Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 299 - 248: Buying a Horse

Seeing this, Tushen’s expression turned grim. He furrowed his brow, about to reprimand the worker.

But just then, a fine horse shot out of the large shed like a gray whirlwind. The steed was exceptionally tall and powerfully built, its body a mass of bulging muscle. It was gray all over, its coat the color of faint smoke.

NEIGH!

The gray horse let out a neigh, its hooves stomping violently on the ground, kicking up snow with every impact. Then, like an arrow loosed from a bow, it charged toward the group of people.

The gray horse’s speed was incredible, whipping up a howling wind as it ran. Wherever it passed, the previously busy workers turned deathly pale. They dropped their tools and dove into the snowbanks on both sides of the path. The scene instantly descended into chaos.

When Manager Tushen saw the gray horse, his face changed, and he quickly yelled a warning.

"Dammit, everyone get out of the way! It’s gone crazy again!"

After shouting, Manager Tushen couldn’t worry about anything else. He ran with the others to the side of the path, ducking into a relatively safe spot.

Like a gray flash of lightning, the horse sped past, brushing right by them.

As the horse galloped, its hooves pounded the ground, kicking up great clouds of snow. The snow flew in all directions like white seafoam.

It splattered on their bodies and faces, a sudden chill, but no one paid it any mind. They just stared as the gray horse shot past, all of them secretly relieved they hadn’t been trampled.

’Damn, a head-on collision with that thing would land you in the hospital for Christmas.’

Feng Shan was staring curiously at the rampaging gray horse when Jeff quickly reached out and gave him a hard tug, pulling him aside just in time to dodge the out-of-control animal.

All eyes followed the gray horse’s receding figure. Only when it was a good distance away and the immediate danger had passed did everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Manager Tushen, however, was fuming. He strode over to the worker who had just run out of the shed. "Jason, what happened? Why were you provoking Cigar?"

"Boss, I didn’t!" The worker, Jason, scrambled up from the snow, looking disheveled. He shook his head repeatedly while brushing off the snow. "I was working in the shed when a mouse darted out. The moment Cigar saw it, he got spooked and just went nuts."

"My God!" After hearing Jason’s explanation, Tushen slapped his forehead, his face a picture of exasperation. "Who the hell knows why a horse this good is afraid of mice."

Feng Shan was listening to their conversation, inwardly marveling at the strangeness of a horse being afraid of mice. Suddenly, he glanced around and was shocked to realize that Loki, who had been on his shoulder, was nowhere to be seen.

In an instant, Feng Shan’s heart leaped into his throat. ’Did I accidentally knock him into the snow during the chaos of dodging that crazed horse?’

He immediately crouched down and began frantically digging through the nearby snow, shouting as he searched.

"Loki! Loki!"

Just then, a worker heard Feng Shan’s shouts, walked over, and pointed in the direction the horse had disappeared. "Sir, your gray parrot... I just saw it chasing after the horse."

Fack!

Feng Shan swore and immediately sprinted in the direction the gray horse had vanished.

Seeing this, the ranch staff all followed behind.

The group followed the hoofprints in the snow to an uncleared pasture.

The gray horse was galloping wildly across the snowy field. Its powerful body was like a high-horsepower bulldozer; the half-meter-deep snow was nothing before it. With every rise and fall of its hooves, it sent vast sprays of snow into the air.

And then there was Loki. His tiny figure trailed closely behind the gray horse, wings flapping furiously. He darted nimbly through the swirling snowflakes, struggling to keep pace with the massive animal.

All the while, he periodically let out a stream of curses that sounded startlingly clear in the open pasture.

Watching the scene unfold, Feng Shan was both frantic and furious. He sprinted to the pasture fence, cupped his hands around his mouth, and yelled with all his might.

"Loki, come back! It’s dangerous!"

’He was terrified the gray horse would get impatient and kick Loki. He’d be turned into a gray splat.’

But it was no use. Loki seemed completely deaf to Feng Shan’s calls. He remained single-mindedly focused on flying alongside the gray horse, even daring to fly closer from time to time, as if determined to challenge it.

’Getting kicked to death would serve you right!’

Feng Shan was both furious and helpless. After shouting for so long with no response, he gave up and stopped.

Although he was still worried about Loki, there was nothing he could do for now, so he decided to shift his focus.

So, he turned to Manager Tushen and asked curiously.

"This horse looks pretty good. Is it a Thoroughbred?"

Manager Tushen gave a wry smile, first nodding and then slowly shaking his head.

"Cigar is a cross between a purebred Quarter Horse and an American Thoroughbred. His sire line traces back to the first-generation Metallurgic Dust from Kentucky, and his dam’s line to Miss Lishan—both were among the greatest racehorses in the United States. This year, Horned Ranch decided to develop a racehorse breeding program and bought a batch of Quarter Horse crossbreeds from a Kentucky farm. Cigar was the one we had the highest hopes for."

After speaking, Manager Tushen paused for a moment, a look of regret on his face.

"Whether you’re looking at his pedigree or his physical condition, Cigar is truly impeccable. He’s powerfully built, well-muscled, fast, and has excellent stamina. By all rights, he should be an outstanding racing-class stud."