Not long after they set off, the group's eyes widened in envy as they stared at Zhang Yang, especially Wang Chen, whom Zhang Yang had dragged along to drive, muttering constantly under his breath.

Once outside the county seat, Zhang Yang genuinely stepped out of the car and mounted Zhui Feng to proceed on horseback.

Riding the white horse down the mountain road, Su Zhantao no longer needed to imagine; he witnessed it firsthand—it was undeniably cool, a pity the protagonist wasn't him.

"You can get out of the car, but let's go slower, keep up with the rest of us!"

As Zhui Feng trotted slightly ahead, Zhang Yang immediately lowered his head and whispered.

This decision to ride wasn't deliberate on Zhang Yang's part; Zhui Feng himself refused to be cooped up in the car any longer. The clever creature, realizing they would soon enter the mountains and reach their destination, adamantly refused to get back into the vehicle.

It took some serious coaxing from Zhang Yang before the horse finally agreed to proceed on foot after leaving the city limits.

This predicament forced Zhang Yang to find a driver so he could travel with Zhui Feng.

He dared not let Zhui Feng roam around freely outside by himself.

"Prince Charming on a white horse, so handsome!"

Watching Zhang Yang ahead on the white horse, Yang Ling clutched her chest and cried out, her voice deliberately affected.

Su Zhantao blinked, then looked forward with clear dissatisfaction, mumbling under his breath.

"What did you say?"

Su Zhantao’s voice was too faint for Yang Ling to catch, so she asked again.

Su Zhantao rolled his eyes. "I said, when we get back this time, I’m buying a white horse immediately. I’ll buy one no matter the cost!"

His look amused Yang Ling, who covered her mouth and laughed. After laughing for a moment, she said, "Not everyone who rides a white horse is Prince Charming; maybe he’s just Tang Sanzang!"

"Tang Sanzang, a white horse?"

Su Zhantao paused for a moment, instantly understanding that Yang Ling was deliberately teasing him. If Zhang Yang was Prince Charming, then he must be the monk.

While he was still lost in thought, Yang Ling was already giggling. Before any anger could flare up, it completely subsided, and his entire demeanor softened.

Yang Ling seized the moment and secretly kissed his cheek. Although the couple shared moments of intimacy, Yang Ling was seldom the initiator.

This woman, appearing shrewd on the surface, was deeply conservative at heart, perhaps due to her background and upbringing.

"Silly boy, no matter what horse you ride, you’re mine!"

Yang Ling said with a playful giggle, making Su Zhantao utterly elated, completely dissolving his jealousy toward Zhang Yang. Meanwhile, Zhang Yang, far ahead, had no idea about the exchange that just occurred behind him.

Zhui Feng appeared to move lazily, yet its pace was not slower than that of the vehicles.

This county town was quite a distance from the smaller township, and it wasn't in the jurisdiction of Mayor Wang and his group. A stretch of the road hadn't been properly paved.

Fortunately, the unpaved section wasn't long. After navigating that rough patch, the group soon reached a new road—the very one Mayor Wang had built using Zhang Yang’s donation.

The road wasn't wide; two large vehicles couldn't pass abreast, but it was constructed solidly. The surface was smooth, offering a completely different ride from the previous road.

Before they got onto this new road, an amusing incident occurred.

Perhaps their convoy was too conspicuous; they had already been tracked. During the middle stretch, on a desolate dirt road far from any settlement, more than a dozen figures suddenly leaped out, all brandishing various weapons.

The dozen individuals wore ordinary clothing, and their implements were a motley assortment: machetes, long spears, even hoes and shovels.

Beyond their weaponry, their disguises were even more peculiar.

Among the dozen, some wore askew masks, others covered their faces with cloth, and one, most comically, had a stocking pulled over his head—evidently having watched too many Hong Kong films.

As the dozen emerged, they spotted Zhang Yang riding the white horse, leading Zhui Feng at the forefront. Zhui Feng was too proud; even waiting for the clumsy, heavy vehicles, it insisted on leading.

Those clumsy, heavy things were the automobiles.

It seemed they hadn't anticipated someone arriving on horseback. After seeing the convoy behind, the figures dispersed, and one man began shouting loudly in a thick local accent. Zhang Yang took a moment to decipher his intent.

These men were demanding they leave something behind, or they would face consequences and a lesson learned.

Once Zhang Yang understood their meaning, he finally realized what was happening—he had run into bandits.

This wasn't the pre-liberation era or ancient times; people were still robbing others, and these robbers looked entirely unprofessional.

Still, it was fortunate they hadn't resorted to immediate violence, as they would have been the ones to suffer.

Long Cheng, however, wasn't overly surprised. This area was mountainous, and some parts were so poor people struggled to eat; consequently, petty crimes often occurred naturally.

Faced with poverty, not everyone accepted their lot passively. Some unwilling individuals sought change, but not everyone pursued the right path.

The men before them had clearly chosen the wrong one.

A robbery attempt involving so many people startled Yang Ling and Ying Ning, but Su Zhantao and Wu Zhiguo remained perfectly calm, showing no concern.

They both knew that even if twice this number appeared, they wouldn't fear; Long Cheng was a master who could take on ten men alone, and Zhang Yang was rumored to handle twenty or thirty—these men were barely an appetizer.

While they weren't afraid, the two drivers of the RVs were terrified. If turning around hadn't been so inconvenient, they might have fled immediately.

The dozen individuals appeared quickly and vanished just as fast.

It wasn't because their demands were met. The moment they saw Long Cheng and Huang Hai step out of their vehicles holding hunting rifles, they dropped their crude weapons and disappeared without a trace.

These people were indeed locals, seeing the group as easy prey to exploit.

But they weren't fools; they recognized firearms. Being mountain folk, they usually owned hunting rifles too, but a strict crackdown late last year had led to the confiscation of many rifles in their village. Some dared not openly carry them now, which was why they had resorted to carrying these other implements.

They had blades and clubs facing hunting rifles; the power differential was instantly clear.

Human bodies certainly couldn't compete with bullets. Seeing the opponents armed with guns, everyone fled, abandoning their weapons. This outcome left Long Cheng and the others rather speechless.

This was merely a minor interruption. Long Cheng and his group didn't even glance at the 'weapons' the men had thrown on the ground before driving on.

It was long after they left that someone finally crept back to retrieve their abandoned gear. For them, this was a failed robbery, but also a stroke of luck—at least no direct conflict occurred, or the outcome would have been far worse than just abandoning their tools.

Without Zhang Yang needing to act, Long Cheng alone could have given them a thorough beating.

Long Cheng, being at the peak of the Middle Stage, possessed relatively weak strength in the world of internal energy practitioners, but he was more than capable of handling ordinary people.

The incident became a running joke among the group. Yet, beneath the laughter lay a deeper sorrow; if these people lived better lives, they probably wouldn't have risked everything to resort to such actions.

"Boss Zhang?"

Someone was already waiting just outside the small township. Not just one person—Mayor Wang, whom Zhang Yang recognized, stood there.

He was momentarily stunned to see someone approaching on horseback, but upon recognizing Zhang Yang, he called out in genuine surprise.

"Mayor Wang, long time no see!"

Zhang Yang dismounted smoothly and extended a warm hand. Six young men stood beside Mayor Wang, all looking at Zhui Feng with curiosity; they likely had never seen such a beautiful horse.

What surprised Zhang Yang was that Mayor Wang held his hand and refused to let go, appearing deeply ashamed.

Mayor Wang kept Zhang Yang's hand, bowing his head, looking utterly distressed, and whispered, "M-Mayor Wang, I apologize, I have failed you!"

His voice was incredibly low, sounding as if he were on the verge of tears.

"Mayor Wang, please don't be like this; it's not your fault!"

Zhang Yang quickly helped him stand up, surprised by the mountain town mayor's reaction upon seeing him. However, this also revealed him to be a truly simple, honest mountain resident.

The vehicles behind stopped, and Long Cheng, Huang Hai, and the others disembarked to greet Mayor Wang.

Except for Ying Ning and the drivers of the two rented RVs, everyone else knew Mayor Wang. Even Wang Chen, who hadn't been there last time, had visited before; they were all acquaintances.

Mayor Wang wiped his eyes and immediately led them into the town.

Long Cheng had called Mayor Wang before arriving. The town was remote, but they had phone service, allowing the Mayor to know their arrival time and wait for them at the entrance.

A convoy of this size entering the town naturally drew the attention of others.

Some town villagers saw Long Cheng's group, offered respectful greetings, and then quickly returned to their tasks.

In this era, few people frequently ventured into the mountains for hunting; when they did, it was usually to managed game reserves. Few visited such primitive wilderness. Long Cheng had visited so many times that quite a few people recognized him.

Furthermore, the town's school, the farm, and the recently completed road all had some connection to Long Cheng. In many eyes, Long Cheng was a benefactor, someone who brought them benefits, thus earning deep respect.

Besides the villagers, a few outsiders who had come to the mountains were also present.

These individuals were now studying the newcomers with keen interest. After the Giant Python Skeleton incident, this area had attracted a significant number of people; at its peak, over a hundred individuals arrived daily.

Now that the python carcass was gone, many had left, but a few remained—some journalists, and others who hoped to buy the remains from them and take them away.

Recently, many people had made offers for the skeletal remains. Many saw the business potential; such a massive snake was unheard of, and even dead, exhibiting it could yield considerable profit.

The Giant Python Skeleton was lost, but these people hadn't given up hope and still lingered.

Besides them, a few others were genuine adventurers.

Many people enjoyed exploring these days, and after the Giant Python Skeleton event, Wildman Mountain had certainly captured a lot of attention.

Making up last month's overdue chapter; there's more coming! RQ

For more novels, visit storyread.net.