Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess

Before Li Guanshi could speak, Li Nanshuang hurriedly said:

"No way, although my master has a dashing and handsome appearance, barely worthy of your sister Li, my master's wife is famously jealous and fierce like a tigress! Back at Wu Xia Nunnery, that nun with the surname Xu almost got the big Buddha statue smashed by my master's wife just because she threw a flirtatious glance at my master, which made my master kneel and wash clothes for three days and nights…"

Listening to the girl's endless chatter, Li Guanshi stretched out her jade-like finger and poked the girl's forehead, saying with an amused laugh, "With your master's bear-like demeanor, only your master's wife would treasure him like a gem."

Li Nanshuang chuckled with relief, her worry subsiding.

Li Guanshi asked with a smile, "Do you have any young man in mind? If you do, you should seize the opportunity early. You are still young; don't end up like Ms. Li here, disdaining one and despising another, ultimately becoming a Shi Xiuqiu that no one dares to catch."

Li Nanshuang shook her head, "No, not at all."

The girl muttered softly, "All that lovey-dovey stuff is such a hassle; I'm never getting married in this lifetime."

Li Guanshi smiled, a wave of sentimentality washing over her heart without warning.

Being young is wonderful.

No matter how glorious and beautiful a woman might be, nothing is as hard to regain as "youth".

She glanced at the glaringly conspicuous tomb blade behind the girl and said softly, "There is no need to seek enlightenment outside; the spiritual seed sprouts from the heart. To pursue asceticism and to comprehend the Dao while engaging with the world, it is right for your master to temper your nature; never let yourself sink into suffering."

The girl listened attentively, but how much of it actually took root in her heart depended on her mood.

Tired of hearing such nagging from her elder.

"You can go on with your tasks."

Perhaps realizing the girl was uncomfortable around her, Li Guanshi no longer made it difficult for her and patted the girl's shoulder.

Li Nanshuang, feeling relieved, bowed and left.

Before she left, she stuffed a string of candied haw into the other person's hand and said with a beaming smile, "Sister Li, consider it a greeting gift."

Li Guanshi responded with a serene smile, "Leave that jug of wine for me as well."

The girl's face stiffened slightly, but she reluctantly parted with it.

Biting into a candied haw, savoring the sweetness in her mouth, the woman tilted her immaculate and beautiful face upward and whispered with a laugh, "Shi Xiuqiu, they all crane their necks in anticipation, yet they all fear they won't catch it and will hurt themselves... oh, men."

----

The dilapidated temple lay like a lonely, deceased old person, nestled among the rugged rocks, waiting to be erased by time.

At this moment, this long-abandoned temple housed neither the plump fish demon nor the old people and children, nor the scholars.

But there were two new additions: a young man in white and a middle-aged big man in black.

The white-clad young man's clothes weren't made of luxurious materials like silk, but they were cut extremely well, fitting his lean figure perfectly and lending him an air of ethereal grace.

However, those thin lips and long eyes gave him an appearance of fickleness and an aura of wickedness.

At this moment, the young man was crouched on the ground, trying hard to identify a few remains of crushed fish meat, his expression one of sorrow.

"All gone, all gone, my koi is gone…"

In his grief, he lay down on the thickly dust-covered floor, hands covering his face, wailing loudly.

The black-clothed big man, a servant, clenched the hilt of his waist knife, his face filled with indignation as he said coldly, "Such audacity, to even kill the koi raised by the young master, someone's really courting death!"

"Shut your damned mouth!"

The white-clad young man suddenly got up, cursing at the servant, "He was slaying a demon, eliminating a threat to the people!

Although I raised that little koi, do you even know how many heinous deeds it committed over time, how many innocent lives it took?

Such a righteous person deserves praise, admiration, and our utmost respect!"

The white-clad young man's mouth was dry from cursing. He took out an apple, took a bite, and sighed to the sky, "It's just that he should have given me a heads-up first. That was so rude.

I'm also from Liushan Division; I know that exorcising demons isn't about brute force, it requires brains. I always teach you guys that.

Which demon has connections, which can be scapegoated, it all needs brains, use your brains!"

The man in white picked up half an apple and forcefully knocked his own forehead, "The brain is right here! Why can't some people tell their brains from their asses! This guy really deserves to die!"

The lean-faced, big man clothed in black, accustomed to his master's nonsensical rants, carefully scrutinized every part of the temple, trying to uncover more clues.

He took out a small and delicate charm, tore it into two pieces, rolled them into little balls, stuffed them into his nostrils, and sniffed around various places of the temple. His eyes suddenly flashed, and he crouched down to touch a spot on the ground.

Gunpowder?

In the Capital, only the Divine Mechanism Pavilion's military camp and Liushan Division have access to firearms.

And within Liushan Division, there were not many who used fire guns.

The young man in white prattled on, counting on his fingers,

"Why could Duan Mingtian from Jiang Ji Tang leap from a small servant to Hall Master? It's because he slew a great monster, with outstanding achievements. That tiger demon was secretly raised by his grandfather.

Sand Autumn Wind from the Second Month Hall had worked diligently on cases and exorcising demons for years, saving at least a few hundred civilians if not eight hundred. But why was he kicked out of the Capital and demoted to Echeng, a godforsaken place where even birds wouldn't lay their droppings?

It's because the fox demon he killed belonged to a high official, secretly raised as Yanji.

And Yao Shaogao, Yan Xibo, Hong Zhengjian... these capable dolts were either stripped of their Identity Tokens, died suddenly and violently, or were expelled from Liushan Division.

That's because they had no vision, didn't investigate the background of the demons first, and acted recklessly as heroes, thinking they were Taoists from Zhenxuan Mountain.

Even those Taoists sometimes operate with human feelings.

Be smooth in life, understand human sentiments when exorcising demons, look at people's faces when eating, and even follow geomancy when farting with your pants down... Why don't you guys get it?"

The young man in white threw the leftover apple core onto a broken Buddha statue, pulled down his pants, and directly peed on the Buddha statue. He gave a shake, closed his eyes, and lamented,

"Fools, idiots. There's a saying, all hustle and bustle, all for gain. Fools and dolts, all court disaster. Protecting oneself, protecting the family, amidst endless trials. Why doesn't anyone learn to be smart?

That's why I quite like that guy called Jiang Mo. He's really smart, way smarter than you blockheads.

It's a pity I can't sway him; Li Nanshuang is too barbarous and unreasonable, I dare not provoke her."

Seeing his subordinate still engrossed in searching for clues, the young man cursed in exasperation, "You idiot, haven't I made myself clear enough? The one who killed my koi fish is Jiang Mo!"

The man in black was shocked.

The young man vigorously rubbed his crotch and said indifferently,

"There are only a few in Liushan Division who use a fire gun, but the koi didn't die by a gun; it was by a Class B Livestock Exorcism Charm from Zhenxuan Mountain. Only that woman Li Nanshuang could own such a treasure.

You tell me, who else could have a fire gun made by Mo Men Shen Ji Pavilion and possess a Class B Livestock Exorcism Charm other than Jiang Mo? There isn't a second person to consider."

The man in black exclaimed angrily, "I'll go kill him!"

"Kill your head!"

The young man flew into a rage, "Use your brains! To kill an under-the-radar enforcer of the Capital's Liushan Division is not like killing fish in a market, especially not Li Nanshuang's subordinate!

If it comes out, and it's discovered I was keeping a koi, wouldn't that be asking for death?"

The man in black frowned, "So we just let it go?"

The young man suddenly laughed, his already sinister face appearing even more malicious, "Of course we can't just let it go. The death penalty can be spared, but punishment is unavoidable. Go give him a beating.

Oh, right, don't hit the face. I fancy that handsome face of his.

Furthermore, in the future, I'm still hoping to bring little Jiang over as a brother. He's got the face for it. There aren't many in Liushan Division who truly appreciate him; I'm one of the few.

Just… break his legs.

Remember not to reveal your identity. It should be a dark and windy night, with your face covered. Of course, don't go too hard; have a sense of measure. We are, after all, part of the official ranks, not bandits."

As he spoke, the young man suddenly looked down at his groin and couldn't help feeling sorrow, "My little koi, how am I supposed to live without you, my brother?"

The young man started crying again.

The wind whistled through the roof missing tiles, emitting a mournful wail.

In this world, where is the distinction between good and evil?