'Going to Old Master Xie's place is fine; let's go now. We'll have lunch there, and then head home in the evening!'

Zhang Yang suddenly smiled, and Mi Xue, a hint of surprise on her face, couldn't help but remark, 'It doesn't look far from here to there, but crossing that mountain will take quite some time. By the time we get over, it'll likely be evening. How can we possibly have lunch there?'

Qingya Mountain wasn't vast, but crossing it genuinely took a significant amount of time.

That was assuming she moved quickly; moving slower would take even longer, possibly causing them to miss dinner altogether.

'Haha, that's if you move at a normal pace. Don't forget, we have Zhuifeng!' Zhang Yang laughed loudly. Just one mountain peak—if Zhuifeng was willing, they could be there in no time.

Mi Xue turned her head and glanced at Zhuifeng beside them.

Zhuifeng, raising its head, was looking in their direction, clearly understanding that the two were discussing it.

Mi Xue shook her head again. 'Zhuifeng won't work either. This is a mountain path, not suitable for a horse to run on. Besides, 'the mountain seems near but runs horses to death'—it looks close to you, but it's actually very far!'

This stretch of mountain road wasn't short. It didn't seem far when viewed from here, but traversing it was a long way. She had climbed mountains often as a child and understood this reality.

Zhang Yang smiled again, saying nothing, and simply picked up Mi Xue.

'How do you know our Zhuifeng can't handle mountain paths? I'll tell you a secret: Zhuifeng is no ordinary horse; it’s a Celestial Steed. That saying about the mountain running horses to death applies to other horses, definitely not our Zhuifeng!'

Zhang Yang roared with laughter, then shouted Zhuifeng's name directly.

Zhuifeng understood Zhang Yang's meaning, neighed towards the sky, and leaped directly to Zhang Yang's side.

Holding Mi Xue, Zhang Yang leaped lightly and settled onto Zhuifeng’s back. Zhuifeng, having never carried anyone other than Zhang Yang, now bore a second person on its back.

'Zhi zhi!'

'Ji ji!'

Shandian and Wuying chirped, quickly leaping onto Zhang Yang's shoulders, one on each side, standing there looking spirited and full of vigor.

An internal force enveloped him and Mi Xue. After reaching the Fourth Layer, he could project this force externally, though he couldn't sustain a large area projection for long. However, forming a protective film was completely feasible.

'My dear, watch closely. This is Zhuifeng, the Celestial Steed Zhuifeng!'

Zhang Yang whispered into Mi Xue's ear, then spoke again, 'Zhuifeng, our target is the mountain directly opposite. Advance at maximum speed!'

'Ang ya~'

Zhuifeng raised its head and let out a joyful neigh. The next instant, all four hooves leaped powerfully. Mi Xue felt her body lighten, as if her entire being was momentarily suspended in mid-air.

Zhuifeng's leap carried them an incredible distance. Mi Xue's mouth fell open and remained agape.

Trees flashed past them like phantoms, giving her a sensation akin to riding a roller coaster—rising and falling, everything before her inducing a dizziness, yet her body felt utterly unburdened.

She didn't even feel the biting sensation of strong wind; everything about this was too miraculous for her comprehension.

In under fifteen minutes—mere minutes—Zhuifeng stopped at the spot Zhang Yang and Mi Xue had visited before. More precisely, it stopped where Zhang Yang had first encountered Shandian, the place where they first met and fought.

'Zhi zhi zhi!'

As soon as they arrived, Shandian immediately jumped down and began chirping incessantly at the spot where it had first appeared, recounting its history with Zhang Yang to Zhuifeng and Wuying.

It claimed that when they first met, it mistook Zhang Yang for a villain trying to steal its treasure.

Thus, they engaged in a fight, which it won, managing to bite Zhang Yang.

But shortly thereafter, it encountered a far more infuriating competitor who actually stole the treasure it had previously discovered. It fought a massive battle against this wicked rival, but having already exerted itself once, it was slightly depleted. Though it ultimately succeeded in killing the opponent, it was poisoned and collapsed.

Afterward, it was seized by the opportunistically arriving Zhang Yang, who also took away its treasure.

Shandian narrated the events with vivid detail. Wuying and Zhuifeng listened with wide eyes, occasionally emitting sounds that showed their full engagement.

Next, Shandian recounted its subsequent experiences, how Zhang Yang confined it to a cage, stripping it of its freedom.

When reaching this point, Shandian dramatically wiped its eyes, seemingly lamenting the hardship of the time Zhang Yang had deprived it of its liberty.

Zhuifeng and Wuying also cried out, collectively barking at Zhang Yang, denouncing him for treating Shandian so poorly.

Zhang Yang felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He stepped forward and lightly tapped Shandian's small head. At that time, they weren't close; they were enemies. Shandian was a notoriously venomous beast, so naturally, he dared not simply let it roam free.

Upon being tapped by Zhang Yang, Shandian's small face instantly crumpled into a fawning, ingratiating expression.

Shifting its tone, it began detailing how generous Zhang Yang had been to it, feeding it delicacies it had never tasted in its life, and even helping it enhance its strength. From that point onward, its speech was almost entirely composed of lavish praise.

Even Zhang Yang felt a bit embarrassed by Shandian’s account and finally stopped it from continuing its loud declaration.

Mi Xue watched them with a touch of envy.

Mi Xue had long known Shandian was highly intelligent and could even communicate with Zhang Yang, but this was the first time she witnessed Zhang Yang communicating with all three little ones together.

After dismounting Zhuifeng, she finally understood that Zhuifeng was not just any ordinary horse, as she had initially assumed.

How could a normal horse traverse the mountains like that, or reach this location so quickly?

Only now did she grasp why Zhang Yang had confidently stated they could have lunch at Old Master Xie's and be home by evening.

With Zhuifeng's phenomenal speed, there was no obstacle to them even returning home for lunch midday. At this pace, forget going home—they could easily make it to Changjing for lunch.

'Let's go; we'll head to Old Master Xie's place!'

After interrupting Shandian’s ongoing mix of accusations and flattery, Zhang Yang walked over to Mi Xue with a smile, taking her small hand.

Mi Xue nodded gently. They could already see the Xie family villa from here; it wouldn't take long to walk there.

The two walked ahead, and Shandian started calling out again from behind, enthusiastically introducing everything around them to its companions. It was very familiar with this area, having lived deeper in the mountains before; it wouldn't have ventured near here unless the Three-Colored Fruit had appeared.

After walking a short distance, Zhang Yang and the others arrived. Just as they reached the gate, the main door suddenly swung open.

'Zhang, Zhang Yang!'

A person emerged from inside. It was Xie Hui, walking out.

Seeing Zhang Yang, Xie Hui was visibly startled. He glanced sideways, not seeing any vehicle, and confusion flickered across his face.

'Zhang Yang, how did you get here? You—how did you travel here?'

After taking in the scene, Xie Hui asked with genuine astonishment. He had been about to step out for a walk; the air on the mountaintop was thin, and the wind was light now, so he made it a habit to stroll out during the day while staying here.

'I'm accompanying Mi Xue home, and we happened to pass by, so we just walked over!'

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and explained softly. Zhuifeng and Shandian followed behind them. Upon seeing Zhuifeng, Xie Hui froze again.

The Xie family was powerful and wealthy, having relocated from Taiwan. They dabbled in many hobbies favored by the rich.

Xie Hui had experience with horse racing, but he had never seen a horse as magnificent as Zhuifeng.

'Walked over? It’s not a short climb from the base of the mountain. You didn't ride a horse, did you?'

Looking at Zhuifeng, Xie Hui murmured this, then his own brow twitched.

Zhuifeng looked rather small. It would be fine carrying Mi Xue or just one person, but carrying both of them looked awkward. Furthermore, Zhuifeng had no saddle or any other riding gear. Xie Hui knew how to ride and understood that riding bareback like this wouldn't only be unstable but would also exhaust the rider severely.

His question about riding was merely a reflexive query after spotting Zhuifeng.

'Is Old Master Xie available?'

Zhang Yang smiled slightly, avoiding dwelling on that topic, and asked quietly.

'Yes, yes! Grandpa was mentioning you just yesterday. I didn't expect you to arrive today! Grandpa will be overjoyed to see you!'

Upon mentioning Old Master Xie, Xie Hui instantly brightened, smiling as he led Zhang Yang inside, no longer pressing about the method of their arrival.

Zhang Yang had essentially concluded the treatment for Old Master Xie. He no longer needed to visit for major issues, only occasionally coming to help regulate his condition.

The lingering ailments accumulated over Old Master Xie’s many years had been completely cured by Zhang Yang. Now, the old man could take walks by himself, tend to his flowers, or walk his dog. Recovered, he was planning a trip back to Taiwan after the New Year, as he had lived there for a long time and missed the place.

With the threat to his life gone, the elder naturally began thinking of other things.

'Grandpa, Grandpa! Look who's here!'

Upon entering the back courtyard, Xie Hui called out, his demeanor completely unlike his usual composed executive appearance outside.

Old Master Xie was wearing a cotton Tai Chi suit, practicing the martial art in the back courtyard garden. Hearing Xie Hui’s voice, he immediately ceased his movements and looked outward.

Xie Hui appeared first, followed by Zhang Yang and Mi Xue, along with the little ones, Zhuifeng and Shandian.

Seeing Zhang Yang, Old Master Xie’s face immediately broke into a radiant, sincere smile.

'Zhang Yang, Xiao Xue, you’ve come! Quickly, come inside; it’s cold outside!'

The Old Master beckoned, speaking cheerfully. He had momentarily forgotten that he wasn't cold standing there, so how could Zhang Yang feel the chill?

He was well aware that Zhang Yang was a master possessing internal energy.

'Old Master Xie, you seem in good spirits today!'

Zhang Yang walked over with a smile. Mi Xue also greeted the Old Master sweetly. The two followed him into the room in the back courtyard.

Xie Hui personally went to brew tea while Old Master Xie ushered them to sit.

'Yesterday, I was talking with Xiao Hui, saying we should invite you over one day. I never expected you today! It’s good you came. I actually have something here I need to entrust to you. After Mr. Zhang saved us back then, he left something with me. I had forgotten about it for so long, but I rediscovered it recently while sorting through old things. I thought it might be useful to you!'

After sitting down, Old Master Xie spoke with deep feeling. Zhang Yang’s eyes showed a flicker of surprise."

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