Fire Cloud Horse

"Neigh..."

A loud whinny suddenly rang out from outside, accompanied by a hubbub of voices. The noise was so chaotic it made everyone still sitting in the hall look at one another in confusion.

Viscount Aixing was the first to head outside. Lin Lei and the others followed close behind. Something must have happened to cause such a commotion.

Lin Lei had barely stepped through the door when his eyes lit up. A fiery red figure had appeared in the courtyard, gone wild for some reason. The servants around it were desperately trying to calm it down, but to little effect. They couldn't even get close.

The crazed Fire Cloud Horse charged around the courtyard like a tank, sending the servants nearby screaming. Bowls, plates, fruit, and tea tumbled from their hands and littered the ground.

Seeing that the situation still wasn't improving, Lin Lei, who had already taken an interest in the horse, didn't stay where he was. He sprang up, covered the distance in three strides, and leaped onto its back.

When it felt something on its back, the Fire Cloud Horse grew even more frantic. It was a wild horse that had only just been captured, unlike those raised and trained from birth. It was anxious over being separated from its companions and frightened by its unfamiliar surroundings. Lin Lei's actions only agitated it further.

"Watch out..."

The Fire Cloud Horse charged at full speed toward the granite wall, as if it meant to take the man on its back down with it.

Aierlan, standing not far away, turned pale at the horse's sudden move and immediately tried to run to Lin Lei. Allen, who had been watching nearby, stopped her.

"Don't be rash. Your brother-in-law can handle this easily. If you go over now, you'll only get in the way."

Aierlan was so worried that she bit her lips until they turned white, but she knew Allen was right. All she could do was watch from the sidelines. Lin Lei must have had his reasons for daring to jump on the horse.

The others weren't nearly as nervous as Aierlan. They came from a military family, and men and women of all ages had seen blood and fought monsters and foreign races. This was nothing to them.

Viscount Aixing, on the other hand, watched with interest. A person's character could be judged by their actions, and Lin Lei's attempt to tame the horse gave him a good chance to learn what kind of man he was.

In the courtyard, Lin Lei pulled on the Fire Cloud Horse's head, turning it to the right and steering it away from the wall. He narrowly avoided a collision that could have wrecked both horse and rider.

Beneath the sunlight, the Fire Cloud Horse bucked violently. The jolting threw Lin Lei's feet off its back, and he was tossed about in the air. Only his two hands, gripping the reins tightly, kept him from falling to the ground.

The Fire Cloud Horse suddenly skidded to a halt. Lin Lei couldn't react in time and shot forward like a massive cannonball, crashing into the ground in front of it and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Everyone nearby was stunned. Even Viscount Aixing, who had been watching with Presence of Mind, couldn't help frowning. Aierlan drew in a sharp breath, her face frozen with worry.

"Ptui, ptui..."

Lin Lei stood up through the dust, brushing himself off with both hands. His once handsome, resolute face was now filthy, and he had scrapes all over.

Once on his feet, Lin Lei even took the time to reassure Aierlan and the others. Then he looked at the Fire Cloud Horse, which had thrown him off and now stood still, neighing loudly as if mocking him.

"Fine. You've managed to make me angry. Looks like I have to get serious."

Lin Lei charged at the Fire Cloud Horse again. The horse spotted the accursed thief and took off the moment it saw him move.

But it quickly realized it couldn't move fast enough. Lin Lei's explosive speed far outstripped its own, and he was on its head again in an instant.

This time, Lin Lei had learned his lesson. He clamped his legs tightly around its back and locked both arms around its waist, clinging to it like a human-shaped octopus.

The Fire Cloud Horse bucked and leaped in every direction, exhausting itself and working up a sweat, but it couldn't shake Lin Lei off at all.

After a while, with night nearly fallen, the Fire Cloud Horse finally stopped its futile struggles and bowed its head in submission. Only then had Lin Lei truly tamed it.

Lin Lei released his arms and legs, then slid off the horse like an oversized sloth. His inner thighs were in excruciating pain, and his arms ached so badly they were almost numb. He nearly collapsed as soon as his feet touched the ground.

Aierlan hurried over and steadied the exhausted Lin Lei, looking at him with concern.

"Why did you have to get on it? You could've let the servants tame it first and ridden it afterward. Just look at the state you're in."

As she spoke, Aierlan noticed that Lin Lei's chest was bright red, and there were blood-red marks on his sleeves and pant legs.

"You... are you hurt? Why have you lost so much blood? Let me take a look."

"Haha, look at Aierlan. She's already so worried about her husband before the wedding.

"But you're mistaken. That's not blood; it's the Fire Cloud Horse's sweat. Unlike other horses, this one sweats a blood-red liquid. Your husband hasn't been bleeding."

Viscount Aixing and the others came over as well. He teased Aierlan.

"Really?"

Aierlan ignored Viscount Aixing's teasing and instead asked Lin Lei with concern, her eyes fixed on him. In her blue eyes, Lin Lei saw his own reflection.

"Mm."

Lin Lei nodded. At that moment, some of his resentment toward Aierlan suddenly faded. He no longer begrudged her for pulling him into such a complicated scheme. This girl, whose eyes were filled with nothing but him, had suddenly stirred something in his heart.

It wasn't like before, when he had been forced into it by circumstances and an exchange of interests. This time, the feeling came from his heart, pure and untainted.

"Haha, Centurion Lin's skills are indeed impressive. It's getting late. Why not stay at our residence tonight?"

Aitepu's sudden words interrupted Lin Lei's thoughts.

"No, the City Defense Department has major plans for the day after tomorrow. I need to go back and make arrangements."

"Very well. Allen, go with Centurion Lin and sleep at the City Defense Department too."

Leading the newly tamed Fire Cloud Horse, Lin Lei lifted Red Fire onto its back and left the Ai Mansion with Allen.

There were far fewer people on the road now, and patrol guards were growing more numerous. With the Fire Cloud Horse, they reached the North Wind Garrison in less than half a quarter of an hour.

Lin Lei and Allen parted ways as soon as they entered. As a centurion, Lin Lei had a private room, while Allen shared a room with three others. Their quarters were some distance apart.

Looking at the Fire Cloud Horse standing in his courtyard, Lin Lei paced around excitedly. A man born into this world ought to gallop freely across the battlefield, and a good mount was essential.

"From now on, we're partners. What should I name you?"

Lin Lei stroked the Fire Cloud Horse's coat as he spoke to it.

"There's an old saying: among men, Lü Bu; among horses, Red Hare. You're so much like Red Hare, so I'll call you that."

After Lin Lei finished speaking, Red Hare neighed three times, as if delighted to have a new name.

"Red Hare, Red Hare, let me clean you up."

Red Hare was a wild horse that had only just been captured. Life in the wild had left it filthy, and the people who caught it hadn't washed it, wanting to preserve its wildness.

By the time it came into Lin Lei's hands, all four of its hooves were caked in various kinds of filth, mostly mud. The lower quarter of its legs was coated in dust, and its once fiery red coat had turned gray. It looked awful.

Lin Lei fetched a large basin of water from his well and took a brush from one of his subordinates. Then he began a thorough makeover, scrubbing Red Hare from head to hoof.

Lin Lei wasn't too rough. He paid attention to Red Hare's expression with every stroke, easing up whenever the horse seemed to be in too much pain.

The brush made a pleasant sound as it moved over Red Hare's body. Black, dirty water streamed down its sides. Its fiery red upper coat grew even more vivid, and its lower half was clean and bright. Red Hare looked like a completely different horse.

Lin Lei wiped the sweat from his brow and poured away the dirty water. Red Hare's bath was finished.

"Not bad."

Looking at his handiwork, Lin Lei couldn't help praising himself. Red Fire, on the ground nearby, was hopping around excitedly too.

After tidying up, Lin Lei returned to his room, shut the door and windows, and took out a letter.

The letter was from Viscount Aixing. He had been extremely cautious and hadn't said anything important, even in the secret chamber. Instead, he had handed Lin Lei a letter and told him to open it once he got back to the garrison.

"Eh..."

Lin Lei let out a surprised cry. It wasn't a message but a will, detailing how his estate should be divided after his death. It said that his rural land should go to Aierlan, while the assets in Flower Territory and the businesses in other towns should go to his two sons.

"This is..."

Lin Lei thought about why Viscount Aixing had written a will. Did he think he might not survive the coming crisis? Were the evil forces in Flower Territory really that powerful?

Lin Lei knew Viscount Aixing couldn't have written only one copy of his will. A cunning hare had three burrows. He probably thought Lin Lei was relatively reliable, so he'd given him a copy as a backup. If Viscount Aixing really did die, Lin Lei would surely make the contents of the letter public for the sake of Aierlan's lands.

"Impressive. An old fox is an old fox."

Once he understood, Lin Lei couldn't help admiring Viscount Aixing. He had thought of so much and arranged so many contingencies.

As a viscount of Kul Tiras, Viscount Aixing had thought first of his children when faced with death. In the face of unknown danger, he showed the self-sacrificing spirit of a human being. He hadn't run away or abandoned the restless Flower Territory.

Lin Lei gave a quiet nod and put the letter away in a drawer. If he got the chance, he wouldn't mind helping them.

Based on the information he had pieced together over the past few days, Lin Lei had a vague sense that he would encounter those filthy dark creatures the day after tomorrow, during the hunt.