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

Lin Mo rode Little Red and quickly left the border of the human empire.

Heading south, passing through the uninhabited areas on the edge of the wilderness and crossing several low mountain ranges, the view gradually opens up.

At the horizon, a deep blue hue can be faintly seen—that is the sea.

"Look! It's the South China Sea!"

Yin Xue lay on Lin Mo's head, gazing into the distance, and said loudly.

Mianmian also opened her eyes wide and stared blankly at the ocean in front of her.

There is also a fairly large town by the sea.

"Is that the city of the merfolk?"

Lin Mo frowned and asked.

Yin Xue shook his head: "No, that's the Qianjin Kingdom. It's a small border country with only one city. The one in power is a human hero from another world. He's a money-grubber who doesn't get involved in mainland affairs and just focuses on doing business."

Lin Mo's gaze sharpened slightly. Without turning around, he simply responded with a faint "yes," indicating that he was listening.

"Anyone, whether human, dwarf, elf, merman, or lizardman, can enter the city freely; no one cares about race or origin."

Yin Xue pursed his lips and continued.

"The biggest business here is coating ships... Using a special deep-sea secret material, a tough bubble film is wrapped around the hull, allowing the ship to dive directly into the deep sea and follow the ocean currents to the territory of the Mermaid Kingdom."

She paused, a knowing glint in her bloodshot eyes.

"The Mermaid Kingdom is entirely covered by giant bubbles. Once inside, you can breathe underwater. The people of Qianjin City make a fortune from this coating business. So no matter what happens on the mainland, they stay in the city and do their business without helping either side."

Lin Mo silently memorized this information, her eyes remaining completely calm.

He had no interest in the neutrality, business, or power of Qianjin City.

This was merely a transit point on his journey to the Mermaid Kingdom.

……

As we continued our journey, we got closer and closer to Qianjin City.

Pedestrians gradually appeared on the roadside, including merchants carrying bags, adventurers carrying weapons, and figures of various alien races.

A few voices of casual conversation drifted into Lin Mo's ears on the wind; they were a group of travelers resting by the roadside.

"That new emperor of the Human Empire is really daring! He just declared war on the Holy Kingdom of the Tower, and now he's going to attack the Merfolk!"

"That's right! I heard he even subdued the dragons, and he practically turned the entire continent upside down!"

"Let's not worry about these things. Qianjin City is the safest place. We can just focus on doing business and not offend anyone. Who cares about the fighting outside?"

……

Discussions rose and fell, all about the situation on the mainland, with each word emphasizing the neutrality and tranquility of Qianjin City.

Lin Mo didn't even lift his eyelids, ignoring these unimportant messages.

With a gentle squeeze of its legs against Xiao Hong's abdomen, it increased its speed and headed straight for the port on the south side of the city.

Before long, the bustling port came into view.

Boats of all sizes were moored on the shore, and the waves crashed against their hulls with a splashing sound.

The workers carried timber and buckets back and forth.

The air was filled with a salty, fishy smell.

The shipyard not far away is particularly eye-catching, with a wooden sign that reads "Deep Sea Coating" hanging at the entrance.

At the shop entrance, a dark-skinned middle-aged man with calloused hands was talking to a young man dressed in a magnificent brocade robe.

The boy was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with his hair dyed a flamboyant gold. A jewel-encrusted short sword hung at his waist. He had an arrogant expression and was waving his hand impatiently.

When they saw Lin Mo and his group approaching, especially when they saw the ten golden dragon warriors in gleaming golden armor behind them, both of their eyes lit up.

The boss bowed slightly to the boy before approaching Lin Mo.

"Sir, what kind of business are you in? Buying deep-sea specialties or coating ships? Our coating is the best in the entire Qianjin City; it's guaranteed to last even at a depth of 3,000 meters!"

"I want to go to the Mermaid Kingdom."

Lin Mo spoke calmly, without uttering any unnecessary words.

The middle-aged man's smile faltered, and he rubbed his hands together, revealing a troubled expression.

"Boss, as you know, the Human Empire is going to war with the Merfolk recently, the seas are not peaceful, the price of coating materials has gone up, and ships going to the Merfolk Kingdom need to be escorted more often. As for the cost..."

"All I need is a small boat that can hold eleven of us."

Lin Mo interrupted him and asked directly.

"How much."

Just as the middle-aged man was about to speak, the young man in the brocade robe next to him suddenly stepped forward.

He looked Lin Mo up and down, his gaze lingering on the Golden Dragon Warrior's armor for a long time, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes.

He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Why talk about money? It'll hurt our feelings."

The boy walked up to the Golden Dragon Warriors and reached out to touch one of their armors, but was glared at coldly by the warrior and reluctantly withdrew his hand.

He turned to Lin Mo and smiled.

"Here's what we'll do: have them take off their armor and give me a set. I'll coat it for you for free and give you the best Clippers as a bonus. Consider it making friends."

Upon hearing this, the ten Golden Dragon Warriors frowned simultaneously, exchanging bewildered glances, their eyes filled with anger.

These golden armors were crafted by the Golden Dragon Clan using shed scales mixed with refined gold.

It is not only top-tier magical equipment, but also a symbol of honor for the Golden Dragon Warrior.

Forget about giving it away, even touching it would be an insult.

Lin Mo frowned slightly as he looked at the boy: "Who are you?"

"This is Young Master Gao Ran, the prince of our Qianjin City!"

The owner immediately stepped forward to introduce the business, his tone somewhat ingratiating.

"Our city lord is the famous hero from back then, and Young Master Gao Ran is his only son and the future city lord."

"The descendant of a hero?"

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Of course!"

Gao Ran raised his chin, looking smug.

"My dad was a powerhouse who could take on an 80-level Beast King single-handedly back in the day. If he hadn't been too lazy to fight for territory, this entire South China Sea would be ours. How about it? A free coating for one set of armor, you don't mind, right?"

Lin Mo snorted coldly, too lazy to say anything more: "That's impossible, let's go."

After saying that, he turned around and was about to leave with everyone.

Gao Ran's face darkened, and he spat out a curse from behind.

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Why pretend to be a big shot when you're unwilling to spend money? Bringing ten thugs in gold armor, I bet they're just some poor nobleman from some backwater, trying to put on a show."

The middle-aged boss chimed in, his tone tinged with disdain.

"Calm down. We've seen plenty of people like this. They look impressive, but they don't have much money in their pockets. They're probably just some country bumpkin who's never seen the world before and has run away from home."

Gao Ran chuckled, crossed his arms, watched Lin Mo's retreating figure, and added another sentence.

"I bet you can't find anyone else to do the coating for you, you unscrupulous bastard."

He had barely finished speaking—

bass!

A cold, sharp sword light flashed suddenly, so fast that no one could see the movement.

Pfft!

A head with dyed blonde hair rolled to the ground, blood spurting out and splashing onto the bluestone slab.

quiet--

The entire port fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

The once bustling dock was now completely silent.

Everyone froze in place, their eyes fixed on the head on the ground, which still bore a look of astonishment.

The shipyard owner's smile froze instantly, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

"Murder...murder!!"