26 Heightened Hearing (1/2)
The horse ring was located a few miles outside of the capital. It was an open land with plenty of space for horses to roam around. Due to the port located near this space, there were also a lot of traveling merchants selling uniquely decorated pieces of accessories and trinkets. The twins had expected Xueyue to head towards the stand, but she had grabbed their hands and guided them straight to the horse ring without another glance towards the vendors.
”Xiao Yue, is there a special breed you want?” Li Wenmin asked, staring at the different variety of horses present.
”I don't have any preferences,” Xueyue replied. Her eyes surveyed the horses of different colors, sizes, and breed but nothing seemed to catch her attention.
Then Li Wenmin noticed the loud announcer and a crowd gathering at the center of the horse ring. ”There seems to be a crowd over there, let's check it out!” He dragged Xueyue and the reluctant Li Chenyang towards the noise.
”Ladies and gentlemen, today we have a very rare catch! This is one of the finest and best horses we have ever caught in the past few years!” The announcer stepped to the side and grandly spread one arm open.
What first greeted the people was the thundering sound of mighty hooves. In the distance, a black shadow was quickly approaching. The people held their breaths in anticipation, as they awaited the entrance of the supposedly magnificent horse.
With a speed that matched the wind, the horse quickly came forward. It had a beautiful midnight coat whose color resembled the bleak, night sky. Its hooves were covered in white, as if he was forever stepping in snow.
But one thing that stood out was the horse's sickly features. The horse was so skinny and malnourished, the rib cage was evident. The horse has thin, skinny legs that weren't suitable for any type of labor or work. When the horse accidentally ran into the fence holding it back, the people laughed. Their laughter died down when they realized something.
The horse had glassy, gray eyes like the clouds on a rainy day. It was blind.
Was this some sort of joke? This was the magnificent horse that the announcer was bragging about? Many people scoffed.
The announcer quickly addressed the situation, in fear of losing the big crowd. ”Uh...this is the wrong horse.” He awkwardly laughed.
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He turned around to harshly scold the stable boy close to him. ”Bring that useless horse back into the stable and give it twenty whippings!” he whispered to the stable boy, so that they were the only ones who heard the conversation.
The crowd and Xueyue were completely oblivious to their exchange.
”Y-yes sir,” the stable boy said, reaching over to forcefully seize the blind horse.
Xueyue's lips thinned into a fine line when she noticed how roughly the stable boy was handling the horse. The blind horse jerked its head back at the harsh tugs of his reins. It bit at the stable boy's hands, snapping and snarling.
There was something startling about the horse and when Xueyue stepped closer for a better glance, she felt her heart drop. There were massive whip marks and signs of abuse.
It was a neglected and unwanted horse that probably spent most of his life in confinement, never being able to experience the grass underneath its feet and the warm sunlight on its back.
The stable boy was having a very hard job of pulling the horse back into the stables.
It was too late. After being locked away in a dark, dirty, and disgusting stable for so long, this was the first time the horse has ever experienced the luscious, soft grass underneath his hooves. He didn't want to go back to the dingy stable.
The announcer noticed the curious glance from his crowd and quickly addressed the situation.
”Don't worry, ladies and gentlemen. We have another fence to my left, where the actual champion will come out!” There was clear irritation on the announcer's face, but he tried his best to smile.
When he directed the people's attention towards the star of the show, Xueyue was the only one to not shift her gaze. Instead, she kept it focused on the black horse that was clearly struggling against the stable boy.
”Wow, Yueyue look at that horse!” Li Wenmin loudly exclaimed when a white horse ran into the open field. The horse was beautiful with a brilliant coat that resembled the first snow of winter.
”Do you want to own that horse?” Li Wenmin's eyes never left the prestige white horse. He thought it would be perfect for Xueyue. A pure horse for a pure girl.