"Crash"
Yan Rou froze, her eyes wide with alarm. The sudden stop propelled her forward and left her hanging just inches from Lei Feng's chest.
Her heart pounded in her ears as she almost heard Lei Feng's heartbeat.
She felt a flush spread across her cheeks, tingling with both surprise and an unfamiliar nervousness. Her mind raced, caught between the urge to steady herself and the embarrassment of her unintended proximity to Lei Feng.
A crisp, clean smell reached her nose, clean and unexpected in this closed, perfumed carriage.
For a moment, it felt as if she was standing right next to nature itself.
Lei Feng was still calm. He didn't push her away or react. Instead, he watched her with a faint, amused smile, clearly enjoying how close Yan Rou was.
"Yup, truly beautiful. It seems like my earlier decision was correct." Lei Feng smiled happily.
When Yan Rou realized what had happened, she scrambled back, flustered. She sat up quickly, her face burning with embarrassment and a hint of anger.
She turned away from the shameless man in front of her and called out to her uncle, hoping to find out what had happened.
"Uncle Zhang, what happened?"
"Young Miss, the steed! It's... It's collapsed!"
His urgent tone was clear. Yan Rou opened the carriage door and stepped out onto the road.
What she saw was both confusing and deeply troubling.
The powerful horned steed, famous for its stamina and strength, lay on the cobblestones. Its strong legs were twisted at odd angles, and its large head didn't move.
There was no sign of a struggle, no wound, and no enemy in sight.
Uncle Zhang stood next to the fallen animal, his hand on its side. He looked shocked as he tried to understand what had happened.
"I don't understand," he said, his voice shaky. "One moment it was running fine, the next it just… fell. Like a puppet with its strings cut."
Nneeigghh!
A moment later, the steed shuddered, let out a soft final breath, and went completely still. Its eyes turned glassy and empty.
It was dead.
"Young Miss, this…"
A chill ran down Yan Rou's spine. Horned steeds were valuable and tough; they didn't just die without cause. She knelt, her gloved hand hovering over the animal's side, looking for any clue.
"Is it poisoned?" she asked, her voice hushed.
Uncle Zhang shook his head, equally perplexed. "There's no sign of it, Young Miss. No foam at the mouth, no discoloration. It's as if its life force was just… extinguished."
Just then, Lei Feng stepped out of the carriage. He stretched his arms lazily, as if waking from a nap. He walked over to the fallen steed and crouched down, looking at it with curiosity.
He sniffed the air near its mouth, then gently poked its flank. "Interesting," he spoke in a low voice, a thoughtful look on his face. "No wounds, no poison. It's as if its soul just… left. Did it finally decide to leave its mortal body and lifelong servitude and head for the greatness it truly deserved?"
At first, his words matched their own thoughts, but the rest of what he said was unsettling.
Yan Rou and Uncle Zhang decided to ignore him for now.
They focused on their immediate problem. Stranded in the forest, far from the nearest town, they had a useless carriage and a dead horse. The road ahead felt long and dangerous.
Zhang finally straightened up, his expression grim. "Young Miss. It looks like we're stuck." He scanned the surrounding forest warily. "It's a long walk to the next settlement, and this road is not known for being safe, even without bandits."
Yan Rou bit her lip, feeling more and more frustrated. Her meeting in Azure Dragon City was important, and this delay was a disaster.
"There has to be something nearby," she insisted, her gaze sweeping the dense trees that lined the road.
She spotted something through a gap in the trees. To the left of the main road, a narrow dirt path wound deeper into the woods. In the distance, she could just make out the faint shapes of straw rooftops.
"Look," she said, pointing with a renewed sense of hope. "There's a path. And buildings."
Zhang followed her gaze, and his eyes lit up. "You're right. It must be a small settlement, maybe a resting spot for travelers." He stroked his chin. "We might be able to find help there, perhaps even a new horse."
They made the decision quickly, since there was no other option. Leaving their things in the carriage for now, the three of them started down the narrow dirt path.
The settlement was farther than it seemed, taking about twenty minutes to reach through the quiet woods. When they finally left the trees, they found a strange place: not a village, but three small buildings in a neat row.
One building had a wide open front, and the smell of hot metal and grease drifted out—it was clearly a carriage workshop. Next to it stood a small tavern with a wooden sign showing a foaming mug. The last building was a clean, well-kept stable.
The place was quiet, almost too quiet. There were only a few people around, and most seemed to work there rather than visit. The only sound was the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.
As they entered the clearing, a man came out of the workshop. He was middle-aged, average height, with a clean-shaven face and sharp, watchful eyes. His face was calm and hard to read.
He wiped his greasy hands on a rag and looked at the newcomers.
"Good day, dear travelers. Looks like you've run into some trouble on the road."