My lord, spare his life!

"You're not even out of breath."

Zhang Yang glared at Yuan Xie, who was about to rest again, with dissatisfaction.

Yuan Xie's breathing was steady, but his cheeks were already flushed, and his smile was bright: "It is impolite to be out of breath in front of my lord, it is impolite to walk quickly, and it is even more impolite to be improperly dressed."

"What kind of rule is this?"

Yuan Xie spread his hands slightly so that his lord could see his attire clearly—unlike Zhang Yang's neat round-necked outfit, his clothes were quite complicated, with every design restricting the wearer's movement, long sleeves almost reaching the ground, and the hem of his clothes close to his feet.

He gave a wry smile: "If I were to run quickly in this outfit, the only way to avoid tripping would be to hold up the sleeves and lift the hem of the coat..."

Zhang Yang nodded in agreement.

If Yuan Youzheng moves around a lot while wearing this outfit, her neatly arranged collar may become crooked, and her hair ornament may even fall off.

Zhang Yang: "Actually, I have a question."

Yuan Xie sat quietly beside her: "Please ask, my lord."

"You know your clothes aren't suitable for running or walking, so why are you still wearing them?" It's just like a giant, fluttering moth.

Yuan Xie laughed and said, "Xie is a scholar."

Seeing Zhang Yang's furrowed brow in confusion, he said, "Farmers and craftsmen wear coarse cloth and short clothes for ease of work, but scholars do not, much less run. Gentlemen value elegant and composed manners; wide robes and sleeves convey a sense of composure and dignity, and their movements are leisurely and relaxed, rarely even requiring hurried walking. Clothing is the simplest and most direct way to distinguish and express the wearer's status and position."

Zhang Yang's summary is incisive.

"People are divided into different classes based on their clothing."

Yuan Xie merely chuckled at this, and then said, "However, my fondness for this kind of robe is not entirely due to my status as a scholar."

Zhang Yang: "Are there any other reasons?"

Yuan Xie gazed solemnly at Zhang Yang: "Wearing loose robes makes him appear even more ethereal and refined, his clothes fluttering as he walks."

Simply put, it's good-looking.

Zhang Yang: "..."

Got it, this is what the observed samples meant by "pretending".

Yuan Xie asked, "Doesn't my lord find me beautiful?"

The ancient text of the Warring States Policy taught by Fan You came to Zhang Yang's mind.

He said calmly, "Youzheng is beautiful, but she is not as good as me."

She is the most beautiful.

Yuan Xie chuckled, "The light of a grain of rice dares not compete with the brilliance of the moon. I only hope to be by your side and serve to enhance your glory."

He has been working hard to improve his complexion for the past few months.

Although not in her prime, she still retains some of the brilliance of her youth.

Judging from their appearances and ages, he was clearly older than his lord. Beauty fades and love diminishes—a truth that has existed since ancient times, and the world is never short of young and beautiful people. Yuan Xie naturally dared not harbor any thoughts of possessing him exclusively; leaving him a place to stand was sufficient.

Zhang Yang: "The brilliance of the bright moon needs no embellishment."

She paused for a moment: "Youzheng is not a mere speck of light either."

Yuan Xie: "..."

It dawned on me then that Zhang Yang was doing reading comprehension again!

He said that Fan Shuyan was a bad influence on young people!

What a waste of such a good ruler.

Zhang Yang: "Have you rested enough?"

Yuan Xie wanted to find an excuse to sit for a while longer.

Zhang Yang noticed the hesitation on his face, and she was troubled. She couldn't abandon her pet NPC, but she also didn't want to delay her map exploration progress because of it. After much thought, Zhang Yang came up with a brilliant solution that satisfied both her and her partner!

She got up and walked to Yuan Xie.

First, their eyes met, then, under the latter's expectant gaze, she reached out and lifted him up like a radish! Before Yuan Xie could react in shock, she tossed him onto her shoulder and sped off at breakneck speed. The gust of wind hitting him made Yuan Xie's head spin like mush.

Considering that Yuan Xie was not robust at all, and could even be described as thin, Zhang Yang controlled his altitude as he moved through the forest, not soaring to the treetops. Seeing this, Zhang Da Gu in the sky let out a loud cry, lowered his flight altitude, and circled around Zhang Yang.

From a distance, it looks like two people and a bird frolicking and chasing each other in the forest.

Yuan Xie: "..."

Although the person inside his ear was trembling and dared not utter a sound to cause trouble, which was the result he wanted, he was also suffering at this moment.

After a deep sigh, he submitted an application to his lord.

"My lord, could you perhaps show some mercy and try a different position?"

This posture would make him think he is a heavy burden on the shoulders of a laborer.

Zhang Yang made his choice in the blink of an eye.

"Walk!"

The next instant, Yuan Xie felt his body being violently thrown into the air, the sky rapidly enlarging and shrinking before his eyes. Before he could lose his composure or show fear, his falling body was steadily caught by a pair of arms, the posture changing from being carried on the shoulder to being embraced horizontally, and the downward momentum came to an abrupt halt.

Yuan Xie: "..."

This posture suited him perfectly.

Yuan Xie then asked, "Does my lord feel tired?"

Carrying a grown man in your arms is very strenuous. If the man is willing to cooperate and distribute the effort, it will be much easier. However, this would require some intimate physical contact. Yuan Xie naturally needed his lord's permission.

Zhang Yang tilted his head slightly to make it easier for Yuan Xie to interpret his lips.

"You underestimate me?"

Her usual indifferent expression now showed a hint of displeasure.

"Believe it or not, I can even teach you light-footed kung fu?"

Just kidding, her stamina is maxed out. Forget a Yuanxie, even a fully grown yak could be knocked unconscious with one hand and carried on her shoulder using a lightness technique. This lightness technique, according to the observers, is an ancient martial arts skill, supposedly allowing ordinary people to fly and disappear into the air…

Traveling a thousand miles a day is no problem!

The game designers initially designed the ancient martial arts lineage to allow only the class with the ability to use light footwork. However, this was met with strong criticism from players of other classes. In order to make more money through unethical means, the game designers then designed light footwork for other classes as well, requiring a significant amount of money to purchase it outright.

Zhang Yang couldn't afford to buy it anyway, but she would learn how to do it herself, as if she had already bought it. Self-reliance is the way to go. However, this method was physically demanding, and Zhang Yang was rather lazy, relying more on her mount.

Yuan Xie: "..."

His intuition told him not to agree to anything rashly.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Yang made a sound again. He looked up and saw her lips move, uttering two words: "We've arrived."

The two saw the boundary marker of Tianjiang County.

However, the boundary marker was severely weathered and half of it was cut off by some sharp object, leaving only the two characters "郡界" (county boundary) on the marker.

Yuan Xie recognized it at a glance as an abandoned boundary marker.

The world is in chaos, with various forces constantly fighting each other. Under such circumstances, borders are naturally not fixed. Dongxian County has been controlled by several powerful warlords for decades, and much of Tianjiang County's original borders have already been eroded. Yuan Xie frowned secretly.

He was worried that the two had already infiltrated the Dongxian County's territory.

Yuan Xie closed his eyes and sensed his surroundings, but found nothing unusual for the time being.

Zhang Yang pulled out a bamboo pole and poked it halfway into the boundary marker, then pointed clockwise and said, "Go that way!"

The home map truly lives up to its pastoral theme.

Most of the area is untouched by human mining, and the vegetation is much taller and denser than in cities where NPCs gather.

Zhang Yang casually grabbed a spotted cat drinking water by the water's edge and used it as her temporary mount. The spotted cat kept hissing at Zhang Yang in a threatening manner, and the two of them engaged in a power struggle. The spotted cat was slapped several times by her before it finally had to behave and lower its tail.

"Good cat, good cat."

Zhang Yang stroked the spotted cat's fur.

Its fur was a glossy, dark brown with black spots. Its body was slender and well-proportioned, with long, strong limbs. It had two erect, triangular ears and a V-shaped face. Zhang Yang was very satisfied with its appearance and thought about keeping it as a pet.

Yuan Xie said, "This is also a star beast."

Zhang Yang: "I know."

The system log also rates it as SR rare.

Just like Zhang Dami and Zhang Dagu.

"Star beasts are much smarter and more human-like than ordinary pets, and they're easier to raise." It's not that star beasts can't be mounts; Zhang Yang wouldn't even want to catch one. "If I were to raise one, what would I name it? We already have Da Gu and Da Mi, how about calling it Da Miao?"

Yuan Xie was somewhat speechless at Zhang Yang's choice of name.

I don't know why she's so fixated on the "elder" generation.

He praised, "This is a very good name."

I deliberately ignored the sudden surge of murderous rage from the spotted cat, because the next second the beast was slapped hard.

The spotted cat yelped and nearly stumbled forward.

Yuan Xie: "However, this beast seems to have an owner."

Zhang Yang frowned: "What did you say?"

Yuan Xie: "It seems to have an owner."

"Say it again?"

Yuan Xie changed his tune: "It shall be obtained by the capable."

Zhang Yang heard this and said, "I think so too."

The spotted cat's eyes were bloodshot, yet it was terrified of Zhang Yang's slap—heaven knows what happened, it had just drunk a mouthful of sweet stream water when this brute woman, who seemed to have fallen from the sky, struck it on the side with her cane. It frantically dodged, but the brute woman threw down her cane, pounced on it, pinned its limbs down, and then smashed its head against it with a heavy blow, making it scream and howl, followed by a series of slaps.

The spotted cat was completely stunned until a leash was put around its neck and the brutish woman straddled its back.

Spotted big cat: "..."

Just wait and see—

When its master comes looking for it, it will surely turn that wild woman into its snack!

It seemed that the heavens heard the spotted big cat's pleading for help, for its owner discovered its mysterious disappearance in just fifteen minutes.

Dozens of miles away—

A group of more than twenty people went hunting on horseback.

The leader was shirtless, wearing only a fur cloak draped diagonally across his body, black trousers, and combat boots. His long hair was unbound, instead cascading over his shoulders like that of a savage, and a fur headband adorned his forehead with several strings of teeth of various shapes.

He carried a longbow on his back, and his quiver was full of arrows.

The other men and women in the group were dressed similarly to him.

While they appeared hastily and roughly dressed, a closer look revealed that these men were of extraordinary origin. This was because they rode elite warhorses, their horse tack inlaid with gold and jade, and their saddlebags were filled with freshly skinned animal hides.

However, these people also seemed uncivilized. They didn't cook the meat thoroughly; they would cut off the fattest and most tender parts of the prey with a knife, clean them slightly, and eat them raw, then drink alcohol after taking a bite.

Until one of them remembered something. The leading man's beloved pet had been gone for a while, why hadn't it returned yet? They were all familiar with the surrounding terrain, and they knew how far the stream was. At that star beast's speed, a round trip wouldn't take long.

The man in the lead sneered, "Afraid it'll run away?"

He was confident that he had completely tamed the beast.

It won't, and it dares not, run away.

As he spoke, the leading man continued to enjoy his spoils of the day. Occasionally, a drop of animal blood would fall, which he would merely wipe away with a frown and a dismissive air. After finishing a fresh animal leg, he felt slightly full. He subconsciously looked in a familiar direction, but the beast was gone.

The man in the lead frowned even more deeply.

Although he didn't speak, his companions knew he was growing impatient.

He has never had much patience.

Once his patience runs out, he'll kill whomever he wants, whether they're the children of his father's generals or his father's own children—he'll kill them all. This is the prelude to him developing murderous intent!

"Go, see what that beast is up to!"

The group abandoned the remaining game meat and mounted their horses.

The warhorse galloped like an arrow, and the oncoming wind couldn't dispel the burning passion in the leading man's heart. They soon arrived at the stream and found traces of the star beast drinking there. Besides these traces, there were also signs of a struggle and tumbling.

The leading man sniffed the lingering scent of a stranger in the air.

He revealed a cold smile filled with murderous intent.

"They're reckless!"

They even dared to steal his beast!

With a whoosh, the man drew his weapon from his waist.

His face revealed a ferocious killing intent that he could hardly contain.

The others in the group also drew their knives.

The man brandished a knife and shouted, "Go! Chop the thief into eight pieces!"

Without needing any other clues, the scent in the air would point him in the direction of the thieves. His warhorse unleashed its full speed; though there were only about twenty of them, their momentum was no less than that of a thousand troops!

The animal thieves were truly audacious; instead of fleeing immediately after stealing their prey, they brazenly strolled slowly along the stream.

As the scent grew stronger, the man knew without even looking that his prey had appeared within his hunting range.

Without hesitation.

He raised his hand and grabbed, and the starlight condensed into a longbow.

The bow was as thick as his arm, and it filled to a full moon in an instant when drawn.

"go!"

A ten-foot-long, star-like arrow pierced the air, skimming past waist-high weeds, with vegetation lining both sides of its path.

At the end of the path stood two people and a beast.

One person stood to one side, and another sat on the back of the beast.

Judging from their figures, the person on the beast's back was a woman. The leading man had excellent eyesight; the moment he saw the woman, she seemed to sense it and turned around. The gust of wind from the arrow lifted the woman's hair, revealing a face that was expressionless yet so exquisitely beautiful it seemed unreal.

In an instant, a sentence quietly surfaced in the man's mind—

Riding a red leopard, followed by a civet cat.

He murmured, "Mountain spirit—"

Facing a deadly arrow aimed straight at her face, the mountain spirit merely tilted her head slightly. In the instant the arrowhead grazed the stray hairs beside her ear, she casually flicked her finger. Before the arrow even hummed, it shattered into starlight, leaving only a few wisps of wind to dissipate the summer heat.

Upon seeing this, the others immediately formed a battle formation!

Their movements were skillful and perfectly synchronized.

Though few in number, they were all elites among elites. The young man beside the mountain spirit glanced at the group and thought to himself that their aura was probably even slightly inferior to that of Guan Si's Hundred Ghost Guards. One could only imagine how many people they had killed and how much blood they had seen.

Riding on the back of the spotted cat, Zhang Yang glared back in annoyance. The NPC who had just fired an arrow at her, who was red, had now turned yellow, while the twenty-odd people around him remained red.

Oh, a red-named NPC.

This realization prompted Zhang Yang to take out his cane and warm up.

Unexpectedly, the leading man single-handedly steed his horse and loudly asked Zhang Yang, "Is the lady ahead a mountain spirit?"

Zhang Yang: "???"

Yuan Xie: "..."

His response was neither Zhang Yang's reply nor Yuan Xie's rebuke, but rather a Azure Dragon Spear shadow descending from the sky.

???(′?`?)

I had a dream yesterday, and it still tasted delicious when I woke up.

The author, "Mushroom in Dreams," has started a new book. The female protagonist inexplicably becomes the adopted daughter of a powerful eunuch. This eunuch, in order to suppress the aristocratic families and the imperial relatives, forces two eligible men from rival aristocratic families to marry into his adopted daughter's family. The aristocratic families agree, enduring the humiliation and hardship to lower the eunuch's guard. After the successful wedding, they lure the eunuch to the palace and hack him to death. The woman, holding her two sons captive, escapes the city and wanders the streets… Oh, were the two men uncle and nephew, or perhaps uncle and niece…?