But the panic in Bai Xiu's eyes lasted only a moment before it resumed normalcy. He said in a firm voice, "This round doesn't count. The bet just now was interrupted by that Female War God; otherwise, if it had continued to the end, I might not have lost."
Lin Yi didn't pursue the matter. He was only teasing Bai Xiu and not truly intending to enforce the loss, and besides, if Bai Xiu didn't mind the hassle, Lin Yi certainly found it bothersome.
"Brother!"
Just at that moment, Lin Ning's voice suddenly carried over.
Lin Yi looked in the direction of the voice and saw Lin Ning and Yuan Fang emerging from the cabin.
Seeing the bloodstains on their clothes, Lin Yi's face immediately changed. "Ning'er, you're hurt!"
"Don't worry, Brother, it's the blood of those Golden Country Soldiers!" Lin Ning said with a chuckle, shaking her head.
Lin Yi checked and found that Lin Ning was indeed unharmed, then gratefully looked at Yuan Fang and bowed slightly. "Thank you!"
"No need!"
However, Yuan Fang dismissed the gratitude with a grand wave of her hand. "Just treat me to some good food when we arrive at the Imperial City!"
"No problem," Lin Yi replied with a nod and a smile. "Whatever you want to eat, you shall have your fill!"
"I admire your bravery!" Yuan Fang said to Lin Yi with utter seriousness.
Lin Yi was taken aback. Brave to invite someone to a meal?
Seeing Lin Yi's confused face, Bai Xiu explained with a grin, "My sister only excels in one thing, and that's her appetite!"
"She alone can devour an entire cow!"
"Brother Lin, this meal you're offering might end up being quite costly for you." Bai Xiu patted Lin Yi's shoulder.
Finish off an entire cow? Lin Yi looked at Yuan Fang in astonishment. Such a small figure could have such a voracious appetite?
And she seemed to be a feisty little girl.
Possessing powerful abilities.
And her strength was quite formidable as well.
These Bai siblings were no ordinary people!
"Brother Lin, we've arrived at the Imperial City!"
It was then that Bai Xiu's voice came from the side.
Lin Yi's heart stirred, and he immediately looked ahead along the course, only to see a towering cityscape, colossal like a giant beast, emerging into view!
The Stone Country Imperial City!
The very center of power for the entire Stone Country!
"Upon arriving at the Imperial City, we need to be more cautious," Bai Xiu said, looking at Lin Yi. "This place is home to too many influential figures. We should make more friends and avoid conflicts."
"You make a good point." Lin Yi nodded. "But I'm someone who never looks for trouble!"
"You must learn to control your own tongue," Bai Xiu replied flatly to Lin Yi's comment.
Never looks for trouble?
Then how did he end up with a hefty bounty in the black market?
After disembarking, the four of them entered the Imperial City together.
It had to be said; the Imperial City was indeed magnificent!
In terms of size, it was probably more than a hundred times larger than Qing City!
Surrounding the towering gates, fully armed guards of the Shi Country Imperial Army strictly screened every person entering the city.
Inside the Imperial City, a vast crowd appeared before the group.
Apart from the commoners, within the Stone Country Imperial City, one could see people in all manner of strange and exotic attire. Among them, many dazzling Martial Artists rode on fierce Low-level Spiritual Beasts, parading through the streets.
Even taming a Spiritual Beast, if merely a First-stage Low-level Spiritual Beast, was definitely not something an ordinary person could do.
This gave Lin Yi, someone from a small place, a sensation of having his eyes opened wide.
Roar!
Just at that moment, a roar like thunderous peals echoed through the air, and where the sound reached, everyone hastily made way.
On that street, a Giant Blood Lion Beast with a body drenched in crimson strutted out, its figure enveloped in a terrifying beastly might.
"That's the Second-stage Spiritual Beast mount, the Blood Lion Beast!"
Bai Xiu's expression turned quite solemn, "It belongs to the people of the Zhou Family from the Prime Minister's Mansion in the Imperial City. The insignia of the Blood Lion Beast is the Zhou Family's crest."
Prime Minister's Mansion, Zhou Family!
Lin Yi made a note of this major force in the Imperial City.
The Prime Minister was a power official in Shi Country, second only to one and above tens of thousands, and the Zhou Family of the Prime Minister's Mansion was undoubtedly one of the top aristocrats in the Imperial City.
Without a doubt, it was also one of the powers Bai Xiu had mentioned earlier, which should not be provoked.
Atop that Blood Lion Beast sat a tall young man who, although handsome, exuded a somewhat sinister aura.
"This person must be the Zhou Family's present-day prodigy, Zhou Yuan."
"I hear he's already been designated by the Martial Arts Academy as one of the key figures in the new generation to receive focus training."
Lin Yi nodded and then gave Zhou Yuan a look, surprise flickering across his face.
This person had already reached the Fifth Level of the Spirit Transformation Realm!
Truly a genius from a powerful family in the Imperial City!
However, Zhou Yuan had an arrogant look, reveling in the admiring gazes from all around and didn't notice Lin Yi and Bai Xiu at all as he rode past on the Blood Lion Beast.
After the people from the Prime Minister's Mansion left, Bai Xiu turned to Lin Yi, "By the way, Brother Lin, you've just arrived at the Imperial City, you probably don't have any plans yet, do you?"
"Brother, I'll take you somewhere tonight to widen your horizons!"
"Where?"
Lin Yi's eyes showed a hint of wariness, "It's not a brothel, is it?"
Hearing the word 'brothel', Lin Ning immediately glared at Bai Xiu.
"Ha, let's save the brothels for another time when we're free."
Bai Xiu laughed and waved his hand, "Tonight, we're going to the Wangyue Building to attend a banquet hosted by the Royal Family to see if we can meet some of the figures from the Imperial City."
"Royal Family banquet?"
Lin Yi's brow slightly furrowed, "That's surely not something just anyone can attend, right?"
"Of course not!"
Bai Xiu said with a proud look on his face, "But for me, it's not a big deal!"
"Just follow me in, and it's good to get to know some of the top talents and extraordinary figures of Shi Country."
"Besides, it's said that the Seventh Princess will also attend the banquet!"
Mentioning the Seventh Princess, the heavenly pride of Shi Country, Bai Xiu also showed a longing expression.
"Seventh Princess?"
Lin Yi, upon hearing that the Seventh Princess would also be there, immediately nodded and agreed, "I'll go with you."
He was worried about having no way to meet the Seventh Princess, and this Royal Family banquet seemed like a great opportunity.
Seeing Lin Yi agree, Bai Xiu then looked at Yuan Fang and Lin Ning, "How about you two?"
"Not interested!"
Yuan Fang outright declined.
"That's a pity then!"
Bai Xiu sighed, "I heard that the Royal banquet will have all kinds of delicacies, like roasted whole cows, roasted whole sheep, and even some demon birds and Demon Beasts on the table..."
"These things, even I have never tasted before..."
Persuaded by Bai Xiu's words, Yuan Fang was no longer tired, her eyes immediately brightening up, then she cleared her throat and said, "Then I suppose I'll reluctantly join you for the event!"
Lin Ning beside her also nodded, "If brother and Sister Yuan Fang are going, then I'll go too!"
"Then let's go!"
Bai Xiu waved his hand and immediately led Lin Yi and the others towards the depths of the Imperial City, heading in the direction of the Wangyue Building.