HomeGuardians of the DafengChapter 108: The Lead Investigator

Chapter 108: The Lead Investigator

Xu Lingyue had likely overthought things due to her introverted nature, bottling up her emotions. Seeing her eldest brother return safely, she finally felt the weight lift from her heart and burst into tears, her cheeks glistening with rolling teardrops.

Just then, a maid walked out of the door and, seeing the siblings embracing, exclaimed joyfully, “Has the First Young Master been released?”

Only then did Xu Lingyue remember she was an unmarried young lady. She quickly broke free from her brother’s embrace, sniffling as she stood demurely with her head bowed, her face burning red.

Xu Qi An led his sister by the hand into her boudoir. The maid brewed tea for him and stood obediently to the side, listening to the First Young Master and Young Miss converse.

“Go inform the servants to heat some water. I want to bathe,” Xu Qi An instructed.

The maid went to relay the message, but to her surprise, all the servants turned pale upon hearing it and shook their heads in refusal.

The maid returned to inform the First Young Master, feeling very aggrieved. Xu Qi An was also angered, wondering if the servants had become too arrogant or if he, Xu Qi An, could no longer wield authority.

“Then you help boil the water,” Xu Qi An said.

The maid felt even more wronged but dared not refuse. She left with a pout.

Xu Qi An turned to Xu Lingyue with a smile, “His Majesty has allowed me to redeem myself. I’m safe for now.”

Xu Lingyue nodded, her delicate oval face looking somewhat haggard. “How did Elder Brother end up fighting with his colleagues?”

Xu Qi An briefly recounted the incident. Xu Lingyue listened, growing increasingly indignant, her dainty fists clenched. “Elder Brother, I’ve always trusted your actions.”

She flashed a dazzling smile, her eyes filled with pride.

Momentarily captivated by her radiance, Xu Qi An couldn’t help but pinch her cheek.

Xu Lingyue lowered her head shyly.

After bathing and donning his night watchman uniform, Xu Qi An sat with Xu Lingyin under the eaves. Side by side, they each held a large bowl of egg and shredded pork noodles.

The scene was harmonious and heartwarming.

Xu Qi An said, “Lingyin, would you like to trade your eggs for Brother’s meat?”

Xu Lingyin thought for a moment and shook her head. “No. Mother said you tricked me out of my buns last time.”

“Do you think Brother tricked you?”

She tilted her head, pondering seriously. “I forgot.”

Xu Qi An said, “See? How could Brother trick you? Brother absolutely isn’t trying to trick you out of your eggs. Brother just…”

Before he could finish, he saw Xu Lingyin spit twice into her egg noodles.

Xu Qi An froze.

Xu Lingyin said, “Second Brother taught me.”

…Scholars truly are no good! Xu Qi An lowered his head to eat, giving up on his little sister’s eggs.

But he was slyly mischievous and said teasingly, “Lingyin, you can’t eat these noodles. They’re poisonous.”

“Huh?” Xu Lingyin’s eyes widened as she looked at the bowl on her lap, then at her brother, uncertain and alarmed.

Xu Qi An patiently explained, imparting knowledge: “Remember when you fell and skinned your knee? Didn’t Father use his saliva to clean the wound?”

Xu Lingyin nodded.

Xu Qi An continued, “That’s because saliva can… well, it can kill germs. From this, we can deduce that once saliva leaves the mouth, it becomes poisonous. Therefore, we can conclude that your egg noodles are now poisoned and can’t be eaten.”

He finished speaking and watched as Xu Lingyin’s little face gradually turned pale.

“Will I die?” Xu Lingyin asked, her lip quivering and on the verge of tears.

“You won’t die, but you’ll have a stomachache for many days,” Xu Qi An said.

Xu Lingyin nodded and continued eating her noodles contentedly.

Xu Qi An: “???”

After finishing the meal, Xu Qi An went to Second Young Master Xu’s room. In the study, he found his small jade mirror and tucked it into his robe. By chance, he noticed a few pages of paper on the corner of the desk, held down by a paperweight.

The pages were densely covered in scrawled handwriting, analyzing Xu Qi An’s situation and evaluating whether the Bureau of Astronomy and Cloud Deer Academy could have any influence.

It seemed to be thoughts jotted down while pondering late at night in the study.

Little brother still has some skills… Xu Qi An smiled and left the study.

He rushed back to the yamen at full speed and went straight to see Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan had been waiting for a long time. He pointed to the spot beside Yang Yan and said gently, “Sit.”

Yang Yan handed over a case file with an expressionless face.

Wei Yuan said, “I’ve assigned the Golden Jade Hall, Spring Breeze Hall, and Evil Suppression Hall to work jointly on this case. You are the lead investigator!”

Xu Qi An was shocked.

Wei Yuan smiled, “It’s His Majesty’s personal decree.”

Their eyes met, and Xu Qi An suddenly understood. Wei Yuan wanted to use this opportunity to promote him… directly appointing him as the lead investigator rather than just assisting in the case.

Xu Qi An opened the case file and read it carefully before asking directly, “Is something sealed beneath Sang Lake?”

A glint flashed in Wei Yuan’s eyes.

Even Yang Yan’s usually expressionless face showed surprise.

The truth about something being sealed in Sang Lake was only revealed to him by Wei Yuan this morning. Even the cleverer Nangong Qianrou had only begun to guess after last night’s incident at Sang Lake, recalling her adoptive father searching through records and files in the archives that day. But she dared not confirm it.

It wasn’t until this morning that her adoptive father candidly told them the truth.

Yet this junior night watchman had directly pointed out that something was sealed beneath Sang Lake.

Wei Yuan concealed his surprise and smiled, “Tell me your reasoning.”

Xu Qi An, eager to prove himself to Wei Yuan while under punishment, said, “Although Sang Lake is a forbidden area in our Great Feng, for outsiders, the only thing of value would likely be the Imperial Sword. However, the file states that the Imperial Sword is unharmed. So the thieves’ target must be something else.

“Therefore, I suspect there must be something in the Eternal Mountain and River Temple. And why would this thing be placed in Sang Lake? I’ll make a bolder guess – perhaps this object needs the Imperial Sword to seal it.”

In truth, Xu Qi An was reverse-engineering the process after knowing the answer.

His clear train of thought and meticulous logic won Yang Yan’s approval, making him increasingly appreciate and value this junior night watchman under his command.

Not only was he exceptionally talented, but also intelligent and capable – worthy of nurturing.

“Lord Wei must know…” Xu Qi An probed.

Wei Yuan shook his head frankly, “His Majesty didn’t say explicitly, but I have some guesses…” His expression turned serious, his tone containing a warning:

“Your task is to investigate who was behind the explosion at the Eternal Mountain and River Temple. The matter of retrieving that object is not your concern. If you encounter any insurmountable difficulties, inform Golden Bell Yang, and he will handle it.

“His Majesty has bestowed a golden tablet. With it, you can move freely within the Imperial City, except for the palace and a few special areas. This tablet will grant you unimpeded access.”

Xu Qi An accepted the order and took his leave.

Wei Yuan watched his retreating figure, listening to the faint footsteps on the stairs. He turned to Yang Yan, “I heard the Observatory Master is ill?”

Yang Yan nodded.

Wei Yuan’s eyes were calm as he remained silent for a long while before muttering, “Old fox!”

Leaving the Lofty Spirit Tower, Xu Qi An headed straight for the Spring Breeze Hall. “Captain, quickly summon the two Silver Bells from the Golden Jade Hall and Evil Suppression Hall. Have them assemble in the front courtyard of the yamen, hurry!”

Li Yuchun looked bewildered for a moment before glaring, “Who’s the captain, you or me?”

His little brother was actually ordering him around.

Xu Qi An flashed the golden tablet, “I’m now the lead investigator appointed by His Majesty. From today on, we’ll address each other formally. I’ll call you Captain, and you’ll call me Sir.

“Captain, please help me summon the two Silver Bells.”

Li Yuchun left, feeling annoyed. Address each other formally? Something seemed off about that.

The Silver Bell from the Evil Suppression Hall was surnamed Yang, given name Feng. He was a tall, thin middle-aged man with dark skin and a large black mole between his eyebrows.

The Silver Bell from the Golden Jade Hall was a man with a full beard named Min Shan. He had a diagonal scar on his cheek, giving him a particularly fierce appearance.

Along with Li Yuchun from the Spring Breeze Hall, the three Silver Bells and twelve Bronze Bells quickly assembled in the front courtyard.

According to the yamen’s “custom,” before setting out on a case, they would gather in the front courtyard for the lead investigator to give a rousing speech.

It was also a show for the other night watchmen.

“Last night, an explosion occurred at Sang Lake, destroying the Eternal Mountain and River Temple. His Majesty is furious and has ordered the yamen to uncover the truth and capture the culprits within half a month,” Xu Qi An said, one hand on his sword, standing straight with a sharp gaze.

“By His Majesty’s decree, I am personally investigating this case. You are to assist in the investigation. We must give our all to repay the Emperor’s grace.”

Xu Qi An mentally added: If we succeed, it’s riches and glory; if we fail, it’s the executioner’s block at the market.

“Yes, sir!” everyone responded in unison.

Being under Yang Yan’s command, they were relatively obedient. However, some were disgruntled, wondering how a mere Bronze Bell like Xu Qi An had the experience and ability to handle such a significant case.

They also didn’t understand why His Majesty would appoint him as the lead investigator.

Leaving the night watchmen’s yamen, they mounted their horses. The bearded Min Shan asked, “Sir Xu, where are we going?”

“To the scene of the crime, of course,” Xu Qi An replied.

The group rode towards the Imperial City, choosing the most time-efficient route: straight through the Imperial City.

They could have gone around the Imperial City to inspect the scene, but with the golden tablet in hand, Xu Qi An opted for the quickest path.

In any case, every second counts.

Led by the Imperial Guards, the night watchmen arrived at Sang Lake. The scenery had drastically changed. The long corridor connecting to the shore had been destroyed in the explosion, and the white jade platform at the center of the lake had vanished into thin air.

The surface of Sang Lake was clean and empty. Who could imagine that just a few days ago, a grand ancestral worship ceremony had been held here?

A small boat was moored by the lakeside. Xu Qi An said, “A few of us will go check it out. We’ll need to go into the water.”

Xu Qi An was the first to leap onto the small boat. He secretly reached into his robe, pressed the back of the jade mirror, and poured out the “magic book” given by the Grand Tutor. He tore off one page and held it in his hand.

The other Silver Bells followed onto the boat, leaving the twelve Bronze Bells and a line of Imperial Guards on shore.

Li Yuchun rowed, steering the boat to the center of the lake.

The tall and thin Yang Feng glanced at Xu Qi An and suddenly said, “Sir Xu, let me go down.”

Xu Qi An replied, “Then you can come with me.”

Saying this, he lit the paper, activating his Qi-observing technique.

With a clang, he drew his sword, clenched it between his teeth, and plunged into the water.

The icy lake water stimulated his pores. Tiny bubbles escaped from the corners of Xu Qi An’s mouth as he clenched the black gold long sword.

He strained to keep his eyes open, observing the underwater situation.

The foundation of the white jade platform extended all the way to the lake bottom. The broken edge of the collapsed platform was more than ten feet below the water’s surface.

Hearing the sound of undercurrents, Xu Qi An looked back to see Silver Bell Yang following.

The dark-skinned Yang Feng similarly observed the collapsed state of the white jade platform and immediately formed his own conclusions. He kept his deductions to himself, planning to test this junior night watchman who had been entrusted with such an important task once they were back on shore.

At this moment, Yang Feng noticed Xu Qi An following the foundation of the white jade platform, diving deeper.

He quickly followed, but the deeper they went, the murkier their vision became, until finally, all was pitch black.

Yang Feng ceased his pursuit and surfaced on his own.

“Splash!”

He leapt out of the water and climbed onto the small boat. While using his qi to dry the cold lake water, he looked around at everyone:

“Sir Xu has gone towards the lake bottom. It’s pitch black down there, impossible to see anything.”

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