Qi-Gazing Technique

Deputy Team Leader Han Anbo walked over, glanced at Yu Ping's fingernails stained yellow by tangerine juice, and smiled.

"That last time was really dangerous. I watched with my own eyes as that Tenth Rank bandit chopped at you. His blade was this close to your neck, and it had already sliced through your collar." Han Anbo gestured at his left shoulder. "Luckily, Captain Zheng swung at the back of his head and forced him to withdraw his blade, saving your life. Thinking about it now, that strike would have at least taken your left arm. If it had been a little heavier, you'd have had a bowl-sized scar on your neck for sure."

Yu Ping reached up to touch his neck. "That really was dangerous. If it were me, I'd have needed a new pair of pants."

Han Anbo said, "No matter what, Little Li, you ought to thank Captain Zheng. To save you, Captain Zheng got kicked in the stomach by that man's thrusting kick. His intestines nearly ruptured, and it took half a month before he fully recovered."

Li Qingxian hurriedly said, "Thank you, Captain Zheng. Once I have a little money to spare, I'll definitely come to your home and thank you properly."

A brilliant smile bloomed across Zheng Hui's face. He planted his left hand on his waist and waved his right hand. "Hey! We're brothers here. Why come calling, why offer thanks? You're even two years younger than my Big Official. Saving you is like saving my own child. Who could watch their own child in danger and not save them? You should study martial arts properly, so Lord Li can rest in peace in the afterlife. I admire Lord Li ten thousand times over. My greatest wish in this life is to rise to Ninth Rank, wear a bronze fish pouch, and hang an iron seal with a ring-shaped knob—not like now, when I can only wear a homemade cowhide pouch for show! Lord Li was five years younger than me, yet he rose to Fourth Rank and wore a silver fish with a nose-shaped knob. I'm jealous! And you, kid, you're so weak it's outrageous. You can't even beat my Big Official. In a few days..."

Zheng Hui prattled on without end, leaving Li Qingxian dumbfounded.

The other two exchanged glances, tossed Li Qingxian sympathetic looks, then silently turned and drifted away.

Li Qingxian let it go in one ear and out the other. He quietly peeled a tangerine, broke off half the segments, and offered them to Zheng Hui.

Zheng Hui was speaking with great animation and did not take them, so Li Qingxian had no choice but to feed the segments into his own mouth one by one.

The juice was abundant, sweet and tart, leaving a fragrant freshness on his lips and teeth.

Before long, Yu Ping let out a strange cry from nearby. "Deputy Han, Zhang's Mutton Soup is doing such booming business. What if we get driven away and can never eat there again?"

"That's possible," Han Anbo answered gravely.

Zheng Hui's voice stopped short. Wearing a miserable expression, he turned around.

"Come on, let's get mutton soup!"

As Zheng Hui walked, he held out a hand toward Li Qingxian.

"I finished it." Li Qingxian spread both hands.

"Just like Big Official. Another little ingrate..." Zheng Hui muttered under his breath as he strode ahead.

Li Qingxian gazed into the distance as he walked.

The buildings in this city were much taller than those of ordinary ancient times. Three- and four-story structures stood everywhere, and amid the cover of forest-like clusters, they blocked the distant skyline.

Li Qingxian frowned. In his hazy memories, there were always enormous shadows, as if hidden behind the buildings.

Those shadows made him uneasy.

Zheng Hui, dressed in brocade with a leather belt, walked ahead. The other three, dressed in dark teal with cloth belts, followed behind as they headed out.

As he walked, Zheng Hui gave the day's street-patrol instructions as usual. "Wanping Street hasn't been peaceful lately. Keep your eyes peeled. Don't provoke anyone you shouldn't. As for those petty thieves, don't let a single one slip through. Oh, right, the Liu Family Trading House has changed hands. I heard the Demon Sect made a move against them. In times like these, no matter how good you are at business, without power or cultivation, you'll only end up making wedding clothes for someone else. Old Liu was an honest man, and his brocade and cloth always sold well. What a pity... Also, I heard the Evil Sects and Demon Sect are fighting over Changle Restaurant. We should stay far away for a while. We can't afford to provoke them... Sigh, the Night Guard isn't what it used to be. Back in the day, I even raided a prince's residence..."

Li Qingxian said nothing and quietly observed, but the strangeness in his heart only deepened.

This was the Divine Capital, the capital of Qi Kingdom, the largest and strongest nation on the entire continent. Beneath the Imperial City, in the foremost city of the realm, how could the Evil Sects and Demon Sect run rampant like this? Why would the Night Guard, a vital department of the court, fear them?

What kind of hellhole was Qi Kingdom?

Li Qingxian tried hard to remember, but the crucial memories remained blurred.

Along the way, people occasionally greeted Zheng Hui by calling him "Zheng Black," and Zheng Hui always responded with a smile.

From time to time, someone greeted Han Anbo or Yu Ping as well.

Yet even after they left through the Night Guard's side gate and proceeded down Night Guard Street, no one greeted Li Qingxian.

Several people looked familiar from his memories, yet they acted as though they did not see him.

Li Qingxian finally understood. Ever since his father had died after crashing into a pillar, more and more people had cut off contact with him.

Thinking carefully, only these three men in the Night Guard had remained as they always were, consistently looking after him. A month ago, rivals from the Military and Horse Bureau had come looking for trouble, and these three had stepped forward and forced them back. There was also someone named Ye Han, whom he had met recently and gotten along with fairly well.

His aunt and uncle, his cousin, and his younger cousin had not changed either. The two childhood friends he had grown up with, close as if they had worn the same pair of pants, were still the same as ever.

As for his former academy classmates, aside from two he had been close with, he had basically lost contact with all of them.

Zheng Hui continued as he walked. "Don't think all this exchanging greetings is too troublesome. Everyone wants to save face. If others give me, Zheng Hui, face, then I have to give them face too. But remember this: face is earned by yourself, and it's also lost by yourself..."

Han Anbo glanced at Li Qingxian, who was walking with his head lowered in thought. Seizing a gap while Zheng Hui paused, he said, "Old Zheng, I heard someone above wanted to move against Lord Zhou. It didn't happen?"

Zheng Hui's eyes lit up. With a cold sneer, he said, "There was such a thing! But they never stopped to think about who Lord Zhou is! He was personally selected by the late emperor as the third-ranked graduate of the first class, a calligraphy master whom His Majesty has asked for inscriptions from many times, and a handsome man the Empress Dowager herself praised as 'truly handsome.' His name is known throughout the land. Forget those flies scrambling after filth—even a Grand Secretary would have to weigh matters carefully before moving against Lord Zhou."

"There are also rumors that the court wants to promote Lord Zhou by one rank, but Lord Zhou doesn't want to move," Han Anbo said.

"There is such a matter. Lord Zhou dislikes maneuvering for advancement. Some say that after his wife and daughter died, his heart turned to ashes. Otherwise, with Lord Zhou's ability and connections, he certainly could have gone a step further," Zheng Hui said.

Han Anbo turned to Li Qingxian. "When Little Li first arrived, some people said Lord Li had used Lord Zhou's connections to get him in."

Li Qingxian froze.

His father, Li Gangfeng, had never mentioned Zhou Chunfeng. Still, Li Qingxian had some impression of Zhou Chunfeng: he was the Director of the Divine Capital Office within the Night Guard and also held a concurrent post in the Imperial Prison Bureau. He was one of Great Qi's most famous handsome men, and romantic tales and scandalous rumors about him circulated across the country.

Zheng Hui smiled. "When Qingxian fell ill twice, the office took the initiative to send Doctor Sun. They gave him special care. An ordinary Night Guard isn't worth Doctor Sun coming personally."

Li Qingxian shook his head. "I truly don't remember having that kind of connection. My father never mentioned it."

Han Anbo patted Li Qingxian's right shoulder. "It's true that Lord Zhou has looked after you."

"Yes." Zheng Hui glanced at Han Anbo.

Something stirred in Li Qingxian's heart, and he looked at Han Anbo.

Han Anbo looked to be in his thirties. He had a square face, a flat nose bridge, short brows, and small eyes. Under the morning light, his features looked especially gentle and amiable.

Han Anbo smiled.

Li Qingxian nodded, drew a deep breath, and felt warmth spread through his heart.

"Team Jia-Nine, halt!" A familiar voice rang out.

All four turned around together.

Zheng Hui's skin was already dark, but now his face had darkened to a purplish gloom.

Like Zheng Hui, the man wore an official robe embroidered with a white horse badge. However, the edge of his badge was embroidered with a faint circle of gold thread: the uniform of a Principal Tenth Rank military official.

He was as tall as Zheng Hui, but much thinner, with sunken cheeks and high cheekbones. He looked over with a smiling face.

Li Qingxian recognized him as Dong Ying, the Street Patrol Office's instructor. Back then, Dong Ying had defeated Zheng Hui by a single move and taken the instructor's position at the Street Patrol Office.

"Zheng Hui, how have you considered the matter of changing streets?"

Zheng Hui gritted his teeth. "Instructor Dong, we've been doing fine on Wanping Street. Moving us to the docks would be hard to adapt to. Besides, our team only has four people. We simply can't control such a huge dock."

"The docks are rich with profit. I'm doing this for your own good." Dong Ying smiled.

"No matter how rich the profit is, you need to be alive to enjoy it. Old Dong, you know me. Anything I shouldn't take, I, Zheng Black, have never touched. There are so many shopkeepers and clerks on Wanping Street, and not a single one doesn't praise me," Zheng Hui said.

"Then what should we do? Chief Fang has always wanted to find someone dependable, and I think you're the best choice."

"Brother Dong, please reconsider." Zheng Hui looked dejected.

"Brother Dong, help us out. I'll send you some game later." Yu Ping grinned.

"That's right, Brother Dong. None of us are good for much. We just want to live our quiet little lives. We can't get used to a place as full of dragons and fish as the docks," Han Anbo said.

"I don't want to make things difficult for you either, but Chief Fang is pressing hard. He says it has to be decided today or tomorrow." Dong Ying sighed.

Li Qingxian frowned slightly. The docks were one of the most chaotic places, where Night Guard casualties were as common as daily meals.

Even a Tenth Rank Martial Cultivator like Zheng Hui could not be sure of surviving there, much less someone as weak and frail as himself.

A thought flashed through Li Qingxian's mind. He silently invoked the Qi-Gazing Technique and looked toward Dong Ying.

His eyes grew faintly hot, and heaven and earth burst into brilliant light. Dong Ying stood at the center of that radiance.

A withered yellow old tree, three feet high, emerged above Dong Ying's head. Images flashed across the tree one after another, every one related to Dong Ying.

There was Dong Ying eating with his family. Dong Ying weeping while holding an elderly woman. Dong Ying smashing up his kitchen at home. Dong Ying, dressed in mourning hemp and wearing a filial headband, kneeling before a tomb strewn with paper money and kowtowing until his head was bloody...

An instant later, Li Qingxian became dizzy and lightheaded, his body swaying slightly. He hurriedly stopped using the Qi-Gazing Technique.

Han Anbo quickly steadied Li Qingxian. "Little Li, are you all right?"

Li Qingxian hurriedly said, "I'm fine."

"Zheng Hui, are you going or not? Give me an answer," Dong Ying said.

Zheng Hui lowered his head slightly.

Li Qingxian suddenly cupped his hands in salute. "Lord Dong, I have an important matter to discuss. Could we speak privately?"

"Oh, Mr. Gangfeng's son? Fine." Dong Ying gave Li Qingxian a glance and walked toward the other side of Night Guard Street.

Zheng Hui, Yu Ping, and Han Anbo looked at Li Qingxian curiously. Li Qingxian gave the three of them a reassuring look, then followed.

"Lord Dong, I studied Fate Arts under my maternal grandfather," Li Qingxian said.

Dong Ying narrowed his eyes slightly. "I seem to have heard that you know a little Fate Arts. But a Fate Arts Master's strength is very important. When low-rank Fate Arts Masters read the fate of high-rank people, they are often riddled with errors and omissions, and may even suffer backlash."

"I'm Unranked, and you're Tenth Rank. Our ranks differ by only one level. Even if there's backlash, it will be slight," Li Qingxian said.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I saw something unusual in Lord Dong's fortune and unconsciously used Fate Arts on you. After calculating it, I found that Lord Dong himself is in no great danger. However, your honored mother will encounter a great calamity today," Li Qingxian said.

"Utter nonsense. My mother is in good health. She can walk for half a shichen without running out of breath, and she bustles about every day. How could she face some great calamity?" Vigilance appeared in Dong Ying's eyes.