"Nonsense, the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse isn’t something that riding skills can... no," Fan Kui blurted out and immediately realized he had misspoken, hurriedly bowing towards ’Fang Xiao’: "Personal Attendant Fang, I didn’t mean you, I meant..."

"Please forgive, Attendant Brother Fang," Jiang Zhan glanced at Fan Kui and laughed helplessly: "Old Fan has a straightforward nature, he says whatever comes to his mind."

"But, Attendant Brother Fang, Old Fan isn’t entirely wrong. The Blazing Fire Tiger Horse isn’t something you can ride just by mastering riding skills. To ride as skillfully as Attendant Brother Fang, one would need at least one or two years of practice and cooperation. Have you really never come into contact with the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse before?"

Chu Ming nodded again.

"Indeed, only our Tiger Armor Army possesses the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse in Xirong County, so Attendant Brother Fang couldn’t have encountered it..."

Jiang Zhan’s eyes fell again on the warhorse under ’Fang Xiao’, with a subtle change in tone: "Since Attendant Brother Fang can already ride the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse and is the Commander’s Personal Attendant, why not take advantage of the early day to try connecting with the lead horse?"

Taming the lead horse is something the Personal Attendants and Commanders of the Tiger Armor Army must do.

After speaking, a strange light flashed deep in Jiang Zhan’s eyes.

He wanted to test something. Whether Little Ba’s fear had any relation to this old attendant brother.

Chu Ming hesitated, looking at the tall lead horse under Jiang Zhan, recalling the grand presence when Huo Buyan rode the lead horse.

Truth be told, he was very tempted; he really wanted to try.

But...

"No," he ultimately shook his head and said, "My riding skills are weak, and there are many areas where I need Attendant Brother’s guidance. Let’s try later."

After thinking, he gave up.

With the pressure of the Sword Gourd Spirit, he was confident he could tame the lead horse like the one under Jiang Zhan.

But taming it for him didn’t mean Fang Xiao would tame it.

Once he left, it would place great trouble on Fang Xiao.

In fact, Chu Ming regretted riding this Blazing Fire Tiger Horse today because he had already laid a trap for Fang Xiao.

Fang Xiao had to engage more with the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse and try not to ride it in front of others until he could truly ride the warhorse.

"Indeed, Personal Attendant Fang just arrived at the camp from Baiyuan County and hasn’t rested well yet. Tonight, he needs to meet with Commander Xiang when he returns..." Meng Zhen hurriedly covered.

Though ’Fang Xiao’ could ride the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse once, it didn’t mean he could tame the lead horse once.

The task Commander Huo gave was to protect Fang Xiao to attempt contact with the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse, not the lead horse.

The lead horse not only has a fierce temperament but is also more robust; with a slight mistake, one could get injured.

If the Personal Attendant got injured under his watch, then...

He couldn’t bear such responsibility.

"...Indeed." Jiang Zhan listened to ’Fang Xiao’ having to meet the Commander at night, suspected in his heart, but said no more: "Then Attendant Brother should go back early to rest."

Chu Ming saluted and drove the Blazing Fire Warhorse away.

While riding, he deliberately stimulated the horse below to make himself appear less skilled.

"Strange..." Meng Zhen watched ’Fang Xiao’ swaying sideways as if about to fall off the horse, yet never falling, feeling more puzzled.

Personal Attendant Fang previously rode like the wind, but now it seems he can’t ride well?

Could it be true, as Personal Attendant Fang said, his riding skills are weak, and it was just a fluke to ride the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse?

Fan Kui looked ahead, pursing his lips: "Personal Attendant Jiang, you see Personal Attendant Fang like that; he can’t even sit steady on a normal Blazing Fire Tiger Horse, how can he tame the lead horse? Without a few years, it’s unlikely."

Is it?

Jiang Zhan’s eyes flashed.

’Fang Xiao’s swaying posture wasn’t faked, at least not to that degree.

But the more this was so, the more questions filled his heart.

During the earlier chase, this old attendant brother wasn’t like that...

...

After leaving the Blazing Fire Tiger Horse plains, Meng Zhen led ’Fang Xiao’ to become familiar with some places—where cooking was done, where injuries were treated, where equipment was made, and such...

At the equipment site.

"Commander Meng Wanfu."

Several topless men were hammering hot red branding irons.

"Yes, continue your work, I’m just looking." Meng Zhen gestured with his hand, signaling these men to continue.

Then he turned to look at ’Fang Xiao’: "Here’s where our Tiger Armor Army’s weapons and armor are made; these men are skilled in crafting equipment."

Chu Ming nodded slightly, glancing around at the blazing iron furnaces, hot branding irons plunged into pools, producing rolling white steam, and rows of weapons, armors, and horse armory hanging on iron racks.

As they ventured deeper into the equipment area, various weapons and iron crafts appeared before them, several of which he couldn’t even deduce their purpose.

Clang—

Clang—

Amidst the clanging of iron tools, soldiers in the equipment site whispered about ’Fang Xiao.’

"Who is that man, not wearing our Tiger Armor Army’s armor, he looks somewhat old, why does Commander Meng Wanfu seem so respectful to him?"

"I don’t know, haven’t seen him before. You’re all chatting while your work isn’t finished, right? Last time, during the battle with Nine Hordes Kingdom, our Tiger Armor Army suffered heavy losses, don’t slack off; make more weapons, we must avenge our fallen brothers!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately suppressed their chatter and focused on crafting the iron tools.

Meng Zhen led ’Fang Xiao’ away from the crafting site to a nearby equipment management storage area.

Compared to the crafting site, the number of equipment here was in the thousands, not exaggerated to use the unit ’ten thousand.’

At this moment, between two iron equipment racks, a tall, handsome young man was wiping dust.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps, peeked out to look: "Commander Meng Wanfu."

But the next moment, the young man froze.

Meng Zhen saw the young man and lightly nodded, not intending to stop, seeing the young man stunned, he sternly said: "Wipe thoroughly, if there’s rust, I’ll hold you accountable."

Only then did the young man regain his focus, quickly bowed, and said: "Yes...yes..."

However, the young man was far from calm because he recognized ’Fang Xiao.’

Fang Xiao, Housekeeper Fang, why was he here?!

Besides, how could Commander Meng Wanfu seem so respectful?!

What’s going on?! What’s happening?!

The young man was Wan Feng; the Wan Family had arranged for Wan Feng in the Tiger Armor Army to maintain equipment and armor, not to fight.

After returning unsuccessfully from searching for Wan Yuan in the Blood Evil Sect, he came back to the Tiger Armor Army.

Wan Feng watched ’Fang Xiao’ depart, tightly gripping the weapon in his hand.

"Mother, where exactly are you..." His expression turned grim, "Does it have anything to do with this old man?!"

At the same moment, Chu Ming’s heart was equally unquiet.

Because he just sensed an extremely faint scent of blood from the military personnel maintaining the equipment!

That scent was similar to those in Baiyuan County who had recently consumed organs like members of the Blood Evil Sect.

Chu Ming furrowed his brow; not only the scent of blood, but he also saw traces of a person in the soldier’s eyebrows—Wan Yuan!

Could it be... Wan Feng?

"Commander Meng Wanfu, how many soldiers maintain equipment here?" he asked with a smile.

"Well..." Meng Zhen thought for a moment: "Not many who solely maintain equipment, our Tiger Armor Army doesn’t keep idle people!"

"That soldier just now..." Chu Ming casually asked again.

"Oh him, he has some relation with Commander Guan," Meng Zhen suddenly lowered his voice, "He’s called Guan Feng, heard he is Commander Guan’s..."