It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"Please stand by the window, in a dark place. And as for the posture, feel free to do whatever you want."

Hearing this, Bai Lin felt a gentle tug on her hand. It was naturally Katie. Naturally, Bai Lin placed it on her shoulder and pulled her into his arms. A carefree, old married couple. This face, a face they had both seen countless times, drew their gazes together, drawing them closer.

"How should I put it... I'm really not used to it. I've been feeling this way since we met again. After all, you've confessed a lot to me."

Bai Lin couldn't help but whispered,

"So, do you like it?"

Katie responded casually.

"Of course, I like you. No matter how many difficulties lie ahead, you will always be my motivation to move forward. Even if you are not by my side, you have never left me."

"But I think we should stop flirting. Otherwise, it will disturb others."

Bai Lin suppressed his outward emotions and said so. Katie smiled and said,

"That's really too much. You should say what you want to say when you're passionate, and then keep it to yourself. And you're still reminding me not to flirt?"

"mine."

Bai Lin nodded in apology, and the intense conversation between the young lovers came to an end. After all, our Katie is a woman who knows how to be more reserved.

Time flew by, and for no one present, it felt like it was too long. Hans let his thoughts guide him, trying to convey his thoughts through his brush as best he could. Flicks of color appeared, and by the time he came to his senses, a painting had filled the canvas that had been blank just moments before.

Chapter 1078 A masterpiece

A sacred and peaceful aura, emanating from a beam of goose egg yolk light, blazed across the window lattice, lingering in the faint smiles of the two, then dissipated into a trail of dark orange, leaving behind a lasting allure. The compositions are both clean, and the two protagonists are naturally prominent. It's more accurate to say that their presence alone gives the main tone such a sacred quality.

"It's a really nice painting. I don't know how to paint, so that's all I can say. But, is this me?"

Bai Lin, standing in front of the canvas, commented like this. Before Hans could speak, Katie had already answered,

"A writer's perspective is naturally different from yours. Everyone has a different image in the minds of different people, and this becomes more apparent in their writing."

As he spoke, Keith tapped the edge of the painting with his finger.

"For example, your smile has a wider arc than mine, and it looks more bold and natural. The difference in expression might not be so obvious in real life, but it will be like this in the drawing."

"I'm not much of a connoisseur, but Mr. Hans is clearly able to express his thoughts and vision very well. This is a fundamental, yet also highly valuable quality. Add to that superb painting skills, and it will naturally become a masterpiece. In any case, this is well worth your reward."

Katie looked at Hans and smiled, then patted Bai Lin lightly when she finished the sentence. Bai Lin touched his chin and nodded.

"Indeed, someone like me can tell at a glance that a painting is beautiful. It's obviously quite impressive. This is your first portrait, isn't it? You have to thank him for making it look so good."

"It's yours too, don't just care about me."

Katie teased and replied to Bai Lin.

The two were clearly praising him, their conversation engaging him, but Hans didn't respond. It wasn't that he couldn't get a word in, but he felt strangely drowsy. This atmosphere, which felt like a conversation between mere friends, seemed unaccustomed to him.

It was strange. Normally, I'd just feel annoyed when I listened to those elaborate, flattering social conversations. But when it came to this kind of small talk, I couldn't even formulate a proper attitude...

"Hey."

Just as Hans fell into a trance, Bai Lin's soft sigh brought him back to the real world.

"Please tell me."

"Take care of yourself. I don't want to take the money and then lose the job."

Perhaps Hans' condition did not seem good, which led to Bai Lin's somewhat awkward comfort. When he came to his senses, Bai Lin was already leading Katie and striding out of the house.

"Are you leaving now? Painting..."

"Why don't you leave? How can I solve the problem if I stay here? I'll leave the reward with you. Come back and get it later."

Without giving the other party a chance to react, Bai Lin slammed the door and left with Katie. Hans was left sitting alone at the table in the room. He looked out the window at the carrier pigeons, covered in rain and dew, flapping their wings and flying into the sky. A gloomy color that matched the sky inexplicably touched his brow.

It seemed as if the light seen before was only fleeting.

He crossed his legs and unknowingly fell asleep by the window.

-

The sun shone brightly on a barren land that could be described as a complete desert. The weeds on the ground gave no sign of life. In such a place, the scorching sun only made people feel dry, not the bright beauty.

Suddenly, with the resounding clatter of iron hooves, a body of immense size plunged into the wasteland. A horse, three meters tall, stood majestically, its fur gleaming in the light, a testament to its perfection and strength.

And above that horse's body, rested a woman's voluptuous upper body, as exaggerated as the horse's, yet perfectly proportioned. Beneath the lowered brim of her cowboy hat, her straw-colored hair flew in all directions, completely obscuring her exuberant aura. Her bold face and furious eyes embodied the multifaceted nature of beauty.

Obviously, the creature galloping across the wasteland is a classic fantasy creature, the Centaur. And just like the delicate balance between men and women in this world, it is a woman.

The leather jacket, hung with items, jingled. The saddle shoes covering the horse also looked like clothing, bulging with cargo. And the hooves, adorned with iron hooves, exuded a murderous aura. The slight stains of blood and rust on them only added to their immense majesty.

What was even more eye-catching than these was the exaggerated killing weapon held by the centaur - a long-handled broadsword, which looked like the familiar "Guan Dao". It looked intimidating, just like her, giving people the feeling that she was very capable of fighting and killing.

"Hey, Miss Elf from Rain City? Why are you here? Let me warn you, you're not thinking of relying on the prestige of your own race to show off in the House of the Rising Sun, are you?"

"It's obvious there's only one elf here." The centaur, speaking in a tone even more fiery than her own, lowered her head and, as if mocking her, approached Bai Lin, who was incredibly small compared to her, and asked.

"Come and take a look. Why, are you here to take me through customs?"

Bai Lin's expression was calm, but he was not polite in answering the other party's questions.

"Entry formalities? Hahahaha, of course, my lady. Come on, you and the woman next to you, leave me all the valuables you have, and that dress made of nice fabric, it should be able to sell for a good price. Don't worry, I'll leave you a piece of cloth. Just go back in disgrace this time, and don't wander around in a world that doesn't belong to you."

The Centaur laughed, and she looked very happy.

"Oh? These people are really simple and honest. But if you want to rob me, you'd better think carefully."

Bai Lin replied, but her cold expression inexplicably changed to a polite smile. The centaur stared at her and smiled unexpectedly.

"You are truly remarkably strong, Miss Niu Dafa Elf. After hearing your softly spoken words, I finally noticed your extraordinary beauty."

The centaur raised his sword high, his face darkening, and with a fierce slash, at a speed too fast to be seen by the naked eye, a heavy cut was left on the ground behind the two men. The thunderous sound was full of deterrence, just as she gradually increased the volume.

"I've changed my mind. A little girl like you who doesn't understand the situation, leave her to me for fun. Later, I'll sell you to a gang with more money. We can put her to good use. Good things should be shared among us... Hahahahaha."

After putting on a more ferocious appearance, the centaur laughed even louder.

Chapter 1079 What do you think

However, the expected panic did not appear on Bai Lin's face, which surprised the horsemen. Even Bai Lin's expression did not show any obvious ripples, and the other party's courage did not retreat at all, showing no sign of being frightened.

"Aren't you afraid?"

The Centaur asked.

"Why should I be afraid?"

"Well, then you're not angry? I mean, I'm going to..."

"Ugh."

Bai Lin sighed helplessly and turned his gaze to the distance.

"There are all kinds of people in this world. Some are full of nonsense, while others are chatting nicely one moment and then attacking you the next. But to me, there's no difference between good and bad. There's no difference at all."

"If they're aggressive, just be on guard. As for those who like to bark, I'd be exhausted if I had to deal with every one of them. As for meaningless barking, I usually choose to ignore it. It's not a sign of weakness, it's just that I don't care."

"……Oh."

Bai Lin's words froze the Centaur. Perhaps the unexpected response had overwhelmed her, leaving her unable to absorb a single word of the well-reasoned words. Instead, she could only ponder questions like, "Is this elf mentally ill?" Her mind was buzzing, and she even forgot Bai Lin's comparison of her words to "barking."

However, some people were not stunned.

The next moment, a powerful pull came crashing down on the group. It was an unavoidable aura, an aura that was hard to ignore. She was forced to lower her head once again, her gaze filled with fear as she turned to the events unfolding before her.

Bai Lin took a light step forward. Even that tiny step between them made the centaur feel a surge of weakness and limpness in her legs. Her body convulsed, and she felt like a blood-soaked demon. Endless fear emanated from her, like a black hole, completely immobilizing the centaur.

And now, the evil ghost's gaze slowly passed over her, and was about to meet her gaze.

"But... what did you say just now? Where are you going to sell us both to? A few words of criticism are fine, and I can certainly ignore it occasionally. But I'm not a generous person."

Bai Lin's figure and voice instantly distorted the centaur's senses. She only heard a thunderous sound.

"You absolutely shouldn't have set your sights on her. Even if you only said it, I will get to the bottom of it."

"Why, are you so interested in other people's bodies and money? Well, I'll give you a chance. I'll stand here and let you attack me as you please. As long as you can hurt me, I'll let you live. Otherwise..."

Bai Lin's voice did not increase, and his speech speed even slowed down a bit, but the ups and downs of his words were more like the devil's voice from hell, spreading out.

"Your body, your treasures? Even your life—everything is mine. I will do whatever I please with you. Isn't this a good offer?"

Amidst these waves of sound, the centaur clearly sensed every thought in her body. The instinctive urge to flee from danger, coupled with the instant realization that escape was futile, was overwhelming her. Everything was enveloped in the shadow of fear, plunging her into the illusion of a dark, demonic cave.

When she came to her senses, she was already sweating profusely. She looked at Bai Lin in front of her, her vision blurred as if by the stimulation of the scorching sun. There was no trace of the elf-like girl in her eyes just now. What was left was only the phantom pain that kept stimulating her instincts crazily.

However, in this situation, she still didn't know why, but she instantly swallowed the fear in her chest. It seemed that this was the only possible way to survive.

"Don't be too crazy, little girl!"

The sword, over seven meters long, was raised high into the sunlight. In this house of rising sun, people relied only on their own hands for survival, but the centaur prayed in her heart, praying that the sun, which she hated so much, would lend her some strength.

And it seemed that with this momentum, a blow that was as if it was about to set, and that could knock the sun down from the mountain, was madly released from her hand, and in an instant, it had reached Bai Lin. It was not difficult to imagine the scene of her fragile body being instantly split in two. However:

"clang."

The calm sound immediately halted all the impact, just as Bai Lin's expression remained unchanged. In just a moment, white smoke drifted out from the collision between her arm and the sword, following the fierce attack.

Then, the knife broke. Everything disappeared, as if the blow had never struck Bai Lin.

The next moment, a stinging force, accompanied by Bai Lin's kick, penetrated the centaur's belly. She felt her intestines seem to disintegrate in an instant, and then she felt as if she had been blown away and lost consciousness. Then her body collapsed limply and twisted on the ground, and she could only let the screams of pain occupy her every possible action.

She arched her body strongly and twitched, and her hands, which formed the upper body of the human body, were involuntarily reaching towards the lower part of the horse's belly, as if trying to reclaim something.

"Don't worry, your insides weren't kicked out. You can still scream, so of course you can survive. Although I don't want to care about other people's opinions, I still care from time to time. This is the worst that can happen to you."

Bai Lin sneered twice, looking somewhat helpless. She patted the other party's bulging package and took out a large flintlock gun and some ammunition from it.

"Why don't you try to hit me with this thing...? But you looked scared just now, so you probably didn't have the time to think about it. Even though it can't hit me. Don't worry too much, I'm not unreasonable. I won't kill you for scolding me, and I don't need this thing to kill you. It's just that it hurts my butt, so I took it out first."

Bai Lin threw it away and sat down on the side of the centaur with a swagger, which caused the centaur to roar again. Bai Lin raised a finger and said,

"Shh, keep your voice down. Miss El over there doesn't like to hear any unpleasant and noisy noises. If you scream any louder, I might really kill you."

"Although I love everything you do, no matter what it is, please don't put the blame on me, Rin."

Chapter 1080 Many poor people spend their lives here

Katie Pello expressed herself in this way, clearly willing to bear the blame and supporting and appreciating Bai Lin's actions. However, she also stated that she wasn't particularly interested in seeing people's heads fall. Or rather, like Bai Lin, she didn't care. But the Centaur herself couldn't be so indifferent. She almost immediately suppressed her voice, uttering only a mournful wail.

Bai Lin waved his hand casually as a greeting, then patted the men under him as if nothing had happened, and continued,

"It seems you can still listen to what I say. If that's the case, then it's easy to talk about. You were the one who lost your temper first. It's not too much to fulfill the bet, right? Now, you are mine."

Bai Lin said this, as if wanting to confirm the other person's expression, she turned her head, but all she saw was a frown of pain, which made her dissatisfied again. She raised her leg and kicked the other person's abdomen twice.

"Answer me, if you're like this, even if I wanted to treat you as a slave, it would be difficult. If the master doesn't respond, then there's only a corpse left, right?"

The words full of coercion instantly penetrated into the centaur's brain along with the pain. She nodded repeatedly to show that she understood. Bai Lin then nodded in satisfaction.

"I'm a very easy-going person. I hope you won't have any bad intentions because of this. Don't let my kindness go to waste. Otherwise, you know what the consequences will be. Hurry up and get up from that ground. Don't keep me waiting too long."

As she said that, she walked back to Katie's side. Katie looked up at Bai Lin.

"You seem quite interested?"

The two of them were probably communicating in a voice that no one could hear. Bai Lin's face suddenly turned pale.

"She's interested. But if we don't act tough and show some salt, she'll really treat us like prey. Although we already knew it was a mess here, thanks to her, we have a rough idea of ​​how chaotic it is, and we also picked up an extra guide who came to our doorstep."

"In a place like this, it's just like the workplace. Either you're ruthless or no one will take you seriously. If you want to be ruthless, you have to be ruthless to the end. However, the rules are different in a place like this, and the fists you use are naturally different."

"It sounds like you know a lot about the workplace?"

Katie Pello asked, looking at the camera. Bai Lin was even more dismissive of the question.

"I used to work here, as you've seen. I've gained a deeper understanding of my work here. I don't always feel comfortable working. But let's not talk about that. Compared to Yucheng, the people here really give me a completely different feeling."

"Fortunately, with our strength, these are not a problem. But you also have to pay attention to safety. If you think there might be an accident, it is better to hide your original body and use mine first."

Bai Lin said this to Katie, and Katie quietly put her hand on the other's hand, which attracted the former's attention back to the latter. Katie still had a gentle look and a familiar smile.

"I'm staying by your side, Rin, to prevent you from being so consumed by grief and losing your humanity. I know you love me and worry about me, but I'm doing this primarily because I want you to feel at ease. So, there's no need to overthink or explain this. Just trust me, I'll take care of it myself."

Bai Lin looked at her, her anxious thoughts indeed recurring in her mind. She was too afraid of repeating the same mistakes she had made countless times before, and she didn't want to see tragedy unfold before her eyes, especially for the people she loved most. Even though Katie said this to her, she seemed unable to suppress her emotions.

"Besides, I also want to make up for some of that. It's been a long time since we've been together like this, right? It's dangerous, but it doesn't matter to us. Let's just treat it as a heart-pounding honeymoon, that's what I think."

Of course Katie saw Bai Lin's hesitation, but then her expression became a little excited, and then like a simple girl, she realized that she had been misunderstood, and even tried to explain,

"Of course, I'm not saying to underestimate these things. It would be too childish to regard the work you do as an act of love. It's just that I treat them out of love, so I say this. To me, this is your full effort."

"Well, I believe you, but I couldn't help but remind you."

Bai Lin then replied. Seeing the other person's smile, she understood, but couldn't bring herself to say anything blaming him. She smoothed the other person's hair and said no more.