Chapter 15

Habits can be a terrifying thing. Once a person who has been in a high position for a long time falls from power, they often find it hard to adapt and may even become hysterical. If they can't adjust their mindset in time, they might even go mad!

The Emperor was now very uncomfortable, with five people crammed into a small carriage! "Why do you insist on traveling with us? Even if you do, why not find another carriage? I am, after all, the son of a prominent family in the Imperial City. Shouldn't you give me a seat?"

"Shut up! I hate the sons of prominent families in the Imperial City! We are your saviors! If it weren't for us, you would have been torn apart by those chicken wing snatchers!" The little girl showed no respect to the Emperor, pointing her delicate finger at his nose and starting to insult him.

The Emperor had never endured such treatment: "Ridiculous! You—"

"Slap!" The arrogant attitude was instantly silenced by a slap.

"How old are you? You're still quarreling with a little girl. Can't you be more mature?" The Master's wife saw the Emperor shrink back and turned to the little girl with a smile. "How old are you this year? What's your name?"

The little girl's attitude toward the Master's wife was clearly different, blushing and acting like a good child: "I'm Li Yingjiong, and I'm already fourteen!"

"Li Yingjiong? You're Li Yingjiong? Then isn't your father Li Ning?" A surprised voice came from outside the carriage. Previously, Ling Xiao had gone out to drive the carriage, listening leisurely to the Emperor and the little girl bickering. But now he heard this shocking news.

"Sorry, my name is not Li Ning. People in the martial world call me Li Guishou," the thin doctor, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.

Ling Xiao's heart dropped. "So you're not Li Ning! I was quite looking forward to it. Wait, you're Li Guishou? And you're her father!" Ling Xiao was surprised again. There were so many surprises today! Is genetics wrong? How could such a sprightly little girl be born to this old man?

"Indeed, I am Li Guishou," the thin doctor confirmed again.

"Are you really that famous plastic surgeon?"

"I am a doctor, but where did you hear about the plastic surgery?" Li Guishou was puzzled. Everyone in the martial world knew he could bring people back to life, but only a few patients and the assassin organization knew about the plastic surgery. Ling Xiao didn't seem to be one of them.

"Uh... I'm neighbors with Zeng Jing and Jiang Asheng," Ling Xiao said after a pause.

Li Guishou was stunned for a moment, then thought about it and didn't say anything more.

"What are you talking about? Two big men whispering and hiding things, are you two having a fling? And how does this have anything to do with Asheng and Zeng Jing?" The Master's wife detested such secretive behavior in front of her.

"Do you know them too?" Li Guishou was really shocked. Those two people's identities were supposed to be kept secret, so how did they become common knowledge?

"I know them too!" Ling Lingfa chimed in.

Li Guishou took a deep breath. "They are my patients. The treatment was very effective, with no side effects, and they were very satisfied! Over time, we became acquaintances."

"Oh! I see, so we are all friends. When you have time, come to my place for a drink. I'll invite them and their families to gather." Ling Lingfa said warmly.

"Thank you, thank you! When I have the chance, I will!" Li Guishou nodded and smiled politely.

Ling Xiao outside the carriage was embarrassed. Well, this misunderstanding can't be explained away!

...

In the movie, the journey back to the Ming Dynasty was glossed over, but in reality, it wasn't that simple. The surviving doctors scattered as soon as they crossed the Jin Kingdom's border. Except for a few who were confident in their skills, most fled into the deep mountains and forests, fearing retaliation from the Jinshan Sect.

Actually, Ling Xiao thought it was unnecessary. The leader of the Jinshan Sect, Wu Xiang, had just lost his wife and children, and his core forces had been crippled by Ling Lingfa. He probably didn't have the energy to hunt them down. Besides, even if he did, wouldn't it be more valuable to target a true dragon emperor rather than a few small doctors?

But Ling Lingfa thought it was better to be cautious for safety. To avoid drawing attention, they still chose the small carriage they came in. As a result, Li Guishou and his daughter joined them, making the carriage extremely crowded. The journey was filled with bickering and quarreling, and their low-key travel plan turned into a grand parade!

Ling Xiao shook his head. The carriage was clearly overloaded. Looking at the white foam in the mouths of the horses, they might be lucky to make it to the next town.

In the distance, an ancient city wall came into view. A few soldiers stood crookedly at the city gate, and the three large characters on the gate were barely legible—Chama Town!

The town wasn't bustling, but it had everything a small town needed. At the Emperor's request, they stayed at the largest inn in town. After a simple inquiry, Ling Xiao drove the carriage to the Yuelai Inn. He didn't want to delve into the name of the inn, but strictly speaking, it was probably one of the earliest chain inns.

"Finally, no more crowding! Waiter, get us a larger carriage, money is no object!" The Emperor stumbled out of the carriage, looking spirited.

Ling Lingfa's mouth twitched. Was there a more high-profile way to travel low-key? "Are you crazy? Don't show off your wealth! What if this is a black inn?" Li Yingjiong stomped on the Emperor's foot hard.

"Ouch! It hurts! Do you want to kill the emperor? Ah Fa, protect me!" The Emperor hopped around, holding his foot. Fortunately, the Master's wife had already gone inside, or it would have been a disaster.

Ling Xiao smiled. It seemed the little girl had found a new opponent. Thank you, Emperor, I won't have to worry anymore. Handing the reins to the waiter, he saw a look of relief in the horse's eyes.

The Yuelai Inn, being the largest in Chama Town, had four levels of guest rooms. The Emperor, of course, wanted the best. But the most urgent need was to fill their stomachs. The long journey had left the pampered Emperor in great discomfort.

"Hey, guests, you look so weary. Where are you from?" A sweet, cloying voice wrapped around them like a spider's web. Looking up, they saw a seductive figure slowly descending the stairs. She had a curvaceous figure, dressed in a pink silk dress, and her cleavage was barely visible. She flicked her hair, exuding an irresistible charm!

Her few simple movements on the stairs had captured the attention of all the men in the hall. The other guests aside, Li Guishou's eyes roamed over her as if she were a specimen to be dissected. Ling Xiao, having seen all kinds of seductive women in his previous life, simply appreciated her beauty. The little girl's eyes were fixed on Ling Xiao, and seeing his calm demeanor, she was satisfied, then turned to look at the Emperor with disdain. It wasn't her fault; the Emperor was drooling too much. Ling Lingfa's eyes were even purer, as the Master's wife was watching him...

"From the Eastern Tang Dynasty, on our way to the Western Heaven to seek the Buddhist scriptures." Ling Xiao wanted to say this, but the Emperor was faster. "What's your name, miss?"

Ling Xiao's expression turned cold. What's your relationship with Ximen Dahan? The Emperor ignored Ling Xiao's expression, grinning at the seductive woman.

"Stop it! You didn't answer my question. I am Jin Xiangyu, the owner of this inn." The seductive woman, Jin Xiangyu, moved to the Emperor's side. "Oh!" Suddenly, she seemed to trip and leaned into the Emperor. "Oh! Be careful, miss!" The Emperor, enjoying the moment, held Jin Xiangyu in his arms.

"Thank you, sir, you're so kind!"

"The pain is in your body, but it hurts my heart!"

The crude and simple dialogue made everyone feel nauseous, but Ling Xiao's heart was pounding. "The owner's name is Jin Xiangyu! This place isn't called Longmen Inn, but could it still be a black inn?" He couldn't blame himself for overthinking; the world of movies and reality had given him too many shocks, making him cautious.

Ling Xiao carefully observed the surroundings. The arrangement of items didn't need much attention, as long-term black inn operators wouldn't leave obvious clues. The only thing to focus on was the people. The hall was filled with three tables. Besides them, there was a family of three, dressed like farmers who cut wood in the mountains, with a boy under ten years old sitting between them. They showed no signs of martial arts training.

At another table were two merchants selling dates, with two large baskets of red dates on the ground. Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed when he noticed the thick calluses on their right hands. If they used farming tools, both hands would be rough, but only the right hand of someone skilled with weapons would have calluses. They were martial artists!

Jin Xiangyu leaned weakly against the Emperor, flirting openly. Ling Xiao didn't pay attention to their conversation, only focusing on her every move. His hands were already tensed, ready to strike if she made any sudden moves. He would teach her a lesson, making her face bloom with bruises!

At that moment, a dozen burly men entered the inn. They were tall and muscular, with fierce expressions. They glanced around, pausing briefly at Ling Xiao's table before moving on. They combined their table with the two date merchants, clearly a group.

What, are the date merchants now industrialized and scaled up? A whole group selling just two baskets of dates? Turning back, he noticed Jin Xiangyu's face had turned pale. She stood up subtly from the Emperor's embrace. "What would the guests like?"

The Emperor suddenly remembered he was still hungry. "I want to eat..." Before he could finish, Ling Xiao interrupted, "A few bowls of vegetable noodles will do." The Emperor was about to protest when his foot was suddenly kicked from under the table. He gasped and saw Li Yingjiong smiling as she withdrew her leg.

"We don't eat meat, just vegetable noodles," Li Guishou added.

Jin Xiangyu frowned at Ling Xiao and Li Guishou, then turned and left, her mood changing as quickly as turning a page.

"You see, the beauty is angry!" The Emperor was quite unhappy, but no one paid him any attention. "Master, give me back my gun." Earlier, Ling Lingfa had taken Ling Xiao's gun to study it. Now, he returned it, saying, "Compact, durable, and practical. The most impressive feature is the firing mechanism, which has given me a lot of inspiration." See? That's what a professional should say, but that wasn't the main issue now.

"Did you notice?" Ling Lingfa asked subtly. Ling Xiao nodded, about to speak when the waiter brought a few bowls of vegetable noodles.

Li Yingjiong accidentally knocked over a bowl, but the waiter caught it before it hit the ground. "Thank you!" Li Yingjiong smiled sweetly, then turned to the others with a cold nod. The meal was quiet, but the vegetable noodles were quite tasty. The Emperor ate three bowls!

---

The advertisement starts here.

The advertisement ends here.