Chapter 68: Affection and Obsession

Two muscular, bare-chested men stood guard at the entrance of the City Lord's mansion, inspiring awe.

The group followed Li Jianqiu, turning to the right.

Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out from behind: "Jiang Wang!"

Jiang Wang turned around and saw Sun Xiaoman, looking petite and cute, jumping high in the crowd and waving at him.

Next to her was a chubby figure, none other than Sun Xiaoyan.

"Miss Sun!" Jiang Wang greeted with a smile.

"Why so formal? Just call me Xiaoman," Sun Xiaoman swaggered over and punched him in the stomach.

Jiang Wang gasped, trying to maintain his bright smile to avoid embarrassment: "Okay, okay, Xiaoman. Hello, Xiaoyan!"

It seemed that Sun Xiaoman's group had just returned from outside the city, with traces of battle still on them. Yang Xingyong and Zhao Tiehe weren't with them, perhaps they didn't go on missions together regularly.

Sun Xiaoman waved her hand, telling the people behind her to go ahead, then turned back and asked: "Did you come this time to see us, or...?"

Jiang Wang smiled and introduced Li Jianqiu, Zhao Rucheng, and the others: "We're here on a mission to剿殺 (jiǎoshā - exterminate/suppress/wipe out) ferocious beasts."

"Good! That's enough!" Sun Xiaoman was unusually bold: "Haven't found a place to stay yet, right? Come on, stay at my house!"

"Sister," Sun Xiaoyan tugged at her sleeve from behind, "You're a girl, it's not good to bring people home..."

"What's wrong with it? Our house is so big, can't you just arrange it?"

"My bed is so small, not even enough for me to sleep alone!"

"When did I say they were going to sleep in the same bed as you???"

"Then it's even worse to sleep with you, right?"

"What's that fat brain of yours thinking about all day long?"

Just as the two siblings were about to stage a full-on brawl, Li Jianqiu spoke up in time: "Miss Sun, we've already booked rooms. Besides, we're about to set off to exterminate ferocious beasts, so staying at your residence wouldn't be very convenient."

Jiang Wang also said: "We're all following Senior Brother Li Jianqiu this time, and he's arranging everything. Xiaoman, Xiaoyan, don't bother yourselves. After we complete the extermination mission, let's have a drink together!"

"Ah, okay, okay." Sun Xiaoman instantly retracted her fierce expression and smiled back: "I'll invite Tiehe and the others when we get back."

The two groups bid farewell.

As soon as Jiang Wang and the others were far away, Sun Xiaoman's face darkened: "You fatso, you're trying to sabotage me, right? So stingy, what will our friends from Maple Forest City think of us?"

But Sun Xiaoyan, knowing her well, wouldn't stay to be beaten. He had already scurried into the City Lord's mansion.

Sun Xiaoman chased after him, causing chaos all the way. The guards in the mansion were already used to it, and everyone looked straight ahead.

The siblings barged into the study one after the other.

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged beautiful woman, engrossed in reviewing something.

This person was Dou Yuemei, the current City Lord of Three Mountains City, and also the mother of Sun Xiaoman and her brother.

Sun Xiaoyan buried himself in her arms, pointing with his chubby hand: "Look at sister!"

Dou Yuemei put down her pen and ink, embracing the chubby Sun Xiaoyan, not caring how mismatched the scene looked. Her phoenix eyes turned and focused on Sun Xiaoman, who was coming at them with her teeth and claws.

"Sun Xiaoman! What are you doing again?"

She had such a graceful name, but her aura could be described as bold.

Sun Xiaoman stopped at the entrance of the study, quite unconvinced: "The eldest sister is like a mother, what's wrong with me educating him?"

"He already has one mother, he doesn't need so many!"

Sun Xiaoman was momentarily speechless, and could only stomp her foot fiercely, her bare foot hitting the floor tiles with a bang: "Mother! You're too biased!"

Dou Yuemei hugged Sun Xiaoyan with affection, taking it for granted: "Of course. A daughter who is married off is like water that's been spilled!"

"I'm not married yet!"

"Isn't that just a matter of time?"

Sun Xiaoyan, hiding in his mother's arms, felt very safe and chimed in: "That's right, she was even flirting with someone named Jiang today!"

"You fatso, your skin is itching!" Sun Xiaoman was furious, raising her fist and charging forward.

Dou Yuemei raised a hand, and a gentle wave of energy held Sun Xiaoman back, preventing her from moving forward.

"Don't be so rude, you're a girl." She raised her eyebrows, very curious: "What's the deal with that Jiang guy?"

"Don't listen to his nonsense!" Sun Xiaoman couldn't get past her, her anger rising: "Jiang Wang is the one who unconditionally transferred fifty points of Dao merit to us last time, and he's here to help us exterminate ferocious beasts again this time. What's wrong with me greeting him? It's just you, this heartless son of mine, so stingy, afraid that people will crowd him!"

"Oh, then we should treat him well." Dou Yuemei nodded, and asked: "Is he good-looking?"

Sun Xiaoman felt that she couldn't continue this conversation: "Mother!"

Sun Xiaoyan made his presence felt especially: "He's okay-looking, but not as good-looking as that Zhao guy."

"You don't understand, my silly son. It's useless for a man to be too delicate-looking, he needs to have some meat." Dou Yuemei reached out and pinched Sun Xiaoyan's chubby face: "Look at you, so chubby, so cute."

Sun Xiaoyan's expression twisted, suddenly becoming shy.

Sun Xiaoman took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, suppressed her anger, and said calmly: "Mother, are you a bit sexist?"

Dou Yuemei nodded very confidently: "Yes, so what?"

Sun Xiaoman roared: "Dou! You're a woman too!"

"Yes! Look at me, aren't I a typical example? My whole heart is devoted to your dead old man, when have I ever cared about my maiden family? When my father was dying, he must have regretted not caring more about his precious son.

When your old man was alive, I served him. After he died, I still had to support the Sun family and raise you two. From a delicate little girl, I've become this broken City Lord with a thick waist and a coarse voice! Tell me, what's the use of doting on daughters?"

Sun Xiaoman: ...

Speechless.

She kicked down the study door and left in a huff.

……

Meanwhile, Jiang Wang and the others parted ways with Sun Xiaoman and went to look for a place to stay on their own.

Huang Azhan smiled very lewdly: "Jiang Wang is something else, the daughter of the Three Mountains City Lord."

Jiang Wang said helplessly: "We're just ordinary friends."

"Hehehe, I understand, I understand."

Zhao Rucheng said gloomily from the side: "Huang Azhan, if you're not afraid of being hammered into mincemeat by the Mountain-Shaking Hammer, then keep making those lewd noises."

Huang Azhan instantly recalled the Mountain-Shaking Hammer that swept across the Three Cities Dao Discussion, shuddered, and shut his mouth.

Li Jianqiu seemed to be very familiar with this place, and skillfully led the others to an inn.

The inn was small, but not dilapidated.

In the lobby were a few sets of tables and chairs, all wiped clean.

The innkeeper was an old man whose eyesight wasn't very good, squinting at Li Jianqiu for a long time before grinning: "You're here, Little Li?"

Li Jianqiu greeted him familiarly: "Yes, Grandpa Zhang. Please arrange four rooms."

"Two rooms, don't waste money like that. Four big men, can't you squeeze together?"

"Alright, whatever you say."

"How are you, lately?"

"I'm fine. How about you, Grandpa?"

"All's well."

Jiang Wang silently watched this scene, feeling that Li Jianqiu was so in tune with everything here, as if he had lived here for a long time.

"His son and daughter-in-law were eaten by ferocious beasts on the official road on their way back to the city." Li Jianqiu said as they went upstairs: "When the patrolling city guards arrived, they couldn't even find a single bone."

Jiang Wang was silent. The number of ferocious beasts in the Maple Forest City area was generally low, and it was rare for ferocious beasts to rush onto the official road.

He found it hard to imagine how much pressure the ordinary people of Three Mountains City had to live under if even the official road wasn't safe.

And what was it that allowed them to maintain such stubborn hope?

"He always feels that his son isn't dead, and will come back one day. So he stays at the inn door every day."

Li Jianqiu sighed and said no more.