Wait a minute, where is my master?

Xuanxu Temple, the main hall.

In front of the ancestral master's statue, the Taoist and City Lord Su each sat on a very old meditation cushion.

The two ladies stood behind Su Liebo.

It wasn't that Jin Xu was impolite, but there were only three cushions in the main hall, not enough to go around, so the ladies simply stood.

"Taoist Jin Xu, your recent trip to Shangjing City was truly admirable. You not only broke the spirit of the Demon Sect but also saved countless civilians of Great Xia, truly..."

"City Lord Su, what exactly are you trying to say?"

The young Taoist interrupted gently. Ever since this Lord of Gusu City had shamelessly entered the temple, he had been rambling on and on.

Jin Xu was eager to go fishing for people, naturally wanting to quickly clarify the other's purpose so he could return to the back courtyard to tend to important matters.

"...Ahem, Taoist Jin Xu, I just wanted to ask if you could intercede with Emperor Zhao on behalf of Mr. Li Li Mi."

Su Liebo touched his nose awkwardly. They had worked together for many years, and he wouldn't have come here this early if it weren't for his old friend.

When Li Mi was arrested, it shook Shangjing City, and the news naturally reached Gusu City. At that time, Xia Xuanmin ordered the matter to be quietly dealt with. But now that the new emperor had ascended the throne, Li Mi, a prominent Fourth Grade official, cannot remain in prison forever.

Having heard from Xia Sunyang, City Lord Su knew that the Seventh Princess, now the Empress, and Taoist Jin Xu had a very good relationship, so he thought to come and speak on his behalf.

"Mr. Li? He's fine."

Jin Xu responded calmly. At the same time, he noticed the two women standing behind City Lord Su were stealing glances at him.

"Has Li Mi been released from the prison?"

Upon hearing from the young Taoist that there were no issues with him, a burst of joy appeared on Su Liebo's rugged face.

"Ah, that he has not. When I left Shangjing City, he should still have been in prison."

Jin Xu shifted awkwardly.

"???"

City Lord Su looked confused; he was a straightforward man. Although his cultivation was not low, he did not quite understand these convoluted court affairs.

"Since he's still in prison, then..."

Su Liebo hesitated, his hand returning to his nose.

"City Lord Su, rest assured, Mr. Li should be released in a few days. He's still in prison now just because the time isn't right yet."

The Taoist patiently explained, seeing that the other seemed not to understand.

"Then may I ask Taoist Jin Xu, when will his time come."

"..."

Jin Xu shook his head and did not answer.

How could he say it was waiting for Xia Xuanmin to die so that Li Mi naturally could be released? The old man imprisoned him but didn't execute him, wasn't it just to leave a loyal official and an opportunity for favor to his imperial granddaughter?

It was difficult to say this aloud, so the Taoist chose to remain silent.

Su Liebo still did not understand, but since this "national uncle" said his old friend was fine, then he probably was fine. After all, with such high cultivation and strength, he had no reason to deceive a mere city lord.

Thus, City Lord Su politely stood up and chose to take his leave.

The two women skulked behind him, not having said a word to Jin Xu.

The young Taoist escorted the three to the temple entrance and then turned back to the rear courtyard.

Outside the temple, the mountain path.

Disguised as a proprietress of the Immortal Robe Pavilion, she complained to her best friend through a mental transmission, "Tell me, why did you bring your grandfather to visit Taoist Jin Xu? Who brings their grandfather when trying to flirt with a man!"

"How was I to know Grandpa would come? Besides, it was because you took too long picking out makeup and clothes, which led to Grandpa and me meeting at the city gate!"

The flower bell girl rolled her eyes and responded through a mental transmission.

"It's all because you told your grandfather that Taoist Jin Xu was returning!"

"How could I know that after telling him, he would come this morning!"

After returning to Gusu City yesterday, the two women had planned to meet at the city gate this morning and then visit Jin Xu together. However, after the Immortal Robe Pavilion proprietress took her time getting dressed, she arrived at the city gate only to find not only her best friend but also her best friend's grandfather was there!

So the two had no choice but to come with Su Liebo.

During the walk down the mountain, City Lord Su sensed a subtle ripple of Spiritual Sense behind him, looked back suspiciously, and saw his granddaughter and her friend both wearing innocent expressions, so he turned his head back around.

"Why do I sense a transmission ripple?"

Su Liebo wondered to himself.

...

In the temple, the rear courtyard.

After seeing off the three, Jin Xu hummed a tune as he prepared to return to the rear courtyard to fish for people.

"That Duke~ wandering, stepping out towards the west~~~ and saw (liao)..."

The husky is fishing!!!

"Little White, put down the fishing rod!"

The Taoist exclaimed in surprise.

He had just entered the rear yard when he saw Little White holding an ink jade fishing rod excitedly, the line of the rod already extended into the bucket of Spiritual Liquid he had set up.

"Ah, Elder Master, you're back."

Jin Xu saw Shiqi's excitement as he lifted the ink jade rod from the bucket and realized that what was coming out was not a fish hook; he knew it was already too late.

Damn, he had already fished the thing out!

With Little White's tugging, a burly figure was pulled out from the void and fell onto the nearby ground.

The Taoist quickly approached Shiqi, took the fishing rod from her hands first, and then asked with a serious expression, "Little White, what were you visualizing when you were fishing just now?"

He had never told the two women about this ink jade rod before because the trust hadn't been sufficient then.

Now, Jin Xu wasn't worried about the secret of the fishing rod being known to the two; after having spent so much time together, there was trust. However, he was uncertain about what Little White might visualize, which is why he was so nervous.

After all, who could guess the thought process of a husky!

If it were Yaoer using this ink jade fishing rod, he wouldn't be so nervous as the interests of the Little Fish Demon were mostly in ingredients, and he could roughly guess what would be fished up.

Thinking this, the Taoist Jin Xu glanced with his peripheral vision at the man on the ground who hadn't fully regained consciousness yet.

"Preliminary judgment, it's a human. Just not sure if it manifests Little White's visualization or was randomly fished up. Sigh, keeping a husky really demands close attention!"

Seeing the Taoist's serious expression, Little White's excited face instantly faded. She looked up at Jin Xu and said in a low voice,

"Temple Master, haven't you been looking for your master? After seeing the effects of this fishing rod, I thought to try and help you fish the Elder Master out. I was visualizing the Elder Master."

Upon hearing Shiqi's words, Jin Xu was slightly stunned; he really hadn't guessed that Little White was visualizing his master.

This thought process was just like when he had been trapped in mid-air!

But how did she know what his master looked like?

"Little White, do you know what my master looks like?"

The seriousness on Jin Xu's face relaxed slightly.

"I didn't know initially, but when I picked up that fishing rod, there was an image of the Elder Master within it."

Shiqi saw that the Taoist's expression wasn't so stern anymore and her voice grew louder.

"..."

Jin Xu pondered for a moment then seriously said to Little White, "Since you saw my master's image, then you must also know this fishing rod has defects. Don't use this thing lightly in the future, understand?"

Shiqi nodded vigorously at the Taoist, though it was unclear whether she had really taken it to heart.

"Alright, you are punished with no eating for half a month. If you want to use this fishing rod in the future, remember to tell me beforehand, got it!"

Jin Xu was worried that just admonishing her wouldn't make her remember, so he added a punishment.

"Got it, Temple Master!"

Little White looked bitter; she had just narrowly escaped last time's punishment, and now she was directly faced with no eating for half a month.

Having finished admonishing his demon pet, the Taoist quickly turned around to check on the man who had been fished out.

...

The conversation between master and servant might seem cumbersome, but it had taken just over a minute.

By now, the burly man on the ground had already stood up. His consciousness was still a bit unclear due to the long-distance spatial transmission.

Jin Xu walked up to the man, already thinking about how to explain and apologize.

But the man with a band tied around his head, busy checking a cold storage box on his back, hadn't noticed the Taoist who had approached.

After confirming that the cold storage box on his back was undamaged, he then looked at the Taoist and Shiqi in front of him.

"Fellow Daoist, I'm very sorry, I..."

Jin Xu clasped his hands, ready to first express his apologies before asking if the other party had any relation to his master.

Instead, the burly man with the band around his head stepped back two steps to an edge of the well, pulled out a cleaver and a frying pan from his waist pouch, and took a defensive stance. He said roughly, "I don't know by what means you brought me here, but if you want me to cook, I won't submit to such threatening methods."

An old man surnamed Zhao once said, "Big head and thick neck, if not a tycoon then a cook."

The Taoist had felt earlier that the man looked like a chef, and now, judging by the subtext of his words, he indeed was one.

The man glanced at Jin Xu, then at Little White who was standing next to the stone table, and continued, "Even if you bring me a Snow Wolf from Nine Provinces Realm that has been extinct to use as ingredients, it's useless!"

"... No, fellow Daoist, you might have misunderstood. She is my demon pet, not an ingredient. I'm not looking for you to cook."

Jin Xu hurriedly explained, or else the misunderstanding would only worsen.

Hearing herself referred to as an ingredient, Little White immediately clenched her tiny fists with annoyance, but the Taoist held her down.

The man still maintained the posture of holding the cleaver in his right hand and the frying pan in his left, unclear whether his consciousness wasn't fully clear yet or he simply did not believe the Taoist's words.

However, their conversation had inadvertently woken up Yaoer, who was still taking a nap in the well.

The Little Fish Demon leaped from the well, bringing up a spray of water that wet the ground around the well, startling the chef.

"Yawn~~ Young master, what are you doing so early in the morning?"

Yaoer, transformed into a human form, landed in front of Jin Xu, yawning and asking sleepily.

"Little White fished up a chef, but he seems to have misunderstood, I was just explaining."

Jin Xu spread his hands helplessly and explained to Yaoer.

"Ah? Master, your Little White can now fish people by herself!"

The Little Fish Demon looked surprised, then turned to look at the chef by the well.

"Hey, you're not..."

Yaoer was momentarily taken aback, possibly thinking she had seen wrong.