How dark… Where am I… Who am I?
He thought hazily, unable to remember who he was or where he was.
Woo woo woo…
Boom boom boom…
Xu Qi An heard the sound of horns and drums. Gradually, he heard other sounds – the overwhelming roar of battle cries, the deep and chaotic sound of hoofbeats, as well as explosions and the sharp clang of blades clashing.
Various sounds intertwined, forming a clear picture in Xu Qi An’s mind.
It’s a battlefield!
Just as he thought this, the darkness before his eyes split open, light penetrating through. Sure enough, what he saw was a battlefield.
Vast armies clashed, like dense swarms of ants. High-ranking martial artists rampaged across the battlefield like humans trampling an anthill.
This battlefield wasn’t just filled with humans. There were giant beasts as high as two-story buildings, snakes dozens of meters long, and birds of prey circling in the sky…
There were high-ranking monks chanting sutras while sitting cross-legged in the air; barbarians with the strength to uproot mountains and spirits to cover the world; fearless armies of the undead; rows upon rows of artillery; valiant cavalry riding ferocious beasts…
“What kind of battlefield is this? It’s too exaggerated, too many people dying,” Xu Qi An thought in bewilderment.
His gaze swept across the battlefield, past the undead army, past the artillery, towards the sky behind the battlefield. There, a group of flying beasts hovered.
Standing proudly on the head of one beast was a figure in cyan robes, hands behind his back, coldly surveying the raging battle below.
“Wei Yuan?!”
Xu Qi An’s heart jolted, and he suddenly remembered who he was. At that moment, the battlefield scene collapsed, returning to boundless darkness.
Xu Qi An opened his eyes but still saw darkness.
Damn, it’s stuffy… He didn’t immediately get up but instead focused his senses. Then, he “saw” the dark ship’s hold, saw five neatly arranged coffins, saw the official ship sailing slowly, and saw the rippling waters of the canal.
This was the mystical ability he gained after entering the Spirit Refining realm.
He didn’t know how it was for other Spirit Refining realm martial artists, but for Xu Qi An, his spiritual energy could, to a certain extent, serve as eyes.
Even if his titanium alloy dog eyes went blind someday, he wouldn’t be afraid at all.
“The dream I just saw… No, it shouldn’t be a simple dream. How could a dream be so clear? The undead army, Buddhist monks… I’ve never encountered these things, how could I dream about them?”
“Why was Wei Yuan in the dream? He looked so young… At least his temples weren’t graying. My dad was handsome when he was young, as handsome as me…”
Xu Qi An lay in the coffin, recalling the scenes he saw in the dream. Black armies covered the mountains and plains, and the scale of participating forces was enormous.
Multiple factions were engaged in a chaotic battle.
Combining Wei Yuan’s appearance with his known exploits, Xu Qi An immediately had a guess – the Battle of Shanhai Pass.
Among Wei Yuan’s exploits, the most famous was the Battle of Shanhai Pass… Various countries fought in a massive conflict, perfectly matching the historical records of the Battle of Shanhai Pass… But why did I dream about the Battle of Shanhai Pass? How did that weakling Second Uncle manage to survive? He must have played dead in a pile of corpses… Xu Qi An thought as he pushed open the coffin lid.
Fresh air rushed in. He took a deep breath and sat up. Suddenly, a surprised voice came from the dim ship’s hold:
“You’re awake.”
Xu Qi An was startled. Only then did he notice a figure in white robes sitting cross-legged about three meters to his left, facing away from him… Well, that revealed his identity – Yang Qian Huan.
This guy was the only man Xu Qi An could recognize just by his back.
He didn’t respond immediately, pondering his words for a few seconds before saying, “Where are we?”
Yang Qian Huan’s tone was quite cheerful, showing his good mood: “On the way back to the capital. Oh, not on the way, on the water.”
“Is the Yunzhou case over?” Xu Qi An’s face lit up with joy: “Ah, this damn case is finally finished. I don’t have to pull all-nighters anymore.
“I died once, I wonder if Song Ting Feng and Zhu Guang Xiao mourned for me. They might be more upset about losing five chances to freeload…
“Sigh, in the end, I didn’t manage to trick Susu into coming home to be my waifu. Li Miao Zhen probably wants to chop me to death. Luckily I died first, otherwise, it would have been quite awkward…”
Yang Qian Huan patiently listened to his chatter.
“By the way, why are you on the ship too?” Xu Qi An asked.
…Yang Qian Huan thought for a moment, then said: “I came to Yunzhou on my master’s orders. Now that the business is done, naturally, I’m returning. It just so happened that the Night Watchmen were transporting your remains back to the capital, so I sneaked on board.
“Afterwards, I discovered that the sword wounds and arrow holes on your body had mysteriously healed. I figured you weren’t dead. I waited for ten days, and hey, you came back to life.”
Yang Qian Huan spoke calmly, but his inner journey was far more tumultuous than his tone suggested. When he learned of Xu Qi An’s death in battle, he thought, “It’s over, it’s over. When I return to the capital, my master will suppress me at the bottom of the Star-Plucking Tower, never to see daylight again.”
He was so panicked he almost ran away from his master.
At the same time, he felt it was a shame. Such an interesting young man, how could he die in battle? How could he be so foolish as to trade his 20-year-old life for an old man’s? Governor Zhang was already one foot in the grave, that old codger.
He followed all the way, sneaked onto the official ship, and opened Xu Qi An’s coffin lid. Unexpectedly, it was a pleasant surprise, like seeing clear skies after the clouds parted. This guy’s wounds had mysteriously healed, and his heartbeat gradually revived. It was truly a case of fortune coming after misfortune.
So, Yang Qian Huan happily kept watch by the coffin, not even taking time to relieve himself.
Of course, these things couldn’t be told to Xu Qi An.
…Did he open my coffin? Otherwise, how would he know my wounds had healed… Why would he open my coffin for no reason… I feel like he has some ulterior motive… Xu Qi An grumbled internally, but his face showed a smile:
“What did the Supervising Censor send you to Yunzhou for?”
Just then, Yang Qian Huan asked: “How did you manage to come back to life?”
After asking, the two looked at each other and fell into silence.
A few seconds later, feeling guilty, they both tactfully changed the subject at the same time:
“The weather is nice today.”
“The wind is quite boisterous today.”
Xu Qi An and Yang Qian Huan fell silent again.
It was a bit awkward… Just as Xu Qi An was thinking of changing the subject to talk about something else, he suddenly discovered four letters in his pocket.
Whose letters?
The coffins were stored in the bottom of the hold, with only weak light penetrating through the cracks in the deck.
The deck lets light through, this ship should be properly repaired… Xu Qi An complained, casually opening an envelope and reading in the dim light.
By now, his eyesight allowed him to see clearly in the dark without any obstacles.
After entering the Spirit Refining realm, various aspects of his body had been enhanced.
“Big Brother:
The letter you sent back home, we received it. Mother and Father were very happy, and Ling Yin was also very happy, especially Mother. She didn’t expect Big Brother to write her a letter. Mother was so happy she kept slapping the table. Knowing that Big Brother is well out there, I feel at ease.”
The handwriting was graceful, it was a letter from little sister Ling Yue.
Aunt probably slapped the table cursing my late mother… But were you happy, little sister… Xu Qi An’s mind conjured up Xu Ling Yue’s clear and beautiful oval face, imagining her slightly lowering her head, shy. He couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile as he continued reading.
“Not long after you left the capital, Ling Yin was forced to go to school. The second Brother arranged everything. Now, Ling Yin can recite the first nine characters of the Three Character Classic. When Father and Mother first learned of this, they nearly cried with joy.”
Ling Yin can recite nine characters? Xu Qi An nearly cried with joy.
“But it seems she’s been bullied. The jade bracelet Mother bought for her, worth ten taels of silver, disappeared a few days ago. There were faint bruises on her wrist, clearly someone forcibly pulled it off.
Ling Yin is so silly. When asked who did it, she wouldn’t say, not taking it seriously at all. I guess in her mind, nothing matters except food.
The Spring Festival is approaching. Father comes home very late every day, or stays at the outer camp, with no time to manage family affairs. Mother didn’t dare tell him. She went to question the school teacher herself, but the teacher claimed ignorance, suggesting that perhaps Ling Yin lost it herself. Mother was so angry she trembled all over, but there was nothing she could do.
If Big Brother were at home, this kind of thing wouldn’t happen, right? If Second Brother were home, he would surely scold the teacher until he had no place to hide his face.
But Second Brother has been very angry lately. Father said he was frozen in the cold wind for half a night. When he came home the next day to get money and provisions, he wouldn’t talk to us. Second Brother is petty. It’s not Big Brother’s fault that he forgot to write him a letter. Big Brother is very busy too.”
Sister, Second Brother is your brother after all. You’re not just favoring outsiders, you’ve even turned your whole chest towards me… Please keep it up… Xu Qi An nearly had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud when he read this part.
What a shame, I couldn’t witness Second Brother’s sorry state, hehehe…
“Oh right, Mother said after spring begins, she’ll start looking for a husband for me. Mother is so annoying, why doesn’t she get married herself? Ling Yin misses you very much, she keeps clamoring to find Big Brother. I, I… miss you too.”
What nonsense, how could Aunt remarry? Aunt is part of our Xu family in life and will be a ghost of our Xu family in death… Hmm, Big Brother misses you all too.
After finishing reading, Xu Qi An folded the letter contentedly and put it back in the envelope.
He glanced at Yang Qian Huan, who was still facing away from him, as quiet as a wooden man.
“Why are you looking at me? Where else could I be?” Yang Qian Huan said irritably.
Xu Qi An ignored him, lowered his head, and opened the second letter.
“Dear Xu Lang:
It’s been two weeks since we parted, and my longing for you burns ever fiercer like oil being fried. I’m doing well in the Courtesans’ Quarter, just often feeling sleepy. When I wake up, I pick some plum blossoms and walk around. I’ve brewed a jar of plum blossom wine, hoping for your return so we can drink together.”
This was a reply from the courtesan.
“Occasionally, I go out to have a few drinks with clients, listening to their grand talks. I just want to hear news about you, but Yunzhou is tens of thousands of miles from the capital, so the news doesn’t travel easily.
Those stinky men, claim to be scholars, but most are just wine sacks and rice bags, with mediocre talents, not one in ten thousand compared to you, Xu Lang. I often think that meeting you was the greatest blessing heaven could bestow upon me.
A few days ago, my maid brought back some news. They say Xu Lang composed a new poem in Qingzhou, which the Purple Yang Hermit treasured greatly and had inscribed on a stele to warn the world. I felt honored and overjoyed beyond measure.
“Xu Lang, I think of you every night, and my nails are all cleaned up.”
Xu Qi An chuckled as he carefully folded the letter and tucked it back into its envelope. “If you miss me, just say so. No need to get your hands all messy…”
He had two more letters left. Recalling his backup partners, he counted: Chu Caiwei, Huai Qing, and Lin’an. Wait a minute, he thought, that’s three people—three backups. Why are there only two letters?
Xu Qi An felt a bit annoyed. Who didn’t write back to me? He wondered. Is my backup-nurturing technique not good enough, or is this sea king’s trident not accurate enough?
He randomly picked one of the remaining letters and began to read:
“You dog of a servant:
When will the case in Yun Province be over? It’s not that This Palace misses you, it’s just that with the Spring Festival approaching, many guards have taken leave to go home. There are hardly any useful servants around.”
The very first sentence exuded a haughty, tsundere attitude that hit him like a wave.
As if Her Highness the Princess would ever be short on guards, he thought. Well, at least Biao Biao remembered to write back. Not bad, not bad… Xu Qi An continued reading.
“The game of Five-in-a-Row you invented has flourished in This Palace’s hands. Everyone praises me for my intelligence and wisdom. Even that annoying Huai Qing admires me wholeheartedly. She told me in private: ‘Lin’an’s wisdom far surpasses mine. I, Huai Qing, bow in defeat.’
“Of course, she’d never admit this publicly. I’m just mentioning it casually; don’t take it to heart. After all, Huai Qing is still a princess, so leave her some face.
“This Palace won’t take advantage of you. With the Spring Festival approaching, Father Emperor has gifted me some gold and silver wares, jade items, silks, and jewelry. When you return, feel free to pick a few items from This Palace’s treasury.”
Haha, Lin’an, you naive girl, Xu Qi An thought, grinning. I told her that my Second Uncle had to borrow money everywhere to support my martial arts training and that we were living in hardship. She believed it and kept finding ways to send me money. How incredibly innocent… Please, keep it up!
“What’s the deal with that chicken essence? Wasn’t that your invention? Why is everyone saying it was invented by Chu Caiwei from the Celestial Realm Observatory? This Palace was furious and went to make a scene at the Observatory.
“Those white-robed officials from the Observatory didn’t dare lay a hand on me, but they went to complain to Father Emperor. This Palace got a severe scolding from the Father Emperor. When you return, This Palace will take you to seek justice.”
Well… Xu Qi An thought, the chicken essence was made by Caiwei. I only gave her the idea. She’s using it to consolidate her position as an alchemist, which she had already informed me about.
He felt a bit touched. Biao Biao was still very protective of him.
Xu Qi An put Lin’an’s letter back in its envelope and took a deep breath before opening the last letter. Huai Qing or Caiwei, he thought, now we’ll see which one of you is the traitor.
“Constable Xu:
The environment in Yun Province is complex, and banditry has a long history there. The Qi faction and the Shaman Religion have been secretly plotting for years, and they must have accumulated considerable power in Yun Province.
Remember to act with caution. Even with a fourth-grade warrior like Jiang Luzhong, it’s not entirely safe. If you identify a target, you must apprehend them with lightning speed, giving them no time to react.
I suspect Lord Wei has made arrangements in secret, but he’s unlikely to meet with you directly. Perhaps Governor Zhang knows, or perhaps not. Although you’re brilliant at solving cases, your strength is limited. Do not act alone.”
It’s a letter from Huai Qing, Xu Qi An realized.
His feelings were mixed—disappointment and joy intermingled. He was disappointed that the big-eyed cutie turned out to be unfaithful. He had included her in his harem with such devotion, yet she was so cold-hearted.
But he was also joyful that Huai Qing hadn’t been unfaithful after all. She still cared about this lowly constable.
Faced with such an outcome, Xu Qi An felt both happy and worried.
“Huai Qing is truly formidable. Her intelligence is off the charts,” he mused. “No, it’s not just intelligence. It’s her analysis of the situation, and her grasp of human nature. She can even understand Lord Wei’s thoughts… I’m done for. It’ll be too easy to get caught if I ever cheat.”
It’s not surprising that Princess Huai Qing has such abilities, given that she’s half a disciple of Wei Yuan, Xu Qi An thought, squinting as he continued reading:
“The other day, Caiwei came to dine at my palace. During our chat, she mentioned you. She said she was troubled about how to reply to your letter because she doesn’t like reading and was afraid you’d laugh at her poor writing.
She also said, ‘Xu Ning Yan is so thoughtful. He sent me a red lotus petal from Qing Province, saying I’m as bright and graceful as the red lotus.’
When Caiwei told me this, there was a smile in her eyes… So I offered to write a reply for her. She gladly agreed.
Hmph, Lord Xu is truly a romantic, gifting one flower to two women with different compliments, each perfectly tailored. I must admire your skill.”
Xu Qi An stared at the letter, his expression frozen.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Qianjian asked.
“I’ve messed up…” Xu Qi An’s face turned red with embarrassment. He wanted to jump into the canal and swim back to Baidi City.
Damn it, he thought, I forgot that Chu Caiwei is still an innocent young girl. She’s close friends with Huai Qing and has no qualms about sharing such things with her best friend.
Huai Qing already had a bad impression of me and refused to see me before I left the capital. Now with Miss Caiwei’s unintentional sabotage… Huai Qing must have labeled me as a scumbag. Xu Qi An’s face and ears burned with shame.
I’m a person of some standing, he thought. How can I face going back to the capital like this… Oh, wait, I’m already dead. Never mind then.
At the same time, he felt relieved that Huai Qing couldn’t see the letters from Biao Biao, Fu Xiang, and Ling Yue. The latter two had no connection with Huai Qing, and although Biao Biao was her sister, the two were at odds and wouldn’t share such private correspondence.
Boasting was even less likely. No matter how naive (or bitchy) Biao Biao might be, she was still a princess born into the royal family. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to show such letters around.
It’s a good thing I knew Chu Caiwei was a blockhead and didn’t flirt with her. I only wrote about the delicious food I encountered on my journey… Perhaps that’s why Princess Huai Qing was displeased but still wrote to warn me. After all, what I wrote to her was a love letter (flattery), while what I wrote to Caiwei was just a normal letter.
Hehe, Huai Qing, you think you’re on the second level, but I’m actually on the fifth level, he thought smugly.
“Who wrote the letter?” Yang Qianjian asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
“A friend from the capital,” Xu Qi An replied, his expression unchanged.
“It’s from a lover, isn’t it?” Yang Qianjian prodded.
Xu Qi An immediately became wary. “Did you peek at my letters?”
Yang Qianjian sneered, “I, Yang Qianjian, would never stoop to such despicable acts.”
He is a fourth-grade diviner after all… Xu Qi An nodded and said, “Speaking of which, your junior sister Caiwei is a blockhead. At her age, she should be experiencing the first stirrings of love. But I just can’t seem to get through to her. When I write to her, she still…”
Xu Qi An sighed deeply.
Yang Qianjian agreed, “Junior sister Caiwei is indeed slow to mature in that regard. She just treated it as ordinary correspondence between friends, which is why she told Princess Huai Qing about it. But it’s not that she has no feelings for you at all. At least you’re an important friend in her heart.”
Xu Qi An’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “How the hell do you know she told Huai Qing?”
“…” Yang Qianjian fell silent.
The king of pretentiousness didn’t speak for a long time, realizing he had been tricked. At that moment, he also experienced the same embarrassment Xu Qi An had felt earlier.
You not only peeked at my letters, but you even sealed them back up… Xu Qi An thought.
“Fine, considering you helped me catch Liang Youping, I won’t pursue this matter,” Xu Qi An admonished. “But don’t you dare spread the contents of those letters?”
At this point, since Yang Qianjian had already read the letters, Xu Qi An might as well pretend to be magnanimous. It’s not like he could turn back time.
Yang Qianjian was taken aback. “But I didn’t help you catch Liang Youping.”
A cold draft seeped through the cracks in the deck, blowing against Xu Qi An’s neck.
He slowly shuddered, his hair standing on end. Even his voice trembled slightly as he asked, “What did you say?”
…
The warm winter sun hung high in the sky as Nan Gong Qianrou drove the carriage to the outskirts of the palace.
After parking the carriage, he tossed the reins to the approaching Imperial Guards, bent down to remove the wooden stool, and opened the carriage door. “Godfather, we’ve arrived,” he said.
Wei Yuan, dressed in a luxurious dark blue robe with graying temples, emerged from the carriage, stepping down onto the wooden stool.
The two entered the palace, heading towards the Imperial Study.
“Godfather, I heard there was an 800-li urgent report this morning?” Nan Gong Qianrou inquired.
In the Great Shang intelligence system, reports were classified as 300-li urgent, 400-li urgent, 600-li urgent, and the highest level, 800-li urgent.
An 800-li urgent report was delivered directly to the Cabinet and then forwarded to the Emperor. Before reaching the Cabinet, no one except the courier was allowed to handle it.
Doing so would be considered treason.
Wei Yuan nodded gravely. Shortly after the 800-li urgent document was sent to the palace, His Majesty had called for a small court meeting in the Imperial Study.
An 800-li urgent report surely indicated a major event, though it was unclear which province it came from.
“Truly troubled times!” Wei Yuan sighed lightly. After a pause, he asked, “How’s the progress on the rhinoceros armor I asked you to prepare?”
“The materials have all been collected. We’re just waiting to take them to the Celestial Realm Observatory for refinement,” Nan Gong Qianrou replied with a hint of sourness in his voice.
The rhinoceros armor was a gift Wei Yuan intended to give Xu Qi An. It was impervious to blades and spears and resistant to water and fire. If further refined by the alchemists and formation masters of the Celestial Realm Observatory, it would become a magical artifact.
It would be an unparalleled defensive treasure. Even a fifth-grade martial artist would struggle to breach its defenses.
Nan Gong Qianrou understood Wei Yuan’s intentions. He wanted to shore up Xu Qi An’s last weakness, to protect this yet-to-mature sapling.
As they approached the Imperial Study, Nan Gong Qianrou was stopped by the Imperial Guards, while Wei Yuan continued alone.
Wei Yuan stepped over the threshold and entered the Imperial Study.
He casually glanced at the assembled officials on both sides, and his brow immediately furrowed.
All the officials were looking at him with an obscure, meaningful gaze.
Emperor Yuan Jing was also watching Wei Yuan, though the old emperor’s thoughts were inscrutable, revealing neither joy nor anger.
“Your Majesty,” Wei Yuan bowed in greeting, naturally taking his place in line, standing in his designated position.