The surroundings were a vast expanse of Gobi Desert. Occasionally, one could spot the skeletal remains of wild beasts, though most were heavily weathered. The ground was not in good condition, pockmarked and strewn with rock fragments. I quickly looked down at my feet and shoes, especially the soles, which were completely intact. This indicated that during the run, my feet hadn't actually touched the ground, but rather it was a form of travel akin to "flying close to the ground."
Surprisingly, I didn't need to catch my breath. After all, this was the underworld, and breathing wasn't required. I felt my heartbeat; my pulse was within the normal range, about sixty to seventy beats per second. It was strange, then, where did the energy consumed by this mode of movement come from?
I glanced back. The large mountain I had crossed earlier was no longer visible. However, I was certain that direction was correct. It might have been beyond the limit of my vision. Even activating the Observation Qi technique wouldn't allow me to see Xie Bi'an, who was hundreds of kilometers away.
I sat on a rock to catch my breath, recalling the process of flying close to the ground. After standing up and testing short-distance starts and stops on the flat ground without any issues, I headed back the way I came.
As I flew, I finally spotted the mountain. I crossed it in the same perpendicular manner to the ridgeline. Descending, I saw a woman in white riding a horse from afar. I tried to brake immediately, but it was a little too late. The position where I finally stopped was more than two hundred meters past Xie Bi'an.
At such a short distance, I didn't dare to accelerate again, fearing I might overshoot even further. I ran towards Xie Bi'an, who also urged her horse forward and extended a hand, directly pulling me onto the horse's back.
"Hey, hey, no, I'm going to fall off!" I shouted. It was true that she was sitting on the saddle, but I was on the horse's hindquarters, slippery and with no place for my feet. I could only hold onto her waist tightly.
"Hm?" Xie Bi'an looked back. "Oh dear, I forgot to prepare a double saddle."
"Carrying me like this is worse than letting me fly on the ground," I complained.
"But you wouldn't be able to find your way," Xie Bi'an chuckled.
"...That's true. Are there no other horses?" I asked.
"No, just this one. How about this, I'll move forward a bit, and you can sit on the saddle with me."
"Can you?"
"Why not? I'm so thin," Xie Bi'an said coyly.
Xie Bi'an shifted forward, clearing about twenty centimeters of saddle space. I used my hands to prop myself up from behind and forced myself to jump onto it. Instantly, I felt like I was riding a shared bicycle with Chen Lu again. However, this time, due to the narrow saddle and the curvature in front and back, the horse's jolts kept pushing us towards the center.
There was, to some extent, an element of excitement involved.
After riding for a while, Xie Bi'an sensed something unusual. She turned back, frowning at me, "Why are you squeezing me further forward?" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"I, I'm not?"
It wasn't something I could control, alright!
"It's not about anything else, mainly, I'm afraid of breaking you."
"Then what should we do?" I frowned. "How about you sit behind me?"
"Heh, I'm your spirit guide, how can I sit behind you! Let's just leave it like this, ah..."
Well, this felt more stable, and it was a strange sensation, like placing a small body into a refrigerator.
I don't know if it was as I imagined, but it was definitely very "cool."
After riding for a while longer, I felt I should be more proactive. I discussed with her the possibility of letting me use the stirrups. Her legs were short, and it was a waste for her to use them. If I used them, she could completely step on my instep.
Xie Bi'an looked down and compared our leg lengths. She agreed, as it would make things much easier for both of us.
We rode like this for over an hour. I even felt a human warmth appear on Xie Bi'an's face, it felt a bit hot. Glancing sideways, I saw her face was a little flushed.
"Are you, do you have a fever?" I asked with concern.
"No, no, it's fine," her voice wavered with the rhythm of the galloping hooves, "It's just, a little, hot!"
"How much further is it? I'm afraid you won't be able to hold on," I asked.
"Almost, almost there. After the town, up ahead, it's there."