Reborn in the Three Kingdoms Novel - Chapter 38

Chapter 38 Horse Market
“Mm, this dog meat is really good, hehe.” After taking a big bite, Zhang Chao nodded in satisfaction.

“That’s right, Second Childe. Although this thing is said not to be good for dinner, it is indeed delicious.” After Zhao Yun tore off a piece of dog meat and stuffed it into his mouth, he said the same thing.

“Haha, eat more if it’s delicious.” Zhang Chao said with a grand tone. With his current financial resources, it was about time for him to eat whatever he wanted, not to mention what he wanted to eat. He had always been generous with the people around him. In his opinion, the value created by these people would be enormous, and it was only right for them to eat more.

The two of them buried their heads in making meat and were extremely happy. The only regret was that this heroic drunkenness was low in concentration, and they were not used to the strong fragrance type. Of course, it was also good wine for ordinary people. It was like a common-flavor hero who was drunk in Chen Liu’s Zhang Clan Restaurant and only sold for two taels of silver per jar. However, he had already sold it here for twenty taels of silver per jar. There was actually such a big price difference between them. It was unexpected for Zhang Chao.

On the other hand, transportation was not well developed. Adding on the fact that there were many middlemen raising the prices and the government levied heavy taxes, such a price was not very expensive.

After a while, Zhang Chao didn’t ask for too much. He only wanted to have an altar with Zhao Yun. However, the owner of the stall was already very happy. Such a big customer rarely patronized his stall, so he couldn’t help but be even more enthusiastic.

Zhang Chao saw the enthusiasm of the boss and took the opportunity to inquire about the market. “Boss, are there any good horses in this horse market?”

“Yes, of course there are good horses in the horse market.” When the boss heard that the guest wanted to talk to him, he immediately approached him and answered.

“Oh? Is there really a good horse?” Zhang Chao asked in disbelief.

In ancient times, having a good horse next to one’s body was equivalent to having a layer of protection for many people. Whether it was traveling or even escaping, one could borrow a lot of strength. He did not believe that a good horse could be encountered at any time.

“Young Master, there are really good horses here. I don’t dare to lie to you. It’s just that the price is a little expensive.” The boss saw that Zhang Chao did not believe him and hurriedly explained. He should also be an honest person, and the thing he was most afraid of was that others wouldn’t believe him.

“The price is a little expensive. What do you mean by that?” Zhang Chao was also interested. He saw that the boss was not spouting nonsense, but that he really knew something, so he casually asked.

“Young master, this horse market is indeed a good horse, but also from liangzhou sent healthy horses, each is very strong. They are much stronger than our Luoyang local horses and the Central Plains horses. They are hot, cold, unusually tall, and have extremely fast feet. However, it was precisely because of these characteristics that the price was particularly expensive. In addition, the Imperial Court had always levied heavy taxes on the purchase and sale of horses, so the price was even more expensive. “With all due respect, there are a lot of people here, but very few can afford it.” The boss shook his head as he spoke. There was a glint in his eyes. Obviously, he also envied those people who sold horses. If they didn’t open for three years, they could eat for three years.

Zhang Chao was really interested to hear the boss’s description. “Well, in that case, the horses here are really good. I just don’t know how much they are worth.”

“Price? But all the horses that come from Liangzhou are good horses. Because the cost is too high, the people who sell horses are not good horses. Otherwise, if they get some horses that are not strong, they won’t be able to sell them at any price. If they can’t sell them, then they will lose a lot of money.” The boss wanted to explain something else.

Zhang Chao was tired of listening, if he didn’t know that this was a stall selling dog meat, he would really be selling horses. “Alright, shopkeeper, just say the price.”

“Oh, okay.” Seeing the impatience of the guest officer, the shopkeeper said, “But every healthy horse shipped from Liangzhou costs at least 1,000 silver taels. Some better ones cost more than 10,000 silver taels.”

“What?” Hearing this, Zhang Chao was also stunned. After listening to what he said just now, he had also thought about the price, but he did not expect that there would be so much silver. Ten thousand taels, even five thousand altars of heroes were drunk. No wonder he was surprised.

The nearby Zhao Yun was also very surprised. In his opinion, these ten thousand taels could be used to arm a few cavalry. Even though he shook his head and said, “Second Childe, let’s go back after we finish eating. The horses here are too expensive.”

“Why go back? It’s fine if you don’t buy it.” Zhang Chao asked in confusion. He knew that Zhao Yun loved horses very much.

“Hey, what are you looking at? It’s so expensive. If you really like it, buy it or not. If you don’t want to sell it, your heart will hurt. It’s better not to look at it.” Who would have thought that Zhao Yun waved his hand and put on an awkward posture?

“Haha.” Being amused by Zhao Yun’s performance, Zhang Chao did not expect Zi Long to be quite good at scheming and living. However, since they had come here, they had to buy horses. How could they return empty-handed from the Treasure Mountain? He then turned to the shop owner and asked, “Is this Liangzhou Jianmaduo?”

“Not much, not much. There are only a few of them in total. Who can afford such an expensive item?” The boss hurriedly shook his head and said.

“Oh, then let’s see.” Zhang Chao also knew. If there weren’t a lot of horses, then he could really take a look. If all the horses here were at this price, then he would have to consider the cost. After all, he wasn’t the only one here. There were also the Brocade Guards, the Zhangjiajun Guards, and the Heavenly Eye members. If one of them came, his capital in the capital would probably be in trouble.

“Hurry up and eat. After eating, watch the horse.” After knowing the situation, Zhang Chao said to Zhao Yun.

“If you really want to see it, then hurry up and eat it.” Zhao Yun was excited when he heard that he was really going to see the horse. He knew that once Zhang Chao said that, he would definitely get a few good horses. Perhaps there would be someone he liked.

Zhao Yun began to immerse himself in dealing with dog meat, and he didn’t drink much wine anymore. Zhang Chao smiled and was about to lower his head to deal with the dog meat in his hand when he suddenly heard a commotion on the street behind him. Then, he saw a healthy horse rushing out of the horse market.

The healthy horse was very tall and full of muscles. It could be seen that it was a good horse. Although it could not be considered to be one in a thousand, it could be described as one in a hundred.

After the horse rushed out of the horse market, it headed towards the main street. At this moment, the streets were already in chaos. Someone quickly dodged, appearing even more chaotic.

But there was always an accident. A three-year-old girl was standing on the street, leading her mother to the side because of the commotion of the crowd, leaving the girl standing alone in the middle of the road at a loss for what to do.

“Not good.” Seeing this, Zhang Chao thought to himself and reached out to grab the dishes on the table to throw them away. Although this thing was too small and had a limited effect, he really had no other way. He couldn’t just watch a girl die in front of him like this.

As soon as Zhang Chao grabbed the bowl, Zhao Yun felt that something was wrong. He instinctively reached out and pressed down on the sword on his body without even turning his head.

If Zhao Yun had seen this earlier, he might still have time to deal with the problem. However, he was in a hurry to buy a horse, so he was only focused on solving his stomach problem. He didn’t notice what had happened, so he couldn’t count on it anymore.

At this moment, Zhang Chao stood up, his right hand firmly grabbed the bowl and plate, ready to throw it at any time.

The horse was getting faster and faster. Seeing that it was less than ten feet away from the girl, if it were to move forward, it would be a murder.

Zhang Chao was also prepared to attack at any time. Right at this moment, the sound of an arrow pierced through the air, then flashed past his eyes and accurately pierced into the healthy horse’s neck.

After seeing that the healthy horse’s body had only taken a step forward habitually, it fell to the ground with a loud explosion, causing dust to splatter all over the ground.

“So close.” Seeing that Jianma was killed, Zhang Chao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Until now, Zhao Yun had also figured out what was going on, and he couldn’t help but say, “Good archery.”

“It is indeed a good archery technique, but I wonder which hero did it.” Zhang Chao had used bows and arrows in the Golden Triangle, so he understood this profession quite well. Although coming here wasn’t a big deal, it could still be considered a medium level. As for the arrow just now, it was so fast and accurate that he felt that it was rare. Even Zhao Yun would not be able to shoot such an arrow.

Zhang Chao wanted to know who did this. Very quickly, the archer appeared. This was a seven foot seven inch long man with an ape back. Although he was young, he had a beard on his face. One could imagine that he would definitely have a beautiful beard in the future.

As soon as he appeared, he saw that he had put away the bow and arrow in his hand, tidied up the iron spear behind him, and arrived in front of the girl first. After seeing that she was fine, he felt relieved. He wanted to turn around and leave.

However, it was already too late to leave. A few strong men had already escaped from the horse market. Looking at his attire, one could tell that he was not from the Central Plains. He looked extremely similar to the disguise of the Wildlands of Liangzhou.

“Wait, you want to leave now after killing our healthy horse? Do you know how much our horse costs?” One of the people first lowered his head and looked at the healthy horse. After confirming that he was undoubtedly dead, he raised his head and shouted at the shooter.

“I only want to save myself. I don’t want to think about horses. What should I do?” Seeing that someone was shouting at him, the shooter did not flee. Instead, he stood on the spot and asked.

“How about it? Of course we have to compensate the horse. Let me tell you, this healthy horse of ours came from Liangzhou after endless hardships. It is worth ten thousand silver taels. You were shot to death in a flash. How can you leave here?” When asked why, the horse dealer from the horse market retorted.