Chapter 195: Children's Innocent Talk
Stepping on the back of a huge ray, Lu Heng and Xiao Ai arrived at their residence in the Mermaid Kingdom.
Surprisingly, it was not arranged in the inn, but in a secluded courtyard near the palace.
The pavilions, towers, buildings, and furniture were all of top quality. Even in the courtyard, there were graceful and charming Mermaid maidservants waiting at all times.
It can be said that it was a top-notch configuration.
However, Lu Heng, as always, let Yu Huaifeng take away all the maidservants without needing their service.
Lu Heng ignored the hundreds of Mermaid Battle Soldiers guarding outside the courtyard.
They claimed to be protecting the Wolf God and preventing outsiders from disturbing the peace, and Lu Heng believed them. After all, these soldiers would not enter the courtyard and disturb his time with Xiao Ai.
After politely seeing off Yu Huaifeng and agreeing to meet with the lord the next day, Lu Heng smiled and returned to the courtyard with Xiao Ai.
The once bustling courtyard, filled with many Mermaid attendants, now appeared desolate and empty due to their departure.
After closing the gate, Xiao Ai quickly ran back to the side of the Wolf God, her face filled with worry.
"Wolf God…"
Xiao Ai fretted, "Judging by Master Yu's attitude, it seems that the Mermaid Kingdom doesn't want us to meet Miss Huo."
Lu Heng laughed heartily and said, "Didn't they say that we'll be able to see Brother Huo before sunset tomorrow at the latest? How could you say that they aren't sincere?"
Without thinking, Xiao Ai cast a brief glance outside and pursed her lips.
"This is clearly a delaying tactic… Master Yu initially stated that the Mermaid Kingdom absolutely had to kill Miss Huo, regardless of her condition. Then they changed their tune, only to avoid a confrontation with you, the Wolf God, at the city gate. They're just trying to deceive us with this delaying tactic," she said.
"Today, he said tomorrow; tomorrow, he will say the day after tomorrow. When the day after tomorrow passes…hmph! the Treasure Conference will be here and Miss Huo will be executed. How can we even see her then?"
Xiao Ai exclaimed indignantly.
The aloof little girl would only reveal such an expression in front of Lu Heng.
Lu Heng looked at her with amusement, couldn't help but ruffle the little girl's hair, and asked, "Since you've seen through Master Yu's intentions, why didn't you speak up and mock him then?"
Xiao Ai's face turned slightly red, standing still and letting Lu Heng mess up her hair, her body slightly stiff.
It wasn't until Lu Heng retracted his hand that the little girl, blushing, whispered.
"As long as the Wolf God is present, Xiao Ai has no right to speak… If I speak, it would be impolite, and others would laugh at the Wolf God and say that his subordinates are not strict enough."
The little girl's serious storytelling made Lu Heng even more amused.
This little girl is really precocious.
In Lu Heng's previous life, girls of Xiao Ai's age were still playing jump rope. How could they understand so much… Xiao Ai's mother is really clever, she taught Xiao Ai so much.
Lu Heng smiled and said, "Next time when you encounter such a situation, speak boldly and speak your mind out. No one dares to laugh at you. What kind of strict supervision…Xiao Ai is not my subordinate. You can say whatever you want to say in the future, and no one will laugh at you."
With a smile, Lu Heng said, "And I always get along well with others, so some things are better left unsaid face to face. After all, we have to maintain a certain level of elegance."
"But you, Xiao Ai, are different. Those words that I cannot say, you can say on my behalf. If you had said those words at the city gate just now, maybe Master Yu would not have come forward, and we might have seen Brother Huo today."
Lu Heng's half-joking and half-serious words made Xiao Ai stunned for a moment.
Afterwards, her face turned redder…
With her head down and her sleeves twisted, the little girl mumbled, "But… The Wolf God, Xiao Ai's careless words will surely cause gossip among others."
Seeing the little girl's shy demeanor, Lu Heng couldn't help but laugh and said, "What's there to be afraid of? You're only ten… Children speak their minds, say whatever you want, no one will care."
Lu Heng's words made the blushing little girl directly stunned.
Children speak their minds without thinking…
At that moment, there was a sudden announcement sound outside the door.
The informer is the naval commander who stayed here.
"Reporting to the Wolf God, Priest Li Po of Hanhai Department wishes to see you… He says he knows you from the past."
The concise announcement made the little girl with a blank expression quickly turn her head and look outside.
Lu Heng appeared slightly surprised, "Priest Li Po? What brings him here?"
Leading Xiao Ai outside, Lu Heng replied, "Please let Priest Li Po come in, he is indeed an old friend of mine."
"Very well!"
Outside the courtyard, the response of the naval general could be heard.
Lu Heng walked to the front door and opened it. Sure enough, he saw a familiar figure coming towards him from not far away.
The burly figure, with mysterious black patterns on his upper body and a face that appeared old and tired from the ravages of time… Leading the way was the priest of the Li Tribe's Hanhai Department, Li Po, whom Lu Heng had seen before.
Apart from the two Hanhai Department tribesmen accompanying him, there was also another thin and weak scholar whom Lu Heng didn't know.
However, the thin and weak scholar was surrounded by a strong demonic aura, and there was a faintly ominous feeling about him. It was clear that his true nature was not as frail as his appearance suggested.
Lu Heng chuckled and bowed.
"It has been almost a year since we parted ways at Hanyu mountain, and I never thought I would encounter Priest Li Po here again… Oh, Priest Li Po, are you also here for The Treasure Conference?"
As Priest Li Po approached, he carried a large wine jar and smiled, saying, "I heard that The Wolf God will be visiting The Mermaid Kingdom, so I took the liberty of coming to pay my respects. I am not here for The Treasure Conference, but for The Wolf God… Hahaha!"
While laughing heartily, Priest Li Po glanced at the surrounding Mermaid Battle Soldiers.
As expected, upon hearing Priest Li Po's words, the faces of the Mermaid Battle Soldiers all changed.
The significance of Priest Li Po's statement was understood by everyone present… The only one who may not have understood was the Great Sage of Fu Feng.
While the Mermaids' expressions changed slightly, Lu Heng seemed unfazed and continued to smile.
"I have no possessions here, even my lodgings were arranged by Master Yu. If you come to me, you may not find anything."
Lu Heng's words caused Li Po to burst out laughing.
He tapped the wine barrel in his hand and said, "Therefore, I brought a 500-year-old vintage today… This is a treasure from my Hanhai Department's collection. I invite the Wolf God to taste it and see if it's not inferior to the Spring Jade wine of the Xifeng Department."
Li Po's smile was bright and cheerful, completely different from the melancholic and sorrowful man he had first met.
Although the injury from forging the Heavenly Thunder Sword had not yet completely healed, this young priest from the Li Tribe, who was the most talented among the nine tribes, had undergone a transformation.
His demeanor and bearing was far superior to last year.
