There's someone behind 809.

Zuo Shi didn't try to hide anything or hesitate. She glanced at He Chen, who, like an ordinary person, sat calmly with an upright and gentlemanly expression.

He explained softly, "In several subordinate counties, demonic beasts have appeared, slaughtering villages, plundering people, and even attacking county towns. At first, Miss thought it was a beast tide that only comes once every twenty years."

A careful, clandestine investigation revealed otherwise.

Recalling her earlier lapse in composure, her face flushed again, and she explained softly, "Ever since Miss wished to come here, there have been a series of incidents in the territory. It seems something is hindering Miss's journey. It seems they don't want Miss to leave the manor."

Jingzhai nodded slowly, having no doubts about the matter. Many things in the records have some reason behind them.

The fact that this involves ghosts, gods, monsters, and even demonic rituals is too much of a coincidence.

Seeing that Jingzhai had no suspicions, Zuo Shi was overjoyed, her face beaming like a child seeing a sugar figurine.

He Chen listened attentively without disturbing him in the slightest!

Zuo Shi said softly, "From there, I had a strange feeling, as if something was watching Miss and us, and everything seemed to be under control."

As some kind of will operates!

Jingzhai nodded slowly. As a Martial Emperor, he naturally had no fear. Without the Martial Saint, who could contend with him!

The dragon energy roared away, and the mighty dragon energy, with a dragon's roar that resounded through the heavens and earth, transformed into a giant dragon that circled around Zuo Shi.

The dragon's body gradually expanded, as if to fill the entire space, becoming more powerful and substantial, with a tangible feel, unlike before when it moved like clouds, devoid of blood and flesh.

Surrounded by dragon energy, the golden dragon energy contained an inexplicable power, seemingly an invisible force, different from spiritual energy, with a gentle warmth washing over the body.

Zuo Shi felt as if her soul was being shaken, unable to move, her soul trembling, a terrifying power even more terrifying than that of the young lady.

A sense of dread, emanating from his very soul, caused him to involuntarily gasp and whisper, 'Emperor Wu!'

Trembling and astonishment, joy and surprise, 'The Martial Emperor!' It's the Martial Emperor again! There are at least two Martial Emperors here. With the Martial Emperor here, we will have no worries for at least a hundred years!

With a slight smile, the dragon's aura, like that of a real dragon, surrounded Zuo Shi, its movements seemingly awe-inspiring and purifying all evil spirits.

After a few laps, he slowly withdrew, saying softly, "My sister has no backup plan, so there's no need to worry about this."

The confident and domineering voice left no room for evil to retaliate. If any evil dared to spy on this place, it would be annihilated on the spot, and its true form would be destroyed.

He nodded slightly and said softly, "It seems this person is overly cautious, or perhaps cannot stray too far from Bodai Prefecture."

After a careful examination, Jingzhai realized that Zuo Shi had not left any tricks behind. It seemed that either he was being cautious, the distance was limited, or the target was not Zuo Shi, and Zuo Shi was just an afterthought.

Besides nourishing lifespan and cultivating spiritual plants, dragon energy also has the power to cleanse impurities. Dragon energy is born from the gathering of great fortune, created by heaven and earth, and it restrains evil spirits and demons, instinctively abhorring them. If there is evil power, it will naturally be unable to hide.

Since it hasn't been found, Jingzhai naturally wouldn't suspect that Zuo Shixin was hiding something or having wild thoughts.

King Wu's perception, especially this kind of perception that was not deliberately concealed, was naturally not unexpected.

If it were just for a moment, it might be an illusion, but for such a long time, someone must be watching.

Jingzhai glanced at her lover and explained softly, "In the Bodai Mansion, the Ji family has always been in power, and there have been no surprises over the years, but the family has always been relatively small."

To this day, the former head of the family and his family members have all disappeared without a trace, leaving only Miss Ji.

In other places, the ruler of Bodai Prefecture would have changed. However, in Bodai Prefecture, the Ji family has always been the only ruling family, and the other affiliated families have not made any attempt to seize power.

Miss Ji became the head of her family, and also the head of the Bodai Prefecture, before she even reached adulthood!

Like a child carrying gold through a bustling market, it's bound to attract the attention of wolves and tigers.

A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.

But Bodai Prefecture is truly strange. Not only are there no wolves or tigers, but they also do their best to protect the little boy who holds gold. It is truly a place where the people are simple and honest, and where talented people emerge in an peaceful and prosperous era.

A utopia where no one picks up lost items!

The landscape is so picturesque, yet it reflects the human heart—how utterly laughable!

Jingzhai slowly recounted the story, and Zuo Shi nodded slowly, speaking softly with inexplicable emotion, "The situation was chaotic at the time, and Miss also thought that the master, mistress, and young master had disappeared without a trace overnight."

In the heat of the moment, no one considered the bigger picture, assuming it was either the loyalty of the vassal families or mutual obstruction, allowing the young lady to reap the benefits!

Zuo Shi hesitated for a moment, then continued softly, "Later, as the situation stabilized, Miss became inquisitive and wanted to carefully search for the whereabouts of Master and the others, but she couldn't find a single clue, as if all traces had been erased invisibly."

Zuo Shi was also filled with doubts about the disappearance of the master and mistress. She said softly, "Miss is the same. She has never given up the investigation, but there has been no trace of it."

The master's former stewards and guards also disappeared during that incident. The young lady was young then, as were we. Later, when we tried to investigate, we didn't find many leads.

Jingzhai nodded slowly. He Chen looked suspicious, but since he didn't know the specifics, he couldn't be too suspicious. If a powerful figure had intervened, it was possible for someone to disappear silently.

Zuo Shi seemed to have found a sister she could confide in, and with a lingering sense of unease, she instinctively hugged Jingzhai's arm, reluctant to let go.

She said softly, with a hint of fear, "Strangely, Miss only remembers that it was because of the ancestral worship ceremony that the next day, the master, mistress, and young master were all nowhere to be seen. At first, she thought they had gone out."

But after several days of absence, some shopkeepers and vassal families outside the area also failed to see the master and his family, only then realizing the problem.

After a moment of contemplation, she said in a low voice, "Moreover, according to Miss, none of the vassal families or the city guards saw Master and the others leave the manor. This means that after returning that day, Master and the others have never left the residence."

Jingzhai gently embraced Zuo Shi, comforting her and calming her down.

She gently raised her head, her eyes looking at her lover as if seeking his opinion. He Chen didn't quite understand for a moment, but nodded. "Just do what you want. I will always be your steadfast support."

Seeing her lover nod, Jingzhai smiled slyly, the curve of her lips resembling a cute little abacus.

Seeing that Zuo Shixin still seemed uneasy, he felt a pang of heartache and secretly thought to himself, 'It seems that the person who made the move before has returned, or perhaps they never left but have been hiding all along.'

Jingzhai's mind raced, as if he had some thoughts, some elusive secrets. With such methods, no other vassal family would dare to challenge him in the slightest. It seemed that the scope of the matter had narrowed down considerably.