The Head Examiner, Master Lu, was a man whose life was measured in ink and ancient scrolls. He walked the perimeter of the Lin family's "Big House," his silk robes brushing against the smooth, cured surface of the rammed-earth walls. He didn't just look at the structure; he tapped it with his jade-tipped cane.
Clack. Clack.
The sound was not the dull thud of mud, but the sharp ring of stone.
"Rammed earth," Master Lu mused, his eyes narrowing behind his spectacles. "A technique used by the ancients for the Great Walls, yet forgotten by the common folk of this dynasty. To see it revived here, in a village that barely appears on the provincial map, is... curious."
Lin Yan bowed respectfully. "The ancients left us many gifts, Excellency. We only have to be hungry enough to dig for them."
Master Lu turned his attention to Lin Xiao, who stood rigidly at his brother's side. "Your brother is a prodigy of the brush, Lin Yan. His essays on agricultural management have reached the Prefect's desk. We wish to offer him a place at the Blue Clouds Academy—the highest seat of learning in the province. No tuition. A private room. Access to the Imperial Library."
A gasp went up from the family. This was the dream. For a peasant family, having a son at Blue Clouds was like having a god in the heavens.
"However," Master Lu continued, his voice cooling. "The Academy requires a 'Scholar's Bond.' In exchange for this patronage, the Lin Ranch must provide the Academy with ten percent of its yearly wool and dairy output as a 'gift of gratitude.' And... the Ranch must become the official training ground for the Academy's equestrian team."
Lin Yan's eyes sharpened. This wasn't a scholarship; it was a corporate takeover. The Academy wanted his "Silk Wool" and his "Spirit Milk" for their elite students, and they wanted a place to ride horses away from the prying eyes of the capital.
"The bond is a heavy one," Lin Yan said slowly. "But my brother's future is not for sale. We accept the scholarship, but the 'ten percent' will be sold at a fixed market rate—not gifted. And as for the equestrian team... we will host them, but the horses must be trained by my men."
Master Lu chuckled, a dry, papery sound. "You bargain like a veteran merchant, Lin Yan. Very well. We shall see if your horses are worth the Academy's gold."
The Taming of the Ghost
The "Equestrian" requirement meant one thing: Lin Yan needed horses. And not just the draft ponies of the village, but beasts that could carry a scholar or a soldier with grace and power.
He returned to the North Slope that evening. The Silver Ghost had returned. The stallion stood on a rocky outcropping, silhouetted against a blood-orange sunset. He was watching the sheep, but his ears were pinned back as he scented the air.
"He's been watching you since dawn," Qin Zhan whispered from the shadows of a pine tree. The soldier had stayed on the mountain to guard the salt-lick. "He's curious, but he's a killer. If you approach him with a rope, he'll cave your chest in."
"I don't need a rope," Lin Yan said.
He pulled out a new item from the System: [The Harmony Bit - Non-Material Variant]. It wasn't a piece of iron; it was a mental focus.
Lin Yan walked into the open meadow. He didn't look at the horse directly—an ancient sign of aggression. Instead, he sat down in the grass, twenty paces away, and began to sing.
It wasn't a Chinese folk song. It was a low, rolling country melody from his past life, a song about wide-open plains and the rhythm of the trail.
The Silver Ghost's ears flickered. He took a step forward. Then another. The stallion's nostrils flared as he caught the scent of the 'Mineral-Honey Salt' Lin Yan had rubbed onto his own sleeves.
For an hour, nothing happened but the song and the wind. Then, the silence was broken by the sound of hooves on soft turf. The silver muzzle touched Lin Yan's shoulder. It was cold and damp. The horse let out a long, vibrating breath—a sigh of submission, or perhaps, recognition.
Lin Yan slowly raised his hand and touched the stallion's neck. The fur was like wire-wrapped silk. Underneath, he could feel the engine of a legendary beast.
> [Taming Progress: 15%. Bond Established: 'Mutual Respect'.]
> Attribute Unlocked: 'Silver Ghost' Bloodline.
> Current Task: Groom the stallion to remove the mountain burrs.
>
The First "Polo" Match
By the end of the week, the news of the Blue Clouds Academy's interest had brought a new crowd to the Lin Ranch. Not just villagers, but junior officials and young scholars from the county seat, all eager to see the "fortress of logic."
Lin Yan knew that if he wanted to keep his independence, he had to show them something they couldn't get anywhere else.
"San, get the ponies," Lin Yan ordered. "We're going to show them the 'Ranch Game'."
He had cleared a flat stretch of land near the river. He used the [Reinforced Corral] blueprint to create a makeshift arena. He fashioned long, willow-wood mallets and a ball made of stuffed rawhide.
"The rules are simple," Lin Yan told the gathered visitors. "Two teams. You must hit the ball through the opponent's gate while staying in the saddle. We call it 'Grass-Gallop'."
To the scholars, who were used to slow, dignified riding, the sight of Lin San and Qin Zhan charging across the field was a revelation. It was fast, violent, and incredibly skillful.
Lin Yan watched as the young officials' eyes lit up. They didn't see a "peasant's game"; they saw a way to prove their masculinity and status.
"This 'Grass-Gallop'..." one official gasped as Lin San scored a goal with a daring lean from his pony. "It requires incredible coordination. The Emperor would find this fascinating!"
"It's just a way to keep the horses and the men sharp," Lin Yan said humbly, though his mind was calculating the "Membership Fees" he could charge.
The Weight of the Future
As the visitors left, leaving behind a trail of silver coins and promises to return, Lin Yan stood with his youngest brother, Lin Xiao, by the new gates.
"You're going to the Academy tomorrow," Lin Yan said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"I'm afraid, Big Brother," Lin Xiao confessed. "They are all sons of generals and ministers. I am just a boy from a mud house."
Lin Yan pointed to the Big House behind them, glowing in the moonlight. "That house is built of the very earth they walk on, Xiao'er. But it is stronger than their silk palaces. When you sit in that classroom, remember: they have their ancestors' names. You have the Lin Ranch at your back. And soon... you'll have the finest horses in the world to carry you home."
In the distance, a silver whinny echoed from the mountains. The Silver Ghost was calling.
Lin Yan looked at his hands—once frail and soft, now scarred and strong. The "Slow Burn" was building into a mountain fire. He was no longer just feeding a family; he was fueling a region.
[System Notification: Arc 2 Progress: 80%. New Goal: Establish the 'Black Pine Stable'. Unlocks: 'Advanced Horse Breeding' & 'Military Contracts'.]