Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Saving the Red-Maned Horse

“Really? This grass can do that?” Wei Zong Hao had never heard of it. He still hadn’t studied spiritual plants.

“Of course it’s true. My uncle told me. In fact, using Wei Wei Grass to refine Presence-Concealing Pills works even better, but I can’t make pills yet, so I can only use the raw plant to disguise myself.”

Wei Zong Hao grew interested and walked over. “Then tell me how to tell Wei Wei Grass apart. I’ll pick some too.”

“Sure, come look. This Wei Wei Grass is shorter and thinner than ordinary grass, and the color is paler. It usually grows where water is plentiful, and it likes to sprout in cracks between rocks. If you search carefully, you’ll find it.”

Wei Yun Xi explained very carefully. Before long, Wei Zong Hao found a clump. He pulled it up and brought it to Wei Yun Xi to confirm.

“Yes, that’s Wei Wei Grass. Let’s pick more. Then we’ll be a bit safer at night, and you can save your Presence-Concealing Talismans.”

Wei Zong Hao nodded. His family hadn’t prepared many talismans for him. He had to use them sparingly.

The two worked quickly. By the time a water lizard poked its head out, they had already left the stream and continued onward.

Not long after, Wei Yun Ting’s group also arrived by the stream. When Wei Yun Qing went to fetch water, the water lizard attacked her.

Luckily she reacted fast. She threw away the water gourd and scrambled back to Wei Yun Ting.

Wei Zong Han formed a hand seal and barely managed to launch a fireball, forcing the water lizard back into the stream. Then he shouted, “Move, now!”

The group of six had no choice but to keep going. At this point, the others in the team all subtly widened their distance from Wei Yun Qing. They felt she was a walking magnet for trouble. Even fetching water could get her attacked.

Wei Yun Qing felt wronged. How was she supposed to know there was a spiritual beast in the stream? And it just happened to attack her while she was drawing water. She didn’t want trouble either.

Over there, the team atmosphere grew tense. Over here, Wei Yun Xi and Wei Zong Hao were much more relaxed. They crushed Wei Wei Grass and smeared it on their bodies. A grassy scent rose from them. After disguising themselves, they continued onward.

“Yun Xi, this Wei Wei Grass really works.”

“Brother Zong Hao, don’t let your guard down just because Wei Wei Grass works. Its effect is still not as good as Presence-Concealing Talismans or Presence-Concealing Pills. In the eyes of spiritual beasts, we’re just moving grass. If they get curious, they’ll easily chase after us.”

“I know, I know.” The chubby boy nodded immediately.

At noon, they didn’t rest by the stream again. During the hottest time of day, spiritual beasts might go to the water to play, and they didn’t want to be pursued.

For the hottest half-hour, they climbed into a tree like the night before and rested. After a short nap to recover, they continued onward.

Hidden in the shadows, True Lord Yu Feng thought the two little Wei Family kids were quite methodical. Even though they had been forced to fall behind, they still kept traveling. They were also very alert and knew how to use local materials to disguise themselves. Especially that little girl—she clearly knew spiritual plants very well.

After the two went down another slope, they planned to rest for a short while. At that moment, Wei Yun Xi heard a sound of neighing.

Wei Zong Hao heard it too. He quickly moved to Wei Yun Xi’s side and asked, “Yun Xi, that’s a spiritual beast.”

“Yes, I heard it. I don’t know how many there are, or whether they’re coming for us.”

“Then let’s climb that tree first and take a look.”

The chubby boy pointed to a tall pine cypress.

Wei Yun Xi nodded, and the two climbed the tree like little monkeys, looking toward the sound.

“Eh! That’s a Red-Maned Horse. It looks like a foal. Why is it here?” Wei Zong Hao’s eyes shone.

Wei Yun Xi shook her head. “I’m not sure. It looks like it’s tangled in iron thorns.”

The Red-Maned Horse couldn’t break free, so it kept neighing, probably calling for help from its companions.

“Yun Xi, are we taking it?” Wei Zong Hao asked greedily.

Wei Yun Xi forced a smile. “Brother Zong Hao, did you bring a spirit beast pouch?”

Wei Zong Hao shook his head immediately. “No. That thing is even more expensive than a storage pouch.”

Wei Yun Xi asked again, “We’re so close to the Hao Ran Sect. Is it possible this is a mount spiritual beast raised by the sect?”

“Possible, but you can’t have such a small Red-Maned Horse carry people!”

Wei Yun Xi rubbed her chubby chin. “It’s small, but it should be able to carry you and me.”

“You want to ride a Red-Maned Horse there?” Wei Zong Hao thought Yun Xi was really daring.

Wei Yun Xi nodded, then smiled and asked, “Brother Zong Hao, don’t you want to be the first to reach the gathering point?”

“Of course I do.”

“With our short legs, it’ll take at least three days to walk there. If we ride a Red-Maned Horse, we can save at least half a day. Do you want to try?”

Wei Zong Hao rubbed his face helplessly. “It has to be willing.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll rescue it, then talk to it properly. It should agree to carry us for a bit.”

Wei Yun Xi sounded confident.

Then the two put their heads together and discussed for quite a while, mainly to make sure there were no companions nearby. An adult Red-Maned Horse wasn’t something the two of them could handle.

“Yun Xi, there shouldn’t be any companions nearby,” Wei Zong Hao said.

“Right. If there were, it wouldn’t have run into the iron thorn thicket alone.”

Once they confirmed the plan was workable, they slid down from the tree and slowly approached the trapped foal.

The foal noticed Wei Yun Xi and Wei Zong Hao too. It snorted. Its big black eyes were full of confusion. The ones in front of it were two-legged beasts, but they were small, and their scent was wrong.

Facing the foal’s confusion, Wei Yun Xi waved at Wei Zong Hao. Wei Zong Hao immediately took out a sugar block from his storage pouch. His mother had prepared it for him on purpose.

“Brother Zong Hao, hurry!” Wei Yun Xi reminded him helplessly, watching him swallow.

She felt fortunate she had never liked sweets as a child. This child’s body didn’t crave sugar either.

In the end, Wei Zong Hao tossed the sugar block near the foal’s mouth and released goodwill as he spoke, “Little horse, eat this. After you eat, you’ll have strength.”

The foal seemed quite intelligent. It tilted its head and sniffed the sugar on the ground, hesitated for a moment, then extended its tongue and rolled the sugar into its mouth. It chewed twice and swallowed, then licked its lips as if it liked the taste.

Seeing the foal was calmed, Wei Yun Xi took the dagger Wei Zong Hao handed her and slowly cut through the iron thorns wrapped around one of the foal’s hind legs.

Wei Zong Hao turned into a little chatterbox, “communicating” with the foal. He occasionally soothed its emotions with sugar blocks and also helped it regain strength.

Wei Yun Xi didn’t cut very quickly. She kept watching the foal’s reactions. If it showed impatience or resistance, she would pause and let it accept things before continuing.

After half an hour, the foal finally escaped the thorns with their help.

Wei Zong Hao rubbed his hands and asked in a negotiating tone, “Pretty little horse, are you willing to take us to the Hao Ran Sect?”