After pondering for a moment, he candidly said, “I cannot share the treasures with you. Whether it’s the dragon essence or the Pagoda of Rebirth, they are unique. I’m sure you can understand this.”

Hearing his words, everyone’s hearts sank, unable to hide their disappointment.

Xu Qi’an’s expression remained unchanged as he added, “However, I can offer you appropriate compensation so that your journey here won’t be in vain.”

With this single sentence, the situation took a turn for the better.

Compensation… The martial artists from Leizhou exchanged glances, revealing looks of joy.

In a situation where the treasure was “singular,” it made sense for the strongest person to claim it, while the others received compensation. This was indeed the most stable and widely acceptable solution…

“What kind of compensation?” someone asked.

“Something that will certainly satisfy you!” Xu Qi’an replied.

After obtaining everyone’s agreement, Xu Qi’an sent all of them to the second floor. Then, like a leader distributing bonuses to subordinates, he called them in one by one.

The first to enter was a gaunt man in black clothes. He had a short sword hanging at his waist, a pale complexion, and puffy eye bags.

Xu Qi’an asked, “What do you want?”

The man cupped his hands and said, “My name is Zhao Pan. I specialize in poison techniques and know a bit about venomous insects. Earlier at the Three Flower Temple, I saw your potent use of poison. I’d like to request a poison from you, the more lethal, the better.”

This request wasn’t difficult… Xu Qi’an immediately took out a porcelain bottle and forced a stream of blue-black poison from his fingertip into it.

“Catch!” He corked the bottle and tossed it to the poison master named Zhao Pan.

Pop! Zhao Pan eagerly pulled out the cork and took a sniff. His face lit up with excitement: “Good, such a potent poison…”

As he spoke, his face turned black, and his body went limp, collapsing to the ground.

How is this any different from licking a poisoned dagger, you fool… Xu Qi’an cursed inwardly as he hurriedly saved the man, rescuing a foolish life.

“Thank you for saving my life,” Zhao Pan said, his face even paler now, clutching the porcelain bottle tightly in his hand as if it were his most prized possession.

“This poison is extremely potent. It’s best used in open areas. Do not open the bottle in an enclosed room. Additionally, I’ll give you a poisonous plant as a bonus,” Xu Qi’an said.

He opened his brocade pouch and took out a “potted plant” for him.

It was a lush green plant, similar to an orchid, with several crimson fruits dotting its verdant leaves.

“Green Widow? Is this the Green Widow?” Zhao Pan examined the orchid, suddenly becoming excited. “It’s a mutated Green Widow…”

Even widows can be green? Whoever named this must be quite the oddball… Xu Qi’an said nonchalantly, “I cultivated it casually.”

It was a poisonous plant he had picked in the mountains and given to Mu Nanchi to cultivate. The result was a mutation, with toxicity several times more potent than the original variety.

For those who deal in poisons and venomous insects, the more diverse and potent the toxins, the better.

For instance, the poison Xu Qi’an currently favored was the toxin from a thousand-year-old corpse, blue-black. To make it colorless and odorless, he had to dilute it to a certain degree.

But if he could obtain a naturally colorless and odorless deadly poison, it would give him much more room for underhanded tactics.

Casually cultivating a mutated poisonous plant… Zhao Pan realized he had encountered a true master of poisons.

“Remember our agreement. Don’t tell others about what you’ve received,” Xu Qi’an reminded him.

Zhao Pan excitedly went downstairs.

Soon after, the second person came up. He was a typical warrior, with a sturdy build and bulging muscles, carrying a large axe.

“What do you want?” Xu Qi’an asked.

“I want to become a Fourth-Grade Martial Artist,” the burly man said in a deep voice.

“What grade are you now?”

“Seventh-Grade Spirit Refinement.”

Why don’t you just ask to become a Martial God? This kind of person is actually easier to deal with… Xu Qi’an said calmly, “Twenty taels of silver.”

The big man said nothing.

“Fifty taels of silver.”

The big man still said nothing.

“Eighty taels of silver.”

The big man cupped his fists and said, “Thank you, sir!”

…

An hour later, Xu Qi’an rubbed his temples, having finally resolved all the non-obligatory compensations. Everyone’s needs were different – some asked for poison, some for pills, some for guidance from famous masters, and so on.

He couldn’t possibly satisfy everyone’s demands, so most were settled by converting the rewards into silver or gifting firearms.

There were a few with particularly odd requests. One said his fiancée had broken off their engagement back home, so he came out to train, intending to return in three years to show off. He didn’t want silver, but rather something that could help him improve rapidly.

Another said his daughter was so poor she lived in a doghouse, but despite being poor, she had ambition. He also didn’t want silver, but something that could elevate their status overnight.

Xu Qi’an just stroked his forty-meter-long blade and said, “Think carefully before you speak.”

In the end, they still settled for silver.

The power of money is truly eternal… In just one hour, he had given out over three thousand taels of silver. If he had known earlier, he would have asked Second Senior Brother to shield him. Oh right, what was Second Senior Brother trying to say earlier?

Xu Qi’an mused to himself as he summoned Tang Yuanwu, Li Shaoyun, Yuan Yi, and Liu Yun.

His gaze swept over the four of them, and he smiled, “What do you want?”

“Of course, it’s the Blood Pill. That’s what we came for,” Li Shaoyun said impatiently.

“No, to be precise, we came for the opportunity to transcend,” Yuan Yi corrected.

But the fact was, there were no so-called Blood Pills here. They had all been deceived by Li Miaochen.

Since the item didn’t exist, Xu Qi’an couldn’t be expected to produce it out of thin air.

“How about this,” Tang Yuanwu pondered for a moment before saying, “Money and magical artifacts are not rare for us. You seem to be knowledgeable and well-traveled. Why don’t you answer a question for me? That can be our compensation.”

As a native of Leizhou, Tang Yuanwu was well aware of the mystical nature of the Pagoda of Rebirth. The fact that Xu Qian could control it meant his identity was likely extraordinary.

He couldn’t be evaluated solely based on his combat strength.

Xu Qi’an nodded, “Alright.”

Tang Yuanwu’s eyes immediately lit up with excitement as he asked, “How does one refine a Blood Pill?”

My young friend, no, my older brother, your thoughts are quite dangerous… Xu Qi’an replied, “Occultists and Daoists know how. Other systems are unclear, but Martial Artists don’t know.”

Tang Yuanwu couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“I’ll give you an extra piece of information,” Seeing the disappointment on the face of the Double Sword Sect’s leader, Xu Qi’an glanced at Li Shaoyun and Yuan Yi, then pondered before asking, “Do you know that refining a Blood Pill requires the massacre of an entire city?”

The three nodded, while Liu Yun’s eyes sparkled, “To refine a Blood Pill, the Northern Garrison King massacred the entire Chu State city, but was killed on the spot by a mysterious expert.”

Whenever such righteous and heroic deeds were mentioned, Liu Yun became particularly excited.

If she knew that the one who slew the Northern Garrison King was also Xu Qi’an, who knows how she would feel?

Xu Qi’an continued, “Throughout history, Third-Grade experts have been as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. An entire generation might not produce even three Third-Grade experts. While Fourth-Grade experts are rare, each state has a few. Sword State even has more than a dozen. Across the Nine States, they are as numerous as cattle.

“But why haven’t Great Feng, the Witch God Cult, or even the Buddhist sect mass-produced Blood Pills to cultivate Martial Artists? If it’s refined using the blood essence of living people, they can’t use their citizens, but surely using enemy nations’ people wouldn’t be a problem? Have you three considered the reason?”

Yuan Yi and the others were shocked, understanding what Xu Qi’an was implying.

Li Shaoyun’s expression changed slightly: “Are you saying that Blood Pills can’t help Fourth-Grade experts advance to Third Grade?”

“Yes and no. Blood Pills can indeed help Fourth-Grade Martial Artists advance to Third Grade, it’s a shortcut to instant success. But the corresponding price is equally heavy. Almost no one can successfully absorb a Blood Pill. The only result awaiting them is death by body explosion,” Xu Qi’an said. “If simply swallowing a Blood Pill could lead to advancement, Third-Grade experts would be everywhere by now.”

Liu Yun suddenly said, “I’ve heard that Constable Xu is already a Third-Grade Martial Artist, yet when I saw him in the capital, he wasn’t even in Fourth Grade. Although rumors in the jianghu say he was already in Fourth Grade when he single-handedly held off twenty thousand rebel troops in Yun State, I’m not sure if that’s true. I once observed him up close.”

When did you observe me up close… Xu Qi’an was surprised.

Liu Yun continued, “How did Constable Xu manage to enter the realm of transcendence in such a short time, becoming a Third-Grade immortal body Martial Artist?”

Li Shaoyun, Yuan Yi, and Tang Yuanwu’s eyes suddenly lit up with interest.

Xu Qi’an shook his head and said, “I don’t know how that exceptionally talented Constable Xu entered the realm of transcendence in such a short time, but if he advanced by consuming a Blood Pill, then in the past thousand years, he would be the only one.”

The only one in a thousand years… I want to confirm if Constable Xu is truly the first in a millennium… Liu Yun pursed her lips, “Thank you for telling us, senior.”

“I heard from Buddhist monks that Constable Xu has become useless. Is this true?” Yuan Yi asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

As he wasn’t purely a Martial Artist, but the Commander of an entire state, whether Xu Qi’an was incapacitated or not was extremely important to him.

“That young man is exceptionally talented. How could he become useless so easily?” Xu Qian smiled.

Yuan Yi nodded slightly and said, “I also don’t believe Constable Xu would ‘wither away’. His future achievements will surpass the Northern Garrison King. In recent years, the Western Regions have been peaceful. On the surface, people believe it’s because the Northern Garrison King, that God of War, is guarding the border, keeping Great Feng’s territory safe.

“In reality, it’s Minister Wei whom the Buddhist sect fears. Now that Minister Wei has sacrificed himself, if there’s anyone in the future who can make the Buddhist sect wary, it would only be Constable Xu. If something were to happen to him, Great Feng would truly have no one left.”

It feels like my reputation is almost on par with Minister Wei’s at his peak… Xu Qi’an felt somewhat delighted, tasting the sweetness of hype.

Great Feng’s top-tier combat strength wasn’t weak. There was the First-Grade Jian Zheng, Second-Grade Wei Yuan, Second-Grade Inhuman Son, Second-Grade Jeanne d’Arc, and Second-Grade Luo Yuheng. Third-Grade Northern Garrison King, Third-Grade Sun Xuanji.

This doesn’t even count the old fogey from the Martial Arts Alliance in the jianghu, the fallen Earth Sect leader, and the emotionless Heavenly Sect.

Unfortunately, some had become traitors, some had perished, some were emotionless, some had gone mad, some were constantly thinking about dual cultivation, and some were stressed out by their disciples.

The internal strife was too intense, consuming all their foundations.

Finally, Xu Qi’an looked at Li Shaoyun and said, “What do you want to ask?”

Li Shaoyun tilted his head, thinking seriously for a long time before saying helplessly, “I haven’t figured it out yet.”

I think you need an arithmetic workbook… Xu Qi’an mused inwardly. He had wanted to say: I’ll use the Great Wisdom Dharma Appearance to enlighten you.

But considering that this crude Pacification Commissioner might flip out on the spot, he restrained his impulse.

After seeing off Li Shaoyun and the others, Xu Qi’an stood by the window, watching the Martial Artists from Leizhou leave and disappear into the night.

He then turned around and looked at Sun Xuanji: “Second Senior Brother, what were you saying earlier?”

Mu Nanchi’s smooth forehead throbbed with a pulsing vein: “He said he used his Celestial Mechanism technique to conceal the Pagoda of Rebirth.”

“Where’s the Holy Son?”

“The Holy Son couldn’t stand him and escaped to the second floor. He said he was afraid he couldn’t resist tearing Sun Xuanji’s mouth apart.”

…

Dawn.

The Three Flower Temple, now littered with ruins and broken walls, had its main halls housing Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats turned to rubble by the artillery fire.

Fortunately, the meditation rooms where the monks resided remained intact. Duruo Jingang sat on a meditation cushion in one of these rooms. Below him, to the left were Jingxin, Jingyuan, and other monks who had come from the Western Regions.

To the right were the elders of the Three Flower Temple, led by Abbot Panlong.

Yierbu of the Witch God Cult had left the Three Flower Temple with his two twin disciples.

In front of each monk was a piece of paper that read:

The Pagoda of Rebirth has been stolen, the dragon essence has been stolen, and the enemy is called Xu Qian.

The strength of blocking celestial mechanisms is inversely proportional to the depth of karmic entanglement. The deeper the karma, the harder it is to block.

The Pagoda of Rebirth had stood at the Three Flower Temple for hundreds of years, with Shensu’s severed arm sealed inside. Whether for the monks of the Three Flower Temple or Duruo and his group of monks from Arantha in the Western Regions, it held extremely deep karmic connections.

Just as the disappearance of the Hall of Golden Chimes would bring a strong sense of disconnection to the officials in the capital, the disappearance of the Pagoda of Rebirth momentarily blinded the monks of the Three Flower Temple, including Duruo Jingang.

But soon, they would remember the existence of the Pagoda of Rebirth, and thus recall the entire course of events.

Then they would quickly forget again, and so on in a cycle. Finally, the well-informed Duruo Jingang had someone write down the relevant information on paper, to be seen at all times.

This way, they could ensure their memories wouldn’t become confused, but they had also missed the best opportunity to track it down.

As for breaking the technique that blocked the celestial mechanisms, it would require three or more monks from the Three Flower Temple to see the Pagoda of Rebirth again.

Abbot Panlong said, “Yierbu used divination techniques but couldn’t determine the location of the Pagoda of Rebirth. We’ve completely lost this supreme treasure.”

After a pause, he continued:

“Our focus of the investigation is this character called Xu Qian. According to Lady Wenren from the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce, this person came to Leizhou following her beloved Li Lingsu. She doesn’t know his specific identity.

“However, Lady Wenren said that Li Lingsu was extremely respectful towards this Xu Qian, even somewhat afraid. This person’s true identity is not simple. Even Li Lingsu himself doesn’t know clearly, only that the other party is someone who has lived for several hundred years, and even Jian Zheng lost to him in a game of weiqi.

“Someone who can defeat Jian Zheng, doesn’t that mean they can surpass heaven by half a move? These are Li Lingsu’s exact words.”

Afterward, the monks of the Three Flower Temple personally questioned Wenren Qianrou from the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce. That female patron was very cooperative, answering all questions. After Abbot Panlong verified the truth of the content, he didn’t trouble her further.

The Buddhist monks present had extremely peculiar expressions on their faces. Jingyuan, the warrior monk, said in disbelief: “But his cultivation level isn’t even as high as mine. He relies entirely on tricky insect techniques.”

Abbot Panlong shook his head: “This is indeed a major point of doubt. Additionally, the news was spread by Xu Qian himself. The so-called Flying Swallow Heroine was Li Lingsu in disguise.”

An elder frowned and asked, “Who exactly is this Li Lingsu?”

Abbot Panlong answered, “This person is the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect, the senior brother of Li Miaochen.”

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect is the beloved of the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce’s young mistress, Wenren Qianrou. Doesn’t the Heavenly Sect practice the art of forgetting emotions?

Doubts flashed through the minds of the assembled monks.

At this point, Jingxin said, “Li Lingsu disguised himself as Li Miaochen. This should have been discovered long ago. Why did no one see through his disguise? Unless it’s a special kind of disguise technique that can fool even high-grade experts.”

Abbot Panlong nodded: “If that’s the case, then this Xu Qian is very likely also in disguise.”

Monk Jingxin began to share the results of his investigation:

“I carefully questioned the two Eastern female patrons. This Xu Qian had encountered them on the way and even kidnapped their beloved Li Lingsu. When first seen, this person seemed unremarkable, but his methods were strange and unpredictable, impossible to guard against.

“Moreover, the Eastern female patrons mentioned one thing. In the dream realm, we had a conflict with him. One of the Eastern female patrons was captured by mistake. Although his spirit seemed weak, he was incredibly resilient beyond imagination. In a moment of pride, he once said he was a Third-Grade spirit.”

This corroborates with Wenren Qianrou’s account. This person indeed has another identity and is a transcendent figure.

“Wait a moment!” Abbot Panlong said in confusion, “Did you just say that Li Lingsu is the beloved of the two Eastern female patrons?”

Jingxin nodded.

At this moment, confusion once again flashed through the minds of the assembled monks: Doesn’t the Heavenly Sect practice the art of forgetting emotions?

Jingyuan, the warrior monk, seemed to think of something and said:

“I remember now. On the second floor, Henyin once wanted to kill this person, but his magical weapon couldn’t penetrate the other’s skin and flesh. He is very likely a Martial Artist.”

The group discussed for a long time, secretly guessing Xu Qian’s identity.

Duruo Jingang opened his eyes and summarized:

“Disguise, closely related to the Astronomical Bureau, possesses magical weapons and firearms, came for the dragon essence, Third-Grade transcendent, a Martial Artist, but actual cultivation not even reaching Fourth Grade. Who is Great Feng fits these conditions?”

After a brief silence, Jingxin, Jingyuan, and the other monks from the Western Regions suddenly began to breathe rapidly.