Chapter 53

On the way, Old Luo kept looking back at the horses trailing behind the carriage, recalling Lin Qian's explanation from before.

"Old man, these are tributes from the bandits. Bandits, you know, they surrender when they can't fight. All of these are their tributes," Lin Qian had said a few hours earlier.

Old Luo, inside the carriage, was unaware of everything that had happened outside. Even under Lin Wen's deliberate cover, Old Luo didn't hear a single word. Later, the carriage continued to move forward. When Old Luo went out to look, not only had the bandits disappeared, but there were also dozens of additional horses behind the carriage, which made him feel quite a lot.

Inside the carriage, Lin Qin couldn't contain her excitement. Hearing that they had seized many horses, she didn't care about anything else. Without a word, she jumped out of the carriage, walked around each horse, and finally drove Lin Qian to the back horses. She rode the Fire Beast around, her face beaming with excitement.

When they reached the small town ahead, the group lost their interest in sightseeing and stayed at an inn for a good night's rest. The next morning, they set off again.

Old Luo said that they would reach Wushuang City by noon and invited everyone to his home as guests. Lin Zheng and the others happily agreed. Their first goal of the journey was to start from Wushuang City and gradually integrate into this continent. Of course, the next target was Ze Shui City, where Li Ruoshui's family resided!

As the sun rose high in the sky, the carriage turned onto an official road, and everyone's field of vision suddenly widened. A wide road, wide enough for a dozen carriages to travel side by side, appeared before them. Countless vehicles and horses moved back and forth, showcasing the prosperity of the city.

The convoy moved forward a bit more, and a massive city wall came into view. Lin Zheng and the others marveled together. The city wall was carved from a single massive stone, towering forty to fifty meters high, with countless densely packed arrow towers and robust, imposing soldiers standing guard. The huge city gates were divided into two layers, with several squads of soldiers standing on either side, watching the comings and goings of people. Two powerful generals stood at the gate, exuding authority without even needing to show anger.

This was the true appearance of a major city. Lin Zheng and the others followed the flow of the carriages and smoothly entered the city. No one cared if you had hostile intentions; as long as it wasn't a large group, no one would ask questions. If you caused trouble, the consequences would be severe, but if you could handle it, you would earn respect. This was a place where strength spoke!

Inside the city, the wide streets and the orderly shops on both sides, along with the bustling crowds, demonstrated the city's prosperity. Old Luo led the group to a stable to store the horses, and then they all went to his home.

Old Luo's home was not in the bustling market, nor in the luxurious mansions of the nobles, nor in the chaotic areas. After several turns, the noise of the market gradually faded away, and a quiet little street appeared before them. The people coming and going were simple and plain, wearing ordinary linen clothes and wearing gentle smiles, completely different from the arrogant expressions seen in the market.

"Hey, Old Luo is back?"

"How was it? Everything went smoothly?"

"Your granddaughter has been waiting for you every day."

Many neighbors who knew Old Luo greeted him warmly. Old Luo returned their greetings and occasionally distributed the specialties he had bought. Though not expensive, the gesture was valuable. Everyone happily accepted the gifts and urged Old Luo to hurry home, their eyes occasionally glancing at Lin Zheng and the others.

Lin Zheng and the others were dressed comfortably, not in luxurious attire, but they exuded a subtle air of distinction. Old Luo drove the carriage to his small courtyard, and before he even reached the door, a clear voice rang out. A girl in clean linen clothes rushed into Old Luo's arms like a gust of wind.

"Grandpa, you're back? Did you bring Ling'er a gift?" The girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old, looked up and asked in a sweet voice.

"Don't be disrespectful. Don't you see we have guests? Hurry and invite them in," Old Luo scolded, but his words were filled with affection.

"Ah!" The girl noticed Lin Zheng and the others and quickly invited them inside, behaving gracefully. Her simple linen clothes couldn't hide her good figure and bright eyes, which always seemed to radiate optimism. What an interesting girl!

Old Luo's home was a fairly large courtyard. Inside the gate, there was a small square, and the courtyard was filled with various items, with some clothes drying. The ground was spotless, looking like an ordinary home.

The group helped Old Luo unload the goods and place them in a corner of the courtyard, then put the specialties they brought back inside. After everyone finished organizing the goods, the girl had already brought out the tea. Lin Qin and Li Ruoshui also got off the carriage.

"Wow, these two sisters are so beautiful," the girl said sincerely, her eyes flashing with admiration.

Then, Pizi Lang jumped off the carriage, and the girl continued, "Wow, there's even a big spotted wolf?"

Everyone: "..."

Alright! Now everyone understood why Old Luo called Pizi Lang "Big Spotted Wolf" the first time he saw him. It turned out this family had the same taste!

"Hey! Such a pure and beautiful girl, would you like to go for a ride with Wolf Lord? Wolf Lord will take you... Ow..."

Before Pizi Lang could finish, Lin Qin kicked him from behind and pulled the girl into the house. Lin Qin was naturally friendly, and the girl was lively, so they got along well. Li Ruoshui smiled at Lin Zheng and followed them in.

"Hey, old man, your granddaughter is quite pretty. Does she have a boyfriend yet?" Pizi Lang squatted on the ground, sipping tea.

"Everyone can see, my family is like this. Though our house is big, we don't have anyone to support it. Not many people look up to us. My son, Luo Dashan, is a mercenary who goes out a few times a month to earn money for the family. As for me, I go to the border to trade goods. These don't earn much money. My daughter-in-law is also a mercenary and occasionally goes out. As for my girl, Luo Lingling, she is beautiful and has a good character, both rough and delicate. She is a good girl, but she has suffered, as we haven't even been able to gather her dowry. At her age, she is still busy with household chores."

Old Luo gave a general introduction of his family. His son opposed his long journeys at his age, but the Luo family owed a debt that hadn't been paid off yet, so their life was harder than most. However, the family was united, his son and daughter-in-law were filial, and his granddaughter was considerate, so Old Luo was quite content. The only thing he felt guilty about was his precious granddaughter.

The group rested in the courtyard for a while. After a short chat, Luo Lingling called everyone to come inside for dinner. Li Ruoshui and Lin Qin were already waiting, and Lin Zheng naturally sat next to Li Ruoshui. Everyone took their seats, and Pizi Lang swaggered to the table. Luo Lingling handed everyone bowls and chopsticks, and as she passed Pizi Lang, she whispered, "Wolf brother, if you can't use chopsticks, I can get you a fork."

Everyone, with their keen hearing, laughed. Pizi Lang said angrily, "When Wolf Lord used chopsticks, your grandfather's grandfather didn't even know where he was!"

Ling'er smiled, walking away and muttering, "Big liar wolf, Ling'er won't laugh at you."

Everyone laughed again, and they all started eating. Pizi Lang seemed to want to prove himself to Ling'er, deftly picking up food from the plate in front of her and eventually switching places with Old Luo to sit next to her.

"Hey? You're really good at using chopsticks? But you're a bit childish. Alright, stop showing off, you're a big wolf now! Hurry up and eat, the food is getting cold."

Pizi Lang: "..."

After the meal, Old Luo went to rest alone. The young people, full of energy, chatted with Ling'er in the courtyard, hoping to learn something useful from her. Young people often encounter more new things than the older generation.

The group sat under the grape trellis in the courtyard, eating fresh fruits from Old Luo's garden, and chatting.

"Sister, where are you from? Where did you meet my grandpa?" Luo Lingling asked curiously.

"Hey, we just met on the way. We happened to be heading to Wushuang City, so we traveled with your grandpa. Your grandpa is a very nice person!"

"Of course, Grandpa is the best," Luo Lingling said proudly, delighted to hear praise for her grandfather from others.

Everyone smiled. Lin Qin skillfully changed the topic, and then Lin Wen began to tell Luo Lingling about their journey, subtly revealing some details to dispel her doubts. He then told her about the encounter with the bandits, from the initial contact to the battle, exaggerating the story dramatically. Even Li Ruoshui was captivated!

Luo Lingling found it interesting but knew they had exaggerated. However, they must have encountered bandits. In the end, everyone joined in the argument, each claiming to be a hero, defeating the bandits and saving everyone!

Finally, the argument escalated. One claimed he subdued ten bandits, another said he killed twenty, and Lin Qin said she took out half of them. Pizi Lang, not to be outdone, jumped in, claiming he was the true hero because he eliminated all the enemies alone.

Lin Zheng, Li Ruoshui, and Lin Dao watched with smiles, finding it somewhat routine. However, Luo Lingling was very excited, supporting one person and then another, but was eventually pulled into Lin Qin's camp by the ear. In the end, Lin Qin defeated everyone and became the final female hero!

(Thank you, Heiseitian, for your support! Thank you, Guai Ge, for your encouragement!)

PS: First update! Please give me a follow and a recommendation! One of the happiest things in life is to have a good sleep and then smoothly write in the morning. Yoohoo, off to have breakfast! Everyone, please follow more!

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