In the abandoned temple, Jiang Cheng lit a fire. The place was not far from Dushui River, and the chill was intense. Every so often, Jiang Cheng tossed a few pieces of deadwood into the flames, which cast a ruddy glow over his face.
He did not tether the white horse outside the temple. Instead, he led it in with him.
Grabbing a handful of fodder, he stuffed it into the horse's mouth and patted its head. He said earnestly, "It all depends on you tonight. Behave yourself, and afterward I'll have the village chief find you a wife too. How about it?"
"Neigh—" The white horse seemed to understand him and excitedly blinked at Jiang Cheng.
"That's more like it." Jiang Cheng glanced pointedly at the shadow on the ground and said sarcastically, "Brother White Horse, you're much more reliable than certain people. Some people start thinking about killing their sweetheart at the slightest provocation. Isn't that just pure insanity?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a line of crooked writing appeared on the ground, as though carved with a knife: "I'm not human, but you're a real dog."
"Ah, yes, yes, exactly!" Jiang Cheng replied at the top of his voice.
It was deep into the night. When a burst of urgent Suona music rang out, Jiang Cheng knew that the third watch had arrived. The village chief was sending him a signal, reminding him that the ceremony was about to begin.
He took out the groom's outfit and changed into it. After straightening his clothes, Jiang Cheng led the white horse out of the abandoned temple.
The horse's hooves clopped against the ground.
He headed west and soon arrived at Dushui River. Under the cover of night, the pitch-black river occasionally churned up white waves. Accompanied by