Chapter Forty-Nine: If There Is a Next Time, I Won’t Let You Off

The bald man who had repeatedly tried to kill Jiang Chen just moments ago was now simmering with frustration. He sensed another opportunity, so he took the bow from his back and, without warning, drew an arrow and aimed it at the white horse behind Jiang Chen—a horse so exhausted it could no longer stand.

“Foolish boy, I suppose I’ll be magnanimous and save this horse,” the man sneered, his twisted lips exposing an ugly grin. “From where I stand, it’s as good as dead already. The best thing for it now is to help it escape its pain.”

Without hesitation, Jiang Chen stepped into the arrow’s path. His voice was calm as he said, “You have no right to decide its fate. Put down your arrow.”

Jiang Chen’s composure was so absolute, so unlike the timid and helpless scholar he appeared to be. His icy tone carried an inexplicable authority that even unsettled the bald man, who hesitated instinctively.

At that moment, the white horse struggled on the ground, trying to rise, and let out a piercing, sorrowful neigh. The sound was extraordinary—it startled all six of their horses at once, sending them plunging into a wild panic.

Chaos erupted. The six horses scattered in every direction. Two of the riders were caught off guard and were thrown violently to the ground, losing consciousness on the spot. Two others lost control of their mounts, which bolted away in a frenzy, swiftly vanishing from sight.

In the end, only the young heiress remained before Jiang Chen, still clinging to her agitated horse and desperately attempting to regain control. But her mount showed no sign of stopping.

“Stop! Stop immediately!” she cried, fear tightening her grip as she lashed the horse repeatedly with her whip—an act that only made things worse.

Jiang Chen shook his head in mild exasperation. “What a bother.”

Nevertheless, he charged forward. Although the horse spun on the spot, trying to throw off its rider, and surged recklessly ahead, making it impossible to approach, Jiang Chen leapt nimbly and landed on its back with ease.

As he seized the reins with both hands, he also encircled the young woman in a firm grip. She let out a startled cry, but had no time to hurl insults at him.

The sudden weight of another rider made the horse even more anxious; it reared and kicked in place, trying to shake them loose. Everything happened so quickly that, had Jiang Chen not held the reins tightly, the heiress would have already been thrown off—perhaps with broken limbs, or worse, her life lost beneath the horse’s hooves.

Jiang Chen gripped the horse’s sides with his legs and pulled the reins ever tighter. The spoiled and irritable young lady suddenly realized that the man behind her—whose embrace was rather intimate—was nothing like the frail scholar she had assumed. He was strong, even formidable, and he was gradually asserting control over the situation.

“You scoundrel, let me go!” the young lady snapped as soon as she could catch her breath, ignoring the fact that she was still in danger.

“Is this really the time to argue? Don’t get in my way—or I’ll just leave you to your fate,” Jiang Chen retorted.

As the two exchanged barbs atop the horse, Jiang Chen finally managed, through his skilled horsemanship, to calm the animal. The wild jolting subsided.

“Release me this instant! Don’t think you can take advantage of me!” she protested, attempting to shove Jiang Chen off the horse. But to her surprise, he was immovable, as solid as a statue.

Worse still, her forceful push threw her off balance, and she tumbled from the horse in a most ungraceful manner.

“Ow!”

Jiang Chen frowned. “What exactly are you doing?”

“You…you villain!”

“I saved you out of kindness. Even if a lady like you knows nothing of gratitude, you don’t have to insult me,” Jiang Chen snapped, losing patience with her spoiled antics. He turned his attention to the white horse, noticing that its weakness came from the agitation of a small life stirring within its belly.

A difficult birth?

He gently stroked the beautiful horse and murmured, “I’ve never done this myself, but I’ve seen others deliver foals for warhorses in the army.”

“There’s nothing else for it but to try.”

He searched for something, then turned and asked, “Do you have a knife?”

“What are you planning to do?” she asked, wary. Yet the seriousness in Jiang Chen’s eyes convinced her, and she handed him a short blade.

With careful hands, Jiang Chen assisted in delivering the foal trapped inside the white horse. At last, the little creature entered the world. The mare, relieved of her burden, lay on the ground panting, its cries finally silenced.

“Just like your mother, you are a horse without equal in the world,” Jiang Chen whispered, placing the newborn foal next to the mare. Then, with deft hands, he swiftly stitched the mare’s wound. The smooth, practiced motions left the young lady staring in astonishment.

“Who are you, really?”

“Jiang Chen. Just a nobody,” he replied without looking up. He guessed she asked merely out of curiosity; someone of her background would never truly care about the name of a man like him.

“You don’t seem like a scholar at all.”

Jiang Chen smiled. “I don’t recall ever claiming to be a scholar.”

“Will they survive? You stayed even when arrows were flying, just to save them?”

Having tended the wounds, Jiang Chen straightened and replied, “I simply did what I believed was right. As for the rest, only heaven knows.”

“Besides, I should tell you—those horses are all of exceptional quality, fit to be warhorses. In these troubled times, they are a precious resource. You cannot simply treat them as prey for your amusement!”

“If it happens again, I won’t let you off.”

No one had ever dared speak to her in such a lecturing tone, but Jiang Chen showed no mercy.

“You! Even if you’re right, I won’t allow you to speak to me like that!”

Her temper flared. She raised her whip, intending to teach Jiang Chen a lesson, but pain shot through her left foot as she put weight on it.

She staggered, nearly falling, but Jiang Chen caught her just in time.

“Your foot is injured. Sit down and stay put,” he said curtly.