My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

Meanwhile, in the back residence of the Wen'an County Government, in a refined, warm, and fragrant side room.

A beautiful woman with a charming face and graceful figure was languidly leaning on a soft couch.

She twirled a grape between her slender fingers and fed it to a middle-aged man dressed in casual clothes with a fascinated look on his face.

The man was none other than the magistrate of Wen'an County. At this moment, he only had eyes for the beautiful woman in front of him and had long forgotten about his official duties.

The beauty—or rather, the painted-skin goddess—glanced at the deep night outside the window.

Deep within her eyes, a cold, eerie light, utterly incongruous with her charming demeanor, flashed and disappeared in an instant.

She parted her red lips slightly, her breath sweet as orchids: "My lord, I have been feeling uneasy these past few days. I have heard that things seem to be a bit unsettled outside the city... You should send more people to patrol the area."

Especially in those bustling streets and alleys, lest any trouble arise that disturbs your peaceful rule and frightens me as well…”

The magistrate was so moved he almost melted, and he quickly grabbed the beauty's hand, saying repeatedly.

"My beloved concubine, do not be afraid, do not be afraid! Tomorrow I will order three additional shifts of yamen runners to patrol day and night, ensuring the peace and tranquility of the county town, and preventing anyone or anything from disturbing my precious heart!"

"You're so kind, sir..." The painted-skin goddess nestled into the magistrate's arms, concealing the cold, triumphant smile on her lips.

The lights in Liuhua Lane still shone brightly in the night.

The music and laughter on the painted boats on the river masked the sinister murderous intent beneath the seemingly tender and affectionate atmosphere.

An invisible net targeting Ye Qingfeng is being quietly woven under the seemingly ordinary night sky of this county town.

At this moment, at the city gate of Wen'an County.

A figure in a green robe silently entered the night, a place where prosperity and intrigue coexisted, aboard the镖局's carriage.

......

The city wall of Wen'an County revealed its solid outline in the night, with a few sparse, dilapidated lanterns hanging on the top of the wall, swaying in the evening breeze and casting a dim, yellowish halo.

The city gates had long been closed, leaving only a side gate for emergency passage at night, guarded by two county soldiers wearing uniforms and dozing off with long guns in their arms.

The sounds of horses' hooves and wheels approached from afar, startling the gatekeepers.

The two rubbed their sleepy eyes, raised their lamps and looked around, only to see more than ten people standing outside the side door.

"Who goes there? The city gates are closed. Unless it's urgent business or official documents, please come early tomorrow!"

An older county soldier roused himself and stepped forward to question him.

His gaze swept over the strong figures of the bodyguards and the weapons at their waists. His tone was still polite, but his hand was already on the hilt of his sword.

The crowd parted, and Lin Zhenyuan leaned out, revealing a black waist tag with gold lettering.

"Lin Zhenyuan of Weiyuan Escort Agency has urgent business in the city. Please grant me entry."

The county soldier took the waist tag and examined it carefully by the lamplight.

He looked up and sized up Lin Zhenyuan again, his tense expression immediately softening, and he even showed a hint of respect.

"So it's Chief Escort Lin! My apologies for not recognizing you! What brings you here..."

He glanced at Lin Zhenyuan, then at the dusty bodyguards behind him, and hesitated.

Weiyuan Escort Agency had a good reputation in Wen'an County, and Lin Zhenyuan was a figure who had connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. Naturally, a mere county soldier like himself would not dare to offend him easily.

But he had to have an explanation for entering the city at night, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain it to his superiors.

Lin Zhenyuan naturally understood the rules. He took out two small ingots of silver from his pocket, quietly stuffed them into the hands of the county soldier, and whispered.

"My son has suddenly fallen ill and needs to go into the city to find a doctor overnight. The men behind him are from my security escort agency, protecting the medicine. Please make an exception."

The county soldier squeezed the silver in his hand; it was quite heavy. His smile widened, but he still looked back with some unease.

"Chief镖师 Lin, it's fine if you want to enter the city, but the number of people... and that one..."

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze fell on Ye Qingfeng, who had stepped out from the crowd and was standing beside Lin Zhenyuan.

He wore a blue Taoist robe, his hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, his face was calm, and his temperament was otherworldly.

He stood out conspicuously among the group of bodyguards.

"Who is this...?" the county soldier asked in confusion.

A Taoist priest entering the city at night with a caravan of镖局 (security escort agency) members? That's quite rare.

Ye Qingfeng smiled slightly, took half a step forward, and bowed to the county soldier.

"I am Qingweizi, a wandering Taoist priest. I happened to meet the son of Chief Escort Lin who was ill. I have some medical knowledge and accompanied him to take care of him."

His voice was clear and melodious, his demeanor composed, and he possessed an air of authority that commanded respect.

The county soldier saw that although he was young, he was well-mannered and did not resemble an ordinary swindler. He also saw that Lin Zhenyuan treated him with great respect, so most of his doubts disappeared.

"So you're a Taoist priest." The county soldier nodded, but still asked a routine question.

"Does the Taoist priest have a certificate of ordination or a travel document issued by the government? According to the rules, a monk or nun needs to have proof of his ordination when he or she travels..."

Ye Qingfeng's smile remained unchanged, but a slight thought stirred within him.

Ordination certificate? Travel document? His identity is that of a transmigrator who possessed the body of a starving corpse; where would he get official credentials?

Previously, in Xiahe Village and Heishan Town, they were either in remote, desolate areas or introduced by江湖人 (jianghu people) like Chiyangzi and Lin Zhenyuan. They had never encountered such a formal inspection.

It seems that in the future, I really need to find a way to obtain a legal identity document to avoid a lot of trouble.

He made a mental note of it, but his face remained calm.

Seeing this, Lin Zhenyuan quickly stepped forward, stuffed another slightly larger silver ingot into his hand, and said with a smile.

"This Taoist priest is a true hermit, unconventional and unrestrained by worldly customs. He may not have brought his ordination certificate with him at the moment."

My son's illness cannot be delayed. I would be grateful if you could do me a favor, brother. I will host a banquet at Zuixianlou another day, and I would like to invite you all for a drink.

The county soldier, clutching the newly added silver, completely lost his hesitation, his face beaming with smiles.

"Of course, of course! Chief镖师 Lin, you're too kind! Since saving lives is the priority, please come in! Daoist priest, please come in too!"

With a wave of his hand, another young county soldier quickly joined forces to push the side door open completely.

The convoy slowly entered the city.

As Ye Qingfeng passed by the county soldier, he nodded to him with a smile.

The county soldier quickly bowed in return, thinking to himself: This Taoist priest has an extraordinary demeanor and probably has some real skills. No wonder Chief Escort Lin treats him with such courtesy.

The escort team stopped at the fork in the road, preparing to split up.

It was Ye Qingfeng who took the initiative to request it; Lin Zhenyuan had originally planned to investigate the next day.

But Ye Qingfeng said, "There's no time like the present. Since we're here, let's settle this today."

That's why we decided to split up.

The night breeze was cool, blowing away the dust he had picked up when entering the city, and also making Lin Yunfeng, who was lying on the back of the bodyguard, shiver involuntarily.

It was both cold and painful; the taste of the jade bamboo whip was truly unforgettable.

Zhao Damang selected several reliable veteran bodyguards and gave them instructions.

"Old Li, you guys must make sure the young master is safely returned to his room, don't delay for even a moment."

Upon arrival, they immediately went to fetch Doctor Chen, saying it was Chief Escort Lin's order to come and take another look.