Qiu Qian’s expression contorted and struggled, a situation Xu Qi An had never encountered before. Hadn’t Li Miaozhen said that when someone had just died and their three souls hadn’t gathered, they would be as naive as the fool of a landlord’s family, answering whatever was asked?
At this moment, Qiu Qian’s face gradually calmed, his eyes unfocused as he murmured, “I suspect he is the First-Generation Supervisor.”
“…”
It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in Xu Qi An’s mind, shattering all his thoughts. His head buzzed chaotically, and it took him a long time to recover from this information overload. Then he noticed a problem with Ji Qian’s answer.
Ji Qian had used the word “suspect.” From these two characters, Xu Qi An could deduce two crucial pieces of information:
First, Ji Qian was not the most central figure in his faction and didn’t have access to the most core secrets.
Second, since he had made such a suspicion, it indicated that he possessed certain insider information.
Xu Qi An collected himself and probed further, “What’s your basis for this?”
Qiu Qian replied in a monotone voice:
“I once overheard him refer to the current Supervisor as his ‘unworthy disciple.’ Moreover, he told me and my brothers and sisters that what belongs to us will eventually be reclaimed. Five hundred years of endurance was to strengthen ourselves.”
Xu Qi An remained silent, analyzing inwardly for a moment, believing Ji Qian’s guess to be correct.
Years ago, the First-Generation Supervisor hadn’t died and had left contingencies, which was why he could take away that emperor’s descendant. Emperor Wu Zong couldn’t nip it in the bud for this reason…
This was logical and made sense.
Simultaneously, Xu Qi An thought of many details to verify this point.
“I have to review all the events and cases I’ve experienced since my transmigration…”
“The first was the tax silver case. Former Vice Minister of Revenue Zhou Xianping was loyal to the legitimate lineage from five hundred years ago. The destination of the millions of taels of silver he embezzled over twenty years finally had an explanation… What’s most needed for rebellion? It’s money.
“The Yun Province case involved the collusion between the pro-Qi War Minister and the Witch Cult, but during the investigation in Yun Province, that mysterious sorcerer, suspected to be the First-Generation Supervisor, ‘brushed past’ me but helped catch the spy, secretly assisting me. What was his purpose in helping me? It didn’t make sense…”
This incident in Yun Province had always stuck in Xu Qi An’s throat like a thorn, but he lacked the corresponding clues and evidence to make a guess.
“The most recent was the Northern Marquis’s city massacre case. In this case, the Princess Consort secretly went to Chu Province with the delegation because Emperor Yuan Jing wanted to guard against traitors in the court. I had already deduced that many high officials in the court secretly had connections with the mysterious sorcerer.
“Yes, if the mysterious sorcerer is the First-Generation Supervisor and the power behind him is the Da Feng royal family from five hundred years ago, then everything makes sense. It’s worth noting that some officials have long been secretly dissatisfied with Emperor Yuan Jing’s cultivation of the Dao. They may have already been secretly turned by the First-Generation Supervisor.
“After all, they’re all from the Da Feng royal family. If this lineage is beyond salvaging, why wouldn’t I turn to the lineage from five hundred years ago? They’re the real deal.
“Furthermore, the mysterious sorcerer helping the barbarians abduct the Princess Consort can also be reasonably explained. Since the First-Generation Supervisor wants to rebel, he certainly can’t let the Northern Marquis ascend to the second rank, and even needs to find ways to eliminate him.
“The existence of a second-rank martial artist who also excels in military strategy would undoubtedly become the biggest obstacle to their rebellion. Therefore, all of the First-Generation Supervisor’s plans are aimed at weakening Da Feng’s national power. If we grasp this purpose and reason backward…”
As Xu Qi An thought to this point, his pupils contracted slightly, and a thought arose in his mind: What about Wei Yuan?
To rebel, the top of the must-kill list would be the Supervisor, followed by Wei Yuan.
Compared to the Northern Marquis, Wei Yuan was a military strategist who had defeated the seemingly invincible northern demons and barbarians in just a few months; a military genius who commanded from behind the scenes, winning the most brutal battle in human history, the Battle of Shanhai Pass.
He was the true figure that needed to be eliminated. The trouble Wei Yuan posed was second only to the current Supervisor.
“Hmm, Lord Wei has indeed been constantly attacked by the officials. Those Remonstrance Officials would shout at the drop of a hat: ‘We request Your Majesty to behead this dog!’
“Among them, who knows how many have already turned to the First-Generation Supervisor… Wait a second!”
A lightning bolt struck in his mind, illuminating some small matters that had been hidden in darkness.
He thought of a case, one that seemingly targeted the Empress and involved the struggle for the heir apparent, but actually implicitly pointed to Wei Yuan.
The Consort Fu case!
“Imagine if I hadn’t intervened in this case, the consequences would have been the deposition of the Empress, the Fourth Prince being demoted from legitimate son to illegitimate son, with no possibility of inheriting the throne.
“And supporting the Fourth Prince’s ascension to the throne was the starting point for Lord Wei’s ambitions. In this way, Lord Wei and Emperor Yuan Jing would have had an irreparable rift between ruler and subject.
“The mastermind behind the Consort Fu case was Consort Chen, and it’s a fact that Consort Chen had someone backing her. Come to think of it, it’s very interesting that the maid called He’er could wear a talisman that concealed her aura.”
Thinking of this, Xu Qi An pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed helplessly, “All sorcerers are old foxes.”
The Consort Fu case was probably just the tip of the iceberg in dealing with Wei Yuan, not even a prelude. Who knows what actions would follow?
“Why is the Fate on Xu Qi An’s body?”
He finally asked this crucial question.
Qiu Qian stood blankly and answered, “I don’t know. I only know that for some reason, Fate had to be stored in his body. Originally, in the tax silver case at the end of the imperial examination year, he would have been sent out of the capital.”
“Why go to such great lengths to ‘send’ Xu Qi An out of the capital? Couldn’t you just send people to abduct him?”
Qiu Qian’s expression remained blank as he mumbled, “I don’t know.”
Xu Qi An asked, “You said you wanted to whittle Xu Qi An down to a human stick and take him back. You hate him so much, why not just kill him?”
Qiu Qian replied, “He is the vessel containing the Fate. Before the Fate is extracted, the vessel cannot be broken.”
Before the Fate is extracted, the vessel cannot be broken. For me, this is good news… Xu Qi An asked again, “How do you extract the Fate?”
Qiu Qian: “I don’t know, but Father and that great personage have been making preparations for many years.”
Extracting the Fate is a difficult or complicated process, just as the First-Generation Supervisor had calculated meticulously to steal the national fortune years ago… Analyzing his series of schemes, it seems this First-Generation Supervisor is no longer at his peak and can only lay low and plot.
From another perspective, if Da Feng’s national power continues to weaken, won’t the current Supervisor also face such a predicament?
Hmm, this is crucial information.
Xu Qi An thought.
“Do you know what will happen to the vessel after the Fate is extracted?” He stared at Qiu Qian and asked in a deep voice.
“Of course, death.”
…Damn! Xu Qi An cursed inwardly.
After the Fate is extracted, he would die?!
So, the First-Generation Supervisor was undoubtedly his mortal enemy, with no room for reconciliation.
The problem is the current Supervisor… is also his mortal enemy.
Now he’s a pawn in the game between two generations of Supervisors. The Supervisor has shown mostly goodwill towards him. But regardless of the process, the outcome seems already determined.
The current Supervisor must reclaim the Fate within him.
Only by returning the Fate to Da Feng would the nation’s power recover, and the fortune of a dynasty is closely related to the Supervisor. If national power weakens, the Supervisor’s strength would also weaken.
When it comes to personal interests, how could the current Supervisor not reclaim the Fate? The reason he’s not taking it now is that the time isn’t right.
What about the future?
Xu Qi An felt a deep chill as if plunged into an ice cellar, his whole body cold.
“When do you plan to start the rebellion?” Xu Qi An asked.
“When Wei Yuan dies, when we reclaim the Fate from Xu Qi An’s body, when I advance to the fourth rank,” Qiu Qian answered.
“Why wait for you to advance to the fourth rank?”
He wasn’t surprised by the first two answers, having already anticipated them.
“Advancing to the fourth rank, I’ll be able to contain this tremendous Fate. I am Father’s legitimate son, the future ruler of the Nine Provinces. This Fate is mine.”
No wonder he despises me so much, envies me, claiming that everything I have now is just taking advantage of what’s his… Xu Qi An thought for a moment and asked:
“Did your father tell you this?”
“Of course. If he hadn’t chosen me as the heir, why would he give me the ‘Dragon Fang’?” Qiu Qian said.
“Where is your hiding place?”
“In Xu Province.”
Xu Province? Is there such a place in Da Feng? Xu Qi An frowned, briefly recalling, and confirmed he had never heard of this place.
However, among Da Feng’s thirteen provinces, there were countless sub-provinces within provinces.
In his previous life, he was geographically challenged, not even knowing the criteria for distinguishing between the South and the North.
“Where is Xu Province?” Xu Qi An asked directly.
“I… I don’t remember…” Qiu Qian mumbled.
“?”
What does he mean by not remembering? How could one not remember where their own home is?
“Where is Xu Province?” Xu Qi An asked again.
“I, I…”
Qiu Qian’s blurry face showed intense pain. He clutched his head, groaning in agony: “I can’t remember…”
Bang!
The soul shattered, transforming into a gust of yin wind that swept through every corner of the room.
…
On the hillside outside the dense forest, the white-robed sorcerer withdrew his gaze. With a flick of his finger, crimson flames licked the corpse and wolves, turning them to ashes.
With a sweep of his wide sleeve, the ashes suddenly rose and drifted into the distance.
“Duke Huai is dead. After Yuan Jing issued the self-reproach edict, the Fate dropped another notch. The next one will be Wei Yuan… Ji Qian, you’ve completed your task, dying a worthy death.”
He was in an excellent mood, hands clasped behind his back, walking away with a smile.
…
In the midsummer, the temperature in the room was like late autumn, with waves of coolness.
Xu Qi An stood in the silent room, dumbfounded for a long time. Did my question touch upon some taboo, causing Ji Qian’s soul to self-destruct?
No, that’s not right. He had already mentioned Xu Province. Logically, his soul should have shown some resistance and self-destruct when I asked this question. That would make sense…
Now, even if I don’t know where Xu Province is, I could just go back and look it up, couldn’t I?
He sat by the table, calming his mind, silently digesting the intelligence gained tonight.
The First-Generation Supervisor isn’t dead, and there are still descendants of the legitimate lineage from five hundred years ago; twenty years ago, it was the First-Generation Supervisor who stole Da Feng’s national fortune; they’ve been secretly plotting rebellion all along…
If this intelligence were to be made public, it would cause an uproar.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it would shock the entire nation.
“The First Generation uses me as a tool, containing the Fate; the current generation uses me as a pawn in their game; Emperor Yuan Jing wants to kill me. There’s no point in staying in this court, I can’t wait for someone to drag him off the dragon throne.
“But Wei Yuan treats me like a son, and Biaobiao and Huai Qing are my confidantes…”
Xu Qi An deeply felt what it meant to be caught between a rock and a hard place. He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled:
“As usual, when in doubt, seek the big boss. I’ll tell Lord Wei about this matter. Let him worry about what to do.”
Having made the decision, he stopped thinking about it and took out Ji Qian’s leather pouch from his bosom. It contained heavy damage-dealing talismans like the crossbow and cannon, as well as talismans for armor and weapons.
Xu Qi An didn’t search for long before discovering a box made of purple sandalwood, about three feet long, with dragons and phoenixes carved on its surface.
He took the wooden box out of the leather pouch, placed it on the table, and opened it. On smooth, bright yellow silk lay a slightly curved tooth, somewhat like a miniature ivory tusk.
The pristine white surface was covered with dense inscriptions. Just one glance made Xu Qi’an dizzy and nauseous.
He dared not look too closely and immediately closed the sandalwood box.
“This must be the Dragon Tooth. Tsk, this talisman seems excessively powerful…”
According to Ji Qian, the Dragon Tooth seemed to be the greatest treasure of their lineage, only to be possessed by the heir apparent.
Xu Qi An instinctively felt that this Dragon Tooth would be of great use in the future.
…
In a courtyard house with two entrances in a small town, candles blazed brightly. Cao Qingyang, wearing a purple robe, sat solemnly in the hall, his gaze calmly fixed on the sect leaders and gang bosses on both sides.
Present were sixteen sect leaders and gang bosses, including twelve fourth-rank experts and five senior fourth-rank experts.
To Cao Qingyang’s left sat Tianji, wearing a golden mask.
This martial artist, who controlled the largest jianghu organization in Sword Province, held a cup of tea, gently tapping the lid against the rim. The hall was silent except for the faint, crisp sound of the lid hitting the cup.
“Yang Cuixue, Fu Jingmen, do you two want to withdraw from this operation?” Cao Qingyang said calmly.
Yang Cuixue was the leader of the Ink Pavilion, and Fu Jingmen was the boss of the Divine Fist Gang. Last night, the two of them had joined forces to shield Xu Qi An from three Lotus Taoists.
They had suffered some injuries and looked a bit pale.
Faced with Cao Qingyang’s questioning, the two frowned and nodded.
Fu Jingmen said in a deep voice, “Alliance Leader Cao, the Lotus Seeds are indeed treasures for us, but not indispensable. However, if you ask me to become enemies with Xu Silver Constable, I’m afraid I must decline.”
Cao Qingyang made an “ah” sound: “Has Xu Silver Constable shown you kindness?”
Fu Jingmen shook his head: “The first technique of our Divine Fist Gang is about strength, directness, and open-heartedness.”
Cao Qingyang then looked at Yang Cuixue, expressionless: “Sect Leader Yang, your Ink Pavilion’s sword technique has quite a few treacherous moves. What’s your reason?”
Yang Cuixue bowed and sighed: “This old man enjoys befriending young heroes the most. I quite admire Xu Qi An as a person, that’s all.”
Cao Qingyang said calmly, “So, in your eyes, my orders are just the meaningless barking of wild dogs, heard and forgotten.”
From beginning to end, his tone remained flat. Those familiar with him knew that when the usually generous Gang Leader Cao behaved like this, it meant his mood was extremely bad.
Very dangerous.
Xiao Yuenu, the leader of the Ten Thousand Flowers House, said softly, “Alliance Leader Cao, Elder Yang, and Brother Fu don’t intend to disobey your orders. It’s just that a true man knows what to do and what not to do.
“Moreover, when the Martial Arts Alliance was established, the first Alliance Leader agreed with our various sects: obey orders but not proclamations. If we feel that the Martial Arts Alliance’s orders violate righteousness or our own will, we can refuse.”
“What a fine ‘obey orders but not proclamations.'”
Tianji sneered: “Alliance Leader Cao, I’ve heard that the Martial Arts Alliance dominates Sword Province, and your word is law. I didn’t expect rumors to be just rumors. If this matter spreads, how will you maintain your standing in the jianghu?”
Cao Qingyang’s face was cold: “What does the great one think should be done?”
Tianji took out an imperial gold token from his bosom, gently placing it on the table. His voice was icy: “If we were to follow court protocol, openly defying orders would be punishable by death.”
Cao Qingyang sighed: “Great one, please reconsider.”
Tianji snorted coldly: “Gang Leader Cao, no matter how big the Martial Arts Alliance is, it can’t be bigger than the court, right? If we join forces to seize the Lotus Seeds, it’s beneficial for both sides. Now that the Ink Pavilion and Divine Fist Gang are openly allied with Xu Qi An, His Majesty won’t tolerate them.
“The Martial Arts Alliance can take this opportunity to cut off the diseased limb to save the body, and still make amends. Otherwise, when His Majesty sends troops to suppress you in the future, you should know the consequences. Even if the old Alliance Leader were still here, is it worth opposing the court for the sake of just two people?”
Tianji had come this time to call them to account.
Mere jianghu gangs had nearly ruined His Majesty’s grand plan, clearly not taking the court seriously.
This trend must not be allowed to continue.
“Then there’s nothing more to say.” Cao Qingyang sighed.
Hearing this, Tianji laughed coldly in his heart. Although His Majesty’s self-reproach edict had greatly diminished his prestige and the court’s deterrence, the court was still the court. For these jianghu ruffians, it was an unstoppable behemoth.
Occasionally, one or two reckless fools disregarding the bigger picture and causing trouble was unavoidable. As long as the ringleaders were eliminated, the trend could be nipped in the bud.
The next moment, Cao Qingyang pressed his palm against Tianji’s forehead, pushing him out of the courtyard house.
The burst of energy was like thunder, causing pillars and walls to collapse continuously.
From inside the hall to outside the courtyard, in the short distance of just over ten zhang, the two men’s energy clashed more than a hundred times.
Tianji’s black-robed body crashed heavily onto the street outside the courtyard. His mask cracked, and blood flowed from his forehead along the broken mask.
Cao Qingyang merely shook his hand, as if he had done something trivial.
“Cao Qingyang, do you want to destroy the Martial Arts Alliance’s six-hundred-year foundation?” Tianji was furious.
He was a senior fourth-rank expert, and although he was still quite far from his peak, he shouldn’t have been so ineffective. But in the previous exchange, he was completely unable to resist Cao Qingyang’s energy.
He felt that the gap between them was far too wide. If they were to truly fight, he would certainly die within a hundred moves.
The top three martial artists on the Martial Arts Ranking were terrifyingly powerful.
“The Martial Arts Alliance has its own rules. In six hundred years, through one Alliance Leader after another, when have we ever been dogs for the court?” Cao Qingyang said calmly:
“Go back and tell the emperor, whether he sends troops to suppress us or sends people to assassinate us, let him come. Even if the Martial Arts Alliance is destroyed because of this, our ancestors will give me a thumbs up and say: ‘You didn’t disgrace the Martial Arts Alliance’s name.'”
Tianji’s face was gloomy, but he dared not speak harshly again.
“I’m not killing you today, not because I’m afraid, but because you’re not worth the trouble,” Cao Qingyang said, then turned to go back, his purple robe sleeves swaying.