五月丁香五月丁香激情

The thought of paying over 30 million Source Coins was daunting. Not only could Zhang Xuan not afford it, but bringing so many horses back to the academy would blow his cover. The dean and others would quickly figure out that he wasn’t just a simple teacher. That would ruin all his efforts to stay under the radar.

"Of course not..." Elder Chen Yun nodded enthusiastically. He was just as relieved that the situation had been resolved without further complications. He quickly pulled out a stack of Source Bills from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Xuan. "Elder Zhang, this is your reward for taming the 27 fine horses earlier—9,000 Source Coins."

"Patriarch Chen, Elder Chen, if you\'ll excuse me, I’ll go pay for Dao Li\'s feed and then take care of some other matters. If anything comes up, you can find me at White Rock Academy." Zhang Xuan pocketed the bills with a smile.

Including the reward for taming Fei Hong, Zhang Xuan had earned a total of 10,000 Source Coins in less than an hour at the stables—more than enough to cover Dao Li’s feed for over a year.

"You\'re a teacher at White Rock Academy?" Patriarch Chen Xiao asked, surprised. It made sense now why Zhang Xuan, despite his young age, had such good character and exceptional skills. Nodding in approval, Chen Xiao said, "I’m an old friend of Dean Lu. If I get the chance, I’ll visit the academy to pay my respects."

"You\'re always welcome, Patriarch Chen!" Zhang Xuan nodded, then mounted Dao Li and, accompanied by the stablehand, headed back toward Room A.

As Zhang Xuan left, Elder Chen Yun turned to Chen Xiao with a puzzled expression. "Patriarch, the salary for a guest elder in the Chen family is usually 20,000 Source Coins per month. Why did you offer 100,000?"

Chen Xiao didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "What do you think Elder Zhang is worth?"

Elder Chen Yun considered for a moment. "He’s certainly skilled in taming beasts, but he’s only in his twenties. Appointing him as a guest elder might stir some discontent. Moreover, while his ability to control horses is impressive, it may not be particularly beneficial for the stables if all the horses only obey him."

"Discontent? No benefit?" Chen Xiao shook his head. "The 3,000 horses just now—were they fine steeds? Warhorses?"

"Of course not, they were just ordinary horses..." Elder Chen Yun replied, still confused.

Chen Xiao continued, "Exactly. And yet, under Elder Zhang’s command, they all behaved as if they were seasoned warhorses, without a hint of reluctance. Do you understand what that means?"

Elder Chen Yun’s eyes widened as he grasped the implication. "You mean... he could quickly transform ordinary horses into warhorses?"

The difference between an ordinary horse and a warhorse was immense. A warhorse needed to be fearless in battle, obeying commands without hesitation—a quality that took years to cultivate in most horses, with many never reaching that level.

Reflecting on the 3,000 horses they had just seen, Elder Chen Yun realized they had already begun to exhibit the characteristics of warhorses under Zhang Xuan’s influence.

"Exactly! If this technique were applied on a battlefield, victory would be assured! And more importantly..." Chen Xiao’s eyes gleamed. "A warhorse is worth five times more than an ordinary horse. With his ability, Elder Zhang could significantly increase the value of our stock with minimal effort. Who in the clan would dare oppose such an asset? A salary of 100,000 Source Coins per month—no, even 200,000—would be well justified!"

"Not only justified, but it might even be underpaying him..." Elder Chen Yun finally understood Chen Xiao\'s reasoning and found himself breathing a bit faster with excitement. The patriarch’s foresight was indeed remarkable. With such a person in their employ, the Chen family’s future in the horse business was secured. Anyone who thought to oppose Zhang Xuan would be a fool.

"Good, you understand!" Chen Xiao nodded, then turned to the others, including Zhou Qun and Manager Liu. "Elder Chen, give each of them 10,000 Source Coins."

"Yes, Patriarch." Elder Chen Yun didn’t hesitate, taking out more bills and distributing them among the group.

Zhou Qun and the others, though confused, accepted the money with a mix of fear and gratitude. "Patriarch Chen, we really didn’t do much to deserve this..."

"I’m giving you this money to remind you of the Chen family’s rules. I, Chen Xiao, am very generous to those who follow them..." Chen Xiao’s voice turned cold. "But to those who don’t... I have a hundred ways to make them disappear without a trace."

"Yes, yes!" The group nodded vigorously, understanding the gravity of his words. "If there’s anything you need, Patriarch, just say the word. We won’t hesitate to help."

"Good. Then here’s what I expect: keep what happened today with Elder Zhang and the horses to yourselves. If I find out anyone has talked, I’ll ensure my earlier warning is fully enforced," Chen Xiao said, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"We wouldn’t dare..." Zhou Qun and the others were drenched in cold sweat.

"Good, you may go." Chen Xiao waved them off.

"Yes!" Zhou Qun and the group hurried away.

Watching this unfold, Elder Chen Yun was full of admiration for Chen Xiao. The patriarch had deftly managed the unruly tamers, first with rewards and then with threats, balancing kindness and intimidation perfectly. It was clear these tamers would now follow orders without question.

"Elder Chen, you must also keep Elder Zhang’s abilities a secret. If word of this gets out, we’ll lose our advantage... and we should be prepared to help him keep a low profile if necessary," Chen Xiao continued.

"Of course!" Elder Chen Yun agreed without hesitation.

A talent like Zhang Xuan was someone any family would want to win over. Keeping him close and under the radar was the smartest move.

"Patriarch..." Just as Elder Chen Yun was reflecting on the wisdom of Chen Xiao’s strategy, a hurried voice called out. The Chen family steward, Yu Boping, arrived on horseback, accompanied by a student on another horse.

"What’s the matter?" Chen Xiao frowned.

"Patriarch, this is Zhou Qingkai, a classmate of the young master. He says he has urgent news," Yu Boping explained.

"A classmate of Hao?" Chen Xiao turned to Zhou Qingkai, who dismounted and rushed over, bowing deeply, tears streaming down his face. "Patriarch Chen, you must stand up for Young Master Chen Hao! He’s been bullied at the academy..."

"Hao was bullied?" Chen Xiao’s expression darkened. "Who would dare challenge the Chen family like this? They must have a death wish!"

"It was a newly hired auxiliary teacher at the academy—a man with no cultivation skills who got in by currying favor with Dean Lu. This morning, he not only humiliated the young master but also forced him to kneel publicly. It was outrageous and unforgivable!" Zhou Qingkai’s voice was full of indignation as he tearfully recounted the story.

Chen Xiao’s eyes narrowed. "Forced him to kneel? What right does an auxiliary teacher have to do that? Why would he?"

Zhou Qingkai continued, "This auxiliary teacher has no real talent but still wanted to teach. Young Master Chen Hao couldn’t stand the sight of him and spoke out. In retaliation, the teacher humiliated him publicly. My classmate Wang Yuxing and I can both testify to this!"

"Tell me everything that happened in detail. If it’s true that my son was humiliated for just speaking out, I won’t just go after that teacher—I’ll make sure White Rock Academy knows the Chen family is not to be trifled with!" Chen Xiao’s anger was evident. Chen Hao wasn’t just his son; he was the future head of the Chen family. Public humiliation was an affront to the entire family’s honor, and Chen Xiao wasn’t about to let it slide.

"Yes, Patriarch Chen. It happened like this: the auxiliary teacher took Miss Liu Mingyue as his student and, during a public lecture, used the blood of a Heaven’s Fate Source Beast to ignite a furnace..." Zhou Qingkai laid out the narrative he had prepared, painting Chen Hao as a victim of a power play between the academy\'s higher-ups, who allegedly helped the auxiliary teacher cheat to save face.

"Dean Lu..." Chen Xiao’s expression darkened as he listened. "That man would indeed do anything to protect the academy’s reputation, even at the expense of a student. But to sacrifice my son’s dignity? I won’t stand for it."

Seeing that Chen Xiao believed him, Zhou Qingkai felt a weight lift off his shoulders and bowed again. "Please, Patriarch Chen, stand up for the young master!"

Chen Xiao nodded. "Rest assured, I’ll visit White Rock Academy tomorrow. If that auxiliary teacher really is nothing but a sycophant who got in by flattering Dean Lu, I’ll personally make him pay!"

"Thank you, Patriarch!" Zhou Qingkai, sensing the intensity of Chen Xiao’s resolve, didn’t dare linger. He quickly excused himself and left.

Chen Xiao watched him leave, then frowned. "I forgot to ask that teacher’s name... No matter, anyone who dares to insult my son will have to face the consequences."

"Indeed. Sacrificing the Chen family’s honor for the sake of some auxiliary teacher is unacceptable. We must make an example of him," Elder Chen Yun agreed, his face stern.

"Exactly!" Chen Xiao nodded, then turned to Elder Chen Yun. "By the way, is the guest elder’s token ready?"

Elder Chen Yun retrieved the token from his pocket and handed it to Chen Xiao. "It was just delivered by Steward Yu."

Chen Xiao examined the token with a satisfied smile. "Good. Let’s go find Elder Zhang and present it to him in person. It’s important to show him the respect he deserves."

"Of course!" Elder Chen Yun agreed.

...

At the White Roc Stables, in front of the counter in Room A, the receptionist, Zhao Yue, stretched lazily, clearly bored.

"Zhao Yue, didn’t you have a customer who wanted to buy a month’s supply of fine horse feed? Why haven’t you prepared it yet?" asked another receptionist who had just arrived, looking puzzled.

Zhao Yue snorted. "That guy’s just a poser. I’d be an idiot to actually prepare anything."

The second receptionist, Sun Hong, was curious. "What do you mean? He looked like a rich young master to me!"

Zhao Yue rolled her eyes. "Young master? Please. He came in to buy feed but didn’t even know the price. When I told him, he only wanted to buy enough for one meal. Does that sound like a wealthy young master to you?"

Sun Hong paused. "Well, that is a bit odd... Who would do that? It’s embarrassing!"

Zhao Yue continued, "Exactly! Then, after hearing the price, he asked if there was any way to make money around here. It’s like going to battle and realizing you forgot to bring a weapon! And then he chose horse taming to earn money..."

"Horse taming?" Sun Hong’s eyes widened. "That’s a disaster waiting to happen! He’s going to get kicked black and blue."

"Exactly!" Zhao Yue smirked. "He even went after Fei Hong, the horse that the best tamers in White Roc City struggle with. And this guy, barely in his twenties, thinks he can tame it? What a joke! Forget buying feed—he’ll be lucky to walk away in one piece!"

Just as she finished speaking, the young man they were talking about appeared at the counter, frowning slightly. "Is the feed ready?"

"You need to pay first before I can prepare it," Zhao Yue replied with a cold smile.

He must have failed miserably, she thought. He doesn’t even have a scratch on him, so he clearly didn’t even try. Probably realized he couldn’t do it and came back empty-handed. Now, he’s just a penniless poser, and I’m not going to give him any special treatment.

But before she could finish her thought, the young man casually pulled out a thick stack of Source Bills and handed them to her. "Is this enough?"

Zhao Yue took the bills, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. Each bill was worth 5,000 Source Coins, and there were 20 of them—100,000 Source Coins in total!

She made about 600 Source Coins a month, so 100,000 was almost 14 years of her salary. And she had just called this man a poser...

"T-That’s more than enough..." Zhao Yue stammered, her hands shaking as she quickly took two bills for the payment and returned the rest to him. How had he gotten so much money in such a short time?

Had he really tamed the horses and earned the reward? If so... that was terrifying!

As she handed the bills back, Zhao Yue’s earlier disdain vanished, replaced by shock and respect.

Preparing the feed wasn’t too complicated, and soon a month’s supply was ready. Zhang Xuan provided an address for delivery, and the stables arranged for it to be sent.

Not bothering to engage further with Zhao Yue, Zhang Xuan turned to the stablehand. "Take me to the horse doctors. I have some questions to ask."

"Of course, Elder Zhang, right this way..." The stablehand, now full of admiration, led the way.

As they left, Sun Hong noticed Zhao Yue’s stunned expression and smiled. "You don’t actually think he earned all that by taming horses, do you?"

Zhao Yue was still processing. "You think he didn’t?"

Sun Hong looked at her as if she were naive. "Even if he tamed Fei Hong, the reward would be only 10,000 Source Coins. How could he possibly have tamed 20 horses like Fei Hong in less than an hour? No, he probably just went home and got the cash. It’s not hard for someone from a wealthy family to suddenly have some money."

Zhao Yue blinked, realization dawning. "That makes sense. I was beginning to think he was some kind of beast-taming master. But really, he’s just a rich kid playing pretend..."

She huffed, annoyed at having been fooled. "You know what? I happen to know Master Zhou Qun. He hates posers like this guy. I’ll make sure to tell him about this next time I see him..."

Before Zhao Yue could finish her sentence, she noticed Sun Hong’s eyes widening in shock. Turning around, she saw what had caused the reaction.

Zhou Qun and a dozen other famous tamers were in the lobby, all bowing deeply to the young man who had just left the counter. They spoke in unison, their voices loud enough to echo through the building.

"Greetings, Master Zhang!"

"M-Master?" Zhao Yue’s heart skipped a beat. Zhou Qun was one of the top tamers in White Roc City, and here he was, bowing to the very man she had dismissed as a poser. What on earth was going on?

Zhao Yue and Sun Hong exchanged stunned looks, both utterly speechless.