“A large tomb?”
Hearing this, Xu Qi’an turned his head to look at the southern mountain range. In the darkness of night, the mountains lay quietly dormant, clustered together, their silhouette resembling a blooming lotus flower.
After just a few glances, Xu Qi’an, who knew nothing about feng shui, withdrew his gaze. However, he noticed that Taoist Jin Lian, Chu Yuanzhen, and Heng Yuan were all looking very intently, focusing their gaze.
Compared to them, my foundation is still too shallow. It’s also because the martial arts system is too low-level and, does not understand feng shui… Wait, that’s not right. Isn’t feng shui the specialty of cultivators?
Thinking of this, Xu Qi’an asked, “Can you all understand the feng shui of that mountain range over there?”
Taoist Jin Lian withdrew his gaze: “I don’t understand it.”
Chu Yuanzhen and Heng Yuan also shook their heads.
You don’t understand but you’re looking so seriously, you’re all better at pretending than me… Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched, and then he heard Taoist Jin Lian frown and say:
“Although I don’t understand feng shui, the layout of the earth veins is somewhat similar. Even if that mountain range is a feng shui treasure land, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a large tomb there.”
That’s right, what the Taoist said makes sense. Feng shui masters can only see feng shui, how could they see if there’s a tomb underground? Xu Qi’an looked at Zhong Li.
“The large tomb has been excavated, and the yin qi is rushing to the sky,” Zhong Li said, her eyes flashing with clear light as she observed the terrain. “The shape is like a lotus flower, with the main peak facing east, receiving purple qi. Behind is a river, and there must be an underground stream at the bottom, nourished by black water. It’s a ‘three flowers converging at the top’ terrain. If there’s an iron mine in the mountains, then all five elements would be present.”
All five elements are present. Xu Qi’an thought, and asked aloud, “So?”
“To be able to choose such a feng shui treasure land, the person in the tomb must be extraordinary,” Zhong Li said.
“I’m quite curious. Apart from cultivators, other systems don’t understand feng shui. So who chose this tomb site?” Xu Qi’an scratched his head.
Zhong Li answered every question, “Besides cultivators, shamans have some understanding of feng shui, and Taoists know a bit too.”
Cultivators evolved from the shaman system, so, understandably, shamans know a bit… Taoists also understand feng shui. Xu Qi’an couldn’t help but look at Taoist Jin Lian.
The others looked at him simultaneously.
Taoist Jin Lian shook his head: “The Earth Realm doesn’t study such things. The Heaven Realm and Human Realm do dabble in it. To be precise, the Heaven Realm has this ability naturally because they reach profound levels of cultivation, becoming one with heaven and earth, sensing all things.
“The Human Realm’s cultivation involves karmic fire, needing to rely on emperors, so they actively study feng shui. But they’re not as proficient as cultivators.”
Headmaster Zhao Shou told me that there are three things related to fate: Confucianism, cultivators, and the imperial court! The Human Realm’s cultivation also needs to rely on emperors, so why isn’t it on this list? Xu Qi’an thought.
Zhong Li continued: “There might be extraordinary treasures in this tomb, but they come with great danger.”
She stared straight at the south, both longing and wary.
Xu Qi’an exchanged glances with the members of the Heaven and Earth Society. Taoist Jin Lian shook his head and said, “Let’s find the person first. We can discuss entering the tomb later.”
Find Number Five and return to the capital, pretending this never happened.
Heng Yuan glanced at Zhong Li and nodded: “The dead are gone. There’s no need to disturb them.”
Chu Yuanzhen agreed, “Besides, we’re not well-prepared. Entering the tomb is something to be considered carefully.”
Everyone’s survival instinct is so strong. They’re all reassuring teammates, with no troublemakers or busybodies. How nice… Xu Qi’an felt very gratified.
As for how to find the person, after some discussion, they decided to approach it from three aspects:
First, Xu Qi’an would use his status as a night watchman to mobilize government officials and local militia to search.
Second, Taoist Jin Lian and Chu Yuanzhen could fly and would be responsible for the towns and villages around the main city.
Third, Master Heng Yuan would inquire among martial artists and common people in the city.
“Number Five is from the Southern Border, with distinctive facial features. She’s cute and petite. Anyone who’s seen her should remember,” Taoist Jin Lian said.
Cute and petite… Xu Qi’an took out a handful of silver from his pouch and handed it to Master Heng Yuan: “When asking people for information, the best method is silver, followed by fists. Master Heng Yuan can use both approaches.”
Heng Yuan took the silver and nodded.
…
Xiangzhou governed eight states and sixteen counties. Xiangcheng was the main city, with a population of over 500,000. Although it couldn’t compare to the capital, it was still a top-tier large city.
As soon as dawn broke, Xu Qi’an took Zhong Li into the city. On the streets, apart from the stalls of those making a living and craftsmen who had risen early to work, ordinary people hadn’t yet gotten out of bed.
However, brothels and entertainment venues had opened early.
Customers came out yawning, shivering in the slightly cold morning breeze before dispersing.
I wonder how the brothels in Xiangcheng compare to those in the capital, if the singing is good if the women are charming… Xu Qi’an caught a passerby to ask for directions to the government office, steeling his heart to leave the brothels and entertainment venues behind.
Entering the government office, he used his Silver Constable badge to see the Prefect of Xiangzhou.
The Prefect’s surname was Li, a pot-bellied middle-aged man who politely received Xu Qi’an.
Xu Qi’an drank tea and said, “This official is looking for a young woman from the Southern Border. She’s very young and beautiful, with easily recognizable features. I hope Prefect Li can mobilize people to search for her.
“If there’s any news, please post an announcement at the city gate. When this official sees it, I will naturally come to inquire.”
Prefect Li nodded: “Rest assured, Sir Xu. This official will certainly do as you say.”
Only then did Xu Qi’an nod with satisfaction and take another sip of tea. He continued to ask, “Has anything unusual happened in Xiangcheng recently? Or have any strange characters been fighting in the vicinity?”
Prefect Li thought for a moment and shook his head: “No.”
After Xu Qi’an left, Prefect Li called for his deputy and relayed the matter to him.
“This is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Although people from the Southern Border have distinctive features, Xiangcheng is very big. How can we find her?”
The deputy, hearing it was a thankless task, was inclined to shirk it.
Prefect Li waved his hand: “A Silver Constable from the capital, we can’t refuse. Just go through the motions.”
After saying this, he suddenly frowned and said, “Silver Constable Xu Qi’an… This name and title sound rather familiar. Go and fetch the court bulletin that arrived yesterday.”
Yesterday, the government office received a court bulletin from the capital, saying that the Astronomical Bureau had achieved a great victory in a competition with Western Buddhism. It instructed all prefectures to post this news for widespread announcement.
When the bulletin was brought, Prefect Li looked at it closely, staring at one line for a long time: Silver Constable Xu Qi’an represented the Astronomical Bureau in the competition.
So it’s this big shot who came… Prefect Li looked at his deputy and said solemnly, “This matter, go and handle it immediately, and you must do your utmost.
He pointed at the bulletin, “The Silver Constable who just left is the important figure mentioned in the bulletin.”
“This subordinate will certainly do his best,” the deputy nodded repeatedly.
…
As the sun rose higher, Xu Qi’an took Zhong Li around the city several times, specifically inquiring about martial artists, but to no avail.
“Logically speaking, if Number Five encountered a demonic Taoist from the Earth Realm, she’s likely in grave danger or has been captured…
“Taoist Jin Lian bringing us to search for her is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Unless he believes Number Five could escape from the hands of the Earth Realm’s demonic Taoist.
“That’s why he brought us here, to follow the clues to find Number Five. If so, there must be traces of battle in Xiangcheng. According to what I learned at the government office, if anyone had witnessed such an intense battle, they would have reported it to the authorities. The government office couldn’t possibly know.
“Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that Prefect Li is concealing information. But I’ve been inquiring in the city for a long time and haven’t heard of any strange occurrences. You know, the mouths of the common people are the fastest channel for information to spread… I guess we should go listen to some music at the brothel after all.”
Thinking this, Xu Qi’an took Zhong Li into a brothel.
“We’ve been inquiring all morning and are parched. Let’s go in and rest for a moment, have some water and food,” Xu Qi’an explained.
Zhong Li hesitated for a moment, then obediently followed him in.
“This way, honored guests.”
A young attendant in blue clothes from the brothel enthusiastically came forward, leading Xu Qi’an and Zhong Li toward the main hall.
“Choose a good private room on the second floor, and prepare wine, food, and fruit.”
Xu Qi’an flicked out a piece of silver, his tone as practiced as if he were at a familiar club, saying to the madam: The usual room, send over Numbers 2 and 5, I’ll take them out tonight.
The young attendant looked Zhong Li over a few times, revealing an ambiguous smile: “Then please come upstairs, honored guest.”
Generally speaking, those who bring women into brothels are purely there to listen to music and watch performances. But there are exceptions, like those who enjoy bringing outside women to play in brothels.
These women are often of dubious origin, and not suitable to be taken home, which is why they choose brothels.
This guest looks extraordinarily handsome. I didn’t expect him to like such an unkempt woman… The young attendant mused inwardly, but his feet moved swiftly, leading Xu Qi’an up to the second floor and opening a private room.
“Who are you looking for?” Zhong Li asked softly while eating.
“A member of a secret organization, created by Taoist Jin Lian of the Earth Realm,” Xu Qi’an said, unafraid of the tool-person revealing his privacy.
Zhong Li chewed in small bites. Xu Qi’an still couldn’t see her face, only able to see her rosy little mouth when she ate, with quite a beautiful lip shape.
“His primordial spirit is incomplete,” Zhong Li suddenly said.
“What do you mean?” Xu Qi’an was startled.
Zhong Li didn’t answer, but instead said: “Like your lover in the Imperial Entertainment Bureau, his primordial spirit doesn’t match his physical body.”
After a long silence, Xu Qi’an nodded and made an “Oh” sound in a normal tone.
“Is the artifact in your hands the Earth Book?” Zhong Li asked again.
Xu Qi’an nodded.
“The Earth Book is an ancient treasure. It’s said to date back to the era of the ancient human emperors. It’s an artifact born from the evolution of heaven and earth, but it later shattered,” Zhong Li said.
“How did it shatter?” Xu Qi’an became interested.
“I heard the Supervising Censor teacher say, he guessed, well, it should have been broken by the Dao Venerable,” Zhong Li took a sip of wine and explained:
“The Astronomical Bureau has a catalog of artifacts, specifically recording information about artifacts in the Nine Provinces. It was personally compiled by the Supervising Censor teacher.”
This artifact is very important and related to Taoist Jin Lian’s plan to clean the house. If it falls into the hands of the Earth Realm’s demonic Taoists, the consequences would be unthinkable. After all, no one can be sure of snatching an Earth Book fragment from the hands of a second-rank Taoist leader.
The Taoist must be extremely anxious, but he didn’t show it in front of us… Xu Qi’an thought to himself.
…
Standing on the paper crane, Taoist Jin Lian’s face was heavy as he swept over the land below. Xu Qi’an’s guess wasn’t wrong; he was indeed somewhat anxious.
When Number Five didn’t respond to the book transmission, he already had a bad feeling. When he lost contact with the Earth Book fragment, Taoist Jin Lian knew there was a problem.
Who could have guessed that Number Five’s luck would be so bad? Her cultivation wasn’t weak; even if she encountered a demonic Taoist from the Earth Realm if she couldn’t win, she should at least be able to escape…
With the lesson of Purple Lotus, the Earth Realm’s demonic Taoists would certainly not search for the holders one by one with the Earth Book fragment like before.
They might keep it hidden in the Earth Realm for a long time.
If the fragments couldn’t be gathered, half of his grand plan would fail.
Now, he could only pray that Number Five hadn’t fallen into the hands of the Earth Realm. This way, they might still be able to rescue the little girl. As for the Earth Book fragment…
“Is it fate?”
Taoist Jin Lian sighed inwardly, revealing a bitter smile.
On the other side, Chu Yuanzhen glided on his flying sword, moving extremely fast. With his eyesight, he could see if any battle had taken place with just a glance.
“If the Earth Book fragment can’t be found, then the Heaven and Earth Society, which has just restored normal book transmission, will have to lie low again, not daring to make a sound.
“This is not only unfavorable for exchanging intelligence with each other, but will also gradually estrange members who have developed some feelings. Most importantly, it will be difficult for Taoist Jin Lian’s plan to succeed. And we promised to help him clean house, which indirectly increases the risk.”
At this moment, all the holders of the Earth Book fragments felt a simultaneous tremor.
[Two: I plan to go to Jiangzhou to investigate a case, and then go to the capital, eliminating evil along the way. Well, let’s postpone the Heaven-Human Debate for a few days. I’ll come to the capital after the palace examination.]
After the palace examination, that’s twenty days later, not too late… Chu Yuanzhen had a vague guess in his heart that Li Miaozheng was about to break through, which is why she kept postponing.
“This shows that she doesn’t have much confidence in the Heaven-Human Debate, which is good for me. But if she successfully breaks through to the fourth rank, it will be a life-and-death struggle, unavoidable.”
[Six: Something has happened to Number Five. She disappeared in Xiangzhou. Taoist Jin Lian lost the connection between the Earth Book fragments. She was likely captured by a demonic Taoist from the Earth Realm.]
After about ten seconds of silence, Number Two’s book transmission came through, in large chunks:
[Are you sure she was captured by a demonic Taoist from the Earth Realm? Xiangzhou, right? Is Taoist Jin Lian also in Xiangzhou? I’ll come over immediately to help search for Number Five. She’s been missing for several days. Has Taoist Jin Lian found any clues? How can this girl be so unlucky? What were her elders from the Southern Border Gu Clan thinking?
[Sending a girl with little experience of the world to a foreign country, and not even sending someone to protect her. Barbarians will always be barbarians…]
Number Two chattered on like a mother hen, and anyone could hear her urgency.
[One: If they encountered Earth Sect Demon Cultivators in Xiangzhou, a battle must have ensued. They should seek help from the local authorities.]
At this moment, Daoist Jinlian sent a message: [Two, there’s no need for you to come. It’s pointless. Fourth and Sixth are also in Xiangzhou.]
A few seconds later, Daoist Jinlian sent another message: [We’ve done what we can. Let fate decide the rest.]
Anyone could sense the helplessness in the Daoist’s words. The members of Tiandicong felt a heaviness in their hearts. They worried about the magical treasure falling into the hands of the Demon Cultivators, and they were concerned for Fifth’s safety.
…
“Huh, the Daoist didn’t mention me. It seems the ‘Cat Cultivator’ identity really makes him wary. Just as I thought, people shouldn’t have quirks, and if they do, they shouldn’t let others know. That’s like handing over a living weakness,” Xu Qi An chuckled.
Then he turned to Zhong Li, “Are you full?”
“Mm-hmm!” Zhong Li nodded obediently.
“I have a bold idea,” Xu Qi An promptly said.
“I suggest you keep your bold idea to yourself,” Zhong Li warned cautiously.
A few minutes later, the nervous Fifth Sister of the Bureau of Astronomy was dragged onto the street by Xu Qi An.
“Just point to any clear path. With your Prophet abilities, I think we might find some clues,” he said.
“Based on my experience, even if we find clues, it usually leads to an even worse outcome,” Zhong Li reminded him.
Sunlight fell on her, making her hair shimmer with rainbow colors. She was actually quite clean, just unkempt, which made people mistake her for a dirty girl.
“But don’t forget, I’m a person with great fortune. I can offset some of your misfortune,” Xu Qi An argued.
Zhong Li was persuaded. She was inherently an obedient girl, lacking some initiative.
She lowered her head, strange patterns of solidified clear light appearing in her pupils. A few seconds later, her voice, slightly hollow, came out: “Walk three li south. We’ll find the clues we want… a man in green clothes… anxious and uneasy…”
After speaking, she weakly collapsed to the ground.
“A Prophet can only make one prediction per day. After that, the misfortune escalates into divine punishment. Without great fortune or the protection of a special formation, I wouldn’t survive two hours.”
Prophets are inherently plagued by misfortune, and after revealing heavenly secrets, they face divine punishment directly? Considering the Supervisor’s style of doing things, it feels like this system of Ritualists is practically born for conspiracy, secretly plotting like old foxes… While Xu Qi An was mentally complaining, he carried Zhong Li on his back.
“I’ll carry you.”
The little sister is quite well-endowed! He mentally added, feeling the sensation on his back and the soft fullness in his hands.
The three li journey turned out to be far from peaceful. Xu Qi An encountered a horseman charging recklessly through the street, two sudden carriage malfunctions, and a martial artist who mistook Zhong Li for his wife eloping with another man and attacked in anger.
How did a three li walk turn into a journey to the West? My goodness, this woman must be cursed… Xu Qi An grumbled internally.
“I’m sorry, I’ve brought trouble upon you,” Zhong Li said.
“It’s nothing, really. I, Xu Qi An, have seen all sorts of storms. I absolutely don’t blame you,” Xu Qi An assured her.
“I… I can read auras…” she said softly.
“…”
Xu Qi An pretended not to hear and looked around. He saw a man in green clothes sitting cross-legged by the roadside with a sign in front of him that read:
“Urgent help needed from the jianghu. Sincerely seeking assistance from experts of the Seventh Rank or higher. Generous reward offered. Only serious inquiries.”
What’s with this strong sense of déjà vu… Xu Qi An approached and stared at the green-clothed man for a moment before saying, “Brother, what trouble have you encountered?”
The man in green clothes looked at him grimly, didn’t respond, and just pointed at the wooden sign.
Xu Qi An was about to speak when he heard a shout from behind: “You scoundrel! You killed my entire family. Today, I’ll make you pay blood for blood!”
Looking back, he saw a burly jianghu fighter wielding a steel blade, charging over in fury.
“Ha!”
The steel blade came slashing down.
The man in green clothes’ expression changed as he shouted, “Watch out!”
Unexpectedly, Xu Qi An didn’t even try to dodge. He let the blade hit his head. With a “ding,” the blade’s edge curled.
The green-clothed man’s eyes widened as he stammered, “S-Sixth Rank?!”
The fierce-looking jianghu fighter also came to his senses, realizing he had mistaken his target and had just struck someone with Sixth Rank iron skin. His face turned pale with fright.
He quickly knelt and kowtowed, “Spare me, great hero! Spare me! This lowly one mistook you for someone else. I didn’t recognize Mount Tai before me.”
“Get lost!”
Xu Qi An kicked him away, then looked at the man in green clothes. “Is my minor skill enough to help?”
“More than enough…”
The green-clothed man was overjoyed, his face full of excitement. “Please help save someone, great hero. We can discuss the reward, no problem.”
He suspected he was dreaming, to actually encounter a Sixth Rank warrior. It was like pie falling from the sky.
“Great hero, let’s talk somewhere else,” the green-clothed man suggested.
We’ll just encounter other troubles if we change locations. Better stay put… Xu Qi An suddenly understood why Zhong Li didn’t want to climb out of the pit. When facing unknown dangers, staying put and waiting for rescue is the best choice. It’s heartbreakingly familiar…
“Alright, fine…” The green-clothed man had no choice but to comply. He coughed and lowered his voice, “My name is Qian You, and I’m a leader of the Houtu Gang.”
Good name! Xu Qi An asked curiously, “Houtu Gang?”
The green-clothed man explained somewhat embarrassedly, “Our line of work involves excavating ancient ruins and tombs, bringing buried objects back to light.”
Oh, grave robbers, no, I mean tomb raiders! Xu Qi An realized.
Qian You watched Xu Qi An closely, and seeing no disgust, he continued, “Around the end of last year, our gang’s consultant discovered an auspicious site outside Xiangcheng, likely concealing a grand tomb beneath.
“After excavation, it turned out to be true. But our deputy leader said the tomb was filled with terrifyingly foul qi, possibly harboring evil entities. Our Houtu Gang alone couldn’t handle it…”
“Wait!” Xu Qi An interrupted, staring at him and questioning, “How did your deputy leader know the tomb was filled with terrifyingly foul qi?”
Qian You proudly puffed out his chest, “Our Houtu Gang’s deputy leader is a Ritualist, a rare one in the jianghu.”
A Ritualist?! Xu Qi An looked at Zhong Li in shock. Her face was hidden behind her messy hair, her expression unseen. Xu Qi An suddenly recalled that he had once inquired within Tiandicong about the Ritualist system. Although it had only existed for 600 years, that time seemed short only in comparison to other systems.
The entire national fortune of Great Feng was only 600 years old.
Besides the Bureau of Astronomy, there were wild Ritualists across the Nine Provinces.
“What rank?” Xu Qi An asked.
“Seventh Rank Feng Shui Master,” Qian You answered.
Indeed, for wild Ritualists, Seventh Rank was about the limit. Sixth Rank Alchemists needed to be affiliated with the dynasty and receive “positive feedback” from the common people, conditions that ordinary Ritualists could hardly meet.
Xu Qi An nodded, “Continue.”
“We prepared for a full three months, recruiting experts from all over, preparing tools, including items of extreme yang to counter the yin energy in the tomb. It wasn’t until recently that we were fully prepared. We led people into the tomb, but…”
Qian You’s face gradually paled, anxiety and worry appearing in his eyes:
“The gang leader and the others never came back. I knew something must have gone wrong. But with my limited abilities, I was helpless. I could only continue to recruit experts to rescue them.”
That tomb sounds extremely dangerous, able to catch these professionals off guard… Hmm, the authorities usually don’t deal with these matters, they might even arrest him, which is why he’s ‘setting up shop’ here asking for help… Wait a minute!
A thought struck Xu Qi An, and he quickly asked, “You mentioned recruiting experts earlier. Did you happen to recruit a young woman from the Southern Borderlands, seemingly quite skilled?”
Qian You looked at Xu Qi An curiously: “How does the great hero know? Indeed, there was a young woman from the Southern Borderlands, incredibly strong. She traveled thousands of li from the south, ran out of travel money, and had been starving for three days and nights.
“Our leader treated her to a big meal and promised to take her to the capital, covering her food and lodging along the way. She then agreed to enter the tomb with us.”
So that’s how it is. No wonder Zhong Li’s prophecy pointed to this fellow… It turns out Fifth wasn’t captured, but ran into trouble while tomb raiding… But why was the Earth Book fragment blocked?
For a meal and some travel money, this silly girl actually agreed to enter a tomb with strangers. Is this the so-called ‘beast-folk will never be slaves, unless food and lodging are provided’?
Xu Qi An’s mind was full of sarcastic thoughts.
Seeing him silent for a long time, Qian You hurriedly said, “There are great treasures in the tomb. If the great hero is willing to help, not only can you obtain the tomb’s treasures, but our Houtu Gang will also reward you generously.”
Xu Qi An glanced at him: “Since you’re at your wits’ end, reporting to the authorities would actually be more reliable.”
“If we report to the authorities, this lowly one would be the first to be arrested. The officials wouldn’t rush to save people either. It’s not reliable,” Qian You shook his head repeatedly.
“I’ll take this task,” Xu Qi An nodded.
…
Half an hour later, Qian You followed this powerful Sixth Rank martial artist out of the city. They weren’t heading towards the southern mountains, but north instead.
Qian You reminded him several times that they were going the wrong way, but Xu Qi An ignored him, only explaining calmly that he was going to find some friends to help.
Along the way, Qian You’s confidence gradually turned to trepidation… The reason being that this Sixth Rank expert was incredibly unlucky.
One moment he was hit by a carriage, the next mistaken for someone’s enemy, then mistaken by officials for a notorious bandit or wanted criminal.
Several times, Qian You was nearly caught up in the trouble.
“Could this be a star of misfortune? Is it really okay for someone like this to enter a tomb? What if he not only fails to save anyone but also brings misfortune to our leader and the others…”
With this thought, Qian You began to have second thoughts.
“Wait for me at a distance, as far as possible. Cover your ears,” Xu Qi An instructed.
“Alright!”
Qian You responded, slipping into the forest and then leaving without looking back.
This person may be powerful, but he’s far too unlucky. Even I can see the problem… After returning to the city, I’ll set up shop elsewhere… Leader, you all must hold on. I’ll definitely find a way to bring help.
Qian You’s mood was heavy. Suddenly, a deafening roar came from behind him, the rolling sound waves shaking the dense forest.
His vision darkened, his blood churned, and his ears rang. He immediately covered his ears and crouched down.
Several minutes passed before he recovered, patting his aching ears.
“What happened?” Qian You thought in shock.
At this moment, with his hearing not yet fully recovered, he vaguely heard a sharp whistling sound. He couldn’t help but look up to see a sword light breaking through the sky, with a man in green clothes standing on the sword.
From another direction, a paper crane came flying, with an old Daoist sitting cross-legged on its back.
They were purposefully converging towards the unlucky Sixth Rank expert.
“Immortal… helpers…” Qian You muttered.
He never imagined that the expert he encountered by the roadside was not only Sixth Rank himself but also had friends who could fly through the sky and burrow through the earth. It was like striking gold.
With these experts helping, how could they fail to rescue the leader and the others?
I must go back, right now, and cling to this great opportunity, never letting go!
This thought was unshakeable in his mind.
I can’t use the Earth Book fragment, or it would expose my identity. Luckily, I have a loud voice, so communication relies on shouting… Xu Qi An watched Daoist Jinlian and Chu Yuanzhen approaching rapidly and said:
“Master Hengyuan is still in the city. Daoist, please notify him.”
Daoist Jinlian leaped down from the paper crane, taking out the Earth Book fragment while urgently asking, “Have you found any clues?”
Chu Yuanzhen looked at Xu Qi An.
“There’s good news and bad news,” Xu Qi An pondered. “The good news is, I know where your young friend is. She wasn’t captured by the Earth Sect Demon Cultivators but encountered other trouble.”
“What trouble?” Daoist Jinlian asked repeatedly.
At this moment, Master Hengyuan arrived. He had heard a faint lion’s roar in the city and knew it might be Xu Qi An calling everyone together.
Constrained by the presence of civilians in the city, he couldn’t show his speed. He patiently left the city before sprinting at full power.
Learning that Xu Qi An had found clues about Fifth, Hengyuan put his palms together, gratefully chanting Buddha’s name, then looked at Xu Qi An expectantly.
“She’s still in Xiangcheng territory and hasn’t encountered the Earth Sect Demon Cultivators,” Xu Qi An pointed south and said solemnly, “She entered a tomb.”
Entered a tomb?!
This answer was truly beyond the three’s expectations. They were stunned for a while.
Xu Qi An saw Qian You returning in the distance, his face excited, stumbling and crawling. He smiled and said, “Perfect, Daoist can question him directly.”
After a round of questioning, the three had no more doubts and accepted the fact that Fifth had entered a tomb.
“Daoist, if Fifth is in the tomb, why is the Earth Book fragment blocked?” Chu Yuanzhen frowned.
“Besides the Earth Sect’s secret techniques that can seal the Earth Book fragment, other methods can do it too, just more restrictively,” Daoist Jinlian gazed south, squinting his eyes:
“There must be a grand formation in the tomb, blocking the Earth Book fragment, preventing her from receiving our messages.”
So it’s just no signal… Xu Qi An thought. Then, he caught a detail – there’s a grand formation in the tomb, and as everyone knows, the Bureau of Astronomy specializes in formations.
“We should hurry, let’s go down immediately,” Daoist Jinlian said impatiently.
“No!”
Xu Qi An shook his head: “I mentioned earlier, there’s also bad news.”
The three immediately stared at him intently.
Meeting their gaze, Xu Qi An’s face turned serious: “To find clues, Zhong Li used her prophecy ability. She’s now in a state of facing divine punishment.”
The three then stared intently at Zhong Li.
In the slightly silent atmosphere, Daoist Jinlian slowly said, “Since we know Fifth’s whereabouts, there’s… there’s no rush. This poor Daoist thinks we might as well rest a bit and enter the tomb tomorrow.”
Master Hengyuan put his palms together: “This poor monk thinks the same.”
Chu Yuanzhen nodded: “Good, very good!”
Everyone’s survival instinct is so strong. They’re all reassuring teammates, no troublemakers or busybodies. How wonderful… Xu Qi An felt extremely gratified.
Then, he paused, thinking this sentence sounded so familiar, as if he had just said it.