Xu Qi An studied this Dragon Qi host carefully. The man was in his twenties, around his age, with rough, dark skin—a wandering warrior who had spent years on the road.

His features were decent though not outstanding, except for his eyes which sparkled with brilliance. Earlier at the special establishment, Xu Qi An had glimpsed him from his sparrow’s perspective and formed a favorable impression—after all, men who frequented pleasure houses were angels who had lost their wings in their previous lives.

What had particularly impressed him was how Miao You Fang had prioritized the courtesan’s safety over his own when she was caught up in the incident. Among the wandering martial artists who often broke the law, such character was rare.

When dealing with Dragon Qi hosts, Xu Qi An’s task wasn’t limited to extracting the Dragon Qi—he also needed to assess their character. For those of good character, he would choose to be frank and explain everything clearly… For the wicked, a swift death would follow.

Miao You Fang was also sizing up Xu Qi An, somewhat cautiously, as the battle scene from yesterday remained vivid in his mind.

“Name, gender, age.”

Xu Qi An used the three standard interrogation questions from his previous life.

Miao You Fang was visibly taken aback, unused to such a formal approach. Intimidated by the man’s fierce display of power yesterday, he answered truthfully:

“Miao You Fang, male, twenty-three this year.”

You’re supposed to say “Yes, sir” first, Xu Qi An mentally joked, then asked: “Where are you from?”

“Miao Family Village in Black Sheep County, Qing Province.”

“Do you know why you’re here?” Xu Qi An asked.

Because I’m a genius… Miao You Fang replied proudly: “This great hero has wandered the jianghu for many years, killing street thugs, evil local powers, and corrupt officials who preyed on the common folk. I have too many enemies to count.”

As someone aspiring to become a great hero who punished evil and upheld justice, he had drawn his blade numerous times to right wrongs.

“But I don’t think that’s the reason…” Miao You Fang pursed his lips. “I’m not that naive.”

He knew his actions were mere trifles in the eyes of true powerhouses, not enough to warrant yesterday’s earth-shattering battle.

“Senior, just give it to me straight—will I live? If not, please make it quick. Though I’ve killed many, I’ve never tortured anyone.”

“And if you could live?” Xu Qi An countered.

Miao You Fang’s expression turned serious and sincere: “Then you’d be my father.”

…Interesting! But no, you’re too ugly to be my son.

Xu Qi An grabbed his shoulder. “Whether you live depends on how you perform next.”

Before Miao You Fang’s confused expression, he leaped upward. They instantly vanished from the first floor of the Pagoda of Six Paths, teleporting directly to the third floor.

Miao You Fang looked around in wonder. This space was vast, though not as wide as the first floor. Golden statues stood at the north and south ends, a severed arm lay to the west, and against the eastern wall was a small couch where an elderly monk and a woman sat.

The woman was plain-looking, holding a small white fox in her arms. Upon seeing them enter, she quickly pressed her palms together in a devout gesture.

“Master, please observe him with your Buddhist wisdom.”

Xu Qi An pressed his palms together toward the old monk, and after receiving a nod, he turned to stare at Miao You Fang and asked:

“Have you ever killed innocent people?”

“What defines innocent?”

“Those who haven’t committed capital crimes.”

“I’ve only killed those who deserved it.”

“Have you ever committed rape or kidnapping?”

“I wouldn’t stoop so low.”

As if to strengthen his argument, Miao You Fang raised his chin proudly:

“Why would I? The brothels have plenty of beautiful women who know how to treat a man well. No need for rape or kidnapping. Besides, I can always earn enough silver to spend at brothels.”

A shared transportation enthusiast… Xu Qi An grunted in acknowledgment and glanced at the old monk.

The latter nodded.

Finally, a Dragon Qi host with a decent character. What kind of people had he been dealing with until now?

Xu Qi An said: “You must be curious why those people pursued you so relentlessly yesterday, and why I’ve confined you in this pagoda.”

Miao You Fang nodded eagerly, his curiosity evident.

“Your natural talent isn’t that good,” Xu Qi An began to explain.

But Miao You Fang immediately interrupted, raising his head proudly:

“Though you’re my senior and my survival instinct says I shouldn’t argue, you can say anything about me except that I lack talent. Senior, I’m the strongest fighter in my village.”

Why don’t you just call yourself the most handsome one on the street? He seems quite fixated on his talent… Xu Qi An controlled his twitching lips and said calmly:

“Most of your current achievements come from something called Dragon Qi.”

Miao You Fang listened intently despite his skepticism.

“It’s a form of destiny energy created when the Great Feng Dynasty’s Constable Xu Qi An killed the corrupt emperor, causing the dragon meridians to scatter due to various accidents. Well, Constable Xu Qi An is a brilliant talent seen only once every few centuries—I don’t need to elaborate on that, right? Those who receive Dragon Qi experience constant strokes of luck. Money is just a minor benefit—connections, cultivation progress, and so on all improve significantly.

“You know your situation best. Hasn’t your luck suddenly improved since about a month ago? Wherever you go, you make friends easily and receive all sorts of gifts.

“Your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, and someone always appears to solve any problems you encounter.

“Moreover, you win nine out of ten times in gambling houses, earning fortunes daily.”

Miao You Fang grew increasingly silent as he listened. He remained quiet for a long time.

Everything this senior said was true, matching his experiences perfectly.

A month ago, when he returned home from his travels, he unexpectedly gained the attention of the most beautiful girl in town. The old master who taught him martial arts suddenly presented him with a secret manual, saying he wouldn’t live much longer and didn’t want his supreme skills to be lost…

After leaving the village to continue his travels, he encountered one fortunate event after another. Apart from yesterday’s pursuit, he had faced almost no crises.

His cultivation had indeed advanced rapidly.

Miao You Fang probed: “So…”

Xu Qi An answered: “If Dragon Qi remains scattered, the dynasty’s collapse is inevitable. And if foreign powers obtain it, the Central Plains changing hands is foreseeable. Therefore, I must retrieve the Dragon Qi.”

Seeing Miao You Fang’s struggling expression, he mocked:

“What, unwilling? You call yourself a great hero—surely you know that the greatest heroes serve their country and people.”

Silence answered him. The dark-skinned young man lowered his head, the struggle on his face intensifying.

After a long while, he asked: “I’m already a fish in your jar. You could take the Dragon Qi as you wish—why tell me all this?”

Xu Qi An replied flatly: “If you were a villain, I wouldn’t waste breath explaining.”

Miao You Fang stared at Xu Qi An for several seconds before lowering his head again.

After ten more seconds of silence, he sighed:

“Though it pains me, I am a hero after all, and a hero must act like one.

“If the Dragon Qi can truly save the dynasty, and if it is within me, then… then take it…”

Xu Qi An immediately took out the Earth Book fragment, aimed its mirror surface at him, and silently recited the incantation.

A golden light suddenly flashed in Miao You Fang’s eyes, accompanied by what seemed to be a dragon’s shadow. A thick golden dragon phantom burst from the top of his head and reluctantly entered the Earth Book fragment.

Miao You Fang felt a profound sense of loss.

Though he couldn’t see the Dragon Qi, he felt that something important had left him in that instant.

With this, I now have three crucial pieces. Once I gather the final six, my mission will be complete… Xu Qi An felt elated. In just over a month, he had collected three Dragon Qi.

Moreover, the tempering of the Taiping Blade would accelerate with this new Dragon Qi.

Noticing Miao You Fang’s dejected expression from the corner of his eye, Xu Qi An, in good spirits, advised:

“A true warrior’s heart is unbreakable. Without a courageous heart, even the mightiest strength can only bully the weak—against equals, it leads only to death.”

Miao You Fang scratched his head. “I should be content. Without the Dragon Qi, I might never have achieved what I have now. My talent isn’t good—the old master who taught me boxing in the village said so too.

“My fellow disciples laughed at my presumption, having mediocre talent yet aspiring to become a great hero. I left the village at sixteen to travel, and it took until twenty-three to save enough money to have a Lian Shen realm master help open my meridians.

“To save that money, I wore the same shoes for two years and patched the same robe for three.

“Then recently, my luck suddenly turned, and I finally had the chance to become a widely revered hero… Heh, what do the books say? Ah yes, like flowers in a mirror, moon in the water.

“But what isn’t mine, isn’t mine.”

He hung his head, discouraged, like an ugly duckling stripped of its illusions.

“I happen to need a follower.”

Miao You Fang’s head snapped up, staring at Xu Qi An’s impassive expression.

Xu Qi An continued casually: “As my follower, you’ll have to work tirelessly, like an ox or horse. There’s no monthly salary, but I might teach you a technique or two occasionally.”

Miao You Fang’s expression turned serious, and he pronounced each word distinctly: “Father.”

…Xu Qi An’s mouth twitched.

…

At Xiushui Town, southwest of Yong Province.

Liu Hong Mian sat on the roof ridge, one arm hugging her knee, the other propping up her chin, listlessly gazing at the distant scenery.

Xu Qi An is truly strong and worthy of being called the most talented young man in the Central Plains…

Ji Xuan seems to have lost his fighting spirit—could Master Jiao Ye’s death have affected him so deeply? He was just a monk with shallow cultivation…

The team’s morale has scattered; I should seek another path…

Ah, if only I could catch Constable Xu’s eye, I’d return to the Wanhua Tower in Sword Province and kick Xiao Yue Nu out of the sect…

Liu Hong Mian’s thoughts wandered.

She shifted her gaze to Ji Xuan in the courtyard below. The young master had been sitting by the well since last night, remaining there throughout the night.

“Though this might not be bad for him. Overcoming this setback could help him reach greater heights.”

Liu Hong Mian clicked her tongue twice. She still hoped to rely on Ji Xuan to retake the Wanhua Tower and reclaim her position as Tower Master.

…

Miao You Fang chose to stay by Xu Qian’s side as an inconspicuous follower.

The “inconspicuous” part was his self-imposed definition—in reality, he was quite talkative and naturally friendly.

“Hero Flying Swallow, in all my years wandering the jianghu, you’re the only one I truly admire. Hero Flying Swallow, won’t you say something?”

Li Miao Zhen initially responded politely, but after discovering his endless chatter, she stopped acknowledging him.

“Brother Chu, forgive my saying so, but why wander the jianghu when you could serve in court? Scholars hold such high status in our village.”

Chu Yuan Zhen also ignored him, tired of being criticized for his “willingness” to resign despite achieving such high ranks in the imperial examinations.

“Brother Li, from now on, I’ll be responsible for serving Senior Xu tea, while you handle his laundry and meals.”

“I’ve told you many times, I’m not Senior Xu’s follower.”

“Alright then, you serve tea, and I’ll handle the laundry and meals.”

Seeing that Miao You Fang had started to familiarize himself with everyone, Xu Qi An led them out of the Six Paths Pagoda. After lunch, the group flew on their swords back to Yong Province.

Their destination was the underground tomb outside the city.

Luo Yu Heng had long wanted to investigate it. When Xu Qi An returned to the capital after emerging from the underground palace, he told her about what he found there.

After examining the ancient murals and deducing the approximate era from the depicted clothing, she searched through the Human Path’s chronicles but couldn’t trace back to that distant time.

In other words, the Human Path ancestor in the underground palace might predate the Human Path itself.

Luo Yu Heng’s interest in this ancestor wasn’t merely curiosity. This person had failed their tribulation but hadn’t perished.

Instead, they had shed their old form and separated from their past.

Luo Yu Heng couldn’t comprehend this.

Under Heaven’s Tribulation, everything should turn to ash. Since ancient times, no Human Path Second-Grade Dao Leader had successfully transcended their tribulation, let alone survived it.

This person was extraordinary.

Arriving at their destination, Luo Yu Heng stood at the cave entrance and looked back:

“You all wait outside. Xu Qi An and I will enter.”

Li Miao Zhen and Li Ling Su, both disciples of the Dao school, were reluctant.

But after one casual glance from Luo Yu Heng, they became willing.

Thus, the four Earth Book fragment holders and Xu Qi An’s new follower Miao You Fang remained outside.

As Xu Qi An and Luo Yu Heng leaped into the cave, Miao You Fang’s voice drifted down:

“Hero Flying Swallow, how does one quickly become a great hero? All these years I’ve fought evil and upheld justice, but my reputation…”

“Heh, my junior sister’s fame comes half from the Heaven Path’s reputation—did you think she achieved it all on her own?”

The rest of their conversation faded as he led the way, guiding Luo Yu Heng deeper into the underground palace.

The palace grew increasingly dark as they ventured deeper until they could barely see their hands before their faces.

Xu Qi An lit the prepared torch and said:

“Last time I was here, I noticed Shen Shu’s seal had weakened. If left unchecked, it could break free within a year.

“The Imperial Mentor can help reinforce the seal.”

The firelight illuminated Luo Yu Heng’s exquisitely beautiful face as she responded with a soft “Mm.”

They passed through the collapsed and ruined palace chambers, soon arriving before a massive stone door.

“Eh…”

Xu Qi An frowned.

Luo Yu Heng turned to look at him.

He explained: “I don’t remember closing the door when I left last time.”

Xu Qi An spoke while walking into the main burial chamber, not paying it much mind, thinking perhaps the ancient corpse had closed the door itself.

Creak…

The stone door slowly opened.

Xu Qi An held the torch high as he entered the main chamber.

Scattered rocks lay everywhere as if recently excavated—remnants of the battle between Shen Shu and the ancient corpse.

His eyes swept the chamber but didn’t find the ancient corpse in its usual sitting position. Walking another dozen steps inside, he saw a broken human form lying on the ground.

The ancient corpse… was dead?!