Chapter - 84 Fighting Contest to Find a Suitor (1) (2/2)
”I heard about it from my deceased Shifu, that it existed in the kingdom of Ferghana (central AsiaValley, shared today between Uzbekistan, the Kirghizstan and Taczhikistan.), in the Territories of the west, celestial horses, whose sweat was red as blood. Its gallop looked like he was going to fly, and it could browse more one thousand li per day. But it was a legend, no one ever saw one, and I didn't believe myself in it too much. However, here is that this legendary animal let himself be tamed by you!”
In the meantime, the other Freaks had also arrived. All took place in the hostel and ordered to eat. Zhu Cong, whose learning was incomparable, said while nodding the head:
”It is effectively an anecdote consigned in the Historic Memorials and in the dynastic history of the Hans, that The emperor Han Wudi, having heard to speak of the horse to the sweat of blood, had sent an emissary in kingdom of Ferghana with a full size statue of the animal, all gold, and had asked to have one of it. However, the king of Ferghana refused.”
”How did the emperor react?” asked for Han Xiaoying. ”Did he give up on the horse?”
Installed on another table, the cameleers in blank, also stretched the ear to listen the history. At that moment, one heard to ring some bells and four other individuals, also clothed of white, entered and sat down with their mates.
”Of course no,” says Zhu Cong. ”He entered in a terrifying anger and invaded Ferghana. To the term of a long and terrifying war, during which the kingdom was annihilated, he finally captured one of the famous horses, but at what price!”
All exclaimed on the madness of the men and continued to eat the meal that they had ordered.
The eight cameleers had listened to history attentively, throwing looks of desire on the attached outside red horse, and didn't quit to whisper in a low voice. Ke Zhen'e, whose hearing was especially fine, heard them distinctly, although the tables were relatively distant from each other.
”If one wants to go for it,” said one of them, ”we need to do it right away. If he rides his horse again, we won't be able to catch him up!”
”There is too many people here,” retorted another. ”And he has some mates…”
”If they dare to interfere,” said a third, ”we only have to kill them all!”
”How can these eight individuals appear as cruel?” wondered Ke Zhen'e, but he didn't let anything of it to appear and continued to swallow his dough's greedily.
”We are going to offer this precious horse to the young Master,” said one of them. ”Mounted on such beast, his arrival in the Yanjing will be a lot more spectacular! No one will be talked as much as him, not even conceited persons like 'the immortal of the Ginseng', or the 'Virtuous Supreme Lingzhi'!”
Ke Zhen'e had heard to speak already of the ”Virtuous Supreme Lingzhi”, that was an eminent personality of the esoteric school of Tibet, known in the whole Southwest for his so-called technique ”Stamp of a big hand.” On the other hand, he didn't know anything about the ”Immortal of the Ginseng.”
”These last days,” said another, ”we met on the road a lot of outlaws, these are all of the men of Peng Lianhu, called 'Butcher of the one thousand Hands.' They are probably going to the appointment in Yanjing. If they fall on this precious horse, do you believe that we will get another chance to get it?”
Ke Zhen'e froze: he knew that Peng Lianhu was a dangerous strip chief who raged in the region of the Hubei and Shanxi. He had many henchmen under his orders and acted with cruelty. He had killed so many people that he had received the nickname of ”Butcher of the one thousand Hands.” ”Why,” did he wonder, ”all this sinister outlaws are to meet in the capital? And from where did these eight women came?”
These women, continued to plot to low voice, deciding to lie a ambush on the road, outside of the township, in order to seize the horse of Guo Jing. Then they chattered, talking of cloths and other business, of the kind: ”It is you that the young Master prefers”, or ”The young Master must be thinking about you now”, etc. Ke Zhen'e raised the eyebrows, angry, but he could not close his ears and he heard all in spite of him.