The bright sun was hanging directly above his head, and its scorching heat burned the bare earth. The rising heat waves distorted the seemingly stagnant air, giving people the refractive illusion that everything in front of them was flickering and swaying.
ZiLi slumped weakly and without strength on the horse’s back, licked his lower lip which had been chapped from the lack of water, and sighed helplessly as he shook his already empty water sack. If I had known this earlier, I wouldn’t have run to this hot, desolated, and deserted place! It’s exactly like the Flaming Mountains 1 ! I’ve been traveling for half a day and still haven’t seen a single blade of grass, let alone a person!
“Qu Zi!”
“Neigh――” Qu Zi protested disapprovingly, stating resolutely for the umpteenth time that it would in no way accept such a name 2 .
ZiLi pretended not to hear and embraced Qu Zi’s neck, which had become slightly wet with sweat, and said weakly, “Qu Zi, I’m almost dying of thirst! Why don’t you follow in the footsteps of someone who gives his life to save his master and let me kill you and use your horse blood to quench my thirst, all right?”
“Neigh――” Qu Zi shook its body very discontentedly, trying to get rid of its master who was beginning to lose his mind. But ZiLi, an excellent equestrian, clung to its back like chewing gum and began dangerously groping for the main artery in its neck.
“You don’t want me to kill you? Then let me take a sip of your blood, okay?”
“Neigh――” Qu Zi reared up and started running wildly. ZiLi immediately grabbed the reins to prevent him from falling off the horse.
Please read His Majesty's Hostage Chapter 42 on Project Bezemwagen :-)
The wind that blew into his face carried an unbearable stream of heat, yet it also dissipated most of the burning sensation on his body.
After passing a bare hill, ZiLi suddenly stared ahead with fixed eyes and shouted, “There seems to be an oasis ahead! Go, Qu Zi, run faster! Go――” One person and one saddle horse had a focused expression as if they were sprinting at a horse race, as they rushed towards the trees a short distance away.
When ZiLi dived into the shade of the dense trees, his whole body seemed to be submerged in a cool pond of water. He felt so comfortable that he could not help but shiver.
“Good job, Qu Zi!” ZiLi said in appreciation, patting Qu Zi on the head.
Qu Zi snorted disdainfully.
“If there are trees, there must also be a water source.” As soon as he thought of the word ‘water’, all the cells in his body immediately started screaming.
“Qu Zi, my life depends on you. Horses have always been more sensitive than people.” ZiLi said, rubbing Qu Zi’s cheek flatteringly.
Qu Zi neighed, which could be considered as a response. Even if it did not take ZiLi’s life seriously, it still had to consider its own horse life. Who knows if ZiLi would really kill and drink its blood if he was thirsty enough?
ZiLi stared at the back of Qu Zi’s neck with eager eyes, licking his chapped lips from time to time. Under this horrific pressure, Qu Zi carried ZiLi on its back through the dense trees and bushes, turning left and right for a while before finally seeing a flowing clear spring after making its way through the green barrier.
Please read His Majesty's Hostage Chapter 42 on Project Bezemwagen :-)
As soon as ZiLi saw the spring, his eyes lit up with eagerness and he immediately jumped off his horse and leaned over the spring and drank frantically. The cool, sweet spring water made every pore and every cell of him feel very fresh and comfortable.
It was not until he burped, and his stomach rumbled from being full that ZiLi turned over and lay on his back on the grass contentedly.
Seeing ZiLi’s satiated appearance, Qu Zi could not help but look at him disdainfully, after which it calmly walked over to the spring and lowered its head to take a sip.
After resting for a while and filling the water sack, ZiLi got up and patted the horse’s back, saying, “We have to go, we can’t stay here for too long!”
Beyond the trees, there was no longer a bare rocky ground, but gently undulating hills. ZiLi found a path, which looked like a strip of white satin, appearing, and disappearing among the undulating hills. He rode his horse along the path and as the sun was about to set, he arrived at a small town.
“Hey there, dear guest 3 , please come in!” When the waiter saw a travel-worn stranger with a horse at the door, he guessed that the stranger might want to stay for the night, so he rushed out to help with the horse and greeted, “Sir, are you looking for a place to spend the night?”
“En. I’ll stay for one night, nothing too expensive, as long as it’s a clean room.” ZiLi replied.
Please read His Majesty's Hostage Chapter 42 on Project Bezemwagen :-)
“All right. Boss, one mid-range room.” The waiter shouted at the innkeeper from the top of his lungs.
“Waiter, take good care of my horse, here’s a tip for you.” ZiLi was afraid that he would treat Qu Zi badly, so he instructed him specifically.
“Of course I will, dear guest, you can rest assured!” Accepting the tip, the waiter said even more attentively.
As he approached the inn, he found that although it was not large, the front of the inn was very neat. It was probably close to closing time, so there were few guests eating.
The innkeeper approached him with a kerosene lamp in his hand and with a smile on his face he greeted, “Please, dear guest, follow me to the mid-range room.”
When they reached the first floor 4 , the innkeeper pushed open the door of one of the rooms, and ZiLi poked his head in to look inside. The room was simple and crude. There was only one bed and one old-fashioned square table for eight people 5 , but it was very clean. Now that he did not have too much money with him, he could not ask for too much.
“Not bad.”
“Dear guest, would you like something to eat?”
“Yes, please, bring it to my room. Oh, and bring me a bucket of heated water.”