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

Lu Boyun himself had been through the same age as Bai Zhou and maintained a distance from strangers, but he didn't want the people under his rule to be so distant from him.

The relationship between the public and officials is too distant, which is a significant blow to these officials who have always adhered to the belief of putting the people first and sharing their joys.

“Yes, Brother Bai, we still need to work together to catch the villains and bring light to Boyun Prefecture. If we’re so distant, it will be very uncomfortable to cooperate.”

Meng Li patted Du Heng on the shoulder, trying to liven up the atmosphere.

"That's true."

Bai Zhou raised his teacup and toasted the three of them, saying:

"Then I shall dare to call you three brothers. I entrust my life and fortune to you three brothers."

"Haha, Brother Bai, where did you get that rough-and-tumble look from? You do look quite like one."

Meng Li was amused by Bai Zhou's sworn brotherhood-like manner, but Du Heng slapped her, making her suppress her laughter.

Lu Boyun was also touched by Bai Zhou's trusting smile and firmly swore to Bai Zhou that he would not let him suffer any harm tonight.

"Then, let's proceed as planned. Brother Bai will go to the street to act as bait, while we set up our net here. We'll definitely catch that big fish tonight!"

After leaving the restaurant, Bai Zhou planned to take the opportunity to buy some fresh fruit or pastries for Xi.

Speaking of which, that task has been stuck for a long time.

During the day, a thought arises, and the screen displaying the text slowly appears.

【Repaying Kindness (Survival Quest, Current Completion: 65%): You, who have just escaped from the cage, have stumbled into a wolf's den. Surrounded by hungry wolves, deceived by untrustworthy people, and blinded by evil people, your future is fraught with hardship and hopelessness.

Fortunately, you met a kind person who rescued you from your suffering. As the saying goes, a drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude in return; please do your best to let your benefactor feel your heartfelt thanks!

He would have forgotten about this task if he hadn't suddenly remembered it.

However, it seems he hasn't done a very good job yet. He still has a long way to go to perfectly repay the gentleman's kindness.

Then we must keep working hard!

Today's daylight is still full of vitality, repaying kindness.

###

"Sir, you should rest now."

Hearing the call, Xi looked up. It was already pitch black outside the window, and the clouds were rather gloomy tonight, as if it was going to rain again.

"I went to sleep."

After closing the empty snack box, Xi took the toothbrush that Bai Zhou handed her and rinsed her mouth.

"..."

As Bai Zhou approached the window, a cool breeze blew in, making the tip of his tail tremble.

"It's so windy tonight, sir. Let me cover you with another blanket."

Xi reached out a hand from under the covers, wanting to tap Bai Zhou, but was stuck in mid-air due to its length.

"Sir, please be gentle."

Looking at Bai Zhou, who had come closer with a pained expression, Xi snorted and simply tapped him with her fingertip.

"Don't wake me up."

"Hey, absolutely!"

Although that's what Bai said, if that assassin were bold enough to make a huge noise and wake the gentleman, then he might have to go looking for the assassin's remains in the cracks of his claws.

The orange lamp was turned off, and Bai Zhou lay quietly on the straw mat, waiting.

The sound of rain pattering against the window drifted in, and the two could hear each other breathing in the quiet room.

Is the gentleman asleep?

There seems to be less rain this year. I hope nothing bad will happen.

Hasn't he arrived yet...?

I was almost asleep from waiting all day, but the assassin still hadn't arrived.

Was he being too deliberate today? But he just went to buy some things, like any other resident…

The sound of footsteps coming from the hallway suddenly made Bai Zhou perk up.

"Knock knock knock~"

A soft knock sounded on the door, and both of them paused in their breathing at the same time.

Come……

"Hello~, your reservation for the night service~"

"..."

Instantly, the room became as quiet as a Damedame concert.

Return to the 23rd Trial

"..."

Bai Zhou sat up in confusion and groped around to find a small lamp.

The sound of "scratching" rang out, and a pale yellow light dispelled a small patch of darkness.

"Hello? May I come in?"

The voice outside the door was soft and alluring, enough to make one tremble from head to toe just by hearing it.

"Cough cough cough..."

Bai Zhou carried a lantern and slowly approached the door, covering his mouth and uttering a slightly deep male voice.

"You've come to the wrong place. The person who pays is probably in the guesthouse next door."

"Huh? Is that so? But this is the place we agreed on, and I came here in the rain."

People outside didn't seem to believe this explanation and complained with great resentment.

"My master has already fallen asleep. You should not say anything more and leave quickly."

The male voice rose slightly before quickly falling back down, probably to avoid waking his owner.

"Well, I'll leave now, please don't be angry. We're all working people, why should working people make things difficult for each other?"

Seeing that the people inside were a bit angry, the conscientious night service worker quickly and gently comforted them before leaving.

"Seriously... what kind of person would seek out such a waiter's service on a rainy day? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Bai Zhou doesn't understand these things, but having driven away the noisy people, he now has to properly receive the "guests" who arrived without asking.

The window behind me had opened a crack at some point, and the sound of rain mixed with the rustling of leaves drifted into the room.

Along with it came a black dagger.

"Click~"

The small lamp fell to the ground, its light shattered, and the room was plunged into darkness once more.

Less than ten seconds later, with a loud "bang!", a large, dark object crashed through the window and jumped out.

"Damn it, what is that monster?"

A huge claw mark appeared on the assassin's body, and blood was oozing out from the wound.

Recalling what had just happened, he had entered with high spirits, intending to kill the brat first, then take care of his master, and then leave openly through the main entrance.

Now he escaped in a sorry state; if his survival instincts had been weaker, the house might have been left with nothing but rubble.

The situation changed so quickly that he still didn't know what kind of monster had injured him.

He shattered the little devil's light, intending to kill him with a single blow, but in doing so, he failed to see the little devil's movements clearly.

The monster appeared suddenly, as if it had sprung out of the brat's body. With a single claw, it broke his dagger and arm, rendering him unable to use Originium Arts. With another claw, it severely injured the defenseless boy.

His only thought right now is to run away as fast as he can.

As for silencing them, let's focus on surviving first!

"..."

Bai Zhou came to the window and watched the escaped assassin pinch his fingers and put them to his lips.

"post--!"

The whistle, like the cry of an eagle, echoed through the streets.

In an instant, countless constables wearing straw raincoats poured out from the surrounding streets, alleys, and windows, surrounding the assassin like a flowing river.

"Hey, now I can sleep peacefully. You were quick too, didn't wake Mr. Satisfied. Thank you, Little Satisfied."

Small acts of freedom can lead to great achievements. (Jpg)

During the day, Bai Zhou patted Xiao Zizai's head, put it back into the painting, closed the window, and prepared to go to sleep.

As for finding out the killer's origins and the person hiding behind him, that's something Lu Boyun and his team should be responsible for handling.

■

Good morning, sir. The rain was heavy and the wind was light last night; did you sleep well?

Xi sat on the edge of the bed, squinting, letting Bai Zhou wipe his cheeks with a towel soaked in warm water. Only after hearing his question did she reach out and tap his head.

"If only those guys didn't keep yelling and shouting 'Catch the thief!'"

Xi had planned to go to sleep after chasing the thief away during the day, but the guys hiding outside were shouting loudly, as if they were afraid others wouldn't know they had caught the thief.

The little devil is the same; he closes the window and goes straight to sleep without even asking if she's been disturbed.

If she had known this would happen, she would have preferred to sleep inside the painting.

Hearing Xi's dissatisfied complaints, Bai Zhou chuckled.

That's what makes a "person"—that kind of gentleman.

"Sir, please enjoy your meal. I'll go check on the assailant."

After quickly finishing breakfast, Bai Zhou wiped his mouth and prepared to slip away.