Moma Liangshan

Chapter 97 Battlefield Showdown, Mongolian Powerful Bow

Wang Hao looked at the slave registration document in his hand again, then suddenly threw it into the stove beside him. Cao Hong and the others were incredulous and asked, "What does Master mean by this?" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "No need to be surprised. You are Song people now that you have followed me. The Song Dynasty has never had slaves, so keeping this slave registration document is useless. It's better to burn it!" Cao Hong was grateful and said, "As long as Master is in Liao, you can decide the life and death of our family of eighteen with just this slave registration document. Such power of life and death, Master is going to burn it. Isn't that a pity?" Wang Hao laughed and said, "Everyone has their own destiny, but destiny is in the hands of Heaven or in one's own hands. One should not be controlled by others!" Cao Hong looked at the other two and communicated with them in Mongolian. After a moment, the three of them stood up and stood side by side in front of Wang Hao. Suddenly, they all knelt down and swore, "We swear to the Eternal Heaven that we will be loyal to Master for all eternity!" Wang Hao told the three of them to stand up and said, "From today onwards, you will serve under me. You don't need to call me 'Master,' just 'Young Master'!" The three of them thanked him in unison. Wang Hao suddenly remembered: "The glory of the Mongols originated from Genghis Khan and his descendants' conquest of Eurasia, and in that century-long war, the Mongol cavalry archers made a name for themselves!" He asked, "Are any of you skilled in horsemanship and archery?"

Cao Hong quickly replied, "Morgen is the best archer in the Qiyan tribe, one in a thousand. He can shoot a fleeing field mouse from a hundred paces away while on horseback." Wang Hao, surprised, said, "Please, brave warrior Morgen, rise!" Cao Hong looked at the man on his left and relayed Wang Hao's message in Mongolian. The man rose and knelt on one knee in greeting. Wang Hao helped him up and said, "I want Morgen to compete with Yang Zhi in horseback archery; the winner will be rewarded." Cao Hong again relayed Wang Hao's words to Morgen, who then conveyed his own message to Cao Hong. Cao Hong said, "Morigen is willing to accept the order, but if he wins, he hopes that you, sir, will grant him a request!" Wang Hao asked, "Speak freely!" Cao Hong said, "Morigen hopes that you, sir, will return his old horse to him!" Wang Hao was puzzled and said, "I can grant his request, but I want to know why Morigen would ask for an old horse?" Cao Hong did not ask Morigen any further questions and said directly, "That old horse grew up with Morigen and is his best friend. Now that horse is old, and last year it injured its front leg, so it can no longer go to the battlefield or pull heavy loads. If it is forcibly conscripted, it will probably be overwhelmed and die from exhaustion. Therefore, Morigen hopes that you, sir, will give him that horse so that he can accompany it through its final days!" Wang Hao did not hesitate and said, "Regardless of victory or defeat, I will return the horse to him. Tell him to give him another reward!" Cao Hong relayed Wang Hao's meaning again, and Morigen suddenly knelt down in front of Wang Hao and kissed his boots. Wang Hao was taken aback and quickly stepped back, shouting, "Help Morigen get up!" Cao Hong hurriedly helped Morigen up and explained, "Young master, please don't be alarmed. Morigen had no ill intentions; he simply wanted to express his gratitude to you!"

Wang Hao asked, "What's the other person's name?" Cao Hong replied, "Jida."