The night descended.
The sky was filled with stars.
Tang Ru sat on the lawn, resting her small head on Ling Feng’s shoulder.
In front of them, a bonfire crackled, and across it sat the two elderly figures of Li Gensheng and his wife.
The old couple were also nestled together.
The scene was truly breathtaking, like a stunning oil painting brought to life.
Li Gensheng spoke volubly, his life a tapestry of stories too numerous to recount even in three days and three nights.
Ling Feng and the others listened quietly, while Feng Qingya beside them was lost in her own memories.
Their meal was simple: a roasted chicken, and a well-preserved pack of old-brand instant noodles, a rarity nowadays. Yet, here, it was a delicacy.
Accompanying this was a bottle of Er Guo Tou for each person, also a treasure of Li Gensheng's.
Ling Feng savored the taste, the fiery liquor and the stories a potent, exhilarating combination.
He found himself drinking more than he intended, but the day had been exceptionally satisfying.
“L-late…” Feng Qingya struggled to form the words.
Each utterance brought a surge of emotion.
Li Gensheng felt the same. He knew he had spoken too much today, but he couldn't help it; he was simply too happy.
This was not the first time Feng Qingya had reminded him.
Li Gensheng chuckled heartily, “Haha, indeed it is late. Do you two plan to sleep in a tent or the car? We old folks will set up our tent here!”
Ling Feng stood up, “Alright, I’ll help you!”
“Haha, I’m not so old that I can’t move! But if you’re interested, I can show you how we pitched tents in the army back in the day. There are techniques to it! Haha!”
Li Gensheng, slightly tipsy, dropped all pretense of formality with Ling Feng. They were both soldiers, and in their cups, rank and age faded, leaving only brotherhood.
Ling Feng smiled and flattered, “Haha, then I’ll learn from you, senior. I’ll pass it down later. This is our cultural heritage! We can’t let the art of field encampment be lost!”
“Haha…”
Soon, the two men were busy.
Tang Ru accompanied Feng Qingya, tidying up around the bonfire.
“Heh, men are boys until they die, Grandma Feng. Look at them, they’re acting so casually,” Tang Ru teased.
Feng Qingya smiled and nodded, “No, not boys, but… children!”
“Heh, yes, children. Children who never grow up!”
Tang Ru was amused by Feng Qingya’s words.
As they were busy, a few kilometers away from their campsite, vehicles began to arrive.
At that very moment, Ling Feng’s movements paused slightly. He didn’t deliberately sense or guard against anything. Although they were near the border of the safe zone, monsters often appeared. However, as long as Ling Feng was present, he exuded an aura that deterred weaker monsters. Thus, Ling Feng was not worried about their safety.
It was precisely because of this that Ling Feng only detected their presence when they approached within ten kilometers of them.
“What is it?”
Li Gensheng’s perception was clearly still sharp. The slight pause in Ling Feng’s actions alerted him to something amiss.
Ling Feng turned and gave Li Gensheng a faint smile, not hiding anything. He casually said, “I killed a few scoundrels on the way here. They’ve come for revenge!”
Upon hearing this, Li Gensheng immediately walked towards the cars, opened the trunk, revealing a large cache of firearms.
From light to heavy weaponry, everything was there.
Ling Feng was almost stunned. Was the old man a weapons expert? This looked like they were preparing for war.
“See if there’s anything you can use. I see headlights over there. There are quite a few of them. Let’s set up an ambush and take them down!”
Li Gensheng called out, his entire being radiating a killing intent that even Ling Feng couldn’t help but notice.
Then, Li Gensheng took out a sniper rifle, quickly checked it, and loaded a bullet.
“Old friend, today we’re not fighting monsters, we’re fighting people!”
Ling Feng’s mouth twitched. He quickly stepped forward to stop Li Gensheng, “Heh, senior, there’s no need for such trouble. You just stay here and look after Tang Ru. I’ll go and deal with them.”
“You alone?”
Li Gensheng frowned, instinctively wanting to refuse. But then he remembered Ling Feng’s identity and suddenly realized.
He gave a self-deprecating smile and shook his head, “Heh, I’m truly getting senile. You can defeat even those King-level monsters, let alone these fellows. Alright, go ahead. I’ll watch over them here. If anyone shows themselves, I’ll shoot them on sight.”
Ling Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He had genuinely worried that the old man’s hot-bloodedness would lead to a massacre.
“Alright, leave it to me!”
With that, Ling Feng darted out, disappearing into the night in an instant.
Feng Qingya, who had already sensed something was wrong, rushed over, “What’s wrong?”
Li Gensheng instinctively started to answer, then saw Tang Ru beside him and gave an embarrassed smile.
Tang Ru, however, reassured Feng Qingya, “Grandma Feng, it’s nothing, just some petty thieves. Let Ling Feng handle it! Let’s chat a bit longer, I still want to hear your stories!”
Feng Qingya was led away by Tang Ru.
Li Gensheng finally came to his senses. Seeing Tang Ru’s calm demeanor, he couldn’t help but smile inwardly. For Tang Ru to be Ling Feng’s woman, her strength was likely not inferior to theirs.
Perhaps, in this situation, it wasn’t Li Gensheng looking after Feng Qingya and Tang Ru, but Tang Ru looking after the old couple.
Am I truly old?
Li Gensheng looked at Feng Qingya’s hunched back, which seemed to have stooped further, and his eyes blazed with renewed vigor.
“Cultivating martial arts can enhance physical vitality and greatly increase lifespan. I’m not old yet, I can still fight a few more enemies!”
He muttered this to himself, a silent affirmation.
His encounter with Ling Feng today had given him and his wife a new lease on life. Li Gensheng did not want to waste this opportunity; he wanted to reignite his own fiery spirit.
Meanwhile, Ling Feng had already appeared on the highway seven kilometers away.
Under the flashing headlights, the lead vehicle braked sharply.
Screech…
The car stopped less than a meter away from Ling Feng.
The cars behind were not as quick to react. To avoid a collision, they veered off onto the grassy verge.
Amidst the chaos, from the rear of the convoy, something resembling an ancient palanquin floated forth. Within it sat a lama in yellow robes on a meditation cushion, levitating the entire palanquin.
Following behind were four lamas in red robes, moving rapidly. They all seemed to possess the ability to fly, keeping pace with the convoy from start to finish – what a terrifying display of skill!