Warhorses Trained Like This? The Shocked Guests (12,000 Words)
The Firemane Horse horse was quite spirited; after Zhao Xing mounted it, it shook violently, trying to throw Zhao Xing off.
"Hiss hiss hiss~"
Flames burned on Zhao Xing's mane and spread along his body, making Zhao Xing look exactly like the 'Ghost Rider'.
"You're quite fierce." Zhao Xing smiled slightly, then raised his palm.
"Zzzzz~" Lightning instantly covered the entire palm, and then he slammed it down on the horse's head.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous slam, the Firemane Horse was instantly disoriented, and the flames on its body dimmed.
Just when Zhao Xing thought the guy had calmed down, the Firemane Horse suddenly sprang into action and leaped upwards toward the wall of Astral Wind in front of it.
At this moment, Zhao Xing's body was lying horizontally, at a ninety-degree angle to the ground.
The Firemane Horse breathed fire again, its muscles swaying at a unique frequency as it tried to shake off Zhao Xing.
"Get down!"
Zhao Xing suddenly spurred the horse's belly.
"Humph~"
The Firemane Horse's body immediately plummeted downwards.
With his Greater Mastery of Gold Bone and bones weighing a thousand pounds, Zhao Xing used a martial arts technique called Thousand-Kilogram Drop to immediately inflict a heavy blow on the Firemane Horse.
It felt as if it were carrying a huge mountain, unable to fly at all, and slowly plummeted towards the plain below.
"Thump~"
The man and his horse crashed to the ground, creating a large crater in the grassland.
"The Boundless Earth Palace!"
Zhao Xing used the Earth Palace Art, causing all two hundred horses, including the Firemane Horse King, to slow down as if they had entered a quagmire, eventually coming to a complete stop.
Only the Horse King managed to struggle a couple of times in the pit.
Seeing that this fellow was still not behaving himself, Old Master Zhao lost his patience.
His gaze gradually changed, and the murderous aura he had honed on the battlefield was suddenly unleashed.
Then, Golden Light flashed in his hand, and a ring-shaped mark was released.
"Submit, or die." (Mantra of All Beasts - Firemane Horse)
Zhao Xing activated the Myriad Beasts True Word Art, letting out a neighing roar as he held the Slave Seal and looked down at the Horse King.
He believed that the cunning horse king could understand.
If he couldn't understand, he would have no choice but to forcibly use the Slave Seal Art. However, Zhao Xing's Slave Seal Art was not refined enough. If he used it, the Firemane Horse would likely die.
Even if the slave seal is successful, this Firemane Horse will go through a very painful period.
The principle behind the Slave Seal Art is to leave a spell inside the beast's body, causing it to live in constant fear and pain, thus forcing it to submit.
The advantage of the Slave Seal Art is that it is effective quickly, but the disadvantage is that it will wear down the spirituality of the beast and turn it into a mere tool.
Therefore, it is generally only applied to ferocious beasts and king beasts.
"Neigh~" The Firemane Horse King knelt down on its front paws. It chose to submit to the new king.
Yes, in the eyes of the Firemane Horse King, Zhao Xing was a Firemane Horse, and their new king.
Zhao Xing jumped back onto the Firemane Horse King from the pit, then used the Thunderbolt Chains to bind its face and put a lightning-style bit on the Firemane Horse King.
With a gentle pull from Zhao Xing, the Firemane Horse King obediently jumped out of the pit.
"Neigh~" Its front hooves were raised high, Zhao Xing sat on its back, set off by the flames, looking like Divine General descending from heaven.
"Bang!" The horse's hoof stomped down, shaking the ground, and a ring of fire spread out from the surrounding area.
All the Fire Fierce Horse Group heard the command, ran over, and knelt down around Zhao Xing.
"Lord Zhao, you're amazing..." Ling Ruoxue's eyes lit up when she saw this scene after flying over.
"It's such a waste of talent for the Military Sima Nong to raise horses," Cao Jiang remarked, watching Zhao Xing easily subdue the Firemane Horse King.
The Firemane Horse King is Sixth Rank exotic beast! Cao Jiang had been chasing it for several hours but couldn't get close because he had no confidence in winning.
This wild horse king is incredibly powerful. If it weren't for the Celestial Horse Naga's help, he might be injured by now.
But as soon as Zhao Xing arrived, he immediately took control of the situation and even subdued the Firemane Horse King.
Tao Anchun was filled with astonishment and doubt. "He just used the Myriad Beasts True Word Art, and he also knows the Three-Ring Slave Seal..."
Cao Jiang said, "Yes, what's wrong?"
Tao Anchun looked at Cao Jiang and said, "Have you forgotten what he did after taking office?"
Cao Jiang was startled. "You mean, he learned this on the spot?"
Tao Anchun said, "The military's order for transferring from military to civilian positions only gives him a maximum of one month to prepare. That means he won't know where he's being transferred until a month before he takes office."
"Including this month, he's only been learning animal taming techniques for three and a half months!"
"Hiss..." Cao Jiang gasped.
"Your humble servant Cao Jiang." "Your humble servant Tao Anchun."
"Greetings, Chief Justice Zhao. Congratulations on your successful taming of the Fire Fierce Horse Group."
The two men ran over respectfully to greet Zhao Xing.
"Please rise, gentlemen." Zhao Xing smiled.
He conquered not only the Firemane Horse King, but also the hearts of Tao Anchun and Cao Jiang, two Sixth Rank Agricultural Official.
Otherwise, Old Master Zhao wouldn't have gone to all this trouble.
No matter where you are, your own strength is the only true measure of success!
Princess Youruo has given him her support, but if he doesn't demonstrate his abilities, these people will only be outwardly respectful. They won't be truly convinced of his abilities, nor will they follow him wholeheartedly.
After this incident, Cao Jiang and Tao Anchun were truly convinced.
What could a young official with connections, ability, and reasonableness possibly have to be dissatisfied with?
That's definitely a great thigh!
Even the innocent and carefree Ling Ruoxue could see Zhao Xing's extraordinary nature, and she followed her uncles in bowing respectfully.
"It's getting late, gentlemen. Let's head back to the Tuoquan Palace."
"Yes."
At the Tuoquan Palace, Dong Yuanqiu and Bao Shiqiu were questioning Zhang Tao.
Suddenly, the sky over Land Island was bright. Such a large-scale change in the Heavenly Timing naturally prompted the two of them to come and check it out.
"The Celestial Horse from the Tuoquan Palace has not returned. What exactly happened?"
"My lord, I don't know," Zhang Tao said. "After I brought Lord Zhao here, I went back to guard the gate."
"Lord Zhao has arrived too?"
"Where is Lord Tao?"
"He must have gone to search for the Celestial Horse with Lord Zhao."
The two were asking each other questions.
Suddenly, a fiery red color rapidly approached from the horizon.
"Da da da da da~"
The vibrations of fire elemental energy in the air immediately alerted Dong Yuanqiu and Bao Shiqiu.
Upon seeing the Fire Fierce Horse Group, the two were immediately terrified and nearly drew their weapons.
As for Zhang Tao, Ninth Grade martial artist, he was in even worse shape; the scorching air made it difficult for him to breathe.
"My lords, run!" Zhang Tao shouted.
"Why are you running!" Dong Yuanqiu forced himself to remain calm. "If I die in the line of duty, I'll be promoted, and my family will receive the pension of Fifth Grade official!"
"If someone dies in the back, that's dereliction of duty, and they won't receive a single penny of compensation!"
Zhang Tao was on the verge of tears. "You are high-ranking officials, but I'm only Ninth Grade."
How much does he earn as an official? Who would have thought he'd be risking his life like this!
But this fear did not last long.
Dong Yuanqiu stared ahead for a while, then suddenly his expression brightened, and he burst into laughter. "Hahaha!"
Bao Shiqiu noticed a little later, but he immediately laughed too, "Hahaha, I never expected that this batch of Firemane Horse would actually be tamed!"
"Old Dong, open the Firemane Palace immediately!"
Dragon Horse Bureau used to raise Firemane Horse, but they thought the breed had become extinct ten years ago.
Unexpectedly, a group of them survived and were subdued and brought back by Zhao Xing!
"What? I don't have to die?" Zhang Tao was no longer flustered. Leaning on his spear, he regained his swagger.
"Whoa~"
Zhao Xing pulled on the reins, ordering the Firemane Horse King to stop.
Then all two hundred or so Firemane Horse stopped.
"My lord!" Dong Yuanqiu flew over excitedly. "The Firemane Palace is open. I will lead the way for you."
He wasn't particularly shocked; he was mostly excited.
Dong Yuanqiu had served in the army for two years and knew how powerful the Military Sima Nong was.
Zhao Xing is the Military Sima Nong, so it's understandable that he's more capable.
"Hmm." Zhao Xing nodded, then slowly rode his Firemane Horse into the Firemane Palace.
It was called a palace, but it was actually just a large stable.
Zhao Xing chose the largest room, opened the gate, and let the Firemane Horse King go inside.
The free-spirited Horse King was unwilling again and hesitated to move forward.
"Hmm? Should we go in or not?" Zhao Xing raised his hand.
A flicker of fear crossed the Firemane Horse King's eyes, and he immediately ran inside.
After going inside, he grinned at Zhao Xing.
"You're quite perceptive," Zhao Xing chuckled. Of all the Firemane Horse, this one was the most intelligent.
Zhao Xing locked all the Firemane Horse in the Firemane Palace.
When they came out again, the Celestial Horse had returned to its nest.
Furthermore, many officials were seen outside the palace.
They arrived after discovering the unusual Heavenly Timing phenomenon.
Ling Ruoxue chattered on and on, and in less than half an hour, everyone knew about Zhao Xing's feat of subduing the Horse King.
"Congratulations, Lord Zhao, on subduing the Fire Horse King!"
When a group of officials saw Zhao Xing come out, they all offered their congratulations.
Zhao Xing glanced around; there were more than 150 officials present.
Only a small portion of the elite core members of the Dragon Horse Bureau are here.
At this time, Zhao Xing also lit his first fire after taking office.
"Tao Anchun!"
"Your humble servant is here." Tao Anchun immediately stepped forward.
"The Dragon Horse Bureau Office is a crucial location; the Heavenly Timing has changed drastically. How should the Agriculture Official react?"
Tao Anchun said without hesitation, "All Agricultural Official of the Official Eighth Rank or above in the Ministry of Agriculture should rush to the abnormal location, investigate the situation, and maintain order."
"If you are unable to maintain the situation, you should report to your superiors. If you receive a notification from your superiors, you should rush to the scene as soon as possible."
"Very well," Zhao Xing sneered. "It's now the end of the Xu hour (7-9 PM). Agricultural Official of the Eighth Grade or above who hasn't arrived by then will be dismissed!"
"Lord Tao, you compile the list. I need to see the list of dismissed officials by 1:15 PM!"
"Yes," Tao Anchun replied.
The scene then fell into complete silence, while Zhao Xing stood on the steps of the Firemane Palace, waiting quietly.
He always seeks to maximize profits in everything he does, trying to make the most of every opportunity.
Why did he go against the Heavenly Timing for three hours and do something on such a large scale?
It's not just about finding Celestial Horse, it's also a test.
Let's see how the administration of the Dragon Horse Bureau is.
When someone first takes office, everyone below them puts on an act, making it impossible to tell if they're a real person or a scoundrel.
But now more than two months have passed, and he has done nothing, while some people have revealed their true colors.
As the appointed time approached, officials arrived at the Tuoquan Palace one after another.
At exactly 9 PM, Zhao Xing suddenly opened his eyes:
"Time's up!"
"Lord Tao, please compile the list!"
After saying that, Zhao Xing Supporting Cloud, covering the entire Tuoquan Palace. At this moment, anyone who had not yet entered Tuoquan Palace, regardless of whether Agricultural Official, martial artists, or other professions, was on Old Master Zhao's elimination list.
Not even a meter away from the Tuoquan Palace is allowed.
"Lord Zhao, we're only a step too late!"
"Lord Tao, let me in!"
"Hmph, Sixth Rank, what's with the airs?"
"Exactly! Who does he think he is, giving him the right to fire me?"
"Let's go back. I want to see how he gets out of this!"
There were a few people Tuoquan Palace. Seeing that Zhao Xing was so ruthless, they simply went back.
They had only heard that Zhao Xing and Princess Youruo had some connection, but they didn't know the specifics. So, they decided to give up and leave.
"Sir, the list has been completed." Tao Anchun handed over a document. "A total of two hundred and forty-nine people."
Zhao Xing took the list, didn't even look at it, and went straight to the Tuoquan Palace, where he burned the official document for the statue of Dai Zong.
Tell him to send it to Chongming Prefecture.
Indeed, Zhao Xing had no right to dismiss officials of the Seventh Grade or Eighth Grade.
Only the prefectural city had the power to appoint and dismiss low-ranking officials.
For mid-ranking officials, approval from the central government is required; for military officers, the decision is made by the Military Realm.
The highest rank could only be decided by Emperor Jing.
There's no need for Princess Youruo to worry about this; she can simply report it to Chongming Prefecture and that will be the end of it.
Three days after the report was submitted, a ship arrived from Chongming Prefecture.
All the officials on the list approved by Zhao Xing were taken away, dismissed, and investigated.
The speed was so fast that even Sun Shizhao on the Wan Island was terrified.
"More than two hundred Seventh Grade and Eighth Grade were all dismissed with a single word from him?"
"This Marquis Yuan Rang's influence is even greater than I imagined," Sun Shizhao muttered to himself.
So efficient, he even suspected that Zhao Xing could remove him without much trouble.
Unless he is an incorruptible official who cannot find fault with anything, any shortcoming in his administration is enough to become a reason for criticism.
If it were just a minor mistake, it wouldn't warrant being completely stripped of his position, but being transferred from his command post, being demoted indirectly, or being directly demoted would be consequences he couldn't afford.
"Go, go ask Marquis Yuan Rang if the Dragon Horse Bureau is currently short-staffed."
"If there is a shortage of people, some can be transferred from the Agricultural Supervisorate in Wan Island to fill the gaps."
The clerk beside him asked, "Sir, shall we take a gift with us?"
Sun Shizhao kicked the clerk in the leg. "You bastard, are you trying to kill me? This Marquis Yuan Rang clearly wants to be a good official, why would he accept gifts?"
"He might accept being transferred, but he would absolutely never accept a gift from me, the county magistrate. He might even suspect something is wrong with me!"
"Yes, yes, it was my slip of the tongue." The clerk quickly left.
The core members of the Dragon Horse Bureau are reduced by half, but that's not a big problem, because Dragon Horse Bureau doesn't have much to do right now.
Even if it's half the size, it can still operate perfectly well.
However, Zhao Xing still needed to prepare for the future.
On this day, Zhao Xing summoned four Sixth Rank: Tao Anchun, Dong Yuanqiu, Cao Jiang, and Bao Shiqiu.
"At present, Dragon Horse Bureau has barely enough manpower, and its various businesses are not yet on the right track."
"But then, things will change drastically."
"The Dragon Horse Bureau will need the help of you gentlemen to achieve its goals."
"Now I will clarify the respective duties and responsibilities of each official."
Zhao Xing opened the document.
"Lord Cao, you will still be in charge of the Tuoquan Palace. If any palace is damaged, report it for repair immediately. All eighty-one palaces in the Tuoquan Palace must be put into use by me."
Cao Jiang was startled. "My lord, only three palaces in the Tuoquan Palace are currently in use, and the rest are sealed off. Isn't it too hasty to open eighty-one palaces all at once?"
Zhao Xing laughed and said, "Let me give you a sneak peek. These eighty-one palaces are not enough. Before the end of the year, the Dragon Horse Bureau will definitely have tens of thousands of young beasts of the highest Ranked Realm arriving."
"The number will increase to 50,000 after the New Year. You can calculate for yourself how many palaces need to be expanded."
Fifty thousand young beasts of the Ranked Realm —this was the exact number Princess Youruo had promised.
Although she does not directly wield official authority, she can provide private sponsorships, and since Twin Islands are her territory, such sponsorships are perfectly legitimate.
"Fifty, fifty thousand?" Cao Jiang's voice trembled. If there were a base of fifty thousand, it could multiply several times in ten years!
When was the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau ever this large? That dates back to the Cheng'an Era era!
"Yes, yes." Cao Jiang rose from his desk, prostrated himself, and said, "This humble official will do his utmost, even if it costs him his own bones, to repair the dwellings of these young beasts properly."
Zhao Xing joked, "I still have Lord Cao's bones to use; I can't let them be used as roof beams for the Tuoquan Palace."
After Cao Jiang took his seat, Zhao Xing looked at Dong Yuanqiu.
"Lord Dong."
"Your humble servant is here."
"You're in charge of the Chenghua Bureau, but you won't have much to do for a while. I've heard your True Self Four Arts are quite remarkable, isn't that right?"
Chenghua Bureau specializes in ceremonial performances, but now Twin Dragon Horse Bureau is barely getting any business.
They probably only bring the Celestial Horse over for a show during the sacrificial ceremony in the county Wan Island, just to amuse themselves.
It would be better to let Dong Yuanqiu do something else.
Dong Yuanqiu respectfully replied, "Compared to you, sir, I am not worth mentioning."
Zhao Xing then looked at Bao Shiqiu: "Lord Bao, your Earth Treasury Return to Origin Technique has reached the First-Turn of the advanced level. I heard that the establishment of Celestial Horse Lake Grassland was all handled by you."
"This humble official has only done his bit of effort."
Zhao Xing nodded. "You two, reclaim as much wasteland as possible on the Land Island, especially Fertile Soil of level five or above. I will evaluate your performance based on this."
"Yes."
"Lord Tao."
"Your humble servant is here."
"You were originally in charge of the Divine Feeding Supervisor, but now in addition to being in charge of the Divine Feeding Supervisor, you will also assist me. Next year, I will begin to establish the God Selection Department."
Upon hearing this, the four officials, including Tao Anchun, all shuddered.
Tao Anchun remained silent for a long time.
Why?
I was really scared by the previous supervisor.
Originally, the Dragon Horse Bureau had more than just these four Sixth Rank officials; in Sub-Sixth Rank- rank officials!
However, after the incumbent supervisor failed to qualify for the preliminary round of the Beast Competition, the remaining thirty-two Sixth Rank were either demoted or transferred.
Upon assuming his post as supervisor, he was even exiled to Bright Wilderness Island.
Thank goodness, Tao Anchun and his group couldn't find "Bright Wilderness Island" on the map!
Those were no longer the territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but rather the territory of vassal states.
To qualify for the preliminary rounds, it is necessary to reinstate the [God Selection Department], which the previous director has worked hard for eight years.
For them, those eight years were a nightmare.
Three years have passed since the previous supervisor left, and these people still haven't gotten over the psychological trauma.
Now that Zhao Xing has come and says he wants to restore the God Selection Department, how can they not be afraid?
"Lord Zhao," Tao Anchun said in a deep voice, "Shouldn't we reconsider the matter of the God Selection Department?"
Seeing that these people were terrified, Zhao Xing knew that it was useless to talk now, so he decided to wait until they saw a glimmer of hope before saying anything.
"That's fine, it's all going to happen next autumn anyway," Zhao Xing said.
Princess Youruo promised him that the God Selection Department would be rebuilt next autumn, so there's no need to rush things now.
Hearing this, Tao Anchun and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
They were truly afraid of such a decisive and daring leader.
It wasn't just losing his official position; watching his once plump and healthy war beasts die before his eyes was a terrible feeling.
They had barely breathed a sigh of relief when Zhao Xing First-Turn: "Leaving aside the matter of the God Selection Department for now, the current laissez-faire approach of the Tuoquan Palace needs to be revised."
"From this day forward, I shall be in charge of training the Celestial Horse and the Firemane Horse."
Tuoquan Palace originally had over a thousand rank-one exotic beasts, but only the Celestial Horse was in the Ranked Realm; the other races each had only thirty or four individuals, which was far from enough to form a significant force.
Now Zhao Xing needs to prepare in advance. Regardless of what achievements he makes, he needs to practice first.
Princess Youruo sent over only young beasts, and it takes time for them to grow up.
He can't rely solely on the "teacher's wife's halo" to get things done; he has to produce some results to avoid embarrassing himself.
"I will obey your orders, sir." Tao Anchun knew he couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he could only compromise.
In short, Zhao Xing is only a newcomer to this industry and is not as adept at causing trouble as his predecessor. As long as he doesn't resort to the "breeding poison" method and we keep an eye on him, he won't cause any major problems.
On December 15th, he inspected the Celestial Horse Palace and obtained the Firemane Horse.
On December 17th, officials who were lazy or corrupt in their administration were purged.
On December 18th, Zhao Xing began training the horses.
He released the Celestial Horse and the Firemane Horse and led them to an open field in the wild.
The person responsible for assisting him was Ling Ruoxue, who used to roam the Celestial Horse.
"Lord Zhao, what are you writing?" Ling Ruoxue walked over with Naga on the grass beside Celestial Horse Lake.
There was a pavilion nearby, where Zhao Xing was writing with a pen on a table.
Ling Ruoxue leaned closer and saw a title on it: "Beast Military Training Plan".
"The Word Art, the Decree Chapter".
Ling Ruoxue scratched her head, because she couldn't understand the rest.
She had also learned the Myriad Beasts True Word Art, but...
Does the Word Art include commands such as "Stand at attention," "At ease," and "Marching in formation"?
"Lord Zhao, is this your improvement to the law?" Ling Ruoxue asked.
"Mm." Zhao Xing nodded.
"Lord Zhao is truly amazing; he can actually alter the Truth Decree," Ling Ruoxue exclaimed excitedly.
She wasn't deliberately praising it; she genuinely thought it was amazing.
Creating your own spells and modifying existing spells are both remarkable things!
"We don't know how well it will work yet," Zhao Xing said. "Let's start with simple things."
In fact, Zhao Xing adapted more than just the Myriad Beasts True Word Art.
He combined the "Dharma Seal Chapter" of the Slave Seal Art with the Word Art.
"Let's try it out first."
Zhao Xing put away the books and went to the grassland.
At this moment, ten Firemane Horse were grazing on Fire Chestnut Grass ahead.
Zhao Xing extended his index finger and slid it through the air, and then ten uniquely shaped golden marks appeared before his eyes.
Compared to the brutality of the Slave Seal Art, the fluctuations emitted by these marks are relatively gentle.
However, this still alerted the ten Firemane Horse.
Their first instinct was to try to escape.
"Go!"
Zhao Xing pushed, and the ten golden seals landed inside the Firemane Horse's body.
"Neigh~" "Neigh~"
The Firemane Horse neighed twice, as if it had been bitten by a mosquito.
However, this level of pain is nothing for the thick-skinned and tough Firemane Horse.
So they lowered their heads and ate grass again.
Seeing this, Zhao Xing immediately shouted, "Attention!"
The sound waves traveled out at a unique frequency, instantly activating the laws within the Firemane Horse's body.
"Clatter!"
The ten Firemane Horse instantly straightened their heads and stood with their hooves together.
The Firemane Horse King looked at his tribesmen with confusion, wondering why the ten of them had suddenly adopted such a strange posture.
Did they get too carried away by eating grass?
The ten Firemane Horse were also filled with great confusion, completely bewildered as to why they were doing such a strange thing.
They felt a force binding them, and they would feel very uncomfortable if they didn't do it.
This strange posture lasted for fifteen minutes.
Zhao Xing then continued with other tests.
About two hours later, he returned to the pavilion to summarize his findings.
"Low-grade warhorses are too weak in intelligence to understand complex commands."
"But after I improved and integrated the Truth Decree, I was able to command them to perform some complex operations."
"With more training, these Firemane Horse will be qualified as warhorses, which will be faster than following the methods of the Imperial Stud Office," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
The main purpose of training warhorses is to remove their wildness and make them accustomed to obeying commands.
Once Zhao Xing has mastered the skills, these warhorses will still be able to coordinate well even if someone else takes over, without needing to cast spells.
The Firemane Horse has a unique skill called "Earth Fire Impact." When should it be used on the battlefield, and when should it not? This requires long-term cooperation between the rider and the horse.
"This training method can save time for riders and horses to get used to each other."
"Once they are released from the pen, warhorses will be highly obedient and cooperative."
"Of course, if it's a highly spiritual horse like the Firemane Horse King, the problem is different," Zhao Xing pondered.
The Firemane Horse King is too intelligent. If this thing encounters danger, it might just betray its master on the battlefield and run away on its own.
Starting in late December, the resources gifted by Princess Youruo began to arrive at the Dragon Horse Bureau on the Land Island in succession via cargo Tower Ship.
Not only did Princess Youruo send over young animals, she also sent a group of people to help Zhao Xing expand Tuoquan Palace.
The 10,000 young animals are mainly horses, and there are four main breeds: Dragon Whisker Horse, Celestial Horse, Purple Lightning, and Firemane Horse.
Zhao Xing divided the Land Island into several regions, established multiple planting areas, and began cultivating plants suitable for these four types of BMWs.
Meanwhile, the transformation of the Land Island has also been put on the agenda.
However, since the Lunar New Year is approaching, we can only wait until after the New Year to discuss it.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it is the beginning of February in the twenty-first year of the Jingxin Calendar.
Zhao Xing gave everyone in the Dragon Horse Bureau a holiday, leaving only one-third of the personnel to keep watch.
Because the Great Zhou Festival falls on the Spring She Day, it is the most important festival of the year.
The activities, including family reunions, eating community food, drinking community wine, wearing community clothes, worshipping the community god, and matchmaking, will last for a total of half a month.
This is the longest holiday among the official benefits.
Zhao Xing left a clone in Twin County while he himself returned to Chongming Prefecture to celebrate the festival with his family.
Chen Shijie and Gui Niang were also invited by Zhao Xing.
Since Old Chen and Gui Niang were alone and lonely, they decided to come and join in the fun.
As for the Long Xiao, it was unfortunate.
His superior, citing Long Xiao's isolation, left him to guard Red Stone County.
The letter came in a pitiful tone.
On February 10th, Zhao Xing planned to visit Princess Youruo.
However, Princess Youruo had already returned to the capital to reunite with Emperor Jing, and it was unknown when she would return. Ji Ziyun had also returned to her own palace, so they had no choice but to give up.
On February 21, Zhao Xing returned to the Twin Islands Dragon Horse Bureau to continue his daily training.
On this return trip, Zhao Xing also included the cubs in the training!
Originally, Dong Yuanqiu, Tao Anchun and others were against it, but seeing that Zhao Xing was only practicing simple exercises, such as sitting, standing, lying down and walking, they had no choice but to follow Zhao Xing.
As for the original 500-plus adult Celestial Horse and Firemane Horse, they began to undergo combat skills training.
They have no choice but to train them, because they are fed too well and have a lot of energy. If they are not trained, problems will arise.
In early March, Zhao Xing began to expand the range of the Earth Treasury Return to Origin.
Because the cubs' food supply will soon be insufficient!
Although Princess Youruo was not in Bixian County, her orders were carried out very well.
By early March, the number of cubs had increased to 50,000.
Given the original scale of the grain-growing area in the Dragon Horse Bureau Twin County, it was simply not enough to supply 50,000 hungry young animals.
The Civil Sima Nong were not the same as the Military Sima Nong. Not counting Zhao Xing, the planting capacity of the more than 700 Civil Sima Nong could probably only supply food for 15,000 young animals.
Tao Anchun of the Divine Feeding Bureau was so anxious that he cried out. He went to Zhao Xing to report the situation, looking as if he wished he could cut off his own flesh to feed the young beast.
Old Master Zhao replied, "Don't panic. Allow me to unleash my Ultimate Law— [Master You Ruo]."
The next day, Chongming Prefecture issued a conscription order.
From the nearby islands of Twin Islands: East Huo Island, Zhoushan Island, Weng Island, Yongnan Island, Dragon Nose East Island, Dragon Nose South Island, and Dragon Nose West Island.
Food rations sufficient to feed 50,000 cubs for three months have been requisitioned!
This action once again refreshed Dong Yuanqiu, Tao Anchun, Cao Jiang, and Bao Shiqiu's understanding of Zhao Xing's background.
They no longer resisted Zhao Xing's plan to rebuild the [God Selection Department] and conduct war beast training.
Sun Shizhao from Wan Island was also greatly shocked.
Because the order to allocate supplies came from Chongming Prefecture, not from Princess Youruo who sent it privately.
Chongming Prefecture is an official government agency. How could an official order requisition seven islands at once to deliver supplies to Zhao Xing? And with such efficiency?
Thighs! Super thighs!
Sun Shizhao immediately initiated an administrative dispatch, transferring people from the Wan Island Agricultural Supervisorate and the Heavenly Craft Workshop to assist Zhao Xing's Dragon Horse Bureau.
Sun Shizhao was also a talented individual. He understood that Zhao Xing was a powerful figure who would be promoted sooner or later, and that there would be no conflict of interest between them. Therefore, his administrative appointments even included people from the Martial Office!
In Sun Shizhao's words, "We Martial Office officers can't Heavenly Timing, nor can we adjust the Earthly Advantage Institute, and we don't know how to raise horses, but we can always help with some rough and heavy work!"
This time, Zhao Xing did not refuse because he did need manpower.
Whether it's regulating the Earth Vein on the Land Island or constructing Magic Array and palaces, it requires a lot of people.
These people's salaries don't even have to come from his Dragon Horse Bureau, which is really considerate!
Free labor is free, why not take it?
In terms of fiscal expenditure, Sun Shizhao even staked his future.
According to the precedent set by the Great Zhou, prefectural-level governments (or Commandery-level County governments) only needed to hand over 70% of their annual tax revenue to the local government treasury, while the remaining 30% could be retained for welfare projects.
In some areas of fiscal revenue, the amount withheld could exceed 30%. For example, in Twin County, the commercial and fishing taxes could be withheld by up to 50%. This was mainly because the Shipping Office needed to maintain reserve funds to prevent a bank run.
Sun Shizhao allocated all of Twin County's accumulated fiscal savings over the past twenty years to the Dragon Horse Bureau!
This man is already gambling with his future. If Dragon Horse Bureau goes bankrupt, or if someone comes to his Twin County to run him over, his official career will be over.
Yes, bankruptcy.
Dragon Horse Bureau is similar in nature to a state-owned enterprise.
The purpose of raising horses for the imperial court was mainly to supply warhorses to three groups: the army, Daoist Dao Academy, and the imperial family (these were purchased through imperial merchants; there were relatively few personal horses kept for recreation, mainly for participation in various competitions and ceremonial Priest).
Princess Youruo's private sponsorship doesn't need to be repaid, it's not considered a debt, and he didn't even write an IOU.
However, the supplies requisitioned by Chongming Prefecture from the seven islands were not provided for free; Dragon Horse Bureau had to return them the following year!
In addition to the increased manpower expenses, the materials for expanding the site, and the upcoming Earth Treasury Return to Origin Formation... Dragon Horse Bureau is now heavily in debt!
Sun Shizhao not only donated the public funds allocated to him, but he also took out his own savings and sold his family property.
The steward advised Sun Shizhao to reconsider, but Sun Shizhao replied, "He's just a Sixth Rank official, yet he can leverage billions in funds. I'm merely adding icing on the cake. What's there to be afraid of if I send him ten million?"
"I've been stuck in this Fifth Grade position for thirty years! And I haven't moved an inch in Twin County for twenty years!"
"I thought that with two-thirds of my life gone, there was basically no hope of rising any higher. But now, an opportunity has presented itself. If I don't take a gamble, I'll miss my chance!"
"Get out of my way! I'm risking my life and fortune, don't give me that cries and whine!"
Sun Shizhao allocated funds, Princess Youruo sponsored the project, and Chongming Prefecture helped with loans. In total, the amount exceeded 1.5 billion, but not a single penny came from Old Master Zhao.
Upon seeing the financial statements of the Dragon Horse Bureau, Old Master Zhao couldn't help but sigh, realizing that he had only ever been a small fry in his past life.
"What was the point of being greedy in my past life? I only managed to steal a few bucks, but now I can control 1.5 billion with a simple move. This is what I call satisfying."
The entire Dragon Horse Bureau was in a state of high excitement.
Whether they were new or old officials, they all devoted themselves to their work.
Tao Anchun, Dong Yuanqiu, Cao Jiang, Bao Shiqiu were completely impressed by Zhao Xing's "Ultimate Law".
In less than half a year since Zhao Xing arrived, the lifeless Twin County has been revitalized and is now full of vitality.
By the end of April, the enlarged version of the Earth Treasury Return to Origin was completed, and half of the entire Land Island was included within the range of the Earth Treasury Return to Origin.
Zhao Xing's true form continuously cast the Earth Treasury Return to Origin spell. By early May, the abundance of heaven and earth energy on the Land Island had reached level five, barely reaching the level of a 'secondary treasure land'.
At this point, the cubs no longer needed to be requisitioned for food, but there wasn't much left over, as the cubs needed to grow and their appetites kept increasing.
The Heavenly Timing and Earthly Advantage Institute have been adjusted to a relatively high level.
Zhao Xing began to focus on the refined cultivation of staple food planting areas.
The goal is to shorten the growth time of young beasts, and also to cultivate them to the Sixth Rank level once there are more beasts of the lower Third Grade.
He has planted all the seeds he bought from the Military Realm, and Zhao Xing has also cultivated the exotic beast seeds that Chongming Prefecture applied for on a large scale.
By the end of May, all 50,000 cubs had left the cub stage and entered a period of rapid growth.
By the end of June, the number of warhorses of the Eighth Grade and Seventh Grade had begun to increase significantly.
Zhao Xing's bold and decisive actions have attracted the attention of many politically astute forces, who have also set their sights on Twin Islands.
On July 5th, the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau finally welcomed its first batch of guests.
A Azure Water Tower Ship sailed into Twin Islands.
Ji Ziyun stood on the Scenic Outlook Platform of the Tower Ship. Beside her were two men and one woman, all dressed in Daoist robes. The two men wore blue Daoist robes, and the woman wore a green Daoist robe.
These three are all chief officers of the Beast Taming Division from the Azure Water Daoist Academy.
The internal departments of the Dao Academy can be roughly divided into seven categories: rites, music, martial arts, magic, charioteering, scriptures, and mathematics.
Among them, the Imperial Guard is a relatively important department.
It will cultivate many types of talents, such as: chariot drivers, flying boat drivers, mechanical drivers, war beast drivers, and Divine Soldier drivers (mainly large Divine Soldier).
The Beast Taming Division primarily trains beast tamers, also known as "beast masters".
The Azure Water Daoist Academy naturally also has beast tamers. The Azure Water Sect has a great influence in the East Sea, so it is essential to have beast tamers to conquer the sea.
Zhao Xing works at the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau, Ji Ziyun naturally wants to find some benefits for her Senior Brother.
Logically speaking, Azure Water Daoist Academy wouldn't place an order in a small place like Twin County.
However, Ji Ziyun was Princess Youruo's person, and out of respect for Princess Youruo, the beast tamers of the Azure Water Daoist Academy still dispatched three [Master Tamers] to come and check the situation.
"Zixuan, who is Zhao Xing of the Dragon Horse Bureau in Twin County to you? You've mentioned him more than once," the middle-aged woman in green robes asked with a smile.
"You're not just doing this because he's Liu Tianning's disciple, are you?"
Azure Water Daoist Academy didn't harbor any animosity towards Zhao Xing because he was Liu Tianning's personal disciple.
Because Liu Tianning never attacked Azure Water Daoist Academy back then.
On the contrary, because of Princess Youruo, the Azure Water Daoist Academy was somewhat close to Liu Tianning.
Liu Tianning is expected to become the leader of the True Self Faction. If Princess Youruo could marry Liu Tianning, it would be beneficial to both Azure Water Daoist Academy and the True Self Faction.
The ocean is vast, True Self Faction's search for the divine branches and immortal trees of the world cannot be complete without exploring the sea.
With the Grand Minister of Agriculture in charge of the nation's finances, how could the Azure Water Daoist Academy not want to receive more financial support from the imperial court?
Therefore, the ruling faction of the Azure Water Daoist Academy was happy to see You Ruo marry Liu Tianning.
"To be honest, Master Qin, Marquis Yuan Rang Yuanrang once did me a great favor. When I went to the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, he helped me many times, which enabled me to quickly stabilize my Seventh Grade realm and break through to the initial Sixth Rank realm this year," Ji Ziyun said.
"Only a favor?" A smile flickered across Qin Hongying's face. "Is there any personal relationship involved?"
The other two male leaders also joked, "Zixuan is the most outstanding Dao Academy graduate in recent years. We'll have to give you a good vetting this time. If she's just average, wouldn't that ruin her life?"
"Hey~ that's not how you say it." Another handsome judge shook his head and said, "Judging a man is like judging a horse. You can't just look at the present moment; you also have to look at his future potential."
Despite being teased by the three teachers, Ji Ziyun was not ashamed at all. Instead, she said generously, "Then I'll trouble Teacher Wen and Teacher Zhai to talk to him more and give me some pointers."
"Oh? You're actually interested, girl?" Qin Hongying said with some surprise. "Then we'll have to take a good look this time."
After chatting with the three leaders of the Azure Water Daoist Academy, Ji Ziyun went to a room on another Tower Ship.
Here, there were also three figures resting.
However, they were all military officers, dressed in armor, wearing military boots, and carrying swords at their waists.
"General Xia, General Fang, General He, we are about to arrive at Twin Islands. Zixuan has come to report to the three generals."
"Thank you for your trouble." The two generals were not very enthusiastic.
Because their visit this time was merely a political mission.
They are all senior generals of a strong military, and they already have stable channels for training and supplying war beasts.
It was just a formality out of respect for Princess Youruo; they didn't actually intend to buy any warhorses or beasts from Twin Islands this time.
But one of the generals, surnamed Xia, was much more enthusiastic. "Thank you, Morning Dawn County."
Morning Dawn County is Ji Ziyun's title of princess.
After returning from Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven two years ago, she finally gained the family's approval.
Her grandfather, Cheng Lan King, allocated her a considerable amount of land and property in Morning Dawn County.
They then petitioned the Zong Residence for a title, and after a year, they finally granted Ji Ziyun the title of Morning Dawn County.
Of course, she only had the title of princess, with a small fief and no Vassal.
But this title can at least increase her standing when she's out in the world, so she won't always have to rely on the title of outstanding graduate of the Azure Water Sect.
"General Xia, you are too Guest Qi. You have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Please forgive us if we have not been hospitable enough."
"Hahaha, I am but a Martial Man, how could I be so delicate? To be able to ride on the princess's fragrant boat is already a blessing."
The other two generals were unimpressed. They thought, "You fawning over Princess Youruo is one thing, but why are you being so respectful to a mere student? You're Fifth Grade general in the Black Armor Army, after all!"
Little did they know that Xia Tong's visit was not out of respect for Princess Youruo, and it had nothing to do with Ji Ziyun.
Xia Tong was Xia Jing's cousin and also served in the Black Armor Army.
At the end of the year, Xia Jing and Zhao Xing had a chat.
Upon learning that his good friend was raising horses, Xia Jing immediately sent his cousin Xia Tong to inquire about the situation, and placed an order regardless of whether it was good or bad.
If there's no stock, then place an order. In short, you have to support his good brother.
Xia Tong wasn't particularly interested at first, but last year, Xia Jing made numerous contributions on the Pacifying Barbarians Battlefield and told his cousin about Zhao Xing's intelligence analysis abilities. Xia Tong was immediately amazed!
Being able to foresee the future situation from a wealth of intelligence, Zhao Xing's status in his heart immediately rose considerably.
Moreover, there's the connection with Xia Jing.
Therefore, Xia Tong traveled a great distance, millions of miles, to the East Sea to place some orders for Zhao Xing's Dragon Horse Bureau in the name of the Black Armor Army.
By the twenty-first year of the Jingxin Calendar, many people had died, and casualties among war beasts were also rising sharply.
The Black Armor Army has Dragon Rider Camp, and they have a demand for mounts. Even a small missed order can give Zhao Xing a boost in his political achievements.
Xia Tong immediately agreed, "Don't worry, Qilin Child, even if they're all lame horses, I'll still buy them for ten or twenty thousand!"
Xia Jing laughed and said, "Cousin, please rest assured. My brother here will definitely not disappoint you. Just wait and see. In the future, my Black Armor Army may even increase in strength because of this."
And so, the three groups of people, each with their own mission, arrived at the Dragon Horse Bureau on Twin Islands.
Before disembarking, Zhao Xing also received the news and rushed to the dock on the Land Island to greet the guests.
"Oh? What a grand display." As soon as the boat stopped, the three leaders of the Azure Water Daoist Academy noticed something unusual.
Because Zhao Xing didn't come to greet them with men, but with a large number of warhorses.
Two colors appeared on the horizon. One was blue, which was a blue Celestial Horse with wings and treading on the Astral Wind.
The second color is the color of dawn, which represents Fire Fierce Horse Group, wingless, riding on fire.
Two herds of horses flew in from the horizon in a grand procession.
Zhao Xing rode in a bronze chariot, pulled by Azure-Eyed Dragon Lion, followed by a herd of horses, and a large cat stood on the chariot.
This strange combination flew towards the warship along the cloud path.
At first, Wen Ji and Zhai Zhong didn't pay much attention, but when they saw the leader of the herd of horses on the horizon, they nodded slightly. "Not bad, they've already raised a few good horses."
They were looking at Naga and Nata (named according to the customs of the East Sea, namely the Celestial Horse King and the Firemane Horse King). These two strange beasts already possessed a remarkable divine aura.
As Zhao Xing drew closer and could see more clearly, Qin Hongying, dressed in a green robe, brightened up and stared at the large cat on the chariot.
"What a Mountain Cat! It has actually reached the Fifth Grade rank and has cultivated its second form."
The three from the Azure Water Daoist Academy were all focused on the individual battle beasts.
However, Xia Tong, Fang Ze, He Wu, the three military generals, have different focuses.
When the herd of horses became indistinct on the horizon, Fang Ze He Wu whispered to each other, "They are all low-grade exotic beasts, a blue Celestial Horse and Firemane Horse, with mediocre bloodlines."
The horses had traveled halfway through the race and were now clearer to see. The two men raised an eyebrow slightly. "The horses are orderly and well-organized, not fighting or scrambling, marching in formation. They're well-trained, not bad."
When the herd of horses was close enough to see them clearly, the two generals showed a hint of curiosity. "The sound of hooves blended together, the hoofbeats were perfectly synchronized, and we could almost only see a line. I thought there were only a few dozen, but I never imagined there were three thousand five hundred and forty-six?"
"This is because their swaying amplitude is almost identical when they move forward. How can mere Ninth Grade- rank warhorses be trained to this extent?"
After the warhorses landed on the ground, the three generals gradually felt the shock.
If they could still hear the staggered sound of horses' hooves in the air, their orderliness improved once they landed on the ground.
The horses formed five Fang Zhen, marching in perfect unison without making a sound.
But at Zhao Xing's command, the horses suddenly began to perform very strange treading motions.
"Tap! Tap! Tap!"
The sound was powerful and resonant, and with each step, circles of red light appeared on the ground.
A Fang Zhen of blue light appeared around the Celestial Horse formation.
The red light beneath the Fang Zhen Fire Fierce Horse Group Fang Zhen into one, forming a battle formation of earth fire!
This combines the power of all the horses into one, forming Qi and Blood Battle Formation of a martial artist!
"This... the Firemane Horse's Earth Fire Impact can actually fuse with the unique one?" Fang Ze felt incredulous.
He Wu stared at the Fang Zhen of the Celestial Horse: "There are still Celestial Horse! A blue Astral Wind battle formation has appeared above their heads. Holy crap, this is at the level of a level four battle formation?!"
The two military officers were completely shocked!
It's simply unbelievable that a low-grade warhorse could train in battle formations on its own in such a short time!
Didn't they say that the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau was only rebuilt in nine months at most?
Before this, they only had a little over three hundred Celestial Horse of the same species.
Now it seems that's not the case at all!
"Stop!" Zhao Xing raised his fist.
"Clatter!"
After he made this move, all the Fang Zhen made a final sound, and the earth trembled.
Then they all fell silent, no longer making a sound, and even the strange phenomena of Astral Wind and earth fire disappeared.
This scene thrilled Xia Tong. Although these warhorses were only of low quality, their discipline and obedience were off the charts!
The animal training was so successful that it far exceeded his expectations.
This is exactly what a military general like him would like!
"No wonder Qilin Child insisted on sending me. This Marquis Yuan Rang really knows how to come up with something new wherever he goes," Xia Tong thought to himself with admiration.
Zhao Xing, who was below, then cupped his hands and said, "Zhao Xing, the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau, welcomes all distinguished guests."
Swish~
The Celestial Horse simultaneously extended their right wings, as if in salute.
Seeing the various expressions on the faces of the people on the boat, Zhao Xing couldn't help but smile.
The fiery horses marching in formation and the Celestial Horse spreading their wings in salute seemed to bring a slight awe to the distinguished guests who came to visit.
Ji Ziyun observed the expressions of the people next to her and couldn't help but cheer for Zhao Xing in her heart.
Senior Brother is indeed Senior Brother; even when he comes to raise horses, he manages to stand out from the crowd!
Little did I know what surprises awaited me with the training plan he had promised to tailor specifically for me.
I'll write 12,000 words today; I'm too tired to stay up any longer. I'll try to get up earlier during the day. I've almost finished my minimum update for this month; the rest are still owed updates.