"Pull!"
With a strong tug from the knights, the already disoriented flying horse lost its balance. It let out a mournful whinny, flapped its wings wildly, and lurched unsteadily towards the ground.
"Watch out!"
Several nearby knights rushed forward in a flurry, managing to catch the falling creature. Though it was a rough landing, they at least ensured it didn't sustain any serious injuries.
Before the flying horse even hit the ground, Moonlight轻盈一跃 (translated as "leaped lightly"), landing gracefully on the nearby grass. It shook its fur and then strutted over to Leo's feet with an elegant catwalk. Lifting its head, it rubbed its head against Leo's trouser leg, giving him a look that clearly said, "Praise me now!"
"Well done, Moonlight! You're the hero of the day!"
Leo bent down and vigorously rubbed Moonlight's big, furry head again, his joy overflowing and hard to contain.
Looking at the flying horses, now firmly under the knights' control, still neighing and struggling restlessly but unable to escape, Leo and Ade exchanged a glance. They could both see the excitement and satisfaction in each other's eyes.
This harvest was truly substantial!
"My lord, we've captured six flying horses in total!"
A knight finished counting and stepped forward to report, his face brimming with undeniable excitement.
"Good! Excellent!"
Leo nodded, his gaze sweeping over these magnificent creatures.
"Check if any of them are injured. Apply the best herbs to them. Be gentle; don't startle them further."
He then turned his attention to the flying horse that Moonlight had "bonked" unconscious with its two punches. It seemed to be regaining some consciousness now, lying on the ground with a somewhat dazed look in its eyes, as if questioning its very existence.
The knights responded with enthusiasm, their faces glowing with delight.
Capturing flying horses was an achievement worthy of bragging about for a lifetime!
Ade took charge and began directing the knights to handle the situation carefully.
They needed to blindfold the flying horses with specially made eye masks to calm their nerves. Then, they would secure them with stronger ropes in preparation for the journey back to Blackstone Town.
"Ade, have all the earth dragon grass been collected?" Leo looked at Ade, who was directing the knights to blindfold the flying horses.
"Yes, my lord. Everything has been properly stored away."
Ade quickly walked over, a barely contained smile on his face.
"This is an enormous harvest!"
After being blindfolded, the flying horses indeed calmed down significantly. Though they still showed signs of restlessness, they no longer struggled as wildly as before.
"My lord, these flying horses... they have a fierce temperament. It might be difficult to tame them."
An experienced old knight looked at the flying horses, which were occasionally pawing the ground and shaking their heads, and expressed his concern.
Leo glanced at these graceful yet powerful creatures, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. "Flying horses are indeed proud, but they're not untamable. Since they were attracted by the earth dragon grass, it means they have certain needs. Once we're back, we'll take it slow. There's always a way."
"Alright, it's getting late. We need to hurry back."
The group set off on their return journey.
On the way here, they had traveled light and unencumbered. But on the way back, they had six "extra burdens."
Although blindfolded, the innate nature of the flying horses remained. They still pawed the ground from time to time, shook their bound heads, and let out restless neighs.
The knights were on high alert, working in pairs to tightly hold the reins, always on guard against sudden outbursts from the horses.
Moonlight seemed to have lost interest in these large creatures, or perhaps the two "bonks" had exhausted a bit of its energy. At the moment, it was lazily sprawled across Leo's shoulder, half-closing its eyes, its tail sweeping lazily across the back of Leo's neck from time to time. Only when a particularly restless flying horse caused the knights to scramble would it raise an eyelid, glance over, and let out a low, rumbling growl from its throat, sounding like a warning or perhaps a mockery.
Leo's mood, however, was lighter than ever before.
At that moment, he was already envisioning forming his own flying cavalry squad.
The bumps along the road and the occasional commotion from the flying horses didn't affect the overall speed of the group.
Before the sun completely sank below the horizon, the familiar outline of Blackstone Town finally came into view at the end of the road.
"The lord has returned!"
The sharp-eyed guards at the town entrance spotted the group from afar, along with the conspicuous, massive figures among them.
"What is that? Such huge horses... with wings?!"
"Good heavens! It's flying horses!"
The news spread through the town like wildfire.
When Leo and his group slowly led the six magnificent flying horses, whose divine nature couldn't be fully concealed even by the blindfolds, through the town gate, they were greeted by an unprecedented uproar.
Blackstone Town had recently been bustling with activity due to the recruitment of knight apprentices. A temporary registration point had even been set up in the town square, making it extremely lively.
At that moment, everyone was drawn over. The streets on both sides were packed with townsfolk who had heard the news. They craned their necks and stared wide-eyed at these legendary creatures, their faces filled with shock and curiosity.
"My goodness! The lord has actually captured flying horses!"
"Six! A whole six of them!"
"They're so magnificent! Look at those wings, those lines..."
Exclamations and discussions rose and fell, merging into a massive wave of sound.
The already lively registration scene was now completely ignited. Even some people who were in line to register couldn't resist running over to join the spectacle.
The guards responsible for maintaining order had to exert a great deal of effort to barely clear a path through the crowd.
The knights' faces were brimming with pride and self-satisfaction. They stood tall, gripping the reins tightly, savoring the admiring and envious gazes of the townsfolk.
The feat of capturing flying horses was definitely something they could brag about for a lifetime!
Moonlight seemed to enjoy the feeling of being the center of attention. It stood up on Leo's shoulder like a victorious general, looking down at the crowd below with a satisfied purr rumbling in its throat.
The appearance of the flying horses无疑给刚刚起步,百废待兴的黑石镇注入了一剂强心针 (translated as "undoubtedly injected a powerful boost into Blackstone Town, which was just getting on its feet and had everything to rebuild"), giving everyone hope and a glimpse of the future.
"Ade, take the flying horses to the stable first. Leave two knights to guard them specifically. Provide them with the best hay and fresh water," Leo instructed.
"Yes, my lord!"
Ade took the order and directed the knights to carefully lead the still somewhat restless flying horses towards the stable at the back of the town.
The crowd automatically parted, their eyes following the magical creatures, reluctant to look away for a long time.
At that moment, a dusty squad returned from another direction. It was Bolin, who had been sent to search for the wreckage of the ship upstream on the Blackwater River.
From afar, he saw the commotion at the town entrance. When he got closer and saw the flying horses being led away, he was also taken aback.
"My lord!"
Bolin quickly stepped forward, his face showing undeniable fatigue but his eyes shining brightly.
"I've accomplished my mission!"
"Well done, Bolin," Leo patted him on the shoulder.
"Judging by your expression, it seems like a significant收获 (translated as 'haul')?"
Bolin grinned.
"Yes, my lord! We found the wreckage of a large stranded ship on a riverbank upstream. It looked like a huge water monster had capsized it. The hull was severely damaged, but after a thorough search, we found a lot of good stuff!"
He paused, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "We found this in the secret compartment of the cabin!"
With that, he gestured to the soldiers behind him to carry over several heavy chests.
Bolin wore a proud look on his face. "There are a total of two thousand two hundred gold dragons!"
"And that's not all!"
Bolin continued his report.
"We also found a lot of supplies in the cabin! There were over a hundred sacks of grain, several hundred bolts of linen, and a few barrels of fine wine!"
Grain and linen were essential daily necessities, while wine meant moments of enjoyment and relaxation after hard work.
"In addition, there was a considerable amount of iron ore and some timber on the ship. Although they were soaked, they could still be used after some processing. I've already arranged for manpower with Old Buck. We're transporting these supplies back now and should have everything here by tomorrow," Bolin added.
Leo nodded with satisfaction.
Money, grain, cloth, ore, timber - this "windfall" from the ship had greatly alleviated the current resource shortage in Blackstone Town.
Especially the more than two thousand gold dragons, which were a much-needed relief.