Starting boy Ma Kongqun

Chapter 19 The Dark Lord

"As far as the eye can see, the blue sky is getting higher day by day, and the jade dragon is winding and enchanting. The sheep are grazing on the boundless green green, and a horse is flying singing to drunken the night."

When the earth warms up, on the endless prairie, Ma Kongqun leads the Thirteen Flying Eagle Guards and one hundred members of the "Ten Thousand Horses Hall" to escort a long motorcade on horseback.

These vehicles were filled with large and small boxes and bags. Judging from the depth of the ruts, it was obvious that the contents were not light.

On the shaft of each vehicle, there is a small triangular cyan flag. The pattern on the flag is a black horse the size of a palm.

Among the whole team, only Ma Kongqun was wearing the usual white clothes, and there were no weapons on his body.

The remaining one hundred and thirteen knights were all dressed in black attire, with a black cowhide waistcoat on their upper body. On the right side of their waist hung large and small Miao knives five feet or three feet seven inches long, and two swords were inserted side by side on the left side. A hand ax with a wide blade and a short handle, daggers hidden in the boots of the two riding boots on his feet, and a horn bow and quiver hung on the side of the saddle of the war horse he rides on. It can be said that everyone is armed to the teeth.

Even the driver on each cart, in addition to the large whip in his hand that is used to drive horses and serve as a protective weapon, also has a narrow-edged wild goose feather knife with a sheath inserted in his belt.

And when the "Ten Thousand Horses Hall" came to the grassland to do business, they had no choice but to put on such a murderous display.

Not to mention the horse thieves who come and go like the wind on the grassland, just the herdsmen who look hospitable, simple and honest. If they see that the Han caravan coming to the grassland only has property but not enough armed force to protect themselves, they will not mind temporarily. A guest star, running a murderous business.

After all, how can it be as easy and pleasant to trade the horses, cattle, sheep, and furs that you have worked so hard to raise and accumulate with these profiteers, the Han traders, who are the best at calculating prices?
  In the past few years, "Wanmatang" had just started its business on the grassland. It encountered several attacks, and also suffered losses in manpower and property.

After every incident, Ma Kongqun would use the most persistent attitude to track down the person who did it. Regardless of whether the person was a professional horse thief or an amateur herdsman, he would always take the most brutal revenge.

After establishing its authority several times in this way, "Wanma Tang" opened up this relatively stable and safe business road today.

Whether it is the horse thieves operating on this route in Su Changzhong or the herdsmen tribes distributed near this route, they have firmly remembered the "Tianma flag" as the symbol of the "Wanma Tang" caravan, and they have defaulted to it. Objects that can only be dealt with fairly and not lightly.

However, the situation on the grassland is changing rapidly, and those horse thieves and herdsmen tribes are not stationary. No one can guarantee that this business road will always be safe.

Therefore, every time the caravan of the "Ten Thousand Horses Hall" enters the grassland, it will be escorted by the hall's masters and elite gang members, so they do not dare to be careless.

Just like this time, because Gongsun Duan and others had important matters to attend to, Ma Kongqun, the leader of the hall, had to make the trip himself.

The group of people and horses remained on high alert and headed north along the commercial road.

Not long after, they arrived at a land with abundant water and grass. Hundreds of snow-white round tents were seen, leaning on a clear stream like a jade belt, scattered in an orderly manner on the green grass that looked like vast expanse of blue waves.

"The Han caravan is coming!"

Some people in this large-scale tribe have already discovered the "Wanma Tang" convoy. The first ones to come forward were the children of the tribe.

They came in groups, happily following each other on both sides of the convoy, and each one of them stared longingly at the goods loaded on the car.

Ma Kongqun smiled slightly, raised his hand and waved it behind him. The subordinates who followed him understood and took out candies from their pockets, leaned down on the horse and handed them to the children on both sides.

These children were not afraid of strangers. They all rushed to the horse to take the candies. Some couldn't wait to stuff them into their mouths, while others carefully collected them close to their bodies and prepared to taste them slowly.

Suddenly, a horse galloped towards me. Before it could get close, a strong young man laughed and shouted in a slightly jerky Chinese: "Ma Kongqun, why are you coming to the grassland in person this time?"

Ma Kongqun replied casually: "Of course I want to drink your Morigen's kumiss!"

This young man named "Mo Rigen" is the eldest son of Bilig, the leader of the Baiyin tribe in front. "Wanmatang" established a relatively stable business relationship with the Baiyin tribe two years ago, and they are considered acquaintances with each other.

These prairie men are always straightforward and always address people by their first names, without any disrespect.

Mo Rigen urged his horse to come closer, and rode alongside the horses. He muttered: "Since the end of the severe winter, our Baiyin tribe has been busy drying the accumulated skins and herbs, and we are looking forward to the business of your 'Wanma Hall' every day." The team is coming."

Ma Kongqun smiled and said: "I also prepared all kinds of goods early in the morning, and finally came to the grassland when the weather got warmer."

The two parties came to the Baiyin tribe talking and laughing, and Mo Rigen's father Bilig also came out to welcome them, and ordered the tribesmen to kill cattle and sheep and hold a banquet to entertain them.

Ma Kongqun ordered his men to guard the vehicles individually, and hinted that they should be more careful about their diet, and then went alone to the tallest and spacious tent in the center of the tribe as a guest.

During the banquet, he asked the other party about the quantity of goods that could be traded.

An apologetic look appeared on Bilige's old face that was stained by the wind and frost of the North. He used the honorific and said: "Master Ma, I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you this time. This time we can only trade with you with leather goods and medicinal materials. There are no more well-bred horses.”

Ma Kongqun was a little surprised, and then the smile on his face faded a little: "Our transactions in the past two years have been quite pleasant. If your department has any objections to the price, it is not non-negotiable, but..."

Before he could finish speaking, Bilige hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Mr. Ma, please don't get me wrong. We have no intention of raising the price. It is true that the tribe's horses were lost a few days ago, and there are really no spare horses to trade with you now."

Ma Kongqun was startled: "Lost?"

These herdsmen make a living by herding horses and herding cattle. If one or two horses get lost, it would be an accident, but if the entire herd gets lost, it would be a bit strange.

Bilige glared at Mo Rigen angrily and explained: "It's just that this bastard overestimated his capabilities and actually tried to set up an ambush to capture the 'Dark Lord'. It didn't matter that he failed, and was resented by the 'Dark Lord' again. While several herdsmen from my tribe were driving their horses to graze, they suddenly rushed out, knocked the herders over, and fled with the entire herd without a trace."

"The 'Dark Lord' appears again?" Ma Kongqun immediately became interested.

The "Dark Lord" is a unique BMW that has appeared on the grassland in recent years. It is nearly twice the size of an ordinary horse, and its coat is pure black. When it runs, it can chase the wind and lightning, and it seems to have a cunning and wisdom that is almost not inferior to humans. .

Since the beginning of the world, countless people have tried to capture and tame this BMW, but they have all been teased by it with its extraordinary strength, speed and wisdom. Some have become disgraced, while others have suffered broken bones or even their lives.

Moreover, this psychic BMW is extremely vengeful. Even if it doesn't take revenge on the person who wants to capture it, it will quietly follow up and use various means to harm the other person, and it will not give up until it gets angry.

The elders on the grassland all say that it is not an extraordinary thing, but a monster from hell, so it is called the "Dark Lord".

Ma Kongqun has been to the grassland several times in the past two years, but he only heard his name and was not lucky enough to see him in person.

Thinking of all the legends about the "Dark Lord", he felt a little itchy in his heart. After pondering for a while, he said to Mo Rigen: "Mo Rigen, haven't you always wanted to get a bite of my 'Wan Ma Tang' Miao Dao? As long as you can Do one thing for me and I will promise to give you a bite!"

(Thanks to the book friends who carried the coffin for three years for their generous reward.)
  　I have finished recommending an old book called "Liao Zhai: The Slaughter of Immortals", click on the title below to read it.

　　brief introduction:
  　　First couplet: The white knife comes in, the red knife comes out, everything is left in the hand;

　　Second line: Kill animals and help all living beings, with compassion in your heart.

　　Horizontal comment: Zhang Butcher with immeasurable merits
  　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)