Zhuang Rui stroked the red horse's smooth back and said, "Come back with me?"
After speaking, Zhuang Rui looked at the red horse nervously. He didn't know if the red horse was willing to give up its glory on the grassland and follow him.
Although Red Horse had shown him enough goodwill before, Zhuang Rui was not sure that Red Horse would definitely follow him. After all, all living beings hope to have a free space to live, rather than being subject to some external constraints.
"Luffy..."
The red horse raised its head and let out a short neigh. The expression in its eyes was surprisingly complex. Indeed, in Zhuang Rui's eyes, it was complex, containing hope, fear, tenderness, and even a faint hint of murderous intent.
Red Horse also became agitated, pawing at the ground with its front hooves and snorting. It would look at Zhuang Rui one moment and then turn its head to look at the herd of horses not far away, clearly struggling with its inner turmoil and unable to make a decision.
The herd of horses in the distance also sensed the red horse's restlessness. Several of the larger horses suddenly reared up and neighed loudly, no longer avoiding Zhuang Rui. They ran straight over and rubbed their bodies against the red horse, as if trying to keep their king in this way.
Zhuang Rui waited quietly. During this time, he did not use his spiritual energy to soothe the red horse, because he knew that if he did, the scales in the red horse's heart would definitely tip in his favor. Zhuang Rui just wanted to give the red horse a chance to choose.
Zhuang Rui had left the snow leopard there before on the snowy mountain. Although he still thinks about that rascal from time to time, Zhuang Rui has never regretted it, because only there can the snow leopard preserve its wildness and be the true king of the snow mountain.
The same applies now. Although Zhuang Rui desperately wants the red horse to leave with him, he also doesn't want the red horse to lose its wildness and its kingly demeanor.
"Luffy..."
After a good four or five minutes, the red horse suddenly reared up and neighed loudly. It no longer looked at Zhuang Rui, but ran towards the herd. The sound of its hooves hitting the ground was like a drumbeat pounding on Zhuang Rui's heart.
"It's up to you. If you want to stay here and be the King of Horses, then stay. The sky in Beijing can't compare to the grasslands. It's just too small there..."
Zhuang Rui looked extremely disappointed. Although he hadn't formed a deep bond with the red horse during their day and night together, the horse's magnificent performance during the chase had left a deep impression on him.
In addition, horses are animals that humans have long since domesticated, and Zhuang Rui would prefer the red horse to follow him rather than the snow leopard on the snowy mountain.
Unlike the remote snow-capped mountains, the habitat of wild animals on the grasslands has been gradually shrinking due to the encroachment of human civilization. Red Horse might suffer misfortune at any time, which is one of the reasons why Zhuang Rui wanted Red Horse to leave with him.
"Little White, let's go..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head sadly again. He thought he and Red Horse had become very close, but who knew that Red Horse couldn't resist the temptation of freedom and ultimately didn't follow him.
"drive!"
Zhuang Rui mounted the white horse, glanced back at the red horse surrounded by other horses, squeezed the white horse's belly with his legs, and galloped back the way he came.
"Little White, I treat it so well, why doesn't it want to stay with me?"
Zhuang Rui couldn't quite describe his feelings at that moment. He suppressed the urge to turn around and, like an old woman, began to mutter to the little white dog beneath him.
"Pfft!"
The white horse snorted, which was considered an answer to Zhuang Rui's question. Of course, Zhuang Rui was not a zoologist and could not understand what the horse meant.
"Yes, I shouldn't feel disappointed since I made the choice myself, but... why am I so sad?"
The white horse gradually picked up speed, and Zhuang Rui knew that he was moving further and further away from the red horse, and that he might never see this magnificent steed again in the rest of his life.
"Like a bell!"
Suddenly, a familiar long neighing sounded behind Zhuang Rui, followed by a series of rapid hoofbeats.
Zhuang Rui's body jolted, and he quickly reached out to grab the reins, stopping the white horse. Looking back, he saw a red horse galloping towards him like lightning.
In just over ten seconds, the red horse had caught up to Xiaobai. Its charging body suddenly stopped, its forelegs raised high, and the horse stood upright in front of Zhuang Rui.
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
The red horse, panting heavily, nudged Zhuang Rui with its large head, its bright, clear eyes revealing a puzzled expression, as if it were blaming Zhuang Rui.
"You...you're coming with me? You're not abandoning me?"
Zhuang Rui stared at the red horse in disbelief. At this moment, she felt like a resentful woman who had been abandoned by her husband. Suddenly, she realized that her husband's previous neglect was just to give her a surprise. Her feelings were like a bottle of mixed emotions being broken, with sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty all rushing into her heart.
"Luffy..."
The red horse neighed softly, and the big head nodded, which was considered an answer to Zhuang Rui's question.
"Haha, hahaha..."
When Zhuang Rui saw the red horse's actions, he was overjoyed beyond words. He almost danced with joy on the white horse's back, and even hugged the red horse's outstretched head and kissed it several times.
After cuddling with the red horse for a while, Zhuang Rui said, "Alright, let's go. Follow behind us, but don't run too fast..."
It wasn't that Zhuang Rui didn't want to ride the red horse, but the red horse was still wild and untamed. Although it had submitted to him, it was definitely not used to being ridden. Zhuang Rui planned to train it slowly and make it his mount once it got used to it.
"Laughter...laughter..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the red horse shook its head and gently tugged at Zhuang Rui's clothes with its large mouth.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Zhuang Rui was puzzled for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he asked, "You mean you want me to ride on your back?"
"Luffy..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the red horse let out a soft neigh, took a few steps back, and nodded its head up and down a few times.
"real?"
Zhuang Rui became excited. Although the white horse could be considered a magnificent steed with the help of his spiritual energy, it was incomparable to the red horse.
Chapter 1144 Ma Ming Zhuifeng
Zhuang Rui had originally planned to train the horse for a few days before riding the red horse, but unexpectedly, the red horse took the initiative to ask for it. He couldn't help but get excited and jumped off the white horse.
"This...this is impossible to ride, is it?"
Zhuang Rui stood in front of the red horse, scratched his head. Although the red horse was a bit tall, Zhuang Rui could still climb on it without any problem. However, looking at the smooth back of the horse, Zhuang Rui frowned.
Zhuang Rui knew that even if he could ride the horse, without a saddle and reins, he would be jolted off in no time. Moreover, for the sake of his little brother, Zhuang Rui would never dare to ride a horse without a saddle.
"Hey, what a pig-brain! Couldn't you have installed it if you didn't have it?"
As Zhuang Rui was frowning and deep in thought, he turned around and saw the white horse beside him. He couldn't help but slap his forehead and walk towards Little White with a smile.
"Hehe, good boy, I'll carry you, it'll be easier for you to run later..."
While chatting idly with Xiaobai, Zhuang Rui quickly removed the saddle from Xiaobai's body.
The saddle that Batel used for Zhuang Rui was very exquisite. It was made using traditional techniques. First, it was made of fine nanmu wood in the shape of a seat, then wrapped in cowhide and stuffed with soft materials such as wool. It was raised in both the front and back, so that most people could fit in unless they were two or three hundred pounds.
"Here, put this on. Hmm, it's a bit small, but it'll do..."
Zhuang Rui reached out and beckoned the red horse over, picked up the saddle and swung it forcefully onto the horse's bare back. After looking it over, he bent down and picked up the reins, intending to put them on the horse.
"Huh? How did it fall?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui got up, he noticed that the saddle that had been on the red horse's back had fallen to the ground. He quickly picked it up and put it back on the red horse.
"Huh, that's strange. This thing is a bit small, but it shouldn't be able to slide down, right?"
When Zhuang Rui bent down to pick up the reins again, he found that the saddle had fallen to the ground again. He was puzzled. He picked up the saddle and put it back on the red horse's back. He moved it around with his hands and it didn't seem slippery.
"Luffy..."
This time, Zhuang Rui saw clearly that it was the red horse that turned around and bit one side of the saddle, tearing it off itself. Perhaps the red horse, which had never been restrained before, felt uncomfortable with something on its body.
"Hey, how am I supposed to ride without this? Maybe I should just keep riding the white horse?"
When Zhuang Rui saw Hongma's actions, he was both amused and exasperated. "You're the one who invited me to ride. If it weren't for this thing, would I have been able to ride it?"
"Ahem, Xiao Hong, you'll get used to it. Otherwise, it'll be uncomfortable if we keep bumping bones together, won't it?"
While Zhuang Rui was combing the red horse's neck, he quietly saddled it up again. However, perhaps provoked by Zhuang Rui's words "Little Red," the red horse snorted and spat in Zhuang Rui's face.
"No, no, don't throw me off! Please, have some mercy on me..."
When Zhuang Rui saw the red horse bite the bottom of the saddle again, he didn't even bother to wipe his face. He pressed down on the saddle with both hands and looked at the red horse with a determined expression. At the same time, a small amount of spiritual energy in his eyes flowed into the red horse's body.
"Luffy..."
Whether it was due to Zhuang Rui's successful bribery or the effect of spiritual energy, the red horse loosened its grip and stopped trying to pull off the saddle, which relieved Zhuang Rui.
"Damn it, you're just like King Kong..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled and cursed in exasperation. After bringing Jin Gang back to Beijing, if he wanted Jin Gang to do anything or play with Fang Fang and Yuan Yuan, he would first have to use spiritual energy to regulate Jin Gang's body. Otherwise, that big guy would immediately show Zhuang Rui his ability to act spoiled and throw tantrums.
"Luffy..."
The red horse neighed softly, its large, intelligent eyes looking innocently at Zhuang Rui. Zhuang Rui immediately lost his temper, because those eyes were so pure, like those of a newborn baby. That natural cuteness made Zhuang Rui lose all resistance.
However, Zhuang Rui encountered a problem when putting the reins on the red horse. Since the reins had to be tied around the horse's upper lip, the red horse was even more uncomfortable and almost kicked him.
If Zhuang Rui hadn't used up all the pitiful amount of spiritual energy in his eyes, he probably wouldn't have been able to put the reins on the red horse even by nightfall.
"Haha, mission accomplished..."
Finally, the saddle and reins were in place. Zhuang Rui clapped his hands, took the reins with one hand, put his left foot into the stirrup, and with a little effort, he was lifted into the air and sat on the back of the red horse.
"It's just different, this horse is so comfortable to ride in. No wonder everyone wants to ride in a nice car. Comparing things is so frustrating..."
Once on the red horse's back, Zhuang Rui noticed that the red horse was at least fifty centimeters taller than Xiao Bai, making him feel like he could see much further.
Moreover, the red horse's sturdy back made sitting on it even more comfortable, giving Zhuang Rui the feeling of riding on a camel's back. It would probably be even more stable when running.
"Let's go, Little Red, giddy up!"
Zhuang Rui called out that devastating name, squeezed his legs together slightly, and gripped the reins tightly. He was afraid the red horse would suddenly accelerate, and if he fell off, it would be incredibly embarrassing.
"Let's go? Hey, Little Red, what's wrong?"
However, things turned out quite the opposite. After Zhuang Rui gave the order to start, the red horse stood still and didn't move an inch. Moreover, the horse's head, which was attached to the reins, was swaying back and forth and snorting incessantly.
"Giddy up...giddy up, let's go..."
Zhuang Rui didn't know what was wrong with the red horse, but he kept urging it to move forward. However, the big guy just kept shaking its head and wouldn't budge no matter how much Zhuang Rui urged it.
Zhuang Rui, looking miserable, hugged the red horse's neck and said, "What's wrong? Still want spiritual energy? I've run out of spiritual energy..."
Actually, Zhuang Rui still had a few glimmers of intelligence in his eyes, but that was just for backup. The journey back would take nearly ten hours, and Zhuang Rui didn't want to walk with his legs turned outwards when he got back.
"Luffy..."
The red horse kept shaking its head, making Zhuang Rui dizzy. It seems that he should read some books on zoology in the future, so that he can at least learn some information from the body language of animals.
Are you tired, sir?
"Didn't you rest well yesterday? Don't want to leave today?"
Helpless, Zhuang Rui started chatting with the red horse while still on horseback. He wasn't bothered at all because the red horse's eyes were so pure that they could wash away the restlessness in Zhuang Rui's heart.