Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

As dawn broke, Sifang City was still shrouded in a thin layer of mist.

Chu Chang arrived at the Gu family's house early.

Although I fought with Lin Wanqin all night and barely slept a wink.

But thanks to his extremely yang constitution, the nascent yang energy continuously nourished his meridians, and he felt not sleepy at all, but rather refreshed and had bright, alert eyes.

At this moment, he had already changed into the dark blue uniform of the Gu family guards.

His waist was neatly cinched, and he looked dashing and heroic, having long since shed the poor and shabby air of the herb-gathering boy he once was.

As for Lin Wanqin, she had to go back first because of some matters at the Gu family's residence.

When Chu Chang arrived at the courtyard outside Gu Ling Shuang's boudoir, he happened to run into the maid Chun'er carrying a basin of steaming warm water.

When Chun'er saw Chu Chang, she was taken aback at first, then smiled and said with her eyes crinkling, "Chang, I didn't expect that these new clothes would look so good on you, you look so dashing."

Chu Chang nodded slightly and asked, "Miss Chun'er, I just started working today! What will I be doing every day? Will I be responsible for patrolling the courtyard or guarding the gate?"

Chun'er covered her mouth and chuckled: "You, Miss already gave instructions. She said your foundation is still weak, so you don't need to take turns on duty like ordinary guards. From now on, unless Miss goes out with you, you can go to the family's martial arts training ground to focus on practicing martial arts. If there's any need for you to help, I will call you."

Upon hearing this, Chu Chang's heart stirred slightly.

Normal home security guards, whether patrolling the house or moving heavy goods, have a very full schedule of tasks.

The treatment Gu Ling Shuang gave him was almost equivalent to that of a specially trained retainer; this care was undoubtedly substantial.

"Miss has treated me well," Chu Chang thought to himself. Being handsome and tall is indeed advantageous.

He then said seriously, "When will the young lady come out? I want to see her and ask her some questions."

Just as Chun'er was about to answer, Gu Ling Shuang's cool and calm voice came from inside the room: "Let him in."

The sound penetrated the door, clearly indicating that Gu Ling Shuang had already woken up and possessed considerable cultivation, allowing her to hear the commotion outside the courtyard from a distance.

"Come in quickly, Miss has just finished washing up."

Chun'er winked at Chu Chang and helped him open the door.

Chu Chang stepped into the house.

The room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, which was very pleasant.

He walked around a screen and saw Gu Ling Shuang sitting at her desk.

Today she wore a moon-white long dress, and her long black hair was simply tied up with a jade hairpin. She looked less cold and stern than usual, and more elegant and refined.

She raised her head, her clear eyes falling on Chu Chang. Sensing the stability of his aura, she nodded slightly: "My sister-in-law told me about your affairs this morning. I never imagined that she would break through in just three days, and that you would uproot the entire Lei family!!"

Gu Ling Shuang sighed deeply.

She knew Chu Chang was truly capable!

I just didn't expect this skill to be so amazing.

However, this is a good thing.

The matter concerning my sister-in-law's family is over.

And if my sister-in-law can make progress, doesn't that mean she can too?

In that case, reaching the Qi Refining Realm is just around the corner!

"Miss, has Madam Lin told you about what happened in my village?"

"I said so."

Chu Chang asked in a deep voice, "Then, Miss, what do you mean when an ordinary person suddenly undergoes a drastic personality change, becomes extremely wealthy, and gains a stronger physique, while also exuding a chilling aura that makes people's hearts tremble?"

"It represents his homesickness!" Gu Ling Shuang said calmly.

Chu Chang: "..."

I never expected that the young lady would also like to use internet memes.

"Young Miss, I'm serious."

"You think I'm joking with you?" Gu Ling Shuang said speechlessly.

"Huh? You're not kidding?"

"Of course not, I'm not wrong. Your village has been invaded by a ghost in human skin. These kinds of evil spirits usually return to their hometowns, and it's said that their obsession is homesickness..."

"What? A human... a ghost in human skin?"

"That's right, the so-called Human Skin Monster is a monster that wears human skin. It's a monster that appeared in the Gray Mist Forbidden Zone. It's not particularly powerful, but the troublesome thing is that it likes to attach itself to human skin and then disguise itself as a human, hiding around acquaintances. It likes women, especially young and beautiful ones, in order to absorb their yin energy..."

After a pause, Gu Ling Shuang continued, "The human skin ghost can't maintain its human form for very long. After dark, the human skin must be dried in the sun, which is why you see things that look like clothes on the roof beams!"

At that moment, Chu Chang understood.

"So that wasn't clothing, it was human skin?"

"That's right, checking if it's a human-skinned ghost is very simple; just bleed it out!"

"Young Miss, what should we do?"

Chu Chang was very worried, after all, there were still many relatives and friends in the village.

If something happens, how much money will I have to give as a wedding gift?

"Here's what we'll do. You take two of the best men from the manor with you to deal with it. The human-skin ghost isn't considered strong among the ghosts. If its true form is discovered, even a brave ordinary person could kill it. But they are cunning, so it's better to be on the safe side."

Then, Gu Ling Shuang described some of the characteristics of the human skin ghost.

Upon hearing this, Chu Chang laughed.

Turns out he's a total jerk!

Ugh, it's such a hassle to bother Gu Ling Shuang. I should have just killed it last night!

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss."

Chu Chang sincerely bowed and thanked him, letting out a long sigh of relief.

After all, he lacked practical experience. If he had two experienced and skilled guards to assist him when facing such an unknown and strange entity, his safety would undoubtedly be much higher.

A moment later, at the vermilion gate of the Gu family.

Two burly guards, each with a standard steel longsword at their waist, had been waiting for some time.

The two men were named Zhao Dayong and Qian Liu.

They were all among the best guards of the Gu family, with cultivation levels around the third level of Body Tempering and a calm demeanor.

Seeing Chu Chang come out, both of them showed a hint of curiosity and scrutiny in their eyes.

"You're Chu Chang?" Zhao Dayong sized up the spirited young man before him, then nodded and said, "The steward told me that the young lady specifically instructed my brother and me to accompany you to deal with that human-skin monster?"

Qian Liu crossed his arms and laughed, "Our Gu family has been established in Qingyang Town for so many years. Our eldest daughter has always been aloof and rarely cares about these strange tales in the countryside, except for important clan matters. Brother Chu, you have quite the influence."

In their view, dealing with a human-skinned monster that didn't seem particularly powerful was nothing special.

To their surprise, the young lady's attitude was unexpected.

In the past, the young lady would not have bothered with such trivial matters!

But this time, the young lady actually intervened personally and even offered help!

This is enough to show that Chu Chang's position in the young lady's heart is extraordinary.

Chu Chang politely clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "The matter is urgent, and that thing is causing great harm. I'm grateful to both of you for making this trip."

"You're welcome. We're all doing this for the Gu family." Zhao Dayong patted the long sword at his waist, his eyes sharpening. "Since it's Miss's order, we'll naturally do our best. Let's go, lead the way, let's meet that skinny guy!"

They were already used to strange creatures emerging from the restricted area.

Besides, these human-skinned monsters aren't very strong, so they're not too worried.

As the sun sets, a dim, golden light spills onto the dirt road in Chujia Village, and the sound of horses' hooves grows louder as they approach.

When Chu Chang arrived at the village with two guards from the Gu family, it was already afternoon.

Surprisingly, the usually quiet Li family home at the end of the village was now adorned with red decorations and bustling with activity.

Chu Chang stopped a villager to inquire and learned that Old Man Li had somehow gotten in touch with someone and was actually getting married!

It turned out that his sister, Chu Hong, refused to get married, so Old Man Li found a girl from the next village.

The bride's surname was Lin. Because her father died early and her family was starving, the young girl was sold to Old Man Li like livestock by her relatives.

At this moment, in the Li family courtyard, Uncle Chu Fu was busy sweating profusely, directing several village women to work in front of the open-air stove.

Seeing that Old Man Li was generous with the money, Chu Fu worked even harder and was happily preparing to entertain the guests.

"Everyone, eat and drink well! Old Li said there's plenty to eat today!" Chu Fu had just finished shouting when he looked up and saw Chu Chang walking into the courtyard.

The lively atmosphere at the banquet paused briefly when Chu Chang appeared.

Old Man Li, dressed in a brand-new red silk cloak, was bowing to the guests with a ruddy complexion. Upon seeing this, he quickly walked a few steps forward to greet them.

"Oh, young Master Chu is here." Old Man Li's face was full of smiles. "Today is my big day. I'm marrying a girl from the next village. It's a proper wedding, so you can't interfere now, can you?"

Previously, Chu Chang had repeatedly approached Old Man Li to express his opposition to the marriage.

Since Chu Chang was already at the second level of the Body Tempering Realm, Old Li and his uncle Chu Fu had no choice but to give up.

Old Man Li emphasized the words "it's none of your business," clearly using the previous incident to put Chu Chang down.

Chu Chang looked at his lifeless face and sneered, "Why shouldn't I care? What if you marry my wife?"