An honored guest

Taking the fruit proved difficult. When Zeng Mu reached out to break it off, he felt as though he were trying to snap off a cobblestone.

Yes, the fruit was hard. When Kanni tapped it lightly with his shovel, it actually rang with a metallic clang.

The root fibers also gripped it too tightly. With no other choice, Zeng Mu cut through the roots above it and finally removed the strange fruit along with the fibers of the Dead Python Root.

When they climbed out of the pit, the Thousand-Mile Horse still stood where they had left it, looking for all the world like an old companion who had been waiting for them.

A Thousand-Mile Horse earned its name not merely by running fast, but, more importantly, by possessing an intelligence that ordinary horses lacked.

Though it had spent only a short time with him, this Thousand-Mile Horse seemed to have sensed something-an immense attraction that could make it charge into battle for him and carry him far and wide.

Kanni stroked its head again, feeling its breath, then turned and said, "Nameless, this Thousand-Mile Horse seems pretty interested in you. It probably senses your elemental power. I think it'd be quite happy to follow you."

Zeng Mu stepped forward and stroked its head too. "You said Thousand-Mile Horses aren't like ordinary horses," he said softly. "Getting one to acknowledge a master isn't easy. So what if I have elemental power? I can't just force it into submission with violence, like taming an animal with a whip, can I? If I did, this fellow might be a glimpse of its future." He glanced at O'Connor, whose eyes were still shut, curled his lips, and swung his hand down hard onto the man's head.

O'Connor had woken five minutes earlier. He had never imagined that this brat would see through his flawless act of unconsciousness so easily, nor that the fellow would strike even harder than before. A single blow sent his vision completely black and plunged him into an even deeper sleep.

"He won't wake up again for at least ten hours. Come on, let's hurry back to Sand City."

Only then did Kanni realize that the cunning Viking had been pretending to sleep. His expression chilled, and he slapped the man across the face, leaving a red mark that served as both a warning and an outlet for his anger.

"Let's go. Hurry back. I haven't slept this whole trip. Once we're back, I'll have to relax properly!"

Seeing the anticipation and wicked grin practically spilling out of his eyes, Zeng Mu knew exactly what kind of relaxation he meant.

As Kanni put a foot in the stirrup to mount, Zeng Mu caught him. "Wait. Let me take all this off first."

Without waiting for an answer, he began removing the stirrups, saddle, bit, reins, and the rest of the tack, tossing everything into a heap on the ground.

When he finished, Zeng Mu clapped his hands in satisfaction. Kanni looked puzzled. "Hey, Nameless, why'd you take all that off? How are we supposed to ride without it?"

The Thousand-Mile Horse snorted and nuzzled obediently toward Zeng Mu. Stroking it, he said, "It's fine. We can ride without tack. Didn't you say Thousand-Mile Horses don't like being restrained? This time, I want it to experience what it's like to run truly free while carrying someone."

At that, Kanni understood. Nameless really did want to tame this Thousand-Mile Horse.

With that thought, he said nothing more and climbed onto its back with him. Without tack, the horse's back was not only slippery but offered nothing to hold on to. At the thought of the rushing wind they would soon face, Kanni recalled something from years ago.

It had been about ten years earlier. He was twelve then, newly enlisted, a green recruit who knew nothing.

His personality had often left him shunned after he joined, and he had suffered plenty in secret. Still, his tenacity had kept him from making much of a fool of himself in public-except at the recruits' exhibition.

Many important people had come to watch that day, including a Silver-Pattern Knight Commander and two barons.

The corps' exhibition had gone perfectly, without a hitch, and ended smoothly after two hours.

Afterward came a performance in which the newly recruited knights were free to demonstrate their talents.

For a recruit, it was a precious chance to impress his superiors. Like the others, Kanni had no intention of missing it, so he had prepared a display of horsemanship.

A knight's horsemanship display was nothing like a civilian's. All the horse's tack had to be removed, and even the rider could wear neither protective gear nor a helmet, all to demonstrate his outstanding skill in controlling his mount.

Kanni had ridden since childhood, and none of the children his age could match his horsemanship. That ability had given him the confidence to show off at the exhibition.

He had originally been meant to ride a warhorse, but unexpectedly, it fell ill that day and could not take part. Several familiar faces in the crowd immediately suggested to the Knight Commander, "Sir, Kanni's horsemanship is nothing short of miraculous. He's always saying he can control a Thousand-Mile Horse as easily as a puppet. Your mount seems to be one. Why not let him try?"

With the two barons eagerly urging him on, the Knight Commander agreed to let Kanni try his Thousand-Mile Horse. He was curious himself: could this unremarkable-looking boy really conquer his untamed mount?

Kanni botched it.

The moment he sat on the Thousand-Mile Horse's bare back, he could no longer hold himself steady. His hips, thighs, arms, and head swayed with the surging motion beneath him, like towering waves, until he lost control and plunged headfirst to the ground, making a complete fool of himself.

After that, the Knight Commander, who had lost face before the barons, held a grudge against him and quietly issued certain instructions. Though Kanni fought bravely and repeatedly distinguished himself by killing enemies, he never received any meaningful reward.

Only in recent years had Kanni finally understood why. That was why, when preparations for the Vanguard Corps began the previous year, he had immediately volunteered. At last, he secured the transfer he wanted, becoming a knight in the First Legion's vanguard and leaving far behind the ugly shadow that had loomed over him for years...

The instant the Thousand-Mile Horse's hooves began alternating, Zeng Mu felt wind rush into his ears. His surroundings sped backward, while the distant landscape seemed to come alive and advance toward him. The clouds overhead drifted much faster, some slipping behind him before he could even take in their shapes.

A rustling sound lingered in his ears. Gravel and dust flew beneath the horse's hooves, trailing streaks of haze before falling to the ground. Those streaks intertwined into a vast cloud of dust that stretched onward, forming a living "serpent" across the earth as it followed close behind the horse's freely galloping figure.

The Thousand-Mile Horse never stopped along the way, nor did it resist or make any movements of its own accord. Whenever Zeng Mu shifted the hands resting against the sides of its head, it followed his instructions with small adjustments to its course.

So fast! So fast! That was the only thought flashing through Zeng Mu's mind.

The Thousand-Mile Horse was far faster than he had imagined, comparable to a motorcycle traveling on a paved road. Though he had never ridden a motorcycle, he had often taken buses throughout the years from fourth grade until he entered the Element Academy.

He liked sitting by a window to escape the unpleasant jumble of smells inside the bus. He never opened it all the way, since that would muss his hair. A narrow gap was enough to let him breathe in the distinctive scent created by the wind brushing past the window. When he felt gloomy or irritable, that smell soothed him even more than the fragrance of a woman's hair. Now, too, he caught a distinctive scent-a scent brimming with vitality, mighty and magnificent; a scent filled with strength, hot blood, and soaring ambition.

As Zeng Mu involuntarily closed his eyes and enjoyed that ease, Kanni was having a rather worse time behind him.

With O'Connor wedged between them, he could not wrap his arms firmly around Zeng Mu's waist. He had no choice but to bend low, barely managing to press his palms against the horse's belly to steady himself against the rise and fall beneath him.

Had it been half an hour or an hour, Kanni would certainly have thought, Who do you think I am? Riding horses at four, shooting from horseback at eight, riding people at sixteen... Holding a position like this is nothing.

But when faced with keeping that position for an entire day, his inner pride came to an abrupt halt.

Only after experiencing it himself did Zeng Mu truly understand what it meant to live up to a reputation. The Thousand-Mile Horse was far faster than he had expected. It forcibly halved a journey that should have taken tens of hours. After only about five and a half hours, they spotted Sand City in the distance, just as evening was setting in.

Firelight already shone in Sand City that evening. Torches stood along the walls, and keen eyes like those of hawks watched the ground below from the shadows. Besides the ordinary knights on sentry duty, two more important pairs of eyes watched from the walls that night.

Ma Linya's bright, fiery eyes spotted the dark figures emerging from the falling dusk before Aikimu did.

"It's Nameless and the others! He's back!" she cried excitedly.

Aikimu's anxious heart settled. When Cobert and Ma Linya had returned an hour earlier, he had been worried and wanted to take several knights out to meet the others. But Yetos had said that doing so would alert the enemy and expose their plan to send the group out for water. After all, Qin Zihui, unaware of the truth, would assume Sand City still had a hidden water source, and any attempt to repeat his indirect poisoning scheme would fail on its own. Conversely, sending a small team out would expose the merchant caravan's lie, preventing them from using the same trick in similar circumstances later.

"Lower the cables! Open the gates!"

The drawbridge lowered into place. The horse slowed its hooves and entered the city at an easy pace.

Ma Linya ran out of the shadows and came up to them, relieved. "Thank goodness. You're finally back."

"Are you all right?" Aikimu looked at the two with admiration tinged with respect. He understood that they had carried out the most crucial part of that difficult task.

Zeng Mu shook his head to show he was fine. Kanni said nothing either. He merely released his hands with a tremble, his palms sticky with sweat, then slowly straightened his back and panted heavily.

"If you're all right, come along. The Knight Commander has been waiting for quite some time. An honored guest arrived earlier as well, and has also been waiting in camp." Aikimu beckoned to them.

"Oh, my back..." Kanni finally could not help muttering.