I am the snake demon!

"I can't do it!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Ling Ruofeng's survival instinct reached its peak, and he answered without thinking.

Although he still did not know Lu Zhanqiu's identity.

However, he knew that Bai Xuan was the Prince of Zhenbei, and that the fact that Bai Xuan was trusted by the Prince of Zhenbei and came to see him as the Prince of Zhenbei's guard showed that he must be very powerful.

Absolutely above him.

So there's no shame in admitting defeat.

Whether he's capable or not, he knows for himself; there's no need to prove it to an old man.

"Hmph!" Lu Zhanqiu snorted coldly upon hearing this, withdrew his sword energy, and sat down next to Bai Xuan.

"Are you Ling Ruofeng, the self-proclaimed carefree hermit?"

Bai Xuan sized up the man in front of him. He was dressed in black just like Bai Xuan. Although he was not as handsome as Bai Xuan, he was still a handsome man, especially with his exceptionally bright and lively eyes.

"Indeed, this humble subject, Ling Ruofeng, greets Your Highness." Ling Ruofeng clasped his hands in a salute.

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you so much, Master Ling. My Zhenbei Prince's Mansion owes you a favor," Bai Xuan said, looking at Ling Ruofeng.

"I dare not accept such praise. This was a matter entrusted to me by Xu Yan. I am obliged to do what is entrusted to me, and there is no reason for me to ask for any benefits in return," Ling Ruofeng said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Very well, Master Ling is indeed a man of integrity. I underestimated Master Ling. I originally thought that Master Ling enjoyed listening to music here, and I was going to invite Master Ling to listen to music here for a month for free, with all expenses incurred during that time to be borne by the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion," Bai Xuan said with a light laugh.

Upon hearing this, Ling Ruofeng, who had initially maintained an upright demeanor, immediately adopted a slightly obsequious smile and said, "Your Highness, could you please give me another chance?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan immediately laughed and said, "Hero Ling has found the real culprit for the Prince's Mansion, so he is a distinguished guest of the Prince's Mansion. What does a mere month matter?"

"Your Highness is indeed a man of extraordinary talent, young and promising, handsome and dashing, a man of exceptional ability, and captivating countless young women," Ling Ruofeng exclaimed upon hearing this.

Generous and magnanimous.

Aside from being more handsome than me, he has no flaws.

I, Ling Ruofeng, am determined to be friends with someone like you.

"No wonder friends in the martial arts world say that Master Ling has keen insight. Meeting him today, I can see that's true." Bai Xuan smiled upon hearing this. Although it was their first meeting and there was an age gap between them, they felt as if they had known each other for a long time.

After exchanging pleasantries, Bai Xuan finally asked, "Has Hero Ling found Shi Yexing's whereabouts?"

"We have some leads. Shi Yexing's wife should be at Longxiang Temple." Ling Ruofeng's expression turned slightly serious when the topic turned to business.

"Longxiang Temple? Are you sure you didn't make a mistake in your investigation?" Lu Zhanqiu, who was standing to the side, frowned slightly upon hearing this.

"Does Elder Lu know anyone from Longxiang Temple?" Bai Xuan turned and asked.

Longxiang Temple, the number one Buddhist temple in Wuwei, was founded by Abbot Kongsang, who practiced the Longxiang Vajra Dharma and was known as the reincarnation of an Arhat. He was extremely famous in Wuwei and had close ties with the Duan family.

"I know the abbot of Longxiang Temple, Kongsang. Although that old guy is a bit long-winded, he is definitely not a bad person," Lu Zhanqiu said.

"Is Master Kongsang related to Shi Yexing?" Bai Xuan turned to look at Ling Ruofeng and asked.

"Master Kongsang and Shi Yexing have no connection, but Longxiang Temple does. Shi Yexing's apparent identity in Liangzhou is the owner of a rice shop, which is located at the foot of Longxiang Temple. He often gives alms to the monks of Longxiang Temple who come to beg for alms. He and his wife also often go up the mountain to worship Buddha together, showing great sincerity," Ling Ruofeng said.

"You've done too many bad things, so you're praying to gods and Buddhas?" Bai Xuan asked.

"That makes sense. The more wicked and bloodthirsty a person is, the more alms they give. Perhaps they think this can cleanse them of their sins," Ling Ruofeng said with deep sympathy. "Following the clues, I investigated the person who switched the bodies. I found that the order was given by Song Chengyuan, the clerk of Wuwei. But when I went to find Song Chengyuan, I discovered that he was already dead. And Song Chengyuan was a lay disciple of Longxiang Temple. Of course, if that were all, I wouldn't have suspected Longxiang Temple."

"But judging by the time, Shi Yexing's wife is about to give birth, and she needs a midwife. There are only a few midwives in the whole of Wuwei. After some investigation, I found that a midwife named Xu Sanniang went out half a month ago, but the place she said she went to deliver the baby was different from her actual route. After that, I spent some more time and I confirmed that she went to Longxiang Temple to deliver a baby for someone," Ling Ruofeng said.

"Going to a Buddhist temple to deliver babies?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan also revealed a subtle smile on his face.

The timing is quite coincidental.

"That's right, so I'm certain that Shi Yexing's wife is at Longxiang Temple. Seven days ago, I secretly sneaked into Longxiang Temple to look for Shi Yexing's wife, but unfortunately, I ran into Abbot Kongsang. I wasn't confident that I could defeat Abbot Kongsang, let alone the entire Longxiang Temple, so I had no choice but to flee first," Ling Ruofeng said.

"Has that alerted the enemy?" Bai Xuan asked, frowning.

In seven days, the daylilies had all gone cold.

"I don't think so. When I was discovered, I claimed that I went to the Longxiang Temple's Sutra Repository to borrow the martial art 'Burning Wood Finger.' The next day, I actually went and stole the Burning Wood Finger and secretly kept an eye on them. I didn't find any trace of them leaving," Ling Ruofeng said.

"Hero Ling, you are truly righteous and benevolent." Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.

They went on the first day, and on the second day, to avoid being discovered, they actually went and stole the things.

"The manual is here. I haven't seen it yet. After this matter is over, if it was not Master Kongsang's doing, but rather an unworthy disciple of his sect, I ask Your Highness to return it to me and not to reveal my involvement." Ling Ruofeng smiled apologetically and took out a manual from his robes.

Bai Xuan pushed the book to Ling Ruofeng without even looking at it, saying, "I've heard that Master Ling is skilled in finger techniques, and this Burning Wood Finger technique is quite good. Why don't you learn it? Consider it a reward from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. If anyone asks about it in the future, you can say that this manual is in the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion's armory."

"You have this too?" Ling Ruofeng asked in surprise.

"Of course, how could he establish a sect in the Northern Territory without paying respects and protection money? My father was already being magnanimous by not demanding his Vajra Dragon Elephant Skill," Bai Xuan said.

"The Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion is truly the best in the world," Ling Ruofeng said sincerely.

The royal armory was truly astonishing.

Bai Xuan smiled and took out a 10,000-tael silver note from his pocket, handing it to Ling Ruofeng and saying, "You've had a hard time these past few days, Master Ling. I hope you've had a great time."

"It doesn't cost that much even a month," Ling Ruofeng said.

"We don't know the exact expenses yet, so there's no need to be frugal. Besides, the mission has become a bit unpredictable, and we'll have to work even harder next time, so consider the extra amount as extra compensation for your hard work," Bai Xuan said.

"Variables? What variables?" Ling Ruofeng asked in confusion.

"Blood Lord fears me and wants Blood Shadow Sect's Left Envoy, Blood Thousand Kill, to be his scapegoat, but Blood Thousand Kill refuses. Now he has defected and is trying to collude with Bright Moon Palace to return to the Northern Territory. I'm afraid we'll run into him during the investigation," Bai Xuan said.

"I see. Well, that's alright then. It's just Blood Thousand Kills." Ling Ruofeng laughed.

In the Blood Shadow Sect, apart from Blood Heavenly Lord, he fears no one in a one-on-one fight. Even when facing Blood Heavenly Lord, he is confident that he can escape.

In this world of martial arts, to be famous and live a carefree life without belonging to any sect or faction naturally requires exceptional skills.

"Good, Liangjie. Have someone prepare a top-quality banquet, and then order some tea," Bai Xuan said.

"Yes." Gao Feng nodded and immediately went out to instruct his subordinates.

"Liangjie doesn't drink alcohol, so I'll have tea with him. Then, Master Ling will drink alcohol with Elder Lu," Bai Xuan said.

"Your Highness drinks tea instead of wine?" Ling Ruofeng asked with a surprised expression. "Fine wine goes with fine food. Your Highness is young and full of vigor, enjoying the company of beautiful women and fine wine. Why would you drink tea?"

He has met all sorts of people in his life.

But this was truly the first time I'd ever seen someone come to a brothel for tea.

He initially thought it was prepared for Lu Zhanqiu.

"Of course, it's because tea is good. When people are happy, they want to drink alcohol to make their happiness even greater, get drunk, and abandon everything. When they are sad, they also drink alcohol to numb themselves, forget their sadness, get drunk, and escape their sadness. In essence, it's all about escaping reality and enjoying a feeling like being on a cloud. So alcohol can make people lose their minds, while tea can calm the mind. I am too outstanding, so I don't need alcohol. I'll just drink tea," Bai Xuan said.

Upon hearing this, Ling Ruofeng couldn't help but laugh and said, "I have met many people in my life, but I am the first one as interesting and wonderful as Your Highness. It is quite a coincidence that the most commendable thing about Peony Pavilion is Miss Xuejiao's zither playing. Drinking in a brothel is not appropriate, but drinking tea and listening to music is the best thing to do."

"Is this Xuejiao girl's zither playing really that good? Even a famous playboy like you, Ling Daxia, comes to listen to it so often," Bai Xuan said.

"Of course it's good. Your Highness, you haven't heard of it. I've traveled all over the country and heard countless masters play the zither, but none are better than Miss Xuejiao. There used to be three brothels on this street: Baihua Tower, Yanhong Tower, and Zuimeng Tower. The three most famous courtesans on the three towers were Chen Shishi, Xu Dongdong, and Zhao Xiangxiang. They were famous for a time, but since Miss Xuejiao came, the business of the three brothels has plummeted."

"Firstly, of course, is Miss Xuejiao's stunning beauty, extraordinary and otherworldly, truly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. Secondly, Miss Xuejiao's zither playing is truly superb. She only needs to perform on stage every day to play a few pieces, and she can captivate people's hearts. It's just a pity that until now, no one has been able to satisfy Miss Xuejiao and become her intimate guest." Ling Ruofeng shook his head and sighed as he finished speaking.

"New brothels often use the gimmick of having a courtesan who performs but doesn't sell her body to attract customers. However, most courtesans who don't sell their bodies end up selling themselves. Master Ling can't do that now, but you can wait until later," Bai Xuan said.

"Your Highness underestimates me. Just watch as my sincerity will move even the most obdurate heart, and I will become Miss Xuejiao's intimate guest," Ling Ruofeng said proudly.

He was a notorious playboy in the martial arts world, passing through a hundred flowers without a single petal clinging to him.

"Then I wish you good luck, Hero Ling." Bai Xuan smiled faintly, not caring at all.

His interest in brothels stemmed purely from never having been there before, but once inside, that was about it.

If it weren't for the fact that going back now would be foolish, he wouldn't bother staying.

However, at that moment, a commotion suddenly arose below. Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly, sensing that a martial artist at the Tongtian Realm and a martial artist at the Dongxuan Realm had entered the Peony Pavilion. He wondered, weren't Tongtian Realm martial artists supposed to be dragons among men, capable of single-handedly controlling a city? Why did they seem so common?

Ling Ruofeng's senses were not as sharp as Bai Xuan's. He was just curious and looked downstairs. He saw a young man in white holding a long sword being surrounded by a crowd, like a star being surrounded by the moon.

Upon seeing the young man, Ling Ruofeng's face immediately darkened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Liu Qinglian, why is that bastard here too?"