The moment the dragon vein left its host, Jing Xin seemed to sense something and looked up towards the rafters.

Others followed suit, gazing at the semi-transparent, semi-real dragon qi. Unlike the scattered smaller strands of dragon qi, these nine crucial veins were visible to the naked eye.

When the complete dragon vein was first extracted from the ground, countless citizens in the capital witnessed it. But once it found a host, the dragon qi became invisible.

Xu Qi’an was prepared. Through his robe, he gently tapped the Book of Heaven fragment hidden at his abdomen, his lips moving as he recited an incantation.

The dragon Qi, which was attempting to escape the room, was pulled back by an invisible force. It let out a silent roar, reluctantly entering the Book of Heaven fragment.

To onlookers, it appeared as if the dragon qi had chosen Xu Qi’an as its new host…

As Chai Xian’s dragon qi merged with the fragment, it immediately fused with another vein inside. While its length remained unchanged, it became more substantial.

Simultaneously, Xu Qi’an’s “radar” range doubled, now covering a third of Xiangzhou City.

“If only it could cover a third of Xiangzhou Province…” he muttered unrealistically, then turned his gaze to Chai Xian with a sigh.

For Chai Xian, the truth was too cruel – patricide, killing innocents, especially the family of three including Er Ya. When he realized everything was his doing, he lost the will to live.

For Xu Qi’an, dissociative identity disorder wasn’t a subjective crime and couldn’t be judged lightly. However, the massacre in the village was indeed Chai Xian’s doing. Mental illness or not, murder was still murder, and the damage couldn’t be undone.

He hadn’t forgiven Chai Xian just because of his mental illness.

Given these complex feelings, Xu Qi’an didn’t stop Chai Xian from taking his own life.

Chai Lan collapsed onto Chai Xian’s body, her cries hoarse.

Good and evil have their rewards, cause and effect are cyclical… Xu Qi’an then turned to the other culprit and asked, “Chai Xing’er, who is your superior?”

Chai Xing’er shook her head. “I don’t know. Subordinates don’t know their superiors’ identities; it’s the rule of the Tianji Palace. We communicate through letters, and if there’s urgent business, we use carrier pigeons.”

“There are carrier pigeons in the mansion. If you want to know who my superior is, you can track them. I’ve never tried to find out my superior’s identity, but I suspect the pigeons’ destination might not be my superior’s actual residence.”

While subordinates might not know their superiors’ identities, superiors likely knew their subordinates and which areas they were responsible for gathering intelligence from… Xu Qi’an pondered, then asked, “No other emergency contact methods?”

Chai Xing’er shook her head.

This was to prevent a captured spy from compromising the entire network, though it risked delayed intelligence… Xu Qi’an continued, “Tell me about the Tianji Palace.”

“Tianji Palace spies are ranked from one to nine. I’m a fifth-rank spy. I have two sixth-rank spies under me, both in Zhangzhou. I don’t know about levels below that. It’s another Tianji Palace rule – you only know your direct subordinates’ identities.”

Chai Xing’er didn’t hide anything, truthfully revealing the information under the power of the precept.

These are all small fry, not worth wasting time and effort to hunt down. But Chai Xing’er’s superior might be worth my attention… Xu Qi’an thought, glancing at the Buddhist monks.

No, we need to leave Zhangzhou quickly. Du Nan Jin Gang could arrive at any moment, and there might be more arhats. We can’t stay here long.

“How did you become a Tianji Palace spy?” Xu Qi’an asked his final question, curious about how spies were trained and how they cultivated such loyalty.

In this aspect, both Wei Gong and the Unfilial Son were industry leaders.

Wei Gong had passed away, so he couldn’t ask him. The Unfilial Son would be eager for him to ask, only to spring the trap of “a father’s sword strikes his wandering son.”

Xu Qi’an could only use this roundabout method.

Heng Yin put his palms together and said, “Do not speak falsely.”

The time limit of the precept had passed, so he needed to reapply it.

Chai Xing’er was reluctant internally, but her mouth was honest: “It was ten years ago when I was still unmarried, just the eldest daughter of the Chai family. That summer, I was cultivating in the courtyard when I suddenly heard someone laugh and say, ‘Little girl, you have good aptitude…'”

“That was the first time I saw the Palace Master. He wore snow-white robes and stood brazenly in the courtyard, while the maids around seemed oblivious to his presence.”

The Unfilial Son?

Xu Qi’an frowned. Given Xu Pingfeng’s status and position, it didn’t make sense for him to visit a martial arts family like the Chais. It was even more unlikely for him to reveal himself just because Chai Xing’er showed good aptitude.

Chai Xing’er continued, “I asked who he was, and he said he came to seek a treasure.”

“Seek a treasure?”

Chai Xing’er nodded. “The Chai family ancestors were originally slaves from the Southern Borderlands. In his youth, our ancestor’s family was massacred, and enemies sold him as a slave to the Southern Borderlands. After mastering his skills, he returned to Xiangzhou, which led to the current Chai family.”

“To this day, few know why the Chai family was massacred back then, or why our ancestor was sold to the Southern Borderlands.”

She paused, her expression serious, and said, “The Chai family were originally tomb keepers, guarding an ancient grand tomb. Later, for unknown reasons, they abandoned their tombkeeper identity and established the family in Xiangzhou. The massacre happened because someone wanted to raid that grand tomb.”

“Logically, the Chai family’s tombkeeper identity wasn’t known to outsiders. Perhaps there was a traitor in the family who leaked the information. This happened over a hundred years ago, and I’m not clear on the details.”

A grand tomb?!

Xu Qi’an’s tomb phobia was acting up again.

The underground palace outside Yongzhou City had left him with deep psychological scars.

“Then what happened? Xu…” Xu Qi’an cleared his throat and asked, “Did that white-robed man enter the grand tomb?”

The Buddhist monks also seemed very interested in this matter, listening patiently.

Chai Xing’er shook her head. “The Chai family only had half of the tomb’s map. The other half was with the Corpse Gu Sect in the Southern Borderlands. The Palace Master only took the Chai family’s half of the map. I don’t know what happened after that.”

“After that, I became a Tianji Palace spy. My achievements and cultivation today are all due to the Tianji Palace’s nurturing over the years.”

A tomb that could interest Xu Pingfeng must contain something extraordinary. With half the map in the Corpse Gu Sect’s hands, does that mean Xu Pingfeng hasn’t entered the tomb yet?

Also, if the map was with the Corpse Gu Sect, does that mean it was originally in the hands of the young Chai ancestor? If so, how did he end up sold as a slave in the Southern Borderlands? This doesn’t add up… Xu Qi’an pondered for a moment, then asked, “What else do you know about the grand tomb?”

“Only the Chai family head knows about the tomb’s existence. If not for the Palace Master, I wouldn’t know this secret either.”

“Why did he tell you this secret?”

“The Palace Master said that to open the grand tomb, they needed the blood of a tomb keeper as a medium.”

So, Xu Pingfeng developed Chai Xing’er from the Chai family as a spy, using her as a pawn on his chessboard… Xu Qi’an didn’t ask further. Instead, he turned to Jing Xin and Jing Yuan, saying, “Soon, Tianji Palace’s superior will come to the Chai mansion. You masters should take care of yourselves.”

He summoned the Pagoda of Six Realms, holding it in his palm. The door of the first level opened, and a swirling vortex sucked Chai Xing’er in, trapping her on the second level.

Then, he placed his hands on Li Lingsu and Heng Yin’s shoulders, transforming into shadows and leaving the Chai mansion.

The inner hall fell silent.

Jing Xin gazed at the deep night outside the door, put his palms together, and recited a Buddhist mantra.

He didn’t kill us… The Buddhist monks let out a sigh, feeling both relieved and confused.

“Senior Brother Jing Xin, what should we do now?” a monk asked.

Jing Xin glanced at the unconscious Jing Yuan and said softly:

“Junior Brother Jing Yuan needs rest. Let’s leave him at the Chai mansion, for now, waiting for Uncle Master Du Nan to arrive.”

He then looked at Chai Lan. They still needed to protect the Chai family; it was the condition for the Buddhist Disciple to spare them. But this was an unspoken understanding between intelligent people, no need to say it out loud.

…

Outside the city, in the pitch-black night, Xu Qi’an, Li Lingsu, and the puppet Heng Yin walked onto the main road, facing the biting cold wind.

The Holy Son kept his head down, lost in thought, not saying a word.

Xu Qi’an, looking ahead, sneered:

“Not being entangled by emotions, not being trapped by emotions, reaching a level of detached observation – that’s what it means to be above emotions. You said Li Miaozhen was on the wrong path, that she would abandon the world for one person. But what about you?”

Li Lingsu suddenly raised his head and opened his mouth as if to refute or explain, but finally fell silent.

After a while, he said softly, “I don’t know.”

Xu Qi’an put himself in Li Lingsu’s shoes and realized he would be just as conflicted, so he didn’t mock him further.

Li Lingsu asked, “Senior, how do you plan to deal with Xing’er?”

Xu Qi’an replied frankly, “Reviewing the case from the beginning, why do you think Chai Xing’er invited various heroes and officials to hold the Demon Slaying Conference?”

Li Lingsu, being clever, answered, “To control Chai Xian and suppress the murder cases.”

“Correct. She provoked Chai Xian to kill Chai Jianyuan. Chai Xian’s subsequent escape and killing spree in Xiangzhou were likely not in her expectations, outside of her plan. Whether to remedy the situation or to prevent it from escalating, that’s why she called the Demon Slaying Conference. In other words, the conference wasn’t part of her original plan.”

Chai Xing’er’s plan was quite simple: use the secret of his background to provoke Chai Xian, kill Chai Jianyuan to avenge her husband’s death, and then use Chai Lan as leverage to control Chai Xian. But that night, Chai Xian directly killed his way out of the Chai mansion. Although Chai Xian was retained, the subsequent murders were beyond Chai Xing’er’s plan. To curb the deterioration of the situation, she called the Demon Slaying Conference.

This case was more complicated than the ones Xu Qi’an had investigated before.

“I want to learn more about the Tianji Palace, and when there’s a chance, that grand tomb needs to be explored as well,” Xu Qi’an said.

Li Lingsu waited for a moment, but no further content came. He frowned and asked, “So?”

I’ve given her a suspended death sentence… Xu Qi’an said, “Your little lover won’t die for now.”

That grand tomb must be very dangerous. Chai Xing’er could be used as a tool in the future. If she dies in there, it would be her fate. If she doesn’t die, he will strip away Chai Xing’er’s cultivation and have Li Lingsu take her back to the Heavenly Sect for life imprisonment.

Li Lingsu exhaled with a complex expression and changed the subject: “Although the Buddhist sect is annoying, they do have a bottom line. The Chai family should be fine.”

Xu Qi’an grunted in agreement. Suddenly, he stopped, reaching into his robe with a strange expression, and pulled out a talisman.

The talisman emitted a faint glow in the night.

Then, Li Lingsu heard a soft, charming voice:

“Where are you?”

…

At the border between Qingzhou and Yongzhou, a small town, the cold wind howled through the streets.

Qi Huan Danxiang, wearing colorful clothes and with dark skin, walked into a dirty, urine-smelling alley. He bent down and spread his palm at the entrance of a wall hole.

A scruffy large rat crawled out of the hole and jumped into his palm.

Qi Huan Danxiang tilted his head, listening to something. After a moment, he put the rat back into the hole, raised his head, and said:

“My friend tells me that the boy just passed through here.”

Under the moonlight, six figures stood on the eaves on both sides of the alley.

In the center was a smiling young man who gave off a gentle and humble impression.

He smiled and said, “As expected of a dragon vein host, with overwhelming luck, always managing to escape from our hands. Little sister Yuan Shuang, see which direction he fled.”

Xu Yuan Shuang’s pupils flashed with a clear light as she gazed into the distance, seeing a flash of golden light in the far southeast.

“Towards Yongzhou,” she said calmly.

The old Taoist priest with banana leaf eyes squinted, pretending to look into the distance, and laughed:

“That boy isn’t very strong, but he’s well-versed in all sorts of underhanded tricks. Hmm, he’s a rogue cultivator who’s been through the ups and downs of the jianghu. There’s a martial arts conference being held in Yongzhou, he’s probably trying to use the tiger to devour the wolf, to get rid of us.”

On their way to Yongzhou, they encountered a dragon qi host. The boy wasn’t very strong, just at the seventh-rank Spirit Refinement realm.

His intuition was incredibly sharp, with so many little tricks that it gave them headaches. Each time, he managed to escape from their grasp by the skin of his teeth.

Liu Hongmian from the Wanhua Tower swayed her waist and said with a smile, “Isn’t that perfect? The trip to Yongzhou might yield even greater rewards than we imagined.”

She glanced at Ji Xuan, who seemed lost in thought, and said with a coy smile:

“Young City Lord, why so pensive? Why don’t you let this slave girl help ease your troubles tonight?”

Ji Xuan smiled bitterly, “Good sister, don’t tease me. Everyone knows your reputation as a beautiful but venomous woman, Liu Hongmian. Yuan Huai is still a virgin, he’s more suitable for your… education.”

Xu Yuan Huai’s face remained stern.

Liu Hongmian’s gaze swept over the beautiful young girl, and she chuckled behind her hand, “I’m just afraid someone might tear me apart.”

Xu Yuan Shuang let out a cold snort.

Ji Xuan said, “I’m just wondering if the Imperial Tutor has any more tricks up his sleeve.”

Everyone looked at him.

“Whether it’s the Buddhist sect, the Sky Observatory, or even the Witchcraft Religion, they all have third-rank experts involved in collecting dragon qi this time. Only we don’t. With the Imperial Tutor’s intelligence, could he not have calculated this?”

Ji Xuan stroked his chin, “I don’t believe he doesn’t have a backup plan.”

…

Xu Qi’an held the talisman and replied, “I’m on my way to Yongzhou.”

He opened his mouth as if wanting to say more, but finally remained silent.

“I’ll be in Yongzhou City in three days.”

“Alright…”

The light of the talisman faded.

Here it comes, the Imperial Tutor is coming to sleep with me… Xu Qi’an thought with mixed feelings.

“Senior, who was that just now?” Li Lingsu was surprised by how alluring the woman’s voice was.

“Just a woman of ordinary appearance,” Xu Qi’an took his turn to show off in front of the Holy Son.

What a pity, it seems Xu Qian has unique tastes, not fond of beauty but preferring women of ordinary appearance… Li Lingsu made a sound of acknowledgment and didn’t ask further.

Why isn’t he asking more? I haven’t even started showing off yet… Xu Qi’an also grunted in response and continued walking with his head down.

Forcing an explanation wouldn’t fit Xu Qian’s character.

Anyway, the Imperial Tutor would arrive in three days. He could show off in public then, letting the Heavenly Sect’s scumbag see what a high-quality beauty looks like.