Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

On the other end.

Jiang Zhiyu led Song Yueyao to the front hall of the inn.

The inn stood alone at the foot of the mountain, surrounded by desolate wilderness, with the nearest village a hundred miles away.

Therefore, apart from their group and a caravan on its way, there were no other guests.

The escort team consisted of six people: the head escort and his wife, three bodyguards, and one porter. The two groups had already filled the inn, and after sunset, they went to rest, leaving the entire building quiet.

The waiter was boiling water in the back kitchen for the guests to use. At this moment, the front hall was empty, with only a few oil lamps casting a dim, flickering light.

Jiang Zhiyu circled the four screens in the center of the hall twice, peeking around and looking at them from all sides.

The screen is decorated with four different paintings: plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, surrounding a delicate landscape stone, which stands out conspicuously in this simple inn.

"Get to the point, what are you doing sneaking around like this?" Song Yueyao punched him on the shoulder in annoyance. She had originally wanted to watch Wu Li style Xiao Mi's hair in the room and learn a couple of techniques, but Jiang Zhiyu dragged her here to look at this stone.

"Yaoyao, don't you find it strange?" Jiang Zhiyu asked in a low voice.

"What's strange about it?"

"This dilapidated inn has such an exquisitely decorated scene in the center of the lobby. It's a bit like..." Jiang Zhiyu pondered for a moment, "...like a formation."

Upon hearing this, Song Yueyao recalled the rumors the waiter had mentioned earlier and explained, "I heard that ghosts often appear in this area after nightfall, so the shopkeeper specially invited a master to perform a ritual to ward off evil spirits."

Ghosts and spirits linger in the human world mostly because of unresolved obsessions. Unlike demons and evil spirits, they usually have a grievance to settle and a debt to repay. They generally do not harm the innocent. Apart from their frightening appearance, they are not worth fearing.

"Using a magic array to ward off evil spirits?" Jiang Zhiyu had only heard of using talismans to ward off evil spirits from his master; this was the first time he had ever seen a magic array used.

"It seems you are a knowledgeable customer."

The two turned around at the sound and saw a middle-aged man wearing a royal blue silk robe and a yellow sash standing not far away.

He had a square, dark brown face and a stout build, but his clothes were extremely extravagant.

"I am the innkeeper of this inn. I am not feeling well today and have been resting in my room. Please forgive me for any neglect." The man bowed respectfully.

Because of his extravagant attire, Song Yueyao couldn't help but take a second look. Her gaze fell on the mutton-fat jade thumb ring on his thumb. The jade was warm and lustrous, with a restrained sheen, and it was clear at a glance that it was very valuable.

How can a small inn in such a remote place make so much money?

"To be honest," the innkeeper said, following Song Yueyao's gaze to the ring on his finger, his smile tinged with embarrassment, "this inn was originally a family business left to me. It's located in a remote area and was almost on the verge of collapse. But in the last two years, the mountain roads at night have become quite dangerous, and travelers often stop here to rest and escape the cold, so business has improved a bit."

He gestured to the four screens and the central decorative stone: "As for this arrangement, to be honest, it is indeed for your peace of mind."

"A wandering Taoist priest once passed by and said that the yin energy in this place is concentrated and does not dissipate. It is necessary to use the 'Four Gentlemen' as a guide and supplement it with mountain stones to suppress the yin energy in order to ensure the peace of the shop. Although I was half-believing and half-doubting, I set up this scene as he said in order to be on the safe side."

"I see," Jiang Zhiyu nodded in understanding. "If you're still worried, I have some talismans for warding off evil spirits. You can take them and stick them on the door."

As he spoke, he took out several neatly folded yellow talismans from inside his clothes and handed them over.

The shopkeeper paused slightly, then accepted the gift with both hands, repeatedly expressing his gratitude: "Thank you so much, sir."

He carefully put away the talisman, his smile deepening. "It's late, and hot water is ready. If you need anything else, just let the waiter know. Oh, and we have some homemade rice wine in the shop. Please have a taste, it's just a small token of our appreciation."

*

When the door was gently knocked on, Chai Xiaomi was kneeling on the ground, hurriedly making a bed for Wu Li.

The bedding was brand new, with the quilt insert and cover not yet sewn together. She had just laid out the mattress and was pinching the corner of the quilt to put the cotton insert inside, her forehead already beaded with sweat.

Meanwhile, someone was lazily sitting at the table, chin in hand, watching her busy herself with a leisurely air, looking as content as if she were enjoying some interesting scene.

Hearing the knock on the door, he didn't even lift his eyelids: "Who is it?"

"Sir, here's your rice wine." A waiter's solicitous voice came from outside the door. "It's brewed by our manager himself."

"Come in."

"Yes." The waiter responded by pushing open the door and gently placing a pot of warmed rice wine on the table.

His gaze swept over the extra makeshift bed beside the bed, then caught sight of Chai Xiaomi squatting nearby, engrossed in her work, and a hint of doubt flickered in his eyes.

Wu Li glanced at him indifferently, his tone as usual: "My wife is a restless sleeper at night, often rolling off the bed. She only feels secure when she has something underneath her. Using an extra set of bedding won't be a problem, will it?"

The waiter met his calm gaze and felt a chill run down his spine for some reason. He quickly smiled apologetically, "It's alright, it's alright! The bedding in the cabinet was prepared for you gentlemen."

After the waiter left, Chai Xiaomi knelt down beside the makeshift bed, clutching the corner of the blanket, and squinted at Wu Li:

"I'm a restless sleeper and I often roll off the bed. Aren't you afraid I'll actually fall off and crush you?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Li raised his eyes, his gaze lightly landing on her puffed-up face, and suddenly chuckled very softly.

"I have a good idea." He tapped his finger on the table, his tone ambiguous, neither joking nor serious. "Use the red dragon to tie your hands and feet, and bind you to the headboard. You won't fall off then."

The red dragon immediately poked its head out from his sleeve and proudly raised its head.

It's a small matter; leave it to them.

Chai Xiaomi is now finding the snake that always rolls its eyes increasingly unpleasant to look at. Perhaps because she has been exposed to it so much, she has become somewhat desensitized and her fear has faded.

Seeing its smug and arrogant appearance, she simply beckoned to it with her finger: "You, come here."

Red Dragon paused for a few seconds, turned to look at its master, then at Chai Xiaomi, confirming that she was calling for itself.

But instead of moving, it lazily rolled its eyes at her.

Another eye roll.

Seeing that Chai Xiaomi was on the verge of anger, Wu Li calmly gave Hong Jiao the order: "Listen to her."

The red dragon had no choice but to reluctantly swim over, and listlessly coiled up at her feet, half-dead.

But then Chai Xiaomi picked up a corner of the blanket and handed it to it: "Hold on to this corner tightly, don't let go, I'll go put the other side on."

If Wu Li hadn't reminded her earlier, she would have almost forgotten that this snake had this use. Its mouth can open very wide, making it perfect for securing the corners of the blanket.

Chai Xiaomi secretly praised herself as a genius!

Red Dragon glanced at its master with grief and indignation. Seeing that he had no intention of stopping it, it had no choice but to resign itself to its fate and silently do as it was told. It coiled the corner of the quilt in Chai Xiaomi's hand tightly with its snake body and then bit it.

Who would have thought that it would one day be reduced to doing odd jobs? But then I thought, this quilt is after all made for its owner, and the resentment in my heart eased a little.