Madam Feng was holding on to her seat, wondering why nobody was screaming because riders and horses were sinking under the lake. She relaxed when she saw them returning to the surface in transport boxes.
dical teams were already waiting on stand by to tend to those that had injuries human and animal.
A voice on the tacks suddenly announced. "If you can all turn your heads to the hologram on the rack for a mont. You will see footage proving that the horses and riders did not sink. They were sucked into the boxes as soon as they showed signs of going under."
Madam Feng turned to Chi Lian, sighing loudly. "I am so relieved. I thought they were just letting those horses and riders sink. The riders can probably swim but the horses!!"
Chi Lian patted madam Feng’s back. "Safety of the riders and horses always cos first in the derby."
Screams ca from the audience and both won turned to look back at the large holograms playing footage of the race in places they could not see.
i i was still in the lead. Her silver horse was galloping and leaping through rings in a field of fire. The image was so breathtaking and shocking.
"Is that real fire?" Chi Zimo stood up.
His wife pulled him to sit down. "Of course not, there is no way they would use real fire."
Chi Lian was impressed anwhile. "I see the committee was going for dramatic effect this year."
"No wonder the price of the tickets was multiplied." Mingzhe comnted.
It beca even more dramatic when i i’s cape caught fire and people started to scream. Was the fire real or not? Many eyes turned to the Jun’s, widening when they noticed the family mbers frowning or clenching their fists.
Muyang looked like he was ready to start a fight.
Chi Lian stood up and held on to her husband. "It’s okay, she is not scared of fire anymore. Look, she is still riding as if nothing is going on. Also, the fire is not real, the cape must be doing it on its own."
No matter what she said, Muyang held his breath in. Yes, i i was still riding on but her speed had reduced. Maybe she did not need to hide under tables and beds anymore when she saw flas but the fear had not been conquered completely.
So horses were afraid of the fire. Even though it was fake, the heat it gave off was real. More riders dropped out of the race and only thirty three remained.
The comntators were going wild and the crowd was enthusiastic.
After the fire ca an even more cruel terrain and harsher weather. Gigantic fans blew gusts of wind that were almost like tornadoes at the riders.
Horse tumbled. One rider flew up, hanging on to so strings on her saddle. Rocks shifted and riders faltered. Thunder Muyang did not waver. The harder things beca, the more excited and wilder the stallion rode.
i i endured. She ignored the pain in her thighs and pressed on, passing the half way mark.
She was the first rider to pass it and the crowd cheered. Three trumpets were sounded. Jun’s, Chi’s, friends and supporters hugged.
Grandpa Tao cursed silently. He had been hoping that the Tao family would take the win this year. And he was not the only one. Other noble families were hoping to win as well.
The royals had a rider in the race but he was in fourth place. So were supporting him and others were supporting i i.
The Xu’s were pale faced and angry. They could see why their daughter had tried to sabotage Jun ilin.The woman was a machine!!
She had not even stopped at any of the break points to take a sip of water, visit a rest room or adjust her position. She was riding as if she had an appointnt in heaven which she did not want to miss.
The rider in third place gave up and sat down. The clock chid and a comntator announced that they had entered the third and final hour of the race.
Only six riders remained. i i was still in first place and Xu Ren was firmly in second.
They entered a maze with disorienting smoke. Most of the horses slowed down, including Thunder Muyang. i i was about to ask C4 for a direct route when her stallion neighed fiercely and charged forward, crashing through leaves and small branches.
"Are you seeing this?" A comntator scread. "What is this horse made of?"
anwhile, i i pulled on the reigns of the stallion, guiding him onto the correct path. While crushing into the maze like they were breaking walls was fun, it was also dangerous. Maybe a branch would stab the horse or maybe she would end up being thrown off.
Xu Ren had no idea which path to take so she sharpened her ears, searching for Thunder Muyang’s unique neighs that were more fierce than those of any horse she had t in her life.
The fastest way to escape the maze was to follow the path Jun ilin was taking.
She heard the sound she was listening for and nudged her horse forward.
The final climb ca soon, with only twenty minutes left on the clock. They had to go up another hill and co out on the tracks below.
"Now." i i whispered to Thunder Muyang.
The stallion neighed and raised its front hooves before racing up hill like it was a flat surface. This was because i i had fitted it with special horse shoes from the system mall which gripped the stone and every surface with ease.
Technology was not allowed in the horses but it was allowed when it ca to horse shoes. As long as your horse did not fly or roll to the finish line!
Notes with prices were already being passed to Chi Lian. So people wanted to buy Thunder Muyang and others wanted the stallion to breed their mares. Win or lose, the stallion had proved its strength.
i i did not know what value was now tagged to her horse. She was already on the tracks, and the finish line was within her sight.
Thunder Muyang gave one final leap over a pit of ceremonial torches.
They landed cleanly, steadily.
The crowd went wild. Screams erupted. Trumpets were sounded. Fireworks roared. Confetti canons fired glitter at everyone.
i i stared, stunned, as she remained atop the back of her horse.
9 hours of training daily! Work outs like she was heading for war! She even slept in the stable with Thunder Muyang in the week leading up to the race.
It had paid off. She was not a has been, she was the queen of the tracks.
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