"Are you warning me?" The painter raised an eyebrow and asked back.

"I am reasoning with you," King Xishan said, "Let's leave today's matter as it is, but similar incidents should occur less frequently in the future. As they say, the meat-eaters are shortsighted, the big shots of Mingjiang Prefecture are used to being high and mighty, do they understand the nuances of governing the rural Shadow Hall?"

"To be honest, your reasoning is quite right, and I completely agree."

The painter said, "According to the ancient records of the Bone Elder Association, in the past three hundred years, the Lord of the Shadow Hall in Mingjiang Prefecture has been replaced several times, with a total of five appointments. The longest-serving one was you, King Xishan.

You've managed quite well; under your rule, these dozen self-governing Shadow Halls have not caused any turmoil and have coexisted peacefully with Mingjiang Prefecture City.

Even when the Mingjiang Prefecture was trying hard to reduce the scale of the 'Blood Sacrifice Life Temple,' these dozen Shadow Halls were forced to join forces for the grand blood sacrifice... This could have caused a huge uproar... Yet you managed to resolve the disputes effortlessly."

"Managing the mountains requires us spirit monsters who grew up on these mountains."

"It's also because you cherish your reputation and care for your feathers."

The painter's face suddenly approached King Xishan's, asking, "Grandpa Hu San, what are you aiming for, cherishing your reputation and caring for your feathers so much? You're eventually going to be among the Immortal Class..."

There was an underlying meaning in his words, but King Xishan neither admitted nor denied it, lowering his head in silence.

"The more ambitious a person, the more low-key and steady he should be. King Xishan, I admire you and respect you, so I also hope your ambitions do not consume you, causing you to commit transgressions.

Nowadays, it is no longer the era of the Demon Clan. Even that enigmatic Great Demon in Yellow Field Prefecture has laid low for many years now.

The decline of the Demon Clan is the general trend. If you forcibly stand out, it's easy to perish. In terms of governing one prefecture, I am no match for you, and because of this respect, even though you are of the Demon Clan, not of my kind, I still do not want you to die a terrible death..."

"Heh... Lord Hua, you flatter me." King Xishan reached into the fire and took out a roasted sweet potato that was charred black. He split open a seam, the golden-yellow flesh and enticing aroma tempting both mouth and eyes.

He handed the sweet potato to the painter, saying, "It's cold outside, Lord Hua, if you're going down the mountain, take something warm with you, eat while walking, and warm yourself up."

"You've roasted this sweet potato for so long, and I haven't tasted it, yet you gave it to me first, I can't accept that. This will suffice for me."

The painter shook his wine flask, tore open space, and his figure vanished,

The Daoist Temple became quiet again, the only sound being the crackle of breaking charcoal branches.

Fox Slave entered, prostrating before King Xishan.

King Xishan put down the sweet potato, one hand caressing the smooth fur on Fox Slave's back, the other adding some firewood to the pile, sighing, "Old Hua and I have been friends for many years, he still saw through it."

King Xishan had a vision in his heart; he always hoped that one day Jing Country would be renamed—Fox Country.

The painter saw this vision in his heart and used the pretense of "doing business" to gently warn him.

"Old Hua is a good person; he truly doesn't want me dead."

"King, Fox Ugly is sulking, he said we shouldn't have been so arrogant, and oppressing Liuyun Village today made him very uncomfortable."

"You've been wronged, take a tribute each with Fox Ugly, and after going down the mountain, secretly give it to Li Muchun. He will ensure that the Great Elder's situation is truly settled, resolving Liuyun Village's grievances too. If not proactively calmed, the Great Elder of Li Muchun would also be anxious and irritable."

"King, why did the painter want us to take the blame for killing the Great Elder?"

"Why? For Zhou Xuan, of course,"

King Xishan said, "The painter never uses his power recklessly, so if he did today, it must be for someone? That person can only be the very prominent young master of Mingjiang Prefecture."

"I heard that the young master is quite a figure."

"He's also a great storyteller. Recently, Fox Shuer has been sharing the stories he heard from Zhou Xuan with the concubines, and they are very pleased to hear them..."

At this point, King Xishan closed his eyes and dozed off, saying, "The Demon Clan occasionally produces some stunning figures, but after one emerges, it's hard to see another for several centuries. But the Human Clan is different, rightfully the most intelligent among all beings, they always have talented individuals emerging generation after generation... Zhou Xuan... I'm somewhat interested in him too..."

…

East Market Street, Zhou Family's Jingyi Shop,

Zhou Xuan sat on a lounge chair, contemplating why the "God of Nine Snakes" would not descend.

As for Li Jiumu's new soul, it has already been entrusted to the eyes in the City God Taoist Temple to probe his memories. After they have interrogated enough, he will enter the Secret Realm to pick up the ready-made ones.

A rift in space suddenly appeared, the painter emerged and said, "Young Master, someone has taken the blame for the Great Elder's death."

After Zhou Xuan returned from Liuyun Village, he realized that the members "Jijicao" and "Zhimajiang" did not have the ability to handle the aftermath of Li Jiumu's death, so he had the painter step in to resolve the issue.

"Thank you, Old Hua."

"It's nothing serious, today the Wish Power of the Ancient Tree Golden Bell?"

"I've already guided the Wish Power to the God Traveling Department."

Zhou Xuan's "Will Heavenly Book" had emptied the Wish Power, and the book with its jade-like luster was once again accumulating.

"That's good, that's good."

The painter's recent thoughts were mostly spent on the Ancient Tree Golden Bell.

Zhou Xuan then abruptly asked, "Old Hua, how much do you know about the Shadow Hall's Blood Sacrifice?"

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