Chapter 517: You mutt, you

Little aunt, you might not know, after my father's treatment, the wounds on my body—not to mention healing—my cultivation has progressed as if in a meteoric leap!

Zhang Chengyong chuckled, his face full of unmistakable pride; fearing Zhang Guihua wouldn't believe, he performed a set of punches before her, fierce and mighty, and said:

Little aunt, this time I'm escorting your family back; not to mention running into those bastards just now, even if we meet something stronger, little aunt, rest assured, even empty‑handed I can drive them away!

You kid are just bragging here!

Zhang Guihua laughed scoldingly, letting out a sigh, and said, "Alright, as long as nothing's wrong!"

She isn't a cultivator, but in her youth she saw plenty of fights, like Zhang Chengyong being slapped by Ji Nian and sent flying—a complete crushing.

Not to mention Zhang Chengyong's cultivation supposedly leapt forward, even undergoing earth‑shaking changes, she still found it hard to believe that Zhang Chengyong could be Ji Nian's rival.

Little aunt, I'm not bragging...

Zhang Chengyong forced a retort, and seeing Zhang Guihua about to speak, he cut in first:

Little aunt, it's getting late; I still have to rush back later, so let's set off early and not waste any time!

Fine, we'll get home early; we can't be late for your return!

Zhang Guihua nodded, knowing Zhang Chengyong had suffered serious injuries; though he has recovered, he isn't in a hurry to seek treatment, wanting to escort the family home first—a goodwill of his—so she no longer objected.

She stood up.

Zhang Guihua had taken only a few steps when her body went limp, about to fall, but Wang Lin reacted in time, grabbing her so she didn't hit the ground.

Zhang Chengyong asked worriedly, "Little aunt, are you alright?"

"What could happen to her? She just cried herself out of strength a moment ago!"

Zhang Guihua was about to speak, but before she could finish, Wang Lin laughed, then crouched and said:

"Alright, don't push yourself, I'll carry you back!"

Before Zhang Guihua could act, Zhang Chengyong cut in, "Little aunt's husband, let me carry my little aunt!"

"What are you going to carry? Your body just recovered..."

Wang Lin hadn't finished speaking when Zhang Chengyong interrupted,

"Little aunt's husband, you don't know—after my father's treatment, I'm now brimming with power; not to mention carrying my little aunt, even a single punch could kill a bull without issue!"

Liu Dongzhu interjected, "Father, let Mother hold Ping'an on the lion's back, okay?"

"That wouldn't be good, would it?"

Wang Lin frowned.

"Father, you still don't know my condition—if you and Mother hadn't objected, I would have been out in the fields with you both not long ago!"

Liu Dongzhu smiled, understanding Wang Lin's meaning, worried that she had only given birth to Wang Ping'an a few months ago and hadn't recovered, and said proudly:

"Perfect, my butt hurts from sitting on the lion's back; I want to walk a bit!"

Wang Lin opened his mouth to say something, but seeing Liu Dongzhu's expression, he didn't seem to be joking, and said:

"Alright, give Ping'an to your mother, let her hold Ping'an on the lion's back while you walk the road; once her body recovers a bit, I'll let her get off and swap with you!"

Liu Dongzhu said nothing more; she had decided that before reaching Hutou Gou she would not swap with her mother under any circumstances, though she dared not voice it.

Otherwise.

Her father might oppose, and even her mother wouldn't agree to carry her family's Ping'an on a white lion's back. "Dongzhu, if you get tired, tell me—don't push yourself!"

Zhang Guihua took the Wang Ping'an Liu Dongzhu handed over, approached the white lion, and, seeing the docile white lion before her, her face full of unmistakable pride, said:

"Our Ping'an truly is extraordinary—attracting divine cats and divine eagles, and now even this wondrous white lion, making it a mount—for our Ping'an, no, a guardian spirit!"

She grew up in Shizi Ling, having seen all kinds of beasts, the most common being lions.

Although most were lion carcasses, even in death a lion's pride remains unmistakable.

Back then, the lions of Shizi Ling left her an extremely deep impression, one she still cannot forget.

She finds it hard to compare the docile, cat‑like lion before her with the proud lions she once saw.

She knows that a wondrous white lion is probably more proud than ordinary lions—perhaps even born with a proud bone—but its docility before her isn't because of her.

It must be because of the grandchild in her arms!

Zhang Chengyong watched enviously as Zhang Guihua, with his help, rode the white lion, and before his envy could linger, he heard a cold snort from the white lion beside him, seeming to drive him away, and he couldn't help mutter:

'You low‑eyed, contemptible beast, so proud before me yet groveling before Ping'an—are you treating us differently, damn it?'

This novel you to

outside Hutou Gou.

Zhang Chengyong traveled without incident, safely escorting Wang Lin's family outside Hutou Gou, and was about to part ways; after all, he still needed to return home, and the distance between Shizi Ling and Hutou Gou is long—he couldn't delay.

Suddenly.

Zhang Chengyong vaguely sensed something amiss and barked, "Who's there, come out quickly!"

Wang Lin asked puzzled, "Chengyong, what's wrong?"

"Little aunt, little aunt's husband, Dongzhu sister!"

Zhang Chengyong looked at their worried eyes and explained, "There's an ambush nearby, likely archers aimed at us; be careful!"

"Impossible…"

Wang Lin was about to rebut—after all, this is Hutou Gou, and no strongmen have appeared here for years, so how could there be an ambush? Before he finished, a hunter‑clad man rose from an inconspicuous mountain ravine; on closer look, he was a familiar Hutou Gou villager, who asked in surprise:

"Si Ping, is that you?"

"Uncle Wang, is that you?"

Si Ping had just emerged from the ravine, heard his name called, and upon seeing Wang Lin, was startled, rushed over, but stopped short, his gaze lingering on the white lion beside Wang Lin.

He stared at the white lion's massive, imposing form.

Si Ping couldn't help swallowing, his face and eyes filled with unmistakable awe; his peripheral glance caught the only stranger beside Wang Lin, and he asked in shock:

"Uncle Wang, who is this young brother?"

(End of chapter)