"The sticky rice here is delicious."
Little Girl said.
Li Ping'an said, "Have some more if you like it."
"But it's expensive. Who was that Yiha he mentioned just now?"
"The emperor here."
"Is he very powerful?"
"He should be. After all, no one has ever united the Ten Thousand Great Mountains before."
Little Girl's eyes brightened slightly. "Niu Niu just said you know this emperor."
"Mm, you could say that," Li Ping'an said mildly.
"Ooh~ Then can we eat here without paying?"
"No, we can't."
"Oh."
Little Girl stared at Big Ping’an, thinking that he really wasn't very popular.
Her cat friends often gave her the mice they caught.
An emperor had such a huge place, yet he wouldn't even give Big Ping’an a free bite to eat.
"Are you thinking up nonsense again, Fairy?" Li Ping'an looked into her big eyes.
"...No."
Little Girl looked away. She couldn't say that out loud; she still had to leave Big Ping’an some dignity.
They stayed in the stronghold for only a few days before the man, the ox, and the cat set out again.
Normally, they would certainly have stayed a while.
But whenever he thought of the situation at Demon-Suppressing Pass, Li Ping'an couldn't help quickening his pace.
They passed through several strongholds in succession. The smaller ones had hundreds or thousands of people, the larger ones tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands...
One day, while walking through what was known as the Second-Largest Stronghold in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains,
they suddenly heard hoofbeats behind them.
Turning around, they saw dozens of tall horses coming toward them under cracking whips, armored Imperial Guards riding on their backs.
"Move aside! Move aside! Everyone, get to the roadside!"
The people beside the road all recognized the design on