Number Three’s words were strange. Despite being far away in the capital, it seemed as if the situation was so urgent that it was happening right beside her… Li Miaochen’s slender and delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.
She had plans tonight. After the day’s military petition incident, with the keen intuition of a Heavenly Sect cultivator, she vaguely sensed the killing intent hidden beneath Governor Zhang’s smiling exterior.
Therefore, she had planned to visit the post station before dusk, to maneuver and see if there was any room for negotiation.
But Number Three was an online friend she greatly valued – upright, brave, intelligent, and wise, an admirable scholar. If Number Three had a problem, she couldn’t ignore it.
Just as she thought this, she saw text slowly appearing on the surface of the jade mirror:
[In the Yun Province case, the real mastermind is Provincial Administration Commissioner Song. Governor Zhang has solved the puzzle and originally planned to arrest Song Changfu with lightning speed.
[But Song Changfu sensed the danger in advance, devised a plan to confuse Governor Zhang and the Night Watchmen, and secretly sealed the city gates. Now Baidi City is fraught with danger, and the Governor’s team is in peril. Number Two, quickly send troops to their aid.]
The mastermind is Provincial Administration Commissioner Song?!
Li Miaochen felt as if she had been hit on the head with a heavy hammer. She was stunned for a moment. Song Changfu was the mastermind, which meant the Qi Party colluding with the Witchcraft Cult was Song Changfu.
Song Changfu was part of the Qi Party?
There was no time to think about so much. If what Number Three said was true, then unrest in Baidi City was imminent, no, it might have already erupted into fierce fighting.
If anything happened to Governor Zhang, the entire Yun Province would slide into an uncontrollable abyss. Jiang Lüzhong was a fourth-rank martial artist; once war broke out, the city’s civilians would inevitably be affected.
And this was just the beginning of the unrest. Next spring, the imperial court would send troops to attack Yun Province. How many civilians would suffer under the flames of war?
Li Miaochen stood up abruptly, her hand already grasping the silver spear leaning against the table. But at this moment, she suddenly froze.
A series of big question marks flashed through her mind, then converged into one sentence: How did Number Three know all this?
How did Number Three, far away in the capital, know what was happening in Yun Province?
She had a vague guess in her heart, and this guess stirred up a huge commotion, no less shocking than Provincial Administration Commissioner Song’s military rebellion.
So, Li Miaochen paused, standing in place, her fingers trembling slightly as she wrote: [How do you know about this?]
After sending the message, there was no response for a long time.
Li Miaochen raised her eyebrows and turned to Su Su, the female ghost sitting on the edge of the bed reading a book, and said, “Relay my orders, mobilize the Flying Swallow Army.”
Su Su’s demeanor as she read, head lowered, was very much like that of a gentle, cultured, and well-mannered young lady from a noble family. That kind of elegance was engraved in her bones.
If only the book she was reading wasn’t “XX Erotic History”, it would have been perfect.
“Oh!” Su Su reluctantly put down her little Liu Bei and swayed her slender waist as she walked out of the tent.
She was a bit depressed. The male protagonists in the book were all handsome scholars, gentle and cultured, and extremely learned.
While in the future, if she were to be reincarnated, she would have to be a concubine to Xu Qi An, that lecherous fellow.
The difference was too great.
Watching the female ghost servant go out to mobilize troops, Li Miaochen, not wasting any time, frowned and sent a threatening message: [If you don’t tell me, I won’t send a single soldier.]
This was, of course, just a threat. Right now, Li Miaochen wished she could sprout wings and fly to Baidi City.
[Three: Actually, I took on a mission from the academy and secretly rushed to Yun Province.]
[Two: Do you take me for a fool?]
Number Three was a student of the Cloud Deer Academy. As everyone knew, after spring came the spring imperial examinations, a chance for scholars across the land to achieve greatness. Number Four had mentioned before that Number Three would participate in the spring examinations, and Number Three hadn’t denied it.
The Cloud Deer Academy had nothing to do with Yun Province. What could make Number Three give up precious preparation time to go south? With the academy’s abundance of talent, why did it have to be Number Three?
It was too unreasonable for a Cloud Deer Academy student to go south on his master’s orders, yet understand the Yun Province case so thoroughly and clearly. Unless someone had leaked information to him… Xu Qi An would indeed leak information to his cousin, assuming Number Three was that cousin.
So to verify if Number Three was lying, there was another way – to ask Number One to inquire at the Cloud Deer Academy.
But that would take too much time, and in the current situation, time was life. So Number Two asked directly, hoping Number Three would tell the truth.
[Three: Alright, I’ll come clean. I’m Xu Qi An. I am Number Three.]
Number Three is Xu Qi An?!
Li Miaochen was petrified on the spot, her pretty oval face as rigid as a stone carving.
She seemed to hear something collapsing in her heart, crumbling with a rumble.
Upright and kind, justice-bearing scholar (×)
Despicable and shameless, hypocritical and lecherous Night Watchman (√)
The image of Number Three in her heart went through a series of processes including collapse and reconstruction.
Upon hearing this bad news, Li Miaochen was furious. She felt deceived, emotionally manipulated, and made a fool of.
To be honest, she had quite liked Number Three. Number Three wasn’t like Number One, always deep in thought and lurking. Nor was he like Number Four, seemingly gentle but extremely arrogant.
As for Numbers Five, Six, and Nine, each had their characteristics, but in terms of overall impression, none were as good as Number Three.
But it was all a lie.
At this moment, Li Miaochen recalled in her mind Number Three’s evaluation of Xu Qi An.
“Shameless, absolutely shameless…” She gripped her silver spear tightly, her chest heaving violently.
If this were in modern times, Li Miaochen would be the protagonist in today’s law program, with the title: “18-year-old girl deceived by an online friend.”
Wait!
In her anger, Li Miaochen suddenly remembered some unpleasant things:
If Number Three was Xu Qi An, then that day when she sincerely asked for help in the ground book group, asking them to help analyze the case.
The next day, she proudly boasted to Governor Zhang and Xu Qi An that she had solved the case… Thinking of this, Li Miaochen’s chest heaved even more violently, her face flushed red, and she felt the urge to draw her sword and commit suicide.
At that time, Xu Qi An was probably laughing at her in his heart.
She cupped her face with both hands, her voice trembling: “Bastard…”
…
In the distant capital, Daoist Jinlian stared at the ground book fragment, waiting for a long time, but Number Three and Number Two didn’t continue their conversation.
“They ended their private chat without saying a word,” Daoist Jinlian complained.
That Xu Qi An, always bragging without thinking, now look what’s happened. His identity is exposed, nowhere to hide, huh?
But this was nothing. Daoist Jinlian had been cultivating for decades, what hadn’t he seen? He wouldn’t lose composure over such a small matter.
“Ku ku ku…”
A few minutes later, an orange cat jumped onto the courtyard wall, cautiously looking inside, seemingly planning to sneak into the kitchen to steal food.
But at this moment, the orange cat suddenly froze, standing motionless on the wall. A few seconds later, its amber pupils regained their vivaciousness, and it happily walked away with its tail raised.
Inside the room, Daoist Jinlian lay on the bed, his expression serene.
…
Xu Qi An took one last look at the jade mirror. Number Two hadn’t mocked, accused, or cursed him, maintaining a mysterious silence.
It was somewhat unexpected, but also somewhat anticipated.
“She must have also remembered what she said that day when she got carried away. This is the benefit of everyone dying together,” Xu Qi An sighed.
Then, he calmed his mind, embraced the primal and guarded the one, and called out to Monk Shenshu in his sea of consciousness: “Master, Master…”
“Master, I’ve encountered a crisis and hope to receive your help.”
Xu Qi An called out to Monk Shenshu for a long time, but there was no response.
He began to panic. The reason he dared to rush to the scene was because he had confidence, and Monk Shenshu was his source of confidence.
When they had made their agreement, Xu Qi An offered his body to nurture the broken arm. In return, Monk Shenshu was supposed to help in times of crisis.
But now, it seemed like the cheat code merchant had run away.
“Face death to embrace life.”
A faint voice of Master Shenshu echoed in his mind.
Face death to embrace life? What did that mean? Was this response meant to save him or not?
Xu Qi An hurriedly tried to communicate with Shenshu in his mind, but the damn monk had fallen asleep again and couldn’t be awakened.
…
In the backyard of the Provincial Administration Commission:
The sound of clanging and banging could be heard as the Tiger Warriors searched for evidence. Governor Zhang and Jiang Lüzhong stood in the courtyard, with the Prefect of Yun Province respectfully waiting nearby.
Governor Zhang smelled a faint fragrance, different from plum blossoms, a floral scent he had never encountered before.
Looking around, he easily found the flower, a pure white bloom that looked no different from wildflowers by the roadside, but it emitted a rich and lingering fragrance.
“A flower blooming in the dead of winter?” Governor Zhang said in surprise.
The Prefect turned his head to look, then turned back, shaking his head dismissively, “It must be some special variety. I don’t recognize it either, but Provincial Administration Commissioner Song… that traitor Song was quite fond of flowers.”
Governor Zhang nodded slightly.
The Tiger Warriors hadn’t found any useful evidence.
“Strange…” Governor Zhang frowned.
Song’s mansion and the Provincial Administration Commission office were too clean as if they had been deliberately tidied up, leaving no evidence behind.
However, given Song Changfu’s secretive ways, he might have had another base of operations, so it wasn’t surprising that they couldn’t find any evidence.
Soon after, the summoned officials gathered at the Provincial Administration Commission office.
…
In the main hall, Governor Zhang stood under the eaves by the door, hands behind his back. In the courtyard, over a dozen high-ranking officials lined up on both sides, silently watching him.
“Gentlemen!” Governor Zhang’s gaze was sharp as he swept over the officials on both sides, his voice solemn: “Song Changfu colluded with the Witchcraft Cult, embezzled military supplies, and nurtured bandits to strengthen his position. The livelihood of people in all four directions of Yun Province has withered, and unrest is frequent.”
“By order of His Majesty, I am here to investigate strictly. After the matter came to light, Song Changfu committed suicide out of fear of punishment.”
“From today onwards, all military and political affairs of Yun Province will be handled by me. Anyone who has sided with this traitor should come to me immediately to explain their situation. Punishment will be dealt with according to the severity of their involvement.”
“We respectfully obey your command!” The officials bowed.
At this moment, in Governor Zhang’s line of sight, he saw a group of Night Watchmen rushing in through the main hall’s entrance, looking furious. One of the silver gongs was carrying someone in his hand.
The officials in the hall turned to look at the commotion.
“Why are they here?” Governor Zhang looked towards Jiang Lüzhong beside him.
Jiang Lüzhong shook his head.
“Governor, something terrible has happened,” the silver gong carrying someone called out before he even reached them.
Jiang Lüzhong narrowed his eyes, recognizing the person in the silver gong’s hand, and was shocked. It was the coroner from the government office.
“What’s going on?” Governor Zhang’s gaze fell on the coroner, his expression immediately becoming extremely serious.
The silver gong handed the coroner to a bronze gong beside him, then quickly stepped forward and whispered in the Governor’s ear.
After hearing Xu Ning Yan’s analysis, the Night Watchmen had rushed to Provincial Administration Commissioner Song’s mansion, only to find it empty as the Governor had already left.
After inquiring at the mansion, they learned that the Governor had gone to the Provincial Administration Commission.
The experienced silver gongs didn’t leave immediately. Remembering Xu Ning Yan’s analysis, they re-examined Provincial Administration Commissioner Song’s body.
That’s when they discovered that the blood-stained face was a human skin mask.
The dead person indeed wasn’t Song Changfu.
The Night Watchmen immediately apprehended the coroner and rushed to the Provincial Administration Commission.
“So that’s what happened!” Governor Zhang’s expression changed several times, from shock to gravity, and then to a blank expression after he had composed himself.
He slowly scanned the officials, then looked at the coroner and said, “Who instructed you to do this?”
The coroner was terrified, his gaze frequently darting to the side and back, where the Prefect of Yun Province was standing.
“In response to the Governor, it was me,” the Prefect bowed and cupped his hands, surprisingly admitting it frankly.
Governor Zhang snorted coldly, and without wasting words, waved his hand and said, “Seize him…”
His hand didn’t complete the gesture. The simple act of waving seemed as difficult as lifting a thousand-pound weight.
Then he collapsed limply to the ground. Jiang Lüzhong instinctively tried to support him but stumbled, and the mighty fourth-rank martial artist unexpectedly fell along with Governor Zhang.
“We’ve been poisoned…” Jiang Lüzhong’s heart jolted.
“Jiang Gold Gong, Governor!” The Night Watchmen were shocked and hurried over.
In the courtyard, the officials were terrified and uneasy. The Prefect of Yun Province now seemed so unfamiliar in their eyes.
“Damn you!” A bronze gong drew his sword, about to kill the Prefect.
The Prefect’s face remained expressionless as he raised his hand to form a seal.
“Heh heh…” The coroner who had been thrown to the ground suddenly mutated. His muscles swelled, his eyes turned red, and his throat emitted beast-like growls. He charged headlong at the bronze gong who had drawn his sword.
Puff!
The blade cut into his shoulder, severing the coroner’s entire arm, but he seemed oblivious to it, crashing solidly into the bronze gong’s embrace.
Everyone heard the sound of bones shattering.
The bronze gong was sent flying back, his sword clattering to the ground.
The Night Watchmen reacted quickly, catching him. But this couldn’t change the outcome. The light in the bronze gong’s eyes rapidly dimmed, and his life was extinguished.
“Dream Witch!” Jiang Lüzhong said gravely, “So you were the fourth-rank Dream Witch from the Witchcraft Cult. Did you kill Zhou Min?”
The Prefect smiled and said, “Indeed!”
“Huah…” The officials quickly retreated, warily eyeing the Prefect.
That mysterious Dream Witch had been hidden among them all along? What method had he used to counter the Destiny Viewing Technique of the white-robed sorcerers from the Astronomical Bureau?
The coroner, his red eyes now only showing ferocity, having lost all humanity, silently picked up his severed arm and pressed it to the stump.
Vivid red blood vessels flickered, and blood-colored threads entangled the severed arm, reconnecting it.
Blood Spirit Puppet!
This was a secret technique mastered by ninth-rank witches, capable of refining living people into puppets, and at the cost of burning their essence blood, catalyzing the puppets into fearless warriors with unparalleled fighting power.
Thus, ninth-rank witches were also called “Blood Spirits.”
Of course, ninth-rank witches had limited ability to enhance their puppets’ combat power, let alone reconnect severed limbs.
“What poison did I take?” Jiang Lüzhong seemed unwilling to accept it.
“This poison is called Pine Flower White Worm. When the white worm’s corpse burns, it produces a colorless and odorless poison. This poison doesn’t cause any effect on the body but can lie dormant for up to ten days.”
“During these ten days, if the poisoned person smells a flower called pine flower, their body will become weak and powerless, becoming a lamb waiting for slaughter. This is a poison formula from the Poison Sect of the Southern Border’s Gu Clan.”
“Jiang Lüzhong, I’ve gone to great lengths to deal with you. You’re a high-rank martial artist, ordinary poisons are ineffective against you and easily detected. Only this type of combinatorial Gu poison, with its gentle and long-lasting nature, could catch you off guard.” The Prefect looked smug.
Governor Zhang breathed weakly, “Is it the flower in the backyard?”
“That’s right.”
“So, you deliberately led us to the backyard.”
“The Governor’s wisdom comes a bit too late.” The Prefect mocked.
“Then, what about the white worm poison?”
“The candles you burn every day. You were so cautious, but you never thought the poison would be in the candles, did you? When the Governor was out on inspection, the candles in the post station were secretly replaced.”
It was impossible to have someone guarding the post station at all times, especially during the inspection tour. Replacing the candles was impossible to prevent.
Governor Zhang struggled to ask, “Where is Song Changfu?”
“After you’re dead, he will naturally take over Yun Province’s officialdom,” the Prefect sneered. “After taking control of Baidi City, the mountain bandits stockpiled in various locations will attack the prefectures and counties. At the end of the year, during the imperial examination of officials, Yun Province will break away from the Great Feng Dynasty.”
At this moment, everyone heard the chaotic yet loud sound of footsteps. A large group of troops was approaching.
“The poison will wear off in about an hour, but unfortunately, you won’t live to see that moment.” The Prefect laughed loudly.