Library of Heaven’s Path 2: Eternal Destiny

Jumping off the horse, Yu Xiaoyu hurriedly checked Su Shang\'s belly and saw a swarm of flies buzzing around. She turned, puzzled, towards the groom nearby, “What\'s going on?”

Waving away the flies, Zhang Xuan remained calm, “Miss Yu, it’s quite humid recently. Besides, I never expected this at the academy\'s entrance. It’s probably due to their poor hygiene. It’s quite normal.”

He quickly deflected responsibility. After all, without getting down and sniffing closely, no one could say for sure.

Yu Feng frowned, “You mean these appeared after arriving here?”

Zhang Xuan nodded indignantly, “Are you questioning us servants, Young Mr. Yu? I clean and groom Su Shang every day, bathing it with fresh flowers. It\'s always clean and suitable for a lady of Miss Yu’s stature.”

Yu Xiaoyu said, “Brother, he\'s right. Su Shang is a prized horse, fed with fine grain and housed separately. Unlike ordinary horses, it\'s not dirty. I’ve ridden it the whole way, and it definitely has no smell. It must be the academy’s problem.”

“Hmm... I\'ll report this to the student affairs office and have the teachers handle it.”

Seeing his sister speak up, Yu Feng stopped questioning and smiled, “These are minor issues. Let\'s enter the campus first! Once you pass the assessment, I\'ll help you choose a teacher.”

Yu Xiaoyu nodded and was about to call Mo Yanxue when a mocking voice came over.

“There are many kinds of horses, but just being big and pretty doesn’t make it a prized horse.”

At that moment, a tall girl, also riding a fine horse, slowly approached.

This horse was a whole head taller than Su Shang, with glossy black fur, a long slender neck, powerful legs, and bright eyes. Its hooves made a rhythmic "clip-clop" sound on the stone ground, creating a strong sense of pressure even before it got close.

Recognizing the newcomer, Yu Xiaoyu\'s eyebrows shot up, “Liu Mingyue, what do you mean by that!”

The girl opposite, Liu Mingyue, was the daughter of the Liu family\'s head, one of the three major families in White Roc City. Along with Mo Yanxue and Yu Xiaoyu, she was one of the city\'s three beauties and always liked to compete with the other two. Every meeting inevitably led to a quarrel.

Yu Xiaoyu had chosen to ride Su Shang to look more impressive, hoping to outshine Liu Mingyue. But unexpectedly, the girl had brought an even taller and more imposing horse.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Liu Mingyue lifted the reins, raising her chin in a swan-like curve, “My Dao Li is the true prized horse. Yours is just a colt at best, and yet you dare call it a prized horse?”

“Nonsense...”

Biting her lip, Yu Xiaoyu’s face flushed with anger. She wanted to retort but didn\'t know what to say. Her mouth puckered up, unable to speak.

Su Shang was imposing compared to other horses, but next to Dao Li, it seemed more like a colt, not standing out at all.

“Aren’t you convinced? Dare to let your horse compete with my Dao Li? If it wins, I’ll acknowledge it as a prized horse. Otherwise, you must admit you came to the academy on a colt.”

Liu Mingyue smiled confidently.

“How do we compete?”

Yu Xiaoyu placed her hands on her hips, undeterred.

Seeing her take the bait, Liu Mingyue continued, “It’s simple. Since the Source Pool Assessment is coming up, making them run a thousand miles isn’t practical. However, a prized horse is not only strong but also mentally resilient.”

She then took out a grayish-blue stone and held it in her palm, “I have here a piece of Mo Yun Jade, occasionally obtained from battlefields and soaked in warriors’ blood, rich in killing aura. Once activated, it simulates a battlefield environment, unsettling to the mind. A true prized horse would be unaffected within a ten-meter range, but an ordinary horse might get frightened and panic. Dare to let your horse try?”

“Mo Yun Jade contains a rich killing aura. Once released, it tempers the mind and enhances mental strength.”

“Using such a precious item just to test a horse? As expected of the Liu family’s daughter, quite bold!”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s just a test, not much killing aura will be wasted. It can still be reused after sealing.”

“That’s true...”

The surrounding students whispered among themselves.

“Uh...”

Yu Xiaoyu didn’t immediately agree, hesitating as it wasn’t her horse, making it hard to decide.

“What, don’t you dare?”

With a sneer, Liu Mingyue brushed her bangs, “If not, just admit you’re inferior and came to the academy on a colt...”

“You...”

Yu Xiaoyu pouted angrily.

Admitting defeat would mean never being able to hold her head high in front of her opponent again. As she struggled for an answer, a calm voice came from the carriage, "Why wouldn\'t we dare!"

The carriage curtain opened, and Mo Yanxue stepped out.

Dressed in white, her cool, delicate face matched her tall and slender figure, making all the young men present light up with admiration. The confrontation between the three beauties was a feast for the eyes.

Liu Mingyue suddenly realized, "I see, this is your Su Shang? It looks rather lackluster, not impressive at all!"

Mo Yanxue responded, "We\'ll see after the test! However... simply gaining your acknowledgment means nothing. How about we raise the stakes?"

Liu Mingyue asked, "How?"

Mo Yanxue said, "It\'s simple. The loser must apologize to Xiaoyu and my Su Shang in public and then shout three times, \'I was wrong!\'"

Liu Mingyue agreed, "Fine! But it won\'t just be a simple test. I want Su Shang and Dao Li to compete in resisting the killing aura. Whoever withstands more wins!"

After explaining the rules and seeing that everyone was still a bit confused, Liu Mingyue added, "The closer they get to the Mo Yun Jade, the stronger the killing aura. In other words, the horse that gets closer wins! How about it? Dare to play?"

"Well..." Mo Yanxue frowned.

Although Su Shang was a prized horse, it was young and temperamental and had never experienced life-and-death battles. While entering the ten-meter range might not be a problem, competing with the other horse made the outcome uncertain.

While pondering, she suddenly thought of something and turned to look at the groom not far away.

This guy had managed to keep Su Shang well-behaved; he should be able to make it withstand the killing aura too, right?

"Zhang Xuan, you’ve been taking care of Su Shang. You decide whether to compete or not!"

"Me?"

Surprised that the young lady directly named him, Zhang Xuan couldn\'t help but be taken aback. He then began to consider his own situation.

The scene before him was a confrontation in name but was essentially the young ladies taking the opportunity to one-up each other. In his current role, whether he won or lost, he wouldn\'t gain any benefit. It would also make him very conspicuous, going against his low-profile and humble persona...

Given this, there was no need to get involved. Thinking of this, he quickly bowed, "Miss, I\'m just a groom. I\'m really not fit to..."

Before he could finish, Mo Yanxue interrupted, "Since I’m letting you decide, it has nothing to do with your status. You have the right to make the decision!"

"This..."

Zhang Xuan looked troubled, "I only know how to take care of horses. I really don\'t know anything else. Thank you for your high regard, but I\'m afraid..."

Mo Yanxue interrupted again, "If you win, I\'ll reward you with 100 Source Coins..."

"Alright!"

Before she finished speaking, the previously hesitant groom waved his hand and showed a resolute expression, "Compete, we must compete. Why wouldn\'t we!"