Wait a minute, where is my master?

Next to the Martial Arts Arena.

Jin Xu looked down at the barefooted girl.

The girl mustered the courage to look up and stared back at him.

After a long standoff, the Taoist pronounced three words.

"Irreversible."

The features of the barefooted girl wrinkled as if she were about to cry over her vanished Gu Worm.

"However, I can compensate you."

Jin Xu's tone changed, and the girl's features, which were about to crease, smoothed out instantly.

"Taoist Jin Xu, is it really..."

Halfway through her instinctive inquiry about the truth, the girl realized the impropriety and quickly corrected herself:

"...It's really not necessary. I came here for the Wash Essence and Marrow anyway, so if your magic is irreversible, then let's forget about it."

Upon hearing this, the young Taoist shook his head gently and said warmly and seriously, "The Wash Essence and Marrow is meant as compensation for you killing Demon Cultivators. Since there has been a hitch, it is only right that I compensate you.

Come with me, and if we hurry, we can still catch a meal of hotpot."

As he spoke, the Taoist didn't wait to see if she would decline again and took the lead to leave the arena.

The barefooted girl watched Jin Xu's receding back and hesitated while scratching her head.

In the end, she chose to follow.

A man and a woman arrived at the entrance of the venue.

Just as they were about to leave, they bumped into Kui Lei, who was carrying two people.

"Taoist."

"Commander Kui."

After exchanging greetings,

Jin Xu looked at the two people Kui Lei was holding and asked in confusion, "Commander Kui, what brings you here? And who are these two in your hands?"

"Oh, His Majesty sent me to check how the Wash Essence and Marrow is progressing and whether you need any assistance.

As for these two... it's actually quite interesting.

Lately, a bunch of scammers have popped up in Shangjing City, luring people into alleys under various pretenses, then knocking them out and carting them away.

I just happened to encounter them on my way here, so I took the liberty of capturing them."

A hint of confusion showed on Kui Lei's face as she lifted her arm.

The two she was holding were both unconscious; one looked like an old man and the other was dressed like a rich merchant, both limp as if boneless.

After hearing this, Jin Xu gave a puzzled glance and wondered,

"Interesting?"

"Ha, you're unaware, Taoist. It seems these two had no knowledge of each other's identity. When I stumbled upon them, both had been dosed with the other's Soft Bone Powder and were completely immobilized.

However, this also suggests that those engaged in this activity in Shangjing City are not part of a single organization.

Otherwise, we wouldn't have seen this kind of dog-eat-dog scenario."

As Kui Lei spoke, due to her professional habit, she began to analyze.

Jin Xu, after the explanation, realized that the two that Kui Lei was holding were both scammers, with no victims involved.

He took a moment to phrase his response and then spoke gently.

"If there's anything that needs help, just have Miss Yunzhao send a message to my Communication Jade Token.

By the way, there's a notice you should have Tingfeng Building issue on my behalf, nothing else."

As he spoke, the Taoist conveyed a message telepathically into Kui Lei's mind.

Kui Lei listened to the transmission, nodding her head with a look of incomprehension but indicating she had taken note.

Years of service as a night watchman had taught her one lesson: don't ask too many questions about the superiors' orders, just execute them.

So even though Kui Lei was somewhat unclear on the purpose of Jin Xu's telepathic notice at that moment, she didn't voice any inquiries.

Seeing that Jin Xu had nothing else to instruct, Kui Lei, holding the two scammers, bowed and prepared to head to the prison first.

While this conversation between the two had taken place.

The barefoot girl also walked out from the venue and obediently stood not far behind Jin Xu.

The appearance of this girl,

caused Kui Lei, who had already taken her leave, to suddenly stop in her tracks as she reached the entrance where the big sister selling steamed buns stood.

Carrying two people, she pretended to sell steamed buns while using her peripheral vision to observe Jin Xu and the girl.

Don't get it wrong, Commander Kui doesn't have any weird fetishes.

It's just that her Majesty once secretly gave her a task when they were alone.

That was:

"Keep an eye on the female cultivators coming to Wash Essence and Marrow, and prevent anyone with ulterior motives from deceiving Taoist Jin Xu. If necessary, male cultivators can also be observed."

Those were Xia Yunzhao's own words.

Although the Taoist noticed Commander Kui's abrupt behavior, he didn't pay it much mind.

Since he was young, females around him always had some bizarre behaviors that he couldn't understand, even after arriving in the Nine Provinces Realm.

Jin Xu was completely used to it.

He led the barefoot girl, brushing past Kui Lei, who was buying steamed buns, and directly dove into a small alley next to them.

With the Spiritual Sense covering the entire city, taking shortcuts home was always faster than walking on the main streets.

The Taoist couldn't wait to eat hotpot now!

Meanwhile, Commander Kui, who had symbolically bought a basket of steamed buns, saw Jin Xu leading a girl disappearing from her sight and hesitated for a moment before taking out the Communication Jade Token exclusively used between her and Xia Yunzhao.

She planned to report the gossip that Taoist Jin Xu, after completing the Wash Essence and Marrow, had led a girl into an alley.

At the same time, the big sister selling steamed buns was also secretly observing the official-looking figure holding two people at her stand.

Seeing the familiar faces in Kui Lei's hands, she thought to herself, "I can go back and have a good chat with Aunt Wang and Nanny Zhang. Great Xia might be considering banning the brothel industry. Otherwise, why were these two men caught by the night patrol mere moments after they ducked into the alley?"

...

In front of the mansion Xia Yunzhao had given to Jin Xu.

The Taoist was leading the barefoot girl out of a small alley when the husky ran out from the mansion's gate.

"Temple master, you're finally back. Little Yu, Little Insect, and I were all waiting for you to come back and enjoy the meat hotpot. Oh, Sister Yunzhao also came over using the Teleportation Array just now."

Little White attempted to pounce on Jin Xu with a flattering manner but was unsuccessful.

She was stopped by a finger from the Taoist, pressing against her head, and despite her rapid leg movements, she couldn't advance an inch.

Although the husky couldn't get close, her mouth didn't stop singing the praises of the Taoist.

However, before she could say much, she suddenly sniffed and hopped back, then swiftly moved behind Jin Xu, curiously sizing up the barefoot girl hiding behind him.

"Temple master, have you hooked us another sister?"

Little White, overjoyed, rushed over to prod and sniff at the stranger.

If it weren't for her youthful appearance, her actions would be creepier than a pervert's.

"Little White, mind your manners. This is... um, miss, what's your name?"

The Taoist was mid-sentence when he realized he hadn't asked for her name yet.

"You can call me Fu Ling, Taoist Jin Xu."

The girl spoke up timidly, her cheeks red from the husky's embarassing antics.

The Taoist nodded slightly.

He then promptly scolded Little White, who was still happily frolicking around.

Meanwhile, Jin Xu was musing to himself.

"When there's something odd, there could be demons at play. Little White is enthusiastic today, but her behavior doesn't quite resemble that of a husky; it's more along the lines of a fawning canine.

Also, wasn't Miss Yunzhao supposed to be handling government affairs?

Why has she rushed over using the Teleportation Array then?

Could it be...

She also craves the hotpot?"