Wait a minute, where is my master?

In the woods.

"At first sight of the princess, the imperial arrow stolen, I couldn't help but feel joy in my heart, standing at the palace gates, calling~ Little Fan~~~"

Singing a little tune, Jin Xu startled countless flying birds.

He was carrying two packs of pastries, walking on the mountain path of Little Platform Mountain.

Though he owned a storage magical item, the little Taoist preferred to carry them in his hand, feeling it gave him a better sense of connection.

On both sides of the mountain path were unnamed wild trees, their branches laden with small pink fruits that, from a distance, looked like tiny pink pearls, quite beautiful indeed.

Beneath the trees, a jumble of weeds grew unchecked, swaying with the breeze, within which a fat wild wolf wriggled out.

Seeing the fat wolf, the little Taoist knew that Little White and the others had returned. He reached out to pat the wolf that had come up to him for attention, and quickened his pace toward Xuanxu Temple.

"Little White, Little Yu, I've brought something tasty for you," Jin Xu called out loudly, in a good mood since his trip to Qian Deng Town had netted him a tidy sum in reward money.

Moreover, the two constables had mentioned there was no need for compensation for the collapsed ancestral hall.

"My lord, you've returned."

"Temple master, you've returned."

Two female voices called out simultaneously.

Yu Yaoer, uncharacteristically, wasn't in the kitchen working on her new recipes but was sitting under a big tree, worry showing on her face, alongside Little White.

"What's wrong with you two? Did you have trouble gathering herbs?"

Jin Xu placed the pastries on the stone table, asking with confusion and took a seat under the tree.

The two women were usually lively and carefree, and it was rare for him to see them wearing such expressions.

"My lord, this area might no longer be safe," explained one of them.

"Hmm?"

Soon after, Yu Yaoer and Little White recounted to the little Taoist their discovery of the Transformation Fruit's aura at Wild Wolf Ridge.

While waiting for Jin Xu to return, the two women had also exchanged their thoughts.

Although their personalities were bold and careless, having lived in the Cultivation World for so long meant they still possessed a basic sense of safety. Since their arrival at Little Platform Mountain just over ten days ago, they'd already encountered three or four incidents involving Evil Cultivators triggered by the Transformation Fruit.

Now, with the same aura detected again near Wild Wolf Ridge by their temple, the two concluded that something significant might be brewing near Gusu City.

No one had brought it up before, but once mentioned, Jin Xu also realized there was a problem.

They'd chosen to settle within the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty for its good public order and fewer troubles. However, even though every incident they encountered recently had been resolved smoothly, the frequency of these events was indeed on the rise.

"For the next while, you two shouldn't go out and should stay obediently inside the temple," Jin Xu instructed them after hearing their stories. Then, he got up, took a piece of pastry, stuffed it into his mouth, and headed outside.

The two women obediently nodded in agreement, but they saw the little Taoist suddenly stand up and leave.

"My lord, where are you going?" Little Fish Demon raised her head and inquired.

"I'm going to Gusu City. You wait for me here at the temple." Jin Xu had already used his Spiritual Power to check and indeed found a highly pure cluster of Black Qi in the direction of Wild Wolf Ridge.

Although Jin Xu had recently gained some confidence in his own strength, he decided to remain cautious and had no intention of going to inspect it himself.

However, he was happy to make a trip to Gusu City, report the situation to the night watchmen, and earn a favor in passing.

"Xu Qian mentioned before that they were investigating this matter and that it's somehow related to the Demon Sect," he mused, descending the mountain.

With an exaggerated speed, he ran toward Gusu City.

In the backyard of Xuanxu Temple.

Yu Yaoer watched her lord's retreating figure until he disappeared from her sight, then lowered her head, preparing to eat a piece of pastry.

Only to find that only two greased papers were left on the table.

She turned to Little White and asked,

"Where are the pastries?"

The Husky sniffed its nose and responded,

"I don't know about that."

...

In Qian Deng Town.

The young constable had just returned home and changed his trousers.

He pushed open the front door, ready to reunite with his uncle, only to find a seductive woman dressed in a purple gauze skirt standing at the entrance.

He immediately blushed.

"Good... so big... no, wait! That outfit is scandalously revealing!"

The young constable muttered in his heart.

At the same time, he couldn't control his gaze, stealing glances at the gauze-clad woman's neck and just above her abdomen.

"Cough, I'm critiquing!"

He told himself inside.

"Hmm, critique with one look, um, critique with a few more looks."

Hall Master Xia's face wore a coquettish smile, but there was a hint of disgust in her eyes.

She really wanted to gouge out the eyes of this clueless youngster, yet she sweetly said, "I seem to have lost some things outside of town, I wonder if the honorable constable would be so kind as to help me retrieve them."

She had intended to capture a villager in Da An Village to lure out that little Taoist.

But as she passed through Qian Deng Town, she received a message from the Third Elder. By chance, she saw two constables, one big, one small, carefully escorting out the very Taoist they were supposed to kill.

So, she changed her target.

"Leave it to me, miss," the young constable responded, thumping his chest confidently.

Then, somewhat dazed, he followed Hall Master Xia out of Qian Deng Town.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Li Ban's head, now in new trousers and boots, walked over from the end of the alley.

"Er Gou, come out quickly once you've changed your trousers. We still have to clean up at the ancestral hall," he shouted in a loud and hoarse voice.

After yelling a few times and seeing no response, Li Ban's head pushed open the main gate, only to find the house was empty.

He mumbled to himself in dialect.

"Where has this kid gone off to slack now?"

Then he turned and left.

Huh!? He suddenly noticed a seductive woman standing at the door, dressed in a purple gauze dress.

...

In Gusu City, at the watchman's quarters.

Several people were sitting in the banquet hall on the second floor.

In the seat of honor on a rosewood chair was Li Mi, looking slightly better but still unsteady in his breathing.

To his left was the Seventh Princess of the Great Xia Dynasty, Xia Yunzhao, dressed in white and exuding a serene and elegant demeanor.

To his right were three scholars, known as the Three Humble Friends of Suihan.

The group of five was gathered here to discuss how to deal with the Demon Sect.

Originally, after Xia Yunzhao came to visit Li Mi, she planned to leave. But she was advised to stay.

Mr. Li informed the Seventh Princess that on the day he went for the rescue, when he arrived at the scene, he saw a royal guardian who claimed to be her protector.

But the guardian was captured due to a mishap, and now Xia Yunzhao was without a protector. It would be too risky to let her leave the city alone; better she stay within the city walls for now.

Who knows whether Xu Qian, who had gone to Shangjing City alone, would curse if he heard this.

After hearing Li Mi's words.

The Seventh Princess realized for the first time that someone had been watching when she was being chased!

Although it had been too hurried for Li Mi to inquire the guardian's name at the time,

from the description of the battle scene, Xia Yunzhao was able to confirm it must have been Xia Sunyang, a guardian proficient in the art of space.

She remembered that name!

The Seventh Princess was quite persuaded, agreeing that it was safer to stay in the city if the outside world was so dangerous.

At the same time, she wondered if she should invite Jin Xu, the little Taoist, to move into Gusu City as well.

Just as Xia Yunzhao was considering this, an underling suddenly reported from outside the hall.

"Report, Mr. Li, a little Taoist named Jin Xu has arrived outside. He says he knows Lord Xu Qian and has brought a message."

The Seventh Princess abruptly stood up from the rosewood chair.

Startling the four people.