Bai Nine mulled over Terrestrial Horse’s words for a long while, feeling that the rules hadn’t been explained very clearly.
“Excuse , why exactly do we have to push this wheelbarrow?” she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. “Isn’t it enough for us to just make the full lap ourselves?”
“Of course not,” Terrestrial Horse replied. “You all don’t strike as the scholarly type. I suspect I’m the only one here who’s actually read the {Three Kingdoms} cover to cover.”
“No,” Yun Nineteen shook his head. “I suspect we’re all familiar with it. So, what is it you really an?”
Qiao Jiajin instinctively stepped back at this, realizing only he probably hadn’t read it.
“Oh?” Terrestrial Horse lightly brushed her mane with a hint of disdain. “You’ve all read it? Well, appearances can be deceiving. In that case, tell , how did the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse} co about?”
Yun Nineteen answered without hesitation, “The {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse} was a transport device invented by the Imperial Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang. It comprises a flowing horse and a wooden ox. Historical records indicate it was used by Zhuge Liang during the Northern Expeditions between the ninth and twelfth year of the Jianxing Era.”
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Bai Nine smiled and added, “According to legend, the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse} could carry {a year’s worth of grain}, roughly over two hundred kilograms. Its daily travel was said to run up to {five kiloters for solo operators, fifteen kiloters for groups}, used to supply the hundred-thousand-strong army of Shu Han.”
Terrestrial Horse had not expected that these casually dressed individuals would speak with such knowledge, and could only nod in mild surprise.
At that mont, a tall young woman also spoke up, “Although your ga is called {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse}, no one truly knows what the device looked like. Many historical accounts differ. So say it was just a simple single-wheeled handcart; others claim it was a wooden structure shaped like an ox and a horse.”
Qiao Jiajin glanced at the very tall young woman; if he rembered correctly, she was Feng Seventeen.
“I didn’t expect this,” Terrestrial Horse said, turning her head to look at the group. “You all are quite learned... but so what?”
“Huh?”
“This knowledge ans nothing more than words to you,” Terrestrial Horse said, her hand lingering on the wooden wheelbarrow beside her with a hint of lancholy. “Even if a craftsman painstakingly restored these things lost to ti, you would argue that because no one has ever seen them, the restoration cannot be genuine.”
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Qiao Jiajin scratched his head in confusion. “I–I don’t get what you’re getting at... Are you saying that’s wrong? Isn’t anything reproduced by later generations not genuine?”
“Of course what they said was wrong,” Terrestrial Horse replied. “The very reason for our family of craftsn is to recreate these lost, intricate wooden devices, yet often one’s entire life passes without any validation...”
Qiao Jiajin’s gaze drifted to the wooden boxes lining the track. Since she ca from a {family of craftsn}, did that an she had made all of these herself?
“I still don’t get it,” Qiao Jiajin said. “I know quite a few craftsn... but aren’t you being a tad excessive?”
“Excessive?”
“This...ox-horse thing,” Qiao Jiajin said, patting the wooden wheelbarrow beside him, “does it an sothing special to you?”
“No,” Terrestrial Horse replied. “I’ve already said: I simply wish to recreate things that have been lost to ti. They are fragnts of brilliance scattered along the long river of history.”
“But what’s the aning in that?” Qiao Jiajin asked.
“aning?”
“From what you just said, this thing once helped Zhuge Liang, right? So it must’ve been so kind of transport device.”
“Yes,” Terrestrial Horse nodded. “Many ancient texts record the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse}. It was a wheelbarrow Zhuge Liang used to transport grain through the mountains.”
“Then it should hold a special aning for Zhuge Liang, not you,” Qiao Jiajin said. “Are you really going to devote your entire life to such a thing? Do you think Zhuge Liang would approve?”
“Huh...?”
“Maybe I’m just being nosy.” Qiao Jiajin gave a wry smile and shook his head. “I just wish you can find ti to do sothing that brings you joy, sothing other than this.”
“You—” Terrestrial Horse sighed. For so reason, she couldn’t understand why she’d said so much to this botherso, tattooed man. Another sigh escaped her lips. “There’s no need to try to flatter before the ga begins. Beyond my own obsessions, nothing brings joy anymore. Should you lose this ga, your deaths will be more wretched than any you’ve known.”
“Is it really that hard?” Qiao Jiajin asked. “All we have to do is have everyone push the wheelbarrow a full lap around, no?”
“No.” Terrestrial Horse shook her head. “The Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse was conceived for the purpose of {transportation}, so rely running the track yourselves serves little purpose.”
“Ah?” Qiao Jiajin was suddenly at a loss. “Wait a minute... didn’t you just say that if every person completes one full lap on the track, we win?”
“You’re right, but that was not the full rule.” Terrestrial Horse gave a short laugh. “Completion requires all seven of you to make a full there-and-back journey while sitting on the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse.”
“What the—?!” Qiao Jiajin froze. “You lan-j...cough...Terrestrial ma’am, what kind of nonsense is that? So even running barefoot across the ice doesn’t count?”
“It does not.” Terrestrial Horse shook her head. “I will observe the entire process from the side. All seven of you must each complete a round trip on the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse}, and any attempt at cheating will incur sanctions.”
“This is impossible...” Qiao Jiajin lowered his head then glanced back at his teammates, as if awaiting their counsel.
Although Qi Xia was not present, Qiao Jiajin still led a band of able-minded smarties.
“What...do you lads think?”
“Um... Qiao ge, co with for a mont.” Bai Nine tugged at his sleeve.
Qiao Jiajin nodded and, together with the others, slipped into a corner.
“Got any ideas?”
“More or less...” Bai Nine nodded in acknowledgent. “Though this ga is primarily a speed challenge, it appears that coordination among participants will still matter.”
Yun Nineteen also nodded. “Correct. Terrestrial Horse counts only those aboard the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse}; she made no ntion of those on the track...”
“Looks like Nineteen and I are on the sa page,” Bai Nine remarked. “We can all take part every round.”
“All take part...?”
“We have seven people,” Bai Nine explained. “In each round, only one person needs to sit in the chair, while three people on each side stabilize the wheelbarrow. This would greatly increase the ti it takes us to traverse the track.”
“Is that so?” Qiao Jiajin furrowed his brow and scratched his head; he wasn’t so sure about this plan. “Have any of you ever walked hand in hand across ice before?”
“...No.” everyone shook their heads.
“Neither have I,” Qiao Jiajin said. “But I can roughly guess... Although there’s a chance that everyone can stay stable, there’s also a risk that one small mistake could affect everyone. If one person falls, the others would have trouble keeping their balance, and even the person sitting on the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse} could be knocked off.”
“Th–That’s definitely a possible risk...” Bai Nine noted.
“Has your gang ever played those gas where everyone’s hands and feet are tied together...?” Qiao Jiajin asked.
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