My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Lin Mo stood in the study of the city lord's mansion, watching everything that was happening on the light screen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

But something was surging in his eyes.

Yin Xue rested quietly on his shoulder without saying a word.

Mianmian peeked out from her arms and looked at the screen of light.

She looked at Lin Mo's face again, then shrank back and rubbed her fluffy head against his hand.

Zhou Yue stood behind him, his semi-transparent body motionless.

He looked at the old man in the light screen, at the face that resembled his own by seven-tenths.

Looking at that smile on her face, a smile she had never seen before, her eyes reddened.

He seemed to want to say something; his lips moved, but in the end, he just stood there, watching quietly.

The laughter inside the light screen gradually subsided.

Zhou Sheng put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the sunset outside the window.

Lin Feng was clearing the plates and bowls off the table. Zhou Xiaomei leaned back on the sofa, her eyes half-open and half-closed, a smile playing on her lips.

"Lin Mo".

Yin Xue's voice was very soft.

Lin Mo did not turn around.

"Um."

"This light screen won't last much longer."

Lin Mo was silent for a moment.

He watched the increasingly blurry image on the screen, saw his mother leaning against the sofa, his father clearing the dishes from behind, and the profile of the old man sitting in the sunset.

Then he nodded.

"it is good."

The light curtain began to dissipate.

The edges of the image peeled away piece by piece, turning into tiny specks of light that drifted in the air.

The living room grew increasingly blurry, the figures faded, and the laughter receded into the distance.

At the last moment, he saw Zhou Xiaomei open her eyes and look at the sunset outside the window.

Her lips moved, as if she were saying something.

The light screen was too blurry; I couldn't hear anything.

But Lin Mo heard it very clearly.

"Xiao Mo, go home early."

click-

With a soft sound, the light screen shattered.

The study was plunged back into darkness.

Only the oil lamp on the table was still lit, its flame flickering slightly, illuminating the scattered points of light and the three silent figures.

Yin Xue slumped onto Lin Mo's shoulder, her face pale, panting heavily.

This "family visit" was more exhausting for her than sending Lin Mo back.

Lin Mo stood there, motionless.

He didn't want to wait any longer.

He didn't want to wait another second; all he wanted to do was get home as soon as possible.

"Let's go, it's time to go to the Dragon Clan."

He spoke, then turned and walked towards the door.

Yin Xue leaned on his shoulder, too weak to speak.

Mianmian nestled in his arms and slept peacefully.

Zhou Yue's soul had returned to the black sword at some point, and he remained silent.

……

As Lin Mo left the City Lord's Mansion, a large group of people were kneeling outside the gate.

At the front were several people dressed in fine clothes, their robes embroidered with the coats of arms of the local nobles of the Hundred-Day Fortress.

The emblem was now covered in dust and crumpled up.

Behind them knelt a dozen or so people, dressed respectably, who were clearly prominent figures in the city.

Further on, there were even more people with their heads down, their faces obscured.

Horn stood before them, interrogating them with a large knife in his hand.

Upon seeing Lin Mo emerge, he quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Your Majesty, all those who opposed you in the city have been captured. They were all bribed by Zhou Desheng, and the people sent by the Holy Kingdom of the Tower are also here."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear, and the person kneeling in front could hear it perfectly.

Some people lowered their heads even further, while others trembled.

Horn hesitated for a moment before saying, "I plan to..."

Lin Mo spoke, his voice still calm.

"Kill them all, confiscate their property, and put all their wealth into the city lord's mansion."

He didn't stop walking as he said this.

Walk right past those people, walk right past Horn.

He didn't even glance at it twice.

Horn's lips twitched.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but looking at the retreating figure, he swallowed his words back.

He should have thought of that long ago. Lin Mo's personality has always been like that.

From Ash Fortress to the capital, when did he ever hesitate?

Horn turned around and looked at the kneeling people.

Those people were also looking at him, their eyes filled with fear and pleading.

Some people opened their mouths to beg for mercy, while others had already begun to kowtow.

Horn raised his hand expressionlessly.

"Drag it down."

The soldiers rushed forward and dragged the men off the ground.

Some cried out, some collapsed, and some struggled desperately.

But no one can escape it.

Until the sound faded into the distance and became fainter.

Su Lin stood at the back of the crowd, watching this scene, her legs felt weak.

Standing next to her were Chen Bo and Yang Wei, as well as several young people who had been chatting together at the city gate earlier.

They heard that something had happened at the city lord's mansion, so they came to see what was going on, but they never expected to see this.

They saw Lin Mo walking towards them.

Su Lin took a deep breath and squeezed out of the crowd.

Chen Bo was stunned for a moment and failed to stop her.

Yang Wei stood still and watched her walk away.

"that……"

Su Lin's voice trembled slightly.

"Lin...Your Majesty."

Lin Mo stopped in his tracks.

Su Lin's heart skipped a beat.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but her mind went blank.

Chen Bo and Yang Wei squeezed in from the side, and the three of them stood in front of Lin Mo, each with an increasingly awkward expression.

Su Lin finally managed to squeeze out the words: "Before... we were just being too outspoken..."

The others also rushed forward, as if afraid that if they spoke too slowly, they wouldn't be able to speak at all.

"We've always admired you, really."

"We've all heard about what you did in the capital; it's amazing."

"If you ever need anything in the future, we will definitely..."

……

Lin Mo walked past them.

Not even a single "um".

Su Lin's words caught in her throat, and she froze on the spot.

Chen Bo stood there with his mouth agape, unsure of what to say.

Yang Wei stood to the side without saying a word.

The three people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Su Lin's face flushed red and then paled, and she asked softly, "What...what does he mean? Does he forgive us?"

Horn walked down the steps, looked at the three young people who were standing there in a daze, and then looked at Lin Mo's departing figure.

He hadn't known Lin Mo for very long, but he knew the man well enough.

"Not killing you is an act of forgiveness."

All three of them shivered simultaneously.

……

Outside the city gate, darkness was falling.

Lin Mo walked out of the city gate and looked up at the sky.

A screech came from overhead.

A red figure descended from the sky and landed steadily in front of him.

Xiao Hong.

The red donkey was even more robust than before, its fur gleaming a dark red in the night.

As Yin Xue's strength recovered, his appearance also changed.

The donkey's ears had become much shorter, and its mane looked even more majestic.

From a distance, it looks no different from a horse.

It snorted and rubbed its big, furry head against Lin Mo.

A satisfied snoring sound came from his throat.

After rubbing against his hand, she cupped it in his palm as if to say, "Long time no see."

Lin Mo patted its neck and climbed onto it.

Little Red let out an excited neigh, leaped into the air, and then transformed into a streak of red light, heading southwest.

The people in the city were still standing at the gate, watching this scene.

Someone asked in a low voice.

"That direction... seems to be the territory of the dragons."

"Dragons?"

The people nearby gasped.

"That bastard... no, no, what is His Majesty doing in the Dragon Clan?"