Chapter 869 - 405: Honored as Tiyi Rider, Thunder Drums Clash, A Startling Display Shakes the Clans!

Chapter 869: Chapter 405: Honored as Tiyi Rider, Thunder Drums Clash, A Startling Display Shakes the Clans!

The Gold Appraisal Guard’s monthly salary is "ten taels" of silver, including morning and evening meals. Li Xian’s horse is named "Riding the Wind," chestnut-bodied with blue hooves, long mane and bright eyes, endowed with exotic beast lineage. With hairy thorns under its hooves, it can easily climb mountains and cross rooftops.

This Riding the Wind has a fierce, domineering temperament, difficult to tame, and unwilling to be subdued. But when it saw Li Xian at first glance, it became very docile, making a "hissing" sound, stomping its front hooves frantically, eager to run towards Li Xian.

As Li Xian approached, it gently nuzzled with its head. It lowered its head voluntarily, expressing a willingness to submit.

Cui Niang was startled, telling Li Xian that this Riding the Wind has sharp eyes, choosing its master at first sight, perhaps recognizing Li Xian’s divine presence, it immediately submitted. If Li Xian were to refuse, the intelligent exotic horse would be heartbroken, refuse to eat or drink, and perish.

Li Xian laughed and said, "Good horse, good horse, since you have high regard for me, then let me see your skills first!"

Before claiming Riding the Wind, he took it to the street for a test ride.

Seeing the Riding the Wind galloping so lightly and swiftly, yet intelligently, it sought to minimize the bumps for Li Xian while traversing rugged terrain. With this, Li Xian quite liked this "exotic horse Riding the Wind," and thus added it to his name as his horse.

The Gold Appraisal Guard can ride horses on the street, storing horses at the Marquis Pavilion or taking them home.

However, the daily grass, feed, and even medicated baths for horse beasts must be managed by the Gold Appraisal Guard themselves. These horse beasts, with their noble bloodline, have consumed top-quality grass and enjoyed luxurious medicated baths since birth, strengthening muscles and bones.

If one cannot afford the horse beast’s expenses, they would resort to feeding lower-quality hay and forgoing medicated baths. The horse beast would quickly become lean and weak, with dull coat. Once it comes to inspection, it would not pass easily.

At worst, they would be ordered to rectify, at best reclaim the horse beast. Determined unable to fulfill the duties of the Gold Appraisal Guard, they would be asked to resign. After careful calculation, Li Xian found that "Riding the Wind" requires four taels of silver per month.

If fostered at the Marquis Pavilion, one more tael is needed as a reward for the servants. Though many noble scions were trained as Gold Appraisal Guards, there are quite a few from common clans and ordinary households who pass through layers of rigorous tests to reach this position, ultimately occupying the majority.

Noble scions often take their beloved horses back to their mansions, fostering them well, feeding them top-quality grass, grooming daily, ordering custom expensive saddles, and medicated baths are common practice. Such majestic horse beasts on the street, upon one glance, are known to be of wealth or nobility. Those with a modest family background, seeking convenience, store at the Marquis Pavilion. If not afraid of trouble, they may also become hands-on caretakers. Though less extravagant, the monthly salary of "ten taels" combined with a bit of family assistance is barely enough to cover monthly expenses.

An exotic blooded horse can cover the monthly expenses of an ordinary household.

Li Xian rode back to the "Shepherd Jujube Residence," gently stroking the exotic horse Riding the Wind, and sighed: "Riding the Wind, Riding the Wind, you follow me, temporarily cannot live in a grand mansion, now that you are here, I wonder if you regret it."

Riding the Wind, inherently bold yet obedient to Li Xian, responded with two "hisses," expressing its joy. Li Xian said: "That’s good, if there is a chance in the future, we’ll ride the wind together again!"

The Shepherd Jujube Residence has an empty wooden house, originally a stable. Li Xian exhaled fresh air, making it clean and tidy, Riding the Wind lived without feeling wronged.

Jade City has strict hierarchies, ordinary Yu People can ride donkeys and horses, but cannot ride "exotic blood horses." Li Xian, due to his occupation, gets an "exotic blood horse" as his mount. Just stepping out into the street, inevitably garners the envy and attention of the citizens.

In Jade City, the pet-raising trend is prevalent, to the east of Yuanbao Square there is a "Hundred Beasts Square," specializing in selling "fish pets," "snake pets," "turtle pets," "bird pets," ... often visited by officials and noble scions, beautiful personages and their beloved. Moreover, there are premium "fish food shops," "snake food shops," "bird food shops," "grain and straw shops."

Once Li Xian gained a mount, he needs to treat it well. Riding the Wind to Hundred Beasts Square, letting it choose suitable grass itself. Riding the Wind likes "Red Cane Grass," a rather tenacious type of grass resembling red canes, considered premium quality grass, consuming over time can strengthen its legs.

Li Xian paid three taels of silver, one tael can purchase a hundred pounds of "Red Cane Grass," three hundred pounds of Red Cane Grass is enough for Riding the Wind to eat in a month. Then reported the location of his residence.

The shop assistant at the grain and straw shop cupped his hands and assured, promising to immediately dispatch the straw to the mansion. Further advised: "Master, why not get a token order? In the future when purchasing straw, you don’t need to come personally. Just convey a message, we’ll send it to your residence."

Li Xian gently stroked Riding the Wind, musing that food is the essence of life for both people and horse. This Red Cane Grass is Riding the Wind’s feed, no matter how thrifty, it’s unavoidable, this expense is hard to forgo. So he agreed to procure a token order, costing three more taels of silver.

This grain and straw shop named "Immortal Horse Grain and Straw Shop," the token order hanging high at the counter, containing a mechanism. Every month end, it flashes red light.

Upon learning, the shop assistant prepares the grass, riding a vehicle to deliver to the mansion. Li Xian only needed to regularly expend silver to maintain the token order hanging at the counter. Monthly expiration, the grain assistant arrives punctually, eliminating the need to personally travel to the shop to buy grass.

Li Xian couldn’t help but marvel: "Jade City truly is Jade City, unexpectedly purchasing grass could be this convenient. These wondrous constructs, peculiar objects, and rare items of Jade City, I have not yet explored each one, now that the situation is stable and I gained some status. With leisure time, I’ll gradually learn more."

In great spirits, gently stroking Riding the Wind’s coat, he gripped his horse’s stomach and rode back to the Shepherd Jujube Residence.

...

...

On this day at noon, leisure break ended, Li Xian, left with a sword hanging on his waist, right holding an order, serving as "Official Guard."

Upon entering the Marquis Pavilion, he heard the resonating thunderous drum sounds. At the sight of the school grounds, dozens gathered. All dressed in tiger and python robes, donning black armor, arranging into some kind of array.