Ah, a wild inheritance by the roadside!

The stream was narrow, only about wide enough for two or three people to stand abreast. Its water was shallow and clear, revealing the smooth pebbles below and the occasional little fish swimming past.

Clumps of low wild grasses and ferns grew along both banks, dotted with nameless pale-purple wildflowers blooming in the thin autumn morning light.

The two followed the stream upstream for about an incense stick's worth of time before the banks suddenly narrowed. Water squeezed between two large rocks and pooled in a small, shallow backwater below. A broad stretch of dark-brown wooden edging protruded from the gravel on the bank, washed almost black by the water, as though it had lain stranded there for many days.

"What's this?" Xiao Wu stopped and asked curiously, looking at the wooden box.

Su Lin walked over and crouched down, making a show of examining it. He poked its surface with a finger, then lifted it out of the sand and mud and shook it. A dull clunk came from inside; clearly, it contained something.

He looked up at Xiao Wu and analyzed it with a perfectly straight face. "It probably washed down from the mountain during the heavy rain a few days ago. Judging by the wood and the rust, it might be some old artifact. Who knows? There might even be treasure hidden inside."

"You're teasing me again." Xiao Wu gave a playful little huff. Despite her dismissive words, her eyes were full of anticipation. She took the wooden box from Su Lin and eagerly lifted its lid.

There were no glittering gold, silver, or jewels as she had imagined, only an ancient-looking scroll with damaged edges and missing corners.

Even more curious now, Xiao Wu took the scroll out of the box, untied the thin cord around it, and slowly unrolled it. The cloth was densely covered in characters, their forms slender and archaic. The way their strokes joined was completely different from the common human script. Some resembled elongated vines, others curved beast horns, and together they formed an ancient, unfamiliar rhythm.

Su Lin spread the cloth across his knees and studied it briefly, then raised his head and cast a seemingly casual glance at Xiao Wu beside him.

"This is..." As Xiao Wu's gaze swept over the first line on the cloth, her breath abruptly caught.

This was the ancient script used to pass down the Soul Beast Clan's inheritances. Although few in the Star Dou Great Forest deliberately studied it, the instinctive memories of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast gave her the innate ability to read it.

In her eyes, the twisting symbols on the cloth clearly resolved into complete sentences. The opening lines seemed to describe a cultivation method involving concealing one's presence. She had not yet had time to examine the rest, but those first few lines alone had already made her heart beat faster.

Feigning bewilderment, Su Lin turned toward her and asked, "What does it say? Can you read it, Xiao Wu?"

"N-no." Xiao Wu hastily shook her head, then turned to Su Lin and forced a somewhat unnatural smile. "I can't make it out. The writing's all faded."

"All right." Su Lin sighed with some disappointment, as though he truly felt he had missed out on a treasure map. "I thought we might have found some treasure."

Well, of course, he had prepared both the wooden box and the scroll when he got up to relieve himself in the middle of the previous night, then had Pikachu bury them there overnight. He had even specifically asked Ah Yin to use the Soul Beast Clan's inheritance script.

According to Ah Yin, this method was unique to the Blue Silver Emperor clan and could suppress the presence of transformed Soul Beasts below rank fifty. Back then, it was precisely because she had rashly broken through rank fifty that a Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall had detected her presence, leading to disaster.

But that was already enough for Su Lin. Xiao Wu was only rank sixteen now, with a long road ahead before she reached the Soul King realm. Even at her usual rate of steady growth without actively cultivating, she would need at least ten years to reach rank fifty.

And ten years was already enough for him to grow immensely powerful.

After a hasty lunch of dry rations at noon, the convoy set off again along the cleared, unobstructed mountain road. The rest of the journey went smoothly, with no more unexpected delays such as landslides or wild beasts blocking their path.

They returned to Wealth Village to replenish their supplies a little, then spurred their horses onward toward Heaven Dou City.

And so, half a month later, the group arrived at Suotuo City in the Balak Kingdom.

As the Balak Kingdom's second-largest city, it rivaled the capital, Barak City, in prosperity.

Although night had long since blanketed the land, the city showed no sign of falling quiet.

Ever-burning lanterns covered the towering city walls. People streamed through the gateway, and carriages passed without end. Inside, shops lined both sides of the main road, their lights spreading in layers along the long street. It was a bustling, lively scene of prosperity.

"It's so lively here!" Xiao Wu clung to the carriage's side curtain, her sparkling eyes sweeping over the endless crowds on either side of the street, her face full of unconcealed excitement.

Since taking human form and leaving the Star Dou Great Forest, the largest places she had visited were small towns like Rhode Town. This was her first time seeing a human city of such immense scale, seething with voices.

Hearing her, Sean, who was guarding the side of the carriage, cheerfully urged his horse closer to the window and joined the conversation with a smile. "Miss Xiao Wu, Suotuo City may be lively, but it's still a long way behind the Heaven Dou imperial capital. You'll understand when we reach the imperial city. Heaven Dou City is the true city that never sleeps."

"A city that never sleeps?" Xiao Wu instinctively turned toward Su Lin beside her, her eyes full of curiosity.

Su Lin raised a hand and rubbed the top of her head, explaining gently, "It means Heaven Dou City's night markets stay open all night. The restaurants, shops, and entertainment workshops keep their lamps lit until dawn. Even in the middle of the night, the streets are still lit up, as bright as day."

"Oh..." Xiao Wu nodded thoughtfully, her eyes brimming with anticipation. "Then once we get there, we have to take a good look around."

"Sure," Su Lin replied with a smile.

Over the past half month, perhaps because most of the worry weighing on her heart had dissipated, Xiao Wu had visibly grown more spirited, returning to her old lively, restless, carefree self.

Before long, the carriage stopped outside a hotel named Lumière.

Exquisite floral patterns adorned its outer walls, and rows of glass lamps hung beneath the portico. Inside, the tables, chairs, and furnishings were elegant and tasteful. Though it fell short of the height of luxury, it was far finer than the best inn in Nuoding City.

Sean dismounted, handed his reins to the attendant who approached, and went to the front desk to arrange their rooms. Su Lin and Xiao Wu also climbed out of the carriage and waited in the hotel lobby.

Just then, an unbroken rumble of wheels approached from the distance, and an enormous convoy slowly passed in front of the hotel's main entrance.

More than thirty carriages traveled in two columns, all drawn by fine steeds capable of covering a thousand li. Each carriage had a dark lacquered wooden cabin, copper fittings protecting its four corners, and whole panes of crystal glass set into its window frames. One glance was enough to tell they had cost a considerable sum.

Even more striking were the banners hanging beside the fronts of the carriages. Every carriage bore a deep-blue triangular pennant on its flagpole, embroidered in gold thread with an exquisite seven-story pagoda. Under the roadside lanterns, the golden threads gleamed, dazzlingly splendid and eye-catching.