Chapter 151: Shadow, the Wounded Steed

"Master, this is the Western Market!"

Guided by Xu Jie, Merton and his party arrived at the Western Market of Chang'an City. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, commerce was actually encouraged, and when Chang'an City was first built, both Eastern and Western Markets were specifically designated for the development of trade.

Compared to the refined prosperity of the Eastern Market, the Western Market was much more rugged. Even slightly lower-class trades, such as carriage and livery stables, were located within the Western Market.

"Young master! Look at that Hu man, he looks so strange!" Tie An said in surprise, watching a curly-haired, green-eyed Hu merchant skillfully dealing with a vendor.

"Fair hair and green eyes, how terrifying!" Mo Er echoed.

"Those are Hu people from the Western Regions! Don't let their fierce looks fool you; they are actually the most honest people, and doing business with them is much easier than with the merchants of the Tang Dynasty!" Xu Jie said.

As the starting point of the Silk Road, Chang'an City naturally attracted many people from the Western Regions. Especially in recent years, with the growing prestige of the Tang Dynasty, countless adventurers from the Western Regions came to seek their fortunes.

"Fair hair and green eyes are simply the result of the different living environments of the Hu people, and fundamentally they are no different from normal people. Not to mention fair hair and green eyes, in the far southern lands, people are born with skin as dark as charcoal. The ancestors of the Mo family called them the black race; our skin is yellowish, so we are the yellow race; while those with fair hair, green eyes, and pale skin are the white race!" Merton briefly explained the three major human races, immediately startling the three of them with gasps of astonishment. Even Xu Jie, who had traveled far and wide, had never heard of such a wondrous thing.

Hu people were numerous in Chang'an City. As the four of them ventured deeper into the Western Market, they noticed that quite a few shops were actually run by Hu people who spoke fluent official Chinese and bargained with the common folk just like the Tang people.

The villagers of the Mo Family Village had only recently arrived in Chang'an City, and everything in the Western Market felt entirely novel to them. As they walked, browsed, and ventured deeper, they gradually found themselves surrounded by the sounds of neighing horses and bellowing oxen.

The Western Market's Carriage and Livestock Market!

"Master! This is the largest horse-trading center in the Tang Dynasty. Whether it's tall, strong steeds from the Western Regions or Turkic horses with astonishing stamina, you can find them all here!" Xu Jie pointed to rows of stables filled with countless fine horses.

"Neigh!"

"Snort!"

Fine horses were everywhere in the livery market, filling every single stable with continuous sounds of neighing.

"Whinny!"

A horse's neighing, sounding like the roar of a dragon, instantly drew the attention of Merton and the others.

"Young master, look at that horse!" Tie An pointed in astonishment at an exceptionally tall steed. The horse's coat was snowy white without a single speck of other color, shining brilliantly under the sunlight as if draped in silver thread.

"Gentlemen! This is a fine Turkic steed named Thunder. It was the leader of a wild horse herd, and it took a great deal of manpower to capture it." Seeing Merton's group attracted, a clerk in a cyan tunic immediately walked over and greeted them enthusiastically.

"Three thousand guan! So expensive?" Tie An gasped the moment he saw the price.

Three thousand guan—even if a wealthy household in Chang'an City went bankrupt, they might not be worth three thousand guan! And yet, a single horse was priced at three thousand guan. Truly, a person's life was worth less than a horse's.

"If you gentlemen find it too expensive, I have other warhorses here, all of them top-notch!" The cyan-tuniced clerk had never expected to sell the prized steed Thunder right away; it was merely the market's signature attraction, used to draw in customers!

The clerk led Merton's group to another stable. The horses here were all plump, sturdy, and had bright coats. Although they could not compare to Thunder, their conformation was still exceptional, belonging to the category of top-tier horses with the highest profit margins.

"Two hundred guan!"

"Three hundred guan!"

...

Tie An and Mo Er stared at the staggering prices, shaking their heads incessantly. The Mo Family Village had only recently grown prosperous, and their previous hardworking and frugal lifestyle was already deeply ingrained in their bones; how could they bear to spend such exorbitant sums?

"Our purpose in coming here today is primarily to buy sturdy draft horses for pulling carts!" Xu Jie said.

The clerk's expression immediately lost its enthusiasm, and he led Merton's group to the largest stable. The horses here were generally short, frail, and of mixed breeds.

"Master! For pulling carts, Turkic horses are the best choice. Although short, they have astonishing stamina. Secondly, Sichuan horses from the Tang Dynasty will also do, while other horses are somewhat inferior," Xu Jie analyzed for Merton.

"This esteemed customer truly knows his horses. Ordinary Turkic horses cost forty guan each, Sichuan horses thirty guan, and other local draft horses twenty-five guan!" the clerk quoted the prices.

"So expensive. Clerk, we are buying a large quantity this time, can you offer a discount?" Mo Er asked.

According to Xu Jie's estimate, the Mo Family Village needed at least nearly two hundred horses this time. Calculating based on the moderately priced Sichuan horses, that would still require nearly six thousand guan. Although the Mo Family Village had earned a decent amount recently, it was still a major enterprise, and a one-time expenditure of six thousand guan was nonetheless a colossal sum.

"You think it's expensive? If you think it's expensive, buy these horses over here for five guan each, pick whatever you like!" the clerk sneered, pointing toward the furthest, most chaotic and dilapidated stable.

"Five guan each?"

"So cheap?"

Mo Er and Tie An exclaimed in shock.

"Sick horses?"

Merton frowned as he looked at the listless horses in the stable. While the horses in the other stables were very lively, every single horse in this stable looked lifeless and motionless for long stretches of time.

"How could they be sick horses? With so many horses here, any sick horse is dealt with immediately to prevent the disease from spreading to others. Rest assured, these horses aren't sick—they are injured horses!" the clerk said. It wasn't that the clerk was particularly honest, but rather that these injuries were simply impossible to conceal.

"Master, look! The hooves of these horses have split!" Xu Jie pointed at a horse's hoof to signal Merton.

A horse's hoof is a layer of keratin. If it performs heavy labor, or if it is handled improperly or exerts excessive force, it can cause the hoof to split. A horse's most crucial assets are its speed and footing; once its hooves split and it can no longer exert force through them, the horse is essentially ruined!

"Split? Won't they just grow back?" Tie An asked, puzzled.

Xu Jie shook his head and said, "No matter how fine a horse is, once its hooves split, it's finished. Because horses are different from other animals—they stand all day, bearing their entire body weight on their four hooves. Once split, they can never heal properly! As long as it moves, the wound will only split wider and wider until it dies!"

"Ah!"

The group gasped in astonishment, staring in shock at the stable. No wonder these horses were so listless; horses possessed spiritual intelligence, and they clearly knew their own fate.

"It seems this gentleman also has a discerning eye. I won't hide it from you—take this horse, for instance, named Shadowless. It's a famous steed on par with Thunder, but because its hoof split, it's just here waiting to die," the clerk said, pointing to a horse in the stable with a large frame yet skin and bones.

"Really?" Mo Er cried out in surprise.

They had seen with their own eyes just how magnificent Thunder was, yet this emaciated, injured horse before them was actually on par with Thunder. Peering closer, the group saw a terrifying crack on Shadowless's hind hoof, with flesh turned outward, looking quite gruesome. Shadowless had originally been, like Thunder, one of the stable's showcase attractions to draw customers. Unfortunately, Shadowless had suddenly injured its hoof while running at a gallop, which was why Thunder had been brought in as a replacement.

With a bulging forehead, prominent eyes, and a well-proportioned body, even in its emaciated state, it could still be instantly distinguished from the other injured horses. Xu Jie nodded, believing the clerk's words—this Shadowless had indeed once been a fine horse.

Noticing the crowd watching, Shadowless let out a plaintive, pleading whinny, its voice involuntarily carrying a trace of sorrow as tears rolled from its eyes. It possessed such deep intelligence that it tugged relentlessly at everyone's heartstrings.

"Alright, I'll take it!" Merton suddenly said.

A smile appeared on the clerk's face. His purpose in mentioning this was precisely to prey on Merton's youthful impulsiveness, trying to unload Shadowless. After all, if Shadowless wasn't disposed of soon, it wouldn't live much longer; if it died on his hands, he would surely be punished. Being able to sell a dying horse for five guan would definitely earn him praise from his superiors.

"Very well, patron, this little one will lead it out for you right away," the clerk said eagerly.

"No!" Merton said, word by word. "I said, I want all the injured horses!"

"What?!"

Not only the clerk, but even Xu Jie and the others stared at Merton in utter disbelief. If Merton had spent five guan just to buy peace of mind, that would have been one thing. But there were over a hundred injured horses in this stable! That was certainly no small sum!