Xingtie: My silly online friend is actually a raccoon!

The little boat carried the three of them soaring through the clouds. Below them stretched a continuous expanse of courtyards with green tiles and white walls, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys and crisscrossing fields.

We've arrived at Gao Lao Zhuang.

Lu Ze maneuvered his flying sword to descend slowly, then sheathed it at the entrance of the village and landed.

As soon as the three of them got their footing, several tenant farmers who were chatting idly stared wide-eyed at the man and two women who had descended from the sky. Their clothes and demeanor were not those of ordinary people, and someone immediately shouted out.

"An immortal...an immortal has descended to earth!"

The news spread very quickly.

Before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea is up, Master Gao, the owner of Gao Village, hurriedly came out surrounded by a group of servants.

He was about fifty years old, dressed in a silk robe, with a prosperous face, but a lingering cloud of worry hung between his brows.

When he saw Lu Ze and the other two, he first looked them up and down. Seeing that they were young, but had outstanding temperament and composed manners, he immediately concluded that these three were definitely not ordinary martial arts practitioners.

Master Gao bowed respectfully, adopting a very humble posture: "I am deeply sorry that the three venerable immortals have graced my humble abode with their presence. Please forgive me for not being able to greet them properly! If you do not mind, please come inside the abode for tea, and allow me to do my part as a host."

Lu Ze returned the greeting and said politely, "Master Gao, you are too kind. We are just passing by and have troubled you."

Master Gao repeatedly said, "No trouble at all," and personally led the way, inviting the three into the manor.

The Gao family's mansion was considered one of the most luxurious in the village.

The courtyard has three entrances and three exits, with blue brick paving, carved doors and windows, and an old osmanthus tree planted in the courtyard, whose canopy covers half of the courtyard.

A banquet had already been set out in the main hall, complete with chicken, duck, fish, and meat, as well as several plates of exquisite pastries, clearly hastily prepared after hearing that an immortal had descended.

Master Gao invited the three men to take a seat, personally poured them wine, and sat beside them, urging them to drink while chatting about everyday matters.

Xing wanted to try the taste of wine.

"You're still a child, how can you drink alcohol! Drink tea!" Lu Ze said, snatching the glass of wine that Xing was about to take.

Master Gao wondered if he had misheard. Was this fairy, who looked to be in her twenties, still just a child in front of the immortal?

After the initial shock, he hurriedly asked Lu Ze where he came from and what path he cultivated. Lu Ze gave a vague answer, only saying that he was a wandering cultivator who happened to be passing by.

Master Gao didn't investigate further, but kept offering toasts, his attitude being a little too attentive.

Xing wasn't bothered by the lack of wine; she simply buried her head in her meat, while Huohua looked around without touching her chopsticks.

Lu Ze slowly sipped his wine, waiting for Master Gao to steer the conversation to the main topic.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, Master Gao finally put down his wine cup and let out a long sigh.

"Three immortal masters, I have a request, but I don't know if I should say it."

Lu Ze put down his wine glass: "Since it's an unreasonable request, then let's not talk about it."

"Uh..." Master Gao was speechless for a moment. This immortal was not playing by the rules.

However, he was also a seasoned veteran and knew that if Lu Ze really didn't want to waste time talking to him, he could just leave, and he couldn't stop him.

He rubbed his hands together, and the worry on Master Gao's face deepened. He remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"The story begins more than a year ago..."

He began to speak slowly.

More than a year ago, the Gao family was looking for a son-in-law to live with them. A dark-skinned, fat, and strong man came, who claimed to be surnamed Zhu and named Ganglie. Although he was not handsome, he was still normal-looking. He was tall and strong and spoke in a simple and honest manner.

When Master Gao saw that he worked hard and was extremely strong, capable of doing the work of more than a dozen farmhands, he thought he was a reliable and honest man, so he invited him to marry into the family and betrothed his third daughter, Gao Cuilan, to him.

In the six months since their marriage, Zhu Ganglie has indeed been diligent.

They did everything perfectly – plowing fields, carrying bricks and tiles, clearing wasteland and planting crops.

The Gao family was very satisfied with him, and the wealthy Gao felt that he had found a treasure. He praised his son-in-law to everyone he met.

At this point, Master Gao's voice trailed off.

"But who knew... that good times wouldn't last long."

One day six months ago, Zhu Ganglie drank a few too many cups of wine and was enjoying the cool air in the courtyard when he revealed his true form in front of several servants of the Gao family—a pig's head, two big ears, and a face full of black hair, looking exactly like a wild boar that had become a spirit.

Master Gao was so frightened he almost fainted. The first thing he did after regaining his senses was to break off the engagement and kick this monster son-in-law out of the house.

"And the result?" Xing put down her chopsticks, listening intently.

As a result, the pig demon became enraged and refused to annul the engagement. Instead, he used his magic to lock Gao Cuilan in a small building in the back of the house, forbidding anyone from approaching her or allowing Gao's family to see her.

He still came to the Gao family's house to eat and drink every few days, and sometimes he would throw a tantrum and break things, causing unrest in the family.

Master Gao hired several groups of Taoist priests to exorcise the demon. However, they were all beaten black and blue by the pig demon and fled in disarray.

The worst-hit Taoist priest was thrown out of the village by the ankle by a pig demon, breaking three ribs. He is still lying in bed to this day.

"I'm truly at my wit's end..."

Master Gao's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion. "That monster is incredibly powerful; ordinary sorcerers are no match for him. Today, we are fortunate to have encountered three venerable immortals. I humbly beg you to intervene and save my poor daughter!"

After listening, Lu Ze slowly nodded.

This was pretty much the same plot he knew.

Just as he was about to speak, Xing slammed his hand on the table, stood up, grabbed a baseball bat, and prepared to rush out.

"Outrageous! Abducting a woman in broad daylight and then locking her up for half a year? I'd like to see just how capable this pig-headed idiot really is!"

Lu Ze reacted quickly and grabbed her wrist.

"Wait a minute—"

"What are you waiting for! Saving lives is the priority!"

"Do you know where that little building is? Do you know if that pig demon is in the village right now? What if you rush over there and find nothing?"

Xing was stumped by his barrage of questions, stood there dumbfounded, opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Seeing this, Master Gao assumed the immortals were unwilling to help, and quickly called out towards the outside of the hall:

"Someone come here! Bring the things up!"

Two servants responded by carrying out a heavy wooden box and placing it in the center of the hall. When the lid was opened, the box was filled with neatly stacked silver coins, which gleamed enticingly in the candlelight.

Master Gao bowed deeply, his tone earnest: "Three immortal masters, this is but a small token of my appreciation. If you can subdue that monster and rescue my daughter, I will reward you handsomely! I will not let you have made this trip in vain!"

Lu Ze glanced at the box of silver and silently calculated in his mind.

He released Xing's wrist, turned to Master Gao, and smiled slightly: "Don't worry, Master Gao, we'll take this on."