The carriage rolled steadily along the wide, flat road, the wheels emitting a rhythmic rumbling sound on the compacted surface.
The ground dragon's steps were quite light and steady, occasionally sending warm white breath from its nostrils, its tail wagging cheerfully as if in good spirits... having been cooped up for a while, it hadn't run so freely in a long time.
"The most famous place in Dawn City is naturally the Wings of Dawn... besides that, it's also a well-known city of wine, home to the world's largest brewery," Aina said slowly, speaking to Xia Lun behind her.
Xia Lun held the reins in both hands, wrapping them around Aina in his embrace. A breeze lifted her silver-white hair, brushing it gently across his cheek.
"After all, adventurers and alcohol are inseparable... for adventurers, fine wine is the soul!" Liyana's voice came from the carriage behind. She licked her lips, as if savoring the memory. "I've had the Dragon's Breath wine produced there—the taste... hoo, even a century-old elf fruit brew can't compare."
The open carriage door allowed free communication between those inside and out.
But the three girls inside could only see Xia Lun's back, as Aina's figure was completely hidden behind him.
"Oh?" Liyana's remark piqued Xia Lun's interest.
Though not a heavy drinker, Xia Lun was quite passionate about fine wine—it was one of his few hobbies besides Aina.
"That's normal." Aina showed no surprise, her tone still calm, with her characteristic composure. "Dawn City has the most advanced magical brewing technology. Through carefully designed magic arrays, fermentation and aging are accelerated. A single year produces a richness comparable to a century-old vintage."
"Magic arrays? Used for brewing? That's quite extravagant," Liyana said with a click of her tongue, a mix of amazement and teasing.
"Dawn City also collaborates with Olyfand... some Olyfand graduates end up there, and Olyfand even has a dedicated brewing major," Aina explained with ease, then teased, "But you probably don't know that, Xia Lun, do you?"
A look of embarrassment crept onto Xia Lun's face.
Back at Olyfand, the dizzying array of majors had given him a headache—magic in this era touched so many fields... so it was always Aina who chose his courses.
To accommodate Xia Lun and keep him from being lost, Aina deliberately picked the more leisure-oriented music courses, which was how they ran into Mo Lini...
"Oh... Dragon's Breath wine, huh? Such a cool name," Mo Lini remarked with full curiosity.
Like the flaming breath of a dragon—just the name told you it was a fierce liquor.
"No drinking for kids!" Liyana quickly said.
"I'm already a mature adult, Liyana... I'm older than Luo Lun," Mo Lini protested against Liyana's words, somewhat dissatisfied.
"Mo Lini... milk is pretty good too," Luo Lun, who had been silent, chimed in quietly.
"Luo Lun! Even you say things like that!" Mo Lini looked at Luo Lun in disbelief, while Liyana doubled over laughing in the carriage.
"Then... then I can have milk wine..." Mo Lini said weakly.
"That's not allowed either!" Liyana flatly rejected Mo Lini's idea, rubbing her head firmly. "Wait until you're older to drink."
Mo Lini: ...
But she might never get any bigger.
The sun shone warmly. Aina raised her hand to shield her eyes a little and yawned, looking drowsy.
"Tired? You can lie in my arms and sleep for a while," Xia Lun said, stroking Aina's head.
Though they had set out today, they hadn't gotten much sleep last night after all their activities... after all, once they were out adventuring, they wouldn't have the comforts of the estate.
Little Ai Na was really worn out.
Aina didn't refuse Xia Lun's kindness. She immediately relaxed, going limp and sinking into his embrace.
"Sunbathing... feels nice," Aina murmured lazily, her eyes half-closed.
Xia Lun chuckled softly, finding it hard to imagine such words coming from a vampire.
Soon, even breathing came from his arms... though it was drowned out by the sound of the ground dragon running. But Xia Lun could feel the steady heartbeat of the little one in his embrace.
His gaze grew increasingly tender.
"Xia Lun."
"Hm?"
"I'm going to rest now, so don't poke me, okay?"
"I wouldn't!" Xia Lun kissed Aina's forehead and replied, a little speechless.
From Olyfand to Dawn City, with the ground dragon's pace, the journey would take nearly a month.
But before setting out, everyone had planned the route meticulously—sometimes staying at inns in towns or cities along the way, sometimes camping under the stars—everything was well organized.
The trip wasn't without its unexpected surprises: blocking monsters on the road, Liyana stirring up trouble, or Aina and Xia Lun oversleeping in the mornings...
But in the end, they arrived at Dawn City right on schedule.
Ahead, a long line had formed, mostly merchant caravans waiting for inspection before entering the city. Wagons loaded with goods stretched in a row, drivers calling out to each other and exchanging information. The air was thick with various accents and the mixed smells of cargo.
Most of the goods were prime crops meant for brewing.
Xia Lun drove the ground dragon to the end of the line.
"Oh, we've arrived!" Liyana jumped excitedly from the carriage, stretching her stiff limbs.
Xia Lun got off the carriage first, before Aina, then turned gracefully and extended his hand to her. "Please step down, my beautiful lady."
Aina was unmoved. Instead, she tilted her head, watching him silently with her crimson eyes.
"What's wrong?" Xia Lun, seeing his hand hanging in the air, awkwardly withdrew it.
"Should we wait in line?" Aina said casually. "Wouldn't it be simpler to just go straight into the city?"
"Ah, Aina, I think we shouldn't make exceptions for ourselves..."
"That inspection is only for confirming merchants' identities. If we show our Olyfand graduation medals, they'll let us through directly, without wasting anyone else's time," Aina explained.
"Uh..."
"Xia Lun, don't make excuses for yourself easily," Aina said with a sigh, her tone like a mother being a little exasperated with her child. "Be brave enough to admit your own mistakes."
"You're right, Aina." Xia Lun's throat tightened.
Then Aina's lips curled up slightly. "But, because you're my husband, I'll be sure to forgive you."
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
