My Promotion Story Through Time Travel

Chapter 120 Encounter

"Go inside!"

Lin Ziping was pushed hard and fell to the ground.

"This was brought from the foot of the mountain. You'd better discipline it." The burly man ignored Lin Ziping's resentful gaze and instructed a man who looked like a manager next to him.

"Yes, yes, leave Ninth Master to me. I guarantee he'll be completely obedient within two days. Even the toughest man here will have to soften up," the steward said obsequiously.

Lin Ziping's fall was completely genuine; his buttocks hurt terribly, and he couldn't get up for a long time.

The steward saw Lin Ziping still sitting on the ground as he saw him out the door. He lashed out with his whip and said, "Are you dead? You didn't come here to enjoy yourself. Get up and squat in the corner."

"Slap slap—"

Two more whips lashed out.

Lin Ziping quickly covered his face and stood up, but he still received a lash from the whip.

"hiss--"

Lin Ziping got up to resist.

"Clap--"

Two more lashes.

"You still want to resist? You're asking for death—"

Lin Ziping covered his head and ran around frantically to avoid it.

Seeing that he hadn't managed to hit Lin Ziping, the manager flew into a rage and started cursing, "Hong Lao Er, are you dead? Why aren't you coming over to help!"

As soon as the manager finished speaking, a man about two meters tall, with a fat and strong build, ran over.

I could feel the ground shaking. Looking at the person running towards me, I wondered how someone who barely gets enough to eat could grow so strong!

Lin Ziping secretly assessed his chances of defeating this person. His mind raced as he carefully considered how to deal with the situation. He couldn't help but curse Jiang, the head of the household, for being so incompetent and not explaining the situation clearly.

"Father, I want to eat meat." The man had a silly grin on his face that didn't match his appearance.

The steward lashed out with his whip: "Eat, eat, all you know is how to eat! Your father is being bullied and you don't even know how to help him!"

Hong Lao Er lay on the ground, kicking his legs and crying out for meat.

The crying was like a demonic chant.

Lin Ziping looked wary, but his feelings were hard to describe. It was obvious that this person had intellectual disabilities, didn't understand anything, yet had become the henchman of this person in charge.

"Don't cry, Second Brother, be good. Help Daddy teach this man a lesson, and Daddy will give you meat." The steward said with a kind expression.

Hong Lao Er stopped crying, scrambled to his feet, his face covered in snot and tears, and said with a smile, "Good boy, Lao Er."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Lin Ziping and suddenly rushed over.

Hong Lao Er was too strong, and Lin Ziping was unable to defend himself. He could only use his body to dodge left and right, but even so, he still took a few punches and gradually lost ground.

"Alright, Second Brother." The steward, seeing that Second Brother Hong had pinned Lin Ziping to the ground, smugly called for a halt.

Hong Lao Er withdrew his hand and ran back to the steward, seeking credit: "Father."

The manager raised his hand, and Hong Lao Er took a step back in fear. Seeing that the manager's expression did not change, he squatted down and carefully nuzzled his head in the manager's hand.

Lin Ziping lay motionless on the ground, feeling every bone in his body screaming in pain.

"Men, take him away. Don't feed him for the next two days." The steward stepped forward and kicked Lin Ziping. Seeing him lying there like a dead dog, he laughed with satisfaction and warned, "No matter what you did before, you have to listen to me here. If the chieftain hadn't said he'd spare your life, do you think you'd still be alive? Bah!"

Although Lin Ziping was conscious, he was unable to move.

In his dazed state, he felt the ground vibrate, and he figured the steward must have taken Hong Lao Er out.

He felt someone pull him up, and he thought that this must be what the manager had told him to do, to get him down.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Ziping suddenly remembered the secret about himself and abruptly opened his eyes.

"Young Master Ziping, you're awake."

What came into view was a large face, but Lin Ziping couldn't make out who it was because it was backlit.

She blinked heavily, it looked like Haruko.

He tried to raise his hand to rub his eyes, but perhaps aggravating his injuries, Lin Ziping hissed in pain.

The pain cleared Lin Ziping's muddled consciousness. Upon closer inspection, although the person in front of him was pale, thin, and malnourished, it was indeed Xiao Chunzi.

With Xiaochunzi here, how far away is Gaochi?

Lin Ziping was overjoyed and struggled to get up.

"Young Master Ziping, please slow down." Xiaochunzi quickly stepped forward to help Lin Ziping.

"Cough cough—I'm fine." Lin Ziping waved his hand. "What time is it now?"

Xiaochunzi handed Lin Ziping a bowl of water, which he took and drank in large gulps.

“It’s probably around 1-3 PM,” Koharu thought for a moment. “You’ve been asleep for a whole day.”

This is the first time I've suffered such a serious injury since arriving in this era, and the cost of this incident has been quite high.

Lin Ziping carefully examined his body; it still hurt a little, but it was much better than when he had just been beaten.

Following the path of the small village, Lin Ziping sat up and realized that he was in a cave. The light from before was from the burning torches, and all that remained was a pile of weeds. There were other people in the cave, but they all looked blank and had empty eyes. No one paid any attention to Lin Ziping.

"Young Master Ziping, were you arrested too?" Xiaochunzi asked.

Lin Ziping didn't answer but asked in a low voice, "Didn't you go into the city? What are you doing here?"

"We were drugged as soon as we entered the city... and brought up the mountain." Xiaochunzi's eyes darted around.

Lin Ziping lowered his head and pondered for a short while before figuring out the key to the matter. He figured that Gao Chi must have distrusted him and found another horse after He Shun left. Who knew that he and the carriage would be taken up the mountain?

"Young Master Ziping, what brings you here?" Xiaochunzi asked Lin Ziping, changing the subject.

"The bandits have rebelled, and I was sent to scout ahead," Lin Ziping whispered to Xiao Chunzi, then shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Who knew that I would fail so soon after arriving? I was discovered and severely injured. Thank you for saving me. How is your leg?"

Xiao Chunzi whispered, "It was Qiong...Young Master Li who saved you. She happened to have medicine to heal my leg, and it's all healed now."

It turns out to be Miss Qiongying. Girls are truly beautiful inside and out.

"How are they?" Lin Ziping asked with gratitude.

"You're awake?" A hoarse voice came from behind.

Lin Ziping turned around and saw a person pushing a wooden cart talking.

Xiao Chunzi quickly went over and took his cart, saying softly, "Qiong...Young Master Li, you should rest for a bit."

Is this Li Qiongying? Lin Ziping observed carefully and found that apart from the eyes being somewhat similar, the dark-skinned boy in front of him was completely unrelated to the elegant and refined young lady he remembered.

"Are you feeling better?" Li Qiongying asked as she sat down next to Lin Ziping.

Lin Ziping cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for saving me, Brother Li."

“You saved us first,” Li Qiongying said. “Weren’t you in Xinping Village? What are you doing here?”

Lin Ziping then recounted how the county government had sent him.

Li Qiongying frowned: "Just as Sixth Brother guessed."

Lin Ziping looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"How many of you are there?" Li Qiongying continued to ask.

Lin Ziping said with a somber expression, "The mountain stronghold is heavily guarded; I'm all alone."

Li Qiongying frowned, and after a long while said, "You should take good care of your injuries. We'll discuss this when Sixth Brother returns."

Lin Ziping nodded, his gaze falling on Li Qiongying's shoes. Her shoes were covered in a layer of dust, with a hint of red inside. What was that?

Looking at the place where Li Qiongying had just come out, there was actually a passage hidden in the shadows. Lin Ziping couldn't help but wonder where it led.