766: stall owner Yu Qing

The remaining few bandits, as well as Zhao Chen and the Zhao family members, were all stunned in that instant.

None of them had expected that Lin Yang would dare to take direct action, and furthermore, suppress a powerhouse at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm with an almost crushing dominance!

After a brief silence, Zhao Chen was the first to react and immediately followed up with an attack.

He was shocked by Lin Yang's strength, but at this moment, there was no time to ponder it.

Lin Yang had just sent him a voice transmission, telling him to hold off those two guys at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm.

Now seeing that Lin Yang had suppressed the strongest enemy, Zhao Chen didn't hesitate to surge with Dao Power and charge forward.

At the same time, he ordered the rest of the Zhao family to engage the enemy!

The remaining few bandits at the Nie Kong Realm also reacted quickly.

Although their boss was suppressed by Lin Yang, they didn't think about fleeing immediately.

Instead, they attempted to quickly eliminate the Zhao family members to go and help.

After all, although their boss was temporarily suppressed, the strength of those few was much higher than that of the Zhao family members.

On the Zhao family's side, only Zhao Chen was at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm; the remaining two Nie Kong Realm cultivators were only at the early or middle stages.

A fierce battle unfolded rapidly.

Relying on the power of the warship, the Zhao family members could barely manage to remain undefeated.

But the shattering of the protective shield was only a matter of time.

Zhao Chen, while holding off those two bandits at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm, nervously watched the battle situation on Lin Yang's side, constantly praying in his heart that Lin Yang could win as soon as possible.

Lin Yang, however, did not have the idea of ending the battle in too much of a hurry.

Even though he could completely finish off this bandit at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm in the shortest amount of time, and had the strength to do so.

But he didn't want to appear too exaggerated, and didn't want to kill the opponent immediately.

The reason he was only suppressing him was to hide his strength a little bit more as much as possible.

The Zhao family members were able to save him and bring him onto the ship when he was unconscious after being teleported here, which showed their character was not bad.

But the saying goes, one must always be on guard against others.

Lin Yang still intended to hold back, entangling with this bandit at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm for a while before finishing him off.

In this way, although it would still be enough to surprise the Zhao family members, it would be slightly better than directly finishing this guy off.

It would allow the Zhao family members to know that his strength was not bad, yet it wouldn't be too shocking or unconventional.

After all, for him to be able to handle someone at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm with his cultivation at the middle stage of the Nie Kong Realm was already astonishing enough; if he were to quickly finish off the opponent, that would be a bit too exaggerated.

Keeping a little bit of strength in reserve would mean he wouldn't be too passive if, by any chance, the Zhao family had any abnormal intentions after returning to Xiwu City.

Of course, if it weren't for this group of bandits wanting to rob all his belongings, he wouldn't have taken action.

His spatial ring contained all his savings.

It was impossible to hand it over to these bandits.

That was why he exposed his strength and took action.

Lin Yang controlled the pace, dealing with this guy at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm bit by bit.

The Zhao family's side, however, was almost unable to hold on.

The protective shield was already on the verge of shattering.

Zhao Chen could still hold off two opponents by himself.

But the other members of the Zhao family were simply no match for the remaining three bandits.

The situation was looking a bit grim.

Sure enough.

As the protective shield completely shattered.

The Zhao family members faced the bandits' attacks directly, becoming utterly disheveled.

Lin Yang watched for a while; he had originally wanted to fight a bit longer, but after thinking about it, he decided to end this battle.

However, just as he was preparing to completely finish off this bandit at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm in front of him.

A streak of light suddenly appeared, joining the battlefield and helping the Zhao family members deal with those bandits.

"It's her..."

Lin Yang frowned slightly.

He saw the person who had arrived clearly.

It was that young stall owner he had met earlier at the trade fair in the back hall of the Drunk Spring Pavilion, the stall owner who had given him an extra discount to let him buy the supplies and had even said some words of blessing.

Lin Yang was a bit startled.

To think he would meet her here again.

And this stall owner was actually helping directly to deal with those bandits.

This made Lin Yang very surprised.

But the Zhao family members didn't seem to be too surprised.

With the help of that stall owner, the situation of the Zhao family members immediately improved quite a bit.

Although that stall owner looked young, she was actually a powerhouse at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm.

In an instant, she helped the Zhao family members stabilize the situation.

Seeing this, Lin Yang was no longer in a hurry to end the battle immediately.

Instead, he dragged it out for a while longer and changed his plan of directly killing this bandit at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm, switching to beating her until she was severely injured.

Now with the help of that stall owner, the Zhao family could deal with the other few bandits.

He only needed to severely injure this guy in front of him; once the Zhao family and that stall owner joined forces to resolve the other few bandits, this guy in front of him would no longer be a threat.

In this way, he could hide a bit more of his own strength once again.

That young stall owner's strength was very strong, the same as Zhao Chen, both being at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm, but she appeared to be much stronger than Zhao Chen.

She very cleanly and decisively eliminated two bandits at the middle stage of the Nie Kong Realm, injured another bandit at the middle stage of the Nie Kong Realm, and then handed the injured bandit over to the other members of the Zhao family to deal with, before turning around to help Zhao Chen deal with those two bandits at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm.

Zhao Chen could originally handle one-on-two, but now with the extra help from the stall owner, his pressure was greatly reduced.

In coordination with the stall owner, he actually managed to quickly injure those two bandits at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm.

The situation was completely reversed in an instant.

Coupled with the fact that Lin Yang had also injured their boss, those two guys at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm saw that the situation was not good, suddenly turned around and fled, no longer fighting with Zhao Chen and the stall owner.

At the same moment, that guy at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm in front of Lin Yang also suddenly retreated and fled for his life at high speed.

Zhao Chen instinctively wanted to pursue and kill them, but in the end, he did not chase after them.

Lin Yang had even less intention of pursuing them; he pretended to be exhausted and returned to the warship.

"Fellow Daoist Lin Yang, are you alright?" Zhao Chen immediately asked with concern.

Zhao Hu opened his mouth, wanting to speak several times, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

He and Lin Yang had previously addressed each other as "Brother".

But now, having seen with his own eyes Lin Yang severely injure a powerhouse at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm, Zhao Hu felt a bit afraid to address him like that before.

The other Zhao family disciples looked at Lin Yang with even more awe.

The stall owner's gaze was also filled with surprise, but she remained quite composed.

Lin Yang waved his hand and said to Zhao Chen, "I'm fine, I didn't suffer any injuries, I'm just a bit exhausted."

"Then Fellow Daoist Lin, please have a good rest first, we'll talk later."

Zhao Chen immediately had two Zhao family disciples escort Lin Yang back to his room, and then thanked the stall owner, "We really owe it to your help, Fellow Daoist. May I ask how you should be addressed?"

"Yu Qing." The stall owner said a name.

"The help from Fellow Daoist Yu, my Zhao family will remember it. After returning to Xiwu City, I hope Fellow Daoist Yu will definitely do us the honor of meeting up." Zhao Chen said solemnly.

Yu Qing smiled slightly, "No need to be polite. Meeting bandits on the trade route is something everyone should help each other with. It was just a small effort on my part, and it just happened that I encountered it. Besides, even without me, you would have been able to resolve it."

"Even so, please still do not decline, Fellow Daoist Yu." Zhao Chen said again.

"Let's talk about it after returning to the city. I'll head back first." Yu Qing did not agree immediately, but intended to return to her own warship.

Seeing this, Zhao Chen quickly said, "If Fellow Daoist Yu doesn't mind, would it be alright if we travel together?"

Yu Qing frowned slightly, glanced lightly in the direction of Lin Yang's room, and then said, "That's fine, let's travel alongside each other. This way, if we encounter bandits again, we can look out for one another."

"Fellow Daoist Yu's words are absolutely correct." Zhao Chen laughed.

A few days later.

Lin Yang finished his "rest".

He walked out of his room and immediately saw the warship traveling alongside them not far away.

"It's that stall owner's warship." Lin Yang recognized it.

"Lin..." Zhao Hu was right outside Lin Yang's room, and seeing Lin Yang come out, he was still somewhat unsure of how to address him for a moment.

Lin Yang saw Zhao Hu's hesitation and smiled, saying, "Brother Zhao Hu, there's no need for us to be formal. If you become distant, that would mean you don't treat me as a friend."

Zhao Hu was slightly taken aback, then his brows relaxed, and he also laughed, saying, "Brother Lin Yang is right; it was I who was being pretentious."

Lin Yang didn't dwell on this topic, pointed to the stall owner's warship, and asked, "Why is she traveling alongside us?"

Zhao Hu knew that Lin Yang was not familiar with some of the situations here, so he immediately explained:

"Brother Lin Yang, the trade route between Xiwu City and Bi Xia City is actually quite fixed, so there are also quite a few bandits."

"Although both cities often suppress bandits, there are simply too many bandits to handle."

"Therefore, usually when encountering bandits, if there are other merchant caravans nearby, they will generally help each other."

"After all, no one can say when their own caravan might encounter bandits, and it's impossible to use the entire clan's strength for protection every time they trade. Helping others is equivalent to helping oneself."

"So this is basically one of the default rules."

"That's why Fellow Daoist Yu Qing helped out earlier."

"Now traveling together is also to make it convenient to look out for each other."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yang understood, "So that's how it is. I was wondering why she took action earlier."

Zhao Hu laughed, "We were also quite lucky, but this time, mainly we have to thank you, Brother Lin Yang. If it weren't for you injuring that guy at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm, we would have really made this trip for nothing."

Lin Yang smiled, "He wanted to rob my things, so naturally, I couldn't let him succeed."

"Haha, they only have themselves to blame for being blind and trying to rob Brother Lin Yang." Zhao Hu laughed again.

Lin Yang then said, "Since we let those few bandits go earlier, they shouldn't specifically target your Zhao family's merchant caravan for revenge later, right?"

Zhao Hu shook his head, "No, they won't. Actually, these bandits have a higher mortality rate. Some of them just do one job and then run away, because if they are unlucky, they can easily be wiped out by the bandit suppression teams of Xiwu City and Bi Xia City."

"So many bandit groups are temporarily formed and have high mobility, so there's no need to fear being targeted for revenge."

Lin Yang understood again, "So that's how it is. It seems the bandit suppression efforts of Xiwu City and Bi Xia City are very high."

"They are very high, otherwise trade would be too dangerous, and both sides wouldn't be able to make money. It's just that there are always some guys who take risks and are not afraid of death."

Zhao Hu said, "This is also the reason why, in most cases, a merchant caravan can trade as long as it has one powerhouse at the late stage of the Nie Kong Realm leading it."

"It's just that this time we happened to encounter those few bandits."

Lin Yang nodded and didn't ask anything else.

Someone at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm, whether in Bi Xia City or Xiwu City, is considered a high-end power. Earning wealth is not difficult, and there aren't many who make a living as bandits.

If they are not careful, they get wiped out.

This time was indeed just a bit of bad luck.

Zhao Chen also walked over at this time, first expressed his gratitude to Lin Yang, and then asked, "Fellow Daoist Lin, what are your plans after arriving in Xiwu City?"

Lin Yang looked at him and said slowly, "I don't know yet. I'll wait until I get to Xiwu City to see the situation. After all, it's my first time going there, and I'm not familiar with the situation."

Zhao Chen nodded slightly and said, "After returning to Xiwu City, if Fellow Daoist Lin has any needs, let me know anytime. Although our Zhao family is not a major power, we still have some strength within Xiwu City."

"Then I will thank you in advance." Lin Yang cupped his hands.

Zhao Chen couldn't help but smile, "Fellow Daoist Lin is too polite."

After saying that, Zhao Chen clearly hesitated for a moment, then added, "If Fellow Daoist Lin doesn't mind, after returning to Xiwu City, you can also stay at my Zhao family first."

This was equivalent to wanting to recruit Lin Yang.

To be able to handle someone at the peak of the Nie Kong Realm while at the middle stage of the Nie Kong Realm, this strength goes without saying, and the potential is even greater.

Zhao Chen had the intention to recruit him.

Plus, knowing that Lin Yang's background was not an issue and that he wasn't deliberately sent by the Zhao family's rivals, he didn't want to miss out on such a talent.

Lin Yang naturally understood the deeper meaning in Zhao Chen's words and immediately said, "Thank you, Second Elder, for your kindness. I am indeed not familiar with Xiwu City. If Second Elder doesn't mind, then I will impose upon you."

He actually didn't mind Zhao Chen's recruitment.

As mentioned before, the Zhao family members all seemed quite decent.

He was indeed a stranger here, so staying with the Zhao family first was also a good choice.

Zhao Chen was visibly happy upon hearing this and said repeatedly, "Fellow Daoist Lin, what are you saying? We couldn't be more welcoming."

After speaking, he glanced at Zhao Hu and added, "Then I won't disturb your rest, Fellow Daoist Lin. If you need anything, call me anytime, or you can also find Zhao Hu."

He gave Zhao Hu a wink and sent a voice transmission, "Zhao Hu, currently you have the best relationship with Fellow Daoist Lin Yang. You get along with him, so find opportunities to get closer and strive to win Fellow Daoist Lin Yang over."

Zhao Hu shrugged and replied via voice transmission, "Second Elder, Brother Lin Yang and I get along quite well, but precisely because of that, I will respect his choice. Of course, it would be best if he could stay with our Zhao family, but if he is unwilling, I won't force him."

Zhao Chen sighed, "You guy, I really can't do anything with you. Do as you please."

He did not force Zhao Hu further and went straight back to the room at the bow of the ship to operate the warship.

Time flew by, and another twenty or thirty years passed.

The silhouette of Xiwu City finally appeared on the horizon.

Lin Yang looked from afar; it was indeed similar to Bi Xia City, both very grand, massive, and majestic.

Obviously, as border cities between the two races, both races placed great importance on appearances.

They had built these two major border cities, Xiwu City and Bi Xia City, to be very spectacular.

The warship quickly approached Xiwu City.

Finally, it landed in front of the city gate.

"We've finally arrived home."

Some ordinary Zhao family members sighed with joy on their faces.

Encountering bandits this time gave them all a feeling of having survived a disaster.

Even Zhao Hu and even Zhao Chen had a clear sense of relief.

Zhao Chen smiled at Lin Yang; he didn't enter the city immediately, but instead spoke to the stall owner, Yu Qing, who was traveling with them, "Fellow Daoist Yu Qing, please be sure to take some time to visit my Zhao family!"

Yu Qing said indifferently, "If there's an opportunity. I'll take my leave first."

She had no intention of saying more, just gave a perfunctory response to Zhao Chen and quickly entered the city and left.

"Quite a cold and aloof person." Lin Yang thought to himself.

He felt that this person was not quite the same as when he met her at the Drunk Spring Pavilion.