I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"Is the scenery there really that beautiful?"

"Yes, it looks great."

"Sir, if it's on our way, could we go to Wing Ning Road first?"

“Yongning Road… do as you please.”

"Thank you, sir."

The little devil's laughter became even happier, which aroused a bit of curiosity in the artist.

Yongning Road... Is there someone he's looking for there?

Do you have relatives there?

If he finds that relative, he'll probably leave.

"..."

Looking at Bai Zhou, who was holding a map and looking for directions, the artist's lips parted slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

Whatever he does is none of her business.

"Sir, it will probably take us another two days to reach Twin Scales Town."

"Ah."

"Sir, are you tired? Would you like to rest?"

"We've only just walked so far. If we waste this much time, we won't reach the next town in two days."

"Oh, as long as you are healthy, it doesn't matter how long you are gone."

"...Not tired, let's keep going."

"gentlemen……"

"What is it now?"

"Sir, what would you like to eat for lunch?"

"..."

The artist gazed at the distant mountains and clouds, and casually mentioned food to shut the little devil up.

The kid is great in every way, except for that mouth of his... it's really annoying.

“Sir… um.”

Bai Zhou covered his head, which had been hit, as the artist physically interrupted his speech.

"Hurry up and go. If you don't reach that town by tomorrow, you'll be punished by not being allowed to speak for three days."

The artist, holding his brush, tapped him on the head again.

"Ah! I won't say anymore, sir, let's go quickly."

It seemed to work; the kid didn't say a word and kept on his way quietly.

But some things are...too quiet.

"Sir, sir, please don't hit me! This is important business!"

The artist put down his hand and waited for Bai Zhou to explain what he called "serious business".

“There is a river blocking our way, sir.”

Returning to the twin scales of the seven towns, the twelve golden men

"river?"

The artist raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over Bai Zhou's head, and sure enough, he saw a bustling, ever-flowing river.

But... there is no bridge.

"Sir, we need to take a longer route... Sir, you're amazing!"

Bai Zhou couldn't help but clap and cheer.

But the painter took up his brush and drew a bridge over the river.

"Hurry up, this bridge took me a lot of ink to build."

The artist originally only intended to draw a boat to cross the river, but then he thought that the boat would have to be rowed by a little devil, and such a wide river would exhaust him, so he changed his mind and drew a narrow bridge instead.

Once you cross this bridge, you'll be halfway to the town called "Twin Scales".

If you're even luckier, you might meet a kind person who offers you a ride, and you'll arrive in town around dark.

but……

During the day, the bird stealthily glanced at the painter.

He wore a green robe, had long, ink-black hair, and a figure as slender as a pine tree.

A man like him probably wouldn't like to ride in such a shabby car...

Walking...walking...

We still have a long way to go before we encounter any signs of human habitation.

The artist let out a deep breath.

Let's find an opportunity for the kid to hitch a ride.

If it weren't for the fact that painting the house and bridge wasted so much ink, she would have simply painted a car instead.

When we reach the next town, we need to find some ink.

Just then, a hay-laden oxcart slowly approached from the road in the distance.

"Sir, there seems to be a car ahead. Let me go ask it. If it's going the same way, we can hitch a ride."

"Ah."

During the day, he waved to stop the car and ran quickly to talk to the old man driving it, while the painter stood quietly behind him waiting for the outcome.

"Sir, the old man has agreed!"

It's unclear what the kid said to that person, but the old man greeted them with a smile.

"It's troublesome."

The artist knew a thing or two about etiquette, and although it was troublesome to follow, she didn't want to appear impolite in front of some brat.

The oxcart moved very steadily, and the road was smooth, so even those sitting in the back wouldn't be jolted off.

During the day, the painter loudly chatted with the old man about trivial family matters, while the painter quietly watched him, leaning on his side.

Her once fair and tender skin had been tanned like ripe wheat by the days she spent with her, and a few strands of black hair wrapped around the corners of her head and fell to the side of her face.

Its smooth, slender tail wrapped around its ankles, occasionally twitching. Its small body was remarkably healthy.

Its azure eyes were as clear as the sky at that moment, and its features were delicate; it was a pretty little person. It was just a pity that it had a mouth that kept talking non-stop.

"Sir, we won't be able to eat lunch, but I have some flatbreads here. Please have some to tide you over."

Seemingly noticing the artist's gaze, Bai Zhou touched his stomach and said in a sudden realization.

"...I'm not hungry."

Seeing Bai Zhou's reluctant expression as he continued to speak, the artist resisted the urge to knock on him and looked away.

The horned beast is hurrying along the road.jpg

Goodbye, Uncle!

After bidding farewell to the old man, Bai Zhou hurried back to the painter's side.

"Sir, I've already inquired. There's an inn where you can stay after you walk down this street and turn one corner."

"Ah."

The artist didn't care; the little devil could handle things like travel and accommodation without her having to ask.

"Tsk, fifty yuan for a room! What a rip-off!"

Sitting in a chair in the room, the painter listened to Bai Zhou's rambling and leisurely swished his tail.

"If the food is substandard, I will definitely file a complaint against this restaurant!"

During the day, he placed the two dishes and a soup he had bought in front of the painter, speaking firmly.

"One should not speak while eating."

The artist picked up a piece of meat and took a bite.

"..."

It's not as good as what Xiao Gui makes; it seems this restaurant is just hyped up by its reputation.

"Ugh... the taste is just so-so. Sir, are you finished eating?"

Because the food didn't suit his taste, the artist didn't touch his chopsticks after finishing the rice in his bowl, which made Bai Zhou somewhat worried.

Only after seeing the artist nod slightly did Bai Zhou breathe a sigh of relief and begin clearing away the dishes.

■

Feeling the comfortable pressure from the feet, the artist propped himself up on the bed and stared at the corner of the daylight.

How did his horn break off?

The broken corner looked as if it had been forcibly snapped off by some external force.

But this kid... doesn't seem like he'd fight.

Despite having many doubts in his mind, the artist did not ask them.

It would be better if it were an accident.

If it's something embarrassing or bad...

The night passed in silence.

The silence lasted until Bai Zhou woke up from his chair.