Was it a coincidence that they had the same dream?
Xu Qi An thought of the Witch God Cult. They possessed the ability to enter dreams, and infiltrating the dreams of Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng was well within their capabilities.
This was a simple deduction.
What Xu Qi An couldn’t understand was why the Witch God Cult members would interrogate Liang Youping’s whereabouts in the dream.
Wasn’t Liang Youping supposed to be part of the Qi faction? Wasn’t the Qi faction in cahoots with the Witch God Cult? Shouldn’t they be on the same side?
“What’s wrong with you?” Song Tingfeng noticed his colleague’s unusual expression and asked with concern.
“It’s getting complicated…” Xu Qi An muttered.
“What do you mean? Do you want to eat some pancakes?” Zhu Guangxiao waited for his response, ready to ask the post station attendant to prepare a midnight snack if Xu Ning Yan said yes.
Xu Qi An didn’t answer. Instead, he left the room and knocked on the door of a Silver Gong in the next room.
“Silver Gong Zhao, did you sleep well last night?” Xu Qi An asked.
The Silver Gong surnamed Zhao examined him with displeasure and replied, “It would be good if you didn’t disturb me.”
“Did you have any dreams?”
“…How did you know?” Silver Gong Zhao was startled.
Xu Qi An’s face immediately turned serious, and he asked urgently, “What did you dream about?”
“I dreamed about the girls from the brothel. Ah, we’ve been in Yun Province for so long, and I haven’t even touched a woman’s hand. It’s hard to bear…”
“Sorry to bother you. Farewell!”
He went on to knock on the doors of the Bronze Gongs and Tiger Warriors, questioning about a dozen people, only to find that they hadn’t had any dreams. In the entire post station, only Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng had been interrogated in their dreams.
How pitiful, not only did they suffer from Su Su PTSD, but they were also subjected to “Black Room Imprisonment Interrogation.avi” in their dreams.
They had encountered all the misfortunes… Xu Qi An’s gaze towards his two colleagues was once again filled with sympathy.
“Your gaze makes me very uncomfortable. If you keep looking at me like that, we can’t be brothers anymore,” Song Tingfeng said gravely.
“We were never brothers, to begin with, but father and son.”
As soon as Xu Qi An finished speaking, he saw Song Tingfeng picking up a chair to hit him. He quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Go stand aside for a moment, I need to think.”
“What happened?” Zhu Guangxiao asked.
“Let me sort out my thoughts,” Xu Qi An waved his hand.
Only Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng were interrogated in their dreams, and they were asked about Liang Youping’s whereabouts… The reason is we once went to the black market and obtained the account book from Liang Youping… As for why I wasn’t interrogated, the reason is simple: I was busy cultivating!
No, no, my mind is getting more and more muddled. I can’t handle all of this alone. I need to involve Governor Zhang and Jiang Luzhong to rack their brains together… Xu Qi An immediately went out to find Governor Zhang.
As he passed by the room where Yang Chuannan was confined, Li Miaozheng happened to come out with Jiang Luzhong, followed by the beautiful ghost Su Su.
She had just “visited” Yang Chuannan.
“Is General Li leaving?” Xu Qi An approached them.
Li Miaozheng nodded. Although the case was complex, the governor had promised to do his utmost to uncover the truth, giving Yang Chuannan a glimmer of hope.
This visit to the post station was to seek that glimmer of hope, not in vain considering her acquaintance with Yang Chuannan.
Allowing the Feiyan Army to enter the city, was also a form of pressure, a bargaining chip, rather than truly intending to perish together.
“Heh, I’m afraid you can’t leave!” Xu Qi An quipped.
Li Miaozheng was taken aback and scrutinized him.
Su Su scolded, “Master, this guy means you harm. Let Su Su beat him up for you.”
As she spoke, she was about to spit a mouthful of Yin energy at Xu Qi An, but before she could, Li Miaozheng blocked her.
“You just want to take revenge, don’t you?” Li Miaozheng glanced at her, then turned to ask, “What’s the matter?”
“Don’t be in a hurry to leave. The second half is about to begin. I’ve just obtained some new clues,” Xu Qi An said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Jiang Luzhong raised an eyebrow in surprise, “What have you remembered?”
The three of them entered Governor Zhang’s room together. Governor Zhang was almost fifty, considered an old man, but due to the presence of the Celestial Inspection Department’s Technicians, the gentry class in this world had longer lifespans. They could happily enjoy diseases of longevity like cancer, just like in Xu Qi An’s previous life.
Governor Zhang was about to go to sleep but had to reluctantly get up and dress again.
He then ordered his attendant to open the door.
“It’s late at night. Can’t you discuss this tomorrow?” Governor Zhang pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m just an ordinary person, not as energetic as you martial artists.”
Li Miaozheng instinctively retorted, “I’m not a martial artist.”
Xu Qi An and Jiang Luzhong gave her a “cold” sidelong glance.
Governor Zhang waved his hand impatiently, “If you have something to say, say it. After that, get out.”
Scholars paid great attention to health preservation. Staying up late was simply a waste of life.
Li Miaozheng and Jiang Luzhong simultaneously looked at Xu Qi An.
Well, it’s this guy again… Governor Zhang helplessly looked at Xu Qi An.
“There’s something I think you all should know,” Xu Qi An, under the gaze of the three, slowly began to speak, explaining how Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were interrogated in their dreams.
“Indeed, it’s the Witch God Cult’s technique,” Jiang Luzhong confirmed.
Li Miaozheng nodded in agreement, then looked at Xu Qi An, “The reason you weren’t interrogated is that you were trying to break through to the Spirit Refinement realm and didn’t sleep?”
“Yeah.”
“The Witch God Cult is also looking for Liang Youping?” Governor Zhang struggled to digest this news, momentarily confused, “Isn’t Liang Youping part of the Qi faction?”
The Qi faction and the Witch God Cult were supposed to be on the same side.
Li Miaozheng stared at the candlelight on the candlestick, lost in thought for a moment, “Could it be that we guessed wrong? Liang Youping isn’t part of the Qi faction, and giving us the account book wasn’t to frame Lord Yang?”
Jiang Luzhong felt a headache coming on. If that was the case, the case would be too complicated.
“The information that Liang Youping is part of the Qi faction was told to us by you, not something we guessed,” Xu Qi An glanced at her, then continued:
“Moreover, if Liang Youping isn’t part of the Qi faction, then many things wouldn’t make sense. I lean towards him being part of the Qi faction, and our previous deductions weren’t wrong.”
“Then how do you explain the Witch God Cult looking for him?” Li Miaozheng frowned.
…This girl’s intelligence is just average… She’s not stupid, but not particularly smart either… If only Huai Qing were here, my pressure would be greatly reduced… Number Four would do too, she’s good at making connections…
The four discussed for a while but didn’t gain any new insights. Governor Zhang was getting drowsy, and he had to visit the Military Command tomorrow, so it wasn’t suitable to stay up late. Jiang Luzhong and Li Miaozheng weren’t skilled at deduction, and Xu Qi An’s head was about to split open.
They had to call it a day and discuss it another time.
“Governor, I’ll stay here for the night,” Li Miaozheng requested.
Governor Zhang readily agreed. The post station was the headquarters, with Gold and Silver Gongs stationed there. There was no fear of Li Miaozheng doing anything unwise.
Li Miaozheng gave Xu Qi An a deep look.
…
Back in the room, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were still there, sitting cross-legged in meditation.
“Why haven’t you two left?”
“Waiting for news from you.”
“There’s no news. Go, go, go, back to your rooms to practice Qi. Remember not to sleep tonight.”
After sending away his two colleagues, Xu Qi An took a wooden basin downstairs and soaked in a cold bath in the bathhouse, immediately feeling refreshed.
As he reached for the sweat towel, he suddenly found it was missing.
“Are you looking for this?” A coquettish voice came from behind. A hand reached out, revealing a section of fair and delicate arm from the wide white sleeve.
“Miss Su Su, men and women should maintain proper distance,” Xu Qi An didn’t take the towel, nor did he turn his head. He was a bit angry.
It wasn’t because he felt embarrassed about a woman observing him while bathing, but because a certain paper person could look and touch, but couldn’t be “grazed” (a type of plant). Yet the paper person lacked self-awareness and insisted on appearing at this moment.
“Men and women should maintain proper distance?”
Su Su in her white dress moved to the edge of the bathtub. Under the faint moonlight streaming through the window, she looked down at the clear water at the bottom and said acidly:
“This young lady wouldn’t be interested in a beansprout.”
Xu Qi An threw the sweat towel into the water, using it as a mosaic to block the ghost’s invasive gaze. He said calmly, “Miss Su Su, have you heard a saying?”
Su Su tilted her head to look at him.
“The testicles can’t stand the cold.”
“The high places can’t stand the cold?” Su Su didn’t understand what he meant by saying this.
…Playing word games in this world is also a kind of ‘high places can’t stand the cold’… Hmm, homophonic puns are punishable by imprisonment… Xu Qi An lost interest in teasing the female ghost and said impatiently:
“If you have something to say, say it. I’ve been soaking in cold water for a long time, I’m going to catch a cold.”
“Do Qi Practitioners in the Energy Refinement realm also catch colds?” Su Su giggled a few times, sitting candidly on the edge of the bathtub, her eyes bright and beautiful.
“What you said before, is it true? You weren’t lying to me?”
Xu Qi An knew what she was referring to and immediately started to make grand promises: “Of course, a man of his word, one spits one nail. Have you decided to elope with me?”
“What elopement, that sounds so unpleasant.” Su Su’s voice was soft, she glanced at him and bargained, “I can help you do three things in exchange for a physical body, okay?”
You’re just a weak female ghost, what can you help me with? You just want to take advantage of me, pah, women!
Xu Qi An flatly refused: “No.”
“Please, please, okay?”
“Even if you use charm on me, I won’t fall for it.”
“Hmph, you’d better look at it first before you say that.”
“…Alright, but I don’t want you to do three things for me. I have another request. Once you have a new physical body, be my concubine for a few years.”
This was just nonsense because Song Qin didn’t have this technology. Talking to her about a physical body was purely to trick her into returning to the capital with him.
“I’m still a virgin, you know.” Su Su said shyly.
“Yes, every time you change a paper body, you’re a virgin,” Xu Qi An said.
“I’m talking about when I was still alive,” she said. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, she looked down at her beautiful reflection in the water and sighed:
“When I was alive, I was also the daughter of a wealthy family. That year I was eighteen, and my father arranged a marriage for me. My future husband was a scholar, handsome and courteous. I waited happily in the boudoir for my wedding.
“But who would have thought that the next spring, my father got involved in a big case and was beheaded by that dog emperor? The women of the family were supposed to be sent to the brothel, but my mother didn’t want us to suffer such humiliation while alive, so she brewed a pot of chicken soup laced with arsenic…
“I remember I had a younger brother who was studying away from home at the time and escaped the calamity. After I died, my obsession didn’t disperse, and I wandered in the mass grave for several days. Just as I was about to dissipate, I unexpectedly met a master from the Heavenly Sect. He said I was a one-in-ten-thousand Charm and took me in.
“I stayed in the Heavenly Sect for over twenty years, watching my master being carried up the mountain as a helpless infant and growing up bit by bit…”
Xu Qi An was listening with great interest when he suddenly noticed something odd. His voice became sharp, “What? You’ve been dead for over twenty years!”
Su Su puffed out her chest and said, “In terms of age, I could be your mother.”
“Mother!”
“…You’re so shameless,” Su Su felt a bit shy. Before she died, she was still an innocent maiden. Although after becoming a ghost, she was often instructed by her unscrupulous master to seduce men, at most she would just flirt, after all, ghosts don’t have physical bodies.
All the experience was virtual.
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“I have two lifelong wishes. One is to see my younger brother again, hoping to meet him in flesh and blood, just like in the old days. The second is to investigate the case that my father was involved in back then.”
In the bathtub, the cold water rippled, reflecting the moonlight, and dancing on her face.
Xu Qi An felt a long-lost heart flutter, the kind of flutter that men feel when they see a beautiful woman, or more accurately, the restlessness of hormones.
“What’s the deal, was your father wrongly accused? Then you should follow me. If you follow me, I’ll help you investigate the case. Is there anyone in the world who knows how to investigate cases better than me?” Xu Qi An felt this female ghost was blind to the obvious.
“I don’t remember,” Su Su shook her head. “I can’t remember anything about what happened back then. I don’t even know why my family died.”
“After all, it’s been over twenty years.”
Su Su shook her head again: “My master’s teacher once invited a high-level practitioner from the Witch system to divine for me, but nothing was revealed. That diviner said it had something to do with the Celestial Inspection Department.”
The information in this sentence was too much for Xu Qi An to process, and he was stunned for a long time.
Li Miaozheng’s teacher knows someone from the Witch God Cult. Well, practicing the Witch system doesn’t necessarily mean they’re from the Witch God Cult, they could also be independent cultivators… The sixth-rank Witch system excels at divination, so sixth-rank Witches are also called Diviners… How could a mere female ghost be involved with the Celestial Inspection Department?
Wait, Diviners are skilled at divination, so why couldn’t they divine Liang Youping’s whereabouts, but instead enter Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao’s dreams?
“Hey!”
Su Su angrily puffed her cheeks, “I’m talking to you.”
Xu Qi An frowned: “I’m listening.”
Su Su pouted: “Anyway, that’s how it is. If you can create a vivid physical body for me, what’s wrong with being your concubine? If I’m in a good mood, I might even give you a chubby little boy.”
“Buy one, get one free. Thank you!” Xu Qi An rolled his eyes.
After finally managing to send Su Su away, Xu Qi An felt a twinge of guilt about deceiving her, realizing that he had let her indulge in false hopes. However, he resolved to make it up to her by investigating the case when he returned to the capital. He would do everything he could to look into it.
“A man with too soft a heart is bound to get himself into trouble,” Xu Qi An thought, sitting cross-legged on his bed. He intended to use visualization and breathing techniques to alleviate his fatigue and pull himself back from the brink of exhaustion.
But just then, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, nearly sending him to the afterlife.
“Damn…” Xu Qi An swore as he rummaged under his pillow for a small jade mirror.
【Two: Sorry to disturb everyone late at night. I’ve encountered some difficulties in Yunzhou and would like to seek your help.】
Though the Second Lady was not exceptionally bright, she knew how to utilize her resources effectively. The chat group for the Earth Script had decent intelligence among its members, except for the Fifth. Even Master Hengyuan, who always seemed burdened by grievances, was quite clever. If it weren’t for his position, Xu Qi An would have already sought help from the members of the Heavenly Society through fragments of the Earth Script regarding the details of the Yunzhou case.
Xu Qi An could only think Second Lady, well done.