Something's wrong with this demon.

Inside the building, the lights were dim.

Luo Qingchen and Chen Ju first went outside for a walk, and then went back inside the building. They patrolled up and down the stairs, and after finding nothing unusual, they chatted for a few minutes.

"The town's garrison has been extremely busy these past few days."

"It's not just a murder case in our building; there have been two other murder cases in other parts of the town as well."

"Those people all died with their hearts ripped out; their deaths were extremely gruesome..."

Luo Qingchen looked at him and said, "Brother Chen, you've been cultivating in your room these past two days. Where did you get this information?"

Chen Ju laughed and said, "I'm a night owl. I cultivate during the day and come out at night. I heard this news from Brother Wang and Brother Sun."

Luo Qingchen glanced at his right leg, and was about to speak tentatively when Sun Ping came in from outside, frowning and saying, "If you're on night patrol, don't chat. One upstairs and one downstairs, if something happens here again, we'll all be punished."

"Okay, Sister Sun!"

Chen Ju immediately agreed with a smile and said to Luo Qingchen, "Brother Luo, you go upstairs, I'll stay downstairs. If anything seems amiss, just shout loudly."

Luo Qingchen nodded and went upstairs.

Watching his retreating figure, Sun Ping frowned and muttered, "This kid looks so frail. If another monster appears, can he really handle it?"

Chen Ju watched the departing figure go upstairs and laughed, "Sister Sun, don't underestimate him. Someone who survived the competition for medicine and became a cultivator is no ordinary person."

Sun Ping gave a low hum and said nothing more.

Luo Qingchen went upstairs and diligently patrolled outside each of the rooms.

Most of the private rooms were quiet and dark, as if there were no guests.

After walking around a few more times, he stopped at the corner of the corridor, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes to rest, and pondered things.

Standing here, you can hear the sounds coming from each room, and even the exaggerated moans deliberately made by a woman in the innermost room of the corridor.

Soon after, the woman's moans stopped.

Then, the door opened, and the sound of two people's footsteps came from the far end of the corridor.

"Didn't bring any money again?"

The woman's somewhat hoarse voice rang out.

Luo Qingchen opened her eyes and suddenly heard a familiar voice: "Hehe, my daughter is here, she's rich."

The sound of their footsteps grew louder as they approached, then stopped in front of the first room at the entrance of the corridor.

"Knock knock knock!"

A knock came at the door.

Zhao Laosan's voice rang out, "Ayun, it's me, open the door!"

There seemed to be no movement inside the side room.

Zhao Laosan immediately increased the force of his knocking, his voice growing louder: "A-Yun, I know you're in there, open the door! If you don't open the door, I'm going to start cursing!"

Just then, the door creaked open.

Zhao Yun appeared in the doorway, dressed in a thin dress and looking fearful.

Upon seeing her, Zhao Laosan immediately smiled broadly and said, "Girl, I didn't bring any money with me today, could you pay for me?"

Zhao Yun glanced at the two of them, then lowered her head and said, "I don't have any money either."

The smile on Zhao Laosan's face vanished instantly, and he sneered, "You have no money? Who are you trying to fool? I heard that you received two VIP guests from above a couple of days ago and made quite a bit of money. Yesterday your brother came to ask you for it, and you lied and said you had none. Today I've come here in person, and you still dare to say you have none?"

Zhao Yun lowered her head and remained silent.

Seeing her expression, Zhao Laosan's face suddenly changed, as if he had thought of something, and he angrily said, "Did you lend money to that little beast Luo Qingchen? That little beast even killed his own sister, he's heartless and ungrateful, how dare you lend him money?"

Zhao Yun raised her head, her lips trembling, and said, "Brother Chen would never hurt Xiaoyu, he..."

"Snapped!"

Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Laosan slapped her hard across the face, glaring at her and shouting angrily, "You've gone too far! You little slut, ridden by a thousand men and defiled by ten thousand, you dare to talk back to me?!"

After saying that, he raised his hand, ready to slap her a few more times.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared behind him and slapped him hard on the ear, causing him to stagger to the side.

Before he could fall to the ground, Luo Qingchen kicked him in the waist again, sending him flying and crashing to the floor five meters away.

Zhao Laosan lay on the ground, opening his mouth to scream in agony.

At this moment, Sun Ping and Chen Ju, who had heard the commotion, came upstairs.

Sun Ping hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

Zhao Laosan immediately launched into a false accusation: "Manager Sun, your guards are beating a guest! Beating a guest!"

Sun Ping looked sternly at Luo Qingchen.

Luo Qingchen said without changing her expression, "I was just standing guard at the corner when I heard this guest trying to freeload, and I saw him beating up Miss Zhao, so I took action."

"Eating for free?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Ping's face darkened, and she looked at the bare-shouldered woman standing to the side.

The woman, named Qingmei, was the girl who had just served Zhao Laosan. Seeing Sun Ping looking at her, she nodded and said, "He said he didn't bring any money after he was done. I followed him out to get some, but I haven't gotten any yet. Just now, he asked Ayun for money, and Ayun said she didn't have any, so he hit Ayun."

Seeing the clear handprint on Zhao Yun's face, Sun Ping flew into a rage, pointing at Zhao Laosan and yelling, "You old bastard! You come here to play with girls without bringing any money, and you even beat up my girl! Have you got some nerve?"

Zhao Laosan immediately sat up, clutching his back, and exposed his face to the light, saying with a pained expression, "Manager Sun, it's me, Zhao Laosan, I'm A-Yun's father!"

Sun Ping angrily retorted, "Even if you're A-Yun's grandfather, it won't do! A-Yun is a girl at my Bai Xiang Lou. You've ruined her face; how is she supposed to entertain customers? You old geezer have come to play with girls time and time again without bringing any money. If it weren't for A-Yun's sake, I would have broken your legs long ago! And now, you actually dare to hit one of my girls! Of all places to hit, why did you have to slap her face? Are you deliberately trying to ruin my business?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Laosan hurriedly apologized.

"Throw him out! Don't let that old geezer come in again!"

Sun Ping shouted angrily.

Chen Ju immediately walked up to Zhao Laosan, grabbed him by the back of the neck, lifted him up, and dragged him downstairs.

Zhao Laosan glared venomously at Luo Qingchen beside him.

After Chen Ju dragged Zhao Laosan out the door, Sun Ping looked at Zhao Yun with a gloomy expression and said, "No matter who he is to you, you are not allowed to see him during customer service hours. He has already sold you out. You are now a girl of my Baixianglou, and you don't need to be afraid of him anymore."

Zhao Yun lowered her head, covered her cheeks, and said in a trembling voice, "Yes."

Sun Ping added in a deep voice, "Also, remember to pay Qingmei the money he owes her."

After saying that, he turned and went downstairs.

Zhao Yun then raised her head, looked at the woman beside her, and pleaded, "Sister Qingmei, can I return the money to you in a few days?"

Qingmei frowned upon hearing this: "You really don't have any money left? What happened to the money you earned that night? Did you really lend it to someone? Luo Qingchen... wait?"

She suddenly turned her head and looked at the boy beside her.

Only then did she realize that the new guard's name was Luo Qingchen.

"Okay, give it to me in a few days, just don't forget."

Qingmei didn't say anything more, gave the two of them a meaningful look, turned around and left, returning to her room.

The corridor fell silent.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Yunfang said softly, "Brother Chen, thank you for what you just said."

Looking at her haggard appearance and the red handprint on her face, Luo Qingchen said, "I should thank you. I'll return the money to you as soon as possible."

Zhao Yun forced a smile and said, "It's alright, I'm not in a hurry."

Luo Qingchen hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "A-Yun, your father..."

I don't want to mention him.

Zhao Yun interrupted him, lowering her head and saying, "Brother Chen, you're busy, I'll go inside first."

After saying that, she lowered her head and went into the house, closing the door behind her.

Leaning against the door, tears streamed down her face.

Luo Qingchen stood in the corridor for a while longer before continuing her patrol.

It was night outside the window.

Inside the window, it was also night.

Outside Baixianglou, Zhao Laosan, clutching his aching back, walked along the street, cursing and swearing.

"You little bastard Luo Qingchen, you just wait! Don't think that just because you've become a cultivator, I can't deal with you!"

"And that ungrateful little bitch! If you don't pay me by tomorrow, I'll tell everyone about your shameful deeds! Let's see which customer will dare to patronize you after that!"

Zhao Laosan's face was contorted, and he gritted his teeth.

In the darkness ahead, a dark shadow had appeared out of nowhere.

When he sensed something was wrong and looked up, he saw only a gaping maw full of fangs, enveloped in endless darkness, descending upon him.

"Waaah—"

In the nearby dark woods, a chilling wind howled, and fallen leaves rustled.

After that, all was silent.