The journey home

After the fierce battle, the smoke had yet to clear, and nothing remained in the mountain forest but the sound of heavy breathing.

The bodies of Wind Wolves and saber-toothed tigers lay strewn across the ground, the stench of blood pungent in the air. The only ones still standing were Shiheng, Kelin Xiaoman, and the Gale Horse pawing uneasily at the ground beside them.

With no other choice, the two could only share this one Gale Horse to leave.

But before they set off, Shiheng was in no hurry to go.

His gaze swept over the carnage. His movements crisp and efficient, he worked a short blade swiftly, extracting Magicite Cores from one Wind Wolf corpse after another.

There were forty-seven Wind Wolves in all, and he casually tossed each Magicite Core into his pocket.

Kelin Xiaoman watched in some bewilderment. "These Magicite Cores are valuable, but with your strength, do you still care about fifth-level Magicite Cores? Do you really need to be so..."

Shiheng did not even look up, his tone level. "Being poor as a child left its mark on me. Even a mosquito has a bit of meat."

In both his previous life and this one, he had known what it was to have nothing. Now, whenever he had the chance to grasp something, he would never let it slip away lightly.

Only after collecting the Wind Wolves' Magicite Cores did he walk over to the enormous corpse of the eighth-level saber-toothed tiger. He lifted it with one hand, and the massive tiger, along with its precious magical beast meat, actually went straight into an unremarkable black ring on his hand.

This time, Kelin Xiaoman was truly stunned.

Her eyes went wide as she pointed at the ring, her voice trembling slightly. "A Storage Ring... You actually have a Storage Ring?"

Throughout the entire Principality of Klan, the royal family possessed countless treasures, yet not a single Storage Ring could be found. It was something out of legend, a supreme treasure that even the resources of the whole principality might not secure, a divine artifact countless powerful people dreamed of possessing.

Yet now Shiheng wore one on his hand so casually, and had just as casually stored an eighth-level magical beast inside it.

"Mm." Shiheng merely gave a quiet acknowledgment, turning the ring once around his finger, his tone frighteningly calm. "I'm already a peak eighth-level warrior. Even with this ring on my hand, no one would dare set their sights on me."

That was the confidence strength brought.

When you were strong enough to make everyone wary, treasures ceased to be a source of disaster and became an embellishment of your status.

Kelin Xiaoman gazed at the man before her, whom she found increasingly impossible to fathom, and her heart inexplicably beat a little faster.

Not only was his strength unfathomable, but he even casually possessed a legendary treasure like this.

Suddenly, she felt that sharing a horse with him did not seem so difficult to accept.

Shiheng swung into the saddle and held out a hand to her. "Get on. We shouldn't linger here."

Without hesitation, Kelin Xiaoman leaped lightly up and landed in his broad, warm embrace.

The Gale Horse gave a long neigh and galloped into the distance, its hooves flying.

The Gale Horse stretched out its stride, racing through the scattered light and shadows in the forest. The wind swept the scent of vegetation and a faint trace of blood through their hair and clothing.

Shiheng sat behind her, with Kelin Xiaoman half sheltered against his front, almost her entire body leaning against his chest. A faint blush instantly colored her cheeks.

It was her first time being this close to a man. When she had carried Shiheng on her back before, they had been fleeing for their lives, and she had only wanted them both to survive. She had had no other thoughts then, so that did not count. Through their thin clothing, she could clearly feel his steady, powerful heartbeat. With every stride of the Gale Horse, their bodies brushed lightly together without either intending it. The faint sensation spread over her skin, setting her heart fluttering and unconsciously making her breathe more softly.

She instinctively shifted to the side, wanting to put a little distance between them, but the Gale Horse's back was narrow to begin with, leaving no room to spare. Instead, the movement made her elbow bump lightly against Shiheng's arm.

"Sit steady. Don't fall."

Shiheng's deep voice sounded above her head, carrying a barely perceptible tenderness. As he finished speaking, he instinctively tightened the arm around her waist. His hand was broad and strong, carrying the warmth unique to an eighth-level warrior. He held her securely in his embrace with just the right pressure, neither making her feel he was taking liberties nor leaving her wanting for a sense of safety.

Kelin Xiaoman stiffened. The tips of her ears instantly grew hot, and even her neck flushed pink. She could clearly feel the warmth of the hand at her waist, as though it were burning all the way into her heart, leaving her feeling weak all over. No longer daring to move about, she could only lean obediently in his embrace, her flustered eyes fixed on the trees rushing past ahead, not daring to look up at him.

Shiheng lowered his head and caught a glimpse of the young woman's tense profile from the corner of his eye. Her long lashes trembled softly like butterfly wings, and her small earlobes were vividly red. An inexplicable hint of amusement rose within him. He was not a man given to romance, yet as he watched the charming, bashful young woman beside him, a gentle ripple spread across the still waters of his heart.

The wind lifted a strand of Kelin Xiaoman's dark hair and brushed it softly across Shiheng's neck. A faint tickling sensation spread, making his hand pause slightly on the reins. He lowered his eyes a little. The faint fragrance of her hair lingered around his nose, mingling with the scent of vegetation, particularly pleasant. Even his normally cold, hard disposition softened somewhat in that moment.

"Scared?" Shiheng asked softly, his voice gentler than before.

Kelin Xiaoman hurriedly shook her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, with a barely perceptible trace of fluster. "N-no. It's just... my first time riding like this."

As she spoke, she secretly lifted her eyes and met Shiheng's gaze as he looked down at her. His eyes were as deep as the night sky, steady and reserved. His gaze rested on her face, gentle yet possessing a power that made it hard to look away. The instant their eyes met, Kelin Xiaoman's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly averted her eyes in a fluster, her cheeks growing redder.

Watching her shyly evasive manner, Shiheng unconsciously curved his lips into the faintest smile. He slowed the Gale Horse from a gallop to a walk. The forest's stillness instantly settled around them, leaving only the soft sound of hooves on the ground and their breathing, which gradually fell into rhythm.

The hold around her waist never loosened. Shiheng's embrace was warm and secure, and as Kelin Xiaoman leaned against him, her nervousness gradually faded, replaced by a trace of reluctance to let it go. She could feel the distinctive aura of a powerful warrior about him, could feel each steady beat of his heart. Without her noticing, the admiration and reliance she felt toward him gained a few more threads of feeling she could neither explain nor name.

She quietly raised her hand and gently caught the fabric at the hem of Shiheng's clothing between her fingertips. Her movement was soft and tentative, as though she feared he might notice, yet also as though she wanted to hold on to this rare sense of security.

Naturally, Shiheng noticed her slight movement. He looked down at the slender little hand clutching his clothing, and the tenderness in his eyes deepened. He said nothing, merely tightening his arm a little more around her waist, offering silent reassurance in his own way.

The setting sun shone through gaps in the trees, casting dappled warmth over them, holding their figures close together and stretching their shadows along the journey home. Neither spoke along the way, yet the stillness brimmed with quietly growing romantic feelings, flowing slowly through the evening breeze, tender and lingering.

Leaning in Shiheng's embrace, listening to his steady heartbeat and feeling the warmth of his arms, Kelin Xiaoman gradually relaxed. The fluster faded from her eyes, leaving nothing but a full sense of ease. She secretly lifted her eyes to look again at the man beside her, her gaze a little softer and shyer, and a faint smile unconsciously rose to her lips.

Shiheng looked ahead, his fingertips unconsciously brushing the fabric at her waist, his heart peaceful yet touched with a faint warmth. This unexpected shared ride had quietly drawn two people, each originally occupied with their own thoughts, closer together. The feelings in their hearts, too, quietly took root and sprouted in the evening breeze on their journey home.