43: I have no way to repay your kindness, so I can only...

In front of the small courtyard gate, Wu Qingyun watched Jiang Lan until his figure disappeared from his sight, then returned to the courtyard.

At this moment, a young figure was seated on a stone bench in the courtyard.

The young figure had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, a handsome face, and was dressed in a black, form-fitting long robe with a blade at his waist, presenting the image of a dashing Young Master.

The moment Wu Qingyun saw the figure, he knelt on one knee, propped one hand on the ground, and respectfully lowered his head, saying:

"Lord Dingyuan Hou."

The young man had a faint, nonchalant smile on his lips. "Rise. Keep an eye on that Jiang Lan; he's an interesting one."

...Leaving the small courtyard gate, Jiang Lan walked towards the office.

While it was true that he was eager to improve his Realm, it wasn't *that* urgent.

At the very least, he needed to finish handling all the necessary matters first.

After walking for a while, Jiang Lan returned to the office.

Pushing open the door, he saw Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu sitting in the office.

Zhang Cui was also there, sitting in Jiang Lan's chair and sobbing.

"That Feng Liu spoke so nicely... about us living happily ever after. Who would have thought that accursed man was after my life?"

Zhang Wen was about to speak when he heard the sound of the door opening.

Seeing that it was Jiang Lan, he quickly stood up.

"Boss!"

Zhao Wu also stood up. "Boss."

Even Zhang Cui, who had been crying moments before, stopped sobbing and stood up, giving Jiang Lan a respectful curtsy, saying:

"My benefactor."

Seeing Zhang Cui, Jiang Lan was a little surprised, but he waved his hand and said:

"No need to be so polite."

He hadn't expected those Taoist Priests to act so quickly; in just a little over two quarters of an hour, they had restored Zhang Cui to normal.

Zhang Wen's face was full of gratitude as he repeatedly thanked Jiang Lan:

"Boss... words cannot express my gratitude... if it weren't for you, I really don't know what I would have done."

Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, a Taoist Priest had already told him that Zhang Cui had been afflicted by a Soul-Leading Art.

For a short while, it would be fine, with no problems.

But if it lasted too long, a day or two, even if the person wasn't killed, they definitely couldn't be saved.

Without a soul, a person was no different from a warm corpse.

Fortunately, the person was treated in time; not only was she saved, but she wouldn't suffer any lingering illness. She only needed to rest peacefully at home for a few days to recover.

"I told you, between us, there's no need for politeness," Jiang Lan said. "It's good that she's fine."

Zhang Wen nodded repeatedly, then asked with some curiosity:

"What exactly was that Feng Liu doing, abducting my sister?"

Jiang Lan did not hold back and generally recounted what had happened in the ruined temple.

After listening, both Zhang Wen and Zhang Cui's expressions changed.

Especially Zhang Cui; her face turned pale with fright.

After leaving home that morning, she had actually lost consciousness. By the time she regained consciousness, she was already in the Demon Suppression Division.

So she didn't know what had happened during that time.

Now, hearing Jiang Lan's account, she realized how dangerous her experience had been today.

If Jiang Lan had arrived a moment later, or hadn't found her, she might have already become one of the white snake's heads.

"This, this, this..." Zhang Wen looked terrified.

Zhang Cui was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up.

"My benefactor's great kindness is beyond repayment; this humble woman can only..."

Before Zhang Cui could finish, Jiang Lan directly interrupted the latter half of her sentence.

"No need for repayment."

Although there was no emotion in his voice, Jiang Lan felt a bit flustered in his heart.

He was genuinely afraid that Zhang Cui would say something like offering herself to him.

Without waiting for Zhang Cui to react, Jiang Lan looked at Zhao Wu and asked:

"Where is that brocade box I gave you earlier?"

"Here!" Zhao Wu pulled a brocade box from his in arms and handed it to Jiang Lan.

This brocade box was the one containing the Scent-Tracking Bug.

"I originally wanted to give the box to the Captain, but the Captain wasn't in Wuwei Hall, so I kept this brocade box close to me."

Jiang Lan didn't dwell on it.

It was the same no matter who kept it, as long as the Scent-Tracking Bug was still there.

This item was his only clue to finding Hong Luan.

Opening the brocade box, inside, a plump, white bug, like an oversized maggot, slowly wriggled, its head still pointing north.

After confirming that the Scent-Tracking Bug was fine, Jiang Lan closed the brocade box and put it in his in arms.

"It's time to get off duty; let's all go home. I'm leaving first."

Today, he first released the prisoner, then went to find Uncle Chen, then received news from Zhang Wen, went to find Zhang Cui, and then returned from the God of Wealth Temple.

After all that commotion, it was now three quarters past Shenshi (around 4:45 PM), well past the time to get off duty.

With that, Jiang Lan walked out of the office and headed out of the Demon Suppression Division.

Next, he planned to first raise his Martial Skill Realm.

Breaking through from the Qi Gathering Realm to the Spirit Gathering Realm could almost be described as a qualitative leap.

Gathering Yuan was the beginning of Mortal Shedding, a crucial Realm in Martial Skill.

Jiang Lan had no experience and didn't know if any unexpected situations would arise during the Breakthrough.

That's why he wanted to go home before attempting the Breakthrough.

At least at home, it would be relatively quiet and he wouldn't be disturbed.

Passing Wuwei Hall, Jiang Lan stopped and looked inside.

Chen Heguang was different from him; his duties were busy, there was no such thing as getting off duty or not. Not living in Wuwei Hall was considered a leisurely time for him.

If he got busy, he would have to work continuously in the Demon Suppression Division for several days before he could go home.

Normally, Uncle Chen stayed in Wuwei Hall unless he had something important, rarely going out.

But Jiang Lan saw that the Wuwei Hall gate was tightly shut, clearly indicating that no one was inside.

However, he didn't think much of it; perhaps Uncle Chen had just gone out for something.

Leaving the Demon Suppression Division, Jiang Lan walked on the bustling street.

The street was still a lively, prosperous, peaceful, and flourishing scene, showing no sign of the demons lurking outside.

"Come and see, come and see! Wang Family's ancestral great strength pill! One pill, your golden spear never falls! Two pills, your wife cries 'no more!'"

"Husband, this is good! I'll buy you a few!"

"Young Master, come in and play~"

Why did the address get an upgrade? Wasn't it always 'handsome boy' before?

Jiang Lan muttered inwardly while walking home with his head down.

A moment later, Jiang Lan entered the courtyard, and after a simple wash, he pushed open the door and entered the house.

Upon entering, Jiang Lan looked around; the room was unchanged from when he left that morning.

The strand of hair on the cabinet drawer was still in its original position.

After confirming everything was fine, Jiang Lan entered the room and sat cross-legged on the wooden bed.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and a virtual light screen appeared before him... [Name: Jiang Lan]

[Cultivation: Qi Gathering Fifth Level]

[Cultivation Technique: Three Yuan True Nurturing Skill]

[Martial Skill: Blazing Sun Demon Suppression Blade (Minor Accomplishment), Flood Dragon Swim (Beginner), Hidden God Art (Minor Accomplishment), Shadow Blade Art (Return to Simplicity).]

[Remaining Lifespan: One thousand three hundred forty-three years]

[Can infuse Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills with Lifespan to increase strength.]

[Can increase Lifespan by suppressing or slaying demons.]

...