The street of the weaponry workshop wasn't very long. After all, it was located on the shore of the East Sea and seemed to be very far away from the war. At the very least, it wasn't a place where the war was concentrated. Therefore, the rich and powerful would rather spend more money to buy valuable items to enhance their elegance. On the other hand, the common people were more willing to buy a few more pieces of paper to increase the security of their lives. There weren't many people who actually bought weapons, so there weren't many weapon workshops.
The Yan Kingdom wasn't like the Wei Kingdom. The people of the Wei Kingdom received military training from a young age and were instilled with the idea that the Wei Kingdom was the superior race. The people of the Yan Kingdom had a fanatical love for weapons and horses.
At the end of this street, there was an empty space. Usually, it was a place for idlers to sit and chat. Under a few towering trees, there would always be a group of people sitting there. There were also some small peddlers who couldn't afford to hire a storefront, so they squatted in this area and set up their stalls to sell their wares. Under normal circumstances, the yamen runners wouldn't bother with them because they knew that they wouldn't be able to squeeze any profit out of these peddlers.
When Han Qing brought Han Mo to this place, he saw that the area under a large tree was already packed with people. Three or four people formed a large circle, and the neighing of fine horses could be heard from within. The horses were extremely loud and full of energy. Just by hearing the neighing of the horses, Han Mo knew that they were good horses.
From time to time, the surrounding crowd would cheer. Obviously, these cheers couldn't help but come from their mouths. This made Han Mo very suspicious, as he didn't know what kind of good show was waiting for him inside.
Relying on the good physique that Han Qing had developed over ten years of training, he easily squeezed open a path for Han Mo. Only after Han Mo had entered did he realize that there was a person performing horse-riding skills in the crowd.
The fine horse's mane was thick, and its entire body was covered with glossy black fur. It was strong and tall, but the person lightly jumping up and down on its body was a thin and weak man of about twenty-three or twenty-four years of age. His skin was dark and rough, as if he came from a poor family. At the very least, he was wearing clothes that only beggars would wear in the East Sea City. They were extremely sloppy and tattered.
However, this sloppy beggar's horsemanship was really amazing. The fine horse galloped forward and backward, and under the beggar's control, it performed all kinds of extremely difficult movements. Some of the movements were almost unimaginable. He could even hang his legs on the neck of the fine horse and stare at it, causing the surrounding people to roar with laughter. However, they couldn't help but applaud.
In Han Mo's heart, there weren't many people that he admired. Those that could make him admire them were those that had unique attainments and abilities in a certain area. And this little beggar who was performing horse-riding skills really made Han Mo feel a bit of admiration. He also applauded along with the crowd.
Just when the crowd was dazzled and pleasantly surprised, the little man suddenly reined in his horse and landed on the ground with a beautiful somersault. Then, he cupped his hands towards the surrounding crowd.
At this time, Han Mo finally saw the beggar's face clearly. His angular face was expressionless, like a piece of rock. Even his pair of deep black eyes didn't have the slightest trace of emotion, giving off a feeling of coldness.
Han Mo originally thought that after the beggar cupped his hands, he would definitely say something to ask for a reward. But contrary to what he expected, this beggar seemed to be very clumsy with words. After cupping his hands, he turned around and picked up a bamboo hat from the ground. Then, he walked to the side of the crowd and looked at the guests in front of him with a dull but hopeful expression, hoping to get a few copper coins as a reward.
These days, everyone was willing to join in on the fun, but when it came to paying, it was something they couldn't wait to avoid. As soon as the beggar picked up the bamboo hat, many people scattered. When the beggar took out the bamboo hat and asked for a reward, everyone's excitement immediately died down. After all, the people of Dong Hai City were far from being rich. They couldn't even afford to spend money on food and clothing, so how could they be willing to give money to others?
After walking around, the beggar only received a dozen copper coins.
"Horse trainer, how much for this horse of yours?" A somewhat extravagant looking young master asked, "Name a price, I'll buy it."
The beggar was still expressionless as he shook his head. Holding the bamboo hat, he walked around the few remaining people and finally came in front of Han Mo, sticking out the bamboo hat.
His face was dark with a hint of withered yellow. His body was very thin, as if he was malnourished. His forehead was slightly protruding, and his appearance was very ordinary. He was the kind of person that wouldn't attract anyone's attention even if he was thrown into a crowd.
Han Mo asked with a smile, "You are a dignified man with a lot of skills. Don't you think it's a loss of face to ask for a reward on the street like this?"
The beggar raised his head and glanced at Han Mo. His voice was as cold as ice, "It's not a loss of face for me to work hard and earn money!"
"Good!" Han Mo laughed, "Interesting, interesting." He was about to take out some money when he suddenly remembered that he had given all his money to Shopkeeper Han. So, he said to Han Qing, "How much money do you have? Give it all to him!"
Han Qing was stunned, but he quickly took out a tael of silver and said, "Young master, this is all I have." He put it into the beggar's bamboo hat.
The beggar didn't say anything else. He just looked at the Yin Yang Rod in Han Mo's hand. The corner of his eyebrows twitched slightly, and then he turned around and walked away.
"Young master, why did you give him so much money?" Han Qing asked in a low voice.
Han Mo held his chin and said, "He is a man of integrity. I'm afraid he's in trouble now that he's in such a state. A tael of silver might be able to help him." But in his mind, he was thinking whether he should take this beggar back to the mansion. After all, there were not many horse-training experts with such amazing skills. It would be an excellent idea to take him back and teach him horse-riding.
He was just about to invite the beggar to the restaurant when he heard someone shouting behind him, "Monitor Huang is here!"
The onlookers quickly got out of the way. The crowd, which was originally packed tightly, was now only left with a few people.
A cold smile appeared on Han Mo's lips. This Monitor Huang was the guard monitor of the East Sea Prefectural Government and could be considered a trusted aide of the East Sea Prefectural Governor, Xiao Muzan. He was even brought here from Yan Jing by Xiao Muzan when he first took office.
Han Mo tugged at Han Qing's clothes. The two of them walked behind a big tree and looked into the distance. They saw Monitor Huang, dressed in black, leisurely walking toward them with three or four yamen runners with killing sticks in their hands.
A kind-hearted person in the crowd whispered to the beggar, "Horse trainer, hurry up and ride away. Otherwise, you won't be able to leave even if you want to."
The beggar was packing when he heard the voice. He turned around and smiled at the person who reminded him. His originally cold face became much gentler because of this smile.
When the beggar finished packing, Monitor Huang had already arrived with his men. Several yamen runners immediately surrounded the beggar and laughed.
Monitor Huang had a saber at his waist. He took three steps and swayed two. His eyes were glued to the horse, full of greed.
After all, he was a man who had seen the world. He could tell at a glance that the horse was a genuine Wei horse, and one of the best horses in Wei. Its leg strength and speed were top-notch. If he brought it to the horse market, even if he sold it cheaply, it would still be worth two or three hundred taels of silver. It was a great treasure.
"Where are you from?" Monitor Huang glanced at the beggar and asked indifferently.
The beggar was still like a rock. There was no expression on his face. He said indifferently, "Wei!"
"I knew you're from Wei!" Monitor Huang sneered. "Only Wei people are used to wearing those shabby boots on your feet."
The beggar's boots were already very worn out, but they were very different from the boots of the Yan Kingdom. In addition to being high and deep, the most eye-catching thing was that there was an arc at the back of the boots, just like the moon. It looked quite beautiful.
Monitor Huang looked at the beggar again and continued to ask, "What are you doing in Donghai County?"
"To make a living!"
"To make a living?" Monitor Huang sneered. "Can't you survive in Wei?"
The beggar raised his head and frowned slightly. He said indifferently, "Sir, have I violated any laws of Yan?"
Monitor Huang held the hilt of his saber and said coldly, "You're from Wei. You're wearing shabby clothes, but you have such a good horse. What are you trying to do in Donghai County? Heh heh, could it be a spy from Wei Kingdom? I heard there's a yamen in Wei called Black Flag or something. The Black Flag Tribe is spread all over the countries, gathering intelligence from other countries and secretly disrupting their order. I think you're a member of the Black Flag Tribe. "
"I'm not!"
"You're not?" Monitor Huang went forward to pull the horse. "That's not up to you to decide. Come with us to the yamen. Tell the County Governor whether you're a spy or not."
Before he could touch the reins, the horse suddenly snorted and let out a long neigh. It raised its two front hooves and was about to trample on Monitor Huang.
Monitor Huang was shocked. Fortunately, he had some skills. He rolled on the ground and dodged the horse's fatal stomp. Even so, the ground was already muddy after the heavy rain. When he rolled on the ground, his clothes were immediately covered in mud, making him look very embarrassed.
"Damn it!" Monitor Huang flew into a rage out of humiliation. "Brothers, beat this spy from Wei for me!"
Several yamen runners responded and rushed toward the beggar without hesitation. They swung their clubs and hit the beggar's head and face. However, the beggar was like a rock. He did not fight back and let the clubs hit him like raindrops. After a few hits, the beggar's forehead was broken and blood immediately flowed out.
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