Three days had passed since the incident of the Hundred Ghosts Night Walk.
During these three days, Lin Ji patrolled the county town every night.
Fortunately, there were no more evil spirits daring to harm people in the city.
Meanwhile, Guo Yi took advantage of these few days to visit the Qingcheng Sect, preparing to bring back his wife.
Lin Ji took some time off and walked ten miles towards Liangcheng, casually killing some idle ghosts along the way, before finally feeling a bit relieved.
At noon, Qingyang County was shrouded in heavy rain.
The rain had been falling since the day before yesterday, showing no signs of weakening until today.
The once bustling streets of Qingyang County were now deserted, with few commoners strolling outside these two days.
Lin Ji walked out of the house, set up the rain canopy in the courtyard, listened to the sound of raindrops falling on the canopy, and took a deep breath.
He set up a table under the canopy and brought out freshly boiled water from the kitchen.
After brewing tea and pouring himself a cup, Lin Ji comfortably lay down on a reclining chair.
Before long, Lu Cong arrived.
He carried a basket full of ingredients in his hands.
"Boss, here are some good pork belly and pig elbows." Lu Cong grinned and placed the ingredients in the kitchen, urging, "It's getting late, should I help you?"
"No rush, I'll start cooking in a while." Lin Ji yawned and gave Lu Cong a look.
"What's the hurry, aren't we hungry?" Lu Cong chuckled.
"What about the braised beef you were supposed to buy from Ruyi Tower?" Lin Ji casually asked.
Lu Cong slapped his forehead and hurriedly got up.
"I forgot about it."
Just as Lu Cong was leaving, he coincidentally bumped into Guo Yi.
"Why the rush?" Guo Yi asked casually, accompanied by a beautiful woman in her thirties.
"Guo, Sister-in-law." Lu Cong greeted, "I'm just going to Ruyi Tower to buy some braised beef."
After Lu Cong left, Guo Yi led his wife into the courtyard.
"Boss."
"Lin Chief."
"Old Guo, Sister-in-law, please have a seat, the tea has just been brewed." Lin Ji got up to greet them, saying, "I'm about to start cooking soon."
"Do you need any help?" Mrs. Guo asked eagerly.
"No need, I can manage on my own." Lin Ji smiled and declined.
There's no reason to let guests help.
In the kitchen, Lin Ji suddenly remembered something and shouted towards the neighboring yard, "Wake up, come over for lunch later!"
"Disturbing someone's sleep early in the morning, how annoying!" The voice of Zhong Xiaoyan, full of irritation, rang out.
Lin Ji could imagine her groggily sitting up from bed, looking impatient.
"So your house calls noon morning." Lin Ji sarcastically remarked.
Then he heard the maid Ling'er persuading in a soft voice in the neighboring yard, convincing Zhong Xiaoyan to put down the porcelain in her hand without throwing it on the ground.
Zhong Xiaoyan had moved in next to Lin Ji's house the day before yesterday, the house previously bought by the Song family.
This girl seemed to have some screws loose, insisting on staying in Qingyang County as a demon catcher, and the county magistrate seemed quite polite to Zhong Xiaoyan, indicating that this girl's identity was not simple.
To be a third-level cultivator at a younger age than Lin Ji was quite impressive!
Later, when Song Er heard that the new demon catcher didn't have a place to stay, he voluntarily gave up this vacant house.
In the kitchen, Lin Ji quickly prepared the ingredients.
Half of the pork belly was cut into medium-sized pieces, while the rest was minced into a paste.
He mixed in scallion-ginger water, eggs, and other ingredients evenly.
He heated the pan with oil.
After a while, the aroma of the meat in the kitchen wafted out into the courtyard.
Soon enough, Lu Cong returned with the braised beef.
Lin Ji took a plate of braised beef, mixed it with vinegar and chili oil, and handed it to Lu Cong.
"Take it out and start eating. I'm almost done with my dishes. I'll bring out two more jars of wine from my cellar."
"Alright."
Before long, Zhong Xiaoyan also arrived with Ling'er.
The demon catchers of Qingyang County gathered in the courtyard, hiding under the rain canopy, chatting casually.
"Lu Cong, come in and serve the dishes!" Lin Ji's voice came from the kitchen.
Lu Cong eagerly ran into the kitchen.
After a while, the two of them came out with the dishes.
"Braised pork, meatballs, stewed pig elbows, and a few home-cooked dishes to go with it."
As he spoke, Lin Ji noticed Lu Cong was about to start eating, so he slapped the back of his head.
"Can't you see there are still a few vegetarian dishes in the kitchen? Bring them out!"
"Oh." Lu Cong reluctantly put down his chopsticks.
Soon, everyone started eating.
Lin Ji sat at the dining table, contentedly watching his guests eat.
No one spoke, only the sound of chopsticks clinking against bowls.
"How is it?" Lin Ji picked up a piece of braised pork and asked casually.
Lu Cong ignored Lin Ji and was completely immersed in his meal.
Guo Yi smiled and gave a thumbs up, while Mrs. Guo nodded repeatedly.
Zhong Xiaoyan seemed quite surprised.
"I didn't expect you to be such a good cook. It's a pity you're a demon catcher. How about you come work as a chef for me? I'll pay you a hundred taels a month!" Guo Yi joked.
"If I become a chef, who will catch demons?"
"I will." Zhong Xiaoyan said matter-of-factly.
Lin Ji rolled his eyes, too lazy to deal with this eccentric pseudo-boy.
After the meal, the group started chatting.
"This rain is really strange. I've never seen such heavy rain in Qingyang County in previous years." Lin Ji looked at the pouring rain outside, feeling somewhat surprised.
"It is indeed strange." Lu Cong agreed, "I grew up in the county, and I've never seen anything like this."
"And this heavy rain has been falling for three days in a row. If we weren't dozens of miles away from the Liang River, the county would probably have been flooded by now."
At that moment, Guo Yi suddenly remembered something.
"Speaking of this rain, I heard some rumors these past two days."
"What rumors?" Lin Ji asked.
"The commoners in the county are talking, saying that the River God of Liang River is angry, and we need to make offerings to the River God for the rain to stop." Guo Yi said somewhat embarrassedly.
Lin Ji couldn't help but chuckle.
Lu Cong was puzzled, "Boss, why are you laughing?"
"Yeah, why are you laughing?" Zhong Xiaoyan also asked.
"The so-called River God is just a transformation of some monsters. It's just a rumor among the commoners. Old Guo, do you believe in such things?"
"I just mentioned it casually." Guo Yi waved his hand with a smile.
Lin Ji then looked at Lu Cong, raising his eyebrows, "You should read more books in your spare time, or take a look at the records of strange creatures in the Monitoring Bureau! You're all grown up, yet you're surprised by everything, isn't it embarrassing?"
Lu Cong was used to being scolded by Lin Ji and just smiled.
But Lin Ji's gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept over Zhong Xiaoyan.
How could she endure this?
"Why are you looking at me?" Zhong Xiaoyan asked angrily, feeling that something was off about the previous conversation.
"I accidentally saw it, my apologies." Lin Ji half-heartedly apologized.
But at that moment, the gate of the courtyard was pushed open.
Song Er hurried in with an old man.
"Boss, this is a refugee who escaped from Lianghe County. You should listen to what he has to say." Song Er pushed the old man forward.
The old man knelt down on the ground.
"Sir, the rain is the River God's anger. We must make offerings!"