Chapter 4, Testing the Horse

Really? The young man raised his sword-like eyebrows.

"Naturally," the young man from the Mao family exclaimed. He looked around and, upon seeing Liu Bei and Liu Xiu standing nearby, strode over and clasped his hands together, saying: "Gentlemen, please serve as witnesses. If I were to fall off this horse and get injured, it would have nothing to do with this man. If I ride well, he will either lend me the horse for a few days or simply sell it to me. I would not be at a loss, as per the market price in Zhuo County, which is 5,000 coins, fair and reasonable. What do you think?" What do you think?"

A servant shouted sternly: "Who are you lowly commoners? Do you know where this place is? This is the Mao family's estate. If you wish to act recklessly here, you should consider your own worth. If anything were to happen to my master, with just a letter of complaint, you would be immediately locked up in the prison of Zhuo County. Do you believe it?"

He would have been fine if he hadn't spoken, but once he did, the young man was even less willing to back down. His originally dark face turned purple with anger as he reached out to push the young man's hand away. The young man, unfazed, held tightly onto the reins, slowly and calmly persuading him. While it seemed like a kind-hearted attempt to advise, in reality, he was continuously provoking the young man. Infuriated, the young man shouted, pushing away several servants who came to advise him, insisting that he must ride the horse.

Liu Bei furrowed his brows, moved a little closer to Liu Xiu, and said softly: "That kid is the youngest son of the head of the Xi Mao family, always arrogant. This time, with Lord Lu teaching on his family's territory, he has become even more presumptuous. It seems he intends to give us a show of strength, so that in the future, he can have his way with us."

"Life and death are predetermined, wealth and nobility are in the hands of heaven." The young man from the Mao family shouted loudly, "If I get injured, it is due to my own poor riding skills, and has nothing to do with you"

A servant rushed over, knelt on one knee before the young man, placed his hands on his knee, and lowered his head. The young man lifted his foot and stepped on the servant's shoulder, leaping onto the horse. With a flick of the reins, he cast a confident glance at the young man and said with a proud smile: "Watch closely."

Liu Bei, unaware of Liu Xiu's thoughts, continued in a disdainful tone: "Isn't it just relying on his uncle who fought against the Xiongnu and served as a general? It's not much greater than a county magistrate." Liu Bei's voice was very soft, while the young man was happily cursing. He merely glanced over this way, not taking it to heart, and waved his arm, shouting loudly: "Look at you, a foreigner. My Mao family is a prestigious clan, and I won't bully you. This horse of yours is quite good; let me ride it for a couple of days and I'll return it to you. If not, you can sell it to me. Just hand over the horse, and I'll let you into this library."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei displayed a hesitant expression, raising his head to glance at the young man, wanting to speak but hesitating. The young man, however, merely let out a cold laugh and said: "I have long heard that the four Maos of Zhuo County run rampant in all directions. Today, I finally get to witness it with my own eyes. I, Gongsun Zan, am somewhat skeptical, but I am determined to see how you will deal with me"

"I have good intentions, fearing that you might get hurt." The young man cast him a faint glance, remaining unmoved, and calmly replied, "If you were to get injured, how could I bear the responsibility?"

Oh dear, my leg

"It's settled with a word." Before Liu Xiu and the others could speak, the young man from the Mao family quickly responded, snatching the reins from the young man's hands. He grasped the saddle with both hands to test it, only to find that the horse was taller than the usual ones, making it impossible for him to mount. Not wanting to lose face in front of Liu Xiu and the others, he shouted loudly, "You worthless dog, why aren't you coming over to give me a boost? Do I have to ask you to do it?"

"Are you looking to buy a horse? It's not out of the question." Although the young man was surrounded by more than ten people, there was no sign of panic on his face. He held the reins of the horse in one hand and rested the other on the hilt of the knife at his waist. Glancing around, he smiled faintly and said, "However, my horse has quite a fiery temperament; it only responds to heroes and great figures. Those unrelated cannot ride it. I am concerned about you..."

Liu Xiu has not yet responded, but Liu Bei has already interjected, saying: "Such a fine horse is worth far more than five thousand coins. Although I do not understand horses, I can tell that this horse is likely a prized steed of the Wuhuan people, and in Zhuo County, it would be worth at least eight thousand coins"

Oh dear, this beast has kicked me again

This young man was full of vigor, and in a fit of anger, his voice was so powerful that it caused a buzzing in the ears. The several servants were momentarily frightened by him and involuntarily took two steps back. Liu Bei observed this and was immediately filled with admiration. He stepped forward, stood behind the young man, and said loudly: "Indeed, we heard it clearly; it was your master who insisted on riding someone else's horse."

The young man raised an eyebrow and said in a deep voice: "It is your master who does not know his limits and insists on riding my horse. I have advised him repeatedly, but he refuses to listen, and that is why it has come to this. Are you all deaf? Even if you were truly deaf, there are two witnesses right here. Will you not even ask a question? Just because there are many of you, do you think you can be ruthless? Do you believe I won't chop you worthless slaves to pieces?"

"How dare you!" The young man immediately flushed with anger, spread his arms wide, and struck a pose he believed to be impressive. He jumped down from the large rock, rushed a few steps to the young man in front of him, and shouted loudly, "My family, the Mao family, has produced the likes of Sima Yi. I have ridden countless fierce horses and slain many Xiongnu. What is there that I cannot ride, even a mere horse? Step aside, I must ride your little horse."

As he spoke, he reached out to seize the reins from the young man, but the young man shook his head: "I advise you not to try it. My horse has a fiery temperament, and if it were to throw you off, I would not be able to take responsibility for that."

The surrounding servants, upon seeing this, shouted and rushed forward in an attempt to restrain the horse and rescue their young master. However, the horse kicked wildly, preventing them from getting close. In just a few moments, it had kicked two of the servants, leaving them bruised and battered. Although the others were deeply concerned, they did not dare to approach, merely circling around the horse and shouting in a cacophony.

Before the words had left his mouth, the horse suddenly let out a long neigh, abruptly turning half a circle and knocking the servant, who was sitting on the saddle, to the ground. It then reared up and began to buck violently. The young man from the Mao family was taken aback, no longer able to maintain his posture. He clung tightly to the horse's neck, his legs gripping the horse's belly with all their might. His face, which had been flushed purple, instantly turned pale, his lips pressed tightly together, unable to utter a single word. The young man from the Mao family was taken aback, no longer able to maintain his posture. He clung tightly to the horse's neck, his legs gripping the horse's belly with all their might. His face, which had been flushed purple, instantly turned pale, his lips pressed tightly together, unable to utter a single word.

The young man from the Mao family was taken aback, casting a resentful glance at Liu Bei. Just as he was about to speak, the young man smiled and said: "There is no harm in making a deal; I believe that 5,000 coins is quite reasonable. I ask both of you to be witnesses. We are all honorable men, and our words must hold true. If anyone fails to honor their word, they are nothing but a scoundrel."

He spoke while sizing up the young man from head to toe, then slowly shook his head and said in a concerned tone: "I see that you have delicate skin and tender flesh, it would be better not to try it."

A question flashed through Liu Xiu's mind, but he did not dare to ask. From Liu Bei's tone, it seemed as if they had a past grievance with each other

Several older servants, noticing that the young man harbored ill intentions and fearing that the young master might suffer, truly get hurt, attempted to pull the young master aside. However, the young man from the Mao family was already furious. Seeing the servants urging him to stop, he retaliated fiercely, turning around and kicking wildly. The servants were caught off guard, crying out in pain as they scattered. Only then did the young man turn back, drawing his curved knife with a sharp sound, glaring at the young man and asking: "Are you going to let go or not?"

Everyone, let's go together and rescue the master

At the sound of the voice, several servants rushed over, drawing their weapons, and shouted at the young man with flushed faces: "Quickly make your beast stop; if it harms even a hair on my master's body, you, lowly commoner, will pay with your life!"

Quick, catch this beast