Big Sister?

"Boom—"

A dull thud echoed, and the Silver Ring Horse let out a mournful cry before collapsing to the ground.

Blood poured uncontrollably from its seven orifices, and its body trembled violently.

Seeing this, Su Luoheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Compared to being struck by the Silver Ring Horse, which was like a car going 200 mph, merely taking a tumble was something to be thankful for.

Yet, as his body fell, it didn't hit the hard ground as he expected. Instead, he was caught by a pair of arms, a faint, fresh fragrance lingering around his nose.

"Th-thank you..."

Regaining his senses, Su Luoheng looked up, and the first thing he saw was a delicate face.

The person wore a golden robe embroidered with silver patterns, draped with a white cloak.

The figure appeared elegant and ethereal, with a presence as refreshing as orchids and jade trees, immediately making people feel at ease.

Was he saved?

Su Luoheng glanced up at the young man before him.

First impression: a good-looking, elegant big sister, albeit seemingly unremarkable.

At the same time, a gentle voice sounded in his ear.

"Little brother, are you okay? Did it hurt you?" The young man's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Su Luoheng, his dark purple phoenix eyes filled with weariness and concern, as if burdened by some troubles.

"I'm fine."

Su Luoheng shook his head. He had merely tripped a bit earlier, and he hadn't even hit the ground before being caught, so he was naturally unharmed.

Hearing this, the young man seemed visibly taken aback but still spoke gently, "Little brother, you don't look fine. Let someone check you over, just in case."

"As for the cost of the treatment, don't worry. Since this incident was caused by me, I'll cover all the expenses."

"No need, really, I'm fine."

Su Luoheng waved his hand and refused again. His pale complexion was only due to overuse of his soul power, and he could recover by resting and meditating for a night without needing any examination or treatment.

Seeing this, the young man could only reluctantly believe him.

Still, he remained a bit worried, knowing that in his current state, he couldn't afford to be careless about anything.

"My apologies, little brother. It was my fault for not keeping an eye on this beast," the young man apologized.

"Was the spirit master who intervened also your subordinate?"

The young man nodded, thought for a moment, and then looked at Su Luoheng, proposing, "I'm sorry for scaring you. As compensation, how about a hundred gold soul coins?"

"No need."

"Hm?"

"Your person already helped me. That's enough compensation."

With that, Su Luoheng dusted off his clothes.

"This..."

The young man was momentarily stunned, a flicker of emotion passing through his weary eyes.

This response was clearly not what he had expected.

Meanwhile, Su Luoheng's gaze turned to a spot not far away. The candied hawthorn he had dropped earlier had already been crushed. Thinking about the remaining half that was now wasted, a trace of regret flashed in his dark eyes.

'If I'd known this would happen, I should have eaten it all in one go.'

After lamenting for two seconds, Su Luoheng silently took out some soul coins.

Anyway, with his mother not around to restrict him, he could buy as many as he wanted, right?

Just as he was thinking, Su Luoheng looked over to the hawthorn candy stall.

Hmm? Where did it go?

Why is my big hawthorn candy stall gone?!

Su Luoheng was instantly dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes, but there was still nothing there.

Suddenly, a wave of sorrow swept over him.

It hurts, it hurts too much!

'My candied hawthorn, my favorite treat. Why are you hiding from me?'

At this moment, only Lord Buddha might understand how he felt.

Licking his lips as if savoring the taste, Su Luoheng could still faintly taste the sweetness of the candied hawthorn. Seeing the crushed remains of the treat on the ground, tears unconsciously trickled down his cheeks.

The young man beside him noticed Su Luoheng's subtle action.

He waved over a guard and whispered a few words into his ear.

Meanwhile, the city guards finally arrived, fashionably late.

These guys had impeccable timing, arriving just when everything had already been resolved, as if they knew exactly when to show up.

The burly man who was standing by stepped forward and had a brief exchange with them. After a few words, the captain of the guard became noticeably more respectful.

As one of the involved parties, Su Luoheng also caught their attention.

Because of their status, they couldn't directly question the young man, so they had to settle for asking Su Luoheng instead.

One of the city guards walked over and, in a polite tone, said, "Kid, please come with us for a bit. We need to record the details of what happened. Don't worry, it won't take too much of your time."

"Alright then."

Su Luoheng sighed, but he could only reluctantly agree.

Although he disliked trouble, the situation left him with no choice. It seemed like there were two options, but in reality, there was only one.

"Wait a moment."

Just as he was about to follow the city guards, the young man beside him suddenly spoke up, "I need to take this child to check for any injuries. If you have any questions, ask them here."

"This…"

The city guard's face immediately showed a troubled expression.

"Is there a problem?" The young man asked calmly, looking at them.

"No, no problem at all!"

The captain of the city guards quickly smiled and stepped forward, giving a signal to the guard, "It's fine to ask the questions here, Xiao Li, hurry up and ask."

"Yes, right away!"

Xiao Li instantly understood the captain's hint and only asked a few symbolic questions before wrapping things up.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, yes. Sorry for taking up your time."

"So, he can go now?"

"Of course, he can."

"..."

Hearing this, the young man nodded slightly, satisfied, and turned to Su Luoheng, "Little brother, let's go. I remember there's a clinic just ahead."

Seeing this, Su Luoheng happily followed the young man.

Given the choice between going to a clinic or the city guard station, he decisively chose the former.

The captain of the city guards bent down and made a respectful gesture to the young man, maintaining his deferential attitude until he was out of sight. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief and straighten up.

At that moment, Xiao Li curiously leaned over.

"Boss, who exactly was that person just now?"

"Royalty."

"No wonder~"

Xiao Li nodded in sudden realization but quickly showed a troubled expression, "Boss, what about our report this time?"

The captain glanced back and replied, "Rules are dead; people are alive. With such a big commotion, there are plenty of witnesses on this street. Just pick one and take them back, right?"

"Boss, you're a genius!"

"Alright, get moving."

"Got it!"

••••

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