Bai Suzhen, I really need to punish you properly.

The cell was dimly lit.

Li Gongfu was quietly comforting his brother-in-law Xu Xian, who was still in shock.

Wang Xuan entered the prison cell, leaving a trail of footsteps.

He raised his hand, beckoning slightly with his fingertips, gesturing for him to come forward.

Li Gongfu quickly stepped forward: "My lord."

"Take some men to the Prince Qiu's residence now and bring back the nine hundred taels of stolen silver."

Li Gongfu was taken aback, his face full of surprise: "Sir, how did you know?"

"Of course, it was said by the old man Kushin."

Li Gongfu asked instinctively, "Is he reliable?"

Wang Xuan glanced at him sideways, her expression somewhat menacing: "Do you have other leads?"

"Uh...no."

"Then why aren't you going yet?"

Li Gongfu nodded hurriedly, then pleaded in a low voice, "Sir, what about my brother-in-law...?"

"I know he's innocent. But if you keep nagging, and the money in the Prince Qiu's treasury isn't retrieved, you'll all end up in jail together."

"Yes, yes, yes! I'll go right away!" Li Gongfu was overjoyed, bowed repeatedly, and hurriedly left. Now his wife would no longer complain to him.

After sending Li Gongfu away, Wang Xuan raised his hand to signal the jailer to open the cell door.

Xu Xian hadn't heard a word Wang Xuan and his brother-in-law said; he just cried out in utter grievance, "My lord, I'm innocent! It was Xiaoqing, the girl who was on the boat with us that day, who gave me the money!"

Wang Xuan stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder, soothingly saying, "Xu Xian, I know about your grievances."

He paused briefly and slowly began to explain:

I want to apologize to you for what happened this time.

Actually, Suzhen and Xiaoqing are my wives. That day, they had a disagreement with me and wanted to deliberately cause some trouble to tease and anger me. They might have done something that made you misunderstand.

As for the theft of the treasury silver, the details are far too complicated. You only need to know that it was the work of demons who impersonated them, intending to frame them.

Xu Xian was dumbfounded and completely stunned.

He stood there stunned for a moment before asking, "Can I go out now?"

"No." Wang Xuan deliberately turned cold and sneered, "The thousand taels of silver from the treasury have not yet been recovered. I'm going to pin this blame on you."

Xu Xian's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the cold prison floor, tears welling in his eyes: "Heavens! Earth! Why?"

Seeing how terrified he looked, Wang Xuan couldn't help but chuckle and quickly reassured him, "Alright, alright, I won't scare you anymore."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true," Wang Xuan said seriously. "Once your brother-in-law retrieves the stolen money, you can go back with him."

Xu Xian felt as if he had been granted a pardon and let out a long sigh of relief: "Brother Wang, you just scared me to death."

"However, please keep this matter a secret as well."

"I definitely won't say anything!"

Wang Xuan nodded slightly and said, "The county has decided to open a pharmacy to solve the problem of government employees having difficulty accessing medical care and high drug prices. Since you have solid medical skills, you will be appointed as the manager of this pharmacy."

"Huh? We don't need to, do we?"

Xu Xian waved his hands repeatedly; he was genuinely afraid.

"This is an appointment by the government, and you cannot refuse it. However, there are some things to make clear first: officials and runners in the county government are not allowed to accept consultation fees when they come to see a doctor or buy medicine, and the cost of medicine should be calculated only. As for ordinary people, you may charge them normally..."

Half an hour later, Li Gongfu returned with the lost nine hundred taels of silver, and then happily took Xu Xian home.

……

After dealing with Xu Xian's matter, Wang Xuan strode into Bai Suzhen's room.

Bai Suzhen sat gracefully in the room, gentle and quiet, serene and otherworldly, yet a trace of guilt still lingered between her brows and eyes.

"The matter has been resolved, so why are you still so gloomy?"

I felt a little guilty.

Wang Xuan moved closer, and the distance between them gradually closed, filling the air with an ambiguous atmosphere.

"You don't actually want to experience fifty lashes, do you?" Wang Xuan joked with a smile. "I think you should forget it. I don't know how to hold back."

Bai Suzhen gave him a reproachful look, and a blush began to rise on her face.

"I'll teach you a trick that will definitely work," Wang Xuan said with a smile. "Close your eyes and don't think about anything."

Bai Suzhen was slightly taken aback, then obediently closed her eyes.

Wang Xuan stepped forward slightly, lowered his head, and kissed her delicate lips.

"Hmm~"

Bai Suzhen's body stiffened slightly. She subconsciously opened her eyes and then slowly closed them again, her long eyelashes trembling gently.

After a long while, the two slowly separated.

Bai Suzhen's eyes were like water, misty and hazy, adding a touch of gentleness to her usually dignified demeanor.

Wang Xuan gazed at her and asked softly, "Now, do you still feel bad?"

Two red blushes rose on Bai Suzhen's cheeks, burning hot.

"That means there are still some."

As Wang Xuan spoke, he made a move to get closer again.

Bai Suzhen quickly raised her slender hand and gently placed it on his chest, speaking with a mixture of shyness and self-restraint to stop him: "It's alright now."

Wang Xuan couldn't help but smile when he saw her shy and embarrassed appearance.

"I have something to do, I'll go take care of it now."

After saying that, Wang Xuan turned and left.

He knew in his heart that although Bai Suzhen was a demon, she was a woman who paid great attention to etiquette. In the drama, she and Xu Xian only got together after they had already held their wedding ceremony.

If you're too eager to want more, you might end up losing more than you gain.

Watching Wang Xuan's departing figure, Bai Suzhen finally breathed a long sigh of relief and raised her hand to press her pounding heart.

The burning sensation on her face lingered for a long time. Thinking of the intimacy just now, her heart was filled with both sweetness and confusion, and a sweet smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

The next day.

The pretty and lively Xiaoqing pushed open the door and walked straight to Wang Xuan, saying, "I have something to tell you. My sister has left."

"She's gone? Where did she go?"

Wang Xuan's expression changed drastically.

He originally planned to choose an auspicious day for the two of them to hold their wedding, and once their status was established, things would naturally fall into place.

As a result, the bride secretly ran away?

Without even a word of warning?

"My sister said she'll go out and find some rare and precious herbs to help you with your cultivation."

Wang Xuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, then asked again to confirm, "Are you sure your sister will come back?"

"Of course, my sister said it herself."

Wang Xuan relaxed, squinted her eyes, and asked lazily, "Then why didn't you go with us?"

"My sister asked me to stay and protect you, and also to help you with your cultivation."

"Then you can protect my shoulders. They're a little sore today, come and give me a massage."

Xiaoqing puffed out her chest and raised her head, scoffing defiantly, "Why should I massage you? Why don't you massage me?"

"Okay, I'll help you first."

Wang Xuan pressed her down onto the stool, gently massaging her shoulders. After a moment, he suddenly leaned close to her ear and asked casually, "You haven't been spying on me these past few days, have you?"

Xiaoqing instantly bristled, retorting with a displeased expression, "Who would look at you?"

"That would be best." Wang Xuan smiled and withdrew his hand. "Come on, it's your turn to massage."

"No, no! Squeeze it a little longer!"

……

The night was deep, and the candlelight inside the room flickered.

As the two were cuddling, Wang Xuan suddenly called out in a low voice, "Xiao Qing!"

Rouge was greatly puzzled: "Husband, why... are you calling Xiaoqing by her name?"

Wang Xuan chuckled and explained, "I was afraid Xiaoqing was hiding in the shadows watching, so I was just trying to trick her."

The difference between the realms of "Refining Qi to Transform into Spirit" and "Refining Emptiness to Unite with the Dao" is enormous.

Xiaoqing's true form is a green snake, so if she wanted to hide, Wang Xuan wouldn't be able to detect her at all.

"what?"

Her delicate, rosy cheeks flushed instantly, and she was so embarrassed that she tried to cover her face.

Wang Xuan laughed and gently pecked her cheek, removing her small hand that was covering her face. He teased her, "Why don't you scold her a few times, the harsher the better? If she doesn't come out, she's definitely not here."

Rouge immediately shook her head, her brows furrowing in embarrassment: "No!"

She's from a prestigious family; how could she possibly hurl insults at people like that?

Moreover, after spending time together, she and Xiaoqing had long since reconciled and were no longer at odds.

Wang Xuan laughed and explained, "I'm just like someone who's been bitten by a snake once, and I'm afraid of ropes for ten years. Once my cultivation level is higher, I won't have to worry about these things anymore."

Rouge gave a soft hum, a hint of melancholy in her voice, and asked gently, "Husband, may I cultivate with you?"

Wang Xuan is capable of cultivation, Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing are enlightened snake demons, but she is just a mortal, so she inevitably suffers from gains and losses.

"Of course. But I don't have a suitable cultivation technique for you right now, so please give me some more time."

"Mmm." Rouge nodded obediently.

"Come on, turn around."