Suren thought for a moment and walked over to Wu Yao's side. “My Lady, I want to escort these prisoners back. The town's canals need to be re-dug, the bridge needs to be rebuilt, and the roads need to be widened. All of this requires labor.”
Wu Yao nodded indifferently. “You handle it.”
Suren turned and walked toward the prisoners.
She asked Wu Yao to partially loosen the vines around the prisoners' feet, leaving just enough room for them to take steps.
The four hundred-plus prisoners formed a crooked line, herded in the middle by the dozen or so guards like sheep.
Suren drew her sword. She did not speak, only carrying her sword as she walked from one end of the line to the other, then turning back.
Her steps were not fast, rustling softly against the grass stubble.
Her gaze swept across every face, feeling like the cold back of a blade scraping against their skin.
No one in the crowd dared to move; even their breathing grew quiet.
“Move.”
The prisoners obediently began to march.
After all, who would actually choose death if they could live?
Suren sheathed her sword, freeing up her hands to deal with the fifty warhorses.
Horses were valuable assets.
Peiva Town's horse-breeding skills were among the best on the Plains of Truth. Every single one of these warhorses was plump and strong, their coats glossy, and their muscle lines as sleek as if they had been carved with a knife.
Just as Suren was worrying about what to do with these fifty warhorses, she caught sight of Wu Yao walking toward the herd out of the corner of her eye.
When the warhorses saw Wu Yao approaching, the large black horse leading them took two steps toward her on its own initiative, lowering its head and flaring its nostrils as it nuzzled her shoulder.
Wu Yao reached out to scratch its forehead. It let out a satisfied snort and nudged its head further into her palm.
Several other horses gathered around as well, crowding one another and swishing their tails as they rubbed against her, as if they had met someone they particularly adored.
One white horse, relying on its large build, even shoved its companions aside and breathed into her palm, its breath warm and moist.
“My Lady,” Suren walked up. “As for these horses, what do you think—?”
Wu Yao scratched behind the white horse's ears with one hand, making it squint in pure comfort, while her other hand was being nuzzled repeatedly by the large black horse.
She thought about it and gestured toward the guards with her chin. “Have them each pick one to ride back.”
Suren hesitated. “Most of them have never ridden a horse...”
“Then they can learn.” Wu Yao patted the white horse's neck, and it immediately stood up straight as if it had received an order.
The guards mounted the horses one by one.
The warhorses, which usually rampaged across battlefields, were now as docile as old donkeys turning a millstone.
Toby clumsily clambered onto his horse's back. With one foot in the stirrup, he couldn't reach the other side with his other foot, leaving him dangling and swinging off the side of the horse.
His horse simply stood there quietly, even taking a half-step to the side to help him reach the stirrup better.
“See?” Wu Yao raised her chin triumphantly at Suren. “I told you it would be fine.”
Suren chose a chestnut horse that looked the most stable. Gripping the reins, she vaulted onto its back, lowered her head, and gently patted its neck.
She silently prayed that this chestnut horse would carry her safely to Qinghe Town.
The chestnut horse twitched its ears, took a step forward, and steadily followed the column.
Wu Yao rode the most beautiful white horse.
The horse was pure white without a single stray hair, its mane cascading down to its shoulders like silver threads. Complete with a full set of silver tack, it indeed looked far more spirited than the other horses.
She didn't climb onto the horse's back as carefully as the others. Instead, she used a Lightweight Spell to propel herself upward, landing steadily in the saddle.
The white horse was startled by her dramatic way of mounting and nervously pawed the ground twice with its front hooves.
Wu Yao leaned forward, patted its neck, and cast a Lightweight Spell on it as well.
The white horse froze for a moment, then let out a cheerful snort, its four hooves taking light, quick steps in place as if urging its rider to hurry up and go.
Wu Yao pulled the reins and gently nudged the horse's belly with her legs.
The white horse stepped forward, walking slowly at first before picking up speed into a trot.
Wu Yao's body swayed with the rise and fall of the horse's back. Though a bit stiff at first, she found her rhythm within a few breaths.
Those who weren't afraid of falling learned the fastest.
In less than ten minutes, Wu Yao was already urging the white horse to run back and forth along the column. The dust she kicked up made the prisoners cough, but not a single one dared to complain.
Running a few laps wasn't enough to satisfy her, so Wu Yao began giving pointers on the others' riding postures.
“Your legs are squeezing too tight. It's making the horse uncomfortable.”
“Lean forward a bit. Don't lean back, or you'll fall off when the horse makes a sudden stop.”
“Don't pull the reins so tight. You're practically pulling the horse's mouth askew.”
The guards were all given pointers one by one. After making adjustments, some indeed sat much more securely, while others had palms slick with sweat.
Riding under My Lady's watchful eye was more nerve-wracking than going to war.
On the way back, this procession became incredibly eye-catching.
Over fifty tall warhorses, a dozen or so guards riding on horseback, and more than four hundred prisoners clad only in undergarments moved across the plain in a long line. Such a grand spectacle was impossible to hide.
In the passing farmlands, whenever a weeding farmer straightened up, they would inevitably witness this scene, standing dazed in place as they watched the column depart.
Wu Yao found their pace too slow.
Although none of the four hundred-plus prisoners fell behind, they still had to travel on foot after all.
Wu Yao tugged the reins and leaned down to whisper something in the white horse's ear.
The white horse snorted, reared its front hooves, and bolted from the front of the line, turning into a tiny white speck on the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Suren watched the receding white figure, sighed silently, and nudged her chestnut horse to make the column pick up its pace.
The white horse's hooves flew. The fields on both sides receded rapidly, the wheat stubble and haystacks blurring into a golden smear at the edges of her vision.
Wu Yao leaned low. The wind howled past her ears, carrying the scent of soil and dry grass.
As she passed the gates of Qinghe Town, the guards on duty only saw a white shadow flash past. By the time they reacted, the shadow had already slipped into the town.
Wu Yao had originally intended to head straight for the town hall.
But as she rode past a narrow alleyway, her eyes swept over the glowing dots on her map.
The small glowing dot representing Phelin was flashing deep inside the alley, surrounded by seven or eight other dots huddled close together.
What was Phelin doing here?
Wu Yao gently tugged the reins, and the white horse came to a steady halt at the entrance of the alley.
She dismounted and instructed it to wait there.
The alley was very narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk abreast, flanked by earthen walls of varying heights covered in dead vines.
At the end of the alley lay a small clearing, where a few crooked old trees leaned out from the corners of the walls, casting dappled shadows.
Wu Yao walked inward, hugging the base of the wall and keeping her footsteps very light.
In the center of the clearing, Phelin stood with her hands on her hips.
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