Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 128: Chance Encounter
Zhao Hai was unaware of all this. The day after Laura sent a convoy, Galen had already set off for Casa City with a thousand gold coins.
Unlike before, this time Galen didn’t sneak away. Instead, he rode a Scaly Horned Horse, swaggering down the main road toward Casa City.
As a result, the people watching from Rubble Mountain were taken aback. There were many people traveling on horseback across the continent, but most rode magical beasts of at least the second level, such as Flame Horses or Wind Chaser Horses. It was rare to see someone riding a Scaly Horned Horse on the road.
The Scaly Horned Horse was indeed the most commonly used livestock on the continent, but that term referred to commoners. Generally, the nobility would not use Scaly Horned Horses because they were too slow.
However, many armies did use Scaly Horned Horses since they were easy to take care of. Although they weren’t suitable for battle, they were excellent for transporting food supplies. Moreover, in times of necessity, Scaly Horned Horses could serve as food. They were quite cheap on the continent, and even if someone killed one for meat, they wouldn’t feel too heartbroken. While the meat wasn’t particularly tasty, for soldiers, being full was what mattered most.
Yet, seeing a mage's subordinate riding a Scaly Horned Horse was quite unexpected. One would think that even a struggling mage would still pay attention to their status, especially a high-level mage like Zhao Hai.
Zhao Hai wasn’t concerned about this. The reason he had Galen ride a Scaly Horned Horse to Casa City was intentional. These Scaly Horned Horses had undergone spatial improvements, making them faster with enhanced explosive power and endurance. They could now serve as decent warhorses. This time, Zhao Hai wanted to use Galen’s ride to promote his ranch.
Yes, Zhao Hai's goal was promotion. He intended to open a ranch, and Scaly Horned Horses were a good choice. They were inexpensive, and due to their low price, there was a high demand for them across the continent. Therefore, he had no worries about finding buyers.
However, Scaly Horned Horses had their pros and cons. Relying solely on retail wouldn’t work; a ranch needed large orders to be profitable. Who would need a large number of Scaly Horned Horses? Two groups came to mind: merchants and armies. Merchants needed them for transporting goods, and armies needed them for transporting food supplies.
Scaly Horned Horses that had undergone spatial enhancements would certainly be superior to ordinary ones. Zhao Hai wanted the people of Casa City to see this point, and he also wanted Laura to notice.
Currently, he had a cooperative relationship with Laura, but to be honest, she was the only person he could partner with. He also knew that the Majidel family held significant power on the continent. If he wanted to establish a ranching business, he would need Laura's assistance.
In business, connections are crucial, and right now, Zhao Hai had none. The Budah family was the public enemy of the Aksu Empire. If they dared to reveal their identity, they would face dire consequences. While his identity as a dark mage saved him a lot of trouble, it also made people wary of approaching him. No merchant would want to collaborate with a dark mage known for their sinister reputation.
For this reason, Zhao Hai could only rely on Laura. He had to demonstrate that his goods were the best, even if it was just an ordinary Scaly Horned Horse, it had to be better than others.
It took about two days to travel from Rubble Mountain to Casa City, which was a normal speed. With Galen riding the Scaly Horned Horse, it meant he would need at least around two days to reach Casa City.
Meanwhile, Laura's convoy, which was sent to fetch magic radishes, had departed a day earlier, meaning they would arrive in Casa City a day before Galen. This timing was calculated by Zhao Hai so that Galen could see how well the radishes were selling once he arrived in Casa City.