Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Chapter 67: Zhou Qun

Chapter 67: Zhou Qun

The horse-taming area was located in a nearby pasture, not far from the Room A. Inside the fenced enclosure, wild horses roamed freely, behaving like street thugs. Whenever they spotted a mare, they would rush over, rubbing against her in excitement.

Even a fine steed couldn't resist the allure of a beautiful mare.

"There are many types of wild horses, categorized into four areas: A, B, C, and D, based on the difficulty of taming them. The horses in Area D are the easiest to tame and fetch about 1,000 Source Coins. The ones in Area A are the most difficult, with rewards up to 10,000 Source Coins! Which area would you like to try, Sir?" the stablehand explained as they exited the room.

"Let's go straight to Area A," Zhang Xuan decided.

Even if he managed to tame a 1,000 Source Coin horse, it wouldn't solve his problem. It was better to aim for the most valuable ones.

"Have you ever tamed a horse before, Sir?" the stablehand asked, a bit worried.

"I haven't, but it shouldn't be too difficult," Zhang Xuan replied.

He had tamed dragons and even an immortal phoenix before, though he had never tried taming a wild horse.

"Well, be careful then!" Seeing that he couldn't dissuade Zhang Xuan, the stablehand continued to lead the way. After a while, they arrived at a long, narrow shelter.

Inside, a dozen muscular horse trainers sat, each with sharp eyes that marked them as skilled in their craft.

"Manager Liu, I’m not too late, am I?" A towering man, nearly two meters tall, strode over confidently.

"Not at all, Master Zhou. You’re just in time. That Fei Hong horse has just arrived…" said the middle-aged man, who sported a pair of upward-curled mustaches and a friendly demeanor.

"Don’t worry, now that I’m here, it won’t escape again!" Zhou Qun replied with a nod.

"Of course… Your skills are well-known, Master Zhou!" Manager Liu responded, nodding repeatedly.

"This is Zhou Qun, a renowned horse-taming master in White Roc City. He’s usually called in to handle the most difficult wild horses..." the stablehand whispered to Zhang Xuan. "That Fei Hong horse over there is the one that just arrived. Its name is Fei Hong. If tamed, it will earn you a reward of 10,000 Source Coins..."

Following the stablehand’s gesture, Zhang Xuan spotted a Fei Hong horse among the herd of mares. It was about the same size as Su Shuang, robust and majestic, with a fierce demeanor.

Just by looking at it, he could tell it was a steed on par with Dao Li.

"Master Zhou is indeed skilled, but taming horses isn't just about strength. It also depends on a connection with the horse! I feel a strong connection with this Fei Hong, so I’m confident I’ll be the one to tame it!" one of the trainers in the group joked.

"You? Don’t make me laugh! You couldn’t even tame the snow horse last time and ended up with seven broken ribs, bedridden for over a month. The Fei Hong one is even fiercer; only I can tame it!" another trainer retorted.

"Nonsense, I was just careless last time…"

The shelter was filled with a lively banter, indicating that the trainers were all well-acquainted and enjoyed joking with each other.

Amid the chatter, the stablehand led Zhang Xuan over.

"Manager Liu, this young master is also interested in taking on a horse-taming task... Could you arrange something for him?" the stablehand asked.

Upon hearing this, not only Manager Liu but all the trainers turned to look at Zhang Xuan.

"Does anyone really think they can tame a horse with those scrawny arms and legs?"

"Is this a joke? Horse taming requires strength. This guy would likely get kicked to death before he even gets started…"

"Can he even keep up with the horses?"

The trainers burst into laughter, and even Zhou Qun, who had glanced over at Zhang Xuan, couldn’t help but smirk disdainfully.

Taming horses required strength to match the animals. This young man, with his fair skin and delicate features, clearly a pampered noble, seemed more likely to be tamed by the horse than the other way around.

"Young master," Manager Liu interrupted the chatter, frowning as he addressed Zhang Xuan. "Wild horses are nothing like domesticated ones; they’re as dangerous as wild beasts. Are you sure you want to give it a try?"

"Yes," Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Alright then," Manager Liu sighed, realizing that he wouldn’t be able to change Zhang Xuan's mind. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. "This is a liability waiver. By signing it, you acknowledge that if anything happens, the stables aren’t responsible."

After carefully reading the waiver and finding no issues, Zhang Xuan signed his name.

Once he had finished, Manager Liu addressed the group. "The horse-taming will now begin. Everyone, be cautious. If you can’t hold on, retreat immediately. If you get seriously injured or worse, you’ll have no one to blame but yourselves."

"Of course!" the trainers nodded in agreement.

"Who wants to go first?" Manager Liu asked, looking around. "The first one to go faces the most danger since the horse is still full of energy. But if you succeed, no one else will get a chance."

"I’ll go first!" A burly man stepped forward and headed toward the pasture. He approached Fei Hong, about twenty meters away, and swung a rope over its neck.

"Neigh!"

Fei Hong, in the middle of flirting with a mare, was furious at being roped and bolted away.

The man held on tightly, engaging in a fierce tug-of-war with the horse.

Watching this, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless.

It seemed that in this world, horse-taming techniques were still quite primitive—relying solely on brute strength without any real technique.

Bang!

While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, the burly man was suddenly kicked by Fei Hong, flying ten meters through the air. He didn’t have time to retrieve his rope before he scrambled away, likely with a few broken bones.

He barely escaped with his life.

"That’s how horse taming is. He’s lucky to be alive—many haven’t been so fortunate…" Manager Liu remarked, noticing Zhang Xuan's concerned expression. "If you think it’s too difficult, you can still back out now."

"No need," Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"I’m next…" The first man's injury didn’t deter the others. Another trainer rushed in, but his attempt lasted even less time, and he too returned with serious injuries.

Five trainers went up one after another, and none lasted more than a minute.

"Fei Hong is too fierce. Master Zhou, we’re counting on you…" After the fifth failure, the remaining trainers were no longer eager to try. Their eyes all turned to Zhou Qun, who had just arrived.

"This wild horse is nothing. I’ll be back in no time!" Zhou Qun replied with a smile, standing up. After taking a few steps, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Young Man, taming beasts isn’t like embroidery or tea-drinking. Not just anyone can do it. Without absolute strength, trying to tame a wild horse is not only foolish but also embarrassing!"

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel speechless at being mocked out of the blue. "So, you’re saying you have absolute strength?"

Zhou Qun clasped his hands behind his back, his figure towering as he replied, "That’s right! In White Roc City, I’m the second-best horse trainer. No one dares claim first place. What I say goes!"

Without waiting for a response, Zhou Qun, brimming with confidence, strode boldly into the pasture.