Five Men

Upon hearing the question from the servant wielding a sword at his waist, the bald servant let out a deep sigh. "Don't ask. Too much has happened since we parted ways," he said.

"Like what?" The sword-bearing servant asked, his expression a mix of curiosity and seriousness.

The bald servant glanced around before responding. "Not important. Let's first find a place where we can talk."

Understanding that the bald servant didn't want to discuss important matters in front of others, the sword-bearing servant nodded. "Alright, senior. Follow me," he said, leading the way.

After walking for about a minute, they arrived at a garden area surrounded by greenery, with a few arbors scattered around. The sword-bearing servant turned to face him. "Senior, this place is secluded. Not many people come here. We can sit and talk."

Seeing that the area was indeed private, the bald servant replied, "Forget about sitting for now. I've prepared five horses, but you know how Earth-Horses are—they're not something anyone can handle. We need to find someone who can ride one and head over to my family's stable together."

Hearing the bald servant's words, the sword-bearing servant's face filled with shock. "What?! You managed to find five Earth-Horses? How?" he asked, trying to keep his voice down.

The bald servant motioned for him to stay quiet. "Calm down. I'll explain later. Now's not the time. How many have you found?"

"This is great news, senior! I was worried about what we'd do since the stable master only had three horses," the sword-bearing servant replied, clearly relieved.

"I've had the stable master prepare three horses along with a carriage. We can take them anytime we want," he added.

The sword-bearing servant, trying to contain his excitement, said, "Senior, let's go. I know a place where we can find someone who can ride an Earth-Horse." With that, he headed toward another part of the house.

"Hmm," the bald servant murmured as he followed the sword-bearing servant from behind.

Shortly after, the two arrived in front of a door that seemed quite familiar to the bald servant. The bald servant muttered, "Ahhh... This place is a bit..." showing a hint of reluctance.

Noticing the bald servant muttering, the sword-bearing servant turned and asked, "Hah! Senior, is something wrong?"

"No, no. It's nothing. We don't have time to waste—let's hurry,"

With that, the two passed through the door and entered the rest area for senior servants.

As the figures inside turned to look at the newcomers, the sword-bearing servant greeted one of them with a smile. "Senior Brother Hao, I haven't seen you all day. How are you?"

Seeing that servant, the bald servant couldn't help but think, 'Hao? So that's the surname of the chief servant I encountered earlier.'

The oldest-looking servant at the table replied with a grin, "Isn't this Junior Brother Bo An? And who's this sweet-looking friend of yours? This is the second time I've seen him today, but I still don't know his name."

Surprised by the chief servant Hao's words, Bo An thought, 'So that's why senior was muttering like that earlier.' Then, pointing to the bald servant beside him, he said, "This is Senior Da Bai, the head servant of the eldest young master of the Han family."

Looking pleased, chief servant Hao nodded. "Hmmm… Hmmm. We figured as much, but he left in such a hurry earlier that I didn't get a chance to ask for his name."

"Your name is quite sweet, junior. You came alone earlier, and now you've returned with a friend. Did you come here to start a fight?" Chief Hao turned to Da Bai, the bald servant, and spoke again with a curious expression, chuckling as he did so.

Hearing this, Bo An panicked, thinking, 'Senior Da Bai must have offended chief servant Hao earlier.' He quickly interjected, trying to explain, "No, no! Senior Brother Hao, we came because we need your help with something."

As Bo An tried to explain, Da Bai, whose eyes twitched at what chief Hao had said, calmly interrupted. "Senior, I was in a hurry earlier and didn't want to be disrespectful. Please forgive my mistake," he said, bowing slightly.

One of the senior servants at the table, who had been observing Da Bai, spoke up while nodding. "We did think you were a bit rude earlier, but it makes sense now that you were in a hurry."

Seeing the other servants wanting to chime in, chief servant Hao let out a sharp "Hmph!" before turning back to Da Bai. "It's not a big deal, young man. I just wanted to have a little fun, that's all. Now, what do you need from us?"

While the chief servant and the others at the table looked at the duo with curious expressions, Bo An, relieved that the situation hadn't escalated, said, "We need someone capable of riding an Earth-Horse, Senior Brother Hao."

"That's an easy request," chief servant Hao said, before turning to one of the servants beside him. "You, go with them and assist them. Listen to whatever Bo An says."

The servant, though not looking particularly enthusiastic, stood and replied, "Yes, chief servant," before joining the pair.

Satisfied with the outcome, Bo An smiled. "This won't take long, Senior. We'll send him back once we're done."

With that, the trio left the Lee family house and headed toward the Han family stable, a short distance away.

Upon arriving, the trio was stopped by the guards at the entrance.

Noticing Da Bai, the two servants Da Bai had sent ahead earlier also approached from where they had been waiting nearby.

"Brother guard, I was here earlier, remember? I've come back to get the horses," Da Bai said politely, showing his name badge.

One of the guards looked into Da Bai's eyes and asked, "I remember you, but who are they?"

"Ah, brother guard, these two are servants from the Lee family. They came to help me receive the horses," Da Bai explained, his tone respectful.

One of the two guards, who were eyeing everyone from head to toe, asked, "So you were the one who sent these two servants earlier?"

"Yes, brother guard. They're from our Han family, and They're also here to help with the horses," Da Bai replied with an approving nod.

"We understand, but aside from you, no one else can enter. The stable area isn't a place just anyone can access—not even from our own family without permission," one of the guards said, his tone firm as he stared at Bai.

Upon hearing the guard's words, Da Bai scratched his head and began to think about what to do, while Bo An, interrupting Da Bai's thoughts, looked at the guard and asked, "So, Senior Da Bai can go in and bring out the horses one by one, right?"

After exchanging glances, one of the guards said, "Why not?"

"Junior, you're a genius!" Da Bai exclaimed, clapping Bo An on the shoulder in delight. "Brother guard, I'll head in, then," he said, walking past the guards toward the stables.

As Da Bai walked away, one of the guards called after him, "Don't forget to show your name badge to the head stable master!"