Undercurrents

The next morning dawned bright and sunny.

Bata sat cross-legged in the courtyard like an iron tower, practicing his techniques. His large, round physique gleamed under the sunlight.

Xia Qi'an stood to the side, using his Crimson Pupils to carefully examine the flow of Blood Essence within Bata. If any mistakes occurred, he would promptly remind Bata, telling him to start over.

Over the past three months, with Xia Qi'an's help, Bata had successfully entered the Blood Refining Realm, cultivated his Golden Body Technique to the second level, and completed the full body Bone Tempering.

After all, Xia Qi'an wasn't short on money now; obtaining Bone Tempering Fluid was as easy as pie.

It was just that Bata was truly simple-minded, even to the point of being intellectually challenged.

Without Xia Qi'an's guidance beside him, Bata had no idea what he was supposed to do.

However, Xia Qi'an didn't think he was stupid. Instead, he greatly admired Bata's simplicity and loyalty.

In Xia Qi'an's eyes, Bata was a hundred, even a thousand times better than someone like Su Changqing!

During this time, Bata and Xiao Cao had gotten along wonderfully. Despite their vastly different sizes, the two had inexplicably become playmates!

Gradually, Xia Qi'an stopped seeing Bata as a servant and began to consider him new family.

The Xia Manor was a large estate, but with only Xia Qi'an and Xiao Cao living there, it felt rather lonely and empty.

Now that Bata had joined them, the two good companions would run around catching grasshoppers and chasing butterflies.

Watching the two, one big and one small, occasionally burst into laughter, brought a warm atmosphere to the once desolate manor.

It also gave Xia Qi'an a sense of accomplishment.

Because all of this was earned through his own hard work!

Leaving home, Xia Qi'an shot off like an arrow towards Si Nan Manor.

He had been in seclusion for three months, and the first thing he had to do after emerging was report to Si Nanyue.

Si Nan Manor.

Seeing that Xia Qi'an had entered the Bone Forging Realm and possessed a deep aura, Si Nanyue nodded with satisfaction. "Hmm... not bad! Do you have confidence in the executor's examination in half a month?"

Xia Qi'an cupped his fist. "This subordinate will not disappoint Lord Sinan!"

"Hmm!..."

"You went to a brothel last night?" Si Nanyue's tone shifted abruptly, like a sharp sword piercing Xia Qi'an's heart.

Xia Qi'an immediately broke out in a cold sweat, stammering an explanation. "This subordinate was invited by Su Changqing... I did indeed have a drink! I returned home afterward and did nothing out of line..."

"I know... but Su Changqing isn't a good person. Keep your interactions with people like him to a minimum in the future!" Si Nanyue's voice was gentle, like a spring breeze caressing Xia Qi'an's ears.

At this moment, Si Nanyue felt like a big sister next door. Although she was a bit naggy, Xia Qi'an knew it was genuine concern from the bottom of her heart.

"This subordinate understands!..."

Leaving Si Nan Manor, Xia Qi'an couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his brow.

It seemed the Hound and Snake factions were indeed working together in earnest.

Si Nanyue and Liu Qing were clearly in cahoots, otherwise, how would Si Nanyue even know about such news?

It must have been information secretly passed by the Snake Guards.

With this in mind, Xia Qi'an felt it was time to pay Liu Qing a visit, so she wouldn't keep sending Snake Guards to spy on him.

Although Xia Qi'an deliberately used his Crimson Pupils, allowing him to easily detect the Snake Guards watching him from the shadows, this was only a temporary fix.

He couldn't spend every day doing nothing but catching Snake Guards tailing him, could he?

Besides, if Liu Qing could send one Snake Guard, she could send two or even more.

After all, this was what Snake Guards did. Such surveillance missions were as easy as pie for them, as effortless as slacking off at work.

And the Snake Guards were always so mysterious that Xia Qi'an still didn't know their base of operations, making it incredibly difficult to avoid their surveillance.

If he wanted to contact Liu Qing, he would have to use their agreed-upon special method of communication.

As for the location, it was usually at Xia Qi'an's home.

Half an hour later.

As expected, Liu Qing appeared at Xia Qi'an's home as agreed.

Ever since becoming the Snake Guard Commander, Liu Qing was still dressed in her usual sharp attire, just like when Xia Qi'an first met her. She still wore that Snake Guard mask and maintained her lazy demeanor.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the Treasure Pavilion flirting with that foxy lady? Why are you looking for me?"

After three months apart, Liu Qing teased him the moment they met.

"...Can your Snake Guards have some respect for personal privacy? This kind of thing... can you not make it public knowledge?... I'm begging you..." Xia Qi'an grumbled irritably.

"Didn't we agree... that if you let your Snake Guards participate in Jinling's business, you wouldn't send people to watch me anymore? You're being really unfair doing this now, aren't you?"

Hearing this, Liu Qing rolled her eyes and retorted unhappily, "Get real! Who do you think you are, a hot commodity? Do I want to send people to watch you every day?"

"This is Lord Sinan's order..."

"As for you and Lord Sinan, we Snake Guards naturally follow Lord Sinan's orders."

Xia Qi'an frowned, his face full of confusion. "Why is Lord Sinan staring at me? I'm just a small Hound Guard..."

Liu Qing heard this and shook her head, saying casually, "I don't know... But... I also think Lord Sinan's concern for you is a bit excessive...!"

"No way... she's fallen for you, hasn't she?"

Liu Qing, not afraid of stirring up trouble, dropped a bombshell.

Xia Qi'an's face instantly fell. "Oh, come on... do you think that's even possible?"

"Then I don't know... Maybe she appreciates you... or maybe she's worried you'll go astray because you're young and inexperienced?" Liu Qing spread her hands, unconcerned.

"This..."

"That's actually quite possible..." Xia Qi'an thought about it and felt this possibility was even higher.

Xia Qi'an snapped back to attention and then sternly said to Liu Qing, "But no matter what... there's no need to report personal matters, right?"

"Got it... got it! I'll selectively report your affairs from now on, alright?"

"Wait a minute... can't you just tell the Snake Guards to stop watching me?"

Seeing that Liu Qing had left at some point and was striding towards the door, Xia Qi'an quickly shouted.

"No... there's no room for negotiation on this! Unless Lord Sinan agrees..." Liu Qing's voice faded into the distance, like the broken strings of a zither, abruptly silenced.

Additionally, before leaving, Liu Qing had casually dropped a parting remark: "Su Changqing has already left Jinling. He probably won't be coming back in this lifetime!"

Xia Qi'an understood that Su Changqing was merely a pawn, easily sacrificed at any time.

The several major aristocratic families he had allied with behind the scenes were the biggest obstacles to Xia Qi'an's promotion to deacon.

Before, Xia Qi'an was a nobody. Even with the businesses of scented soap and refined salt, he hadn't touched the interests of Jinling Prefecture's major aristocratic families.

But now, it involved the position of Wei Dao Si Hound Guard deacon, which concerned the status and influence of the major aristocratic families within Wei Dao Si.

In this context, the nature of the situation changed.

It was like a massive stone thrown into a calm lake, causing turbulent waves.

After Liu Qing left, a Snake Guard delivered a mission briefing.

It stated that something strange had occurred in the southernmost part of Jinling Prefecture, with women from several nearby villages mysteriously disappearing.

The Snake Guards suspected a demonic entity was at play and asked Xia Qi'an to investigate.

Xia Qi'an accepted the mission, made simple preparations, and then called for Bata. They boarded a carriage and drove out of Jinling City.