Chapter 112: Riding a Horse? Do I Need To? (2)

"I'm hijacking these horses! If you're smart, get off and clear out, or I'll take your pathetic lives!"

Before the city guards could grasp why Ye Lang and his group were charging at them, Ye Lang brandished a saber he had pulled from goodness knows where, shouting with the full bravado of a highwayman.

*What the hell? Are we the ones surrounding him, or is he here to rob us? Is this kid confused, or am I? And is he really here to steal our horses?*

"Heh, if you want to die, I'll be happy to oblige!" Ye Lang produced a basketball-sized object, its contents unknown, and hurled it directly at them.

At first, the city guards’ instinct was to dodge. Everyone knew that anything in Ye Lang’s hands was likely to be something bizarre and dangerous. However, after a moment, they realized the object had no immediate effect; it spun on the ground a few times and then came to a complete halt.

"What on earth is that?" Everyone’s attention was locked onto the object, though they maintained a cautious distance.

Ye Lang smiled faintly—this was exactly the effect he wanted. With one hand, he rapidly traced a small alchemy array in the air and pressed it toward the object.

"Dad, Grandpa, close your eyes!"

Though they didn't know what Ye Lang was planning, Ye Yi and his father immediately squeezed their eyes shut. Even with their eyes closed, they felt a blinding flash of intense light erupt before them.

"Ah!"

"Agh!"

In an instant, a chorus of miserable shrieks filled the ears of Ye Yi and his father. They waited for Ye Lang’s signal, unsure if they could open their eyes yet.

"It’s done! Let’s take the horses!"

Ye Lang’s voice rang out. When Ye Yi and his father opened their eyes, they saw the city guards clutching their faces in agony; some were still swaying on their horses, while others had already tumbled to the ground.

Clearly, the object Ye Lang had thrown was a flashbang. For those who had been staring directly at a flashbang the size of a basketball, it was a miracle they hadn't been permanently blinded; temporary blindness was a certainty.

One might wonder if the horses would suffer the same fate, rendering them useless. But that was a mistake; the horses were perfectly fine because military mounts were equipped with blinders, allowing them to remain fearless in battle.

As for those behind Ye Lang, they were unharmed, thanks to Zhen Xiaoyan’s warning. She had recognized the device the moment she saw it. Ye Lang had once intended to use it to add some dazzling effects to one of her talent displays, and he had even used it to prank her before, so she knew exactly what it did.

Things became easy then. Ye Yi and Ye Cheng-tian quickly cleared the "blind" guards, and with the help of the others, everyone secured a military horse. They had originally considered taking two horses each to rotate, but Ye Lang stopped them, claiming he had a way to keep the horses’ stamina up, making it unnecessary.

"Uh..."

Just as everyone mounted up, ready to gallop away, Ye Lang stood still again, not moving.

"Ye Lang, what is it now? Did you think of another way to escape?" Ye Yi asked from his saddle, holding the reins and looking at Ye Lang with anticipation.

Just as everyone else looked on, waiting for Ye Lang to propose another brilliant plan, he uttered a sentence that nearly caused them all to fall off their horses.

"Uh... I... I don't know how to ride a horse!" Ye Lang said, scratching his head with a look of embarrassment.

"What!?"

Everyone’s jaws dropped. They couldn't believe their ears. This kid seemed to be capable of everything, yet he couldn't do something as fundamental as riding a horse. In this continent, horses were the most common mode of transportation; everyone knew at least a little bit of horsemanship, even pampered young ladies of noble houses.

"Why are you staring at me? Haven't you ever seen someone this handsome?" Ye Lang tilted his head up and said, acting "arrogant."

"Son, are you serious, or are you joking? You really don't know how to ride?" Ye Cheng-tian wanted to smack Ye Lang’s arrogant head, but he knew there was no time for that.

"I really don't know. Would I be joking at a time like this?" Ye Lang shrugged helplessly. "Your horsemanship is better than mine; just hoist me up."

"Ride with me!" Ye Lanyu, Zhen Xiaoyan, and the Seventh Princess all spoke at the same time.

Faced with such a choice, most men would feel blessed—three young, beautiful girls wanting to share a horse with you. But after the initial bliss came the agony of choice. If he picked one, the other two would be unhappy. What was he to do?

While many would find this a headache, Ye Lang didn't. He was strictly egalitarian: he chose none of them.

"No way! I don't trust your riding skills. I'll stick with Dad. Dad, we’re a father-son team—we’ll take the rear!" Ye Lang jumped onto Ye Cheng-tian’s horse and sat facing backward. Yes, backward.

"Hey, hey, son, why are you sitting backward? What if you fall off?" Ye Cheng-tian frowned.

"Don't worry. I may not know how to ride, but I'm not stupid enough to fall off! This way, it's easier for me to guard the rear and keep an eye on them. You guys go ahead; we'll cover the retreat!" Ye Lang said nonchalantly.

The immediate priority was to flee, so no one argued further.

"Hiyah!"

With a loud shout and a squeeze of the legs, the horses galloped off. The group raced away, and while many pursuers were still chasing them, the military mounts made it impossible for the enemy to surround them again.

"Son, why don't you know how to ride?" Ye Cheng-tian couldn't help but ask during the frantic gallop. He was deeply bothered by this. Imagine, he was a general who had led thousands into battle, and his own son couldn't even ride a horse—where was he supposed to put his face?

"What do you mean 'why'? I never had the chance to learn, so of course I don't know," Ye Lang replied dismissively, pulling out a telescope to observe the pursuers.

"Never had the chance..."

Everyone suddenly realized that from childhood, Ye Lang had either been chauffeured in a carriage or he had walked, and he truly never had the opportunity to ride.

That wasn't the only reason. There was a more important factor: with Ye Lang’s old, dim-witted personality, no one would have let him ride a horse—Tiger Girl certainly never allowed it. Later, after Ye Lang recovered, he remained so absent-minded that everyone feared he might drift off mid-ride and meet a tragic end.

Furthermore, as a notorious spendthrift, why would he ever ride a horse? Of course, he had to travel by carriage; that was the only thing befitting his status as a profligate heir. Thus, Ye Lang proudly declared: "I am meant to enjoy a luxurious carriage; I will never ride a horse!"