Chapter 276 - 187: It’s Mine Now

Chapter 276: Chapter 187: It’s Mine Now

’Looks like it’s wary of strangers,’ Fang Yue thought with a slight smile, not taking it to heart.

But just then, the Black Qilin Horse opened its mouth, revealing a row of incredibly sharp fangs, and lunged to bite Fang Yue’s chest.

"Hm?" Fang Yue was startled. He dodged the Black Qilin Horse’s lunge in a flash, but it still managed to tear his robes.

’This horse truly lives up to its reputation for speed. A moment of carelessness, and I almost got bitten.’

NEIGH!! The Black Qilin Horse let out an angry cry and charged again.

"Vile beast! How dare you!"

Fang Yue shouted, his gaze hardening as he instantly unleashed his power.

Immediately, Fang Yue was locked in a struggle with the Black Qilin Horse.

It had to be said, this Black Qilin Horse certainly had some strength.

Although the horse had a muscular build, its speed was astonishing, and its power was considerable.

But it was still no match for Fang Yue.

Seizing an opportunity, Fang Yue used both hands to force the Black Qilin Horse down, then leaped up and mounted it.

Instantly, the Black Qilin Horse began to buck and jump, trying to throw Fang Yue off.

"Hmph, a cheap trick!" Fang Yue snorted coldly, gripping the horse tightly with his legs and holding the reins firm.

ROAR!! The Black Qilin Horse let out an enraged neigh, but it was unable to break free.

"You beast, still won’t submit!"

Fang Yue shouted, suddenly exerting his strength and pressing down with a tyrannical force.

Finally, unable to struggle any longer, the Black Qilin Horse let out a whimper and stopped fighting, clearly submitting.

Only then did Fang Yue release his power.

As expected, the Black Qilin Horse no longer struggled and became very docile.

Having tamed the Black Qilin Horse, Fang Yue smiled slightly and immediately rode it down the mountain.

...

「In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea,」 a small town appeared before Fang Yue.

This town was called Udon Town, named after the medicinal herb, udon, which grew abundantly in the nearby mountains.

Fang Yue rode the Black Qilin Horse north and soon arrived at Udon Town.

The town had not been affected by the chaos of war. On the contrary, the demand for medicinal herbs like udon had soared because of it.

As a result, Udon Town had become increasingly prosperous, turning into the largest medicinal herb trading market in Guangfeng Prefecture.

’This town is over two hundred li from that node, and it only took about ten minutes to get here. This is truly a fine horse!’

For a Martial Artist, a fine horse—especially one like the Black Qilin Horse, which had the bloodline of an Exotic Beast—was an incredibly precious treasure.

After all, riding an ordinary horse, or one with a weak bloodline, wasn’t even as fast as running on their own.

’Having a fine horse is equivalent to buying a luxury car in my past life.’

’Who wouldn’t be envious seeing you ride it?’

And indeed, as he rode into town, every Martial Artist he passed couldn’t help but turn to stare.

Fortunately, Fang Yue was not using his real face at the moment.

Otherwise, being so high-profile would go against his style.

Now that he was in town, Fang Yue headed to the largest medicine merchant as usual: Fusheng Hall.

Fusheng Hall was located in an estate on the west side of town. It was the largest medicinal herb trader in Udon Town and also a small faction in its own right.

They would take in orphans or local children, teaching them to identify and gather herbs from a young age. The children would first serve as Medicine Gatherers for three years in Fusheng Hall.

Afterward, depending on their Talent, they would either be assigned to do odd jobs and run errands, continue gathering herbs, or join the Guard Team to protect Fusheng Hall.

Upon arriving at Fusheng Hall, an attendant saw Fang Yue and ran over enthusiastically.

"Lord Li, you’re here! Let me take your horse for you!"

During the several months he had been guarding the area, Fang Yue would visit this Medicine Hall periodically.

He mainly purchased medicinal herbs like blood ginseng. Each transaction was for a considerable amount, so to avoid being targeted, he disguised his appearance and used the alias Li Yuan.

Because the amount he spent each time was significant, basically everyone in the estate now recognized Lord Li.

"No need."

’The Black Qilin Horse has a nasty temperament and astonishing strength, far greater than that of an ordinary Martial Artist. An average Bone Marrow Martial Artist, without a weapon, would probably be no match for this horse.’

’Let alone these gatekeepers who haven’t even mastered Whole Force. If they tried to lead the horse and got kicked, they might lose their lives.’

Fang Yue tied the horse to a tree by the entrance and entered the estate.

Hall Master Hu of Fusheng Hall personally received Fang Yue.

It wasn’t just because Fang Yue was a big spender, but also because of the extraordinary Martial Dao strength he displayed. A Marrow Transformation Martial Artist was basically at the apex of power here.

After all, in a medicine-focused faction like Fusheng Hall, their top expert, Hall Master Hu, had only reached the stage of Great Success in Marrow Transformation.

Therefore, regardless of whether Fang Yue was there to buy herbs, Hall Master Hu had to receive him personally.

"Li, what medicinal herbs are you looking to purchase this time?" Hall Master Hu forced a friendly smile onto his stern face.

"Here is the list. Take a look, Hall Master Hu." Fang Yue didn’t waste any words and handed over a list.

"Hmm, our hall has all of these herbs. However, the price is thirty percent higher than last time." Hall Master Hu took the list, examined it carefully, and then gave Fang Yue the quote.

"Why the steep increase?" Fang Yue asked.

This was considered the source of the herbs; there were basically no middlemen taking a cut.

And since they didn’t have to risk transporting them elsewhere, the prices were generally reasonable.

Normally, the price fluctuations shouldn’t be too drastic.

"Sigh. For some reason, there have been a lot more wild beasts in the mountains lately, making it much harder to gather herbs. Many of the independent gatherers can’t even enter the mountains anymore. As a result, the herb yield has dropped, the supply is insufficient, and so the prices have gone up," Hall Master Hu explained.

He was being honest and not trying to cheat him.

Many of the herbs Fang Yue wanted were in high demand, and he was only offering this price to Fang Yue.

If it were anyone else, the price might have been even higher.

Hearing this, Fang Yue nodded. On his way into town, he had already overheard many people discussing the wild beasts in the mountains.

So, what Hall Master Hu said was likely true.

The price increase was understandable.

"Still, that’s quite a jump. With the war going on, it can’t be easy to sell these valuable herbs. Keeping them in stock is a risk in itself. It would be better to sell them off quickly," Fang Yue haggled. ’Here in the mountains, I have no income. The silver I have is only dwindling, so I have to be frugal.’

"Then I’ll knock off another ten percent. I really can’t go any lower. Any lower and I’ll be taking a loss." Hall Master Hu gritted his teeth, lowering the price with a pained expression.

"Alright, give me ten portions then," Fang Yue said.

"Done. Please wait a moment, someone will bring them to you right away," Hall Master Hu said immediately.

Fang Yue wasn’t in a hurry and just stood there waiting.

About five or six minutes later, a Servant in blue clothes came in with the wrapped herbs, bowed to Fang Yue, and said, "Lord Li, here are your herbs."

"Mm, good." Fang Yue nodded, took the herbs, inspected them, and tucked them into his robes. Then, after handing a silver banknote to Hall Master Hu, he prepared to leave.

But just then, a commotion erupted outside the entrance.

"You beast! I’m going to kill you! How dare you kick me! I’ll skin you alive!"

Fang Yue walked out of the estate and saw a young man in his twenties, who had furiously rushed to the entrance. He was holding a long saber, about to strike his Black Qilin Horse.

At the same time, three Martial Artists who had achieved Great Success in Bone Forging stood nearby, also holding weapons and staring nervously at the Black Qilin Horse.

A clear hoof print was visible on the brocade robe of the young man in the lead.

He had obviously been kicked by the Black Qilin Horse.

"Who are you, and what do you think you’re doing to my horse?" Seeing this, Fang Yue had no trouble guessing what had happened. ’This group must have seen my Black Qilin Horse and tried to touch it.’

’Whether they just wanted to pet it or try to ride it, they clearly paid the price.’

"This is your horse? Good! I’ve finally found you!"

"This horse is mine now!"