Hong Yi wished he could mount the horse right then and gallop off, just to see what it felt like. "I must take my leave as well. I'll be sitting the imperial examinations next month, so I need to go back and study the books of the sages. I hope you'll forgive me, Miss Su." Carrying Shark Slayer in one hand, Hong Yi walked to the side of the courtyard, took hold of Fire Horse's reins, and said his farewells. "What a fine horse! And what a fine saber!" Hong Yi immediately sent his divine soul into a dream, probing deep into Lightning Chaser's thoughts. "Don't forget—treat my Lightning Chaser well. I'll win him back next time," Young Marquis Changle hurriedly reminded him. Clearly, the horse was dear to him. Hong Yi looked up at the sun and saw that a large cloud had already veiled it. The timing couldn't be better, he thought. If the sun came out, he wouldn't dare let his divine soul leave his body. But when his gaze shifted to Su Mu, his eyes grew warm again. Though this horse certainly couldn't let its divine soul leave its body, Hong Yi could now use visualization to enter its dreams and communicate with it. "We were just discussing profound principles? Is that it? Su Mu's beauty and bearing have clearly been cultivated. Any man seeing her for the first time would be struck by her presence, yet I came to my senses in an instant. She must have noticed how composed I was." Of course, this was only a comparison of strength and physical stamina. When it came to actual prowess, a top Martial Master, or even an Xiantian Martial Master, was a hundred times stronger than a horse. When a person weighing a hundred or two hundred jin possessed the strength and stamina of a horse weighing a thousand or two thousand jin, it was terrifying. Hong Yi closed his eyes, settled into inner contemplation, and his divine soul sprang from the crown of his head. Sure enough, when he stroked Lightning Chaser and met its eyes, he sensed a hint of mockery and defiance in them. In an instant, he saw a shocking scene. This Fire Horse weighed more than two thousand jin. When it bucked violently, it was like a top Martial Master—or even an Xiantian Martial Master. With Hong Yi's current strength, he would never be able to tame it by climbing on; he might well be thrown half to death. "Young Master Hong, don't you agree?" It was an endless battlefield!... The thought of his mother made Hong Yi's heart ache. Once a person trained their martial arts to the Xiantian realm and strengthened their internal organs, the most obvious signs were inexhaustible strength, a swift stride, and speed like a galloping horse—the ability to cover a thousand li by day and eight hundred by night. "Hmph!" Luo Yun gave a soft snort through her nose and glanced up at the time. "Oh dear, this gathering may be breaking up. We've been waiting far too long, and I have to go to the palace to pay my respects. Please make yourselves at home." Hearing Su Mu's words, Hong Yi was first taken aback, then understood what she meant. "Miss Su Mu truly is dazzling. Fortunately, I've read a few more books of the sages and have kept to the principle of staying composed before beauty. That's how I managed to speak with you properly. Otherwise, I might have turned into a fool, unable to get a single word out." Hong Yi answered with a smile. The first step in horsemanship was to learn a horse's temperament and communicate with it. The finer the horse, the fiercer its nature; with a new master, it might well refuse to be controlled. "A woman like Su Mu really is a peerless beauty, with an otherworldly, Daoist aura about her. Those who aren't moved at first sight must be either eminent monks or Daoist masters, or else men of profound learning and virtue. No wonder she thinks highly of me for keeping my composure. I just wonder whether she has practiced Daoist arts." "The Hong Family actually has such an outstanding young man. His martial arts are only skin-deep, yet his mind is so composed. My Taishang Dao Celestial Maiden Visualization Method has already reached the Manifestation realm. I needn't cast any spells to bewitch the mind; every casual gesture unites spirit and flesh, giving me the bearing of a celestial maiden. Yet he came to his senses even while momentarily dazed. Could he truly have reached the state of holding the sages in his heart through his studies, with his divine soul so firm and his righteous qi so abundant it fills the world? But scholars outnumber Daoists a hundredfold. There are bound to be exceptional ones, so it's hardly surprising." Su Mu watched Hong Yi's retreating figure, thoughts flickering through her mind before settling into stillness. "But I've never ridden a horse before, and I don't know its habits. If I climb on and get jolted off, I'll make a fool of myself." After laughing, Hong Yi didn't mount the horse; instead, he led it out. "Lightning Chaser, you're tired. Go to sleep. Relax your whole body, as though you're floating in a cloud of cotton." Hong Yi let his divine soul leave his body and formed one visualization after another, sending his thoughts straight into the Fire Horse's mind. A thought suddenly stirred in Hong Yi's heart. He remembered how, in the secluded valley on West Mountain, he hadn't shared a language with the little foxes either, yet his divine soul had left his body and spoken with them. As she spoke, Luo Yun idly waved her fan, said her farewells, and left surrounded by guards. Hong Yi's divine soul had already reached the Day Wanderer stage, and he had also lived alongside foxes for a long time. He knew that animals, like humans, had feelings and intelligence. Especially fine warhorses that often interacted with people and had been trained by them: though they couldn't become as spiritually aware as foxes—learning to use fire, cook, plant crops, or read—they could still understand people remarkably well. They were especially attuned to their masters, their thoughts almost in sync. It was a feeling close to spiritual awareness, something ordinary people could never detect. "Right, I could use a divine-soul technique to communicate with it." Hong Yi knew that the moment he climbed on, the horse would buck violently and throw him off. "The Fire Horse has sturdy hooves and well-filled muscles, with not an ounce of excess fat. In strength and stamina alone, it's almost the equal of a top Martial Master, or even an Xiantian Martial Master." Hong Yi recalled what the riding and archery section of the Martial Classic said about Fire Horses. "What a lucky break—the clouds have covered the sun!" "Not at all, Young Master Hong. You're joking." "Haha, so this horse is called Lightning Chaser? What a fine name. Young Marquis, don't worry. I'll take good care of him." Hong Yi held the reins in one hand and stroked the magnificent horse with the other, his heart filled with delight. Seeing that Hong Yi wasn't speaking, Su Mu pressed him again. Young Marquis Changle watched his Lightning Chaser being led away, his gaze fixed on the horse as though someone had run off with his wife or concubine. This scene stirred the young nobles' hearts, leaving them restless and unable to pull themselves away. Su Mu smiled sweetly, her pale-green gauze skirt fluttering in the breeze like a celestial maiden about to ride the wind and soar away, inspiring an urge to hurry over and catch hold of her. Hong Yi thought, Since Su Mu enjoys discussing profound principles, she must have practiced Daoist arts too. Otherwise, as Yujing's foremost talented woman, surrounded day after day by tigers, leopards, and wolves, she couldn't possibly have no means of protecting herself. But my mother held the same status back then. Why did she have no means of protecting herself at all? If she had, she wouldn't have suffered internal injuries from coughing up blood and died in melancholy... His divine-soul visualization had let him resist Su Mu's dazzling presence. That alone had been a silent discussion of profound principles, speaking louder than words. After leading the horse out, Hong Yi didn't return to the Marquis Mansion. Instead, he led it through the city gate and along the road outside the city, where few people passed, carefully considering the essentials of horsemanship.
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