Dazhuang seemed startled, suddenly lifting its hooves and bolting. Clinging to the reins in his hands, Liang Yuening staggered a couple of times, nearly tumbling to the ground. Luckily his reflexes were quick; he pushed off the ground and leapt onto the horse’s back. He then desperately hugged the horse’s neck, terrified of falling off. "Ahead, keep going ahead... that’s right, Dazhuang, run forward! When we get back, I’ll feed you some grass!" Thus, after several such tumults on the road, Dazhuang alternated between running fast and slow, bouncing Liang Yuening so hard he felt like his bones would fall apart. Initially clumsy, he had no skill in horse-riding, but gradually, as if discovering the knack for it, he became more accustomed, making the rest of the journey much smoother. Swinging down from the horse, Liang Yuening straightened up, looking rather triumphant. He led the horse by the reins, tying it to a large tree, then sneakily glanced around. Only after ensuring no one was in sight did he cover his face with a black cloth and dashed towards the town ahead. In Taihang Town, inside He Mansion. "Disaster, disaster, it’s on fire!" Flames soared into the sky, and the servants were alerting everyone as Luo Yang was roused from his sleep. He hurriedly threw on a garment and came out, "Quick, go put out the fire!" Seeing the thick smoke in the garden, Luo Yang remained calm, and immediately instructed the servants to tackle the fire. But no sooner had the fire in the garden of He Mansion been extinguished than another person rushed to report: "Young Master, terrible news, the granary is on fire too!" "What did you say?" Luo Yang’s face changed color. He Su had a business dealing with grain stores, and the granary was of vital importance. A fire there was akin to seizing He Mansion by its lifeblood. "Quick, take me there!" Luo Yang hurried outside, unaware that at this moment, in a dimly lit alley of Taihang Town, a man clutched a flint, curled up in a corner, his face deathly pale. He shivered as he hugged himself tightly. His voice was hoarse. He remembered a great fire from the past, during the autumn harvest, while lying on a pile of straw. Suddenly flames swept over, thick smoke choking him, and the fire nearly claimed his life. He stared blankly at the distant blaze, his body shaking uncontrollably, his eyes filled with confusion and fear. After a long while, he weakly pushed himself off the wall, and spat in the direction of the fire. Then, trembling, he staggered unsteadily toward the outer edge of town. As dawn approached, Liang Yuening lay half-dead atop the horse. His face was bloodless, and he clutched the flint tightly in his hand, his lips bitten enough to show teeth marks. Ever since that great fire, he had been terrified of flames. The sight of fire always made him subconsciously remember the time he nearly perished in the inferno. Upon returning to the Liang family home, he slid limply off the horse, but his legs gave out upon hitting the ground, and he began to collapse. Suddenly, an arm caught him and propped him back up. He turned his head in a daze, only to see his eldest brother looking at him with deeply furrowed brows. "Big, big brother..." he stammered. His brother stared into his eyes, whether he noticed anything or not, he eventually heaved a sigh. "Come on, let’s go back inside, and get some sleep," he said. Yue Ning obediently followed like a little puppy. After securing Dazhuang in the stable, he trudged behind his elder brother, head hanging low, walking back to the house. As Liang Yuening followed his elder brother inside, he saw his second brother sitting up in bed, while only Yixuan was still asleep.