The white horse galloped swiftly, kicking up a trail of dust as the morning light broke through. Beitang Ken pressed forward toward his destination. As he turned a winding mountain path, he suddenly yanked on the reins. The white horse let out a sharp whinny, its front hooves rising into the air. If it weren't for his skilled horsemanship, he likely would have been thrown from the saddle.

  Without warning, Ding Xiaocuo stood directly in his path, her arms wide open, her body forming a rge "X" as she blocked his way. The horse's hooves were less than half a foot from her. Beitang Ken angrily shouted, "Are you looking for death?"

  "Take me with you," Ding Xiaocuo lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes, pouting as if about to cry. "Everyone else is scaring me alone." Acting pitiful was the best way to deal with a domineering man like Beitang Ken.

  On the back of the white horse, Ding Xiaocuo nestled into Beitang Ken's arms, the horse speeding through the vast open nd. As the sky gradually darkened, the sound of their horse's hooves echoed in the desote wilderness, accompanied by distant howls of wild beasts and the sharp, biting cold wind. Ding Xiaocuo, dressed in thin clothing, shivered uncontrolbly. The wind and sand stung her face, making it hurt. She began to genuinely miss her home, even that annoying drunkard of a master. If she made it back safely, she would tell those silly girls obsessed with time-travel novels to cherish their lives and stay far away from time travel! Lost in her thoughts, Beitang Ken suddenly stopped the horse on a barren hillside.

  Ding Xiaocuo turned her stiff neck, eyeing him with suspicion. He loosened the reins and began undoing the buttons of his outer robe, all while staring at her with a distinctly impure look.

  What... what was this? She was currently disguised as a man!!!

  "Hey, hey, what are you doing..." Ding Xiaocuo instinctively protected her chest, nervously shouting, "I don't have that kind of preference!"

  With a whoosh, his outer robe flew over, wrapping her body tightly. Beitang Ken even casually grabbed one of the sleeves and draped it over her face like a makeshift scarf. In just a few moves, Ding Xiaocuo was completely wrapped up, like a dumpling.

  "You..." Ding Xiaocuo turned her eyes in surprise.

  "Go…!" He shouted loudly, continuing on his way. The wind and sand kept blowing, the cold still lingering, but as Ding Xiaocuo breathed in the unique scent from his clothes, the previous chill seemed to dissipate. With his clothes to keep her warm and his arms surrounding her, it didn't matter where they went—she would go anywhere with him. She decided to keep following him, even without a clear goal or direction. With each jolt on the horse, her eyelids grew heavier...

  Before descending, the God of Marriage had told Ding Xiaocuo, "Restoring is a thousand times more difficult than breaking." Everyone only has one destined red thread, and once it breaks, there is only one way to restore it—Ding Xiaocuo, you must use all means necessary to make this man′s heart shift from the wrongly matched Ye Nishang to yourself. Only when Beitang Ken truly falls in love with you, the one who started this, will the red thread between him and Ye Nishang break, and the original red thread you cut will revive. If you fail, there will be only one result... a fate worse than death.′′

  There was also one additional condition: no supernatural power could be used to interfere with his heart. You must approach Beitang Ken as a mortal woman and make him fall in love with you.

  The senior matchmakers in the God of Marriage's hall had taught her that to make a man fall in love with you, the best way is to spend as much time as possible with him—"time will tell." This was the reason why she insisted on going with Beitang Ken to the Endless Pin, no matter what. Would a month be enough to cultivate feelings?

  They traveled through the night, and by the following evening, they came across a roadside inn at a three-way intersection. Nearly starving, Ding Xiaocuo was thrown off the horse and into the inn by him. The humble inn had no other guests, just an elderly man with white hair dozing by the stove. When he saw new customers, he quickly rushed over to welcome them. The aroma of hot food gradually filled the air.

  "Have I seen you somewhere before?" Beitang Ken pulled out a pair of chopsticks, twirling them in his hand as he gnced at Ding Xiaocuo, who was looking around. "A long time ago."

  "Definitely not!" Ding Xiaocuo shook her head like a rattle drum and smiled awkwardly. "I'm just a small fry; how could I possibly have the honor of being an old acquaintance of the Jade-faced Ghost King?"

  He half-squinted his eyes. "How do you know my nickname?" Oh no, she couldn't possibly tell him that she had already investigated his background thoroughly before descending to the mortal realm, right?

  "I heard that woman in green call you Beitang Ken. Who in the martial world doesn't know the Jade-faced Ghost King, Beitang Ken? With your handsome looks and exceptional skills, you can't deny it!" She forced herself to remain calm and immediately turned her head away after speaking.

  He smiled faintly and asked, "You said only the “Spiritual Rhino” Sword can save your parents. Why do you think I'll help you get it back?"

  "Huh? Didn't you just agree to help me?" Ding Xiaocuo was momentarily stunned.

  "I only agree to help those who speak the truth," North Hall Ken's gaze shifted, and he grabbed her wrist. "The reason you gave me cks credibility."

  "Ouch!" Ding Xiaocuo cried out in pain, then immediately blurted, "I mean no harm; I just came to help you..." Realizing her slip of the tongue, she quickly shut her mouth.

  "Help me?" Beitang Ken grabbed her and pulled her close. "Help me with what? Who exactly are you?"

  "I... I..." Ding Xiaocuo stammered, unable to finish her sentence. As the two of them were at a standstill, a shout came from outside. "Guest, your food!"

  Beitang Ken slowly wiped the stain off his sword. In the chaotic, dipidated shop, tables and chairs were overturned, broken dishes scattered across the floor, and a red-footed centipede, nearly as long as a person, y in a pool of thick, foul-smelling slime. Its head had a rge hole, and it was clearly dead. Wrapped around its body was a human skin, the outline of an old man with white hair clearly visible.

  In the wild hills and forests, there are always yaokai. Ding Xiaocuo smelled something strange in the dishes the old man brought. Among the usual food and wine, there was the venom of a centipede yaokai mixed in. North Hall Ken should be grateful to her, as she stopped him from eating that fragrant marinated beef. Of course, she should also be grateful for Beitang Ken's exceptional swordsmanship—her own meager skills were no match for his. He sheathed his sword, and the st sliver of the setting sun stretched his shadow long and far.

  Ding Xiaocuo stared at his profile, her mind suddenly clouded. The strange feelings stirring inside her grew stronger, and she couldn't help but recall—she desperately tried to remember—as if she realized something vitally important.

  The scenery along the way, the jostling on horseback, his clothing, the roadside shop at the fork in the road with the centipede yaokai, and even the st snting ray of sunlight at this very moment—all of it pointed to one thing: she had been here before. The same road, she had walked it. The same person, she had met him. The same events, she had experienced them. But the details eluded her; the only thing clear in her mind was a figure standing in the sunset, his shadow stretching endlessly. And he had always been there, never leaving, unaffected by time.