Descending the stone steps along the path, Xing Yan left the foothills of Mount Luofu and followed the official road below, winding his way toward Jieyang County.
Only after leaving Mount Luofu did Xing Yan discover that, in this seventh-month weather, the mountain and the world beyond were like two different realms: the mountain was a cool haven, while outside lay a blazing furnace. Even the occasional breeze felt like steam from a steamer, hot against his face.
Fortunately, quite a few trees grew along both sides of the road he was traveling. By keeping to their green shade, Xing Yan managed to escape the worst of the unbearable heat.
He eyed the sun overhead, then the road gleaming white before him. After much deliberation, he decided not to scrimp on the cost of a mount after all. Entering nearby Chuanluo County, he headed to the mule and horse market in the south of town to choose a suitable beast.
After some discussion and browsing, Xing Yan bought a scrawny donkey. Though rather thin, it was genuinely cheap and supposedly could even run along mountain paths.
"Ha! This will be my war mount for the bandit campaign!"
Admittedly, the mount was no great beauty. It was all skin and bones, every rib on either flank countable. But according to the donkey dealer, that lean frame was precisely what allowed it to bound unhindered over rugged mountain trails.
More importantly to Xing Yan, this fine donkey capable of traveling mountain paths did not cost much, making it a good match for his far from bulging purse. With both sides suitably matched, Xing Yan cheerfully concluded the deal with its owner.
He settled the saddle fashioned from a scrap of hemp cloth, thrown in by the dealer, onto the donkey's back. Then