After placing his belongings at the Camp, Stephen prepared to set off with only his essentials.

  Long knives and spears weren't exactly suitable for bringing into town; the police would be watching.

  Just as Stephen finished packing and was about to leave, he noticed Strauss, the gang's accountant, leading his horse out.

  "Hey, Mr. Strauss, where are you headed?" Stephen greeted with a smile.

  Strauss, clutching his ever-present ledger, replied somewhat woodenly, "I'm going to Valentine. I need to do a little business, you know. With so many people in the gang, we must have a steady source of income."

  Business? What kind of business could they do, being strangers in these parts?

  But Stephen didn't bother to ask, since they were just riding together. He led his white horse and said, "Mind if I tag along? I happen to be going to town myself."

  "OK, no problem," Strauss agreed without hesitation.

  After passing through dense forest, the two arrived on a country road.

  The sky was already darkening, so both men slightly quickened their pace, hoping to reach town soon.

  Although there was a road, the surrounding area was still a primitive wilderness.

  In this era of America, except for the core areas of the eastern thirteen states, most of the west and even the midwest remained sparsely populated.

  Although there were towns, ranches, and farms, everything outside these places was still very wild.

  Vast forests and prairies were teeming with life.

  Soon, Stephen spotted several white-tailed deer grazing leisurely in the woods, which quickly bounded away in fright upon seeing them approach.

  Several birds flew freely in the sky. Stephen extended his hand, and one bold bird landed on it, resting for a long while.

  Only after its companions had flown far away did it take off to find its roost.

  Several rabbits scurried around on the ground, nearly getting trampled by the horses' hooves.

  It seemed that Pearson wouldn't have to worry about anyone catching prey here; there was plenty of naive game.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Stephen inhaled the fresh, grassy air and relaxed, slumping loosely in the saddle.

  He'd been traveling for the past couple of days and was starting to feel tired. He would like to take a bath to relax in town.

  Strauss rode his horse, constantly pondering over his ledger.

  Suddenly, he turned to Stephen and asked, "Mr. Stephen, do you have enough money? If not, I could lend you some, at an interest rate, of course..."

  Stephen knew what this guy was doing in town; he was lending money to their own.

  Actually, in some way, Stephen didn't consider himself one of their own.

  "Oh... no thanks, Mr. Strauss. I have some income of my own," Stephen refused.

  Seeing Stephen was not interested, Strauss shook his head with some regret and continued down the road.

  When the two passed a railway track, it meant the town was near.

  Stephen kicked his horse and started jogging along the tracks, while Strauss continued to read his ledger.

  "Mr. Strauss, I'm going ahead. See you later," Stephen waved to the old accountant, and without waiting for a reply, spurred his horse into town.

  As the white horse ran, a warm evening breeze blew in his face.

  These winds carried away the last bit of chill on Stephen's body, along with the stench of cow and sheep manure.

  Stephen instinctively took a deep breath into the wind, and almost choked himself.

  He quickly covered his nose; this place was too terrible.

  As they went deeper into town, there was more animal waste on the ground.

  This waste mixed with the mud, forming a sludge.

  The horse sank a few inches into the muck. After a few steps, the white hooves turned black.

  Stephen didn't want to get off his horse. This environment was too much for someone from the 21st century.

  The town was not big, with only one main street. At the end of the road was a stable, and Stephen rode straight in.

  His horse needed horseshoes and a proper saddle.

  "Hello, how may I help you?"

  The owner and his assistant were cleaning up, getting ready to close. But upon seeing a customer, they warmly greeted him.

  "Wow... oh my God, what am I seeing?!"

  Stephen was just about to speak when the owner exclaimed, startling Stephen and his assistant.

  The owner immediately dropped his tools and rushed to the white horse, gently stroking its body.

  His expressions, his adoring eyes, and his tender movements were like someone seeing a long-lost lover.

  Stephen felt a chill and goosebumps rose on his arms.

  This owner was crazy.

  "Such a fine horse, such a pure white color, such a physique, such a stance, it's like a steed of angels!" The owner excitedly said to Stephen, "Are you selling this horse? I can offer a very high price! Whatever you want!"

  Looking at the owner's excited state, Stephen felt that he would do anything.

  Stephen refused, "Not for sale, but I can leave it here overnight. You have to get it a good set of horseshoes and a saddle, and clean it up."

  At first, Stephen was really ready to sell the horse and start retirement.

  But now, he needs this horse to chase down his enemies.

  "That's a pity." The owner shook his head sadly, then said to Stephen, "Such a fine horse requires the best, and the saddle must be custom-made, which will be very expensive."

  "Don't worry, I have plenty of money." Stephen took out two bills and handed them to the owner: "This is a deposit, and I'll give you the same amount when it's done. How soon can I get what I need?"

  The owner took the money and counted it, then flicked the bills and said, "Not enough. At least that much again."

  "Fine, you're a greedy fellow." Stephen took out two more bills: "I need it by noon tomorrow."

  Looking at the money in Stephen's hand, the owner gritted his teeth and said, "No problem. After 12 o'clock tomorrow, you can come and take your horse."