Chapter 270

Bai Lang exerted his strength and threw the two leather sacks behind the wall, shouting, "Fang Jianding, Xiang Batian's heads are here—does the bounty still count for you all? I still intend to go to the recruiting office of the Commander‑in‑Chief to enlist; quickly send out the warhorse I bought and the bounty!" Not long after, the central gate swung open, all the rear barriers were moved aside, and two rows of ranch youths marched out to greet Bai Lang's entry into the city—this ranch was practically a city; such fortified manors were commonplace during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

All four chief stewards of the Flying Horse Ranch were present, but Bai Lang only recognized the One‑Eyed Dragon—he had long forgotten the names of the four stewards; he only remembered that there should be a beautiful ranch mistress and the ranch master's father, the world's foremost technical talent, Lu Miaozhi. Bai Lang rode his horse leisurely into the ranch, the ranch cavalry on both sides watched him pass with looks of utmost reverence—it seemed the scouts who had entered through other gates had already reported the bandits' total retreat,

The two leather sacks Bai Lang had thrown in were also opened; inside, the heads had been verified and were indeed those of two bandit leaders—two of the four great bandits were gone; no matter how you say it, this man had accomplished a great deed. As for how this man did it, in this world of martial arts the captured bandits naturally embellished and gave a full account, saying he charged alone into the formation, slew two chiefs in battle and departed unscathed, a feat comparable to the bravery of GuanYu and ZhangFei.

Such a formidable person naturally deserves to be seen; the question is how to treat Bai Lang—that is the problem. The Flying Horse Ranch has no intention of contending for supremacy under heaven, so trying to recruit such a mighty general would seem pointless. Moreover, this man who spoke of enlisting is also high‑spirited; how could he possibly be willing to retire to a ranch? A man's glory is to be won on horseback; how could he waste himself as a mere groom? Whether the four stewards wish to remain stewards is their own affair; if they want to recruit Bai Lang, what terms would they offer?

Otherwise, should the ranch mistress marry off or should this stalwart become a son‑in‑law? Cut it out, will you!

Bai Lang also saw Shang Xiuzhu, whom the Twin Dragons called the ranch beauty; this lass appeared healthy in complexion and physique, not a secluded ordinary maiden, but full of sunny vigor. Her looks were naturally excellent, perhaps even a notch above Lady Wei Zhenzhen, and certainly prettier than the Rakshasa woman.

Bai Lang then recalled that in this world of the Great Tang Twin Dragons legend, every beauty he had encountered seemed to possess her own talent, "Is this also a world where ugly women have no rights…?" he thought, "Indeed, in novels ugly women get no readers." Lady Wei Zhenzhen actually had a good aptitude for cultivating this perceptive martial art; her fist‑foot Internal Force had already achieved minor success.

As Bai Lang saw it, dancing any kind of pose was no problem; his bodily flexibility and muscle control were extremely strong, even the Heavenly Demon Dance he could perform. As for combat, Bai Lang thought this blood‑inexperienced Lady Wei Zhenzhen was not promising; he felt she could at most handle one or two opponents.

Moreover, the beauty Rakshasa Woman certainly possessed considerable martial prowess; she dared to assassinate Yang Guang, though lacking skill and wit she lost her own life—yet she was undoubtedly a beauty. Next is the ranch beauty Shang Xiuzhu before us; her aura falls short of the Rakshasa Woman's, though comparable to Lady Wei Zhenzhen's, yet in a fight even two Lady Wei Zhenzhens would likely fall short of her.

Now the ranch beauty regards Bai Lang with curious and admiring eyes—who made his appearance in this world's aesthetic standards count as that of a proper man? Don't be surprised; with the visage of a certain Xu, the Thunder God Sea King, he is certainly a paragon of handsome men in this world. A sturdy yet handsome beard fully displays his manly bearing; even if not very long, it suffices to be called a beautiful‑bearded lord.

Drooping brows like a tiger, a firm visage—this absolutely matches the aesthetic of a "great man" in this era. Speaking of the Sui‑Tang aesthetic, it too inherits from the Northern and Southern Dynasties: a man either has a lovely countenance like a woman, or bears a dignified, imposing presence as a great husband, or simply possesses a striking, distinctive appearance; conversely, the most common ordinary faces attract no attention.

Bai Lang proudly enjoyed her gaze; he certainly did not think the ranch mistress would fall for him, yet displaying his strength before women, especially beauties, is a male's natural inclination, and Bai Lang was no exception. That's also true; bald thieves and brass‑nosed fellows are mostly the same—worldly distractions and unrestrained senses abound.

Thinking of the bald thief, Bai Lang recalled the all‑copper Buddha hall; that the bald thief hoarded wealth truly deserved death...... but for now he was looking at the beauty; let the bald thief die. He gazed intently at the ranch beauty, and for a moment her cheeks flushed crimson under his stare. Bai Lang's countenance was upright, his eyes bright, utterly devoid of any lecherous look; he was simply appreciating beautiful things......

He lifted his leg to dismount, and the four chief stewards came forward first, all clasping their fists in greeting. With their abilities they naturally ascertained Bai Lang's name and title at once; the lead steward, Liu, taking advantage of having spoken with Bai Lang first, stepped forward to greet him. "Master Bai, you are truly peerless in valor, having slain the enemy chieftain in battle—I congratulate Master Bai!" Having spoken, he raised the wine cup at his side overhead and offered it.

Bai Lang laughed heartily, took the cup and drained it in one gulp. "It's merely a trifle. Let's settle the accounts properly—that's the real thing; I still intend to enlist and win merit!" Two men stepped forward from behind the four stewards, lifting a 'Bu'‑character spear; "Ha, it's finished." Bai Lang snatched up the long spear, gave it a casual swing, and said, "This is the balance; please have it delivered to the blacksmith master on my behalf."

Bai Lang took two strings of cash from the rear mule cart and handed them to the two men who had carried the long spear over. He spoke to the four stewards, saying he didn't need them to exchange the money for him; he only needed them to give him the bounty. Shang Xiuzhu also came over, gestured at Bai Lang's height and stuck out her tongue, fully displaying the manner of a little girl.

Bai Lang was tall and sturdy, taller than the four stewards present and taller than the ranch youths. Among the four stewards, Steward Liu was a sturdy fellow, yet still a head shorter than Bai Lang. Bai Lang's height was that of an ancient mighty general—just over 1.9 meters, which converts to about six feet six inches or more in the contemporary Chinese foot. Shang Xiuzhu likely had never seen a taller man; if she could travel freely across the world she would discover that even taller men exist.

The Gold Beads treasure was also brought out; each of the four great bandits' heads presumably carried a bounty of a thousand strings, Bai Lang thus received a total of four thousand strings of cash and five ingots of gold, including the reward for repelling the bandits—this was already a substantial sum—enough to buy hundreds of warhorses for the ranch and equip a corresponding number of cavalry. "Mm, such a heap is really hard to carry away." Bai Lang sighed.

As for the warhorse he had originally chosen, the other party also refunded the money and gave it to him—everyone was also hoping to forge a good karmic bond; besides, with the Great Sui not yet fallen, who knows what the future holds? Nonetheless, based solely on the martial prowess Bai Lang displayed at this moment, a commander's post is hardly out of reach for him; in these troubled times he might even manage to earn a marquisate.