A sudden gust of wind picked up outside, chilling his face. Chen Feng straightened the wrinkles in his clothes caused by the breeze and stood in the street, turning toward the "Rookie Barracks."

“Clip-clop…” A crisp sound of hooves approached from behind him and stopped right beside him.

On horseback sat a heavily armored guard. Chen Feng glanced over and immediately adopted a posture suggesting he was ready to flee.

“Relax, I am only here on orders and mean you no harm. Marshal Elvis wishes to see you now!” the guard in heavy armor stated from his mount.

This heavily armored guard was one of the Duel Master level warriors Chen Feng had encountered in the pavilion that afternoon.

Chen Feng couldn't fathom why his actions today had offended Marshal Elvis, yet the Marshal now wished to see him. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded.

What was coming would come; Chen Feng had never believed in running away out of fear.

Mounting another warhorse held by the armored guard, Chen Feng slowly followed the guard’s pace.

Chen Feng had never ridden a horse before and knew nothing about them. The moment he settled onto the saddle, the well-trained warhorse suddenly reared up with a roar, attempting to throw him off.

Chen Feng instantly understood: they were trying to give him a very real, hard lesson.

The heavy-armored guard watched the frantically bucking warhorse, a slight smile touching his lips.

To think that this fellow managed to hold Marshal Elvis hostage right under their noses! Even knowing this was a test, it couldn't stop the proud and arrogant soldiers from feeling deeply humiliated. A group of Duel Masters being played with by a mere Fighter! If they didn't recover some face, it would be impossible.

When all the heavy-armored guards heard the Marshal had dispatched someone to find Ba Shen An, they had already hatched a plan.

The Marshal had emphasized that they must not trouble him, but the warhorse wouldn't obey human commands, would it? Thus, they chose the most untamable and notoriously ill-tempered warhorse in the entire camp!

This warhorse was named “One-Hoof Snow.” It was quite famous throughout the barracks. Its coat was a pure reddish-brown with not a single misplaced hair, except for the fur on its four hooves, which was white, making it look as if it were standing in snow—hence the title.

This horse was blindingly fast; if categorized by equine standards, it could easily rival the Marshal’s own mount, Gale Chaser. However, its temperament was ferocious, refusing to let anyone approach easily.

Normally, most soldiers were Fighters, possessing immense strength once they channeled their Battle Qi. Yet, for some unknown reason, this horse seemed capable of sensing Battle Qi. The moment someone used it, One-Hoof Snow would collapse onto the ground, refusing to move, acting as if anyone employing Battle Qi was beneath its notice. **Wan Juan Shu Wu - WwW.WanJuan.NeT provides the latest chapter reading##

Without Battle Qi, mastering such a powerfully built horse became a difficult feat. Consequently, in the nearly six months since it arrived at the camp, not a single person had successfully managed to tame it.

Bringing it out now was, naturally, an intentional effort to cause trouble for Chen Feng.

“Taming a horse in the bustling streets of the Imperial Capital… Heh, if anything goes wrong, this fellow called Ba Shen An can go cry about it himself!” the heavy-armored guard sneered inwardly, eager to watch Chen Feng make a fool of himself.

As the horse reared high, Chen Feng understood immediately and scoffed internally. Though he’d never ridden, possessing such prodigious strength, a mere horse was hardly a concern. Furthermore, if he allowed the Dragon Might of his Blazing Dragon Bloodline to surface, not just a wild horse, but a genuine dragon would likely prostrate itself before him, too afraid to move.

Chen Feng settled onto the back of the horse, his entire body tensing. He clamped down with his thighs, the muscles on his inner legs instantly hardening like taut steel cables, exerting unparalleled force. As he secured his grip on One-Hoof Snow, he lightly raised his right palm and brought it down in a gentle pat on the horse’s head!

“Hsss…”

One-Hoof Snow let out a long shriek and immediately dropped to its knees. Terror filled its huge eyes; in the face of Chen Feng’s absolute strength, it felt as insignificant as a blade of grass, easily crushable by its rider!

Chen Feng then uttered something that the heavily armored warrior found utterly unbelievable.

“Don't be unruly with me, or I will kill you without hesitation if you challenge me!” Chen Feng spoke these words to the horse, while simultaneously, a dense, palpable Killing Intent radiated from his body!

Whether subdued by Chen Feng’s forceful action or intimidated by the words and the aura, One-Hoof Snow immediately ceased its violent thrashing. It calmly rose, becoming as gentle as if it were an entirely different "horse."

In truth, horses are creatures of great spirit, capable of clearly sensing the killing intent emanating from a person. Chen Feng’s unmasked Killing Intent was so potent that even a mediocre horse would notice it, let alone a fine military steed.

“Wh-what is going on?” The heavy-armored soldier’s eyes widened in disbelief.

In his view, One-Hoof Snow had wildly jumped up, then knelt down after Ba Shen An slapped its head, and after Ba Shen An spoke a few words, this wild beast, which had plagued the entire army, became so docile!

“Does threatening a horse actually work?” the heavy-armored soldier wondered, wiping his eyes. “It must. Otherwise, this super-wild horse would absolutely not be this obedient!”

One-Hoof Snow trotted quietly behind the heavy-armored guard, its hooves striking the ground with a steady “clip-clop.”

Since the other side wanted to intimidate him, if Chen Feng let it pass easily, that wouldn't be his style at all.

His eyes narrowed slightly. Chen Feng activated his Blazing Dragon Bloodline and directed a wave of Dragon Might toward the tall warhorse ridden by the guard. Simultaneously, he let out a soft shout: “Kneel!”

The warhorse beneath the heavy-armored guard immediately folded its front legs and knelt as if obeying a direct command.

Kneeling mid-stride, the guard didn't notice and lurched forward. If not for his high cultivation allowing him to brace himself in time, he would certainly have tumbled off the saddle.

“Tasha, what’s wrong with you?” Almost every warrior named their mount. This horse was named Tasha, and it was notoriously gentle.

Chen Feng let out a cold laugh. He retracted the Dragon Might and commanded softly, “Rise!” Tasha immediately stood up and bolted forward as if possessed, completely ignoring the guard’s control and trampling over pedestrians in its path.

It was clear the horse had been spooked.

The heavy-armored guard had never dealt with a spooked horse. In desperation, he remembered Chen Feng’s earlier actions and quickly shouted, “If you dare to bolt like that again, I swear I’ll stew you for dinner!”

He, too, resorted to the “art of intimidation.”

To his surprise, the warhorse didn't slow down at all, seemingly unaffected by his words.

“My threat wasn't harsh enough!” the heavy-armored guard continued, “Stop immediately, or I’ll kill your entire family…”

Hearing the threat, the warhorse let out a long neigh and ran even faster, streaking down the street, trampling countless stalls and pedestrians in its wake…

“Stop! Or I’ll stew your whole family for dinner…” The guard’s threatening shouts faded into the distance.……………………………………………………………………………………………………

He re-entered the spacious manor, but this time the reception was completely different from the last. Last time, he was greeted by flashing blades; this time, it was two young maidens.

“Please follow this way,” one maiden said sweetly, leading Chen Feng down a different side path.

Chen Feng kept his eyes half-closed, spreading his Mental Perception to its fullest extent. Finding no ambush, he finally relaxed.

Following the maiden for five or six minutes, he saw a set of imposing buildings—this must be where Marshal Elvis resided.

Entering the great hall and taking a seat, it wasn't long before an old man accompanied by a young woman strode in: Marshal Elvis and Angellisa.

Marshal Elvis spoke loudly before even entering the door, “I told you he would come back, but you didn't believe me!” He then laughed heartily at Chen Feng and took the seat of honor.

Angellisa looked at the silent Chen Feng, hesitated for a moment, and stepped forward: “What happened earlier today was our fault; please don’t take offense!”

Chen Feng was about to speak when Marshal Elvis’s booming, commanding voice cut in.

“Boy, your name is Ba Shen An, right! The main reason I asked you here today, you can probably guess. Since you participated in the Rookie Selection Tournament, you must also desire fame, fortune, and power! Here is the deal: if you can win first place, I will immediately transfer you to my legion as my deputy, and regarding you and my granddaughter Angellisa, I promise I will not interfere…”

Hearing Marshal Elvis speak like a machine gun, Chen Feng felt a mix of anger and wry amusement.

It seemed this Marshal had spent too long in the military; he had become overly confident, making assumptions entirely based on his own perspective without considering others’ views.

Simply put, he was an extreme egocentric.

“I will win first place, but not because of your words, nor do I want to be your deputy!” Chen Feng stated, neither subservient nor overbearing, voicing his indignation at the old man’s self-centeredness.

Though he didn't know why he had successfully held the Marshal hostage, the Marshal seemed to value him highly. However, Chen Feng’s goal was to grow stronger and stronger, absolutely not to join the military or anything similar.

“Not my deputy? Do you wish to be an officer then? Hmm, from the looks of it, you are still quite young…” Marshal Elvis said, convinced of his own judgment.

“I won’t join the military; I have no interest!” Chen Feng’s tone began to grow cold.

“Not joining the military? Then what do you want to do? You are decisive, brave, and capable of devising escape strategies in a crisis—you possess the finest qualities of a soldier. If such excellent talent isn't utilized, the loss will be incalculable!” Marshal Elvis's words were forceful, carrying an inescapable pressure.

“If there is nothing else, I will take my leave!” Chen Feng stood up.

When words clash without common ground, there is no point in continuing. It seemed Marshal Elvis’s purpose for summoning him today was to recruit him into the army. Since that was not Chen Feng’s ambition, he had no choice but to depart.

“Stop right there!” Marshal Elvis’s voice rang out.

: I embarrassed myself again. Chapter 160 was supposed to be named Long Xiaoqiang, and it is still named that in my manuscript, but I uploaded it as Long Xiaotian. Sweat, maybe I’ve been watching Little Li Flying Dagger too much… Please disregard it! I’ve been typing furiously these past few days and my eyes are a bit dizzy. Sorry! Also, there will be one or two more chapters released tonight at 8 PM, depending on the monthly ticket count… Hehe.