Seeing how concerned the Heaven and Earth Society members were, Li Na was deeply touched and recounted her experience of being scammed:
[Thank you all for your concern. I’m in Yong Province. This morning, I met an old Daoist priest who said I have extraordinary bones and am a one-in-a-million genius. I thought he was a true master, otherwise, how could he discover my uniqueness among the masses…]
Come on, that’s just a scammer’s opening line. Are you really naive or just overconfident?! Xu Qi An resisted the urge to send a sarcastic message.
[Two: Then you let your guard down and got scammed?]
Li Miaozhen said, somewhat exasperated.
She encountered such an injustice but couldn’t rush over to help. Feeling powerless, she was so angry she wanted to stamp her feet.
Li Na quickly sent a message to defend herself: [Of course I’m not that foolish.]
If you’re not foolish, then who is? The Heaven and Earth Society members thought to themselves.
[This Daoist master truly has skills. Not only did he discover I’m a genius, but he also recognized that I’m from the Southern Border. When I left the Southern Border, I changed into Great Feng clothes and completely disguised myself as a Great Feng woman.]
[Four: What about your accent? Did you change your accent?]
[Five: What accent?]
… The Earth Book chat group fell into a brief silence. Master Hengyuan sent a message: [It’s alright, Number Five, please continue.]
[Five: The old Daoist said that when traveling, money is the most important thing. He asked where I was going, and I told him I was heading to the capital. The old Daoist then asked how much silver I had, and I told him I had sixty taels.
[He said that the journey to the capital is long, and sixty taels wouldn’t be enough.]
At this point, everyone knew the scammer’s trick was coming.
[Five: The old Daoist said he had a treasure bowl that could multiply silver. Put in one copper coin, and the next day you’d harvest a bowl full of copper coins. Put in one tael of silver, and the next day it would be a bowl of silver.]
[Four: You believed him?]
[Five: At first, I didn’t believe it, but the old Daoist demonstrated it in front of me. He had me put in a bit of silver, covered the treasure bowl with a cloth, and after an hour, there were indeed several more bits of silver.
[The old Daoist said his treasure is only given to those with fate, so he sold it to me for just sixty taels…
[I put my last two copper coins in the treasure bowl, and it’s been over two hours now, but no silver has appeared.]
Number Five’s intelligence is truly touching… Xu Qi An started laughing. Indeed, to swindle silver from a little barbarian girl, stealing and robbing are useless; trickery is the only way.
[Two: Number Five, magical treasures are priceless and extremely rare. How could someone just give you one for no reason? You need to remember this lesson.]
[Five: But Golden Lotus Daoist gave me the Earth Book fragment. He said then that treasures are only given to those with fate.]
[Two: It’s all the Daoist’s fault.]
Golden Lotus Daoist: “…”
“Hahahahaha.” Xu Qi An laughed like a pig.
“Golden Lotus established the Heaven and Earth Society for mutual help, not to mock each other.”
Suddenly, a charming voice came from behind, carrying the allure of a mature woman.
The pig-like laughter choked off abruptly. Xu Qi An turned his head somewhat awkwardly to look at Luo Yuheng, who had appeared unnoticed, and quickly stood up to bow: “National Preceptor.”
Luo Yuheng wore magnificent feather robes, with the Taiji diagram on her back. Her glossy black hair was tied up with a black jade Daoist hairpin. Her fair face was like porcelain, with delicate features as beautiful as a painting, as beautiful as a heavenly immortal.
The red dot between her brows added a celestial air.
Her gaze fell on the Earth Book fragment, her eyes seemingly hiding a smile, and she said calmly, “Number Five is from the Gu tribe of the Southern Border?”
Do you even know that? How long have you been standing behind me… Xu Qi An answered truthfully, “She seems to be from the Strength Gu clan.”
Hearing this, Luo Yuheng nodded slowly and commented, “Their strength is unparalleled in the world.”
Xu Qi An secretly glanced at the National Preceptor’s cherry-like lips, “Even stronger than the Martial Artists?”
Luo Yuheng’s cool and aloof demeanor made her look like a beauty carved from white jade. She returned to sit on her mat and said, “In terms of pure strength, the Martial Artists are far inferior to the experts of the Strength Gu clan.
“The seven tribes of the Gu people are too specialized. Any single tribe is not a concern, but when all seven tribes join forces, even the Buddhist sect must be wary.”
Sounds just like my “Heaven and Earth One Slash,” taking an extreme path rather than developing “morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor” in a well-rounded way… Xu Qi An nodded slightly.
The beautiful National Preceptor was in a talkative mood today and continued, “Just now I heard Chu Yuanzhen telling you about ancient gods and demons. The Gu God is indeed the only remaining god-demon in the world.”
“So there were gods and demons?” Xu Qi An was surprised.
“Except for the beast tribes and humans, all the existing mythical beasts in the Nine Provinces are descendants of gods and demons. Didn’t you go to Yun Province? The legendary beast in White Emperor City is a descendant of gods and demons. The Jiao in the Southern Border, the spirit dragon in the Imperial City… they are all descendants of gods and demons.”
These gods and demons sound like dinosaurs… Xu Qi An probed, “How did the gods and demons become extinct?”
Surely it wasn’t due to a volcanic eruption or a meteorite impact.
Luo Yuheng didn’t answer, her beautiful eyes half-closed, sitting silently.
Xu Qi An secretly observed Luo Yuheng. Although the National Preceptor had the face of all living beings, Xu Qi An saw various images like “white-haired sister,” “childhood friend Takagi-san,” “36D sister,” and so on.
But most often, it was her true appearance—a kind aunt.
A mature woman in her thirties or forties, with a fair face, lacking the vivacity of a young maiden or the charm of a voluptuous young wife, cool and aloof with the authority of an elder.
Xu Qi An was openly admiring the National Preceptor’s beauty. Luo Yuheng was well aware of her charm; any man whose sleeves weren’t cut off would be attracted to her.
So Xu Qi An felt he was just going with the flow, and besides, trying to look secretly couldn’t escape the National Preceptor’s perception, so he might as well be open about it.
At this moment, he caught sight of Golden Lotus Daoist sending a message: [I’ve already blocked Number Five. Let’s discuss how to handle this situation.]
…Huh, did I miss something while admiring the National Preceptor’s beauty? Xu Qi An reluctantly shifted his attention back to the Earth Book chat group.
[Nine: I suggest we don’t bother with Number Five anymore. Let her learn from her experiences in the jianghu. I believe from the Southern Border to the capital, she’ll learn many things and grow.]
Li Miaozhen disagreed with Golden Lotus Daoist’s approach and sent a message to refute it:
[Two: Daoist, people’s hearts are treacherous, and the jianghu is complex. Although Number Five is powerful, she’s too naive. At any time, wisdom is more useful than strength.]
Then the Top Scholar expressed his opinion: [Number Five may be naive and inexperienced, but she’s not a fool. She knows how to seek benefits and avoid harm, and she understands what can be scammed and what must be protected and held onto. I think Golden Lotus Daoist’s suggestion is good.]
Golden Lotus, the mother hen, has good intentions. Letting Number Five experience some of society’s harsh lessons will make her grow quickly… Xu Qi An nodded to himself, thinking this suggestion was nice.
[Six: I think what we need to consider now is not this long-term issue, but how to solve her food and lodging problem for tonight?]
…This sentence seemed to be a conversation-ender. The Earth Book chat group fell silent for a long time.
This small meeting of the Heaven and Earth Society could be summarized as — Five: Stranded in a foreign land without money, how to solve food and lodging? Urgent, please reply!
What can be done? Everyone’s just online friends, scattered far and wide, and this world doesn’t have WeChat or Alipay for transferring money.
Even immortals are helpless in this situation.
[Two: Why not let Number Five perform on the streets? Breaking stones with her chest is quite popular among common people. She could break stones to the capital and earn travel expenses.]
[Six: She could beg for alms and lodging at temples. But there aren’t many temples in Great Feng, so it might not solve the immediate problem.]
[Four: In emergencies in the jianghu, it’s acceptable to gain without labor.]
Chu Yuanzhen meant that she could pick some fat sheep to target and steal some silver.
[Nine: Number Five doesn’t know how to steal silver. If we have to make her do this, it would be robbery.]
After all, she’s from the Strength Gu clan.
Just as everyone was about to speak, they suddenly found themselves blocked too, unable to send or receive messages.
At the same time, Xu Qi An received a message from Golden Lotus Daoist: [Number Three, what’s your suggestion?]
Although he said to let Number Five experience society’s harsh lessons, Golden Lotus Daoist cares about the Earth Book fragment holders… Xu Qi An thought. He didn’t hesitate and sent a message:
[Is Number Five beautiful?]
[Nine: Her appearance is quite good.]
That makes it easy then… Xu Qi An sent a message: [My suggestion is: become a player.]
[What do you mean by that?] Golden Lotus Daoist expressed confusion.
Question: How do handsome men and beautiful women travel across countries without money?
Answer: Keep backup partners.
Xu Qi An explained his idea to Golden Lotus Daoist, then added: [I’ll also teach Number Five a famous saying: Bunnies are so cute, why eat them?
[The young heroes of the jianghu fall for this the most. If she learns this trick, her food and lodging on the road will be secure.]
Golden Lotus Daoists ignored him.
After communication was restored, Golden Lotus Daoist informed Number Five of the Heaven and Earth Society members’ thoughts, hoping she could protect herself and have a safe journey.
As for Xu Qi An’s suggestion, Golden Lotus Daoist chose to ignore it. Although the method was quite despicable, it was effective. However, Number Five obviously couldn’t perform such a sophisticated operation.
That was Number Three’s special skill.
Soon after, Chu Yuanzhen returned, first bowing to the meditating Luo Yuheng, then turning to say, “Brother Xu, it’s your turn.”
Xu Qi An left for the latrine with a straight face. After circling outside the latrine, he returned to see a young Daoist leading a middle-aged armored commander, walking hurriedly toward them.
The middle-aged commander looked anxious as if he had encountered some trouble.
The young Daoist stopped outside the Quiet Room and announced loudly, “Sect Leader, the Chief Guard of the Huai Prince’s Mansion requests an audience.”
Huai Prince’s Mansion… the Garrison North Prince’s Mansion?! Xu Qi An immediately stopped in his tracks, observing the armored middle-aged commander from the side.
This man had vigorous qi and blood, with his divine aura concealed. His cultivation was very strong, but at this moment, his brow was full of anxiety and restlessness.
The Garrison North Prince was a royal prince, and Huai Prince was his official title. Garrison North Prince was an honorary title.
“What’s the matter!”
From inside the Quiet Room came Luo Yuheng’s pleasant, charming, and sensual voice.
“National Preceptor, the Princess Consort has disappeared. This humble servant has searched the entire Imperial City but couldn’t find her. The Princess Consort has a close relationship with you, so I’ve come to inquire,” the middle-aged commander said in a deep voice.
The Garrison North Prince’s Princess Consort, that number one beauty of Great Feng? Xu Qi An’s ears perked up.
He had seen so many beauties and even met hardcore powerhouses like the Empress and buff masters like the National Preceptor. Now he was increasingly curious about what the Princess Consort looked like.
What qualities did she possess to be called the number one beauty of Great Feng?
“The Princess Consort is not at Lingbao Temple. General, please search elsewhere,” Luo Yuheng responded.
The anxious Chief Guard left.
The Princess Consort has gone missing? Xu Qi An watched the Chief Guard’s figure disappear.
…
After lunch at Lingbao Temple, Xu Qi An returned to the yamen and continued patrolling the streets with the Bronze Constables. One Silver and two Bronze were in high spirits, performing their duties diligently.
The two groups of jianghu visitors had already paid silver notes to “redeem themselves.” Xu Qi An now had six hundred taels of silver notes in his pocket, feeling extremely satisfied. When he saw people dressed like jianghu visitors on the street, it was as if he saw a fat sheep.
Unfortunately, for the rest of the afternoon, he didn’t encounter a single brawl.
After finishing his shift and returning home, during dinner, Second Uncle Xu mentioned an interesting event of the day: “Today, the Garrison North Prince’s Princess Consort ran away from home. All five guards of the capital were mobilized, and the white-robed officials from the Court of Astrology assisted in the search. They were busy all afternoon but couldn’t find her.”
Auntie, biting her chopsticks, asked eagerly, “Then what happened?”
“Later, she returned on her own. That’s why it’s called running away from home. Those guards at the prince’s mansion were so anxious, thinking the Princess Consort had been kidnapped,” Second Uncle Xu said helplessly:
“This is why women are so willful! Thousands of people searching the entire city.”
Auntie rolled her beautiful eyes and sneered, “Thousands of soldiers can’t even find one woman. The court might as well raise thousands of dogs instead of you a lot.”
Xu Qi An gave a thumbs up, praising, “Auntie’s punch comes from an unexpected angle!”
The sharp-faced Auntie didn’t understand her nephew’s nonsense, so she gave him a white-eyed look too.
Xu Er Lang frowned, discovering a key point, and said, “Although the Huai Prince is a royal prince, the Princess Consort is still… theoretically, it shouldn’t be possible to mobilize all five capital guards.”
Thousands of people searching the entire city – the royal family doesn’t have this privilege. Only a few princes and princesses in the palace would receive such treatment.
Second Uncle Xu answered, “We were also curious about this issue. We asked the Thousand Household, but he didn’t know either. He only said it was His Majesty’s order.”
Emperor Yuan Jing cares a lot about this sister-in-law, could it be unresolved feelings?
Xu Qi An immediately dismissed this guess. The Princess Consort was once Emperor Yuan Jing’s concubine, but she entered the palace late when Emperor Yuan Jing had already abstained from desires to pursue Dao cultivation.
Later, she was bestowed to the Garrison North Prince, becoming the Huai Prince’s Princess Consort.
There might be some inside story to this… Xu Qi An felt these messy affairs weren’t worth racking his brains over. He turned to speak with Er Lang:
“Tomorrow is the last round?”
Xu Er Lang nodded.
“Do your best. In the way of poetry, big brother can beat his chest and say that in the past five thousand years across the Nine Provinces, no one is my match,” Xu Qi An said with great confidence.
…
The next day, at dawn, Xu Er Lang, accompanied by his father and elder brother, carried a lantern to the examination hall.
He once again saw the bald man and the swordsman in cyan robes. This time he was very calm, treating them as fools, and even returned a cold smile.
“Number Three’s smile is quite arrogant,” Chu Yuanzhen said.
“It’s the last round of the metropolitan examination. He probably thinks it’s in the bag,” Hengyuan explained to Number Three.
“I almost thought he was provoking us.”
Hengyuan chuckled, “Let’s go. Next is waiting for the results to be posted, and after that will be your duel with Li Miaozhen.”
Chu Yuanzhen nodded slightly and walked side by side with Hengyuan. He turned his head to look at the bald man and suddenly said, “Master, what level is your current combat strength?”
Hengyuan thought for a moment and shook his head, “This poor monk rarely engages in combat.”
Chu Yuanzhen made an “oh” sound. He and Number Six were similar, both unable to be judged by normal ranks. From the perspective of the martial artist system, he was only at the Seventh-Rank Spirit Refinement, but his true combat strength was far beyond that.
Master Hengyuan was an Eighth-Rank Warrior Monk, but his true combat strength was unfathomable.
…
On the other side, after being searched, Xu Er Lang entered a small room enclosed on all four sides, waiting for the last round of the metropolitan examination.
Poetry!