen Jingchuan grew bolder. He raised his other hand and slowly stroked up its neck to its thick, glossy mane. The black horse not only failed to pull away, but turned its great head toward him and gently rubbed its cheek against his face, its short fur tickling his skin.

"Well, would you look at that! It really does recognize me!"

Shen Jingchuan's heart blossomed with joy. He quickly turned around and fished another apple from the bag, then offered it to the horse.

The black horse took the second apple, swishing its tail even more happily and pawing lightly at the ground, looking as though it knew him extremely well.

Shen Jingchuan stroked the big stallion's glossy neck, his heart blossoming with joy. Somehow, being accepted by such a magnificent Whirlwind Horse made him even prouder than coaxing Xiao Yue'er into yielding back then.

He was just thinking that he would have Liu Hu take care of the paperwork and buy the horse when he suddenly heard hooves clopping on the other side of the wooden rail. Two slightly shorter black mares came trotting over and stared fixedly at him through the fence.

Shen Jingchuan froze on the spot. The two apples he had just taken out were the last of his stock. He searched through the ring and found not so much as half an apple left. The two had come over looking at him expectantly, and he couldn't very well coax them empty-handed. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.

Seeing this, the broker immediately came over and said with a smile:

"Young master, you see? I'm not trying to cheat you. These two mares have taken a liking to you of their own accord. They came over on their own to recognize you as their master. That's a rare sight indeed at the horse market."

"So you're forcing a sale on me too?" Shen Jingchuan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, young master, that's an unfair accusation."

The broker hurriedly waved his hands. "Whether a Mystic Wind Horse recognizes a master is entirely up to the horse. How could anyone force it? If you don't believe me, ask this young sir whether that's true."

Seeing the troubled look on his young master's face, Liu Hu could only nod honestly.

"Young master, that's true. These horses are proud. They'll kick anyone they don't like for getting too close. If they've come to you on their own, then they've truly set their hearts on you."

At that, the little bit of difficulty in Shen Jingchuan's heart instantly turned to delight again. He had approached the big stallion and made overtures himself, but these two mares had come running to him on their own.

He leaned closer for a careful look. Though the two were a head shorter than the big stallion, their shoulders still stood far higher than those of ordinary horses. They had well-proportioned frames and glossy coats, and looked just as strong and spirited.

He reached out and rubbed each mare's forehead. Both obediently tilted their heads and nuzzled his palms, as gentle as could be.

But Shen Jingchuan was troubled. If he fed apples only to the big stallion and gave these two nothing, wouldn't the little ones throw a tantrum later over being treated unfairly? Without thinking, he had begun treating the three perceptive horses like people.

A thought struck him. He turned and rummaged in the backpack, pulling out a few pieces of milk candy. He quickly unwrapped one and held it on his palm by the mouth of the mare on the left. The mare rubbed her nose against his palm, then curled her soft tongue around the candy and drew it into her mouth. The warm, moist, soft touch tickled his palm and felt wonderful.

Shen Jingchuan hurriedly unwrapped another piece and offered it to the other mare. This one was even more affectionate. After licking up the candy, she stretched out her head, brushed her soft, damp nose against his cheek, and gently licked the side of his face.

Shen Jingchuan's heart stirred. He had thought a horse's mouth would smell unpleasantly of fodder, but up close he smelled only the faint scent of fresh grass and milk candy, clean and refreshing, not disagreeable in the slightest. He smiled and rubbed the mare's ears. Seeing this, the other mare refused to be outdone and came over to give the other side of his face a gentle lick, making him laugh aloud.

As the man and three horses interacted animatedly, the broker watched from the side, clicking his tongue in wonder. Afraid the young master wouldn't buy them all, he spoke up:

"Young master, this really is a heaven-sent affinity. The stallion is four hundred taels, and the two mares are three hundred and twenty each. That comes to a total of one thousand and forty taels.

"You have such an affinity with these horses. I've sold horses all my life, and I've never seen three Whirlwind Horses recognize the same person as their master.

"If you don't buy them and take them home, these horses will be ruined. How about this? I'll cover all the miscellaneous costs afterward—the contract tax, the branding, everything—and take care of it all for you. What do you say?"

Liu Hu chimed in from the side. "We're buying three at once. Surely you should throw something in, shopkeeper? You should at least provide the basics, like whips and halters."

The broker smiled wryly and pointed at the three horses in the pen.

"Look at these horses, young sir. They're no ordinary draft horses or riding horses. On the northern grasslands, they're called Heavenly Horses. How could ordinary whips and halters be worthy of them? Besides, even if I gave them to you, you wouldn't think much of them, would you?"

Shen Jingchuan looked down at the three magnificent horses and thought the broker had a point. A good horse deserved a good saddle, and ordinary goods really weren't fit to be presented. He waved a hand and said with a smile:

"All right, we'll do as you say. Thank you for the concession, shopkeeper. Let's take care of the paperwork now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the three horses in the pen shook their manes in unison, as though they understood him. They pawed lightly at the ground and blew cheerful white puffs from their nostrils, looking even more spirited than before.