He was an ordinary person.

It had to be true. This conclusion was based on a spirit detection spell that Bai Fanlu maintained for a long while.

Bai Fanlu slowly let go of Xiao Liu's wrist, wondering whether he should be glad or disappointed.

When Bai Fanlu was assaulted by the Flower Thief the night before and noticed an abnormal reaction in his body, his first response was to look at Xiao Liu. Bai Fanlu was apprehensive towards the youth and even believed the latter was the mastermind.

Although it was later proved that his guess was wrong, Bai Fanlu always had a nagging suspicion in his heart about Xiao Liu's identity.

In the process of getting along with him, Xiao Liu made Bai Fanlu want to trust him, and he could never bear to be cruel towards him. Perhaps it was because of his appearance and name?

At times, even Bai Fanlu couldn't understand himself.

After all, he had doubted the other party more than once. But at this moment, he utterly verified the youth's identity. Glancing back at those pure and bright eyes, Bai Fanlu eventually felt guilty towards the suspicions he harboured about him.

He smiled slightly and replied, "I'm fine."

"That's good." Xiao Liu grinned, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.

It was often said that a person with a pure mind tends to fall asleep faster. The youth next to Bai Fanlu did just that. He fell into slumber swiftly, with his head resting on his arm. He had a look of ease, and his eyebrows were relaxed.

Bai Fanlu envied the youth's restful sleep. Although he was well aware that he would suffer from insomnia, Bai Fanlu still lay down.

It was early spring, and the lawn was still sparse. No matter how Bai Fanlu repeatedly tossed and turned, he couldn't find a comfortable position. As such, he could only lie down on his side and shut his eyes to rest his mind.

Su Su Su... A strange rustling noise came from somewhere. Bai Fanlu opened his eyes promptly and noticed a small, white shadow bouncing up and down in the bushes as it squeaked. Was it Zhizhi?

The little monkey's tail protruded from the bushes, and next, half of his red ass appeared. The movements made it seem like it was dragging something heavy and hauling it out.

It was nighttime, and one's vision wasn't as clear. Bai Fanlu got up and approached only to find that Zhizhi was towing a large bundle of shrubby branches. The branches were bunched together with vines as thick and long as the torso of an adult male. Clearly, it was heavy.

Zhizhi heard footsteps and looked back at Bai Fanlu, who returned his gaze. The creature's big, black eyes were embedded like marbles in his thin, round head. Zhizhi seemed so pitiful, like it was about to voice its grievances.

Although Bai Fanlu had no idea what the little monkey was up to, he bent down to help it lift the bunch of shrubby branches.

"Where are you moving them to?

"Zhizhi! Zhizhi!"

The little monkey shrieked twice in delight, turned his head back after taking a few steps before he skittered away in a direction. It was as if the creature was directing the way, so Bai Fanlu followed along.

When Zhizhi stopped, he bounced and tumbled on the spot to signal Bai Fanlu. The place it was referring to was right next to Xiao Liu.

Bai Fanlu placed the branches on the ground, and Zhizhi leapt up at once and dextrously untied the vines. Then, it retrieved the shrub branches, spreading some on the floor before adding another layer.

Bai Fanlu observed for a while and suddenly had an inkling of what was happening. Wasn't Zhizhi making a bed?

Sure enough, Bai Fanlu guessed right. Soon, an organic cushion made out of branches was laid. Zhizhi jumped and stepped on it. Then, it dashed towards Bai Fanlu's leg and tugged at his robes with its tiny paws.

"Do you want me to sleep here?

"Zhizhi!" The little monkey nodded hurriedly.

Bai Fanlu sat on it. As he expected, it was much softer than the ground. When he laid down on the leaves, the refreshing, natural scent wafted out.

"If I sleep here, what about your master?"

Bai Fanlu wanted to let Xiao Liu sleep on this bed too. However, the bed looked too small. Perhaps he should make a bigger one?

But the little monkey shook his head like a rattle and even shrugged his shoulders like a human. It stuck out its tongue and grimaced.

Zhizhi's expression and demeanour amused Bai Fanlu. Then, he saw that Xiao Liu was already comfortably asleep. As such, he took up the offer of enjoying the soft bed by himself.

"Come. Sleep here with me."

Noticing that Zhizhi was still squatting next to him and staring at him with widened eyes, Bai Fanlu gestured to it with his finger. With that, Zhizhi quickly jumped up and dived into Bai Fanlu's arms.

The little monkey appeared thin, but unexpectedly felt different to the touch. Zhizhi was both soft and fleshy, with a heating function. It was far more comfortable to hold compared to ordinary plush toys.

Bai Fanlu caressed it, and Zhizhi became acquainted with his handling. Its little head arched in his arms. After playing around for a while, Bai Fanlu yawned.

How rare it was for him to feel sleepy!

Thinking about this, Bai Fanlu turned over. He used one arm to hold Zhizhi and placed the other under his ear to cushion his head. Bai Fanlu could feel the little monkey's belly undulating under his palm.

He lowered his gaze and looked at the monkey's little head. Then, he vaguely noticed that a bunch of hair on it was slightly greenish.

Bai Fanlu blinked, and when he looked again, that same bunch appeared so pure white that it even seemed bright in the darkness.

He moved his wrist a little and cast a spirit detection spell. He sensed a golden ball of light, illuminated and indescribably strange.

Could the aura fluctuations in the day originate from this little monkey?

Bai Fanlu recalled that whenever he sensed something strange, Zhizhi was indeed by Xiao Liu's side.

With Silver Snow's incident, Bai Fanlu wasn't too surprised. This little, white monkey was probably not an ordinary creature. Perhaps it was a divine one...

Xiao Liu was not simple. How could an ordinary youth attract creatures like Silver Snow and Zhizhi, gaining their loyalty simultaneously?

Bai Fanlu pondered and gradually fatigue crept in again. He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, Bai Fanlu felt inexplicably stuffy and heavy on his chest. He raised his head with difficulty and noticed that a man had started sleeping on him at some point.

When Bai Fanlu moved, the person woke up leisurely. He rubbed his eyes and grinned at him, "Immortal gege?”

"Xiao Liu?" When did he squeeze onto the bed with him?

Bai Fanlu sat up, and the youth slid from his chest to his lower body like a piece of gooey sugar. However, he did not loosen his embrace, despite looking half-asleep.

"How comfortable..." Xiao Liu yawned and buried his face.

That youth dared to use his thighs as a pillow? Bai Fanlu had no choice but to pull apart the two arms which were grabbing onto his waist. He tore the ‘mucosa’ from his body and tossed him aside.

"Get up. It's time to go." Bai Fanlu adjusted his tone to sound as harsh as possible. Otherwise, that child would never learn to respect his elders.

Silver Snow kicked its hooves impatiently from close by. When Bai Fanlu approached to pull the reins, he unwittingly came face-to-face with it.

That horse seemed to have stood in place and watched the two men sleep together in an embrace for a long time.

In short, the look in its eyes seemed rather intriguing.

On the other side, Xiao Liu was reluctant to wake up. He tossed, turned, and stretched out all four limbs before he noticed a white shadow fly out from behind him. Then, he heard a shriek. Poor Zhizhi was almost squashed by its master and jumped to the side, shivering in fear.

Bai Fanlu called out, "Zhizhi, come here.”

The little monkey remained squatting in place and appeared pitiful. However, it ignored Bai Fanlu's gesture of goodwill. Its angry and aggrieved little face still exuded vitality, but it vaguely differed from last night's aura.

Why did this little guy stop taking the initiative to approach him after just one night?

Could it be that it knew how to be loyal and couldn't be close to and play with others when its owner was awake?

Bai Fanlu found the behaviour interesting and didn't think much about it.

Xiao Liu got up, and stuffed Zhizhi in the cloth bag slung behind him. Then, he followed Bai Fanlu. The two got up on Silver Snow and continued their journey towards Yingzhou City.

"Immortal gege, how did you think of making a bed using tree branches? Why didn't you wake me up to make it together? I noticed in the middle of the night and couldn't help but cram onto it. I didn't affect your sleep, did I?"

It turned out that the youth had climbed over by himself, and Bai Fanlu was surprised that his sleep was not interrupted. To be suddenly hugged by a big living person who sprawled on him with an octopus-like grip should have been enough to thoroughly wake him.

"No, I slept well."

Bai Fanlu planned on explaining that it was to Zhizhi's credit, but it did not seem necessary, so he didn't.

To reach Yingzhou, they just had to journey along the coastline towards the north. This road to their destination was open and straightforward. The two took breaks in between and finally arrived before sunset on the next day.

Before entering the city gate, Silver Snow left them. That steed was far too conspicuous and would quickly draw unwanted attention.

Bai Fanlu found a place to adjust his breath for an hour. He felt his body surging with spiritual power, and even his flying sword and teleportation techniques were restored. There didn't seem to be any problem left.

Are the after-effects from the Flower Thief completely gone?

Bai Fanlu didn't know why, but his spiritual power had been restored somehow. Feeling more at ease, he entered the city with Xiao Liu.

The two found an inn, requested two rooms, had dinner together, and went back to their quarters to rest.

In the twilight, Bai Fanlu sat quietly on the bed, recalling this part of the story in the book, to prepare for tomorrow's actions.

Ling Qingzi tasked them to investigate the source of Yingzhou's demonic energy. He knew that it came from Yingzhou's Governor. The man was affected by the demonic energy, which seeped from a rift in the underground terrain of Yingzhou. Due to that, he became a demon.

At that time, no one in the Immortal Realm knew about this demonic energy. The book's Bai Fanlu, the young master of the Demon Clan, was unaware that this was a conspiracy devised by the great elder of the Demon Clan. He wanted to use this demonic energy that appeared once every half a century to awaken demonic creatures in the vicinity. It was also capable of enhancing the power of the Demon Clan, allowing them to destroy the immortals and dominate all three realms.

However, Yun Zhan and the book's Bai Fanlu only confronted the demonised Yingzhou Governor on this trip. They were defeated on their first try and were imprisoned in an underground cell.

After accidentally discovering the source of the demonic energy and sealing it, the duo weakened the Governor's strength. Then, they successfully slew him and restored peace to the city.

It was also the first time that Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan had a head-on conflict in the plot. According to Bai Fanlu's understanding, the book's Bai Fanlu should not know the ambition of the great elder at this time. He only remained undercover in the immortal realm to avenge his mother. However, Yun Zhan made up his mind that he was problematic.

On the matter of sealing up the demonic energy, Yun Zhan secretly accused Bai Fanlu of deliberately not putting in effort and having a hidden agenda. He was rude to the latter, which angered Bai Fanlu so much that he gave up on the mission. Yun Zhan singlehandedly completed the seal, which took tremendous effort.

Bai Fanlu still stood on the same front as Yun Zhan at the critical moment, and they jointly killed the Governor of Yingzhou. Nevertheless, Yun Zhan's attitude grossly disappointed Bai Fanlu.

In short, the Governor of Yingzhou in the novel was not easy to deal with. Bai Fanlu did not intend to clash with him head-on. He came to Yingzhou to confirm the existence and pinpoint the rift from which the demonic energy leaked and seal it without anyone knowing. That would constitute the successful completion of this mission.

The rift was located in the underground network of Yingzhou. More specifically, it was a secret passage that could be entered from the secret prison of the Governor's residence. The fork where the secret passage met the underground river was the rift's location, and that same passage lead to a village outside of the city.

That village... Bai Fanlu felt frustrated when he thought of what a place it was.

It was now the middle of the night. He thought to head there tomorrow morning.

Bai Fanlu made plans, but he did not expect every step to be disrupted starting from the beginning of the next day. In the morning, he left the inn without Xiao Liu. Before he could leave the door, he was informed by the guards neatly lined up that the gates were sealed. No one was to leave.

"The Governor made an order! The street parade and prayer ritual take place today. Everyone is to stand on both sides of Xuanwu Street to observe the ceremony. There must be no delay!"

Soldiers armed with swords and armour went from house to house. They drove the people to the side of the street. Even the elderly, the sick, and women and children had to do the same.

Bai Fanlu couldn't leave, and Xiao Liu appeared after a while, moving to Bai Fanlu’s side and whispering, "What's wrong?”

Bai Fanlu shook his head to signal that he hadn't fully figured it out. This scene was different from the original plot.

All around them, the people stood side by side and whispered in secret.

"Didn't the ritual take place the day before? It hasn't been a month. Why are they doing it again? Is that lady okay?"

"Shush! Stop talking unless you want to get killed."

Bai Fanlu frowned. He knew who ‘that lady’ referred to. In the novel, it was said that a fishing village in the northern part of Yingzhou once sent a tribute to the Governor of Yingzhou. It was a merman from the Eastern Sea.

The merman was exceedingly beautiful. He had a remarkable voice and sang captivating songs. The merman became the treasure of the Governor, and he doted on him without limit. But it was a pity that their union was cursed, and it jinxed the Governor's family to death. The Governor was also affected, got sick, and went into a state of depression. However, despite being condemned by everyone, he refused to leave the merman's side.

This monthly parade was depicted as a prayer ceremony for the Governor's wife'Yes. This is referring to the merman, who is male. We don't know either...s health and fortune on the surface. But in actual fact, it was to select a candidate with birth characters capable of averting disasters and prolonging one's lifespan. None of the candidates summoned into the Governor's residence came out alive.

This first led Yun Zhan and Bai Fanlu to deal with the Governor. However in the novel, the two did not encounter the street parade when they arrived.

Bai Fanlu pondered as he secretly concealed his spiritual power.

Amidst the swaying music, a magnificent palanquin guarded by a long line of soldiers approached.

Bai Fanlu learned from the reactions of the fearful crowd next to him and lowered his head to avoid attracting the person in the palanquin’s attention.

The entourage came so close that Bai Fanlu could even see the feet of the sixteen people who lifted the sedan. They passed by in front of him slowly, one after another.

Suddenly—

"Stop.”

At this cold order, the people came to a halt.

Bai Fanlu tightened his hands behind his back slightly.

The surroundings were so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Even the baby who was crying next to him stopped at this. His parents must have covered his mouth tightly.

"Lift your head."

It was still that voice.

Although it was an order, Bai Fanlu wasn't sure that the person was calling him. As such, he did not move.

A staff made of red jade appeared in his field of vision. It pressed against his lower jaw at once.

Bai Fanlu was forced to lift his chin.