Demon, come and cultivate for me.

Xie Ning had always been pampered and adored since childhood; she had never been ridiculed in public before.

Now, even a small hotel manager dares to mock me.

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and when she saw Zhou Chu, she burst into tears.

Hey, why are you crying? Is it really that serious?

Just then, the inn door was pushed open.

Fan Li glanced at the door, then gently patted Zhou Chu on the shoulder before going upstairs to his room.

Two men in official robes entered first, holding swords, and stood on either side of the doorway.

Then a man entered. He was in his forties, with a ruddy complexion, sword-like eyebrows that reached his temples, and three long, smooth, flowing tufts of beard.

Upon seeing the newcomer, the shopkeeper hurried over and bowed in greeting.

"This humble servant pays his respects to the Prefect."

When the people in the hall saw that the visitor was Zou Jin, the Prefect of Wuyang, they all stood up and bowed.

Zou Jin casually waved his hand, indicating that everyone should dispense with formalities, and then said loudly:

Who is looking for me?

Xie Ning used Zhou Chu's sleeve to wipe away her tears and snot, then stepped forward and said:

"I'm looking for you."

Zou Jin's expression suddenly changed when he saw Xie Ning.

I just received a letter from the Xie family in the capital yesterday, saying that their second young lady may have come to Wuyang. If you meet her, please write back to let them know and take good care of her.

To my utter surprise, I met her at Jinque Tower today.

If I hadn't come to see Fan Li today, I would have almost missed him.

Zou Jin's appointment as the Prefect of Wuyang was not only due to his outstanding personal strength, having reached the peak of the Acquired Martial Realm at the age of forty-five, but also inseparable from the recommendation of the Xie family.

For him, the task sent by the Xie family was second only to the order from the Prince of Yan.

Zou Jin abandoned her condescending attitude and said in a calm tone:

"So it's Miss Xie, what brings you to see me, Mr. Zou?"

"Ask him." Xie Ning stepped forward and kicked the innkeeper in the buttocks.

The kick wasn't very powerful, but the shopkeeper, both surprised and frightened, immediately fell to the ground.

The innkeeper was a master at reading people; just by looking at the prefect's attitude, he knew he had messed with someone he shouldn't have.

At this moment, the innkeeper wished he could gouge out his own eyes.

There was such an ancestor living in the shop, yet I didn't realize it.

Those words I just said must have thoroughly offended him.

This is terrible. It's not a big deal if you lose your secure job, but you shouldn't lose your head too.

Zou Jin didn't look at the innkeeper, but in his heart he kept cursing the guy for being so blind and for messing with Xie Ning, that little devil.

That's the Xie family from the capital; even I can't afford to offend them.

Before Zou Jin could speak, the innkeeper slapped himself hard across the face, making a sharp sound.

"You despicable person, you look down on others, you can't say anything nice, you deserve to die..."

Without saying a word, the innkeeper slapped himself across the face.

After a few slaps, both cheeks were swollen, showing that they had been slapped hard across the face.

Zou Jin watched Xie Ning's reaction quietly from the side, and said coldly to the innkeeper:

"Keep fanning, until Miss Xie is satisfied."

"Alright!" Xie Ning looked at the innkeeper's face, which was swollen like a pig's head, and her anger had subsided considerably.

Seeing a hint of reluctance in her eyes, Zou Jin knew the matter was more or less over and said:

"Get up, Miss Xie is a distinguished guest, please serve her well."

"Yes, yes, yes, I will, I will obey the prefect's orders." The shopkeeper, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, quickly agreed and got up.

Zou Jin ignored the shopkeeper and spoke to Xie Ning in a normal tone:

"It's getting late, Miss Xie, please go back and rest. If you need anything, you can come to the Prefect's residence to find me tomorrow."

Xie Ning wasn't one to hold a grudge, so upon hearing this, she stopped arguing and pulled Zhou Chu upstairs.

Zou Jin noticed a man beside Xie Ning and a strange glint flashed in his eyes. He wondered if the second young lady of the Xie family had eloped with this wild boy.

Whether or not they elope is Xie's business and has little to do with him. He only needs to write a letter and reply truthfully.

For him, the most important thing now is to find that old guy, Fan Li.

Fan Li returned to his room, washed away the filth that could be smeared on his face, and took off his tattered outer clothes, leaving only his silk lining underneath.

Just as I was about to lie down and rest, I heard a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Mr. Fan, open the door quickly!"

The officials accompanying Zou Jin patted and shouted.

"Can't turn it on, going to sleep."

"You've caused a huge disaster, how can you still be sleeping?" This time it was Zou Jin's voice.

I've only been in Wuyang City for a little over two months, and I only left the city a few days ago. I didn't provoke anything, so how did I get into such a mess?

Fan Li pondered this over and over again, but couldn't figure out what kind of trouble he could have gotten himself into.

The knocking on the door was incessant, like a death knell.

He was so annoyed that he got up, opened the door, and let Zou Jin in.

Zou Jin entered the room, sat down directly, poured herself a cup of tea, gulped it down, and slammed the cup down on the table.

"You've made a huge mistake!"

"Don't rush, tell me about it." Fan Li poured Zou Jin another cup of tea.

Zou Jin didn't stand on ceremony, picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp:

"The mountain god of Guniu Mountain died, and the entire Guniu Mountain became a den of monsters."

Demons are running rampant, causing havoc. In just a few days, hundreds of villagers from more than a dozen villages at the foot of the mountain have been harmed by these evil spirits!

Fan Li frowned:

"How did it become my fault that the demons were harming people?"

Zou Jin slammed his hand on the table:

"Now that you've killed the mountain god of Guniu Mountain, those demons have no more fear and are freely roaming around harming people..."

Fan Li interrupted him as he became increasingly agitated:

"Prefect, please wait. I did not kill the mountain god of Guniu Mountain."

"Huh? A few days ago, you were the one who dragged the mandrill's corpse to the mansion to collect the reward money. How could there be a mistake?"

"That's right, but I didn't kill the mandrill."

"If you didn't kill him, why are you using him to claim the reward?"

"The laws of the Great Yan state that a reward can be received for handing over the demon's corpse, but there is no rule that you have to kill it with your own hands."

"Alright, even if you didn't kill him, now, I, the governor, order you to take ten warriors to Mount Guniu to quell the demon."

"What do you mean by 'if'? It's either yes or no. I'm not taking the blame for this." Fan Li knew that he had no choice but to go on this demon-slaying mission.

After all, among the registered martial artists, only he and Zou Jin were at the peak level.

As the prefect, Zou Jin would naturally not take action personally unless absolutely necessary.

That leaves only Fan Li, the only candidate.

However, he needs to make things clear before he goes.

He picked up the mountain demon's corpse; he didn't kill it.

If Zou Jin really accuses him of causing trouble, then this mission to quell the demons will become a case of redeeming oneself through meritorious service, a wasted effort.

Fan Li would never suffer such a loss.

Zou Jin was in a panic and couldn't care less about arguing with him; quelling the demonic calamity was the most important thing.

If things escalate further and he gets blamed by his superiors, he will lose his position as the governor of Wuyang.

There are countless people eyeing his position right now, especially the spoiled brats in the capital.

Zou Jin gritted her teeth and said:

"Good! It wasn't you, Fan Li, who killed it! This prefect orders you to go and quell the demon right now. A great reward awaits you upon your success!"