115 Riding pigs to battle generals

In the realm of disputes, Chuyao ultimately holds the upper hand in skill.

The end result was that no one was left to oversee Shentang's pig-riding escapades.

Shentang: "...???"

The true reason was that Qishan wanted to manage but couldn't allocate the energy to instruct Shentang. The matter of taxes and silver was pressing. Although the current situation might not be affected by whether or not those taxes and silver were obtained, who would refuse money? If it could be obtained, it would naturally be for the best. To not seize the opportunity would be to invite blame upon oneself. Since the heavens were willing to favor them and arrange for this batch of taxes and silver at this time, there was no reason not to take it. In Qishan's heart, that batch of taxes and silver had long been regarded as one of Shentang's assets. It would expedite the recruitment of soldiers and purchase of horses in the future. Shentang was forced to idle away her time for two days. Why only two days? Because on the third day of pig-riding and pig-rearing, she found herself with a companion.

"Halt, don't move forward!"

Although this den of bandits had already removed its "illegal operating license", the outside world was still unaware. To prevent potential dangers, six people were sent out every day to patrol and stand guard on the mountain road.

They intercepted Zhai Le, who was attempting to climb the mountain.

They recognized Zhai Le's face, knowing that this black-clothed youth was a ruthless character who killed without blinking. Naturally, they dared not approach him and only dared to hide in the distance in the bushes, loudly warning.

Zhai Le had noticed these two people early on. He clasped his hands and loudly exclaimed, "I am Zhai Le, here to find a friend."

The two patrollers whispered to each other, "Then you wait here."

Since Shentang was nearby, tending to the pigs by the stream, Zhai Le didn't have to wait long before encountering Shen, who was riding a pig with a smile on his face.

Riding a pig... Shen? Zhai Le witnessed this scene, his thin lips slightly parted, even his affectionate eyes filled with confusion. After a while, he confirmed that what he saw and heard was not an illusion, pointing trembling fingers at the black pig ridden by Shentang and asking, "Shen, what is this?"

Shentang naturally replied, "A wild boar."

A wild boar, washed clean, with a saddle draped over its back, wrapped in leather, and a white saddlecloth hanging from its waist, its neck tethered with reins. Zhai Le blinked rapidly, confirming once again that it was a black pig and not a black horse.

Seeing Shentang admit it so readily left Zhai Le momentarily speechless.

"Then, why did you saddle a wild boar?"

Shentang replied, "I don't know either. It was like this when I woke up."

The next day when she went to the pigsty to lead the pig, the black pig's back was already adorned with a saddle, reins, and saddlecloth, all in place.

The one who could accomplish this was either Chuyao or Qishan.

Shentang waved to the two patrollers, signaling for them to continue with their tasks, and Zhai Le was left in her care.

"But I heard that wild boars are notoriously aggressive and difficult to tame. How did you manage to capture it? And to ride it as well?" Zhai Le gazed at the sturdy and imposing wild boar, his admiration inexplicable.

Shentang replied, "A good thrashing was all it took to tame it."

Zhai Le raised his hand to touch the boar's head, saying, "I wish I could do the same."

Shentang then said, "If you want, I can take you to catch one. Yesterday when I let the pigs out, I noticed some animal tracks in certain areas."

Zhai Le didn't know what "letting the pigs out" meant and assumed that Shentang had been riding wild boars around everywhere, with most of her attention focused on catching pigs. Upon hearing about the wild boar, he quickly urged Shentang to take him to catch one. He also wanted to experience the feeling of riding a pig.

Naturally, Shentang wouldn't refuse. However, she was more curious about why Zhai Le had come all this way to find her.

Just to ride a pig???

Or—

"Do you not have any wine to drink again?"

"Do I look like the kind of person who would climb a mountain just for wine?"

Shentang earnestly appraised his handsome face and nodded, "Very much so!"

Zhai Le: "..."

He felt like a deflated balloon, his momentum dissipating completely, and he drooped his shoulders listlessly, saying, "Well, Shentang guessed part of it right. But not having wine to drink is just one aspect. The main reason is that I miss Shentang. It's so boring to spend the day at the inn..."

Shentang asked, "What about your cousin?"

"He's busy with something."

Shentang left it at that, not continuing to ask what kept Zhai Huan so occupied that he couldn't even care about his younger cousin. Wasn't Qishan also too busy to care about her, just like Zhai Le? In a sense, both she and Zhai Le could be considered "stay-at-home youths", idle and bored.

Bored to the point of only being able to catch pigs for fun.

Fortune favors the determined. They waited for over half an hour in the area where the wild boars had been active, finally spotting a second wild boar.

Another heart-wrenching battle ensued, with both of them emerging victorious. Zhai Le also got to experience the feeling of riding a pig as he had wished.

In the end, he reluctantly gave a five-star rating.

"Except for the low visibility, it's a bit like riding a horse." Zhai Le circled around Shentang on the pig, then suddenly suggested, "Last time I invited Shentang to a horse race, but she declined. This time, since we're both riding pigs, why not have a race? The loser treats the winner to drinks?"

Shentang glanced at the sun and shrugged her lips.

"What's the point of comparing? No matter how you look at it, I'm at a disadvantage. Even if I win, I wouldn't dare to drink... I nearly drove the NPC guide Qishan crazy with high blood pressure the last two times I got drunk."

Zhai Le pulled out a delicately crafted gold coin from his purse and waved it in front of her eyes. "Shentang, you can watch me drink."

Shentang looked at the small gold coin in silence for a moment.

Her shameful heart stirred.

Suddenly, with a pointed finger to the sky, Shentang exclaimed in astonishment to Zhai Le, "Look, Laughing Fang, look! There's a pig flying in the sky!"

"Where's the pig???" Zhai Le, unaware of this trick, instinctively looked up at the sky, scanning left and right but saw no flying pig. Meanwhile, Shentang beside him succeeded in her scheme, whipping the wild boar's rear with a swift strike. The boar screamed in pain and dashed away in a frenzy.

Realizing he had been tricked, Zhai Le felt embarrassed. "..."

He yelled in embarrassment, "Shentang, you're cheating!"

"They say all is fair in love and war!" Shentang retorted.

Zhai Le was taken aback once again. He quickly caught up, shouting, "All's fair in love and war? But isn't that a saying from the Warring States period? Shentang, wait for me!"

The wild boar he was riding was particularly ferocious, its short legs and hooves pounding the ground rapidly as it closed in on Shentang. On her side, Shentang casually bent down, picking up a branch in the midst of the chaos. With a sudden move, she feigned a thrust with the branch towards Zhai Le's face.

But Zhai Le was no pushover.

Being a skilled martial artist since childhood, trained in the ways of combat and honed in reflexes, he swiftly counteracted. He moved forward instead of retreating, his response as swift as lightning, seemingly ready to grab the branch from Shentang's hand. However, Shentang changed her move halfway, saying, "Take this!"

Unable to snatch it away, Zhai Le also grabbed a branch.

He mimicked Shentang, shouting, "Take this spear!"

Shentang raised her foot and kicked towards the wild boar's face where Zhai Le was.

Taken aback, Zhai Le steadied the wild boar, which was snorting and retreating in disarray, and tightened the reins. "Where did you learn that trick?"

Shentang grinned and said, "If you're not convinced, come and fight me!"

Gritting his teeth, Zhai Le seized the opportunity and chased after her.

Watching the two of them fiercely battling while riding pigs, Qishan felt her blood pressure rise once again, metaphorically flooring the accelerator.

"Shen! You! Li!"

Both Shentang and Zhai Le stopped abruptly, the latter's expression stiff with embarrassment as he realized what he had done. He quickly threw away the branch in his hand. But Shentang was different. She waved at Qishan.

"Hey, Yuanliang, I'm over here!"