It was about solving cases!

Before reaching the peak of his cultivation, what he truly took pride in was his ability to solve cases.

Case-solving ability equaled logical reasoning plus attention to detail.

He indeed didn’t possess the same level of scheming ability as the Observatory Master and Xu Ping Feng, and couldn’t plan ahead like a mastermind.

But even the Observatory Master couldn’t treat him like a monkey to be toyed with.

Even Xu Ping Feng, who prided himself on his cunning, was thwarted by Xu Qi An when trying to reclaim the national fortune.

All of this relied on his powerful “case-solving” ability—analyzing and examining various clues carefully to uncover the mysterious cultivator’s true identity and prepare countermeasures accordingly.

In just one year, he had grown from a weak vessel that anyone could manipulate at will into an outstanding expert even among Supernaturalists.

He had become one of the players in the game.

Step by step, he had unraveled the veil of the “mysterious cultivator” Xu Ping Feng, and next, he would unveil the Observatory Master’s mysteries.

If neither of these peak cultivators could manipulate him at will, how could Grandmother Heaven Gu?

“Grandmother, when you came to find me at the Extreme Abyss today to explain the pros and cons and persuade me to leave the Southern Borderlands, you would have told me how to handle things even if I hadn’t shown the prayer beads, right?”

Xu Qi An set down his teacup and gazed through the dim candlelight at the elderly Grandmother Heaven Gu:

“You had already made your choice to ally with me rather than Xu Ping Feng, hadn’t you?”

“You’re a clever child.”

Grandmother Heaven Gu smiled, which was as good as confirmation.

Xu Qi An nodded and continued:

“That being the case, your subsequent behavior puzzles me. You appeared too neutral, neither favoring me nor Xu Ping Feng, allowing the five leaders to fight me.”

“But actually, you knew I could defeat them because the Seven-Fold Gu in my body was given to me through Li Na by you. In other words, you knew early on that the Gu clan and Cloud Province couldn’t ally.”

“Allying with one side means breaking with the other—with your wisdom, how could you not have secretly watched Ge Wen Xuan? Though Ge Wen Xuan is a minor character, the Xu Ping Feng behind him cannot be underestimated.”

“I could guess that Xu Ping Feng would have backup plans; you must have foreseen it too.”

“So I believe you were secretly watching Ge Wen Xuan. What reason would make you allow him to act recklessly in the Extreme Abyss without stopping him?”

“You once said that sealing the Gu God is the Gu clan’s eternal driving force. Tonight I came not only about the Seven-Fold Gu but also to ask about this matter.”

Though Heaven Gu couldn’t freely peek at heaven’s secrets like Fate Readers could, they could still glimpse corners of the future. Facing such a figure, Xu Qi An had long been cautious.

Perhaps only Li Na would think Grandmother Heaven Gu was just a kind and gentle old lady. While this might be true, it wasn’t all there was to Grandmother Heaven Gu.

Grandmother Heaven Gu remained silent, head lowered as she mended clothes.

Xu Qi An didn’t rush her, quietly drinking his tea. The bedroom was silent except for the tireless insects chirping outside the window.

The Southern Borderlands climate was hot, and even in winter, the vegetation remained green. Animals didn’t need to hibernate, though their numbers were fewer than in summer.

“Knowing these things won’t do you any good.”

After a long while, Grandmother Heaven Gu sighed and slowly said:

“Do you know what that white light shooting skyward was?”

Xu Qi An shook his head:

“Please tell me, Grandmother.”

“You should have heard its name before. Cloud Province has records of it, had temples to it.”

As soon as Grandmother Heaven Gu finished speaking, Xu Qi An blurted out:

“The White Emperor?!”

*When did Xu Ping Feng establish connections with this descendant of gods and demons…* His heart sank with an ominous feeling.

The Inhuman One had connections with this god-demon descendant. Though this couldn’t prove they were allies, the possibility existed.

The friend of an enemy must be an enemy.

“Previously I analyzed that Cloud Province, backed by the ocean, was likely a backup plan left by that faction from five hundred years ago—when their uprising failed, they fled overseas. Looking at it now, Xu Ping Feng’s choice of Cloud Province as his base might have had this additional reason: he secretly established relations with the White Emperor.”

Xu Qi’an habitually analyzed his mind: “The White Emperor’s rank is unclear, but it certainly can’t be Transcendent…”

He took a deep breath, gathering his scattered thoughts, and said:

“Please continue, Grandmother.”

Grandmother Heaven Gu spoke while continuing to mend clothes:

“It asked the Gu God three questions. The first was: When can you break free from the seal?”

“The Gu God answered—In the falling curtain of the great era, He will not be absent.”

This was her translation based on her understanding of the language of gods and demons.

*He won’t be absent in the falling curtain of the great era?* Xu Qi An drew in a sharp breath, thinking this was rather terrifying when considered carefully.

The Gu God’s answer revealed two pieces of information:

First, the falling curtain of the great era.

This might refer to some event, opportunity, or disaster. Whatever “era” implied, the level involved was very high.

The kind that those below the Supernaturalist rank had no qualification to participate in.

Second, He will not be absent.

The Gu’s God was confident about breaking free from the seal. A Transcendent wouldn’t be blindly confident, and the Heaven Gu clan could glimpse corners of fate—as the source of Gu arts, the Gu God naturally could as well.

Having finished his analysis, Xu Qi An nodded to Grandmother Heaven Gu, indicating for her to continue.

Grandmother Heaven Gu went on:

“The second question it asked the Gu God was: Where is the Dao Sovereign?”

“The Gu God’s response was: Perhaps completely fallen.”

*Where is the Dao Sovereign…*

Now this was interesting—a descendant of gods and demons, a spirit beast from overseas, actively inquiring about the Dao Sovereign… Xu Qi An stroked his chin, pondering.

Among all Transcendents, the Dao Sovereign was the most mysterious and ancient powerhouse.

The era when he achieved the Dao couldn’t be verified; no historical records existed. It could only be estimated to be the end of the god-demon era when humans and demon races were just rising.

But the time scale of this period spanned thousands of years, making precise dating impossible.

Why would the White Emperor care about a Dao Sovereign who left no trace of existence? Why would it ask the Gu God, who had slept in the Southern Borderlands since the end of the god-demon era, until being sealed by the Confucian Saint over a thousand years ago?

If the Gu God and Dao Sovereign had any interaction, it must have happened during the Gu God’s slumber in the Southern Borderlands.

Moreover, the Gu God’s response contained a lot of information. The Dao Sovereign might have fallen. Who could kill the Dao Sovereign? Surely he hadn’t grown tired of living and ended himself… Xu Qi An asked:

“Grandmother, what are your thoughts on the Dao Sovereign?”

Grandmother Heaven Gu shook her head: “I don’t know.”

*”I don’t know” rather than “I can’t say”…* Xu Qi An asked: “You haven’t glimpsed the Dao Sovereign in the future?”

“You might misunderstand Heaven Gu. Glimpsing a corner of fate—what is a corner?”

Grandmother Heaven Gu explained helplessly:

“Fragments without context, scattered and chaotic pieces, and the inability to precisely glimpse specific events.”

“The limitations are great and uncontrollable. It’s not that I can immediately use Heaven Gu to peek at whatever I want to know.”

*Your Heaven Gu seems quite inferior to the Observatory Master’s “future live stream”…* Xu Qi An muttered, then asked:

“Then what do you think was the White Emperor’s purpose in asking about the Dao Sovereign’s whereabouts?”

Grandmother Heaven Gu shook her head again, her voice gentle and steady:

“The third question the White Emperor asked the Gu God was: Who is the Gatekeeper?”

“The Gu God’s answer was: He originally thought it was the Confucian Saint, but later learned…”

Xu Qi An waited a moment, but Grandmother Heaven Gu didn’t continue. He urgently asked:

“Learned what?”

Grandmother Heaven Gu said helplessly: “I want to know too, but the Confucian Saint statue’s power interrupted the Gu God and sealed it again.”

…Xu Qi An nearly spat blood, thinking the Confucian Saint was truly inhuman, creating cliffhangers even after death.

“What are your thoughts on the Gatekeeper, Grandmother?”

He asked Grandmother Heaven Gu directly.

“I don’t know who the Gatekeeper is, but all information about the Gatekeeper is heavenly secrets that cannot be revealed. You have close ties with the Observatory, you should understand my meaning.”

Grandmother Heaven Gu replied.

“Those who know heaven’s secrets are bound by them.”

Xu Qi An nodded with a sigh. This was the price that had to be paid for glimpsing heaven’s secrets—it was heaven’s law.

He poured himself another cup of water, took a sip, and stared at the old woman’s wrinkled face:

“The reason you allowed Ge Wen Xuan to act was to use him to probe the Gatekeeper’s secrets from the Gu God, right?”

If this was the motivation, then Grandmother Heaven Gu’s behavior could be explained.

She had already decided to ally with him. Her apparent neutrality and detachment were waiting for Ge Wen Xuan to enter the Extreme Abyss. She might even have secretly helped Ge Wen Xuan enter.

For instance, erasing his aura so the Universal Mirror couldn’t find him.

And clearing the Gu insects and beasts along his path, allowing him to reach the Confucian Saint’s statue smoothly.

Of course, these were just speculations, and there was no need to verify them.

Grandmother Heaven Gu finished mending the clothes and bit off the thread, saying:

“Yes.”

“It’s late, I should rest.”

Xu Qi An said: “I’ve disturbed you long enough.”

He merged with the shadows and vanished.

…

Returning to the Power Gu clan, he found the hall lit with candles. Li Na and her brother Mo Sang each had a basin of meat, eating a late-night snack.

Their clothes were torn in several places and they were barefoot. Mo Sang had blood stains on his chest but no visible wounds.

Xu Qi An guessed the siblings had just sparred, with the brother taking a beating from his sister. Now they were replenishing their energy with food.

Mo Sang said:

“Didn’t you say you’d bring back a Great Daqi princess or the kingdom’s greatest beauty to be my wife?”

*Central Plains women don’t seem to match your Power Gu clan’s aesthetic standards…* Concerning princesses and royal consorts, Xu Qi An listened attentively.

“I did bring one back! That woman by Xu Ning Yan’s side is Great Daqi’s greatest beauty.”

Li Na declared confidently.

“Being pale-skinned is one thing, at least she could get tanned, but how could someone so plain-looking be confident enough to call herself the kingdom’s greatest beauty?”

Mo Sang was disillusioned and angry:

“Central Plains women are pale and ugly. Those merchant caravans were lying to me.”

He had heard from Central Plains merchant caravans that the Northern Garrison King’s consort was Great Daqi’s greatest beauty. The merchants had painted quite a picture.

Mo Sang had asked them how she compared to Gu clan women.

Looking at the group of dark-skinned Southern Borderlanders, the Central Plains merchants had sincerely said:

“Like clouds in the sky and mud in the fields.”

Mo Sang chewed his food fiercely, saying angrily:

“Now I understand—our Southern Borderlands girls are the clouds, and Great Daqi women are the mud.”

“No, no, I’ve seen Central Plains princesses. They’re quite lovely, just not as good as me,” Li Na said objectively.

“Of course, you’re our Power Gu clan’s greatest beauty,” Mo Sang nodded, agreeing with his sister.

Xu Qi An mentally cupped his hands to the siblings in respect and returned to his room.

*Snore, snore…*

The little dumpling’s rhythmic snoring could be heard. With his powerful eyesight, he saw his foolish sister sprawled across the bed, having kicked off the fur blanket.

Her right wrist was wet as if recently gnawed on.

The bed wasn’t large, and the little dumpling occupied two-thirds of it. Xu Qi An arranged her limbs properly and pulled up the fur blanket to cover both siblings before closing his eyes to rest.

…

In his hazy consciousness, he heard heart-rending roars that startled him awake.

In this moment, with his Supernaturalist’s incomparably powerful primordial spirit, Xu Qi An realized he was still “dreaming.” His first thought was:

*Has a Shaman Religion Supernaturalist expert come?*

Among the various systems, only fourth-rank shamans called “Dream Shamans” could deal with someone of his level in dreams.

Though Daoists also had soul-hooking spells in dreams, those were innate abilities of Yin spirits. Compared to Dream Shamans, it was like the difference between a profession and a hobby.

In the echoes of the roar, Xu Qi An saw images.

Under the azure sky, he saw a meteor trailing flames, falling toward the earth.

Within the bright red flames was a giant firebird with its wings torn off.

The firebird fell with the flames, like a falling star, and the earth it fell toward was devastated, strewn with countless corpses.

Giants with their single eyes gouged out, empty foreheads streaming blood; beheaded divine turtles with cracked shells; twelve-armed giants with heads separated from necks; serpents as large as mountains, decayed to reveal jutting bones.

Golden lions with only half their bodies remaining; beings covered in flesh bubbles, staring hatefully at the sky though long dead; nine-headed serpents with heads separated from bodies…

These were the gods and demons born in ancient times that Xu Qi An had seen in dreams before.

“I’m seeing the scene when the gods and demons fell…”

This was just a dream, but Xu Qi An seemed to hear his frenzied heartbeat.