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That evening.
With nightfall came tranquility and mystery.
The whole world seemed to be painted in deep shades of blue, with stars twinkling in the firmament, like diamonds embedded in darkness.
The moon rose, like a silver lantern, illuminating the earth.
The lights of White Deer Manor were sparse and dim, casting a hazy glow, and the farmers' courtyards threw deep shadows under the moonlight, their shapes blurred and enigmatic.
The night breeze gently blew, carrying the scent of distant flowers and nearby grasses, softening all sounds into part of the night.
The chirps of crickets and croaks of frogs from afar sounded like nature's own symphony, ebbing and flowing.
Cheng Liunian stepped out of the horse barn under the cover of night, incredibly cautious.
His complexion was pitch-black, for in White Deer Manor, he wasn't even afforded a proper dwelling; he was relegated to living with the horses in the barn.