Deng Qing Qingdao, "What do you mean?"
"These little devils didn't make a sound all night. Usually, they'd be up half the night! I finally got a good night's sleep last night."
Deng Qing's heart skipped a beat. Was it because she was hungry?
Then I thought again, wait a minute, I only stole... how much did I take that's enough to starve these gluttons?
He glanced around the stables and saw that some of the Strange Horse were standing with their heads down, while others were licking their empty mangers; nothing seemed amiss.
He guessed that the horses were probably frightened by him, and his worries subsided slightly.
His Dantian is now empty, and he originally planned to come here today to load a large shipment, but at this pace, it might be difficult.
A thought flashed through his mind, and he smiled, "Brother Zhang, if you trust me, why don't you bring over the Strange Horse from Nanpeng to raise as well?"
Zhang Dahe was taken aback.
Deng Qing said, "They're all docile; if we deal with them together, they'll be completely obedient."
Zhang Dahe's eyes lit up immediately. "That's great! But, can you tame it all by yourself?" "No problem."
Deng Qing waved his hand, "Brother Zhang has treated me well, so I can't be ungrateful. Besides, you know that the more horses I train, the better it is for me."
As he spoke, he pointed towards the stables, "Among a hundred men, there are all sorts of characters. And among dozens of horses, aren't they all temperamental? We should see more of them."
Zhang Dahe nodded repeatedly, "Alright, let's do it that way. I'll have someone bring the horse over in a bit. Brother, you'd better show some real skill, or people will say I'm just messing around."
"Rest assured."
And just like that, the number of Strange Horse that Deng Qing was responsible for feeding increased from eighteen to thirty-six.
The number of horses doubled, but the time he spent at each manger remained exactly the same.
After finishing this round of work and returning to the Cultivation Room, the feeling of stagnation in my Dantian returned.
Deng Qing closed the stone door and continued practicing his skills.
Another night passed, and he suddenly stopped practicing and lay down on the ground.
His muscles and bones didn't feel sore, and his breathing had calmed down, but after practicing like this for two nights in a row, he was really tired.
He lay there for a while before bringing up the panel. [Realm: Bone-Tempering Two (98%)]
[ Devour Heaven Scripture: Minor Mastery (58%)]
[ Collapse Step: Minor Mastery (55%)]
[ Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood: Initial Baleful Intent (99%)]
[ Elephant-Throwing Method: Grand Mastery (75%)]
As Deng Qing looked through the items one by one, she felt all her fatigue vanish instantly.
With unlimited supply of Wasteland Blood and such excellent cultivation effects, he almost couldn't help but burst into song.
It's worth mentioning the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood, which reached 99% early on, but showed no signs of change for a long time.
Deng Qing raised his hand, and a mass of blood-red color condensed in his palm.
Compared to before, this mass of Blood Baleful Intent was now larger and more solid. As he thought about it, the Blood Baleful Intent quickly covered his palm, flowing freely even between his fingers.
Deng Qing was not surprised; there were corresponding characters on the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood.
To advance from Initial Baleful Intent to Baleful Intent Condensation, it's not simply about accumulating Wasteland Blood. He can still devour Wasteland Blood, so his progress in Initial Baleful Intent won't increase anymore, but his Blood Baleful Intent will grow larger and become more solid.
At that moment, Deng Qing withdrew his Blood Baleful Intent, clenched his fist tightly, and his bones cracked a few times.
After two days of training, his most noticeable feeling was that his muscles and strength were increasing rapidly.
When I went to grip the necks of those Strange Horse again yesterday, I didn't need to use my full strength. I just pressed down with one arm, and no matter how much those big guys struggled, they couldn't budge me an inch.
He couldn't help but think to himself, "This isn't even the Bone Tempering Third Layer yet. What will it be like once I truly cross that threshold?"
Deng Qing suppressed her excitement, closed her eyes, and calmed herself down to rest.
The next day, when he arrived at the Horse Farm, he heard a chorus of curses.
A Burly Man wearing Leather Armor was standing in front of the stable, pointing his finger at Zhang Dahe and scolding him.
The man had high cheekbones, thick black eyebrows, a long knife at his waist, and his boots and clothes were covered in mud.
Zhang Dahe stood in front of him, smiling apologetically, but never found a chance to interject.
Upon suddenly spotting Deng Qing, Zhang Dahe rushed over as if seeing a savior, exclaiming, "My ancestor, you've finally come!"
He grabbed Deng Qing's arm and whispered, "What the hell did you do? These Strange Horse are all restless on the battlefield. Could they have really caused any problems?" Before Deng Qing could speak, the burly Burly Man in armor followed, "You're the one who fed these horses, you bastard?"
He raised his hand and poked Deng Qing, "Look what you've done to my horse! It's been wobbling all day, almost throwing me into a mud puddle!"
Deng Qing cupped his hands in greeting, "May I ask your name?"
"Commander Duan Wei!"
Duan Wei raised his chin.
Deng Qing nodded and said, "So it's Commander Duan. It's normal for the Strange Horse to be agitated; after a few more days of training, it will return to normal."
Zhang Dahe was taken aback.
Duan Wei grew increasingly angry. "Who do you think you are? You think you can just say things will return to normal? If someone gets seriously injured, can you take responsibility?"
Deng Qing didn't argue, but asked, "Which one is Duan Baihu's mount?"
Duan Wei pointed to the stable, "That blue one!"
Deng Qing turned his head to look.
The strange blue Strange Horse, which had been shaking its head and whose chains were clanking, immediately lowered its head when it saw Deng Qing looking over. Deng Qing said, "I've been training it to obey commands these past two days, Commander Duan, you don't need to worry."
"Follow orders my ass!"
Duan Wei glared angrily, "I've been jostling you the whole way, I couldn't even hold you down, and you're telling me you're being well-behaved?"
Before she finished speaking, Deng Qing had already walked over.
He untied the reins, led the strange blue Strange Horse out of the stable, and casually patted it on the neck.
The Strange Horse obediently followed beside him, not even snorting.
Deng Qing took a step, and it followed.
Deng Qing stopped, and it immediately withdrew its hooves.
"Retreat."
Deng Qing raised his hand and pushed, causing the blue Strange Horse to take two steps back.
He pulled on the reins again, signaling it to hop. The Strange Horse reared up on its front hooves, hopped forward a few steps, and then came to a stop. Duan Wei watched with his mouth agape.
He took a few steps closer, staring intently at the patch of blemish on the horse's neck, confirming it again and again. It was indeed his mount.
But where did that stubborn, unyielding spirit go?
Zhang Dahe stared wide-eyed.
He knew Deng Qing could control these Strange Horse, but he never expected him to train them to this extent.
Deng Qing draped the reins over the horse's back, turned around, and walked back.
The blue Strange Horse stood still, head bowed, without moving.
"Commander Duan, what do you think?"
Deng Qing smiled and said, "Once I've trained it properly, the Strange Horse will naturally become obedient, and you'll be much easier to control it in the future."
Duan Wei's anger had long since vanished. He quickly cupped his hands in apology, "I was blind and didn't recognize your true master. I was offended just now. Please forgive me, brother. Your horse-training skills are amazing, truly amazing!"
Deng Qing waved his hand and said, "It's alright, just be patient."
Duan Wei nodded repeatedly.
Deng Qing added, "To be honest, the main problem is that it's not eating enough. Taming a horse takes a lot of energy. If we could add some Offal from Wasteland Beast and feed it properly, it would train even faster." "That's easy to say!"
Duan Wei immediately patted his chest and said, "I'll go and mention it to the higher-ups right away. As long as we can train the horses well, why would we need to skimp on their feed?"
He looked again at the well-behaved blue Strange Horse, and his delight grew with each glance. "Then you continue training it, I won't delay you any longer."
Having said that, he turned and walked away, his steps light and quick.
Zhang Dahe gave Deng Qing a thumbs up, "Brother, I'm impressed, truly impressed. When it comes to training horses, you're second to none!"
Deng Qing smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, "Brother Zhang, you flatter me."
Zhang Dahe became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, Deng Qing was quite pleased with what he was hearing. Just as he was about to say a few more humble words, someone suddenly called out, "Brother Deng!"
Xia Daoyu hurried over, " Elder Jian has urgent business with you, come with me quickly."
Zhang Dahe quickly stopped talking, cupped his hands in farewell, and took his leave.
Deng Qing followed Xia Daoyu outside, asking as they walked, "Brother Xia, what's the matter that's so urgent?"
Xia Daoyu opened his mouth, but seemed to swallow his words back.
Deng Qing glanced at him. "What, aren't we close enough?" "What are you talking about?"
Xia Daoyu smiled wryly, "I don't know much either, it seems to be about the struggle for the Wasteland Veins."
Deng Qing frowned immediately. "Wasn't it that I wasn't involved anymore?"
He almost blurted out, "I gave away all the credit," but thankfully he stopped himself in time.
Although Deng Qing knew that Xia Daoyu probably knew some of the inside story, it was ultimately not a good idea to bring it up.
The two of them understood each other without saying a word.
Xia Daoyu said, "I can't explain the specifics. Anyway, we're facing a thorny issue, which is quite troublesome. Elder Jian seems to think that you're indispensable."
Deng Qing paused.
Xia Daoyu took two more steps forward before realizing he hadn't followed, and turned back, asking, "What's wrong?"
"I suddenly remembered something urgent," Deng Qing said. "Brother Xia, you go ahead, I'll be right back when I'm done."
Xia Daoyu was taken aback. " Elder Jian is in a hurry."
"There's nothing I can do about it, I'm in an even bigger hurry." Deng Qing held up two fingers. "Could you please ask Brother Xia to tell her to give me two hours? I'll definitely be there in two hours."
Xia Daoyu looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.
Elder Jian was in a hurry to summon him; others wished they had more legs, but this man insisted on delaying.
This kid is the only one who gets special favor.
"Brother, don't delay."
Don't worry, it won't be a problem.
Left with no other choice, Xia Daoyu had to leave first.
Deng Qing turned around and hurried towards the Horse Farm.
"The struggle for the Wasteland Veins " – "It has to be done by myself."
Putting all these words together, Deng Qing felt like she was about to be drawn into a trap again.
He wasn't surprised. When he learned that he had only pinned down the dragon's tail, he knew that the conflict between the Command Center and the Donghuang Cult had not subsided, but had intensified.
In this situation, it would be very difficult for him to extricate himself from the conflict. Therefore, even though he had asked Jian Ruyu for a promise not to fight again, he knew that this was not a guarantee.
At that moment, as soon as Xia Daoyu arrived, Deng Qing heard a few words and knew that war had broken out again.
He had just finished a night of intensive training, Wasteland Blood in his Dantian was almost completely exhausted. If he were to reach Jian Ruyu Jian Ruyu she ordered him to join the team, where would he find the energy to replenish his reserves?
No matter how urgent the situation, you must first arm yourself with protective gear.
Zhang Dahe was standing outside the stable, instructing several servants on their tasks. When he saw Deng Qing return, he didn't think much of it.
Deng Qing walked over, took out a ten-tael Silver Note, and slapped it into his hand. "Brother Zhang, please arrange a good meal. The brothers have worked hard; it's a good opportunity for us to get together."
Zhang Dahe immediately beamed with joy, "Brother, you're too kind. You've only been here a few days, and you've already helped train the horses and treated everyone to meals."
"We're all working in the same place, it's only natural."
"Okay, don't worry about it, I'll arrange it. I guarantee you'll eat well!"
Zhang Dahe accepted the Silver Note, then turned around and called out, "Listen up, everyone! Brother Deng Qing is treating us to a good meal!"
The servants immediately looked up.
"Is there any meat?" "Nonsense, Brother Deng has already taken out ten taels of silver, would you be short of a bite of meat?"
Zhang Dahe laughed and cursed, then shouted into the Wooden House, telling people to hurry up and prepare food and wine.
Before long, the news had spread throughout the Horse Farm.
Even from a distance, people were bowing to Deng Qing and thanking him repeatedly.
Deng Qing summoned several servants and asked them to bring the Offal over while he went to train the horses.
This had been going on for the past few days, and everyone had gotten used to it, so no one thought much of it.
Moreover, having just received his favor, they were quick and efficient, and soon pushed the twelve carts of Offal in.
Deng Qing rolled up his sleeves and pushed the cart into the stable.
When the Strange Horse saw him enter, they immediately stood up straight. But as the Lacquer Tree Membrane was lifted, their enormous heads couldn't help but peer over.
Deng Qing scooped the Offal into the trough and placed his hand on the edge. The nearby Strange Horse immediately pulled its head back.
Next up was his regular program.
Two hours later, Deng Qing emerged from the stable. He was radiant, with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, and walked with a light step.
From the stable behind them, however, came a low, mournful whine.
Deng Qing glanced back, seemingly still wanting more.
Unfortunately, the Dantian was indeed full.
"Brother, the food's been ready for a while, come on over!"
Zhang Dahe poked his head out of the wooden window and waved to him from afar.
As Deng Qing approached, he indeed smelled a rich aroma of meat, like braised beef in a pot.
A table had already been set up inside the Wooden House, and several servants were carrying large bowls, serving dishes onto the table.
Zhang Dahe greeted him, "Come in quickly, we've been waiting for you."
Deng Qing waved her hand, "You guys eat, I have something to do."
"How could I accept this? I spent your money, and you haven't even had a meal."
As Zhang Dahe spoke, he headed towards the door. By the time he opened it, Deng Qing was already far away. As soon as Deng Qing stepped out of the Horse Farm, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine—the feeling of being watched.
He turned his head and looked south, and saw Jian Ruyu standing there, dressed in white and wearing a mask, looking at him from afar.
Deng Qing quickly spat out the hay, hurried over, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Senior."
Jian Ruyu glanced at the stable behind him. "Quite dedicated, isn't he? He really does love what he does?"
Deng Qing said, "I've recently been studying horse training and have gained some insights."
"You're getting cocky just because I said you're fat."
Jian Ruyu waved his hand, "Let's get down to business. You might be going on another mission."
Deng Qing's heart sank, realizing to himself that it was true.
However, since even Jian Ruyu personally went to the Horse Farm, it's most likely that this matter can no longer be avoided.
He stopped hesitating, cupped his hands, and said, "Please give your instructions, senior."
Jian Ruyu said, "You've pinned down the dragon's tail, while the Donghuang Cult has pinned down the dragon's head. For days, the two sides have been fighting fiercely over this Wasteland Veins."
The situation took an unexpected turn; the Vein Dragon collapsed, and its body vanished. "Vanished?" Deng Qing was taken aback. "Vanished?"
Jian Ruyu nodded. "The dragon's head and tail are still nailed down, but the dragon's body in the middle is nowhere to be found. Both sides are searching for it right now, and once it is found, it will be nailed down immediately."
Whoever nails the dragon's body again will have a two greater than one. At that point, the other side's Wasteland Spike will likely be unable to hold.
Deng Qing asked, "Then what do you want me to do?"
Jian Ruyu said, "Two is greater than one, but it's not like A plus B equals C."
The words were a bit of a mouthful, but Deng Qing understood them perfectly.
The Wasteland Spike previously pinned the dragon's tail were infused with his blood. If his blood were used to pin the dragon's body as well, then the two combined would equal one plus one equals two.
If someone else goes, the blood samples will be different, so each place will calculate their own results, and the two won't be able to make up the two.
Deng Qing said, "From what I'm saying, my blood is very important?"
Jian Ruyu nodded. Deng Qing said, "That's easy. I'll just draw some more blood and send it to that person, and that'll solve the problem."
Jian Ruyu shook her head. "No one can predict what might happen while pinning the dragon's body down. Even if you gave them a bucket of blood, they still wouldn't feel at ease."
Deng Qing fell silent. This concerned the ownership of the Seventh Wasteland Vein, and it was understandable that the Command Center wanted to ensure everything went smoothly.
Now that the situation has backfired, it won't be so easy to extricate myself from it.
But upon closer reflection, they want their own blood, not necessarily to fight on the front lines themselves.
Being willing to be a blood bank doesn't seem like an unacceptable option.
Deng Qing said, "I understand. I went there to donate blood and cover for that young master."
At this point, a smile spread across his face, "The key is... you know."
He can get involved, but he certainly can't have come all this way for nothing.
Jian Ruyu smiled and said, "Of course I understand."
The one who bought your blood is Xiao Jinglin, the young master of the Xiao Family Maoling. The Xiao Family is a powerful clan that possesses the Baleful Veins. I have already spoken to them on your behalf. If you are willing to lend a helping hand this time, they are willing to open their Baleful Veins for you to use once.
Deng Qing blinked.
"What is the purpose of the Baleful Veins' (Sha Mai)?"
" Baleful Intent Condensation energy generates true essence; with true essence, breaking the Great Furnace is the key to your future entry into the Furnace Realm. This deal is definitely not a loss." After saying this, Jian Ruyu felt strange himself, realizing that he had been led astray by this kid and was becoming more and more like a businessman.
Deng Qing was secretly pleased; this would work.
To reiterate, he hates taking risks, except when there are huge profits involved.
Jian Ruyu said, "Think it over carefully. If you really don't want to go, I'll personally escort you out of the Desolate Soil. I promised you that I would let you cultivate in peace and not take any more risks. I can still keep my promise."
Deng Qing was taken aback; Jian Ruyu didn't seem like a joke.
He felt a touch of emotion.
He knew that if Jian Ruyu let him leave without permission, and the Command Center failed to seize the Wasteland Veins, Jian Ruyu would bear immense pressure.
Deng Qing immediately cupped his hands in greeting, "This junior is willing to go. You've secured such great benefits for me, I have to take responsibility for it."
Jian Ruyu relaxed her shoulders slightly. "Then prepare well. The operation could begin at any time. Once you get there, stay close to the group and don't wander off alone. You should be fine."
Deng Qing replied, "This junior has remembered."
Jian Ruyu suddenly raised his hand and flicked a finger toward the west.
Before long, someone approached. Jian Ruyu said, "It's Young Master Xiao Jinglin of the Xiao Family. He'd like to get to know you. Since we're going to be working together, it'll be good for you to get to know each other. You two can chat first."
Deng Qing nodded in agreement.
With a flash, Jian Ruyu disappeared into the distance.
Before long, Xiao Jinglin walked up the hillside.