After passing through two provinces and three counties, the governor’s entourage finally reached the main city of Yun State – White Emperor City.

The name of White Emperor City has a historical origin dating back to the previous dynasty, over 1300 years ago. At that time, Yun State suffered a severe drought, leaving the land barren for thousands of miles.

The people had no harvest and lost their livelihoods.

That year, a miraculous beast came from overseas. It had the body of a deer covered in snow-white scales, a pair of horns on its head, horse hooves, and a snake’s tail.

Wherever it went, dark clouds gathered and heavy rain fell. This beast wandered through Yun State for over a month, replenishing reservoirs and rejuvenating dried-up rivers and lakes, solving the drought problem in Yun State.

The imperial court considered it an auspicious beast and bestowed upon it the title of White Emperor.

Xu Qi An looked at the majestic outline of White Emperor City and smiled, asking in return, “So is this legend true or false?”

Governor Zhang, who had been telling this story while looking at White Emperor City in the distance, nodded:

“It should be true, otherwise it wouldn’t be recorded in the history books. Great droughts and floods are common occurrences; historians wouldn’t fabricate history for this. However, since then, no one has ever seen the auspicious White Emperor beast again.”

It’s a beast from overseas, maybe even a sea creature. Perhaps it just came to the Nine States for sightseeing, saw the great drought in Yun State, didn’t like it, and decided to change the environment… While “analyzing from a scientific perspective” in his mind, Xu Qi An said aloud:

“The Governor has keen insight.”

After speaking, he continued to gaze at the city walls, a poem surfacing in his mind: “At dawn, I bid farewell to the White Emperor amidst the colored clouds, A thousand miles to Jiangling, I return in a single day. The monkeys’ incessant chatter on both banks, My light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains.”

“A thousand miles to Jiangling in a single day… that’s too luxurious. If it were me, I’d take today, tomorrow, the day after, and all thirty-one days of the month before I’d be willing to return,” Xu Qi An thought to himself.

He couldn’t help but recall travel advertisements he had seen before, enticing high-level white-collar workers to fly directly to Thailand after work on Friday, enjoy a day of leisure, and return on Sunday.

Everyone wants to be a modern Li Bai.

The gate guards of White Emperor City stopped them, but after seeing the imperial documents, they respectfully allowed them to pass.

After entering the city, Xu Qi An looked around curiously. Among the bustling crowds, he saw many people walking with swords and sabers.

Da Feng had very strict control over weapons. From the provincial level down to the county level, carrying blades within the city was prohibited. This was only allowed for special occupations, such as escort guards.

But even escort guards were only allowed to carry weapons when on duty.

“Is this a special feature of Yun State?” Xu Qi An wondered to himself.

At this moment, Governor Zhang lifted the carriage curtain again and said to Xu Qi An, “Ning Yan, have someone escort these merchants back home, but don’t return the goods yet. Ask the merchants to bring their account books and come to the courier station tomorrow to verify and retrieve their goods.”

Xu Qi An’s mind stirred, “What about Zhao Long’s goods?”

Governor Zhang said, “Of course, we’ll send them back to his family. Zhao Long and all the escort guards were killed, so their families needed to be compensated. Now that Zhao Long is dead, returning the goods is also a way to make up for their loss.”

Xu Qi An gave a thumbs up: “The Governor is truly a good eel.”

Governor Zhang frowned at this: “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Xu Qi An turned to find Song Tingfeng, told him about the task, and instructed him to do it.

“Why should I run errands?” Song Tingfeng objected. “It’s as if I’m your subordinate, but we’re actually of the same rank.”

Xu Qi An turned and called out, “Governor, Song Tingfeng is shirking his duties and making excuses. Dock his pay.”

Song Tingfeng hurriedly said, “I’ll go, I’ll go.”

He then went to find Zhu Guangxiao, told him about the task, and instructed him to do it.

Zhu Guangxiao grumbled, “Didn’t Ning Yan ask you to do it?”

Song Tingfeng said, “Xu Ningyan, Zhu Guangxiao is shirking his duties and making excuses.”

“…” Zhu Guangxiao silently turned his horse around, called a few Tiger Tally Guards, and went to carry out the task.

The two rascals gathered together, sighing:

“Guangxiao is a hardworking and honest person.”

“Yes, yes, both in bed and in official duties.”

…

At the Command Post.

Yang Chuannan was in his early forties, a scholar with a dignified and peaceful demeanor. He had another identity – a fifth-rank martial artist.

Born into a military family, Yang Chuannan was intelligent and fond of both martial arts and studying. He passed the imperial examination in the 12th year of Yuanjing and, due to his family background and familiarity with military texts, secured a position in the Ministry of War.

In the 16th year of Yuanjing, he was assigned to Yun State. Due to his achievements in suppressing bandits, he gradually rose to the position of Commander, becoming one of the three most powerful people in Yun State.

As Yang Chuannan sat dealing with official business, he suddenly raised his head. A few seconds later, footsteps were heard, and a woman in light armor strode in, unhindered by any clerks along the way.

She was tall and slender, with a sword at her waist and a silver spear on her back. She had a delicate oval face, and though her features were exquisite, she didn’t appear weak like other women but rather exuded a heroic spirit.

Moreover, she wore her long hair in a high ponytail, revealing a smooth and beautiful forehead.

“The governor has entered the city,” her first words upon entering went straight to the core of the matter, concise and to the point.

Yang Chuannan’s expression paused briefly, and he nodded slightly, “I see.”

“That damned Emperor Yuanjing, cultivating immortality all day. An earthly emperor wanting to achieve immortality, it’s simply a foolish dream.” She began cursing profusely: “@#@#@…”

“Miao Zhen!” Yang Chuannan frowned.

Li Miaozhen sneered, “I’m not the one eating the imperial grain.”

She leaned her silver spear against the wall, sat cross-legged on the tea table in the reception area, removed her sword and laid it across her knees, then asked:

“With the governor here, you’ll have to hand over military authority. That’s the rule in Da Feng. What do you plan to do?”

“Since it’s the rule, of course, I can only comply,” Yang Chuannan said.

Li Miaozhen nodded: “I’ll help you.”

Yang Chuannan glanced at her and shook his head helplessly: “It’s no wonder so many people in the jianghu are willing to serve you. Flying Swallow Heroine, this official appreciates your kindness, but mind your limits. There’s a Gold Gong in the governor’s entourage, a fourth-rank official. Outside the jianghu, he’s a formidable figure.”

Li Miaozhen was unconcerned: “What’s there to fear? Anyone below the third rank can’t withstand human wave tactics.”

…

“The food in Yun State is quite spicy and uses a lot of spices. I don’t like the cuisine here… Doesn’t eating spicy food often lead to hemorrhoids?”

At the courier station, Xu Qi An ate the steaming hot food while complaining inwardly.

The main hall was filled with Night Watchmen and Tiger Tally Guards, with eight people squeezed around each table, barely enough to accommodate everyone.

White Emperor City had four courier stations, and this was the largest, with a big courtyard and two adjacent three-story buildings. It had one station chief and seven couriers.

For safety reasons, Yang Yingying also had to stay at the courier station. She sat alone at a table, eating quietly with her head down.

The widow’s figure was voluptuous and alluring. As she sat, her dress clung tightly to her bottom, outlining her full curves.

Xu Qi An noticed Song Tingfeng staring at her backside and kicked him under the table: “What are you looking at?”

After scolding him, he took a few glances.

“What’s wrong with looking? Everyone else is looking too,” Song Tingfeng said softly.

Men are like this. When they see a beautiful woman, they can’t help but look a few more times, unable to control their gaze. Only if their wife is beside them can they resist with great willpower.

“I won’t look anymore, it’s just making me uncomfortable,” Song Tingfeng muttered.

Earlier, Governor Zhang had already given orders that during their stay in Yun State, they were not to visit brothels or leave the courier station unless on official business.

Xu Qi An raised his hand and gripped it tightly.

“What are you doing?” Song Tingfeng asked, puzzled.

“This is called the Grasp of Eternity. You can practice it privately.”

After the meal, Governor Zhang invited Xu Qi An and Jiang Luzhong to his room for a meeting. The governor, with his background as a censor, looked at the two experienced Gold Gongs and said:

“Due to the bandit problem, Yun State has lifted the ban on carrying weapons. Therefore, compared to daytime, the night is safer because the curfew is especially strict.”

“Jiang Jingang needs to protect me at all times, so the investigation will be temporarily assigned to Ning Yan. You can freely deploy the Night Watchmen and Tiger Tally Guards within the courier station.”

… So I’ve become a tool, huh? Xu Qi An looked at Governor Zhang without speaking.

The governor explained, “For the first few days, I’ll inevitably have to socialize with various parties. I also need to get a feel for the official circles in Yun State.”

Alright… Xu Qi An accepted this reason: “Understood, this subordinate will do his utmost.”

Governor Zhang nodded with satisfaction and asked, “How do you plan to start the investigation?”

“First, I’ll go to the government office to retrieve Zhou Min’s posthumous belongings, then visit his home,” Xu Qi An said.

“No need to exhume the body for examination?” Governor Zhang frowned.

“I was waiting for you to ask that,” Xu Qi An smiled. “The man has been dead for over half a month. The decomposed skin would be swollen and burst at a touch, and you could drink your fill of foul-smelling corpse water.”

Jiang Luzhong, who had just finished eating, turned pale, while Governor Zhang started to retch.

“Then this subordinate will take his leave,” Xu Qi An slipped away.

Leaving the room and going downstairs, he gathered four Bronze Gongs including Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, one familiar Silver Gong, and six Tiger Tally Guards. They mounted horses and headed towards the government office.

Zhou Min was an official with a formal appointment. Whenever such an official passed away, the government office was responsible for examining the body and confirming the cause of death. For officials like Zhou Min whose families were not local, the government office was also responsible for safekeeping their belongings until the deceased’s family or the imperial court came to collect them.

Xu Qi An controlled the horse’s speed, occasionally glancing at the map of White Emperor City provided by the courier. After nearly an hour of searching, he finally saw the gates of the government office.

“According to official customs, those who handle such belongings typically keep 30% for themselves. The greedier ones might even take up to 50%. I wonder how much of Registrar Zhou’s belongings will be left,” the Silver Gong surnamed Tang sighed.

This was the first time Xu Qi An had heard of such an unwritten rule. His face darkened: “Are there any punishments for such incidents in Da Feng’s laws?”

“Of course, there are,” Silver Gong Tang said. “Embezzling the belongings of an imperial official is punishable based on the value of the goods. Minor cases result in 50 strokes of the cane in the courtyard, while severe cases lead to caning, dismissal from office, and fines.”

Xu Qi An nodded, then suddenly asked, “Is it the same in the Night Watchmen’s office?”

“We wouldn’t dare. Lord Wei has explicitly forbidden it. Besides, we Night Watchmen are different from these officials. We fight side by side and visit brothels together. Who would dare to embezzle? Even our brothers wouldn’t agree to it,” Silver Gong Tang explained.

Song Tingfeng nodded with a laugh: “That’s right. If you were to sacrifice yourself one day, Ning Yan, whoever dares to embezzle your compensation, I’d take their life.”

Somehow, I feel there’s something wrong with what you just said… Xu Qi An couldn’t be bothered to retort to this squinty-eyed fellow.

After entering the government office and revealing their identities, a seventh-rank official in a green robe came out to greet them, introducing himself as the government registrar.

“To prevent the servants from stealing valuables, all of Registrar Zhou’s belongings are stored in the government office’s warehouse.”

This registrar, who was in charge of receiving, dispatching, and managing the warehouse, led Xu Qi An and the others to the storehouse. He carried a heavy bunch of keys, skillfully found the correct one, and opened the iron door of the warehouse.

Among Zhou Min’s belongings were calligraphy and paintings, clothes, antiques, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Xu Qi An examined everything meticulously, big and small.

Seeing that there were only thirty taels of silver left, he said in a deep voice, “Registrar, this doesn’t seem right. Registrar Zhou was a proper sixth-rank official who had served for over twenty years. Even if he saved only one tael a year, it should be more than this, right?”

“Sir, that’s twenty taels,” the government registrar said with a smile.

Do you dare to joke with me?

Xu Qi An stared at him, “Embezzling the belongings of an imperial official is punishable based on the value of the goods. Minor cases result in 50 strokes of the cane in the courtyard, while severe cases lead to caning, dismissal from office, and fines.”

Zhou Min was a Night Watchman mole who had died in the line of duty. His family, far away in his hometown, didn’t yet know the tragic news. While Xu Qi An couldn’t bring the dead back to life, he could at least protect the man’s belongings and return as much as possible to his family.

He should do this, and he could do this.

So he’s an impulsive youngster… The government registrar was an old hand. He spread his hands helplessly and said, “Perhaps Registrar Zhou was indulging in beautiful women or had other expensive pastimes, spending money like water. Anyway, this is all that’s left.”

He had an attitude of having nothing to fear, with a mocking smile on his face.

When it came to inheritances, the government office handled them first. Whatever the government office said was there, was there. Not satisfied? Can you bring the dead back to life?

Xu Qi An pointed at his waist badge: “Do the officials in Yun State not recognize Night Watchmen?”

The government registrar scoffed: “Night Watchmen supervise all officials, of course, I’ve heard of them.”

So you’ve only heard of them but never experienced them… You lack the beating from Night Watchmen… Xu Qi An raised his foot and kicked the government registrar directly in the abdomen.

Bang…

The registrar’s fat body flew back and hit the wall, causing dust to fall “shu shu”. He curled up in pain, his face contorted. After a few seconds, he let out a groan.

Xu Qi An drew his sword and placed it on the back of the registrar’s neck, looking down at him: “This official has come to Yun State with the governor to investigate a case. I have the authority to act as I see fit. Even if I killed you, the governor could cover for me. Do you believe it or not?”

The government registrar gasped for breath, incredulously emphasizing, “This is the government office!”