Chapter 621 - 619: Subduing
Chapter 621: Chapter 619: Subduing
After his initial surprise, the man on the horse was stunned. ’Wait, how did this young woman get next to me?’
This was Maqu County, after all. Almost every man who lived here knew how to ride, and they had been breaking horses since childhood. Even so, the other men moments ago couldn’t get near his mount. Yet, this young woman had somehow appeared right beside him. The crucial part was that his horse was still bolting and was about to crash into the group of girls up ahead.
The man’s palms began to sweat. He didn’t dare imagine what was about to happen.
However, before the man could process what was happening, he felt the young woman beside him suddenly grab a fistful of his clothing.
"You—"
Before the man could finish speaking, he felt himself being thrown into the air. Then, from midair, he watched as the young woman executed a clean vault and landed astride the horse’s back.
Su Qing had used a skillful burst of force to throw the man from the horse, ensuring he would land without injury. Besides, several other men were over there who would undoubtedly catch him. Su Qing then vaulted onto the horse, grabbing the reins with one hand while placing the other on the animal’s head. Wisps of green mist from her palm immediately seeped into the horse’s head. She gripped the reins tightly and squeezed her legs against the horse’s belly. The crowd watched as the horse let out a sharp neigh and leaped into the air, flying over the girls’ heads just an instant before it would have crashed into them.
"Phew—" Seeing this, the surrounding crowd let out a collective sigh of relief. Thank goodness a terrible tragedy had been averted. Someone then quickly rushed forward to pull the girls, who were scared stiff, to the side of the road.
Next, the crowd’s concern shifted to Su Qing, who was still on the horse.
"Miss, be careful! Try to stop the horse!" someone shouted to Su Qing.
After absorbing the green mist from Su Qing, the chestnut-colored horse was no longer in a frenzy. Coupled with the natural affinity of her Wood Element superpower, it instinctively submitted to her control. After leaping over the girls, it followed her guidance, trotting a few steps toward an empty area. Its pace gradually slowed until it came to a halt beside a wall, where it snorted a few times and pawed at the ground.
Seeing this, Su Qing dismounted. The horse immediately leaned against her shoulder, docilely nuzzling her cheek. Its warm breath puffed against her neck.
Su Qing smiled and stroked the horse’s head. At her touch, the horse’s eyes grew even more gentle, and its movements became more affectionate.
"Oh, thank goodness. That young woman was a huge help."
"That young woman is incredible! She got such a wild horse under control in an instant."
"Oh my god, that scared me to death. But what was wrong with that horse? Why did it suddenly go wild? It’s a good thing it didn’t trample anyone, or it would have been a real disaster."
...
Bai Minyun’s heart had been lodged in her throat. Watching Su Qing leap onto the horse, she’d been terrified the wild animal would throw her off, so nervous that her entire body had gone stiff. Now, seeing that Su Qing had not only controlled the horse and kept it from hurting anyone, but had also managed to calm it down, she finally let out a huge sigh of relief. She rushed to Su Qing’s side and said with adoration, "Su Qing, you’re incredible! When did you learn to ride? That was so cool! Oh my god, why didn’t I bring my camera? I should have taken a picture of you on the horse! Do you have any idea how awesome you looked just now? AHHHHH! So amazing!"
Bai Minyun had been unbelievably tense just moments before. Now, relaxed and filled with admiration for Su Qing, she instantly turned into a chatterbox, babbling nonstop as if she wanted to pour out all her adoration in one go.
Su Qing laughed. "It was nothing, really. I learned from one of the local men when I was here last year."
"You’re a genius! You only learned for that short time, and today you managed to tame a wild horse? Oh my god, Su Qing, I seriously worship you." Bai Minyun had completely transformed into a fangirl, rivaling Li Huan in her fervor.
Su Qing gently patted Bai Minyun’s shoulder, then took the reins and went to find the man who had been riding the horse.
"Young lady, thank you so, so much. I really can’t thank you enough." The rider had been helped up by the crowd when he landed and was uninjured. He had witnessed the entire process of Su Qing taming the chestnut horse and was filled with gratitude.
He sighed with emotion inwardly. ’If it weren’t for this young woman’s help today, I would have been in serious trouble.’
Su Qing handed the reins to the man. "Sir, the horse is calm for now, but you should probably investigate why it went so wild today. I felt that something was a bit off with it just now."
The moment Su Qing had touched the horse, she had keenly sensed that something was wrong. It wasn’t just being difficult to tame; it seemed more like it had been agitated by something.
"Yes, yes, I’ll definitely look into it. Thank you," the man said, nodding hurriedly. He had also sensed something was off with his horse today, but things had been too perilous for him to give it much thought.
With that, the man quickly pulled some money from his pocket and offered it to Su Qing. "Young lady, thank you so much for your help today. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve caused a terrible accident. This money can’t compare to the help you’ve given me, but it’s a small token of my appreciation. Please, take it."
The onlookers nodded in agreement. The young woman had been a huge help; she deserved to be thanked.
Su Qing pushed the money back, smiling. "There’s no need for that. I just saw what was happening and decided to help. You’re being too kind."
Su Qing had visited Maqu County the previous year, so she knew that people here didn’t earn much; it was a relatively impoverished county. Things seemed a little better this year, but only slightly. She wasn’t short on money herself, so of course she wouldn’t take the man’s cash. It was a thick wad, enough for a large family to buy plenty of groceries.
"No, you have to take this," the man insisted.
"Really, there’s no need," Su Qing said hurriedly.
As they went back and forth, a small paper packet fell out of the man’s pocket. It landed on the ground, spilling open to reveal the seeds wrapped inside.
For some reason, Su Qing’s gaze was immediately drawn to the seeds. "Sir," she said, "I really can’t accept the money. But... I would like to have these seeds. I wonder if you’d be willing to part with them? If so, I’d be happy to buy them from you."