Chapter 1109: Gave Them A Thorough Beating
"Thank you so much for your kind consideration, Lady Bai." Ma Ruoxi spoke up, offering a deeply grateful smile on behalf of her little daughter.
While waiting for the roasted rabbits to finish cooking to a tender crisp, Bai Xifeng and Xie Lanying casually recounted the hilarious and chaotic events that had unfolded inside the Su Family Estate. In return, the rest of the group shared the story of the chaotic brawl they had fought right before breaking through the town gates.
"Wait, what? Those corrupt guards actually took an interest in my Pegasus?!" Bai Xifeng asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Hmm... At first, their captain tried to demand that we sell him the Pegasus for a pittance." Xie Yanlin explained, keeping his tone calm. "After we flatly rejected his absurd offer, they tried to take the horse by force and even threatened to place us under arrest."
"So, naturally, we gave them a thorough beating!" Ning Shoukai laughed merrily, slapping his knee. "I bet they regretted making a move on us the second they hit the dirt!"
"Lady Bai, we are truly deeply sorry." Zhang Zhenyu suddenly spoke up, bowing his head in sincere apology.
"Eh? Why are you suddenly apologising to me, Sir Zhang?" Bai Xifeng asked, tilting her head in complete confusion at his sudden formality.
"We originally planned to buy a fresh team of carriage horses in that town." Zhang Zhenyu explained with an embarrassed sigh. "But after everything that happened back there, we still have to inconvenience you and rely on your divine Pegasus to pull our family’s carriage."
"Ah... Please don’t apologise for something like that! It was not your fault at all." Bai Xifeng waved her hands dismissively, offering a warm smile. "No one could have predicted that the whole town was run by a gang of corrupt thugs. Until we reach the next city and find a proper horse, Pegasus will happily keep pulling your carriage."
"Thank you endlessly, Lady Bai." Zhang Zhenyu stated with deep gratitude.
"Yes, thank you so much, Lady Bai." Ma Ruoxi echoed warmly, bowing alongside her husband.
The roasted rabbits were finally cooked to perfection. The meat was so juicy and flavorful that Ning Shoukai was already seriously contemplating hunting a few more wild rabbits to store inside his spatial storage rune. He was also secretly planning to pester Bai Xifeng later for a portion of that delicious red spice powder she had used.
Before long, night fell over the forest, and the group found themselves sleeping out in the open once again. Their original, comfortable plan to rest at a cosy town inn had been completely ruined by those two chaotic incidents back in town.
They quickly organised a rotating schedule to guard the camp throughout the night. Because the Zhang Family was travelling alongside them, Bai Xifeng decided against summoning Princess Huahua out into the open. Furthermore, since there were plenty of capable men in their group, the women did not even need to take a turn standing guard, leaving them free to sleep peacefully until sunrise.
Bai Xifeng glanced upward, searching the surrounding area for a sturdy tree where she could rest comfortably. Spotting a perfect oak with thick branches, she lightly leapt up and settled onto one of its higher limbs.
...
The following morning, a warm ray of golden sunlight hit Bai Xifeng’s face, waking her up. She opened her eyes groggily, softly rubbing them as she stretched her limbs out on the tree branch. After shaking off the lingering drowsiness, she leapt down gracefully onto the grass below. It appeared that everyone else in the camp had already woken up and started bustling about.
"Good morning, Xifeng! Here, have some warm porridge." Xie Lanying greeted her with a bright smile, handing a steaming bowl over to her.
"Hmm... Good morning." Bai Xifeng replied drowsily, accepting the bowl from Xie Lanying’s hands. "Did you manage to get a good night’s sleep?"
"Hmm... Not entirely comfortable, considering we were sleeping on tree branches, but it was still nice to get some rest." Xie Lanying chuckled softly.
"Let’s set off immediately after we finish breakfast." Bai Xifeng suggested, taking a spoon of porridge. "We will push ahead and try to reach the next major city before dark."
"Hmm, sounds like a plan." Xie Lanying agreed with a nod.
Just as Bai Xifeng had proposed, the group packed up their camp and immediately hit the road right after breakfast, speeding up their travel pace along the main highway. By late afternoon, a magnificent set of stone city walls finally appeared on the horizon, and they smoothly passed through the main gates. This new city was strikingly different from the dead, gloomy town they had left behind. It was bursting with energy, bustling streets, and lively crowds of citizens.
The locals were exceptionally warm and welcoming as well. The very moment Bai Xifeng’s group stepped into the main thoroughfare, they were enthusiastically greeted by a crowd of energetic touts. As it turned out, these people were representatives sent out by various local inns across the city, each eagerly competing to attract travelling merchants and cultivators to stay at their establishments.
After making a few quick inquiries, the group chose a reputable inn that offered a large, secure courtyard for carriage parking. They also asked the inn representative where they could purchase high-quality draft horses. Eager to render good service, the representative immediately offered to personally guide them to the city’s main livestock market.
Zhang Zhenyu gently asked his wife to take their young daughter upstairs to rest in their rented inn rooms first. Meanwhile, Bai Xifeng wanted to stretch her legs and explore a bit of the city, so she decided to tag along with Zhang Zhenyu to buy the horses.
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