The more Mo Xian looked at the horse, the more adorable she found it. The horse looked back at Mo Xian too. Perhaps the horse was even wondering: Why isn't this person riding me? Mo Xian truly had never ridden a horse before and did not know how.
A path formed by two converging mountains. Mo Xian walked alongside the horse to the foot of a mountain. It was time to turn a corner.
Mo Xian stopped and looked ahead. There were countless mountains stretching out before her, seemingly endless. A sense of regret began to creep into her mind regarding the direction she had chosen. As she dwelled on it, her spirits plummeted.
Mo Xian leaned against the rocky mountainside by the road, absentmindedly grinding a small pebble underfoot with the toe of her shoe while gripping the reins tightly in her hands.
Perhaps it wasn't too late to turn back now. Mo Xian thought to herself.
For Mo Xian, turning back truly wasn't too late at this moment. But who could possibly predict what she might encounter further ahead? Hadn't she just crossed paths with a horse right now?
Caught in a dilemma, Mo Xian had no idea what to do.
Mo Xian had no sense of direction.
Lifting her gaze to the sky, she saw yet another mountain instead.
Mo Xian felt a heavy depression weighing on her. She was only twenty-three years old; surely she wasn't going to meet her end right here, was she? Having inexplicably arrived in this ancient era, she ought to experience something first.
Mo Xian let her mind wander wildly with all sorts of thoughts.
What on earth was she even daydreaming about? Mo Xian shook her head, trying to cast off all her pessimistic thoughts. So what if the path was rugged and seemingly endless? So what if the environment was completely unfamiliar, and the people entirely unknown? It was just a tiny bit of hardship, and not knowing what to do—what was the big deal?
Or perhaps if she just kept walking forward like this, it wasn't impossible that there really was a very long mountain road ahead. Mo Xian thought, feeling intimidated by the direction before her. Yet she was unwilling to turn back, and besides, turning back wouldn't necessarily mean an easier path.
Mo Xian felt distressed. She also felt drowsy, hazy, and even somewhat dazed, perhaps from having been so tense and exhausted for too long.
Then, a faint, lingering sound drifted over, melodious and clear.
Mo Xian only felt that it sounded deeply comforting, completely losing herself in its enchantment.
Perhaps the horse heard it too; perhaps the horse also found it pleasing, for it lowered its head and nudged Mo Xian's arm with the top of its head. Mo Xian snapped back to her senses and slapped her own forehead. There were people! There were people not far away! She could find people by following the sound! She had been so captivated by how good it sounded!
Mo Xian pricked up her ears, concentrating to listen carefully.
The sound was indeed very faint, just barely audible—it was the music of an instrument. It felt as though it had traveled from afar, passing through forests and across meadows, winding through layer upon layer of overlapping peaks to convey a message of friendship to Mo Xian.
No matter what, there had to be people! As long as there were people, there was hope! No matter what kind of people they were, they represented hope!
On this point, Mo Xian was quite clear in her mind.
Leading the horse, Mo Xian set off in the direction from which the sound had come. The mountain path was not easy to walk, especially for someone like Mo Xian, who had grown up in the city.
However, after taking only a few steps, the faint threads of sound stopped and vanished.
The music was gone! Did it have to be this cruel? Just abandoning her halfway like this?! In these mountain forests, she truly had nowhere to go up and no road to take down! Yet, she had walked this path step by step herself. Who else could she blame for her current predicament?
Her hope was shattered once again, and matters had taken a turn for the worse!
In an instant, Mo Xian sank back into depression. Ah! There is truly no worst, only worse! It seemed time-traveling was really no fun at all!
Having lost her direction, Mo Xian simply let the horse wander as it pleased. Holding the reins, she walked alongside the animal. Before she knew it, about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea had passed. In truth, Mo Xian harbored a sliver of wishful thinking in her heart. They always said old horses know the way; perhaps this horse was her lucky star and could lead her to hope! Anyway, since she had no sense of direction now, she might as well give it a try.
Mo Xian just mechanically followed the horse. Suddenly, the sound of flowing water reached her ears. The rushing sound of water crashed against her eardrums. Surely she hadn't ended up back where she started, had she? Mo Xian froze in surprise. However, when she looked around carefully, she realized: obviously not. The surrounding scenery was entirely unfamiliar. This was a completely new, unvisited place!
Mo Xian led the horse to the water's edge. She splashed some water on her face, feeling much more awake. The horse also drank some water. Looking at her own reflection in the water, Mo Xian noticed she had clearly lost weight!
She needed to keep looking for a way out. Mo Xian led the horse away from the water's edge. After walking seven or eight steps, she heard the sound of someone footsteps—extremely light and steady, clear as day! And they were close by!
Mo Xian was instantly excited!
But what kind of person could it be? Out here in the desolate wilderness. Mo Xian muttered to herself.
The person was getting closer and closer to Mo Xian!
She shouldn't rush out to meet them; she should observe first before deciding. Thinking this to herself, Mo Xian raised her head and saw a young man.
His hair was neatly combed into a topknot, with strands falling loosely over his shoulders like a waterfall. The quality of his hair was exceptional, looking glossy and smooth as silk. Two locks of hair framed his face, casually resting against his chest, giving his entire appearance a remarkably gentle air. He carried a bamboo basket on his back, a Jade Flute tucked into his belt, and wore wide-sleeved ancient robes. The garments were a faint, clean cyan color, not looking at all like someone who had been traveling through the jungle. His posture was upright, and his stride was light and cheerful, as if a bird had fluttered down gracefully, yet every step that touched the ground was extremely steady.
The newcomer was in a very good mood.
It was Ning Zhen.
Ning Zhen clearly had not expected anyone to be ahead. Upon seeing Mo Xian, he froze slightly, his expression growing a bit more serious. He immediately realized she was probably just a traveler passing through the woods to rest. Ning Zhen glanced at Mo Xian.
Her shoulder-length hair was pitch-black and glossy, falling loose in a casual manner. The stray hairs tumbling across her forehead were tucked behind her ear by Mo Xian, who wore clothes obtained from Duanmu Furong and Hong Yue. The deep blue garments made her figure look all the more agile. Mo Xian exuded an irrepressible heroic spirit, though she looked distinctly weathered and down on her luck. Mo Xian was staring right at Ning Zhen, and noticing that he had glanced at her, she realized it was impolite and hurriedly averted her gaze.
A secret sense of astonishment arose in Ning Zhen's heart; he had never imagined there could be such a spirited and dashing woman in the world. Unable to help himself, Ning Zhen glanced at Mo Xian again. Mo Xian also couldn't resist continuing to size up Ning Zhen. Their eyes collided, and the atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
Through her brief observation of Ning Zhen, Mo Xian felt that he had a gentle countenance and refined manners, not resembling a vicious villain. Besides, Mo Xian wasn't really afraid of ordinary people. Right now, her only fear was failing to meet anyone at all.
Mo Xian wanted to step forward and strike up a conversation, but she didn't know how to begin. Would these ancient people even understand her speech? Her lips parted, but nothing came out.
He had encountered plenty of people while out gathering herbs, and since they were strangers to one another, they were merely passing travelers in this place. Deciding not to dwell on it, Ning Zhen walked past Mo Xian, continuing on his way while scanning the surroundings for medicinal herbs.
Even though Ning Zhen found Mo Xian astonishingly striking, he still regarded her as a mere passing acquaintance, intending to brush past her just the same.