I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"The biggest one I've ever seen is a pack animal. If that thing stood up, *the essence of Yan Kingdom* would almost reach my neck."

"Maybe they're laying eggs."

The two ate and talked, and the topic gradually veered off course.

It was as if the disappearance case, which had been so tense just moments before, was no longer important.

Arrival at the Sixty-Three

"Sir, tea."

During the day, he sat down with two bowls of cold tea, offering one to Xi, who was sitting opposite him, while he enjoyed the other by himself.

"I've inquired around, and rumors are circulating in the town that there are ferocious beasts causing trouble in the river. It's probably just a cover-up by the government."

"Do you know who is causing this trouble?"

Xi picked up her tea and took a sip. It was just ordinary green tea, slightly bitter but with a sweet aftertaste. Because of its abundant production and low price, this type of tea was often sold by these tea stalls as a thirst-quenching drink to passersby. However, in recent days, the weather had been overcast and windy, and the limited supply of herbal tea had been greatly reduced, leading many herbal tea stall owners to complain bitterly.

"That remains to be seen."

They were either wandering knights who happened to be there, or just ordinary local people; they had no idea what was hidden in the river.

"However, it is certain that five fishermen from the town have gone missing. Only the wrecked boat has been found, but the people on board are nowhere to be found."

"Since no bloodstains or clothing were found, the authorities had no choice but to temporarily conclude that the person was missing."

Missing... the chances of survival are slim.

When should we deal with this matter?

Xi wasn't very interested in this matter, but she followed along because Bai Zhou seemed quite interested in it.

"We need to go to the government office first."

During the daytime, we need to communicate with the local government to change the name of this matter, so as to avoid causing panic among the people due to the existence of demons and evil spirits.

"The government..."

After hearing Bai Zhou's words, Xi's eyebrows unconsciously lifted.

The government office is quite far from here. She was already exhausted from walking several miles from outside the city, and the thought of having to cross half the city to get to the government office was even more daunting…

"Sir, let's go to the inn to rest for a while."

Having already noticed Xi's appearance, Bai Zhou temporarily set aside his thoughts about the government and turned his attention to Xi's health.

"Let's go to the government office first, I'm not tired yet."

Xi shook her head and told Bai Zhou to continue his business at the government office.

She hated troublesome matters that couldn't be resolved quickly. Rather than taking a short rest before heading to the government office, she preferred to put in more effort now to get the day's business done.

"Well then, let's go, sir."

After paying for the tea, we traveled together day and night along the main road to the town's government office.

"I never expected it to be like this..."

"Good work."

The two arrived at the county government office, only to find it tightly shut. When they knocked, only the gatekeeper answered. Upon asking the gatekeeper, they learned that the imperial court had already sent someone to resolve the matter.

"That makes things much easier."

They parted ways in the daytime with laughter.

Xi didn't quite understand the meaning behind Bai Zhou's smile.

For Ah Xi now, those things in the river could be crushed with a simple wave of his hand. Why doesn't he just go and deal with them?

"Sir, it has been a long time since you have been involved in politics, so there may be some things you are unaware of."

Before Xi could voice her doubts, Bai Zhou explained the reason for what he had just said.

"Most of those who came from the capital were talented individuals who had earned merit at the provincial governor's office."

"If one were to rely on ordinary deeds, it would take seven or eight years to rise through the ranks in the Provincial Governor's Office. Therefore, in order to quickly cultivate their talents, the Provincial Governor's Office introduced this merit-based system."

"The creatures in this river are nothing more than shrimp soldiers and crab generals; it's best to let these young people handle them."

Since the things arriving now are mostly meaningless, and with others handling the daytime affairs, he's reluctant to do anything personally. Besides, he's happy to watch the younger generation strive, and intends to use this opportunity to assess whether these young people's abilities are worthy of their official robes.

"Sir, it's getting late. Let's go to the inn for the night."

"Ah."

Xi had been waiting for these words. She'd walked so much today; she needed Ah Xi to give her a good foot massage tonight.

Upon arriving at the only inn in town, the first thing you see when you enter is a couplet hanging at the door.

The inscription above reads: "The green hills remain unchanged."

Hanging below: [Green Water Flowing Forever]

The horizontal scroll reads: "See you later."

"Oh, you two are so lucky to have come at the right time! Our hotel is having a discount right now, and we offer a 20% discount if two people share a room."

"You two are a perfect match, and today is an auspicious day. Why not spend this wonderful evening together?"

When the two entered, the proprietress of Walper's eyes lit up, and sweet words flowed from her lips.

“The proprietress speaks eloquently. My wife and I arrived here today and were enjoying ourselves in the town. We were so engrossed in our pleasure that we forgot the time. Luckily, we arrived at your shop in time, otherwise we would have had to sleep under the open sky tonight.”

During the day, he took out his money pouch, booked a room, and chatted with the landlady.

"My lord, you are too kind. It's only late afternoon. Not to mention my shop, even the market stalls on the street haven't closed yet."

The proprietress took the money with a smile, chatting and laughing with Bai Zhou.

"You must not abandon your husband's nameplate."

"It must not be lost."

Bai Zhou took the doorplate, looked at the door number, and then put it into the pouch at his waist.

After doing all that, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he asked the proprietress about some other things.

"My wife and I have just arrived here and do not know what local specialties and delicacies Fuyu Town has. Could you please tell me so that I can buy some for my wife to try?"

"Easy to say, easy to say."

He accepted the ten coins Bai Zhou handed over. Hearing this pleasant address, the proprietress smiled and recommended several dishes to Bai Zhou.

"However, the most famous dish in our Fuyu Town has to be the signature braised river scales of Yanbinlou Restaurant. It is said that every scale must be freshly caught from Fangri River before it can be put into the pot, and the ingredients must also be of the finest quality. The taste is indeed incredibly delicious. Since you and your wife are looking for delicious food, you must try this dish."

"Thank you for your trouble, sister."

Bai Zhou thanked her and then returned to Xi, who was waiting quietly to the side.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, sir."

Although he addressed the landlady as "my wife" and "my lady" just now, he still had to call Xi "my husband" when they were together.

As for husband and wife... during the day, I only got one stroke of the character "八" (eight), and I'm still far from being able to achieve the other stroke.

Speaking of which, after Bai Zhou said those things last time, he called Xi "wife" in a moment of carelessness and got hit by her a few times.

Yes, it's not just the kind of intimate gestures between couples, it's real evidence.

Looking back now... although he took a few hits, seeing Xi's ashamed and indignant expression, Bai Zhou didn't feel it was a bad deal.

"Ah."

Xi nodded slightly, then followed Bai Zhou upstairs, as if she hadn't heard anything.

It's unclear whether they don't care or are preparing to settle scores later.

Number 203

Bai Zhou pushed open the door, put down his luggage, and turned around to see Xi standing there motionless.

"Sir? What's wrong?"

"The smell is too strong."

Xi frowned slightly and brushed her hands away in disgust.

"smell……"

Bai Zhou also sniffed, and then he knew why Xi was disgusted.

A salty, fishy smell wafted through the room, somewhat like scales, but stronger and thicker.

"Looks like some more troublesome guys have been here."

Opening the window during the day summons a breeze, carrying away the fishy smell from the room with its misty spray.

"Would that make you feel better, sir?"

"...That's fine."

The fishy smell dissipated, and Xi slowly exhaled the breath she had been holding.

"Ah Xi, we don't need the bedding."

Since something has been here, Xi doesn't plan to continue using the bedding and other items in the room that she needs to touch.

"Okay, I'll change it right away."

He took out a painting box from his bag, and when he opened it, it was full of scroll paintings.

These are all furniture sets designed by Xi.

Returning to the sixty-fourth chapter, I wish to hold your hand and grow old together.

After tidying up the bedding, dinner was braised river carp, which the landlady highly recommended.

The price of this dish has skyrocketed because fishermen haven't caught many river fish these past few days, rising from twenty or thirty coins to one hundred coins now. Well, after the discount, it's ninety-nine coins.

This is because the purchasing power of the Tongbao coin is strong enough. If it were exchanged for the Jiuzhu coin from a hundred years ago, it would probably cost one string of cash for a fish.

"Although it's a bit pricey, it's definitely a delicious dish."