As the horse drew near, it galloped at full speed, with its hooves creating gusts of wind that bent the grass beneath it. When Xiao Liu approached, the horse suddenly halted, its hooves planted firmly, leaving the grass it trampled still bent under an invisible pressure.

This horse was extraordinary, and the number of system fragments unlocked confirmed its exceptional quality. However, despite its magnificence, this horse had never appeared in the original story.

“Little Snowflake!”

Bai Fanlu almost fell off his chestnut horse upon hearing what Xiao Liu called it. Little Snowflake? For such a majestic horse? Even if Xiao Liu didn’t know its true name, “Snow Beyond the Mountains,” it was still surprising that he would give such a beautiful horse such a casual name. It was like calling a stunning beauty by a plain, unremarkable name.

“Why do you call it that?” Bai Fanlu dismounted and walked up behind Xiao Liu to ask.

“Because its hooves are white!” Xiao Liu, worried that Bai Fanlu hadn’t noticed, pointed to the horse’s hooves.

Bai Fanlu suppressed a laugh and cleared his throat. “But the rest of it is black.”

“Well… Little Snowflake is easier to remember!”

Xiao Liu patted the horse’s head. The horse, seemingly intelligent, nuzzled its long mane into Xiao Liu’s hand, unbothered by the somewhat undignified name.

“Little Snowflake, this is my Immortal Brother. His name is Lu Fan!”

Xiao Liu, with his characteristic straightforwardness, introduced them earnestly.

Bai Fanlu, using an alias, found Xiao Liu’s serious tone amusing yet awkward. But there was no point in arguing with a horse, especially since it couldn’t understand.

Yet, Snow Beyond the Mountains was no ordinary horse. It might have actually understood, as it gave Bai Fanlu a look that seemed almost meaningful.

For the first time, Bai Fanlu and the horse exchanged glances.

Bai Fanlu was momentarily stunned, feeling as though the horse’s large, dark eyes, shaded by impossibly thick lashes, were conveying some kind of human emotion.

Taking the horse more seriously, Bai Fanlu began to carefully observe this remarkable steed.

Its bones were sturdy, its coat sleek and shiny, and a faint brown marking on its forehead, resembling dragon scales, extended all the way to its right eye.

That right eye was deep and calm, seriously fixed on Bai Fanlu.

For a moment, Bai Fanlu felt as though he was being seen through…

Feeling strangely unsettled, Bai Fanlu looked away and asked Xiao Liu, “This is a fine horse. Where did you get it?”

“Where?” Xiao Liu scratched his head. “I’m not sure. One day, I got lost in the mountains, and it just appeared and led me out.”

“Just like that? And this…” Bai Fanlu’s gaze fell on the jade leaf hanging from Xiao Liu’s chest. Xiao Liu lifted it. “At that time, Little Snowflake had this in its mouth. I didn’t know what it was, but later, I blew it for fun, and the horse appeared.”

It sounded as if the horse had chosen Xiao Liu.

Could Xiao Liu be more than just an ordinary person? Bai Fanlu was suspicious, but he had sensed nothing unusual about him up close—no spiritual power at all.

Xiao Liu then added, “Didn’t you say the place you need to go is far? Let Little Snowflake take you; you’ll get there much faster.”

Bai Fanlu was surprised. He hadn’t expected Xiao Liu’s solution to be this. Using such a divine horse for travel would indeed be much faster than an ordinary horse.

Xiao Liu led Snow Beyond the Mountains over to Bai Fanlu. “Here, try riding it first.”

Bai Fanlu looked at the imposing steed before him. It was only up close that he fully appreciated the difference between this horse and his chestnut one. Not only was this horse larger and more powerful, but its height alone was much greater.

Moreover, the horse had no stirrups, saddle, or reins, making it difficult to mount.

“Immortal Brother, what’s wrong?”

Snow Beyond the Mountains tilted its head slightly, glancing at Bai Fanlu.

Not wanting to admit his hesitation in front of a horse, Bai Fanlu said, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

After all, he wasn’t afraid of falling. He had learned to ride horses from a young age, so this wouldn’t be too difficult for him.

With a light tap of his toes, Bai Fanlu used his spiritual power to float into the air, gracefully landing on the horse’s back.

Just as he was about to sit down, the horse, which had been quiet and docile, suddenly reared its head and kicked its front legs before taking off at full speed.

Bai Fanlu, caught off guard, quickly halted his descent and used his spiritual power to hover lightly before landing on the ground.

Snow Beyond the Mountains didn’t run far. It stopped after a few steps, looking back at Bai Fanlu, its bright eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.

Staring at him with such a disdainful look sparked Bai Fanlu’s competitive spirit. As he moved closer, the horse started running again.

Bai Fanlu chased after it, but the horse kept a consistent distance of about ten feet. To make matters worse, the horse deliberately chose winding, rugged paths, kicking up rocks and dust as it ran.

Bai Fanlu could only use his cloud-stepping technique, which made short-distance chases a bit taxing. Every time he was about to catch up, the horse would maliciously kick its hind legs, forcing him to back off.

The previously gentle and well-behaved steed had suddenly turned crafty and obstinate, teasing Bai Fanlu without letting him get close.

Gradually, the chase became a battle of wills. Determined to ride this divine horse as a superior means of transport, Bai Fanlu was resolved to tame it, no matter what.

To accomplish great things, one must have the right tools. With miles of road ahead, it was worth the effort.

All the while, Xiao Liu watched the whole pursuit from a distance.

At first, the boy smirked silently, then he approached the chestnut horse that Bai Fanlu had momentarily forgotten. Suddenly, the horse neighed loudly and galloped off freely, quickly disappearing from sight.

As the breeze stirred the grass and scattered the flowers trampled by the horse’s hooves, Xiao Liu’s gaze shifted back to the white figure. There was an expression in his eyes that hadn’t been there when he had looked at Bai Fanlu directly.

Seeing the chase grow more chaotic, Xiao Liu blew the jade leaf.

Hearing the whistle, Snow Beyond the Mountains turned back, deliberately circling around Bai Fanlu in a wide arc.

However, the horse’s sudden change in direction gave Bai Fanlu an opportunity. With a determined focus, he gathered his energy, used eighty percent of his spiritual power, and leaped high into the air. The horse’s back was within reach.

But Snow Beyond the Mountains was quick to react. It sensed the shift behind it and accelerated, its hooves leaving the ground.

Bai Fanlu, not daring to relax, twisted his body mid-air and used the momentum to launch himself toward the now almost-blurred black shadow.

“Immortal Brother, be careful!” Xiao Liu suddenly shouted.

Bai Fanlu heard the rush of wind in his ears. In the blink of an eye, he had landed on the horse’s back, his legs clamping tightly around its flanks.

As someone landed on its back, the horse’s saddle, reins, and stirrups materialized automatically. Bai Fanlu settled into the saddle, tightening the reins.

But suddenly, a thick cloud of dust and crushed leaves obscured his vision as Snow Beyond the Mountains skidded to a halt.

Xiao Liu ran toward them, unable to see what was happening, and rushed over as quickly as he could.

In the next moment, a white shadow and a black shadow burst out of the swirling dust.

Against the backdrop of green grass and clear skies, amidst the fading dust, the figure of a man dressed in white, more dazzling than snow, sat astride the horse. His long hair danced in the wind, his posture exuding elegance and grace. Beneath him, the black steed with its wind-swept mane, wild and untamed, neighed loudly, its fierce energy as intense as a storm.

In that instant, as their eyes met, Bai Fanlu’s lips curled into a confident smile, leaving Xiao Liu momentarily stunned.

But before Bai Fanlu could say a word, Xiao Liu sensed something was wrong—Snow Beyond the Mountains! The horse suddenly reared up while running at full speed!

Bai Fanlu didn’t even have time to cry out before he felt dizzy, his body tilting backward uncontrollably as the wild horse stood up on its hind legs. But Bai Fanlu still held onto the reins, clinging desperately to the horse’s back.

Muttering under his breath, Bai Fanlu refused to be intimidated.

But the next moment, panic set in—not for himself, but because he saw Xiao Liu running toward him, almost reaching him!

If he forced Snow Beyond the Mountains to lower its hooves now, it would surely hurt Xiao Liu. Thinking quickly, Bai Fanlu yanked the reins to the side, pulling the horse’s head away, but this caused him to lose his balance and be thrown off the horse’s back.

“Immortal Brother—!”

As the world spun around him, Bai Fanlu heard a frantic shout. Then everything went dark as the black horse loomed overhead, its hooves about to crash down.

…Bai Fanlu was completely stunned. The danger in front of him wasn’t particularly severe; even though the fall had been painful, and it felt like his bones were about to break, his current body wasn’t fragile enough to sustain any serious injuries.

However, what truly shocked Bai Fanlu was what happened next.

Xiao Liu suddenly lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Bai Fanlu. In that instant, as the situation rapidly changed, Bai Fanlu quickly summoned a wind shield in his palm.

But before he could release the spell, Xiao Liu grabbed his wrist and pulled him close, holding him tightly by the waist. With a few rapid rolls, Xiao Liu shielded Bai Fanlu with his body, pinning him to the ground.

Not far away, the sound of horse hooves landing echoed.

Snow Beyond the Mountains had managed to avoid them, but Bai Fanlu was left dizzy from the rolling, and his back throbbed where it had struck a rock, the impact pressing against a pressure point, leaving his arm momentarily numb and limp.

As his strength returned, Bai Fanlu tried to move, but he found that Xiao Liu’s grip on his wrist was astonishingly strong.

Against the light, the young man’s face was obscured by shadow, making his expression difficult to discern. Bai Fanlu had the sense that Xiao Liu had been staring at him for a while before finally asking, “Are you alright?”

Xiao Liu’s voice was low, different from his usual tone.

Bai Fanlu, still in a daze, furrowed his brow and tried to twist his wrist free. “If you hadn’t suddenly shown up, I would have been fine…”

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Liu tightened his grip even more.

“Why did you suddenly change direction? Do you realize how dangerous that was?” Xiao Liu’s tone was unusually sharp, leaving Bai Fanlu momentarily speechless.

“You…” Xiao Liu took a deep breath, unable to continue, and his hand holding Bai Fanlu’s wrist began to tremble slightly.

Bai Fanlu finally realized what was going on. He could feel Xiao Liu’s chest against his, the rapid heartbeat pounding even faster than his own breath.

Bai Fanlu had originally intended to scold Xiao Liu for acting recklessly, but now, seeing how agitated he was, a phrase suddenly popped into Bai Fanlu’s mind: “Overcome with concern.”

Was he actually worried about me? Bai Fanlu, moved and somewhat reluctant to push back, couldn’t bring himself to argue. Instead, he smiled and gently reassured him, “And you? You knew the horse’s hooves were dangerous, but you still ran over…”

Xiao Liu didn’t respond, just continued staring at him.

This prolonged eye contact felt odd, especially since Bai Fanlu was lying beneath him, which made him feel at a disadvantage. He gently pushed Xiao Liu. “Let’s get up first, then talk.”

Xiao Liu’s face was pale, but he obediently sat up. With the light no longer behind him, the heavy sense of oppression Bai Fanlu had felt dissipated, revealing the familiar, straightforward boy before him. Xiao Liu pulled him up with one hand, reluctantly letting go when Bai Fanlu shifted, as if silently sulking.

After all, he’s still just a kid.

Bai Fanlu was willing to extend the greatest kindness and understanding to Xiao Liu, deciding to let the matter pass.

Snow Beyond the Mountains stood not far from them, its deep eyes calm and untroubled, a stark contrast to its earlier wild and unruly behavior. It was hard to believe that this was the same horse that had just been so aggressive.

A strange thought suddenly crossed Bai Fanlu’s mind.

It was as if this horse had done it on purpose.