The transition from Arc 2 to Arc 3 was marked by a shift in the very air of the Lin Ranch. No longer was the conversation centered on surviving the next meal; it was about conquering the next ridge. The "Big House" had become the nerve center of a growing operation, and the courtyard, once silent and dusty, was now a training ground.
Qin Zhan stood in the center of the yard, his arms crossed over his chest. Before him stood six village youths, including Lin San. They were the first "Ranch Hand" recruits, chosen for their stamina and their lack of fear.
"A horse is your legs, but the rope is your reach," Qin Zhan barked, his voice like iron on stone. "If you cannot throw a loop while your mount is at a full gallop, you are not a herder—you are a target."
Lin San wiped sweat from his eyes, his hands raw from gripping the reinforced 'Iron-Root' ropes. He looked at Lin Yan, who was standing on the porch of the Big House, reviewing a series of hand-drawn maps based on the System's latest scan.
"Brother, when do we leave?" Lin San called out.
"Now," Lin Yan replied, rolling up the parchment. "The scouts say the Iron-Hoof bulls have moved into the High Basin to lick the salt-crags. If we wait for the summer heat, they'll retreat into the deep canyons where we can't follow."
The Logistics of the Wild
The "Iron-Hoof" bulls were not the docile cattle of the southern plains. They were remnants of an ancient, hardy breed—massive, thick-necked beasts with horns like blackened cedar branches. According to the System, they possessed a 'Stress-Resistant' gene that, when cross-bred with high-quality beef breeds later, would create the perfect ranching livestock.
Lin Yan had spent the last three days preparing the logistics. A "Slow Burn" rancher knew that a mission was won in the packing, not the fighting.
* The Mobile Forge: A small, portable anvil and charcoal bellows to repair shoes and tools on the trail.
* The Brine-Casks: For preserving any small game they caught and for providing the cattle with the salt-enticement they craved.
* The Med-Kit: Lin Yan had used the System to refine a "Healing Salve" from mountain herbs—essential for treating the inevitable rope burns and horn gouts.
"Zhang He," Lin Yan said to the mason. "You stay here. Keep the walls rising. If the Landlord's men come back, show them the wool-works. Don't let them in the cellar."
The sisters, Lin Yue and Lin Hua, were already busy at the new looms. They had begun the first "Silk Wool" project, using the cleaned fleece from the blue-horn sheep. The sound of the shuttles—clack-thump, clack-thump—was the heartbeat of the house.
"Don't worry, Yan'er," Lin Yue said, her eyes focused on the silver threads. "The house will be guarded by more than just walls." She glanced at the two large mountain curs Lin Yan had recently adopted—dogs that were now being trained by Qin Zhan to recognize "Friend" from "Foe."
Into the High Basin
The expedition consisted of Lin Yan, Qin Zhan, Lin Da, Lin San, and two of the sturdiest village recruits. They rode the best of the local draft ponies, which were now conditioned by the high-protein Alfalfa diet.
As they climbed, the landscape changed from the lush greenery of the middle ridges to a stark, beautiful world of granite and stunted pines.
"Stay quiet," Qin Zhan whispered as they crested the final ridge of the High Basin.
Below them, the basin spread out like a giant's bowl. In the center, near a shimmering mineral spring, was the herd. There were about thirty of them—dark, powerful shapes that looked more like boulders than animals.
> [Target Identified: Iron-Hoof Bull (Alpha)]
> Weight: 1,800 lbs.
> Traits: 'Granite Bone' (High density), 'Winter-Blood' (Cold resistance).
> Status: Alert.
>
"The Alpha is the one with the white star on his forehead," Lin Yan noted, his pulse quickening. "If we take him, the younger bulls will follow the scent. But we don't use the ropes first. We use the 'Cowboy's Song'."
Lin Yan began to whistle a low, steady tune. It was a technique for "Low-Stress Livestock Handling." He didn't want the herd to stampede; he wanted them to be curious.
Slowly, the expedition descended into the basin. Instead of charging, they moved in a wide arc, "pressure-grazing" the herd. When a bull tried to break away, Lin San would pivot his pony, gently nudging the animal back toward the center without shouting or whipping.
"It's working," Lin Da whispered, amazed. "They aren't running. They're... walking where we want them to go."
The Confrontation at the Salt-Crag
However, the Alpha Bull wasn't so easily swayed. As they neared the narrow pass that led back down toward the Lin Ranch, the great beast stopped. He lowered his head, his massive horns scraping the earth. He let out a bellow that shook the very air in Lin Yan's chest.
"He's going to charge," Qin Zhan said, his hand tightening on his lariat.
"Let me," Lin Yan said.
He dismounted. The village recruits gasped—to face an Iron-Hoof on foot was suicide. But Lin Yan knew the "Cowboy" secret: animals respect two things—confidence and salt.
He walked forward, his steps rhythmic. In his hand, he held a large, compressed block of 'Mineral-Honey Salt'. He didn't look the bull in the eye, which would be a challenge. He looked at the bull's knees, projecting a calm, dominant aura.
The bull roared again, the sound vibrating through the ground. He took a lunging step, his hooves cracking the stone.
Lin Yan stopped. He placed the salt block on a flat rock and took five steps back, kneeling.
The silence in the basin was absolute. The only sound was the wind whistling through the pines. The Alpha Bull snorted, a cloud of steam erupting from his nostrils. He sniffed the air. The scent of the honeyed salt reached him—a luxury he had never tasted in the wild.
The bull stepped forward. He licked the block. His entire body seemed to shudder as the minerals hit his system. The aggression didn't vanish, but it shifted. He looked at Lin Yan—not as a predator or a threat, but as a source.
"Now," Lin Yan whispered to his brothers. "The ropes. Gently."
Lin San and Qin Zhan moved in, their lariats spinning in slow, controlled loops. They didn't snag the neck; they caught the forelegs. With a coordinated pull, the great beast was hobbled, not out of cruelty, but for the journey home.
The Return of the Conquerors
The trek back to the ranch took three days. They moved slowly, allowing the bulls to graze and drink. Lin Yan continued to hand-feed the Alpha, establishing the first "Bond of the Rancher."
As they descended into Stone Creek Village, a crowd gathered. The sight was legendary: the "Frail Lin Boy" leading a line of wild Iron-Hoof bulls, followed by his brothers and a grim-faced soldier.
"They've brought the mountain down with them!" an old woman cried out.
Lin Yan led the herd directly into the newly finished Reinforced Corral. As the heavy timber gates swung shut, locking the bulls in with the scent of high-grade hay, Lin Yan turned to the villagers.
"Today, we have the bulls," he announced, his voice carrying a new authority. "Next week, we start the first 'Ranch Training'. Any man who wants to learn to handle these beasts—and eat the meat they provide—come to the gates at dawn. But be warned: the Lin Ranch doesn't hire the lazy."
That night, the Lin family sat in the Big House. The warmth from the under-floor heating made the room cozy.
"The Landlord wants fifty horses," Lin Da said, looking at the massive bulls in the moonlit corral. "But with these bulls... we can plow the entire valley. We can build ten more houses."
"We aren't just going to plow, Brother," Lin Yan said, looking at his 'Advanced Horse Training' manual. "We're going to build a culture. The 'Iron-Wind' horses and the 'Iron-Hoof' bulls... they are the two halves of our future."
In the corner of the room, Qin Zhan was teaching the village boys how to tie a 'Square Knot'. The "Slow Burn" was over. The Lin Ranch was now a force of nature.
[System Notification: Arc 3 Progress: 20%. Herd Status: Domesticating. Reputation in Dynasty: 'The Beast-Tamer of the North'.]