Lanxi Town

After an unknown amount of time, Dugu Bo's voice came from ahead. "There's a city ahead. Let's stop and rest, and give the horses some water and fodder."

Lin Chen opened his eyes. The sun was already setting. Through the carriage curtain, he could see the outline of a town on the plain ahead. The gray-white city walls were not high, but they stretched very wide, like a ribbon lying across the boundary between the grassland and the forest.

"Where am I?" Xiao Wu was also awakened by the noise of the car stopping. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and looked out the window.

"Deer Cry City, in the heart of Silves, at the center of the Vixlock Plain."

Dugu Bo jumped off the carriage shaft and patted the horse's neck. "This place is perfectly situated at the boundary between the forest and the grassland. To the east are vast pastures, and to the west are rolling woodlands. The water and grass are plentiful; it's a great place to rest."

Lin Chen got out of the car and stretched his legs, which had become a little stiff from sitting.

He discovered that the layout of this city was indeed different from the cities he had seen before—the city walls were not high, but they were built in a rounded and open manner, the streets inside the city were wide and flat, and two rows of old locust trees were planted on the roadside, their canopies like canopies, covering the entire street in dense shade.

The moat outside the city was not wide, but it was crystal clear, and the pebbles on the bottom of the river were smooth and rounded by the water flow.

"Grandpa, why is it called Deer Cry City?" Dugu Yan also jumped out of the car, looking around curiously.

"It is said that long ago, every night, a herd of spirit deer would come to drink water by the stream outside the city, calling out as they drank. Their calls were clear and melodious, and the hunters nearby took them as a good omen. Later, some daring hunters followed the deer's calls and discovered that the stream water was sweet and clear, and could even heal old wounds. So, gradually, people moved here and settled down, building this city."

Dugu Bo spoke, his gaze swept across the city wall, "The spirit deer was never seen again, but its name remained."

"A spirit deer drinking water..." Xiao Wu blinked, "It sounds like a fairyland."

"Whether it's a fairyland or not, I don't know," Dugu Bo pointed to a teahouse by the street, "Let's eat something first, feed the horses, and then we'll talk."

The four sat down at the tea stall and ordered several stir-fried dishes and a pot of hot noodle soup. The food in Deer Cry City had a grassland flavor; the mutton was cut into large chunks and stir-fried with wild scallions, and the aroma could be smelled for miles.

Xiao Wu and Dugu Yan ate with great appetite, and even Dugu Bo drank an extra bowl of noodle soup.

After a satisfying meal, Dugu Bo went to the hay shop on the street corner and bought two bundles of hay and a small bag of black beans, giving the two horses a special treat. The horses ate heartily, snorting, and their spirits were noticeably higher.

"We've rested enough, let's go." Dugu Bo brushed the grass clippings off his hands, climbed onto the cart shaft, and said, "We need to get to Lanxi Town before dark. Tonight, we'll have a hot bath to relax and unwind."

"Soak in hot soup?" Dugu Yan's eyes lit up.

"The medicinal hot springs in Lanxi Town are a unique feature of the Silves border region." Dugu Bo's tone was unusually relaxed. "You'll see when you get there."

The carriage resumed its journey, and after leaving Deer Cry City, the scenery along the roadside was indeed quite different from before.

The grassland gradually receded, and woodlands began to appear. At first, there were sparse shrubs, but the trees became denser as we went further. Tall spruce and red pine trees grew intertwined, their branches forming a dense green dome overhead. The road also narrowed considerably, and the wheels made a soft rustling sound as they rolled over the ground covered with pine needles.

As the sun gradually sank westward, the light in the forest dimmed, becoming deep and tranquil. Occasionally, an unknown bird would flit across the treetops, its flapping wings making a particularly clear sound in the silence.

As darkness fell completely, lights began to appear faintly ahead.

The carriage passed through a sparse pine forest, and suddenly the view opened up before us.

A wide river stretched out before us, its current gentle, shimmering in the moonlight.

The riverside town was small, but brightly lit. A row of inns and taverns along the river had red lanterns hanging in front of their doors, casting a warm glow on the entire street.

We've arrived at Lanxi Town.

The carriage slowly made its way along the town's bluestone road. At the end of the road, on a gentle slope near the river, stood a three-story building with black stone and blue tiles—the "Moon Spring Inn."

The gate was simple in style, with only two ever-burning lanterns hanging on either side. The light from the lanterns was somewhat whitish, as if shrouded in a thin mist. Above the gate hung an old wooden plaque with the three characters "Moon Spring Inn" written in a square and steady hand.

The age is indiscernible; the surface of the wood is roughened by wind and rain, but the writing remains clear and strong.

"There's a strong smell of medicine." Dugu Yan sniffed.

"This is what a medicinal hot spring should taste like."

Dugu Bo jumped out of the car. "This Moon Spring Inn is quite famous in the area. The medicinal bath is made by boiling underground hot spring water with local herbs. It is said that the recipe was left by a Titled Douluo in the early years. No one knows whether it is true or not, but it is definitely excellent for relieving fatigue."

He paused, his gaze falling on the plaque above the door. "The plaque was also casually written by that Titled Douluo; the calligraphy is ordinary, but the person is extraordinary."

Lin Chen also glanced at the plaque. The handwriting wasn't exactly good, but the strokes were extremely powerful, each stroke seemingly embedded in the wood, carrying a strength that time couldn't diminish.

He nodded after just one glance; someone who could write with such skill must be highly accomplished.

The four of them stepped forward, and before they could knock, the side door creaked open.

A middle-aged man in a gray cloth shirt poked his head out, looked Dugu Bo up and down, his gaze lingering on him for a moment before he forced a smile, "Sir, looking for a room? Or a hot spring bath?"

"Check in, three rooms, and arrange some medicinal soup." Dugu Bo took out two Gold Soul Coin from his pocket and twirled them between his fingers. "Also, bring some midnight snacks to the rooms."

The middle-aged man took the Gold Soul Coin, expertly weighed it in his hand, and his smile deepened. "Please come in, sir! The bamboo courtyard behind the main courtyard is still empty; it's a row of three rooms, very quiet. The medicinal soup area is at the back of the courtyard, one for men and one for women; just follow the stone path to the end."

He led the four of them around the main building and through a stone-paved path.

The courtyard is dotted with more than twenty independent courtyards, separated by bamboo fences and stone paths. A small white lantern hangs at the entrance of each courtyard, its light creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere in the night.

Shaded by pine and bamboo trees, with the sound of flowing water and a faint scent of herbs in the air.

Lin Chen glanced around and found that the layout of the Moon Spring Inn was indeed as the shopkeeper had described: the main courtyard was the tallest, and behind it was a semi-open-air hot spring area, separated by a solid wooden wall, with men's and women's hot springs on one side and not connected to each other.

Hot mist rose from the surface of the pools on both sides, like a thin veil under the moonlight, shrouding the entire area in shadows.

"This is it." The middle-aged man pushed open the gate of a bamboo-fenced courtyard, inside which were three interconnected tile-roofed houses, bright and clean. Across the bamboo grove, the direction of the hot spring was visible.

"Please rest for a moment, everyone. I'll arrange for the kitchen to prepare a late-night snack right away."