The mediocre trainer doesn't want to reopen

As for the competition... just leave it all to the two horse girls and let them compete on their own. In the end, no matter what the result is, at least they will not blame each other, nor will they blame Kitano. Only the loser will blame himself or herself for being inferior in skills.

This is the best outcome for Kitano.

If Kitano could truly manipulate the outcome, he would absolutely orchestrate a Japanese derby, with Qingyun Tiankong and Shengwang Guanghuan crossing the finish line simultaneously, tied for first place. Unfortunately, such an outcome is nearly impossible, especially in Japan, where even a mere 2 centimeters can determine victory—though perhaps it might be feasible in Saudi Arabia.

Therefore, instead of expecting such an almost impossible result, Kitano prefers to accept a good result and then try his best to solve another bad result.

Kitano's answer, however, didn't come for a long time. Just when Kitano was feeling strange, he heard Qingyun Tiankong, who had turned his head slightly, hiding his expression with his long, cyan hair, and whispered, "So, Trainer-san, is your expectation for me to win the Triple Crown the same as your expectation for Shengwang to win the Japan Derby?"

"As long as we can achieve a better result than what Trainer Sang achieved in his dream, is that enough?"

"Trainer-san, can I ask a question?"

"You say." Kitano blinked and answered without thinking.

"In Trainer-san's 'dream', what exactly did I, Xing-chan, experience after the Classic Year? Did I really achieve nothing at all?"

When Qingyun Tiankong asked this, Kitano fell silent for a while. As a time traveler and a Hermès, Kitano was naturally familiar with Qingyun Tiankong's story. Of course, he was also very clear about the story that Qingyun Tiankong had not won a GI competition since the Classic Year.

But now, Qingyun Tiankong himself is in front of Kitano. And facing this cruel fact, Kitano is a little hesitant about whether to tell Qingyun Tiankong the truth.

And... the truth about her last competition, her closing Spring Emperor's Award, where she was defeated in 12th place, the last place.

No, Kitano still couldn't do such a cruel thing, so he decided to hide the truth.

"I wanted to change everything in my dream, so I brought you into the team with great hope, Xing-chan. So I will never let what happened in the dream happen again."

"So, don't worry about these things, Xing-chan. You are a brand new you now. You don't need to be bound by that illusory dream. Especially since you are already much stronger than I knew in the dream. So, I'm not too worried that the things in the dream will happen again."

"Really? Trainer-san?"

However, at this moment, before Kitano could finish his words of comfort, Qingyun Tiankong suddenly turned around. At this moment, Qingyun Tiankong looked at Kitano with an unprecedented seriousness, and asked with a little trembling: "But if... something like this really happens again, Trainer-san... you won't give up on me?"

"of course not!"

Faced with this sudden question, Kitano's answer was decisive. He never hesitated on this question and answered Xingjiang's question immediately.

After receiving Kitano's answer, Qingyun Tiankong also showed a relaxed smile in front of Kitano and said lightly: "Really... Then I feel relieved."

"Trainer-san, actually, I've been keeping a secret from you."

"Trainer-san, you've never mentioned our bloodline within the team. You said you only look at our hard work and ability, but I still want to talk about this."

"I'm... actually a low-class racehorse girl. I know exactly where my limits are, so I think the things you described in that 'dream', Trainer-san, are very likely to happen."

At this point, with Qingyun Tiankong's intelligence, she naturally couldn't believe that Kitano's "dream" was just a dream. Although she didn't have the same memories of her past experiences with Kitano as others, she quickly realized that this realistic and somewhat exaggerated dream description was very likely her "end."

One... this is the ending she would have faced if she had never met Kitano.

Although Xing-chan doesn't know how bad her future will be in this ending, judging from Kitano's tone, it is obviously not a good thing.

The news of never winning a GI again in the future is bad enough, especially for Qingyun Tiankong, who had performed well in the classic year. Qingyun Tiankong thought very clearly that if such a thing really happened, she would probably be labeled as "the worst two-time champion horse girl".

"But now... Xing-chan, I don't care about those things."

"I just need to know that Trainer-san won't dislike me because of my bloodline or my limits."

As she said this, Qingyun Tiankong also smiled faintly. For some reason, she felt unprecedentedly relaxed - it was the feeling of relaxation that came from successfully pouring out all her true feelings.

Although she knew it was unnecessary, she no longer needed to hide the fact that she was of inferior blood, because she had received Kitano's assurance that he would not despise her.

And...Trainer Sang obviously knew her limits a long time ago, but just never told her.

Just like she didn't tell Kitano about her inferior blood in order to protect her own dignity. Kitano also didn't mention anything about Xingjiang's limits in order to protect Xingjiang's dignity, even though he already knew about it.

Really... Trainer-san, your gentleness sometimes really makes many simple things complicated.

However, I don’t hate Xing-chan at all. In fact, Xing-chan myself is also a troublesome horse girl.

"Trainer-san."

"how?"

"If, Xing-chan, I don't win the Triple Crown this time, I'd like to retire immediately. Trainer-san, I hope you can agree to this impulsive request of mine."

As he said this, Qingyun Tiankong winked at Kitano playfully, made a playful gesture, and chuckled as he said, "As for the reason... well... just say you retired due to injury, right? But, Xing-chan, I really hope you can change it to a more genuine reason."

"What is that?" Kitano did not refuse immediately after hearing this, but was curious about the "real reason" for retirement mentioned by Qingyun Tiankong.

"Well..." However, Qingyun Tiankong's pupils turned slightly, and his cheeks flushed as he revealed a sly smile. He said to Kitano word by word: "It's a secret - Trainer-san, if you want to know - you must work hard -"

There are many reasons why active Umamusume announces her retirement, among which force majeure is the most commonly used reason, while fractures, injuries and other reasons are the most commonly used, but there is also another possibility.

That is... because of some small reasons, Uma Musume had to terminate her active career in order to protect another life.

Although Xingjiang was just joking, but... she always felt that it would be useful to remember this reason in the future.

Chapter 396: Gaoyue Award, the Battle between the Holy King and Xingjiang

After Qingyun Tiankong confided in Beiye that day, Beiye didn't see Qingyun Tiankong again for several days.

Although Qingyun Tiankong would reply immediately every time Kitano sent a message on the phone, Kitano, as a trainer, could not supervise Qingyun Tiankong's training and rest arrangements - it seemed that Xingjiang was deliberately avoiding him.

"Trainer-san, just take good care of Seiou-san during this time. As for me, Xing-chan... I'm very tired from running for the Yayoi Sho. In order to avoid being affected during the Gaoyue Sho, Xing-chan, I plan to take a good vacation."

"But don't worry, Trainer-san, I won't slack off. I'll do everything in my power as Trainer-san tells me to do. It's just that I want to relax a little bit in my own way."

"I will definitely participate in the Gaoyue Awards as usual, Xing-chan. Trainer-san just needs to wait patiently for me to shine at the Gaoyue Awards. During this time, just spend some quality time with Shengwang-san."

"After all, if Xing-chan really wins the Gaoyue Award, Sheng Wang will definitely need your comfort. Staying with Sheng Wang more will also be good for you, Trainer-san—"

Qingyun Tiankong said so. Her meaning was crystal clear. Clearly, after her confession to Kitano, Qingyun Tiankong had resolved to give it her all in the Triple Crown Classic, and she was well aware of the consequences of her resolve.

That was the same as the "dream" that Kitano interpreted to her, to give his all to the Saint King's Halo at a crushing level - after all, when it came to middle and long distance races, Qingyun Tiankong's adaptability was naturally much stronger than that of the Saint King.

Although the Holy King has been working hard to improve her middle-distance skills in preparation for the Japan Derby recently, after all, for the Holy King, the middle-distance is not her weakness, but it is definitely not her strength either.

Compared with Qingyun Tiankong who has better adaptability, it is indeed difficult for Sheng Wang to gain an advantage in the middle distance. Although Sheng Wang's last kick is sharp, facing Qingyun Tiankong whose tactic is to escape, it is indeed a question whether Sheng Wang can surpass Xingjiang in the end.

Especially... a "strategist" like Xingjiang has definitely taken the Holy King's last move into consideration. In this case, unless the Holy King can burst out with power beyond his own limit, it will be really difficult to defeat Qingyun Tiankong on the field.

"Of course I know about this kind of thing. After all, medium and long distances are Xing-chan's forte."

Beside Kitano, Saint King Aura also listened to Kitano's words about Xing-chan. When he heard Kitano say that Xing-chan would give it her all in this Classic Triple Crown, Saint King, who had stopped training, said calmly, "But even so, I will definitely fight to the end, whether it's the Gaoyue Sho or the Japan Derby, I will accompany him to the end."

"Even the Chrysanthemum Appreciation?" Kitano asked with a chuckle. As expected, at the mention of "Chrysanthemum Appreciation," Saint King Aura's expression became slightly odd. Under Kitano's gaze, he turned his head rather unnaturally and said, "Long-distance is indeed one of my few weaknesses as a top-notch athlete. I don't really care about such a small area."

"The most important thing is that Xing-chan's escape during the chrysanthemum viewing was indeed impressive enough, right?" Kitano had nothing to hide in front of the Holy King. The Holy King was also aware of his own shortcomings. She was no longer the tsundere girl from last week who knew she had her shortcomings but still insisted that she was good enough.

In front of Kitano, the current Holy King is a person who can talk about basically any topic, because in front of Kitano, the Holy King has no secrets at all. Last week's experience made the tempered Holy King become much easier to accept reality.

"Indeed, Xing-chan at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation was so strong that it surprised me. I even had a feeling that Xing-chan at that Chrysanthemum Appreciation might have been invincible, burning everything she had into it."

"If I were to go head-to-head with Xing-chan...I'd probably lose miserably."

The Holy King himself knew that it was nearly impossible for him to defeat Qingyun Tiankong at the Chrysanthemum Contest. Therefore, when discussing this with Kitano, the Holy King understood exactly what Kitano meant – rather than running a race where he was sure to lose, it would be better to avoid it and participate in other events.

Coincidentally, the Autumn Emperor's Award is held on a similar day before the Chrysanthemum Award, and the Autumn Emperor's Award is a competition that both Classic Year and Old Horse Year horse girls can participate in. If the Holy King goes to the Autumn Emperor's Award, his chances of winning should increase a lot.

"But...avoiding battle is not the way of a noble family."

"What's more, since Xiao Te isn't here in this Classic Year, the honor of Xing-chan winning the competition is already low. If I avoid the Chrysanthemum Award again...wouldn't the value of Xing-chan winning the competition be criticized again?"

"I may win more games in the future, but Xing-chan is different. She only has the classic year..."

Muttering to herself, the Holy King had already made a decision in her heart. When she turned her gaze to Kitano beside her, she was met with Kitano's helpless yet subtly relieved expression.

"You...will support my idea, right?"

"Whatever you decide, I will support you this time, Holy King."

As promised, Kitano had no intention of contradicting the Holy King this time. Even if Kitano insisted on his own opinion, he was confident that the Holy King would listen to him. However, this time, when asking the Holy King to challenge the Classic Year again, Kitano planned to use a different approach.

Because of a dispute, the Holy King had to run alone in the Classic Triple Crown competition. This time, if I support her wholeheartedly... will it be different?

"Remember what you said."

The Holy King's support for Kitano was almost natural. But now, she looked at Kitano with a softer look.

I don’t know if it’s an illusion... Ever since the Holy King agreed to his proposal, the way he looked at him seemed to be getting gentler day by day.

Although Kitano naturally liked the Saint King's gentle treatment, for some reason, the Saint King's gentleness now made Kitano feel a subtle sense of crisis, as if... he was being targeted by her.

Under Kitano's wonderful feeling, time passed day by day, and the time for Gaoyuejing came quietly after a month of rest.

The Satsuki Sho, the first of the classic three crowns, is known as the "fastest horse girl wins the Satsuki Sho". Whether or not you can win the competition in this stop will definitely determine who will be the real winner in the next two games.

Fortunately, under Kitano's arrangement, the competition for the classic triple crown this year was not that fierce. Sheng Wang and Qingyun Tiankong took the first and second places in popularity of this competition. Probably because of winning the Yayoi Award, Sheng Wang's popularity this time made her the favorite to win the Gaoyue Award.

However, the Holy King looked quite nervous and serious, because she knew that being the most popular in this competition did not guarantee her victory.

Especially... when facing Qingyun Tiankong, who had already defeated Gaoyue Shang in her memory, although the Holy King had received unprecedented enhancement in mid-range, she was still not sure that she could defeat Qingyun Tiankong.

"Ah, Sheng Wang, you're here—"

However, at this moment, Xing-chan, wearing her victory suit, trotted over to the Holy King. Apparently noticing the Holy King's unconcealed vigilance and seriousness, Xing-chan paused for a moment before quickly speaking with a smile, "Why are you so nervous, Holy King? Are you feeling a lot of pressure because I'm here, Xing-chan?"

"If that's the case, then what a shame. I, Xing-chan, am going into this match with the determination to give it my all—Trainer-san must have already told Seiou-san, right?"

"of course."

Now that she had arrived at the competition venue, Saint King knew that she had to step onto the GI competition field again. This was a long-lost feeling for Saint King, and it was also an opportunity to challenge her psychological shadow.

Therefore, she absolutely cannot escape. Even if she still fails to win the Classic Triple Crown this time, she has at least faced the shadow in her heart. This time, she must not be defeated by the shadow again.

"Xing-chan, this time, we will both go all out. If you hold back like you did during the Yayoi event, you won't be worthy of being my top-notch opponent."

"So, don't worry, let's compete!"

The Saint King had also made up his mind to confront Qingyun Tiankong once again, confronting the shadows of his past. Upon hearing this, Qingyun Tiankong chuckled and lowered her head. Rarely did she dare to look the Saint King in the eye, instead brushing past her.

"Holy King, I'm sorry."

"Xing-chan, I... might have to do something to hurt you, just for my own sake."

"Please forgive me, please."

However, when passing by the Holy King, Xingjiang's words were clearly heard by the Holy King, but before the Holy King could speak, Xingjiang had already walked towards the exit of the tunnel, towards the arena she had longed for.

Gazing at Qingyun Tiankong's back, the Saint King said nothing at this moment, but just cast his gaze on his palm. Then, the Saint King clenched his palm into a fist again to cheer himself up.

"This time... I will definitely defeat you."

The Holy King's words were filled with unprecedented determination, but who was she trying to defeat, Xing-chan... or the nightmare she feared?

Chapter 397: The other side of the heart that the Holy King's halo fears

"We can see that the most popular number 3, Saint King Halo, and the second most popular number 7, Azure Cloud Sky, have both entered the arena. So, the first stop of the Classic Triple Crown, the Gi Gaoyue Award, is about to begin."

"Seiko-kun seems very nervous."

In the audience, everyone from Kitano's team was present this time. Since Kitano's team had several GI Uma Musume, he no longer had to hide for fear of being recognized.

Kitano was now a significant figure not only at Tresen College but also at various racetracks. After all, his horse girls had competed in various grass-roots G.I. events over the past year or two, and each one was a favorite to win.

Such influence not only made the chairman take notice of Kitano, but also made all the major racecourses respect Kitano and his horse racing girls - because no one knows whether this situation will happen in the next one or two years, or in the next few years.

If it is the latter, then it is quite complicated. It means that in the next few years, all the popular GI competitions will have the Uma Musume from Kitano Team, and each of them will be a favorite to win the championship.

Such a presence is extremely attractive to racecourses that need more spectators and more attention. Therefore, Kitano and his team members can now show up at the racecourse without worrying about being harassed.

Kitano no longer had to worry about being grabbed by some random horse racing girl and forced to give her a small note with the name of a hotel or even a room card written on it...

Now, when the Gaoyue Award is about to open, almost all the members of Kitano's team have arrived at the scene. Of course, Luduo did not just stand next to Kitano. After all, they are not officially husband and wife yet.

However, Aldan and Good Opera were both there. When Sheng Wang and Xing-chan entered, Aldan seemed to have noticed something was wrong and said to Kitano beside him, "Trainer-san, Sheng Wang-san, something seems amiss."

"She's already panting before she even starts running, and her face is so pale. Did something happen?"

"Really?" Kitano was shocked when he heard this, and the believer next to him was very considerate and gave Kitano a telescope for convenient observation.

Uma Musume's five senses are much stronger than Kitano's. They can see the Holy King's condition clearly without the help of a telescope, but Kitano can't. He needs tools to see. With the help of the telescope, Kitano also observed the Holy King's different condition at this moment.

Just as Aldan had said, the Holy King didn't look well at the moment. He looked completely different from the one Kitano had seen in the lounge half an hour earlier. He was panting, his chest heaving uncontrollably, his face pale, and he was even sweating.

"The Holy King is not in a good condition. The match must be stopped immediately."

As soon as he saw that the Saint King was not in good condition, Kitano made a decision immediately. He would not risk the Saint King's poor condition to compete.

"I have to call the racetrack and have them stop the race."

"I've already called, Trainer Sang." Aldan also took out his mobile phone and started entering a number, intending to contact the staff of the racecourse to stop the race.

"That's good." Kitano heaved a sigh of relief. Soon, as Aldan finished speaking, Kitano, with the help of a telescope, quickly saw the Holy King's Halo, which had been reluctant to enter the gate not far away, being found by two staff members. They seemed to be talking about something.