Return to the Black River

Gan Prefecture.

Unlike the previous skies filled with yellow sand, after a rain, the landscape took on an entirely different appearance.

The rain had washed away the dust floating over the official road, and even the air felt much fresher.

Yet this place had been born with the look of barren mountains and treacherous waters.

Even the rain could not disguise it as the misty, rain-washed scenery of Jiangnan.

On the official road, four Scarlet-eyed Steeds ambled along at an unhurried pace.

Shi Chongyue tugged on the reins. The Scarlet-eyed Steed beneath him restlessly pawed at the ground, splashing mud everywhere.

"We're moving slower than a turtle crawling! By the time we get there, that demon may have birthed a whole litter of children!"

Zhao Yi laughed at that. "If Brother Shi thinks the horse is too slow, he can get down and walk himself. I imagine he'd be faster than the horse."

"..."

Li Qingyuan stepped in to smooth things over. "It is not that we wish to dawdle. It is simply that the ground after rain is unsuitable for riding."

He pointed at the official road ahead, whose original shape was nearly impossible to make out.

"We are now in the western part of Gan Prefecture. This place is considered one of the few fertile regions in Longyou Circuit. Once soaked by rain, it turns into this state."

Li Qingyuan gave a bitter smile. "No matter how swift a Scarlet-eyed Steed may be, once it gets stuck in this mud, it cannot put its strength to use."

"At most, we will spend another half day. Just as well—Miss Jiang can tell us what happened at the Black River back then, so we may know what to expect."

After considering it briefly, Jiang Yuechu concisely recounted what had happened