Taoist Master

A Rodeo

In a riding outfit and covered in dust and dirt from her first attempt at breaking in her stallion, Bai Qian looked nothing like the regal and beautiful Taoist Master most had seen at the last debate.  But despite the grimy tear streaked face, filthy outfit and sparkling eyes that turned to wink at Mo Yuan moments before the horse took off at a gallop with her attached to the rope, she still looked beautiful regardless.

With her hair flying in the back draft behind her as the horse flew across the wide expanse of the arena, she looked very much a part of the training team who were all goggling in awe at her fearlessness.  The respect was high for this little woman who not only soundly beat the War God for the Grand title of Taoist Master, but she was more than willing to take a beating for a stallion that any one of them would have willingly suffered for her.  

She may have looked fearless and powerful being dragged by a horse hell bent on destroying her but the only sound that Mo Yuans attention on, was her laughter.  All around him, the gushing and rowdy encouragement, didn't even register.  What had him shaking his head, was her recklessness.  He knew, as well as any of them, that the stallion could seriously hurt her regardless of being a High God.  Even he could be hurt, all of them could, but to hear her laughter zigzagging a rugged course across the dusty field while being buffeted about as if she was an actual part of the horses mane, almost had him storming the arena to drag her back out again.

"Don't.' Zhe Yans soft voice suddenly broke through the madness in his head and briefly forcing his eyes off her.

"You agree with this?" Mo Yuan asked bewildered by the mans sparkling laughing eyes and even more so at Ci Hang who also wasn't hiding his mirth, in fact, he too was laughing along with her.  If anything, Mo Yuan thought the world had gone mad.

"Would it matter if I didn't?" Zhe Yan asked as he watched the horse suddenly turn to buck its giant head at the menace who was doing her upmost to bring it under control.  "She might be small Mo Yuan, but her heart hides the bravery of a lion.   She will absolutely battle this horse until it concedes and if I were you, I would let her finish what she started, or she will make your life very difficult." he added and to Mo Yuans disbelief, there was years of experience in those words, ones that carried an all knowing warning.

"I don't need you to tell me just how crazy she is, I already know that!" he retorted only to jump when Bai Qian not only took a direct hit to her abdomen from the stallion, but she landed heavily on the ground with its hooves reared up and aiming straight for her head.

But if Mo Yuan thought she was insane, Zhe Yans laughter only increased his belief that the whole world had lost their minds, because not a single man there looked even close to assisting her.  Only the moment he turned to race into the arena to drag her out again, even if it meant putting her to sleep, then a rapturous applause exploded along with a burst of energy when she not only flew up off the ground and barely missing the hoof, but she landed squarely on the stallions back, took hold of the rope and kicked its side hard.

And like the many times he had visited the mortal realm to watch the horses being broken in when he was younger, a rodeo of the likes he had never seen before erupted before their eyes.  And it was only then, that the loud hollering from the men, quickly died when all eyes remained on the woman who was not only laughing, but they all noticed the respect in the eyes of the stallion who was looking back at her even though its body was now a whirlwind of violent thrusting, buckling and twisting.

Also sensing a change in the horse, Bai Qians mouth quickly clamped closed while her eyes remained on its giant head which was twisting, grunting and snorting back at her.  She could see it was tiring, but the powerful fight in its belly was still so strong, that she didn't dare to lessen her hold on the rope, but she knew that if it didn't calm down soon, it would injure itself and even exhaust itself to death.  So leaning in towards its head, she whispered soft words of endearment to ease its weary mind.