In the end, John obediently went back to train.
Who knows if what motivated him was the phrase "not as good as Knicks" or "can’t keep up with Lin Ke," or perhaps it was a combination of both.
Lin Ke, on the other hand, went to accompany Fulon.
This time out, Lin Ke wanted his mother to truly enjoy herself and relax for a while.
To dilute the shock and joy of the past few days, which would be better for her health.
So, Lin Ke used every trick he had, acting as impressively as he did that day he angered the King of Gods, bringing laughter out of Fulon the entire way.
Thus, by noon they finally arrived at the nearest small town—Parrot City.
"Little Lin Ke, can you guess why it’s called Parrot City?"
Fulon wore a yellow flower in her hair, excited like a villager ready to enter the city, only she was a beautiful, innocent, and romantic version.
Fulon always had a special aura about her, a uniqueness that Lin Ke had never seen in anyone else.
"I don’t know." Nor do I want to know.
Lin Ke maintained his persona as the "cute and understanding son," trying hard to make his mother happy.
If there’s anyone in the world Lin Ke truly cares about, it’s his mother, followed by his teacher, John, Knicks, and the others.
As for that Viscount Azanen, he’d rank somewhere over a hundred, probably around Old Jor.
Old Jor was the servant at their castle responsible for mucking stalls.
"Hehe, let me tell you! Parrot City is named that because every five years there’s a wave of parrot migration!"
Fulon said with an expectant look, "I saw it last time, and it was amazing! Red and green everywhere, and your father watched with me back then, sigh..."
As she spoke, she sighed.
It has been six years since they last saw each other.
Seeing his beloved mother grow troubled, Lin Ke was gnashing his teeth in hate for that Garoce.
Even though he knew fighting abroad was the best choice for Garoce.
After all, the stronger Garoce was, the more secure the family’s survival became, with more resources available.
But who cares about all that when he left his mother here without a word?
Even if Garoce was a good lord, he definitely was not a good father, nor a good husband.
"Mother, we’re at the city gates now!" Lin Ke pointed ahead at the city wall.
There stood a city built upon a plain.
The city gate was large, surrounded by a shallow, narrow moat that connected to a river, flowing gently into the distance.
This river was one Lin Ke had always envied, as in Azanen’s side there was only another small river, with not as strong a flow.
"Yes, yes, let the procurement team go buy things, and I’ll take you around Parrot City!"
Fulon was immediately energized, forgetting all her worries.
Lin Ke smiled, nodding, while Knicks and John emerged from the carriage to join them.
A steady stream of people entered and exited the city gates, including villagers, traveling merchants from other places, and several procurement teams.
Fortunately, the gate was wide enough for everyone to pass through.
The soldiers at the gate, seeing the Azanen insignia on Lin Ke’s convoy, immediately stood tall and performed the right-hand chest-thumping salute.
They were part of the Azanen Family, naturally familiar with their core convoy.
Originally, Garoce’s branch couldn’t be considered the core; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been assigned such a distant castle.
But ever since Garoce emerged to claim the viscountship, leading the whole family to become a Viscount Clan and securing a large territory, Garoce’s branch had become the core.
The rank system in Naseng was simple, crude, and brainless, likely related to the King’s lack of serious governance and the focus on planar exploration.
After all, with endless planes waiting for nobles to explore, who would invest energy into mere pieces of Viscount’s Domain?
"Little Lin Ke, on we go!"
As they entered the city some distance, more people filled the area, with noisy chatter, and Fulon jumped off the carriage with Lin Ke in her arms.
John and Knicks followed, along with the leaders of Guard Team groups one and two to protect them.
Lin Ke was reluctant to be held, but Fulon loved to hold him and pinch his cheeks, leaving him no choice.
"Hmm... where should I take you... oh right! Let’s go check out Chaos Street first!"
Fulon eagerly ran in a direction, like a little girl freed after being locked in for long.
Lin Ke swayed back and forth, finally patting Fulon: "Mother, can you put me down so I can walk myself."
Behind them, John, Knicks, and the guards’ team leaders kept their heads down, pretending not to see anything.
Rarely did they get to see their young master being held like a child.
Usually, in their eyes, the young master was the "destined great practitioner," the "brilliantly talented student," and the "strict training officer."
Perhaps only in the eyes of Lady Fulon was the young master still a child yet to celebrate his sixth birthday.
After a bit of jogging, Fulon panted slightly, setting Lin Ke down: "Little Lin Ke, you are already six, you should learn to walk on your own, you know? So exhausting..."
No, madam, you’re unreasonable.
"Heard you." Lin Ke nodded helplessly, his voice childish.
"Alright then, let’s go!"
Fulon, satisfied, pinched Lin Ke’s cheek and then took him by the hand to walk further in.
Chaos Street was similar to a bazaar, a place where anything and everything could be bought or sold, and people of all kinds gathered here.
Like some small hoodlums playing with sharp knives at the corners, usually thieves or robbers, sometimes switching roles to become bandits.
There were also some hooded figures walking briskly, clearly intending to sell or buy valuable items.
And some travelers with weathered faces, along with street performers, beggars, and vigilant guards...
The place was crowded and bustling, Lin Ke sensing his surroundings, and the guards as well, including John and Knicks scanning around with caution.
Except for a certain silly girl...
"Wow, Lin Ke, look, they’re breathing fire!"
"Wow! That person jumps so high!"
"Wow, what a cute cat!"
If there weren’t so many people around, Fulon could probably start skipping and jumping.
It was almost as if Lin Ke was leading Fulon, rather than the other way around.
"Squeak squeak squeak..."
Nearby was a place similar to a pet shop, where several large cages at the entrance filled with various wild animals, though no magical beasts were seen.
"Come on, Little Lin Ke, I’ll take you to see the animals!"
Fulon pulled Lin Ke towards the shop, as if Lin Ke was the one eager to see the animals.
Thanks to the bright red floral patterned clothes and noble symbols they wore, no lower-class individuals dared to bother them.
This was, after all, a city under Azanen’s rule, with red being the dominant color representing Azanen.
"Oh~ who is this! The esteemed Lady Fulon, the sweetest red breeze of Azanen, gracing us with her presence, welcome, welcome..."
A slick-haired, powdered-faced man appeared before Lin Ke and his group, sporting a confident smile.
That confident gleam covered not only his oily belly but also the lust lurking deep in his eyes.
The sweetest red breeze was a tribute to Fulon, representing the recognition guests gave when Viscount Garoce and Fulon married.
"Hello, Baron Sangdir!"
Fulon beamed like a flower, innocent and romantic, like a pure white daffodil.
ps: Hehe, hehehehehehe, I want votes, I want recommendation votes, I want monthly votes...