There probably wouldn't be any problems... right?
That was what Su Luoheng thought as he fled.
He could definitely beat this horse, but even if he stopped it, he'd still have to deal with the force of its charge.
The best thing to do was avoid its full force.
But the hoofbeats behind him were drawing closer. Su Luoheng turned around and, by some strange coincidence, saw the Silver Ring Horse charging straight toward him. It was even picking up speed.
"Aw, damn!"
Su Luoheng cursed his rotten luck, clamped the candied hawthorn skewer between his teeth, and ran faster in the other direction.
If I can't take you on, I can at least avoid you, right?
He glanced back and saw that the Silver Ring Horse wasn't following him.
But before he could catch his breath, the horse veered around and charged toward him again.
"Damn it!"
This time, Su Luoheng couldn't help cursing aloud. His luck really had gone to the dogs today!
Still, he had no choice but to change direction again. I refuse to believe I can't shake a beast today!
But that only drew the Silver Ring Horse's attention even more.
The horse had locked onto him and kept right on his heels, as if he had a GPS tracker on him. No matter which way Su Luoheng ran, it followed, its speed not letting up in the slightest.
Under normal circumstances, shaking off the horse wouldn't have been difficult.
The problem was that he'd used up most of his Soul Power analyzing the Soul Tool, and after running for so long, his Soul Power was already at its limit.
Luckily, he was fast enough that the Silver Ring Horse still couldn't catch him.
If he could hold out a little longer, someone would surely come deal with it.
But before Su Luoheng could relax, a flash of light suddenly flickered beneath the Silver Ring Horse's hooves. The next instant, an invisible force snagged his right foot.
The Silver Ring Horse's innate ability: Airflow Manipulation.
It could use the skill to speed itself up, but it could also use it to affect its opponent.
"Not good!"
Realizing he'd been tripped, Su Luoheng's heart lurched. But it had happened too suddenly for him to react. His unbalanced body stumbled backward, and the half-eaten candied hawthorn skewer in his mouth was doomed as well.
Watching the Silver Ring Horse gallop toward him, Su Luoheng had only one last resort: the Ice Crystal Bracer.
He had no idea how long the bracer would hold out.
"You beast! How dare you hurt people!"
The sudden roar stopped Su Luoheng from releasing the barrier. He looked up to see a burly man, face filled with fury, appear before him and strike the Silver Ring Horse on the head.
Chapter 16: Big Sister? [Please Recommend, Invest, and Bookmark!]
Thud—
The Silver Ring Horse let out a miserable whinny and collapsed.
Blood poured from its eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth as its body continued to convulse.
At the sight, Su Luoheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to being hit by a Silver Ring Horse moving as fast as a car going two hundred kilometers per hour, simply taking a fall was something to be grateful for.
But as he fell—
Instead of the hard ground he'd expected, a pair of arms caught him. A faint, delicate fragrance lingered beneath his nose.
"Th-thank you..."
Coming to his senses, Su Luoheng raised his eyes. Before him was a gentle, handsome face. The person wore a brocade robe with a gold base and silver patterns, with a white cloak draped over it. He looked elegant and graceful, with the refined bearing of an orchid or a jade tree. Just looking at him made one feel at ease.
Had he been rescued by a big sister?
Looking up at the young man before him, Su Luoheng's first impression was: a pretty, elegant big sister, though rather flat-chested.
At the same time, a warm voice sounded beside his ear.
"Little brother, are you all right? Did it hurt you?" The young man's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Su Luoheng. His dark purple phoenix eyes held exhaustion and sorrow, as if he had something weighing on his mind.
"I'm fine. I'm all right."
Su Luoheng shook his head. He'd only been tripped, and the young man had caught him before he fell, so he was perfectly fine.
The young man clearly froze for a moment.
This child was different from the others who'd been there earlier. He hadn't tried to demand any compensation after the accident.
But after taking in the lingering pallor on the little boy's tender face, he still said gently, "Little brother, you don't look all right. You should let someone examine you."
"Don't worry about the cost of treatment. This happened because of me, so I'll cover everything."
"There's no need to trouble yourself. I really am fine."
Su Luoheng waved his hand and refused again. His pale complexion was only from using too much Soul Power. He'd recover after a night of meditation and rest; there was no need for an examination or treatment.
Seeing this,
The young man took in Su Luoheng's condition and could only choose to believe him for now.
Still, he couldn't help worrying. Given Su Luoheng's current state, nothing could be taken lightly.
"I'm sorry, little brother. I should have kept a better eye on this beast," the young man apologized.
"Was the Soul Master who stepped in one of your people?"
The young man nodded. After a moment's thought, he looked at Su Luoheng and suggested, "I'm sorry I frightened you. As an apology, would a hundred Gold Soul Coins be acceptable compensation?"
"No need."
"Hmm?"
The young man furrowed his brows, thinking the boy wasn't satisfied with the amount.
"Your man already saved me. That's compensation enough." Su Luoheng brushed the dust off his clothes, his tone so casual that it couldn't have been an act.
"This..."
The young man froze. A flicker of emotion passed through his tired eyes.
He clearly hadn't expected that answer.
At the same time, Su Luoheng looked toward the spot where the candied hawthorn had fallen. It had been trampled flat. Thinking of how the other half had gone to waste, a hint of regret flashed in his dark eyes.
If he'd known this would happen, he should've eaten it all in one go.
After mourning for two seconds,
Su Luoheng suddenly thought: Mom wasn't around right now, so he could buy as much as he wanted without sneaking around.
His eyes lit up at the thought.
But just as he was thinking about buying a few more in a moment, he looked up toward where the candied hawthorn stall had been.
Huh? Where'd it go?
Where had his enormous candied hawthorn stall disappeared to?!
Su Luoheng was dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes, but there was still nothing there.
Grief swept over him at once.
The pain! It hurt so much!
His candied hawthorn, his favorite!
Why were you avoiding him?
At this moment, he figured only Buddha Lord could understand how he felt.
He licked his lips as if savoring the memory. He could still faintly taste the sweet candied hawthorn. Looking at the last piece left on the ground, tears streamed shamefully from the corner of his mouth.
The young man beside him noticed Su Luoheng's little gesture.
He beckoned an attendant over and whispered a few words in his ear.
Meanwhile,
The City Guard of Ming Capital finally arrived, late as ever.
They sure had perfect timing, as if they'd known the matter was already settled and had deliberately waited until then.
After the burly man stepped forward and spoke to them briefly, the squad leader's attitude immediately turned respectful.
They also took an interest in Su Luoheng, one of the people involved.
Because of the young man's status, they couldn't question him, so they had to settle for questioning Su Luoheng instead.
A City Guard came over from the group and said politely, "Child, come with us for a moment. We need to record what happened. Don't worry, it won't take too much of your time."
"All right."
Su Luoheng sighed, but could only agree.
He hated trouble, but circumstances left him no choice. He seemed to have two options, but in reality, there was only one.
"Wait."
Just as he was about to leave with the City Guard, the young man beside him suddenly spoke. "I'm taking this child to be examined for injuries. If you have questions, ask them here."
"This..."
The City Guard looked troubled.
"Is there a problem?" the young man asked calmly, raising his eyes to look at him.
"No problem, of course there's no problem!"
The squad leader hurried over with a wide smile and shot the man a meaningful look. "It's the same wherever you ask. Xiao Li, why don't you get on with it?"
"Y-yes!"
Xiao Li immediately understood what the squad leader meant. He'd ask a few perfunctory questions, then wrap things up.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, yes. Sorry to have taken up your time."
"Can he leave now?"
"Of course."
"..."
Satisfied, the young man gave a small nod, then turned to Su Luoheng. "Come along, little brother. I remember there's a clinic just ahead."
Su Luoheng breathed a sigh of relief and followed the young man.
Given the choice between going to a clinic and going to the City Guard Barracks, he'd decisively chosen the former.
The City Guard squad leader bent over and gestured for the young man to go ahead. He remained deferential until the young man disappeared from sight, only then straightening up and letting out a breath of relief.
Xiao Li came over, curious.
"Boss, who was that just now?"
"Royalty."
"No wonder."
Xiao Li nodded in realization, but quickly looked troubled. "Boss, what are we going to do about the report?"
He glanced back. "Rules are dead, people are alive. There are plenty of witnesses on this street after such a big incident. Just pick one and take them back with us."
"Boss, you're brilliant!"
"Enough. Get moving."
"Right away."
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