Carriages, Horses, and Departure

At the beginning of the Hour of the Goat, though the sun was still scorching, everything was ready.

Lü Yue stood at Meng Zhao's side, holding an umbrella to shield him from the sun. Meng Zhao walked out through the side gate of the Western Residence and stopped beyond the half-foot-high vermilion threshold.

He looked over the formation and was quite satisfied.

Thirty personal guards, every one of them lean, hardened, and brave. Some were tall, some short; some fat, some thin.

Yet they all carried the same martial bearing that seemed to radiate from within.

Moreover, many of their eyes held a sharp, chilling edge—the Killing Aura Meng Zhao had grown familiar with over the past year.

According to Lü Yue, most of them were only at the Breath Absorption and Essence Condensation level, merely the Postnatal Entry Stage.

Still, they had cultivated internal force. When they struck, Internal Energy could be added to their fists, feet, blades, and swords. They were utterly different from crude men who relied purely on brute strength and physical prowess; they had truly stepped through the gates of martial arts.

Furthermore, they had weathered many killings and fights and possessed abundant experience, making them several degrees stronger than ordinary martial practitioners.

The mounts beside these martial men were equally outstanding: a whole line of black steeds, each fitted with stirrups and saddles.

These tall horses were all Great Tao Famous Steeds, abundantly bred in Liang Prefecture of Great Yong's northern lands.

Their coats gleamed black, their bearing was majestic, and their stamina was abundant. They excelled at long-distance raids and charges, making them the standard warhorses of frontier cavalry.

If handled by a skilled rider, these Great Tao Famous Steeds could lend their strength to their riders, adding twenty or thirty percent to the force of each strike.

Such precious horses were already enormously expensive to purchase, while raising them was an astronomical expense in itself.

It could be said that no household lacking in wealth and extravagance could afford to keep them.

The retainers protecting Meng Zhao this time all rode Great Tao Famous Steeds, indirectly demonstrating that the Meng Family was truly rich.

Yet compared to the two divine steeds drawing the carriage, these thirty Great Tao Famous Steeds seemed utterly ordinary.

The two divine steeds pulling the carriage stood nearly ten feet tall, their muscles powerfully developed and their eyes glowing with crimson, blood-red light. Waves of fierce Baleful Intent made the nearby Great Tao Famous Steeds react as though they had encountered natural predators, not daring to approach.

More terrifying still, they were not covered in long, sleek fur, but in black, lustrous scales that shone like metal.

Their scales were dense and seamless. Whenever they occasionally bared their lips and teeth, their fangs could be seen—sharp as saw blades, incomparably savage.

Though their forms resembled horses, they were Black Scale Horses, far superior to ordinary beasts.

These Black Scale Horses carried a trace of ferocious beast bloodline. They possessed boundless strength and violent temperaments. They did not eat grass or fodder in daily life, but had to be fed flesh and blood to maintain their stamina. Once tamed, they were excellent mounts far beyond ordinary horses.

In terms of true strength, probably only a few of these guards could match the two Black Scale Horses.

As he observed them in secret, two distinctive and imposing burly men stepped out from among the guards.

One was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt that exposed muscles as tough as rock. He was exceptionally strong.

A long scar ran from the center of his brow to his left cheek, like a crawling centipede. The moment one saw it, all attention was drawn to the scar, making one instinctively overlook his actual features.

This should be Scarface. No one knew his true name. They only knew that he had sought the Meng Family's protection while being hunted down. After so many years, he had gradually grown accustomed to life with the Meng Family.

The other man had an ordinary build and an unremarkable face. A blue robe wrapped his entire body, and he would not stand out if tossed into a crowd.

Yet when he stepped out from among the others, a dense, profound aura came rushing forward. He stood tall without becoming a part of the herd.

Meng Zhao especially noticed that this man's hands were much thicker than those of ordinary people, covered in calluses, with protruding knuckles.

As he walked and swung his arms, bluish veins like earthworms bulged across the backs of his exposed hands, brimming with heart-pounding explosive power.

Scarface and Wang Tao of the Mountain-Splitting Hand—both were Postnatal Great Accomplishment Stage experts. They were martial artists who had cultivated their internal force to the level of Meridian Circulation, and their cultivation exceeded Meng Zhao's.

Yet before Meng Zhao, they still had to suppress the pride of martial men, kneel on one knee in salute, and greet him respectfully.

For in a certain sense, everything they possessed belonged to the Meng Family, including the martial arts they were so proud of.

"Your subordinate Scarface—Wang Tao—pays respects to Young Master."

This was not the first time the two had met Meng Zhao. They had both been among the experts who escorted Meng Zhao back to the family.

But unlike their previous gloomy and solitary demeanor, Meng Zhao had left a favorable impression on them this time. They had also gained greater expectations for the future Second Branch.

A bright smile filled Meng Zhao's handsome face. His right hand slowly thumbed the Jade Prayer Beads while his left reached forward in a gesture of virtual support.

"Please rise. On this trip to the country estate outside the city, I will rely on you two for safety along the way."

Even if he was the company boss, these two counted as high-end talents. Necessary respect still had to be shown.

The two rose with the motion. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they explained the route selected after leaving the city, the approximate travel time, the dangers they might encounter on the road, formation assignments, and so on.

It all sounded like two words: professional.

In any case, while remaining cautious and careful, they would bring every one of their strengths and advantages into play.

There was only one ultimate purpose: strengthen their defenses and reduce risks.

They had accounted for both possible enemies lurking in the shadows and ferocious beasts that were unlikely to appear but still might.

Meng Zhao had no objections. He readily agreed, granting the two his greatest trust and respect.

Then he boarded the lavishly styled carriage drawn by the two Black Scale Horses.

Lü Yue held a black, spiked whip and leapt onto the carriage's front seat, temporarily acting as coachman and driving for Meng Zhao.

The two Black Scale Horses were simply too savage. An ordinary coachman could not control them at all, so he could only take on the task himself.

Under Scarface and Wang Tao's commands, the Meng Mansion guards vaulted onto their horses, urged their Great Tao Famous Steeds forward, and split into several groups. They surrounded the carriage in the middle and slowly advanced along one side of the long street.

The Western Residence's side gate stood in a secluded, quiet location, with wealthy households nearby. At first, there were not many pedestrians.

But once they left the long street and reached the main avenue, the surroundings became bustling and lively.

The main avenue was wide, straight, clean, and orderly, broad enough for three carriages to travel side by side.

On either side stood layered terraces and pavilions, lofty towers and jade-like halls. Most of the residences and buildings were grand in scale, splendid everywhere one looked.

The stalls of all kinds of merchants stretched on without end like two long dragons.

There were many pedestrians on the street, coming and going, shoulder to shoulder. Rich and poor, old and young, men and women all mingled together, brimming with vigorous life and the earthly affairs of mortal existence, forming a picture of all the myriad states of living beings.

As an especially eye-catching carriage and group of elite riders, Meng Zhao's party naturally drew countless gazes and much attention. Most were fearful, while a small number were envious and jealous.

Whenever the elite riders and carriage approached, everyone hurried to avoid them, doing their best to retreat to either side.

Ordinary people did so. Wealthy masters attended by Servant Boys did so. Even wandering martial artists clutching weapons and covered in travel dust did so.

Inside the carriage, Meng Zhao's exceptional hearing allowed him to vaguely catch some of the discussions around him.

Most marvelled at the heroism of the Meng Family Warriors and the family's overwhelming power. The occasional mutter of criticism that the Meng Family was flaunting itself through the streets and running rampant was almost immediately drowned beneath the chorus of praise.

Sometimes exquisitely adorned, luxurious carriages approached from the opposite direction, their owners likewise either rich or noble.

Yet upon learning that a Meng Family dignitary was on the other side, they actually dismounted from their carriages from far away, pulled aside, and allowed Meng Zhao's party to pass first.

This only further emphasized the Meng Family's dominance and tyranny.

Lowering the carriage window curtain, Meng Zhao's bright eyes held a trace more emotion.

A great clan of Ji Prefecture, a renowned family beneath heaven—truly imposing.