Chapter 19: Taming

Chapter 19: Taming

Before his transmigration, Zhao An had ridden bicycles, motorcycles, and even mutant beasts, but never a horse. All his memories of horseback riding came from his original body, yet he showed no trace of timidity. He chose the tallest and strongest chestnut horse, stepped into the stirrup, and swung onto its back.

When he tightened the reins and looked down at Hu Sheng from above, he indeed saw a flash of admiration and appreciation in his gaze. This made Zhao An straighten his back even more, hoping to present an even better image.

The two rode their horses, leisurely making their way out of Changxi County. Zhao An, riding ahead, couldn't resist turning back to glance at Hu Sheng. It had to be said—Hu Sheng looked really good on horseback.

"Let's race to see who reaches Zhaojia Village first," Zhao An declared, then squeezed his horse's sides, lightly flicked the whip, and galloped off.

Naturally, Hu Sheng wasn't about to be outdone. He skillfully spurred his horse forward and caught up with Zhao An in less than a hundred meters. Then he overtook him, turning back on his galloping horse to flash a bright smile. His beautiful eyes, under the sunlight, shone like stars.

After rounding a bend, Hu Sheng disappeared from Zhao An's sight. Zhao An, now lagging far behind, quickly spurred his horse to increase its speed.

The two chased each other like this, reaching the outskirts of Zhaojia Village in less than a quarter of an hour. They stopped beside a rice paddy at the village's edge. By then, not only were the horses panting heavily, but Zhao An, riding a horse for the first time, was also out of breath, with big drops of sweat dripping from his forehead. He rolled up his sleeves, wiped away the sweat, steadied his breathing, and then said to Hu Sheng with a smile, "We agreed it was a race. Why'd you let me win?" Though his tone carried no real complaint.

Hu Sheng merely smiled and took a waterskin hanging from his saddle, offering it to Zhao An. "Have a drink first."

Zhao An didn't refuse. He was parched and drank so eagerly that a small trickle of water ran down his chin, neck, and into his collar.

He chugged down half the waterskin, and when he looked up, he met Hu Sheng's deepened gaze. Hu Sheng seemed to be licking his lips, so Zhao An quickly handed the waterskin back and said, "You must be thirsty too."

Hu Sheng took the waterskin, giving Zhao An an unreadable look before drinking. Zhao An's heart pounded uncontrollably. Did Hu Sheng think he had deliberately passed the waterskin to engineer an indirect kiss?

Caught up in ambiguous feelings, Zhao An couldn't help overthinking. He shook his head lightly, hoping to regain his composure.

Just then, someone came rushing down the path by the field. Spotting Zhao An from afar, they immediately cried out, "Young Master Zhao, hurry back! Something's happened at your house!"

Zhao An recognized the person—it was Liu Guijin, the youngest son of Liu Huan. Knowing Liu Guijin was unlikely to lie, Zhao An quickly urged his horse forward and asked, "What happened?"

Seeing Zhao An riding toward him, Liu Guijin immediately turned and started running back, explaining the situation as he went.

Earlier that morning, not long after Zhao An had left, Zhao Fuxiang had slipped into his house through the bamboo grove in the backyard. However, he was bitten by the wolf. Zhao Fuxiang wandered around the house before finally managing to climb over the wall to escape, but not before the wolf injured his arm and he broke his leg in the fall. He lay on the ground, writhing and howling.

If that were all, the other villagers wouldn't have been so alarmed. The main problem was that the wolf, now bloodied and enraged, began howling fiercely and clawing relentlessly at Zhao An's door. When villagers, drawn by the wolf's cries, arrived at Zhao An's house, they found the wolf had already dug a small hole in the door.

Everyone was terrified. The villagers feared the wolf would break out of Zhao An's house and bring disaster to the village. Someone tried to hit the wolf through the hole with a hoe but ended up enlarging the hole instead, allowing the wolf to poke its head out and snarl fiercely at the villagers outside.

If not for two hunters from the village who arrived in time, climbed onto Zhao An's wall, and shot two arrows at the wolf, injuring its paw and forcing it to hide under the eaves, it would likely have broken through the door and run wild in the village.

But the wolf was cunning. The hunters only had three iron arrows capable of dealing real damage, aside from their less lethal bamboo arrows. Aside from injuring one of its paws, they hadn't managed to harm it further.

The situation had reached a standoff. It was then that Liu Huan thought to send his youngest son to town to fetch Zhao An, the one who had originally subdued the wolf. Since Zhao An had managed to tame it on the mountain, surely he could find a way to break the deadlock.

By the time Liu Guijin finished explaining, they had already reached Zhao An's house. The entrance was surrounded by layers of the village's strongest men, while the elderly, weak, and children had been sent home behind locked doors to prevent them from being harmed if the wolf broke free.

"Make way! Young Master Zhao is back!" Although villagers had already noticed Zhao An and Hu Sheng arriving on horseback, Liu Guijin still shouted loudly.

The villagers regarded Zhao An with a mix of respect and fear. They quickly cleared a path for him. Liu Huan hurried over and said, "Young Master Zhao, could you climb over the wall and subdue the wolf?"

He dared to make this request only because he had seen how deftly Zhao An had dealt with Zhao Tongming and his family.

At least Liu Huan had the decency to bow respectfully upon Zhao An's arrival. In contrast, Zhao Tongming, standing nearby with his two other sons, said through gritted teeth, "Bringing a wolf into the village shows your malicious intent. This time, you must kill it, or you'll bring disaster upon the entire village."

Zhao An, seeing Zhao Fuxiang still lying on the ground moaning in pain, felt a surge of anger. "If it weren't for thieves like him, who would need to keep a wolf at home? It seems my decision was justified," Zhao An retorted sharply.

But he knew now wasn't the time to argue with Zhao Tongming. After dismounting, he prepared to climb over the wall into the courtyard. However, Hu Sheng moved faster than him, stepping on the saddle and clearing Zhao An's wall in one fluid motion.

By the time Zhao An climbed onto the wall and pulled himself up, he saw Hu Sheng had already punched the wolf to the ground.

The wolf got up again, baring its teeth at Hu Sheng, only to be struck down by another punch. When it rose once more, it began stiffly wagging its tail in submission.

Zhao An was stunned. He had thought the wolf was too wild to tame, yet it had yielded after just two punches. This made him reflect on whether his previous methods had been too gentle.