Chapter 234: Nothing More Leisurely Than a Rest Day

The night patrol was set to end at the hour of the Rabbit (5–7 AM). After the commotion in South Corner Village, nothing else noteworthy happened.

Fortunately, the girl who had been sold into the brothel by her stepfather had remained unharmed due to the matter of her virginity.

The brothel keepers initially demanded a higher price for her release, but after Feng Wei brandished her weapon and revealed her identity, they begrudgingly returned the girl at the original price.

By midday, it was time for lunch.

A weary Zhou Zhongtian called Gu Ning’an and the others to eat together.

At the table, he told them that the middle-aged man who had died the night before had caused him some trouble. He had barely gotten any rest when Golden Guard Yang dragged him to the yamen.

The official excuse was to “clarify the situation,” but in reality, it was just an excuse to give him a hard time and put him in his place.

After all, even though the man had died, he had brought it upon himself. His own sins had led to his desperate escape, which ended in an accident.

By all logic, there was no way to pin this on Zhou Zhongtian, but when someone with a higher rank wanted to make things difficult, there was no choice but to endure it.

The inn’s lunch was slightly better than usual, but still not particularly impressive. After eating, they were free to do as they pleased.

The External Agents team rotated night patrol duty every other day.

As for daytime patrols, those were technically the responsibility of officially registered Golden Guards.

However, given their lazy habits—working three days and slacking off for two—it was already considered impressive if they managed to patrol the streets for even an hour a day…

This was Gu Ning’an’s second day as a Golden Guard External Agents officer, and today was Team B’s turn for night patrol while Team A had the day off.

Gu Ning’an visited the Universal Temple but found that the yellow weasel had yet to return. So, he went to a nearby teahouse, where he spent the day leisurely drinking tea and listening to storytelling…

On his third day as a Golden Guard, it was his turn for night patrol again. With prior experience, the team quickly made their rounds through the four villages in the north, south, east, and west.

Unlike last time, nothing unusual happened tonight.

They also stopped by the Universal Temple, where they encountered an old woman praying for a good marriage. Gu Ning’an glanced at her but didn’t interfere before leaving…

On the fourth day, it was another scheduled rest day—time off, wages still paid, with food and lodging covered.

With such favorable conditions, Gu Ning’an couldn’t understand why no one had volunteered when Zhou Zhongtian was recruiting for the job.

He took another walk to the Universal Temple and found that the yellow weasel was still absent, so he returned to the teahouse to listen to more storytelling…

That night, Golden Guard Yang gathered everyone at his lavish restaurant for another meeting.

The main message was simple: work hard, and one day, they’d all get to enjoy the good life with him.

He repeated this sentiment over a dozen times before finally dismissing them.

As soon as the meeting ended, all the External Agents officers except Gu Ning’an left grumbling under their breath…

On the fifth day, it was back to night patrol.

This time, they encountered someone seeking help.

A man approached them, and after confirming their identities, he explained his situation.

It turned out he was a woodcutter who had returned home late that evening.

As he passed by the window of his house, he saw a strange shadow moving inside. He could also faintly hear low, raspy breathing.

Terrified, he turned to leave, but then he remembered his wife was still inside. Mustering his courage, he gripped his hatchet and knocked on the door, calling out, “Wife! Are you there?”

To his horror, the knock seemed to startle whatever was inside. The shadow trembled, and then, suddenly, the lamp inside was extinguished!

Seeing the lights go out, the man hesitated for a long moment before finally pushing the door open and stepping inside.

He passed through the dining hall and reached the bedroom, where he saw his wife lying in bed without her undergarments. Her fair arms and shoulders were exposed.

Seeing that his wife was unharmed, he searched the house with his hatchet in hand but found nothing unusual. Relieved, he prepared to go to sleep.

But the moment he lay down, his wife suddenly woke up—and, without saying a word, tried to initiate intimacy.

Unable to refuse, he hurriedly went through the motions before trying to sleep.

But in the middle of the night, he kept hearing faint rustling sounds.

Already unsettled by the ghostly shadow, he sat up and saw a dark figure flicker past the curtain!

Terrified and drenched in sweat, he couldn’t sleep at all. Remembering that demon hunters had arrived in town, he decided to go out and look for help.

And as luck would have it, he actually found them.

After hearing the man’s story, the group quickly figured out what was happening.

Feeling sorry for the honest man, Zhou Zhongtian gave him a plan—next time he had to leave the house, he should hide somewhere nearby and wait. Once night fell, he should kick the door open and storm in.

The man thanked them repeatedly before leaving. The group exchanged complex looks—if the honest man really caught the “ghost,” how would he handle it…?

Afternoon of the sixth day as a Golden Guard External Agent.
On his day off, Gu Ning’an slept until the afternoon before having a meal at the inn and heading out.

As usual, he first checked the Universal Temple. Seeing no sign of the yellow weasel’s return, he turned toward the teahouse…

Seventh day as a Golden Guard External Agent.

While on night patrol near the Universal Temple, they happened upon an elderly man in a black robe, leading Qiao Min, who carried an iron sword on her back.

Seeing the old man and the young girl together didn’t surprise Gu Ning’an.

With the new temple established in Four Corners Town, the yellow weasel wouldn’t have left it unattended for so long unless it had something more pressing to do.

The destruction of the divine wood carving would have been noticed, and the timing of this arrival matched perfectly…

The old man was draped in a loose, black robe despite the late hour, while Qiao Min—who looked no older than ten—carried an iron sword reeking of blood.

Such a strange pair made Zhou Zhongtian scrutinize them before tentatively asking, “Elder, are you bringing your granddaughter to offer incense so late at night?”

“Golden Guard External Agents?” The black-robed elder’s gaze swept over the five of them.

Despite being in Four Corners Town for days, this was the first time someone had recognized their identity so accurately.

Concealing his momentary surprise, Zhou Zhongtian cupped his hands with a smile. “Indeed, we are. And you are?”

“Surname Huang,¹ the temple keeper,” the elder replied indifferently, making it clear he didn’t particularly welcome them.

Being a man of the martial world, Zhou Zhongtian knew better than to push. He simply gave a polite bow before leading his group away.

Not long after they left the temple, Qiao Min suddenly said, “Among those people just now… one of them, I couldn’t see their form clearly…”