As Da Bai stepped into the stable, the voices outside caught the stable master's attention. He emerged from one of the stalls and began walking toward the tied horses.
"Oh, isn't this Brother Da Bai? You're earlier than I expected," the stable master called out, a sly grin plastered across his face.
Within moments, the two stood face to face beside the horses. Da Bai, staring at the stable master who still wore his sly grin, said in a cold tone, "Brother Han, I don't know what I've done to offend you, but you nearly caused me enormous trouble today."
Hearing this, the stable master replied with a faint sigh, "Put yourself in my shoes. Someone comes along, asking for the finest, most well-kept horses I've been tending for years—likely for a perilous mission. And to top it off, it's someone who owes me a debt. How would you have reacted?"
Da Bai rubbed his temples, with a tired expression. "Whatever the case, Brother Han, I'll settle my debt with you. But that's not the issue. Can I take the horses now?"
The stable master, stroking the mane of one of the horses with a pained expression as though handing over his most prized possession, let out a long sigh. Without looking at Da Bai, he said, "Fine... Take them. But first, show me both your and Young Master's badges."
Da Bai quickly produced both tokens, handing them over. The stable master examined Young Master Han Fei's token with particular scrutiny, taking his time to ensure there were no flaws. Finally, he gave back the badges saying, "Alright."
With a look of relief as if to say "finally," Da Bai untied the horses and led them one by one to the waiting group outside the stable.
A few minutes later, under the stable master's sorrowful gaze, the five riders mounted the Earth-Horses and rode off toward the Lee family's house.
Meanwhile, at the Lee family house, Lee Zhong and Han Fei, clad in armor, paced anxiously, awaiting news from their servants.
"Where are those two fools? Brother Han Fei, perhaps entrusting them with something so critical was a mistake," Lee Zhong muttered, pacing around the table in his room, his frustration evident.
"Calm down, Brother Lee Zhong. Between our families, I estimate we'll have at least eight Earth-Horses. That should suffice." Han Fei said in an even tone, seated nearby.
Lee Zhong, still agitated, ran his hand along the hilt of his sword. "Ah! That's true. There should be enough horses. But timing is critical. You know we can't wait until morning." He paused before adding, "Soon, we'll need to board the carriage and head to the town lord's manor, but there's no sign of the horses or the carriage!"
"Hmmm…" Han Fei let out a low hum as if in contemplation.
Though Han Fei appeared calm, he too was deeply uneasy. Unlike Lee Zhong, he remained seated, leaning an arm on the table while his gaze fixated on the room door. His left foot tapped rhythmically against the floor, betraying his inner tension.
'Brother Lee Zhong is right, but maybe failure is for the best. This plan was madness from the start,' Han Fei thought, still harboring doubts about the mission's risks.
As Han Fei mulled over the situation, Lee Zhong's restless pacing providing a steady rhythm, the five riders arrived at the Lee family house, passing through the eastern gate without stopping and heading straight for the family's stable.
"Waaa! Aren't those Earth-Horses?"
"This is the first time I've seen so many Earth-Horses together."
"What are they planning with so many horses? Did you see the light armor on the horses' heads?"
Servants and guards alike murmured among themselves as the five made their way through the house. Ignoring the commotion, the group reached the stable and dismounted under the dumbfounded stares of the guards stationed there.
Bo An turned to the group and said, "The three of you can return to your duties now."
"Then I'll be taking my leave." The Lee family servant gave a slight bow before turning and walking away.
The two Han family servants glanced at Da Bai, as if asking, "What should we do?". Da Bai met their gazes and said, "You two can return as well."
Like the Lee family servant, the Han family servants bowed slightly before departing.
Bo An then addressed Da Bai. "Senior, you go inform the young masters. I'll handle the carriage."
As he walked away, Da Bai called out after him, "Junior, try hitching the horses in pairs."
Once Bo An disappeared from view, Da Bai turned to the guards at the stable entrance. "Keep an eye on these horses until Bo An returns. If anything happens, no one will be able to save you." Without waiting for a response, Da Bai strode away, leaving behind the guards, who still couldn't make sense of what had happened.
While the Lee family house buzzed with amazement over the Earth-Horses' dramatic arrival, Da Bai made his way toward Lee Zhong's chamber—the place where, nearly an hour earlier, they had received their orders from both young masters.
After a minute or so, Da Bai reached Lee Zhong's room. Seeing the door open, he stepped inside.
Both young masters, who had been staring at the door, immediately rose to their feet, their expressions serious as they turned to face him.
Seeing the two armored figures glaring coldly at him, Da Bai froze for a moment before swallowing hard and bowing slightly. "Servant Da Bai greets Young Master and Young Master Lee Zhong."
Lee Zhong's nostrils flared as he exhaled sharply, while Han Fei's gaze remained fixed on Da Bai.
After a tense few seconds, just as Lee Zhong was about to erupt in anger, Han Fei spoke. "Where have you been? And where is the other one?"
"Young Master, we've only just managed to complete the task. Junior Bo An is currently preparing the carriage at the stable," Da Bai answered nervously, sensing the young masters' irritation.
Taking a deep breath, Lee Zhong spoke in an icy tone. "Didn't we tell you to report back to us immediately after delivering the letters and our message? Why didn't you return?"
Frightened by Lee Zhong's palpable anger, Da Bai swallowed hard before replying, "Young Master Lee Zhong, even with the badges you gave us, it wasn't easy. They were reluctant to hand over the horses. After we got them, we had to find riders. The young masters we met also had questions, so we couldn't leave immediately."
Sensing Lee Zhong was on the verge of attacking the servant, Han Fei interjected. "Brother Lee Zhong, calm down. The night is still young, and we shouldn't waste our energy on unnecessary matters. At least the horses are ready. Isn't that right, Da Bai?"