My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

"Yes, Chief Escort Zhao, don't worry!" the escort, known as Old Li, replied in a deep voice.

Lin Zhenyuan walked over to the bodyguard carrying Lin Yunfeng. Looking at his son's pale, weak, and pitiful appearance, a pang of heartache flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper sternness.

He reached out and patted Lin Yunfeng's shoulder heavily.

The action seemed concerned, but the force was not light, making Lin Yunfeng grimace.

"Listen," Lin Zhenyuan said in a low voice, but with an undeniable air of authority.

"When you get back, lie down obediently. Eat whatever Doctor Chen tells you to eat, and do whatever he tells you to do. Don't throw a tantrum, understand?"

"I heard you, Dad..." Lin Yunfeng replied weakly. He just wanted to find a place to lie down and didn't dare to throw a tantrum.

"Also," Lin Zhenyuan paused, his gaze sweeping over the still-visible red marks on his son's back, his eyes narrowing slightly, as if he had made a decision.

"The Taoist priest said that you need to practice for one hour every day for seven consecutive days. I'm thinking that you've suffered too much loss this time, and seven days might only be enough to barely stabilize your foundation."

His tone shifted to one of resolute concern.

"To ensure complete recovery and to help you fully recover, the treatment course will be doubled starting tomorrow!"

Change it to twice a day, one hour each in the morning and evening, for fourteen consecutive days! Did you hear me?

"Wh...what?!" Lin Yunfeng suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open, as if he had heard a bolt from the blue.

"Father! Fourteen days?! Twice a day?! You're killing me! The Taoist priest clearly said seven days..."

"The Taoist priest is only talking about the minimum!" Lin Zhenyuan interrupted him, speaking with righteous indignation.

"Your father has traveled all over the country, what haven't I seen? Even a broken bone takes a hundred days to recover! You've had your life force drained by a ghost, damaging your very foundation!"

Can we use the minimum dosage? We must increase the dosage to consolidate the therapeutic effect! There's no room for negotiation!

He completely ignored his son's face, which instantly crumbled and looked as if he had lost his parents, and turned to give serious instructions to the escorts.

"Listen up, you lot. When you get back, besides calling a doctor and preparing food, there's another important matter."

Remember to give the young master another "reinforcement" before bed tonight!

He emphasized the word "consolidate" with a sharp look in his eyes.

"Use the jade bamboo whip that the Taoist priest gave me, and follow my previous method to whip for another half an hour!"

Remember, apply even pressure, don't hold back! This is for the young master's good!

"Father—!!!" Lin Yunfeng's scream, filled with despair, was particularly jarring in the quiet streets.

"Shut up!" Lin Zhenyuan hissed. "If you keep yelling, I'll give you more right now!"

Lin Yunfeng immediately whimpered like a chicken being choked, burying his face back against the bodyguard's back.

Only his shoulders were twitching slightly, whether from pain or grievance, it was hard to tell.

Several bodyguards nearby, including Zhao Damang, listened to Lin Zhenyuan's arrangements, which reflected his deep paternal love.

Their lips twitched, wanting to laugh but not daring to, so they could only keep their heads down and their shoulders trembled.

They finally understood that the chief镖头 (chief镖头) wasn't just thinking about his son's health at all.

This is clearly... done for the Taoist priest's benefit!

Sure enough, after giving all these instructions, Lin Zhenyuan seemed to "finally remember" that there was a key figure standing next to him.

He quickly turned around, his face filled with utmost sincerity and respect, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ye Qingfeng, who had been standing quietly by the sidelines with a gentle smile:

"Master, do you think my arrangement is appropriate? This wicked child is ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, offends the immortal countenance, and is tainted with evil."

If not properly "treated", it may be difficult to learn a lesson and one will inevitably be weak and sickly in the future.

Increasing the dosage is not only for his long-term benefit, but also... it's to ensure he remembers this lesson and never again dares to speak recklessly and offend a true master.

His words were well-chosen, clearly stating the punishment, emphasizing the therapeutic effect, and finally praising Ye Qingfeng.

It can be said to be comprehensive and well thought out.

Ye Qingfeng listened quietly from beginning to end, the faint smile on his face remaining unchanged.

Only after Lin Zhenyuan finished speaking did he nod slightly, his tone calm:

"Chief镖师 Lin's love for his son is evident in his meticulous arrangements. Exorcising evil and strengthening the body's foundation must be tailored to the individual. Your son is young and still has a good foundation, so more conditioning will only be beneficial."

He paused, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Lin Yunfeng, who was lying on the bodyguard's back, looking utterly dejected.

The corners of her mouth seemed to subtly curve upwards, so quickly that it was almost an illusion.

"However, it is important to maintain a proper balance and not go to extremes, which could damage one's vitality."

The bamboo whip's effect in warding off evil lies in its power to "shock" and "guide," not in causing physical pain. Chief镖头 Lin has already grasped the essence of this; he can use it as he sees fit.

This statement was perfectly watertight, affirming Lin Zhenyuan's good intentions, highlighting the core of the method, and finally handing over the power of sentencing entirely to Lin Zhenyuan.

It was as if Ye Qingfeng was truly a kind-hearted Taoist priest who didn't care at all about being called a "stinky old man."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhenyuan felt greatly relieved and quickly bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Daoist Master! I understand and will certainly exercise caution!"

"Sense of proportion?" Zhao Damang and the others secretly thought to themselves, "Chief镖头, your 'sense of proportion' is probably aimed directly at 'full quota', isn't it?"

It will double in fourteen days... Young Master is in for a rough time.

However, no one dared to say it aloud.

Although Wen'an County is not as prosperous as Jingyang Prefecture, it is still one of the larger counties within a radius of 100 li.

After nightfall, there are few pedestrians on the main streets, with only occasional watchmen carrying lanterns and striking their clappers, the sound echoing in the quiet alleys.

Ye Qingfeng stood with his hands behind his back on the side of the street, looking at the night view of this ancient county with great interest.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the bluestone path. The shops on both sides were closed, with only the occasional lanterns hanging under the eaves casting warm glow.

Soon, most of the bodyguards led the eldest son, Lin Yunfeng, towards the Weiyuan Escort Agency in the east of the city.

Only Lin Zhenyuan, Ye Qingfeng, and Zhao Damang remained in the original spot.

Considering that the place we are going to may be the lair of evil spirits, even if a mortal has high combat power, it will be difficult to cause them any harm.

Therefore, only Lin Zhenyuan and Zhao Damang, two experienced veterans, were left to lead the way.

"Daoist Master, shall we go?" Lin Zhenyuan composed himself and said to Ye Qingfeng.

Ye Qingfeng nodded, his eyes inadvertently glancing at a dark corner.

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

Just after Ye Qingfeng and the others had gone far away, something suddenly moved in the shadows of the city gate.

It was a small piece of red paper, about the size of a palm, cut into the shape of a little person, with the eyebrows and eyes outlined in very fine ink.

It was originally stuck deep in the crack in the wall, but now it slowly "came to life" - the paper arms and legs stretched out silently, floated out of the crack in the wall, and landed on the ground covered with a thin layer of dust.

The red paper figure moved along the base of the wall, its movements as light and agile as a leaf blown by the wind.

It passed through the city gate and entered Wen'an County, drifting north along West Street.

The streets were deserted. At this hour, respectable households had long since closed their doors, with only a few taverns still lit up, from which came the sounds of drinking games and boisterous chatter.

The red paper figures avoided bright light and instead moved through shadows under eaves and against walls.

As it passed a pawnshop, the door creaked open, and the accountant came out with a lantern to splash water. The paper figure immediately stuck to the ground and didn't move until the water was finished and the door was closed, before continuing on its way.

If someone were to look closely, they might discover that the paper figure's movement was not simply drifting in the wind, but rather had a clear destination—the eastern part of the city, Willow Flower Lane.

It floated over rooftops, through alleyways, and even slipped through the crack of a resident's half-open window, only to fly out through the crack of another window.

The paper rustled in the night wind, moving so fast that it left a blurry red trail.

Wherever it passed, occasional late-night pedestrians would catch a glimpse of red in the corner of their eyes, but when they turned around, they would only see empty streets and falling withered leaves.

"What the hell..." someone muttered, quickening their pace.

The red paper figure traveled through most of Wen'an County, finally drifting into Liuhua Lane and merging into the largest red lantern at the lane entrance.

The paper body is pasted on the inner wall of the lantern, overlapping with the "Magpie on Plum Blossom" pattern painted on the lantern. The ink-lined eyes continue to stare at the direction of the alley entrance through the thin paper.

After another cup of tea's time, Ye Qingfeng and his group appeared at the alley entrance.

The red paper figure then completely "melted," turning into a wisp of extremely faint red mist. It floated upwards along the lantern frame, passed through the carved window of the second-floor corridor of the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, slipped into the window crack, passed through a long ventilation duct, and arrived at the underground of the Moon-Viewing Pavilion.

At this moment, the paper goddess was lying on her side on a paper lotus platform, wearing only a thin, dark green gauze robe, her snow-white skin faintly visible beneath it.

She was toying with a jade pen in her hand, the tip of which was dipped in dark red "ink"—not cinnabar, but condensed essence of living souls and blood.

Suddenly, the wisp of red energy emerged from the pipe, drifted to the platform, and reformed into a small red paper figure.

The paper figure knelt on the edge of the platform, "kowtowing" to the paper goddess.

The paper goddess lazily raised her eyes and lightly touched the paper with her jade pen.

The paper figure immediately spoke.

"Your Majesty, the Taoist priest you asked me to instruct has already entered the city and is heading towards the Moon-Viewing Boat."

As he spoke, the little paper figure dabbed a few times on its tiny, ink-stained eyes.

In an instant, the scene it had witnessed at the city gate appeared before the Paper Goddess.

"Oh?" The paper goddess smiled slightly. "You really came."

She sat up, her gauze dress slipping off her shoulders, but she didn't seem to care.

He twirled the jade pen between his fingers and chuckled, "I thought he was an old Taoist priest with white hair and beard, but I didn't expect... he's actually a young man."

"At around twenty years old, in Taoist cultivation, the most important thing is the accumulation of years." The Paper Goddess gently pinched the jade pen between her fingertips, her smile gradually turning cold. "Even if one is truly from a prestigious lineage, at this age, one has at most a dozen or so years of cultivation, while I..."

She gently brushed her other hand across the array of paper figures on the platform.

Each of these paper figures represents one of her informants throughout Wen'an County.

She had "eyes and ears" in the county government, city gates, security escort agencies, restaurants, and even the inner residences of several wealthy families.

The entire Wen'an County is like a giant spider web, and she is the spider that occupies the center of the web.

"With this Thousand Soul Paper Coffin and the Blood Vengeance Spirit Pivot Formation, although I'm still missing a main soul, even a cultivator with a hundred years of cultivation wouldn't be able to do anything to me." A hint of arrogance flashed in the Paper Goddess's eyes. "Let alone a mere inexperienced Taoist priest?"

"Furthermore, you must have used your trump card when dealing with Wan'er and Mei'er. Without the life-saving methods left to you by your sect, I'd like to see how you'll subdue demons and monsters!"

The Paper Goddess knew the strength of her two spirit paper figures, which could not be dealt with by anyone other than a cultivator with thirty years of cultivation. Now that this young Taoist priest was able to kill those two spirit paper figures, he must have used an external object.

The little red paper figure then made a few more gestures, seemingly asking how to respond.

The Paper Goddess pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled sweetly: "Guests are always welcome. Since you dare to enter my Moon-Gazing Boat, I will naturally 'treat' you well."

With a flick of her jade pen, a paper figure dressed as a maid stood up on the platform.

Gradually, the originally pale and rough paper figure became plump and full of life, and in no time, it grew into a charming and exquisite maid.

"Go, tell the front that we have distinguished guests." The Paper Goddess's voice was gentle and charming, but her eyes flashed with cold light. "Reserve table number three for them. I want to see how long this Taoist priest can keep up his act in front of a hall full of guests."

The paper maidservant bowed and accepted the order, then floated out of the room.

The Paper Goddess then ordered another paper effigy of a yamen runner: "Go to the county yamen and tell Sister Painted Skin that the fish has been caught in the net. Tell her to proceed according to plan."

The paper figures of the yamen runners also obeyed and left.

Although she was somewhat dismissive, the Paper Goddess knew the principle that even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, so she naturally wouldn't be arrogant.

The necessary preparations still need to be made.

After doing all this, the paper goddess lay back down on her side, her eyes slightly closed.

Outside the window, the lights of Liuhua Lane still shone brightly.

In the lobby on the first floor of the Moonlit Pavilion, singing and dancing were in full swing.

The pimp and his maids moved among the guests, serving wine and dishes, their laughter and sweet words filling the air.

No one knew that in the secret underground room covered with white paper, the true owner of this den of iniquity had prepared a deadly trap of decadence for tonight's uninvited guests.

And that empty "Number Three" table is now placed at the very front of the stage.

The candlelight illuminated the empty chair, as if waiting for someone to sit down.

The three headed southwest of the county town.

Not far along, after navigating several streets and alleys, a brightly lit area suddenly appeared ahead, jarringly different from the surrounding tranquility.

It was already 9 PM. According to the customs of this era, except for special businesses such as gambling dens and inns, ordinary households had already turned off their lights and gone to bed.

But the area ahead was still brightly lit, and the faint sounds of string and wind instruments could be heard.

Interspersed among them were the coquettish laughter of women and the clamor of men, which sounded particularly clear in the quiet night.

What is particularly striking is that the area is located by the water, with several ornately decorated pleasure boats adorned with strings of red lanterns moored on the river.

The lights reflected in the water, creating a dazzling display of light and shadow that dispelled much of the surrounding darkness.