Fairy, please don't do this!

An Wanxi turned her head to the side, gazing at him with seductive eyes.

Her charming and beautiful face flushed with an alluring and bewitching blush, which spread from her ears to the corners of her eyes and neck, captivating her to the bone.

"Of course not!"

"I just feel that after such a long night, and with the case to investigate tomorrow, I'm probably too exhausted!"

Gu Jinzhao felt a little suffocated, so he moved back a bit.

Unexpectedly, An Wanxi leaned back further and bit her lip, saying, "As long as my little husband absorbs more Yin energy, he can not only plant the Phoenix Heart Imprint in his body, but also complement the Yang energy and nourish his soul and body."

"Then you won't be tired!"

"This isn't some kind of elixir to refresh the mind."

Gu Jinzhao couldn't help but slap her round, millstone-like buttocks.

With a crisp "snap" sound, ripples spread outwards.

"Hmm~"

An Wanxi gave a soft hum, her long eyelashes trembled, and her eyes shimmered with water, as if they were a mixture of honey and strong liquor.

"Isn't this more useful than those pills?"

At this moment, she also activated the "Dragon and Phoenix Harmony Technique," actively drawing in the Yin energy.

As her breathing became rapid, her extremely full and large breasts rose and fell, and a few strands of hair disappeared into the deep cleavage, which was very alluring.

The dress still clung tightly to her voluptuous and alluring body, but because she was leaning slightly forward, her rounded buttocks stretched the dress to a full, peach-like shape.

Beneath the skirt, her fair, snow-white legs were slightly together, her toes touching the mahogany floor, her heels slightly raised.

Ten delicate, pearl-like toes curled up, their nails, stained with pale purple nail polish, shimmering with an alluring luster, exuding sexiness and charm.

Gu Jinzhao rolled her eyes: "If I keep using this to keep myself alert, won't I be excited all night?"

An Wanxi's long, narrow eyes flushed red, her pearly teeth lightly biting her red lips, her soft, seductive voice like silk threads, quite cloying: "But my little husband said he needs to condense the Phoenix Heart Seal first~"

Gu Jinzhao remained silent and could only accelerate the absorption of Yin energy.

hum-

Instantly, the suction force created a vortex in the room, causing the tables and chairs to vibrate violently.

An Wanxi clenched her fists, her breathing became more rapid, and her beautiful eyes were already covered with a layer of mist, as if they were about to drip water.

"Which is more invigorating, the Great White Moon or the Great White Moon?"

"Cough cough..."

Gu Jinzhao choked: "Why do I have to compare myself to her again?"

An Wanxi's red lips curved slightly as she said matter-of-factly, "Because you also absorbed her yin energy!"

Gu Jinzhao said helplessly, "That time was an accident, okay?"

"But didn't my husband say that her ambiguous relationship with you was all deliberate?"

"That incident in the lotus pond was probably not intentional."

"That's hard to say."

"Yuechu'e may appear dignified and noble on the surface, but she's actually a sly fox inside, always trying to seduce you."

"She is a moth-phoenix, not a fox."

"Hmph...they're all pretty much the same!"

……

Just as Gu Jinzhao was absorbing Yin energy and beginning to condense the Phoenix Heart Seal, in the next room...

The calico cat, who was leisurely reading a storybook while lying on the bed, suddenly sprang up from the bed with its fur standing on end and stared straight at the wall.

"what happened?"

Jiang Tinglan had just finished bathing and was only wrapped in a crimson nightgown, which outlined her exquisite and curvaceous figure.

"This room... seems to be haunted!"

The calico cat felt a sudden chill creep up from the tip of its tail to the top of its head, and it quickly burrowed into the blankets, leaving only half of its fluffy little head sticking out.

"Little Fox is a spirit beast. If there were truly ghosts lurking there, how could it have escaped your notice?"

Jiang Tinglan sat down on the edge of the bed, her round and perky buttocks curving into an alluring fullness due to her sitting posture, and a section of her smooth and jade-like calves was revealed under the hem of her nightgown.

The calico cat poked its paw out from under the covers and pointed towards the wall: "That creepy feeling... it's unmistakable!"

Jiang Tinglan chuckled and gently rubbed its head: "Could it be that you've been reading too many supernatural tales and are scaring yourself?"

The calico cat shook its head in dissatisfaction: "My senses are very sharp. If Sister Jiang doesn't believe me, you can spread your divine sense and carefully explore the whole room."

"Is it the Yin spirit of a cultivator hiding here?"

Seeing how serious she was, Jiang Tinglan's expression also turned serious. She then spread her divine sense and scanned every corner of the room.

However, nothing was found.

But just as she was about to withdraw her divine sense, she faintly caught a very subtle sound in her ear.

Jiang Tinglan frowned, trying hard to discern.

It didn't sound like the wind or the chirping of insects; it sounded more like someone sipping wine or tea.

"The room next door belongs to General Gu."

Jiang Tinglan seemed to have thought of something: "Your young master is perhaps drinking alone late at night, or perhaps he is enjoying tea and calming his mind."

The calico cat crawled out of the blankets completely, sniffing the air with its small nose, its pink nostrils twitching slightly.

A moment later, she tilted her head, looking puzzled: "There's no smell of alcohol or tea, but there's a very pleasant fragrance, a little cool and sweet."

Jiang Tinglan reached out and pulled the still somewhat uneasy calico cat into her arms, gently comforting her: "If Xiaoli also wants to drink, we can ask Chief Gu for some tomorrow."

"Now, it's time to rest!"

After saying that, she pulled the quilt over herself and the cat in her arms, and closed her eyes.

……

The next morning.

When Gu Jinzhao pushed open the door, Jiang Tinglan was already in the courtyard.

The maids in the magistrate's mansion brought out the breakfast they had prepared, which consisted of steamed buns and soy milk, and placed them on the stone table.

Gu Jinzhao picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and casually pushed the porcelain bowl full of soy milk in front of the calico cat.

The calico cat's eyes lit up, and it looked up at him: "Young master, don't you want it?"

Gu Jinzhao remained expressionless and said in a flat tone, "I'm tired of drinking it."

After a quick breakfast, the two walked side by side toward the county government office.

Today we need to continue the investigation that was not completed yesterday, and question all the flower protectors in Baihuachi Courtyard one by one.

On the way, Jiang Tinglan seemed to suddenly remember something and turned to look at Gu Jinzhao: "Commander Gu, were you drinking wine or tea in your room last night?"

Gu Jinzhao paused slightly: "Why do you ask that?"

Jiang Tinglan then briefly described the strange behavior of the calico cat last night and the faint sounds she had heard: "Last night, Xiao Li felt something was wrong in the room, and I also vaguely heard some noises from next door..."

Gu Jinzhao glanced at the calico cat perched on her shoulder, his expression unchanged: "I neither drank alcohol nor tasted tea!"

"I was a little tired from practicing last night, so I took a few energy-boosting pills and meditated to regulate my breathing."

The calico cat's eyes lit up: "I want to try some too!"

"We've already finished eating."

As the man and the cat were talking, the gate of the county government office came into view.

When Constable Zhang saw the two men from afar, he quickly jogged up to them and bowed to report, "My lords, all 126 bodyguards have been brought here and are waiting in the side courtyard."

After a moment's thought, Jiang Tinglan suggested, "I'll be in charge of checking the women, and Commander Gu will be in charge of the men?"

"That's how it should be."

Gu Jinzhao nodded in agreement.

What followed was a long and tedious investigation process.

Gu Jinzhao and Jiang Tinglan each occupied a duty room, summoning the protectors in batches to inquire about details, observe their expressions, or secretly investigate using their divine sense or secret techniques.

As the sun rose higher and it approached noon, all the bodyguards had finished questioning her, but still found nothing suspicious.

After finishing his official duties, Dugu Wang also came to the side courtyard.

He was still wearing his neat official robes, his face serious, his steps steady, showing no trace of the disheveled state he had been in the room last night, being whipped by his wife.

He walked up to Gu Jinzhao, cupped his hands and asked, "Lord Gu, besides these flower protectors, many yamen runners in the county government have also been involved in the transportation and placement of the Scarlet Frost Flower."

"Should we also investigate them one by one?"

Gu Jinzhao glanced at him and waved his hand: "Continue the investigation."

He knew in his heart that such a large-scale investigation was like looking for a needle in a haystack, and the hope of directly finding the mastermind behind the scenes who was proficient in Gu magic was slim.

The continued investigation at this moment is more of a superficial effort, while also waiting for nightfall to return to the Dugu residence.

After all, last night, Lady Dugu herself said that she would prepare Dragon Tiger Rising Sun Wine for him.

He wanted to see tonight whether this Lady Dugu was the sorcerer from Nanzhao.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the inquiries and recordings, and dusk was fast approaching.

Gu Jinchao did not obtain any valuable information.

He had just returned to the courtyard when Jiang Tinglan came out of another duty room, a thoughtful look on her face.

"When I was asking earlier, one of the constables mentioned that the Scarlet Frost Flower was not originally on the list of flowers for this Flower Festival."

Gu Jinzhao raised an eyebrow: "Then why did it end up in the Hundred Flowers Pond Courtyard?"

Jiang Tinglan put down her teacup, her gaze slightly narrowed: "Because Madam Dugu liked this flower, she personally ordered someone to add the Scarlet Frost Flower."

"Could it really be her...?"

Gu Jinchao seemed to be deep in thought, tapping his fingertips lightly on the stone table.

Jiang Tinglan realized what was happening, and her eyes suddenly narrowed: "Does Commander Gu mean that Madam Dugu might be the Gu cultivator who manipulates the Blood-Eating Worms?"

She also felt that something was off about this Lady Dugu.

Before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

Officer Zhang, who had just left, returned: "Reporting to you two, two mummified corpses have just been found at the inn in the east of the city. They must have died recently."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the courtyard froze.

"lead the way!"

Gu Jinzhao and Jiang Tinglan stood up...

Chapter 114, "My sword is very powerful; I wonder if Madam can catch it!" (3K)

Gu Jinchao followed Constable Zhang at a brisk pace and soon arrived at the Yuelai Inn in the east of the city.

The scene has been cordoned off by government officials.

Two corpses lay on a bed in an upper room on the second floor of the inn, their faces completely disfigured, their skin clinging to their bones, in a strange, withered state, just like the mummies from before.

The room was neatly furnished, the doors and windows were intact, and there were no signs of a struggle.

Officer Zhang handed over two newly drawn portraits: "According to the innkeeper and waiter, these are the appearances of the two deceased. They are both unfamiliar faces and checked in three days ago."

"Judging from his clothes and appearance, he is no ordinary person."

The portrait depicts two middle-aged men with ordinary appearances but sinister eyes, dressed in dark, tight-fitting clothes.

Jiang Tinglan stepped forward and carefully examined the body.

She first ordered all the candles in the room to be extinguished, plunging the room into darkness. Then she crouched down, gathered a faint light at her fingertips, and probed the depths of the withered flesh inch by inch.

Before long, with a flick of her finger, she managed to pick out several thin, almost transparent insects from the layers of decaying flesh in the chest cavity of a corpse.