Green Wind Colt

"Two hundred li west along this official road lies the famous Cloud Glow Mountain Range. It stretches for more than a thousand li and spans the borders of Quanzhou and Yun Province. Once we reach the range, our chances of escaping will improve greatly," Shi Mu replied without hesitation.

"Cloud Glow Mountain Range would indeed be a good place to escape to. But it's still a long way off. Do you think Jin Family's people will catch up with us along the way? I've heard that the great clans specially breed spirit steeds, which are far superior to these two ordinary horses of ours." Zhong Xiu's eyes lit up as she asked.

"There's nothing we can do about that. I left Feng City with you as soon as the trouble started, so we should have gained more than half a day on them. But I can't say whether we'll reach Cloud Glow Mountain Range before they catch up. We can only risk everything and try. Miss Zhong, sit tight. I'll speed up again and hope these two horses can hold out for the hundred-odd li ahead." Shi Mu spoke gravely.

Hearing that, Zhong Xiu was still worried, but she quickly let down the curtain and returned to the carriage.

The next moment, Shi Mu lashed the two steeds with his whip. The black horses neighed, and their pace quickened once more.

Before long, the gray carriage had dwindled to a black speck on the official road, then vanished into the distance.

At the same time, a carriage covered from top to bottom in black cloth rolled out of Feng City's west gate.

Three fiery-red steeds pulled it, their thick manes seeming to blaze like flames. They were Flame Chasing Colts, well-known among spirit steeds. These steeds were said to be wild-tempered. Normally, they could serve as mounts and travel a thousand li in a day; when roused, they could even breathe fire to wound their enemies. They were exceedingly rare.

A coachman in blue sat at the front of the carriage, cracking a glossy black whip. Three more riders followed behind, each astride an identical red steed.

One of them had a long face, a short beard, and a look of deep grief. He was none other than Fifth Master Jin. Of the other two, one wore a yellow shirt, had sharp ears and a monkey-like face, and stood about four feet tall. He looked like a great macaque crouched atop his horse. The other was exceptionally tall, clad in a silver robe, with keen eyes that gleamed like an eagle's.

Three riders and one carriage rushed past the west gate like the wind, all of them as frantic as if their backsides were on fire.

But before they had gone far, the man who looked like a macaque would leap down from his horse to examine some fresh wheel tracks on the road. After briefly discerning their direction, he would jump back on and gallop after them.

"Fifth Master Jin has already set out with the Hound and Eagle in pursuit! Excellent. We'll leave by the north gate too. If we take a slight detour, we can catch Shi Mu before they do. The Blood Hound and Green-Headed Eagle may be good at tracking, but neither is as useful as Thousand Mile Fragrance. We've already put some on Shi Mu's carriage." Near the north gate, a party of more than ten riders had been waiting. After hearing his servant's report, the brocade-clad man at their head burst into laughter.

"Third Uncle, if we catch Shi Mu before Jin Family does, you have to let me break his legs with my own hands!" A haughty-looking youth in the group rubbed his fists together eagerly.

This party consisted of Wu Tong, Third Uncle of Wu Family, and Wu Hua, who had originally been engaged to Zhong Xiu.

As it happened, Wu Family had planned to wait until the Martial Academy tests were over before sending someone to kidnap Zhong Xiu from Shi Mu. So, for some time, they had secretly kept watch on Shi Mu's manor. Naturally, they were among the first to learn that Jin Tian had been accidentally killed by Shi Mu.

Now that was the case, Wu Family, which had still been somewhat wary of Shi Mu's identity, could finally set its mind at ease. It immediately formed a pursuit party led by Third Uncle Wu, intending to seize Zhong Xiu before Jin Family could.

As for Wu Hua's presence in the group, that was because he had insisted on coming.

Wu Family's riders were mounted on specially bred spirit steeds as well. Each was a glossy blue, its coat faintly haloed in azure light. They were another famous breed of spirit steed: the Green Wind Colt.

It was said that these steeds carried some of the blood of the Wind Fox. When they reached full speed, wind sprang up beneath their four hooves, making them one of the fastest spirit steeds around.

That was why Wu Family's people were confident they could reach Shi Mu and cut him off before Jin Family's men.

Before long, Wu Family's riders poured out through the north gate. After taking a shortcut, they soon got ahead of Jin Family's men and pursued Shi Mu in the direction he had fled.

By then, most of the other factions in Feng City had also heard that Jin Tian had been accidentally killed by Shi Mu. Many were greatly surprised by the news, but it was soon swallowed up like ripples on a pond by all the talk surrounding the Martial Academy tests.

Half a day later.

Dusk had fallen. The gray carriage continued to race along the official road, though its speed had gradually begun to slacken.

Low hills were barely visible on either side of the road, their outlines hazy in the night. Everything was eerily still.

Shi Mu's face darkened as he kept cracking his whip, but the two black horses out front only blew hot breath. They could not go any faster.

"Big Brother Shi, this won't do. The horses have been running for so long that they're nearly exhausted. We have to let them rest a little," Zhong Xiu called from inside the carriage.

"I know they can't keep going much longer, but every extra moment we stop gives the pursuers behind us a chance to catch up," Shi Mu replied with a bitter smile.

"But even if you beat the horses to death now, it won't help. We should still stop to rest and let them eat something before we set off again," Zhong Xiu continued.

"You're right. I still have another plan in reserve, but they've truly reached their limit. Let's rest for a quarter of an hour in that patch of woods over there, and we can eat something too." Shi Mu looked at the two black horses, soaked in sweat, and could only nod in agreement.

He tugged the reins, turned the black horses around, and led them off the official road toward a nearby wood.

But it was clear that both of them had underestimated the true speed of the fabled spirit steeds.

When they reached the edge of the woods, Shi Mu had only just unhitched the two black horses and helped Zhong Xiu down from the carriage when a sudden thunder of hooves came from the nearby road, like a downpour. Wild laughter rang out with it.

"Hahaha! The Scent-Seeking Insect has reacted. They're just up ahead!"

"You there! Make sure you wait for me after you capture Shi Mu. I'll deal with him myself!"

The pursuers had arrived so quickly that, even as they spoke, the hoofbeats were already much closer.

"Oh no, the pursuers are here! Run!" Hearing the voices, Shi Mu immediately knew what had happened. He gave an angry, startled shout, swept Zhong Xiu into his arms, and sprinted straight into the woods.

The pursuers were naturally the Wu Family riders mounted on Green Wind Colts.

Relying on their Green Wind Colts, which were even faster than Flame Chasing Colts, as well as the scent of Thousand Mile Fragrance, they had caught up with Shi Mu in barely half a day.