Punching a Horse to Death

Li Shaolin was puzzled. "The Makrolen Family?"

"Yes. Their farm is right above this mine, just a short walk away. Alas, they've been sworn enemies of our Stonefield Farm for generations." Homor sighed as he spoke. "Our farm mainly relies on watermelons for income, while they grow grapes. The two sides have nothing to do with each other, yet somehow, long ago, the families became locked in mutual hatred, and it's never faded over the years."

"Wait, what does this have to do with me?" Li Shaolin felt baffled. Surely he wasn't expected to resolve some ancient feud—he didn't have that kind of clout.

"Well, back when the mine was under our family's control, the Makrolens were always causing trouble. Nothing major ever came of it, but it kept the family on edge. Now that the mine's reopening, I'm worried... After all, this is our family's affair, yet it's falling on your shoulders." Homor spoke apologetically.

"Let them try!" What kind of nonsense was this? He'd just taken over a mine, barely had a few days to enjoy being a landlord, and now he was told he'd inexplicably inherited an enemy? Too frustrating. Still, tough talk aside, he knew a big family could squash him easily. At least he'd chosen to partner with the Stonefields.

Homor continued, "I suggest you pay them a visit. You're a formidable professional, and you have a mage friend—just look at that earth elemental, and you know your friend is powerful. Maybe that'll give them pause."

"Your sister's a mage," Li Shaolin cursed inwardly. That so-called powerful mage Homor kept talking about was a lie he'd made up—there was no intimidation factor there. Still, fine, he'd go take a look and play it by ear. At least he had the Stonefield Family backing him up.

"Alright, I'll go check it out. You coming with me?"

Homor gave an awkward smile. "Our families have been at odds for generations... I'd better not go, to avoid stirring up more trouble."

"Fair enough. I'll go alone. Just point me in the right direction."

Homor gestured toward the sloping hill to the west. "Go up there, past two Elwynn Ancient Trees, and you'll see their Grape Manor."

Following Homor's directions, Li Shaolin turned the corner and sure enough, a vast vineyard spread out before him. Bamboo trellises stood in neat rows, green vines winding around them, clusters of purple grapes hanging crystal-clear and translucent. Farmers wove through the rows, carrying small bamboo baskets as they picked the fruit. A massive Brewery stood at the edge of the manor, its tall round stone tower puffing out wisps of smoke, while a giant windmill on a triangular wooden frame spun lazily. For a moment, it felt like stepping into a pastoral scene from the Western Middle Ages.

Li Shaolin walked slowly along the dirt path beside the vineyard, somewhat captivated by the scenery. Then he heard shouts up ahead. Looking forward, he saw grape trellises toppling one after another, as if something was charging through the vineyard. Behind it, voices yelled curses, with a few figures giving chase. Meanwhile, on the path ahead of him, two horses ambled along leisurely.

The lead rider heard the commotion in the vineyard and was about to dismount to check when the vines parted and a Stonefang Boar burst out! It had apparently been sneaking a feast in the vineyard, been discovered by the farmers, and was now being chased out, causing all the ruckus. Stonefang Boars were common across the entire Elwynn Forest, found on farms big and small, but they usually snuck out at night to steal food. Seeing one pull this stunt in broad daylight was rare.

Truth be told, the boar was pretty unlucky. It had gorged itself last night, then dozed off in a daze among the grapevines. Come noon, someone stepped on it, scaring it half to death, and it bolted. That was the vine-tossing spectacle Li Shaolin had witnessed.

The Stonefang Boar burst out right past the rider's horse. The horse had been strolling along peacefully, but this sudden charge startled it badly. It neighed, rearing up on its front legs, while the boar, equally spooked, arched its body and rammed headfirst into the Saddle. One of its curved, gleaming tusks caught on the stirrup, and it was yanked up, dangling half-suspended from the horse. The rider, thrown by the shock, tumbled to the ground, while the horse bolted.

One of the rider's feet got caught in the stirrup, dragging him along the ground. Man, horse, and boar came barreling straight toward Li Shaolin in a chaotic mess.

They weren't far apart to begin with, and the spooked horse closed the distance in no time. Li Shaolin was about to sidestep out of the way when he saw the man being dragged, one foot hooked, screaming at the top of his lungs. Even though the path was soft dirt, being dragged by a panicked horse like this—by the time it stopped, the guy would be lucky to be alive.

He muttered a spell, summoning a Bone Shield, and reached for his Infantry Sword, only to realize he'd left it in his storage space while testing it back at the mine. The horse was already upon him! No time to summon a Clay Golem. He let out a roar, thrust his left hand forward to grab the reins, clenched his right fist, exhaled sharply, and punched the horse's head with all his might!

Thanks to his repeated level-ups, his physical condition had improved considerably. With the Bone Shield's protection, he heard a crack as one shield shattered in the void. His fist connected with the horse's head—bang! The horse let out a mournful whinny and was knocked clean to the ground, its legs kicking uselessly as it struggled to get up.

"This... is ridiculous. When did I get this strong?" Li Shaolin stared in shock, his right hand tingling and numb as he unclenched his fist, shaking uncontrollably. The Stonefang Boar, finally freed from its ordeal, panicked and charged straight at him again.

Li Shaolin quickly sidestepped, dodging it, then condensed a Bone Fang in his left hand and shot it out. It struck the boar's back, sending blood splattering. The boar grunted twice, its ferocity apparently triggered, and turned to charge again!

"Enough already!" He leaped aside, and a black book with a blood-red skull appeared in his hand. Black mist swirled as a meter-tall Clay Golem emerged. Its thick arms wrapped around the boar's head, and with a heave, it lifted the beast into the air. Thud—dust flew as it slammed the boar hard to the ground. A sharp crack echoed as bones seemed to break. The boar whimpered twice, blood trickling from its mouth, and went still.

"Think I'm a pushover, huh?" He dismissed the golem back into the Book of the Dead, then turned to look at the unlucky man.

The guy was wearing a blue suit, now caked with mud. His cowboy hat had long since been shaken off somewhere in the chaos, revealing a bald head smeared with dirt—a complete mess. Luckily, the soil was soft; if this had been on the Official Road, his skin would've been scraped raw. The other horse came galloping up in a panic, and a soft, tearful cry rang out: "Dad!" A girl jumped off the horse and rushed over, her gauze hat falling off to reveal a panicked young face. Meanwhile, the men chasing the boar also hurried over.

"Cough, cough!" The man lying on the ground coughed twice and sat up with a groan. The girl quickly helped support him, her voice choked with tears. "Dad, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The old man coughed again. "What kind of day is this? Out for a stroll and I run into this mess. Worthless horse—should've butchered it long ago. Can't handle a little scare. Good thing I'm tough." He then turned to Li Shaolin and thanked him profusely. "Thanks, young man. If not for you, this old life of mine might not have made it." He chuckled, brushed the dust off his clothes, and tried to stand, but let out a yelp—his leg seemed injured.

The men gathered around, calling out, "Patriarch, are you alright?"

"Patriarch? Could this guy be the Makrolen patriarch? The very person I was looking for." What a coincidence—running into him like this.

The old man shook his head stubbornly. "I'm fine!" He tried to force himself up, but failed several times, sweat beading on his forehead. Li Shaolin couldn't help but admire him—the old geezer was tough. He'd have been down for the count by now.

The old man finally admitted he couldn't get up, plopped down on the ground, and told the men to go back and fetch a stretcher. The girl, tears streaming down her face, sobbed beside him. The men scrambled back toward the buildings.

"Heh heh, young man, you're a mage, right? That thing you summoned—was that an earth elemental?" The old man winced in pain as he questioned Li Shaolin. He'd probably only seen the part where the Clay Golem slammed the boar, missing the initial punch.

"Uh, something like that. You should rest and not talk, sir." Li Shaolin felt it wasn't right to lie to an old man, but he couldn't exactly say, "I'm actually a Necromancer." So he just nodded, more or less confirming it.

"Young and talented, very impressive. But what happened to the horse?" The old man looked puzzled. The spooked horse lay still, blood oozing from its mouth and eyes.

"Well... it seems my magic stunned it to death," Li Shaolin said lamely.

"By the way, young man, do you have business at Makrolen Farm? You saved my life—anything you need, just say the word. Old Man Makrolen won't hesitate!" The old man patted his chest in assurance.

"Well... it's about the Fargodeep Mine." Since the old man had offered, he might as well strike while the iron was hot and bring it up. Maybe this could actually resolve things.