CHAPTER 458: CHAPTER 446: THE VERSATILE FISHING BAIT

After jumping out of the courtyard gate, the little horse appeared extremely excited, prancing in circles a few times, its pale golden mane swaying back and forth.

It was truly a sight to behold.

Han Qiwu patted the little horse’s head and said, "Little Horse, today I’m going to train you in obstacle jumps, the kind with a time limit. If you do well, you’ll get an extra meal tonight."

"Neighhh!"

The little horse was thrilled.

Though it didn’t understand what obstacle jumping or training meant, it knew exactly what an extra meal was.

Extra meal meant eating till it was perfectly satisfied!

Yay!

Seeing how delighted the little horse was, Han Qiwu sighed, "So easy to please—just give it food."

He glanced at the map, shook the reins, and rode the little horse toward the road leading to the mine.

That road had few passers-by and some natural stone obstacles that could be arranged a bit to serve as training props.

"The space at home is still a bit small, can’t even set up a proper paddock," Han Qiwu thought while riding the little horse along.

He made a mental note to mention it to Mayor Niu next time and see if there was a way to expand the experimental fields.

There should be plenty of other places with this kind of "high biodiversity."

But that could wait—for now, it was time to train the little horse, just as Uncle Ma had taught!

Back at the house.

Seeing its owner and the Little Prince leave, the rooster proudly folded its wings behind its back and strutted toward the door.

But as it was about to step out, it suddenly realized this posture might not be quite appropriate.

This was its "charming pose" for hens—unsuitable for its "wise big brother" vibe.

Adjusting itself, it tucked its wings neatly and slightly hunched its back, walking steadily toward Hongyan Tower to begin its bi-daily mission of helping its owner with chores.

On the hillside of the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion, two goats were standing tall, scanning the surroundings from afar. When they noticed the rooster’s movements, they exchanged a glance.

"Look, it’s off to bamboozle the ducklings again."

"Who cares? As long as it doesn’t mess with us again. If it dares, we’ll tell the owner."

"Exactly. Anyway, we’re not poultry, so we’re not in its ’territory.’"

"Let’s get back to climbing—let’s see who’s faster!"

On the road to the mine.

Han Qiwu was joyfully riding his little horse when he suddenly looked up and noticed a shelter that looked both familiar and strange.

No, it was more like a thatched hut.

The original cowhide cover on the frame of that shelter had completely disappeared, replaced with bundles of sun-dried thatch. The thatch seemed to have undergone some type of special treatment, as both its color and texture looked unusual.

In front of the hut, a bald-headed Liu Lang was grilling fish on a fire rack. Beside him was a small clay pot with bubbling, fragrant fish soup. Behind him was a small rack loaded with dried fish.

Hearing the sound of horse hooves, Liu Lang looked up at the dirt path. Seeing that it was Han Qiwu on horseback, he stood up and enthusiastically waved.

Han Qiwu stopped the little horse by the dirt slope near the hut, tied the reins securely, and walked down the grass track to greet Liu Lang, saying, "That fish smells amazing."

"Of course! I used my secret seasoning for it. Have you eaten? Want to try some?" Liu Lang chuckled proudly.

Han Qiwu waved his hand, "I just ate before heading out; I’m full." Not only was he truly not hungry, but he also didn’t want to take Liu Lang’s food. Squatting nearby, he curiously asked, "Why’d you shave your head bald?"

Hearing this, Liu Lang didn’t insist on offering food. He chuckled and explained, "It’s summer—being bald is so much cooler." After speaking, he raised the grilled fish a bit higher off the fire, stood up, dusted off his hands, and walked leisurely toward the little horse.

"Is this horse actually golden? Did you dye it?" Liu Lang asked curiously.

Han Qiwu chuckled, "Dye it? No way—it’s naturally this color."

"When I saw you riding in just now, its gait looked quite elegant—it’s definitely a fine horse!" Praising the horse, Liu Lang suddenly lowered his head and began searching the ground around him.

A few seconds later, he grabbed a few black Dragon Hollyhock berries and tossed them into his mouth, chewing as he scratched his arm.

Following his movement, Han Qiwu noticed the numerous insect bites on Liu Lang’s arms. Some had even festered, making the injuries look quite serious.

"No idea who’s been eating all the black mossberries around here. I’ve been searching for ages today but couldn’t find many. My arm’s itching like crazy," Liu Lang said with a helpless expression while plucking a few more berries.

Han Qiwu felt a bit guilty listening to this. He didn’t know if anyone else had been picking the berries, but he had indeed gathered quite a few over the past few days.

Seeing Liu Lang endlessly scratching his arm, Han Qiwu couldn’t bear it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a leaf from his storage pouch.

It was a leaf from a giant Venus flytrap.

"Stop scratching; do you have a pestle?" Han Qiwu held the leaf in his hand but didn’t pass it to Liu Lang.

Liu Lang, a seasoned forager, likely recognized the smaller version of the mountain flytraps, but Han Qiwu didn’t want him to see the oversized variety.

Hearing the question, Liu Lang went into his thatched hut and retrieved a stone pestle.

Han Qiwu took it, quickly turning the leaf into a green paste. "Stop scratching, or it’ll get infected. Apply this to your arm—it’ll be fine."

Liu Lang trusted Han Qiwu and used his fingers to dab some of the sticky paste onto his arm.

"How does it feel?" Han Qiwu asked curiously.

Liu Lang’s expression gradually softened, even looking a bit relieved. "Comfortable! It feels amazing. Not itchy anymore, and it’s so cooling. What is this stuff? Mint leaves? Doesn’t seem like it."

"A family-secret herb. Can’t tell you," Han Qiwu teased, deciding to keep the mystery alive. Seeing that Liu Lang was about to ask more questions, he started walking back toward the little horse, saying, "Leave it on for a while, and it should heal. Eat your food—I’ve got things to do, so I’ll take my leave."

Liu Lang hurriedly called out, "Wait, young man! I’m not one to delay repaying a favor—do you know how I managed to catch so many fish?"

Han Qiwu stopped and answered seriously, "With a fishing rod?"

Liu Lang: "..."

"Of course, I used a fishing rod! But the real reason I caught so many fish is that I’ve developed a special bait recipe perfectly suited for sea fishing. I call it the ’universal bait!’ Just wait—I’ll teach you the recipe in a moment!"

Without giving Han Qiwu a chance to refuse, Liu Lang ran back into the thatched hut and started rummaging around.