The shopkeeper was very efficient; within half an hour, two large tables laden with fragrant dishes were served.
Everyone was hungry, and they ate rather ravenously.
After the meal, Leng Ruoli and the others returned to their respective rooms to rest, leaving only two night-watch guards to stand guard on either side of the corridor.
As night fell, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan, after showering in the spatial dimension, decided to fly to the inn's rooftop to enjoy the night breeze.
As soon as they flew up, they saw Leng Jinyu, clad in a thin dark robe, standing with his hands behind his back. His posture was upright and slender, like a bamboo, standing in the night wind with his robes fluttering. He was gazing at the distant starry sky, lost in thought, wondering what he was thinking about.
"Daddy, what are you doing?"
Upon hearing this, Leng Jinyu turned around and glanced at Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan.
"Lier, you've come up too."
Hearing this, Leng Ruoli nodded gently and replied with a sweet smile, "We couldn't sleep, so we came up for some air. Daddy, are you thinking of Mommy again?"
On the way to the East Sea, Leng Ruoli had noticed that Leng Jinyu had become somewhat unusual. Not only had he spoken less, but he also liked to wander off alone and stare into space. She wondered what he was thinking about.
"Yes, Daddy is thinking of your mother again. I wonder how she's doing now?"
"Daddy, don't worry. We will definitely find Mommy and bring her back this time," Leng Ruoli comforted him.
"Daddy hopes so too. Alas..." Leng Jinyu sighed deeply.
Then, he continued, "Alright, I'm going back to my room to rest. You two can play here."
Before Leng Ruoli could reply, Leng Jinyu immediately turned and flew off the rooftop.
He didn't want to be squeezed between the young couple. It was better to go back to sleep.
Leng Ruoli: "..."
Jun Mohan: "..."
"Jun Mohan, come here, let's sit for a while."
Leng Ruoli said, walking to where Leng Jinyu had stood and sitting down.
"Okay!"
Jun Mohan responded and walked over, and the two looked up at the starry sky together.
"Jun Mohan, what should we do tomorrow? We've arrived in the East Sea, but we haven't been able to gather any news about the Flower Clan." Leng Ruoli said with a headache.
Jun Mohan listened and remained silent for a moment.
"Although the East Sea is part of our Tianwu Kingdom, the situation here is rather special. The imperial court cannot completely control it. The several major families here have a significant influence. Don't you have that token from Shui Yihe? His family is also one of the top families in the East Sea. I estimate that we might be able to gather some important information from him. Why don't we meet him tomorrow with the token he gave you?" Jun Mohan suddenly suggested.
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruoli raised her hand and slapped her thigh fiercely, saying with some excitement, "Shui Yihe, good heavens, I almost forgot about him! He's a local big shot here. He must know things that others don't. Alright, let's go find him tomorrow."
...
The next day, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan woke up early. Leng Ruoli was once again disguised as a man. After a simple breakfast, they assigned tasks to Yin Chen and Ye Ying, and then headed to the streets without any retinue to inquire about the Shui family's residence.
Before long, they quickly learned the Shui family's address from two kind passersby.
The Shui family lived on Bailin Island in the East Sea. It was said to be a place of beautiful scenery, pleasant climate, and fresh air... In short, the two passersby they asked described the island where the Shui family lived in very glowing terms. However, none of this mattered to Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan.
Their purpose in going to the Shui family was solely to gather information.
However, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan had just learned from the two kind passersby that it was the Shui family's old madam's birthday celebration today. Most of the prominent figures in Donghai City had gone to the Shui family to celebrate the old madam's birthday, so there were many boats heading to the Shui family at several piers in Donghai.
If they also wanted to go to the Shui family to celebrate the old madam's birthday, they should hurry to the pier to catch a boat, otherwise, it would be very difficult for them to get on a boat later.
After hearing the words of the two kind people, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan galloped to a pier in the East Sea.
The pier was already crowded. They stood on tiptoe and craned their necks to look. All they could see were heads. However, most of these people were there to watch the excitement. Not everyone could go to the Shui family's birthday celebration; only the local major families and influential officials of Donghai City were invited by the Shui family.
Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan finally managed to squeeze in, found a small boat, negotiated the price, and were preparing to head to the Shui family when they were stopped.
"Hey, are you two also going to wish Madam Shui a happy birthday?"
Upon hearing the voice, the King Leng couple stopped their boarding action, their brows furrowed slightly, and then they turned to look behind them. They saw a burly man, tanned dark, with his upper body bare, his trouser legs rolled up, walking towards them.
Seeing that the King Leng couple didn't reply for a long time, the man became impatient and shouted in a loud voice, "I'm talking to you two, haven't you heard me?"
Hearing this, the King Leng couple's faces instantly darkened. They detested arrogant and rude people like this the most.
"Does it matter to you where we're going?" Leng Ruoli said coldly.
"Hey, what kind of attitude is that, young man? I'm the manager of this pier. What's wrong with me asking you?"
The burly man's face also turned very ugly upon hearing Leng Ruoli's words.
Leng Ruoli sneered inwardly but didn't want to argue with such a person and waste time. She took Jun Mohan's hand and turned to board the boat.
But as soon as they stepped into the boat, they heard the naked manager speak again from behind them.
"Boatman, if they don't explain clearly where they are going today, you cannot set sail. Otherwise, you won't be able to earn money by taking passengers at any pier in the East Sea anymore."
The naked burly man threatened the boatman carrying the King Leng couple on the spot.
The boatman carrying the King Leng couple was a small old man with silver hair, a thin and dark complexion, and a hunched back. Judging by his attire, his family was not well-off. Hearing that he would also lose his opportunity to pick up passengers at the pier because of this matter, he immediately became frightened, his face turning pale with fear. His family relied on this income to support themselves. If he lost this job, his family's life would become even more difficult.
"Young masters, please, be compassionate and report your itinerary to the manager," the boatman pleaded with the King Leng couple.
If it weren't for the boatman's pitiful situation, Leng Ruoli would have directly taken action against the pier manager. However, to avoid causing trouble for the boatman, she took out the jade pendant that Shui Yihe had given her from her sleeve and threw it at the pier manager.
Upon seeing the jade pendant thrown by Leng Ruoli, the naked pier manager's expression changed instantly, and he immediately stepped forward to apologize to the King Leng couple.