Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 118 Lofty Ambitions

The snow came sooner than expected.

Before we even reached a sheltered spot, the first snowflake fell.

It was huge, like a goose feather, drifting gently downwards.

Then came the second, the third... In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the world was completely covered in white, and no one could be seen more than a few steps away.

Huang Hu continued to lead the way, at a leisurely pace, stopping occasionally to check the direction.

Jiang Xun noticed that Huang Hu was very familiar with the roads in this area—not the kind of familiarity that comes from "having been here a few times," but the kind of familiarity that comes from "having walked this road many times."

He knew exactly where the water was, where the shelter from the wind was, and where the roads were easy to travel; it was as if he could walk with his eyes closed.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the wind grew stronger and stronger.

No one spoke in the group anymore; all that could be heard was the howling wind, the clatter of horses' hooves in the snow, and the soft patter of snowflakes falling to the ground.

The horses also began to become restless, snorting and pacing erratically.

Sun Xing rode behind on horseback, bringing up the rear, occasionally shouting, "Keep up! Don't fall behind!"

But his voice couldn't travel far in the wind and snow; it was swallowed up by the wind as soon as it came out.

After walking for about two hours, it was completely dark.

Huang Hu found shelter in a mountain hollow—several huge rocks forming a semicircle that blocked the north wind.

There was a clearing in the middle of the rocks, big enough for a dozen people and horses to squeeze in.

"We'll camp here tonight." Huang Hu dismounted. "We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Everyone dismounted and began setting up tents and making fires.

When Jiang Xun slid off the horse, his legs were so weak that he had to hold onto the saddle for a while before he could stand up.

He glanced at Tuoba Feng—the man remained expressionless, feeding his horse with fodder, his movements as calm as if nothing had happened.

"Are you alright?" Ye Qingying walked over and asked with concern.

"It's nothing," Jiang Xun said stubbornly, stomping his numb legs. "My legs are just a little stiff."

"It's good that you're alright."

"..."

The next day, the snow stopped, but the wind was still blowing.

The group continued westward.

Jiang Xun still shared a horse with Tuoba Feng, but he felt that this couldn't go on forever, so during a rest, he said to Tuoba Feng, "Teach me how to ride a horse."

"Okay." Tuoba Feng didn't waste any words, led over a docile horse, and gestured for him to get on.

Jiang Xun used the stirrups to flip himself onto the horse, his movements as clumsy as a turtle unable to turn over.

"Sit up straight." Tuoba Feng stood beside him, showing no intention of helping. "Don't slouch, keep your legs tight, and don't grip the reins too tightly."

Jiang Xun did as instructed—his back was straight, his legs were tightly clamped together, but he dared not use the reins, leaving them loosely in his palm.

"Walk."

As the horse took a step, Jiang Xun swayed and almost slipped off to the side. He quickly grabbed the reins, and it was as if he was hanging on the horse's back.

"Don't grip so tightly!" Tuoba Feng frowned. "If you grip too tightly, the horse will get nervous. If you're nervous, the horse will be even more nervous. You two are competing with each other, and neither of you will benefit."

Jiang Xun loosened the reins, and the horse indeed became more stable.

He tried squeezing the horse's belly with his legs, and the horse quickened its pace a few steps. He panicked again, tightened his grip on the reins, and the horse slowed down again, thrashing back and forth as if it were shaking in place.

"Are you riding a horse or fighting with it?" Tuoba Feng's voice carried a rare hint of helplessness.

"I want to know too." Jiang Xun said with a bitter face, sweat already beading on his forehead.

The two struggled for almost half an hour, but Jiang Xun still hadn't learned how.

He could barely get the horse to move or stop, but he just couldn't ride steadily—leaning left and right, like a waddling duck, ready to fall off at any moment.

Xiao Rui walked over at some point, leaned against a nearby rock for a while, and then suddenly spoke.

"Brother Tuoba, your method is incorrect."

Tuoba Feng turned to look at him, but didn't say anything.

Xiao Rui walked over, stood beside the horse, and looked up at Jiang Xun.

"Don't try to control the horse," he said. "Think about moving with the horse. When the horse moves, your waist should move in rhythm with it, don't stiffen it."

He reached out and patted the horse's neck; the horse snorted and quieted down.

"Don't grip the reins too tightly; leave some room. If you want it to go left, gently pull to the left; to the right, pull to the right; to stop, pull back. Don't use brute force; use skill."

Jiang Xun did as instructed.

This time, it felt different.

When the horse started walking, his waist swayed gently with the rhythm of the horse, no longer stiff.

The reins were loosened, the horse was no longer tense, and its pace became much more steady.

"Yes, that's it." Xiao Rui nodded. "Try walking faster again."

Jiang Xun gently squeezed the horse's belly with his leg, and the horse quickened its pace and started trotting.

He swayed slightly, but quickly regained his balance, bobbing up and down with the horse's rhythm, and even began to resemble a horse rider.

"Okay!" Xiao Rui laughed. "It's not that you can't ride, it's that you haven't found the feeling yet."

Jiang Xun rode his horse around in a circle and returned with a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao."

"You're welcome." Xiao Rui smiled, waved his hand, and turned to leave.

Tuoba Feng stood to the side, watching Xiao Rui's back with a blank expression.

Jiang Xun dismounted and walked up to Tuoba Feng, beaming with pride: "Look, I've learned it."

Tuoba Feng glanced at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Yes," he said, "better than I could have taught."

Jiang Xun paused for a moment, then suddenly felt that Tuoba Feng's words were a bit sarcastic.

After another day of walking, when they set up camp in the evening, Jiang Xun took the initiative to cook.

He rummaged through his bundle and found a few pieces of cured meat. He also picked up some dry firewood from the ground, built a simple stove with stones, and started a fire.

The cured meat skewers were hung on tree branches and slowly roasted over a fire. The oil dripped onto the charcoal and sizzled, and the aroma spread throughout the camp, making people swallow their saliva.

"It smells delicious." Chen Lei walked over and squatted down beside the fire. "Brother Jiang is quite the hidden talent."

"Haha, just trying to make a living." Jiang Xun flipped the meat skewers with practiced ease, as if he had been grilling meat in the wild all his life.

Xiao Rui also came over, holding a water pouch in his hand, and handed it over: "Try it, it's mare's milk wine from the Northern Territory, it'll warm you up."

Jiang Xun took it and drank a sip—it was still sour, but it was milder than the one he had in Shuofeng City last time, so it was more palatable.

After the sour taste subsided, a faint milky aroma and a hint of alcohol warmed me from my throat all the way down to my stomach.

"How is it?" Xiao Rui asked.

"It's alright." Jiang Xun handed the water pouch back, "but it's not as good as the wine from the Central Plains."

"That's because you're not used to it." Xiao Rui smiled and took a sip himself. "People in the Northern Border drink this from a young age; it's like drinking water."

Jiang Xun handed him a piece of the grilled meat.

Xiao Rui took it, took a bite, chewed it, and his eyes lit up: "It's really good. With your skills, you could open a barbecue shop in Shuofeng City and it would definitely be a great success."

"That won't do," Jiang Xun said seriously. "I have lofty ambitions; how could I condescend to be a kebab vendor?"

"What are Brother Jiang's aspirations?" Ye Qingying asked.

Jiang Xun thought for a moment and said very seriously, "Open a chain of barbecue restaurants and spread them all over the world."

Everyone laughed.

Jiang Xun baked a batch and distributed them to everyone.

The group sat together, drinking mare's milk wine and eating roasted meat. The campfire illuminated everyone's faces, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.

Even Tuoba Feng, who had been keeping a cold expression, seemed to soften a bit.

Just then, Tuoba Feng suddenly spoke up: "This is the direction of Kunwu Mountain."

Jiang Xun was taken aback: "Kunwu Mountain?"

"The sacred mountain in the North," Tuoba Feng said in a low voice, as if afraid of disturbing something, "ordinary people can't climb it."

"That's right, I guessed it too." Xiao Rui replied, his tone unusually serious as he looked at the dark mountain shadows in the distance.

Jiang Xun, Chen Lei, Ye Qingying, and the others exchanged glances, their hearts sinking slightly.

Kunwu Mountain doesn't sound like a good place.