The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

"What's the trouble this time?" Lu Xiaosan asked.

He Lai sighed softly, "The Kaiyuan Martial Arts Tournament starts in a few days, and I need to get back to Luo City as soon as possible, so..."

Lu Xiaosan looked troubled. "So, you mean we should go back to the Immortal Pavilion? To be honest, I came back here to find someone very important, but that little shadow brat only targets people important to me. I don't know if we should rush back now."

Hearing this, He Lai breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, young brother. This Immortal Pavilion is the safest place in Luo City. As long as you're willing to go, I can guarantee your safety."

Lu Xiaosan gritted his teeth and pondered for a long time before saying, "Alright, I'll go talk to her now."

Back inside, Lu Xiaosan told Wen Ying everything that had just happened.

To her surprise, Wen Ying immediately rejected the idea, saying, "No, my patients are coming back tomorrow, and besides, dogs aren't allowed in the Zhexian Tower, are they?"

Lu Xiaosan spread his hands, "Grandma, with that token and the fact that you saved their lives, you can bring in anything, even dog poop, let alone dogs."

Wen Ying was still very reluctant. "No, the golden retriever will definitely not be able to adapt to that place. I have already left it for a long time because of Brother Lu. I can't let it down again."

Lu Xiaosan was speechless. "But they won't protect us forever. We can't stay here forever."

Wen Ying raised her head and said seriously, "Brother Lu also said that they can't protect us forever. We can't escape it. In the end, we have to face it ourselves."

For the first time, Lu Xiaosan felt such deep regret. He regretted that he had been lazy as a child and hadn't practiced any martial arts, always waiting for others to protect him. Although he had always thought he was indifferent to life and death, he only understood the pain of it when he truly encountered someone he wanted to protect.

Lu Xiaosan wanted to speak, but couldn't bring herself to say it. She was in such a dangerous situation entirely because of him. And now, she still had the nerve to ask her for this and that? Sigh…

Lu Xiaosan hesitated for a long time, then finally lowered her head, looking utterly defeated, and managed to squeeze out only three words, "I'm sorry..."

Seeing him suddenly apologize to her, Wen Ying was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Brother Lu will always be the fearless person in my heart, and he would never be someone who would be afraid all day long because of someone else's words."

Seeing her innocent smile, Lu Xiaosan sighed helplessly, thinking, "If he were targeting me, I naturally wouldn't be afraid... But... alas, is this the consequence of falling into the trap of 'love'..."

Unable to dissuade her, Lu Xiaosan had no choice but to go out and discuss it with He Lai again.

Upon hearing this, He Lai looked worried. "What should we do if Miss Wen doesn't leave?"

Lu Xiaosan, still embarrassed, asked again, "Then... what about that idler Ning Konglou? Where did he go? Why isn't he here to protect the nobles of their Three Venerable Palace?"

He Lai clicked his tongue and said bitterly, "Brother Ning and I are both going to participate in the Kaiyuan Martial Arts Tournament. We can't stay here and wait forever."

Lu Xiaosan was shocked to hear this, "That guy will also participate in the competition." He then realized that Ning Konglou was probably forced to participate as well.

At this point, Lu Xiaosan couldn't help but chuckle to himself, "Hehe, could the storyteller's 'pig teammate' be Ning Konglou? Hahahaha!"

"Why did you suddenly start laughing, brother?" He Lai asked, puzzled when he saw Lu Xiaosan suddenly laughing.

Lu Xiaosan quickly stopped smiling and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing, please continue."

He Lai's brows furrowed with worry once more. "In short, I'm afraid I can only stay here until late at night at most. After that, it'll all be up to you, little brother."

"It's wonderful that Hero Helai can stay up until late at night!" Lu Xiaosan said happily.

He Lai was puzzled, so Lu Xiaosan said, "I have to go back to Zhexian Tower first, and I'll come back here tonight. I'll leave things to you in the meantime, He Yingxiong."

He Lai nodded and said, "Well, young brother, you can go without worry. I'll take advantage of the nice weather to train properly here."

Lu Xiaosan asked in disbelief, "Exercise? You're already this strong, why do you still exercise?"

He Lai sighed, "Hey, strength is all for show. Only you know the effort, perseverance, and self-discipline required behind it."

Lu Xiaosan kept nodding, but he had no experience with what he was talking about.

He Lai laughed heartily, "Enough said, little brother, you go ahead and get busy. I'll run around this field five hundred times first."

Lu Xiaosan panicked, "Hey, do you know how?"

"Don't worry, I won't go far. I'll make sure your beloved girl is safe."

"No... what I meant was... your legs..."

"It's alright. Although the lower leg is broken, the thigh can still exert force."

Seeing Helai dressed as a fisherman, limping and struggling to run away, how could anyone possibly associate this figure with the legendary Helai who once dominated the racing field?

Lu Xiaosan seemed to understand what he meant; his strength seemed to have been built up step by step in this way.

Lu Xiaosan returned to the house and told Wen Ying what had happened. After listening, Wen Ying seemed to have a hint of resentment on her face.

Seeing this, Lu Xiaosan hurriedly said, "Don't worry, I'll be back tonight."

Wen Ying nodded without saying anything.

"Are you... angry?" Lu Xiaosan tilted his head and asked cautiously.

Wen Ying smiled at him and said, "No, how could I be angry?" As soon as she finished speaking, the big golden retriever next to her barked at Lu Xiaosan, seemingly venting its dissatisfaction on behalf of its owner.

Lu Xiaosan, however, failed to notice anything amiss and was overjoyed, exclaiming, "Great! Then... I'll be right back!"

"Stop!" Wen Ying called out to him after he had only taken two steps.

Lu Xiaosan swallowed hard, expecting Wen Ying to get angry, but instead she smiled sweetly at him and said softly, "Brother Lu, you don't need to go through all this trouble for me. If... I mean, if I really am harmed by Ananda, I will willingly die for you. Please don't feel guilty." Her tone was extremely sincere, leaving him standing there dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

He felt an itch on his hand again; it turned out that the golden retriever was rubbing against his hand again, looking reluctant to leave.

At this point, Lu Xiaosan nodded, his eyes seeming to have some sand in them. He only said a few words in a low voice: "Don't worry, I'll be back right away, and then... I'll stay by your side every step of the way..." After saying that, he ran out without looking back.

The golden retriever chased after them for a few steps, then stopped in the middle, glancing at Lu Xiaosan who had run off into the distance, then at Wen Ying inside the house, hesitating. In the end, it stuck out its tongue and went back inside.

Wen Ying hugged the returning Golden Retriever, deliberately putting on a tearful voice as she said, "You and I acted so convincingly, why couldn't we keep him? Waaaaah..."

"He was just hugging me last night, saying he'd never leave my side again. And now, less than a day later… Waaaaah… Men are all the same… Waaaaah…"