I defeated the saint with a parry.

"Don't worry, Young Master Li, Xiao Hong will always be waiting for you."

The madam on the boat didn't forget to leave a message: the girl standing next to her was only wearing a red dress and thin gauze, and her rouge was exactly the same as that of the young master Li.

"Excellent! Give me a reward!"

A servant from the Li family threw a bag of spirit stones over, and the boat was immediately filled with giggles and grateful voices saying things like "Thank you, young master."

To be honest, their service attitude deserves praise.

Zhang Li introduced the man to Xu Ling, saying that the leader was Li You, the grandson of the second master of the Li family, and that Li west, whom Xu Ling had escorted back, was his uncle.

No wonder the Li family was so nervous.

With Li west's seniority, if it were a matter of fighting for the family fortune, these spoiled brats wouldn't stand a chance.

Those who came down from the pleasure boat with Li You were several well-known young masters from Fancheng, including officials, merchants, and the son of a military general. This group could be said to have gathered most of the纨绔 (playboys) of Fancheng.

"This group does this almost every day; everyone in Fancheng knows it," Zhang Li said in a low voice. "As long as they don't commit any crimes, nobody cares about them."

Xu Ling deliberately asked, "Oh? Don't they like to bully ordinary people and forcibly abduct women or something?"

Zhang Li laughed out loud: "Where did you read those stories...? These people aren't short of money. They frequent brothels and pleasure boats, where they've seen all sorts of young ladies from bygone eras, even princesses from enemy countries, or courtesans skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They have everything they could want. Why would they need to abduct women from the common people? Are they after their scallion scent?"

"Furthermore, which aristocratic family doesn't have its own family rules? If they dare to bully the common people, not only will our government forbid it, but their elders will teach them a lesson first. If they still don't believe it, then they'll give up their status and wait to be defeated in the competition among the sons of aristocratic families."

"Whether you want to eat well every day or eat well at every meal, I believe no one would be foolish."

Zhang Li gestured to the few playboys who were walking away: "These guys are all well-known playboys in Fancheng. Putting aside their identities, they all possess extraordinary talents. They cultivate at home during the day, and their blood and energy are too vigorous. They come to the pleasure boat at night with the tacit approval of their families. As long as they don't leave behind any offspring, there will be no problem."

Xu Ling asked, "Are they all this honest?"

Zhang Li: "That's not necessarily true. After all, there are many new elites in Fancheng."

After he finished speaking, he pointed to the people getting off another pleasure boat. Before they could even see the people, they could hear lewd and flirtatious voices coming from inside.

Zhang Li then said, "Look, there it is."

The moment this group appeared, they looked like street thugs. Even Li You and his gang, now sober, glanced at them, snorted coldly, and dispersed.

Just as Li You was about to head towards the Li family's residence, he saw Xu Ling and Zhang Li. After his servant whispered a few words to him, he walked straight over.

"So you're Xu Ling, the demon slayer who brought my aunt back?"

"Cousin?"

Seeing Xu Ling's confusion, Li You smiled and said, "It seems that Lord Xu does not know that my aunt has always disguised herself as a man for the sake of convenience. Her name is Li Xi, but it is actually Li Xi, the Xi of Dongxi Jijia."

She's a prostitute, really...

Xu Ling glanced at the ink-black knife slung to his side and thought to himself, "Li Xi must have used a treasure to hide it so thoroughly."

"Young Master Li, are you looking for me?" Xu Ling asked. "My escort mission with Miss Li has ended. Any further requests will incur additional charges."

"Oh?" Li You rubbed his forehead, as if still hungover, but his eyes were unusually clear. He asked, "You've traveled all the way from Zhangye, facing life and death many times. Don't you feel any camaraderie at all?"

Xu Ling cupped his hands in greeting: "Young Master Li, you jest. I become a demon slayer for no other reason than to vanquish demons and ensure the safety of my employers. I'm willing to risk my life for them. How can you taint me with something as intangible as friendship?!"

"Hahahaha." Li You laughed loudly upon hearing this: "Lord Xu is truly a remarkable person."

He raised his hand, and the servant beside him came over and handed him another bag of spirit stones.

"Since you have brought my aunt back, I, as a junior, cannot fail to show my appreciation. I offer you these material possessions, hoping they will not tarnish your reputation."

Xu Ling accepted the spirit stones; the weight was substantial, far superior to those given to the brothel owners. Not only was the packaging different, but the quantity was also on a completely different level. This young servant from a noble family was no ordinary person.

He knew there were likely many items inside, so he didn't bother to open it and check in front of everyone—that would be too impolite—but instead unhesitatingly put them into the storage bag at his waist: "Thank you, Young Master Li!"

Xu Ling's possession of a storage bag attracted everyone's attention, but Zhang Li wasn't bothered. He knew that such items were obtainable by completing missions in the Demon Suppression Division, and he had one too, though not as attractive as Xu Ling's.

The storage bag was a gift from Xu Huaixu, and the patterns on it were not only beautiful but also anything but ordinary. In this world, patterns could represent many things. Li You, coming from a prestigious family, had received ample education in this area and naturally recognized the extraordinary craftsmanship of the storage bag. He subconsciously sensed that this demon slayer was no ordinary person.

"No problem, we can have a drink together sometime and I'll introduce you to some friends."

Li You had no more intention of testing them. He took his servant, got into the Li family's carriage, and quickly left.

Zhang Li, on the other hand, looked at Xu Ling with envy in his eyes as he saw that Xu Ling had received another bag of spirit stones.

Xu Ling couldn't help but take out the bag of spirit stones and unpack it in front of Zhang Li: "There are indeed quite a few here, probably over a thousand low-grade spirit stones."

He took out seven hundred into his storage bag, then put the rest into the Li family's bag and handed it to Zhang Li.

"Everyone who sees it gets a share."

"Junior brother, what are you doing?"

"I am new to Fancheng and I don't know if Li You has good intentions. I would like to trouble you, senior brother, to accept the spirit stones and keep an eye on things from time to time so that I can be prepared."

Zhang Li knew that the Li family would be in turmoil recently, so after thinking about it for a moment, he stopped refusing and put the bag away.

Zhang Li cursed, "The Li family seems wealthy, but they're not that powerful. This bag for spirit stones is too small; it can only hold a few spirit stones. I thought I got a great deal."

"Alright, senior brother, stop acting innocent after getting a good deal. Even the lowest grade of this storage bag would be in high demand if you threw it out."

That's the truth.

Don't be fooled by the fact that they're all giving spirit stones. The gift Li You gave to the flower boat was just an ordinary bag, but it contained dozens or even hundreds of spirit stones, which already showed how generous the boss was.

Xu Ling received a storage bag, which is standard practice for aristocratic families when giving gifts. After all, no one would let their guest carry a lot of things, whether traveling or standing still; it would be considered undignified.

Zhang Li naturally understood, but he was just indulging in empty talk.

The two passed through the bustling city to the east and soon arrived at the city gate. Zhang Li used his personal token to borrow two fast horses from the guard at the city gate and quickly reached their destination.

Lijia Village.

Although the place is considered unlucky since the accident many years ago, it has not been abandoned.

No matter what, they are a branch of a prominent family like the Li family. How could they run away at the slightest trouble? Wouldn't that mean the main family couldn't handle things?

When Xu Ling and his companion arrived, the elder of Li Family Village came to greet them. This elder was actually a cultivator at the Condensation Realm. The younger generation of the village who accompanied the elder were all at the Opening Meridian Realm. Xu Ling could hear the sounds of martial arts practice coming from the village even before he reached the village entrance, and he couldn't help but marvel at the extraordinary foundation of these aristocratic families.