Chapter 19: Encounter with Zhang Sen

The Night Mist Mountain Range was extremely famous.

It was known for its abundant resources; it was said that a random Spirit Grass from deep within the Night Mist Mountain Range could be sold for tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.

Although there were many Demonic Beasts inside, that still couldn't deter people's desires to get rich overnight.

Most people were still aware of their limitations.

Was it that easy to enter the depths of the Night Mist Mountain Range?

Of course, many adventurers opted to roam around the periphery of the Night Mist Mountain Range.

Occasionally, they would pick some Spirit Grass or hunt Demonic Beasts to sell their inner cores, and they could live quite comfortably.

If it weren't for the proximity to the resource-rich Night Mist Mountain Range, Nanshan Market wouldn't be this large in scale.

Thus, the frequent beast tides in the Night Mist Mountain Range were taken as commonplace by the people.

After all, the Night Mist Mountain Range was vast, with herds of Demonic Beasts inside. It was only natural for groups of them to emerge in search of food from time to time, and the occurrence of beast tides was to be expected.

On average, Nanshan Market would encounter a beast tide every few years, and they had grown accustomed to it.

This time, it wasn't long before they ran into that candied hawthorn seller from last time.

Thus, each of them with a skewer in hand, strolled down the street.

They roamed around until noon when Lin Jing and Luo Luo found a restaurant to have lunch together.

Afterward, they wandered aimlessly and both felt it was uninteresting, so they decided to head home.

As they walked, Lin Jing heard some familiar voices.

"My luck today is just awful; I lost everything."

"Big brother, you really shouldn't have bet on that last round."

"What's the use of saying that now? Why didn't you advise me then?"

"Ah…"

Followed by a heavy sigh.

The speakers turned out to be Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin, the two brothers.

"Listening to them, they must have gone gambling."

Lin Jing frowned; he had a decent impression of Zhang Sen before but hadn't expected him to be gambling.

If so, what Luo Luo said before might very well be true.

At that moment, Zhang Sen also spotted them, his eyes brightening as he walked towards them.

"Brother Lin."

Zhang Sen started calling out to Lin Jing from a distance.

Upon hearing the voice, Luo Luo frowned and quickly hid behind Lin Jing, trying to avoid the person she disliked.

Unfortunately, Zhang Sen had already seen her,

"Luo Luo is here too, how come you don't greet your uncle?"

However, the little girl ignored him.

Zhang Sen didn't seem to mind.

"Brother Lin, when did Luo Luo get so close to you? It seems the neighborly relations between your two families have improved quite a bit lately."

As he spoke, he winked at Lin Jing, the implication clear.

"Brother Zhang, you're thinking too much. Ning Yue is temporarily occupied, and I am merely looking after Luo Luo on her behalf."

"I see, I see."

"For Ning Yue to trust you with Luo Luo's care shows that your relationship has become quite extraordinary."

Zhang Sen continued, but it seemed he misunderstood Lin Jing's words.

"Ning Yue may not be very attractive but is diligent and a fine woman."

"Brother Lin, when you have your wedding feast, let me know, and I'll definitely come to congratulate you."

"You bad man, you're talking nonsense…"

Luo Luo, hiding behind Lin Jing, now stepped out, her face flushed as she refuted his words.

She was obviously angered, knowing what a wedding feast entailed.

"Alright, alright…"

"I am a bad man, I spoke nonsense, don't be mad, Luo Luo."

Seeing Luo Luo getting angry, Zhang Sen quickly tried to appease her.

He dared not upset this little miss.

If he angered her and she went back to complain to Ning Yue, he would suffer consequences.

"Brother Zhang, if there's nothing else, we'll be heading back."

Lin Jing was clearly somewhat displeased.

But Zhang Sen seemed not to have heard.

"Brother Lin, it's an emergency..."

"Could you lend me a few more Spirit Stones? Give me a few days, and I will return those I borrowed last time."

He had promised to return them within a few days last time, yet he still hadn't paid them back, and now he was asking for more. Lin Jing was very displeased and frowned as he said,

"Brother Zhang, sorry, I'm not very flush right now—I don't have any Spirit Stones to lend you."

"Is that so," Zhang Sen scratched his head.

"Alright then. Sorry to bother you, Brother Lin, we'll think of something else."

Zhang Sen didn't persist further, especially since he had yet to return the Spirit Stones he had borrowed previously.

"Brother Lin, I'll take my leave."

Having said that, he left with Zhang Lin.

"Big brother, I heard that the Demonic Beasts are rampaging lately, and from time to time, one wanders close to the Fang Market. How about we go hunt some? They're worth a lot. If we can take down just one, we won't have worries anymore."

"Hunting Demonic Beasts! Let me think about it…"

As they talked, they gradually walked away, but Lin Jing no longer paid attention to the two of them.

"Let's go, let's head home."

Lin Jing took Luo Luo's hand.

"Hmph…"

Luo Luo huffed as she watched the two brothers walk away, obviously still upset.

When they got home, Lin Jing gave Luo Luo a book to read while he picked up Ning Yue's Alchemy Techniques and started reading.

It was now October, deep into autumn, and the weather was just right.

The two of them didn't even enter the house; they sat in the yard, under the shade of trees, at a stone table—one big, one small, each flipping through a book…

The autumn wind was bleak, yet it didn't affect them in the slightest.

Sometimes, time seemed to be stolen away. When Lin Jing looked up again, it was time to cook.

Seeing Luo Luo, who had unknowingly fallen asleep on the table, Lin Jing couldn't help but laugh silently.

He then picked her up, laid her on the bed inside the house, and started to make a fire for cooking.

No sooner had he finished cooking than Luo Luo, eyes still groggy, walked out.

"Uncle, is the food ready?"

This little foodie had woken up without her knowing, but seeing her still groggy eyes, it must have been just recently.

"Luo Luo, you're awake. Come on, wash your face and get ready to eat."

"Okay."

Just at that moment.

There was a loud knock at the door.

"Ning friend."

Lin Jing opened the door, and it turned out to be Ning Yue.

"You're back just in time, I've just finished cooking. Come, eat with us."

"Mom," Luo Luo ran over and flung herself into Ning Yue's arms.

"Did you fall asleep here again?" Seeing Luo Luo's groggy little face, Ning Yue sternly scolded.

"I was reading this afternoon and somehow fell asleep. Mom, Uncle Lin has already made the meal, let's eat here together."

"That wouldn't be right, how can we impose on your Uncle Lin anymore? Let's go home now, and I'll cook for you."

Luo Luo's face immediately fell. Ever since she had tasted the food Lin Jing made, thinking about her own mother's cooking…

She decided, no matter what, she had to keep her mother here.

"Mom…"

Luo Luo cooed, tugging at Ning Yue's hand.

"The food Uncle Lin makes is really delicious, you'll see if you try it."

"Ning friend, Luo Luo didn't eat much at noon and is probably quite hungry by now. If you go back to cook now, who knows how long it will take,"

"Besides, when I was cooking, I made enough for you too. Didn't you say you wanted to teach me the Alchemy Technique? We can talk about it while we eat."

"Otherwise, we'll have wasted so much time. By the time I learn, who knows when it will be."

"Yes, Mom, look, I'm starving,"

Luo Luo said, patting her stomach.

Ning Yue didn't want to bother Lin Jing too much, especially since asking him to look after Luo Luo had already been hard to express, but seeing the situation…

Ning Yue sighed and agreed.

"Alright then."