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

"There's one more, no need to rush."

Looking at the two well-behaved dogs, Bai Zhou smiled and gave them the remaining two apples.

"Okay, I'll come see you again tomorrow... Now, I'll head back now and stay here obediently, okay?"

The tail that was swishing during the day suddenly straightened, and then the carrot suddenly rammed into him, sending him flying.

"Well……"

A chill ran through my left arm, accompanied by a stinging sensation as the wind blew across the cracks in my arm.

"You dodged it..."

The dark-skinned, smoking figure looked at Bai Zhou, who had been pushed into the haystack, and spoke with a hint of surprise.

"Is it because of these two strange guys?"

Even as his dagger struck its target, he used his Originium Arts to return to his original position, thus avoiding the vegetable's bite.

"But next time..."

"Why did you take action? You could have just pretended not to see it."

Bai Zhou crawled out of the haystack, looking at the dark creature in front of him with a puzzled expression.

He hadn't provoked him, yet the other party still attacked him viciously. If Luo Bo hadn't been clever enough to push him away, it wouldn't have been his arm that was slashed open, but his heart.

What reason is needed for this?

The shadowy figure replied in surprise.

"As an assassin, isn't it my duty to eliminate everything that could potentially expose my identity?"

"If you want to complain, blame your bad luck. Who told you not to go back by curfew?"

The assassin raised the dagger in his hand, and the moonlight cast a cold glint in it.

"Buzz—hum—!"

Intermittent flashes of lightning illuminated the scene. Bai Zhou picked up a pitchfork from behind him and threw it at the assassin. Then, he took advantage of the moment to run towards the animal pen.

“Originium Arts…you brat, you’re quite something.”

The assassin was once again proud of his caution.

How could an ordinary child, who is not infected, possibly use Originium Arts?

This guy is definitely in cahoots with those officials.

For her safety, we must eliminate her completely.

Easily dodging the lightning-strewn pitchfork, the assassin flipped his dagger, activated Originium Arts, and transformed into a wisp of green smoke that coiled towards the daylight.

"Go to hell, you brat!"

The smoke solidified, revealing the shapes of both figures on the gleaming, sharp dagger.

The assassin's eyes were filled with murderous intent and indifference.

Bai Zhou wore a reassuring and confident smile.

"Radishes, cabbages, beat him up!"

With his right hand braced against the ground, he kicked away the crossbeams binding the fence with his toes, and after doing this, he quickly dodged to the side.

The assassin was then met with a brutal charge from two massive, bull-like yaks.

"Damn it. You're lucky, but don't think you're safe just because you survived this time."

The assassin turned into smoke again to escape from the encirclement of the two ants.

Standing on the roof, he looked at Bai Zhou, whose figure was blocked by two A-Yao, thought about the commotion he had just made, snorted coldly, and then turned into smoke and left.

"Phew... What an unreasonable guy."

During the day, leaning against the greens, he shakily raised his left arm and sighed softly as he looked at his arm, which was already covered in blood.

"There was no need to complicate things. What an incompetent killer."

but……

He stood up during the day and touched each of the radishes and cabbages with his good right hand.

"We need to find an opportunity to tell Du Heng about this."

Originally, he just wanted to be an ordinary passerby, wait for this matter to pass, and then leave with Xi.

Unexpectedly, after only half a day, this bored assassin came knocking on my door.

Now, there's no chance to back out.

If the other party didn't kill him this time, they will definitely come back to find an opportunity to deal with him, this variable.

However, before that...

He brought the radishes and greens back to the animal pen, reattached them to the crossbeam, and then ran quickly towards Suyu Pavilion during the day.

He's going to complain to Xi!

"Sir! I almost didn't get to see you!"

■

"Assassin..."

Xi looked at Bai Zhou, who was disheveled, covered in blood and dirt, with a blade of grass stuck in his hair, and heard his mournful cries like those of a cuckoo echoing in her ears.

('?ω?)ノ(￣ε(#￣)~

"Go and clean the wound."

"Gently remove the grass from Bai Ri's head," Xi said.

"Ah."

After Xiang Xi finished crying and venting her grievances, Bai Zhou's mood improved a lot, and even the stinging pain in his arm seemed to disappear.

"..."

Xi stood up, went to the easel, took out paper and ink, and lightly lifted and heavily lowered the brush.

"Sir, I'm back."

The little devil's cheerful voice rang out, and as he stepped into the room, Xi, who was sitting in a chair, tossed him a roll of paper.

"Oh, sir, what is this?"

Bai Zhou jumped up and caught the roll of paper. He opened it and saw a strange "beast" drawn inside.

"This is... a small self-defense item. Use it for self-defense, and be careful not to lose it."

Xi picked up her wine glass, ready to take the last sip, but her gaze fell on Bai Zhou's arm, which was wrapped in gauze. After a moment's hesitation, she put the glass back down.

"Little Freedom?"

Bai Zhou glanced at the dragon-like creature on the drawing paper—a creature with only a head, claws, and tail, its body made of black clouds, roaring with its head raised—and a look of joy appeared in his eyes.

"Sir, if there is small freedom, then is there great freedom?"

"Da...Zai...Do you want to see?"

It seemed that the incident mentioned during the day reminded Xi of an interesting scene, and her drooping blue tail slowly rose with her owner's joy.

Xi got up, took out a painting from the bamboo box, opened it, and waved for Bai Zhou to come over.

The painting depicts a small house in the Jiangnan region, surrounded by dark mountains and wispy clouds, with a giant beast hidden among them.

It resembles towering mountains, shrouded in moonlight and mist.

"Oh! Sir, there really is great freedom here! How beautiful! Sir, may we go and take a look?"

Bai Zhou has little resistance to these huge and beautiful creatures, and if he could pet them, he would be exceptionally happy for a long time to come.

"That's certainly possible, but..."

Before Xi could finish speaking, she gently pushed daylight into the painting.

“wryyyyyyy——!”

Excited yet trembling shouts rang out behind her. Xi sat on the eaves, admiring the elegant and beautiful scenery of Jiangnan before her.

The colossal beast behind them, free and unfettered, had already raised its head and peered into the clouds, while the daylight lurking above it was having an unbearable time.

Returning to Prefect Boyun, the 21st Prefect of Boyun

"Whew~, sir..."

Bai Zhou, sleeping on a straw mat, seemed to be dreaming of happy things, and kept softly calling out to Xi.

"..."

Xi was still awake, painting the last picture of the day.

The painting depicts Zizai, her, and... a smiling little devil.

Xi gazed quietly at the smiling face in the painting, and before she knew it, a smile appeared on her own face.

That's right.

The most attractive kids are those who are smiling.

Perhaps it was because she had seen Bai Zhou with a smile for so long that seeing her with other expressions made Xi feel very uncomfortable, like wanting to paint a traditional Chinese ink painting but finding the inkstone empty. After that, she would only feel satisfied if that chubby little face was smiling again.

"Sir...why haven't you rested yet?"

A soft voice called from behind. Xi rolled up the painting and replied softly:

"I went to sleep."

"Okay, you should get some rest. I'll buy you breakfast tomorrow morning... *whoosh*..."

Incoherent words were uttered intermittently, eventually fading into silence, leaving only faint snoring.

When Xi got up and looked back, he saw only a daytime figure curled up on a straw mat, fast asleep.

Its tail was wrapped around its ankles, and its two hands were clasped together and huddled in front of its chest. It was a small, curled-up ball that looked pitiful and lonely.