Page 7

Once he repaired the barbed-wire fence around the pasture, everything would be foolproof.

Shi Wen mechanically bent over his work, his thoughts drifting aimlessly.

Just then, a fish startled by the sound of him digging through the mud darted out of the grass in panic and slammed straight into his shin, making it ache.

The fish seemed dazed from the impact as well. It bounced to the side and lay motionless.

He bent down and scooped it up.

It was not the Five-Stripe Black he recognized. It looked rather unusual.

Could it be a protected species?

Shi Wen muttered to himself, put the fish into the bucket, then bent down and casually wiped his hands on the newly sprouted tender grass. After wiping away the muddy water, he pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and took a picture of the fish he had just caught. He was about to look it up when he suddenly heard shouting and the pounding of hooves.

Someone was in trouble!

He looked toward the sound of the hooves and saw a horse charging toward them from far down the muddy road outside the pasture, separated from it only by a thin wire fence, wrapped in a cloud of dust.

The horse might have gone mad. Even as it ran, it seemed to be fleeing in blind panic.

Shi Wen had sharp eyes. He saw the young man on its back clutching the reins and clinging to the saddle for dear life, his eyes wide, his body slipping to one side. He was about to fall.

Clearly, the horse was out of control.

Seeing this, Shi Wen hurriedly stuffed his phone into his clothes, pulled his legs free of the mud, and slipped through the wire fence in a few quick movements, trying to help.

The galloping horse charged directly toward him, meeting him head-on.

Perhaps because it saw him, the horse instinctively veered aside.

The moment it changed direction, its speed immediately slowed.

The young man on horseback grew even more frantic. "Move! Get out of the way!"

Shi Wen hesitated, then bent slightly and assumed a ready stance.

If he stepped aside now and the horse crashed into the wire fence or fell, the young man on its back could be seriously injured. A broken bone would be lucky; if he damaged his spine or broke his neck, the consequences would be dire.

The impact might also throw the young man from the saddle and leave him dragged along the ground.

That would be awful too.

In almost an instant, Shi Wen judged the severity of the situation.

The horse was nearly upon him.

At that moment, he did not know where his confidence came from, but he was certain that even if he grabbed the horse, he would not be hurt.

As that thought crossed his mind, he reached out to the side and yanked hard on the reins.

At that moment, Shi Wen seemed possessed by the strength of a giant.

The terrifying force jerked the horse's head sideways, instantly slowing its charge. It reared up on its hind legs and let out a shrill neigh.

A horse was a living creature. It was strong, but not absurdly powerful like a machine.

The instant Shi Wen pulled the reins, he let go.

Driven by his force, the horse staggered after neighing, looking as though it was about to fall sideways.

The young man on its back finally cried out, "Ah—"

Once again relying on his sharp instincts, Shi Wen reached out, grabbed the man by the collar, and rolled to the side with him.

In the end, the two rolled into a tangled heap and landed on the grass by the roadside, both thoroughly disoriented.

Shi Wen quickly scrambled up and went to check on the horse that had just fallen.

The horse struggled to its feet. Shi Wen took hold of its halter and gave it a pull, helping it stand, then hurriedly stroked its neck and rubbed it soothingly.

He was afraid that, in its panic, the horse would charge around wildly and cause them secondary injuries.

Whether it was Shi Wen's Qilin Bloodline or simply his actions taking effect, the horse paced in place for a few steps, snorting, before gradually calming down.

Shi Wen watched the horse's expression. Seeing that it had settled, he loosened his grip slightly and released the reins.

The horse did not go mad again. Instead, it took two light steps and stood off to one side.

Only then did he look at the young man who had just gotten up. "Are you all right?"

Still shaken, the young man shook his head. "I'm fine. Thanks to you, I was worried I'd fall off and get dragged by the horse. What about you? Let me see your hands."

Shi Wen waved him off. "I'm fine. They're just a little red. The skin isn't even broken."

Gong Jiang was full of gratitude. "Thank you for earlier—"

Shi Wen was about to say something when another burst of hoofbeats rang out.

He looked toward the sound and saw a man in high boots galloping toward them on horseback.

The horse was a fine one, and the man was exceptionally handsome. The sight of him charging over like that was simply stunning.

Shi Wen's mind went blank, and he could think of nothing. He only stared stupidly at the man.

When the man was still some distance away, he reined in his horse, stopped, and jumped down. "Gong Jiang, how are you? Did you get hurt in the fall?"

The young man hurriedly shook his head. "No. Thanks to this brother here pulling the reins for me."

It had not been so obvious while the man was on horseback, but standing on the ground, his height of over six foot three and exceptionally handsome face created tremendous pressure.

Shi Wen met his eyes first, then quickly looked away.

Yet he could not help shifting his gaze to the man's straight, long legs, then from his exceptionally slender fingers to his Adam's apple, before forcing himself to turn his face aside.

When he turned, he saw that the young man beside him had noticed his bold gaze, and his face had practically turned green.

Shi Wen gave a light cough and looked toward the distant grassland.

The man asked, "Why did the horse suddenly get spooked?"

Gong Jiang said, "I don't know either. I was riding through the woods when it suddenly went mad. Maybe a branch brushed against it."

"Um," Shi Wen interjected, "it was probably stung on the ear by a horsefly."

Facing their gazes, Shi Wen pointed at the red, swollen spot on the horse's ear and added, "A horse's ears are very sensitive. It probably went mad from the pain."

The man nodded politely and held out his hand. "Thank you for saving my student. My name is Yan Kexing."

Shi Wen shook his hand and asked, "Yan Kexing?"

The man subtly caught his meaning and said, "The Ke from 'restrain oneself and restore propriety.'"