Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha
Chapter 63: The Horse Thieves of Sanshan Pass

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The Horse Thieves of Sanshan Pass

"Who cares who he is, since he’s been cheered up," Nezha, upholding the spirit of keen learning and not shaming to ask questions, began to ask about the difficulties recently encountered in his cultivation and some unclear aspects of the Golden Core Heaven Sun Scripture.

At first, it was okay, the Immortal, although seemingly not from the Chan Sect, was still a senior from the Taoist tradition, willing to patiently guide a bright and studious junior.

However, gradually the Immortal found that this young Nezha had an unusual abundance of questions, one after the other without end.

From the operation methods of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, to the slight perceptions during meditation, to the slight delay in the flow of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi when using Divine Skills, and even going so far as to question a few archaic words in the Golden Core Heaven Sun Scripture, the Immortal massaged his temples and then found an excuse to send him away.

Yet, this trip was truly fruitful for Nezha. Upon returning to his room, still not fully satisfied, he continued to cultivate the Golden Core Heaven Sun Scripture, utilizing the sparks of insight in his mind.

Unknowingly, it was already afternoon, and Nezha’s stomach was growling, so he went back to the first floor of the inn.

It was mealtime, and there were even more people eating in the lobby than in the morning.

Glancing around, not a single person looking like a cultivator could be seen, but instead, he saw the woman he met in the morning.

In the ordinary backdrop of the inn, the presence of this woman seemed somewhat jarring and drew attention effortlessly.

Compared to their first meeting in the morning, the woman’s eyes now held fatigue along with her detached numbness; her slightly brown pupils spinning in their sockets as she scrutinized each table’s customers in the shop.

Now, the woman looked even more unwell. It was unclear what had happened over this period, but her face bore a bright red slap mark, and half of her face was swollen.

She managed to meet clients here, not only because some travelers passing through the mountains were too stifled by their journey but also partly because she had a fairly acceptable face—even though now that face was swollen.

Soon, the woman found her target. She approached a man sitting alone, speaking to him in a low voice, but suddenly her face turned very ugly, evidently having heard something very hard to accept from the man. Yet, she did not choose to leave immediately.

Involuntarily, Nezha thought of eavesdropping, but just then the waiter of the inn came over, lowered his voice, and said: "Young master, since you are new here, if you really want some fun, just tell me, I can take you. Apart from that, as long as there’s silver, there’s pleasure, but don’t get fooled by this woman."

Nezha whispered, "What do you mean by that?"

The waiter leaned closer to his ear and said, "This woman, having lost her parents when young, with no one to care or ask about her, started this line of work in her teens—a cheap prostitute. When she can’t find clients, she doesn’t ask for money; you give her something to eat, and she’ll sleep with you. Over time, having slept with many, inevitably she came down with some unclear diseases, and she has no money for treatment."

Seeing the waiter shrug, Nezha didn’t say anything; he just watched as the woman seemed to have come to an agreement and was led upstairs by a gaunt man.

The setting sun cast oblique beams of light.

Today, Feng Xiaonian hadn’t come, and he wouldn’t return tonight.

The next day, Nezha got up early, had his meal, and took the chestnut-red horse to run around near Lingquan Town.

Surrounded by vast plains, the breeze was brisk, yet oddly carrying a hint of sulfuric smoke, making it difficult to feel relaxed.

The chestnut-red horse cautiously navigated the rugged mountain paths for several days and stopped for a night in a stable, still unsatisfied after a sophisticated meal of bean cakes. In the morning, when Nezha led it, the horse stubbornly refused to go.

Although Nezha was strong, the horse had accompanied him throughout the journey; he couldn’t force it now and had to run back to the inn where the waiter got him a bowl of coarse porridge sweetened with honey to successfully coax the horse out.

Once they reach the open area outside the town, the chestnut-red horse truly started to revel, neighing loudly, its iron hooves cracking the dry soil, stirring up clouds of dust; Nezha tightened the reins, his body pressed against the horse’s back, letting it dash forward like an arrow.

Trails of dust raised behind him were initially able to keep up, but once the date-red horse picked up speed, it shook them off in a few breaths.

Nezha glanced back briefly, thinking that if these people continued to follow, he would run a bit further to a deserted place and wait for them.

As soon as the date-red horse disappeared from sight, the line of twenty riders behind it immediately pulled on the reins and stopped.

Leading them was a one-eyed bald man wielding a nine-ring broadsword, astride a pure black steed, his back ramrod straight, his remaining eye slightly squinting into the distance.

He muttered to himself, "Indeed, that is a fine horse."

A subordinate came up to him and whispered, "Boss, I think there’s something odd about that kid all over. Plus, there are quite a few cultivators residing in Lingquan Town lately, should we switch targets?"

"Fool, it’s obvious he’s just traveling from afar. Though it’s strange for a child to travel alone, have you ever seen a cultivator who doesn’t fly or burrow, but rides horses instead?"

The one-eyed bald reprimanded, and the subordinate sheepishly agreed, but inwardly he disagreed, recalling how years ago when led by Chong Heihu with three thousand Flying Tiger soldiers en route to Jizhou, they destroyed mountain strongholds and fled in chaos, wasn’t there also a man with a horse and sword?

The one-eyed bald said in a deep voice, "No need to be so cautious. Times have changed. Although we appear as horse robbers now, having connected with the Wang Family of Lingquan Town, once our identities are cleaned up, we might even have the chance to serve in Chengtang’s army and earn our keep from the imperial provisions."

"Brother, all the vassals are rebelling nowadays, isn’t joining the army seeking death?" the subordinate said.

"Ah, how can you be so foolish!"

The one-eyed bald impatiently said, "Eight hundred towns, four hundred rebelled, but once Grandmaster Wen returns triumphantly from Beihai, he will surely set things right. It’ll still be Chengtang’s realm. You can’t see this, after all the years you’ve followed me."

Enlightened, the subordinate praised his boss’s wisdom and followed up with, "Brother, the Wang Family in Lingquan Town does have some money, but they won’t give it all to us. Why don’t we revert to our old ways tonight, killing and looting, which is surely better than being underdogs?"

The one-eyed bald couldn’t stand it anymore, slapped his subordinate in the face, and scornfully said, "What do you know? The eldest son of Landlord Wang of Lingquan Town, Wang Hanwen, has recently taken as his master a traveling Immortal in town. He’ll become an Immortal himself in the future. I heard from Wang Junior that General Deng from Sanshan Pass adores him, even planning to arrange a marriage between Hanwen and his daughter."

Amid the sulfur-smoke, the one-eyed bald, leaning on his ’great wisdom,’ tried to educate his subordinates to be smarter.

He didn’t want to be a horse robber anymore.

Ever since the day his brothers were wiped out by Chong Heihu’s Iron Beak Divine Eagle, he had always harbored a fear.

The one-eyed bald thought to himself, "After this job, once I snatch this date-red horse, I’m washing my hands clean of this bloody business!"

...

The date-red horse galloped miles away, the earth becoming drier as it went, even the wild grass sparser than elsewhere. Nezha didn’t know where the date-red horse intended to go, just letting it slow down and wander forward.

Feeling the dry air filling increasingly with moist vapor, and seeing constructed houses and intersecting figures not far ahead, he thought the horse had smartly found the right place by itself.

A place like a hot spring, always imagined to be several times better than reality.

As for the experience, it all came down to whether you share a hot pool with a fair-skinned, smooth and delicate young lady or a balding, pot-bellied middle-aged man.

Without any need for Nezha’s cue, the date-red horse cheerfully took little brisk steps forward.

Only because in that manger, there was a completely white, pure and spotless White Dragon Horse.

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