The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

The Great Qian Dynasty.

winter.

The cold wind was like a knife, sweeping through the drafty stable in the backyard of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion.

Wang Long squatted on the ground, his hands, covered in calluses and cracks, gently stroking the calf of a green horse.

Its name is "Ta Xue" (meaning "Snow Treader"), and it was the mount of the late husband of the First Lady of the Marquis's Mansion.

She was also the only being in the entire Marquis's mansion who did not despise Wang Long.

"You're so kind, you don't mind that I'm dirty."

Wang Long gently stroked Taxue's head, muttering to himself, a self-mocking glint flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

I've been in this world for sixty-eight years now.

There was no cheat code, no old man, and no system falling on his head.

When Wang Long first transmigrated, he thought that since he had lived two lives, he would surely make a name for himself.

The results of it?

This is a world where martial arts reign supreme.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name 1110 ...

He was born with a weak body and blocked martial meridians, making it impossible for him to cultivate.

He was the lowest of the low, working as a stable boy for sixty years.

He was buried up to his neck in the yellow earth, and the woman's hand was never even touched.

I've lost everything in this life.

"Wang Long!"

A sharp rebuke interrupted his thoughts.

The maid Chunlan stood at the entrance of the stable, pinching her nose, her eyes filled with undisguised disgust, as if she were calling for an old dog.

"The First Madam wants you to go to the main hall. Hurry up, don't dawdle!"

Three months ago, the First Madam personally promised that as long as "Treading Snow" was cured, he would be allowed to retire and return to his hometown, and she would also reward him with a bag of silver and a woman, so that he could enjoy his old age in peace.

Before he dies, he should also experience the taste of a woman!

This was Wang Long's last wish!

……

Inside the main hall, the charcoal fire was burning brightly.

Madam Luo Hanyi leaned against the soft couch, her crimson-purple dress outlining her breathtaking curves.

She was over thirty, with an icy beauty and aloof elegance.

"Was Ta Xue cured?"

The voice was languid, yet carried a chilling coldness.

"Reporting to Madam, Ta Xue's leg injury is no longer a major concern. After another half month of recuperation, she will be able to run as usual."

When he uttered the words "Treading on Snow," he saw Luo Hanyi's eyes flicker slightly.

That was the only memento her deceased husband left her.

Ten years ago, all thirteen men of the Zhenbei Marquis's household perished on the battlefield due to betrayal by a traitor.

Since then, Luo Hanyi has single-handedly supported the Marquis's mansion, leading her young daughter through a world of danger and treacherous paths, gritting her teeth to survive.

Ten years have passed, and the traitor from back then is still nowhere to be found.

Not only was the Marquis of Zhenbei unable to avenge his family, but he was also coveted by various forces in the court, who all regarded him as a lamb to the slaughter, eyeing him with predatory intent!

Luo Hanyi's martial arts realm has not improved by even a fraction in the past ten years!

The pack of wolves and the tiger leader couldn't resist and began to probe frequently!

"You're quite thoughtful."

Luo Hanyi withdrew her gaze, toying with a black, soft whip between her fingers, and said casually.

"I vaguely remember making a promise to you?"

Wang Long's heart was pounding. Despite being over sixty years old, he was as nervous as a young boy.

"The First Madam has spoken with absolute authority, saying... that she will allow this old servant to live out his days in retirement, and will even bestow upon him..."

He didn't dare finish his sentence.

"Oh."

The First Madam, Luo Hanyi, fiddled with her nail polish, not even glancing at him.

"The stables in the snow are off-limits to outsiders. There's no rush for you to leave."

Wang Long suddenly looked up: "But Madam clearly promised—"

"Promise what?"

She then looked at him, a playful smile playing on her lips. "Heh, men... Fine, I'll give you one."

Wang Long was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly.

A moment later, two servants dragged a restless female dog into the yard.

The female dog is in heat; her eyes are bright red.

Chunlan, Luo Hanyi's personal maid, covered her mouth and laughed so hard she bent over: "An old dog with a female dog, isn't that a perfect match?"

Wang Long knelt on the spot, his face gradually turning from flushed red to deathly ashen.

He had never been so humiliated in his life.

But Wang Long dared not retaliate.

In this world where martial arts reign supreme, ordinary people who cannot cultivate are worth less than grass.

He has survived until now only because of his skill in raising horses. Ta Xue is only close to him, which is why he is able to earn a living in the Marquis's mansion.

"Madam... this old servant only wanted to..."

Wang Long's face grew increasingly grim, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably. "I just wanted to die..."

“Pah!”

Before he could finish speaking, a whip lashed his face.

Wang Long's emaciated body was slapped to the ground, and a bloody gash instantly appeared on his face, slashing diagonally from his left forehead to his jaw, leaving his skin and flesh torn open.

Luo Hanyi looked down at him, her gaze as cold as iron tempered with frost, carrying an unyielding ruthlessness.

Snapped!

Snapped!

Snapped!

Three more lashes were delivered, each striking Wang Long precisely on the back, splattering blood onto the blue bricks in a horrifying sight.

Wang Long gritted his teeth, too pained to utter a sound.

"Have you learned your lesson?"

"Replying to...replying to Madam...you've...grown taller..."

"Drag it on—"

Luo Hanyi put away the whip and turned around. Her clothes almost brushed against Wang Long's face, but left no warmth behind.

"If they're not dead, keep raising horses. If they are... throw them in a mass grave, don't dirty 'Snow-Treading's' stables!"

……

Wang Long was dragged back to the stable by two servants like a dead dog.

My back was burning with pain, but what hurt even more was my heart.

He raised horses for the Marquis's mansion for sixty years, from his youth to his old age.

Finally!

They won't even give him a shred of dignity!

A cold wind swept in from all sides of the stable, carrying fine snowflakes that landed on Wang Long's face.

He didn't move, letting the coldness melt into water on his wrinkled face, curled up on the hay, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

The whip marks bled, soaking the dry grass.

It still hurts even after changing positions.

He stared intently at the narrow slit in the ceiling, a beam of moonlight filtering down and landing on his hand.

This person has been raising horses for sixty years.

I've long forgotten what my mother looked like.

I turned my palm over and held it up to the moonlight; the calluses were as thick as a shell.

"A time traveler? Heh..."

Wang Long let out a bitter laugh, and as he laughed, he coughed up another mouthful of blood.

……

Late at night.

He was in so much pain from his wound that he couldn't sleep, and he was also very thirsty.

Wang Long got up and reached the edge of the water vat. Just as he scooped up a ladle of water, a suppressed groan drifted into his ears.

He was stunned.

The sound... came from the First Madam's courtyard.

He should leave.

This is the rule, and more importantly, it's the bottom line for survival.

But the sound was too strange—it sounded like pleasure, yet also like… pain.

The stables are very close to the First Madam's room.

As if possessed, Wang Long stepped into the courtyard.

Through the crack in the window, he saw a scene he would never forget.

Luo Hanyi slumped down on the edge of the bed, her clothes disheveled, her black hair loose, her face abnormally flushed. She bit her lip hard, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, her whole body trembling violently, as if she was fighting against something with pain.

Those eyes, usually cold and sharp as knives, were now misty with tears, and their gaze was beginning to wander.

Wang Long turned to leave.

"Who?!"

Luo Hanyi suddenly turned her head, her captivating peach blossom eyes, filled with tears, meeting the figure outside the window.

Their eyes met!

Wang Long saw the shock, anger, and shame in her eyes—and a hint of coldness that she couldn't hide at all.

Run!

fast!

Wang Long was screaming in his heart.

But his feet seemed to be rooted to the ground.

He suddenly remembered the four lashes he had received during the day.

He recalled the way she looked at him, like she was looking at a dog.

Even if a dog dies, there's still a place to bury it.

He died, in a mass grave.

Sixty-eight years!

He lived two lives, and lived a life of utter incompetence.

Half of his body was buried in the ground!

Do you still want to be pathetic?

Damn it!

Wang Long reached out and forcefully pushed open the door in front of him.

"Bang--!"

inside the house.

The candlelight flickered.

The light shone on Wang Long's aged yet serene face.

Luo Hanyi's pupils contracted sharply. She tried to sit up, but her whole body felt weak and sore.

The backlash of flames surged wildly within her body, causing her true energy to rapidly dissipate like a flood.

She desperately tried to circulate her internal energy, but found that the more she circulated it, the stronger the backlash became.

During the years she practiced dual cultivation with her deceased husband, she never treated the hidden ailments left by this cultivation method on her own.

After her husband died, she struggled alone for ten years, enduring each backlash with sheer willpower.

This time...

She couldn't take it anymore!

"You...you lackey...who let you in...?"