Stephen pulled on the reins and tied his horse to a small tree nearby.
Then he turned to look at the two horses behind him, a faintly satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Those bandits were right.
His haul this time was truly impressive.
No wonder those desperate men had risked everything to rob him.
He had rabbits and whitetail deer, and even a foolish wild wolf that had crossed his path.
All of it had been skinned, butchered, and carefully wrapped in oilcloth on the horses’ backs.
Fortunately, with the recent heavy snow, the temperature had long dropped below freezing.
The meat was frozen solid in the icy wilderness, so there was no risk of it spoiling.
The pack horse also carried liquor and cigarettes he had bought from the town down the mountain, along with canned vegetables, ammunition, and various daily necessities.
Thankfully, this pack horse was strong enough to handle it.
In weather like this, carrying such a heavy load would have been too much for an ordinary horse.
Stephen worked to unload everything piece by piece, then took out a small brush and gave the horse a quick cleaning, brushing the snow off its coat.
This horse had been with him for over half a year now.
It was a good one, steady and hardworking, never temperamental.
The past few days had clearly taken a toll on it.
Once they reached their destination, he would make sure to get it some quality feed to help it recover.
After taking care of the obedient pack horse, Stephen turned to look at the one behind him.
Not a gentleman, but a lady.
If horses had ranks, this one stood at the very top.
Stephen was certain it could easily be counted among the finest horses in the world.
A purebred Arabian.
He did not consider himself particularly knowledgeable, but he had worked in a stable as a child, and he recognized a legendary horse when he saw one.
Back then, he never imagined that a horse like this would one day belong to him.
Its coat was pure white, without a single blemish, blending almost seamlessly into the snowy surroundings.
Its muscles were solid and well-defined, its bright eyes sharp and alert, and its posture carried an unmistakable elegance.
If this horse were taken to market, it would sell for no less than a thousand dollars.
“Hey, noble lady, don’t look at me like that.
You’re not thinking of kicking me, are you?”
Stephen reached out to stroke her long mane, trying to calm her.
She clearly was not in the mood.
She tossed her head and let out a sharp, impatient neigh.
“Alright, alright, I get it.
I’ll leave you alone.”
Stephen immediately raised his hands and stepped back.
It seemed this princess was in a bad mood today, and it was best not to provoke her.
To catch her, Stephen had spent nearly a full month tracking and chasing her through the mountains before finally managing to bring her in.
Who knew how such a magnificent horse had ended up near Lake Isabella.
But since she had no owner, he had no reason not to claim her.
Stephen set up a campfire behind the rock, then quickly pitched his tent against the slope.
Only after that did he sit down comfortably beside the fire.
The rock and the tent together blocked the howling wind, while the small fire in front of him brought a long-awaited warmth.
He took out a cigarette, lit it, and drew in a deep breath.
The smoke filled his lungs before he slowly exhaled, taking some of his fatigue with it.
After finishing the cigarette, he pulled out the small pot he carried and scooped up two handfuls of snow, tossing them inside.
He then took out a small pouch containing leftover dried meat from lunch, drew the dagger from his waist, and cut it into small pieces.
After that, he opened a can of beans and poured it all into the pot.
It would take some time for the food to cook.
As he waited, Stephen’s thoughts began to drift.
He was a transmigrator.
For reasons he could not explain, Zhou Zheng, a Chinese man who had been playing on his computer at home, suddenly found himself transported to the United States in 1897, becoming a white Cowboy named Stephen Johnson.
When he first arrived, his original memories and those of the body’s previous owner had mixed together into a chaotic blur, leaving him mentally disoriented.
Wounded all over, he wandered through the mountains of the Grizzlies West for several days until he was rescued by a kind couple.
Jake Adler and his wife, Sadie Adler.
They were good people.
They saved him, treated his injuries, and helped him survive his most vulnerable days.
Under their careful care, Stephen eventually recovered.
Only then did he fully understand who he was now.
The original owner of this body had come from Chicago in the eastern United States.
He was an orphan, a drifter with nothing to his name.
After falling deeply into debt with a local mob boss, he boarded a train to the West, hoping to escape his creditors and strike it rich overnight.
But his luck ran out quickly.
Not long after arriving, he was ambushed by a group of bandits.
He knew how to use a gun and was fairly skilled, but he was no match for hardened outlaws.
During the fight, he was shot multiple times and died in a valley in the Grizzlies West.
That was when the current Stephen took his place.
Three months later, after fully recovering from his injuries, Stephen said goodbye to the Adlers and began his own life in the West.
Before he left, the generous Mr.
Jake gave him a pack horse and a Schofield Revolver he had used himself.
Those became the foundation of everything Stephen built afterward.
At the beginning, Stephen had no idea how he was supposed to survive in a place like this.
In his previous life, he had been a college student.
In this one, he was just a small-time hustler.
Neither identity prepared him for the frontier.
But people adapt when they have no choice.
Through a stroke of luck, Stephen became a Bounty Hunter.
The kind from stories and television, someone who captures criminals for the authorities and lives off the rewards.
It was not an easy life.
Over the past two years, Stephen had struggled through countless hardships and faced death more than once.
He had failed plenty of times along the way.
But he had made it through.
Not long ago, he captured a notorious criminal couple on his own and earned a substantial bounty.
With money in hand, it was time to return in style.
Stephen could not go back to his old home, but the Adlers were the people who had treated him best in this life.
He had to repay them.
He spent all his money on gifts, including fine clothes and jewelry.
And so, more than a month ago, he set off into the mountains with his horses, hoping to give the Adlers a surprise.