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Chapter 237: Damn It, You’re Just a Horse

The snow was thick and white, and there was an old, hungry wolf.

Wolves are perhaps the most patient creatures in the world, especially when they are hunting. Once they have marked you as their prey, they will keep their gaze fixed on you, no matter how long it takes, unwavering until death.

The old wolf had clearly inherited its ancestors’ patience. Even while eating the jerky, it kept its eyes fixed on Zhu Ping’an and the Shamate black horse beneath him, conserving strength while calculating the best moment and route to attack.

However, a wolf is still a wolf, and how could it possibly compete with a human, the ruler of all creatures?

Although the old wolf never stopped watching Zhu Ping’an and the Shamate black horse, Zhu Ping’an quietly twisted open the cap of his fire starter.

In ancient times, fire starters were like modern lighters, much more useful than flint. Its principle was to preserve the spark in a low-oxygen environment, and when the cover was opened, a small light could be seen inside. As long as there was enough oxygen, the spark would reignite. Using a fire starter was simple: open the cover, blow on it with force, and fire would start. Of course, blowing required technique, which Zhu Ping’an had mastered long ago.

With the fire starter in hand, Zhu Ping’an also used a dagger to cut a strip of cloth. Everything was ready—he just needed to blow and start the fire to drive the old wolf away.

The battle between man and wolf was about to reach its climax.

Zhu Ping’an slightly curled his lips.

However, at that moment, something unexpected happened.

For some reason, the Shamate black horse beneath him suddenly lost its mind. With a loud neigh, it slammed its forehooves onto the snow-covered mountain road, producing a metallic clang.

At that moment, a breeze blew by, lifting the black hair that covered one of the horse’s eyes, revealing its full gaze. The eye was calm, proud, and sharp, as if a seal had been broken.

A snowflake landed and instantly melted against the Shamate black horse’s muscles as they rolled like flowing water. The horse seemed to conjure endless courage from nowhere, as though wind had sprung beneath its ribs and wings from its sides.

The Shamate black horse blasted two streams of hot breath from its nostrils like a proud dragon. In an instant, it seemed to break some seal and unlock all its hidden attributes. With contempt in its eye and iron-hard hooves pounding the road, it charged at the wolf like a tiger descending a mountain.

And so, the previous second, Zhu Ping’an had just smiled faintly.

The next second, the Shamate black horse looked as if a tyrannosaurus had possessed it. It flung its head, sprayed two strings of snot, bared its big teeth, and launched a crushing charge at the wolf.

There was no preparation, no warning—suddenly, the charge began. Zhu Ping’an, who had just smiled, was caught off guard. The firestarter he had opened was knocked out of his hand and fell silently to the snow.

Then Zhu Ping’an was being carried straight at the wolf by the Shamate black horse, the fading warmth of the fire starter still lingering in his hand.

“Damn it! You’re just a horse!”

Bouncing violently in the saddle, Zhu Ping’an’s face went black. He wanted nothing more than to smack the idiotic Shamate black horse beneath him flat.

Damn it, if it weren’t for Zhu Ping’an reacting just a bit faster, the dagger in his hand would have been thrown away.

There was no time left to say anything. The wolf hadn’t been far away to begin with, and with the Shamate black horse going all out, only a few seconds passed before it thundered right up to the wolf.

Speed. Ferocity. The Shamate black horse had pushed both to the limit. Proud, cool, flashy, absurdly overpowered – look at those cold, resolute horse eyes, those powerful hooves, those rippling muscles, that mouth full of gleaming slab-like teeth.

This is a miracle of the animal world.

This was a moment in the history of journeys to the examinations worthy of being written down in bold, heavy strokes.

And it accomplished absolutely nothing. The old wolf had fought for years in the deep mountains and had only been driven from its throne by age. The moment the Shamate black horse charged, it narrowed its amber eyes, ducked aside with one simple movement, and casually sank its teeth into those rippling muscles.

With a “splat,” the warm, fishy, sweet taste of horse blood flooded the wild wolf’s throat, staining its sharp teeth red, and triggering its bloodthirsty nature.

Our brave and fearless Shamate black horse, after taking that bite, let out a neigh a hundred times louder than the one it had charged with. Its entire ridiculous face twisted in pain.

Did it give up? No. In pain, the Shamate black horse stamped hard, jolted violently, and then bolted at several times its previous speed.

“I bought a watch last year!”

Zhu Ping’an had time for only that heartfelt yell before the brainless Shamate black horse bucked him off. He hit the snow face-first. Watching the horse flee, he cursed, “Damn it! So your ultimate move is “Let the fellow Daoist die, not this poor Daoist”? You threw me down as bait so you could escape! Was that your plan all along? Are you still a horse, or have you turned into a demon?!”

Watching the Shamate black horse gallop away on those suddenly light hooves, Zhu Ping’an bitterly regretted not mixing rat poison into its feed the night before.

The sight of that idiot horse’s retreating back almost made Zhu Ping’an want to gouge out his own eyes. He turned his head – and quite by accident shared a beautiful moment of eye contact with her. Her eyelashes, the curve of her mouth… Fine. Enough nonsense.

When Zhu Ping’an looked properly, the wolf was already right in front of him. He could count its lashes and see its amber eyes; the blood at the corners of its mouth looked almost like lipstick, while its exposed teeth reflected a cold gleam against the snow.

I think, the wild wolf must have been smiling, with the prey falling from the sky; I think the wild wolf must have been happy, with the prey delivered right to its mouth.

However, Zhu Ping’an wasn’t without backup. He still had a longer dagger, which fortunately fell with him when he was tossed off the horse. And it was tightly gripped in his hand.

This was the one piece of luck in his misfortune. Stay calm, there’s always a way out.

But the wild wolf, stimulated by the warm horse blood, didn’t give Zhu Ping’an any time to react. After locking eyes with him for a moment, it bared its teeth and lunged at Zhu Ping’an.

A strong stench of blood rushed at him.

At this critical moment, the unusually calm Zhu Ping’an, on the verge of death, raised one hand to protect his chest, while his other hand swiftly and forcefully thrust the dagger upward.

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