Thirty li outside the city, on a secluded trail far from the official road, the carriage suddenly stopped.
The carriage swayed gently. The old chestnut horse snorted, stamped its hooves twice, then settled completely.
The night wind blew through the bushes on either side, carrying the raw scent of wild vegetation and making the cloth curtain billow slightly.
As Fang Han wondered what was happening, the driver's aged voice sounded from the carriage shaft.
"Young master, we're here."
Seeing Fang Han's confusion, Sun Xuanhe turned to him with a slight smile. "According to the route my father planned, we can't take the official road. We have to change horses here and take the trails to the prefectural capital."
With that said.
Sun Xuanhe lifted the curtain and stepped out first, his movements light and silent. His maid, Xiao Qian, followed close behind.
Fang Han climbed out after them, deep in thought as he analyzed the situation.
The Old City Lord had Sun Xuanhe take the trails to shorten the journey and reach the prefectural capital sooner.
After all, when a grown man like Sun Xuanhe suddenly disappeared from the City Lord's Manor, the hidden informants inside would soon notice something was wrong.
Once word got out, every checkpoint and relay station along the official road would become a point in the search. Taking that road would be walking straight into the net.
Judging by its direction, this secluded trail should circle northeast of Azure Cloud City, avoiding all the official relay stations and cutting straight into Lingzhou Prefecture.
The route was dangerous, but its secrecy gave it an advantage.
After stepping out, Fang Han looked up and saw Sun Xuanhe and Xiao Qian each mounting an extraordinary steed.
Both horses were pitch-black, their manes like ink, their bodies gleaming with