Chapter 63

"Master, the sheep is right ahead, let's hurry up and charge over. As long as we grab that sheep, everything will be fine!" Hu Lao San, who was leading the charge, pointed ahead and shouted loudly.

"Alright, let's hurry over!" Yueyang also became excited. For him, as long as he could grab that sheep, he would have no trouble making Hailanzhu his wife. And once Hailanzhu became his wife, he wouldn't have to worry about horses for his cavalry in the future.

Suddenly, Shun Bao shouted, "Master, be careful!"

"Bang..."

A dull sound echoed, and Shun Bao, who was guarding Yueyang's right side, was knocked to the side along with his horse. If Shun Bao hadn't clung tightly to the horse's neck, he would have been thrown to the ground.

Yueyang turned around and was startled to see that Aobai and two other Jin riders had already rushed to their side. It was Aobai who had just knocked Shun Bao aside.

Pushing Shun Bao to the side, Aobai sneered and charged at Yueyang, shouting, "You Ming dog, yesterday that old man in your village protected you and let you escape. Today is the sheep-grabbing contest, and I want to see who can save you now!"

Aobai prided himself on his bravery and had won more battles than he had lost against the Ming army, which had made him despise the Ming soldiers. However, over the past two days, he had been called a "Jian slave" by Yueyang several times, which he considered a great humiliation. Upon learning that Yueyang was also participating in the sheep-grabbing contest, he vowed to take his life.

Seeing Aobai charge at him like a mad dog, Yueyang was greatly alarmed. He knew his own riding skills were poor, and if he were to face Aobai, who rode as naturally as eating and sleeping, he would be no match for him even if five of him were tied together. Therefore, when he saw Aobai charging at him, he gritted his teeth and sped up.

"Where are you running to!"

Seeing Yueyang desperately spur his horse forward, Aobai sneered and urged his horse to chase after him...

Zaisang, who had been watching Yueyang closely, frowned and turned to Dai Wei with a smile, "Prince, in the sheep-grabbing contest, everyone chases the sheep, but Aobai is chasing a person. This is quite an eye-opener; I didn't know the contest could be participated in this way!"

Although Zaisang was smiling, his words were filled with sarcasm. Dai Wei, of course, could hear the sarcasm and smiled, "There's nothing we can do. Aobai is one of the Great Khan's men, and he has his reasons. Besides, Yueyang, this Ming dog, has repeatedly insulted our Jurchen warriors. It's understandable that Aobai wants to teach him a lesson."

However, Hailanzhu couldn't bear to listen anymore. As the saying goes, a woman's heart is always with her husband. Although Hailanzhu had only met Yueyang once, she knew that since her father had made the decision and she felt good about Yueyang, she naturally began to lean towards him. Now, hearing others speak ill of her future husband, she felt uncomfortable and said coldly,

"Oh, really? I heard from my father that Prince Dai Wei came here to propose marriage on behalf of my uncle, who is also my brother-in-law. Did I hear wrong? Or do you think killing a Han person is more important than proposing marriage for your Great Khan?"

"I..."

Dai Wei didn't expect this seemingly straightforward woman to be so sharp-tongued and was momentarily speechless.

"Hailanzhu, you must not be disrespectful to Prince Dai Wei!" Zaisang feigned seriousness and scolded Hailanzhu, then turned to Dai Wei with a fake smile, "Prince, my daughter's rudeness has embarrassed you. However, what she said isn't entirely without reason. Look, how intense the sheep-grabbing contest is, but your men are chasing a Han person. This... this is really inappropriate!"

"Humph!" Dai Wei snorted, his nostrils flaring with anger. To say he wasn't furious would be a lie. At this moment, he had already cursed Aobai's ancestors dozens of times. Ever since meeting the merchant surnamed Yue, Aobai had caused trouble repeatedly, always changing the plans he had given him, putting him in an awkward position. If Aobai were from the Bordered Red Banner, Dai Wei would have cut off his head long ago.

In the end, Dai Wei turned his head to pretend to watch the contest. However, when he looked, he was almost frightened. He saw that Yueyang, who had been chased by Aobai, had somehow run to the front of the line and was holding the sheep that everyone had been fighting over.

"What's going on? This Yue guy can't even ride a horse steadily, how did he manage to grab that sheep? Are those Mongols blind?" Dai Wei was so angry that he almost jumped up.

Actually, not only Dai Wei, but even Yueyang, the person involved, was a bit dazed. Just now, while he was busy escaping, he had unknowingly run to the front of the line. At some point, over ten Mongol riders who had been fighting over the sheep had also run to his side. Somehow, the sheep they had been fighting over flew towards him.

Yueyang naturally wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass. Although he was still escaping, he was happy to grab a benefit. He caught the sheep that had fallen from the sky and spurred his horse towards the viewing stand. As long as he could place the sheep in front of Zaisang, he would win the contest.

Just as Yueyang was enjoying his unexpected good fortune, someone was unhappy and charged at him. This person was Aobai.

Aobai, who had been chasing Yueyang all the way, was almost driven mad with anger. He couldn't understand why, despite Yueyang's poor riding skills and an ordinary horse, he couldn't catch him. Every time he was about to catch up, a few or a dozen Mongol riders would appear in front of him, blocking his view or intentionally or unintentionally blocking his path, forcing him to detour and allowing Yueyang to escape.

Now, seeing Yueyang get lucky and grab the sheep representing the championship, Aobai remembered his main task for the day and became anxious. He turned around and shouted at the two riders behind him, "You two dogs, listen up! You must catch that Ming dog and take the sheep from him. If anyone dares to block you, knock them off their horses. Do you understand?"

"Understood, Master!"

The two riders responded in unison and immediately spurred their horses to chase Yueyang. As expected, several Mongol riders soon ran towards them, blocking their path. However, this time, the two riders, following Aobai's strict orders, didn't hesitate and charged madly at the Mongols. If they hit them, the Mongols would likely be seriously injured.

The Mongol riders, surprised by the Jurchen riders' madness, quickly turned their horses to the side. They were here to compete, not to risk their lives. With no one blocking them, Aobai and the two riders naturally sped up. In contrast, Yueyang's riding skills were mediocre, and he was also carrying a heavy sheep, so the distance between them gradually closed.

When Yueyang turned around and saw Aobai's fierce face less than fifty meters away, he was terrified and whipped his horse again, which sped up in pain.

However, the difference between professionals and amateurs was clear. No matter how fast Yueyang tried to go, Aobai was still catching up quickly, and it seemed he would be caught soon.

At this moment, a sound of hooves came from the side. Yueyang looked and was almost frightened to death. It turned out that over a hundred Mongol riders were charging towards him. If he were to be hit by them, Shun Bao wouldn't even need to collect his body, as he would be trampled to death.

But something surprising happened. These riders seemed to have a collective case of blindness. As they approached Yueyang, they parted, leaving a gap wide enough for him to pass through. They then blocked his path behind him.

Aobai and his men were stunned. They had the courage to charge through a few riders earlier, but now they were facing over a hundred riders. If they charged through, they would be fools, not brave.

At this point, even the most foolish person could see that this contest was not a sheep-grabbing contest but a special event for Yueyang.

Dai Wei couldn't hold back any longer and turned to Zaisang with a cold smile, "Prince Zaisang, I never thought the科尔沁部落 would learn from the Han people and start playing tricks."

However, Dai Wei underestimated Zaisang's thick skin. Zaisang simply shouted, "Oh, these brats, a group of them couldn't even stop one Han person, letting him slip through. They have disgraced our科尔沁部落. I will punish them severely when we return!"

"You..."

Dai Wei almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Was it that they couldn't stop him? Clearly, they were protecting him. Do you think I'm blind?

At this moment, cheers erupted from the front. Dai Wei turned to see that Yueyang had already reached the front and thrown the sheep into a circle marked on the ground, winning the contest...

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