Xu Cijiu: I must save my elder brother, no matter what

After everyone left, Yang Yan sat down at the table with a furrowed brow, took the tea that Wei Yuan offered, and didn't drink a drop for a long time.

Nangong Qianrou rolled her eyes and asked for him, "Godfather, do you really want to kill that brat?"

Yang Yan immediately looked at Wei Yuan.

"Is there anything wrong with my punishment?" Wei Yuan retorted.

Nangong Qianrou and Yang Yan shook their heads simultaneously, the former smiling knowingly, "Yes, yes, but is your godfather willing to kill him?"

Wei Yuan took a sip of tea and sighed, "I once said that he was a born warrior; that spirit of his is rare."

He severely injured the Silver Gong, a cultivator at the Spirit Refining Realm, with a single strike. How long had he been at the Qi Refining Realm?

Wei Yuan's smile contained appreciation, but even more so, satisfaction.

Spring Breeze Hall.

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao followed Li Yuchun back dejectedly, with Chun Ge remaining completely silent the entire way.

He had been waiting downstairs for the outcome, only to receive news that Xu Qi'an would be executed in seven days.

Li Yuchun returned without saying a word, accompanied by two of his men.

"Have a drink with me for a while. I know you two have a secret stash of drinks, sneaking in while on duty."

Li Yuchun's voice was devoid of emotion, eerily calm.

Song Tingfeng opened his mouth and uttered two words: "Okay."

Li Yuchun was a rigid and stubborn person. Those who knew him well said he was inflexible and stuck to the rules, while those who didn't knew him well mocked him for being inflexible.

But regardless of whether they were familiar with him or not, no one in the government office really looked down on him; on the contrary, they all respected him, even if they didn't say it.

Li Yuchun's rigidity manifested in many ways, such as never drinking alcohol while on duty.

Song Tingfeng retrieved the wine he had secretly hidden from the side hall. There were three porcelain bowls, one of which originally belonged to Xu Qi'an.

Li Yuchun drank slowly, but he kept drinking bowl after bowl without saying a word.

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao silently drank along with them.

The jar of wine was quickly finished, and Li Yuchun, emboldened by the alcohol, said, "I know that Duke Wei has his difficulties, Xu Qi'an did indeed make a mistake."

"So what if he humiliated a female relative of a convicted official? It's not a capital offense. That idiot almost killed her, and he was even attacking a silver gong."

Li Yuchun started talking non-stop, rambling on and on. "I thought I was stupid enough, but I didn't expect this guy to be even stupider than me. I should have known better than to take him in. He's such a pain."

"What can Duke Wei do? Even if he's more capable, this matter has blown up so big, everyone in the yamen is watching. Is he supposed to openly show favoritism? What will become of Duke Wei's prestige then? Building a reputation takes years, but destroying it only takes a moment. If he's to favor Xu Qi'an, who will respect Duke Wei in the future?"

"Alright, now one is dismissed from his post, and the other is executed. We've handled this fairly, heh heh heh."

"For a long time to come, the people in the yamen will behave themselves. Xu Qi'an's death was not unjust; it was worth it."

Li Yuchun returned the bowl to Song Tingfeng, cursing, "What a lousy bowl! The blue and white decoration isn't even symmetrical."

Upon closer inspection, Song Tingfeng realized that the blue and white decoration on the bowl he had been drinking from for more than half a year was indeed asymmetrical.

After finishing their drinks, he lost interest in continuing the conversation and silently returned to the side hall with Zhu Guangxiao.

Inside the quiet Chunfeng Hall, Li Yuchun sat for a long time before slowly getting up, walking to a corner, picking up a feather duster, and wiping every place in the hall that was prone to accumulating dust.

Repeatedly straighten the books, vases, tables, and chairs, making them neat and symmetrical.

Then, he removed his waist badge and sword, and took off his Nightwatchers's uniform.

With his uniform neatly folded, his sword and waist badge placed on top, Li Yuchun carried them out of Chunfeng Hall.

He headed towards the Haoqi Tower.

Along the way, he attracted the attention of many people who pointed at him and whispered among themselves.

Among these people, some had heard about Xu Qi'an's feat of slaying Zhu Chengzhu, while others knew nothing and were simply curiously observing.

What happened?

"Haven't you heard? Zhu Yinluo was almost chopped down by a bronze gong. The one who chopped him down was Xu Qi'an, look, Li Yinluo's subordinate."

What is Li Yinluo trying to do?

"I don't know, let's follow them and see."

Three or five, seven or eight. The Nightwatchers following behind Li Yuchun gradually increased, forming a sizable group.

We arrived at the Haoqi Tower.

Li Yuchun stopped in his tracks, under the watchful and warning gaze of the guards downstairs. He held his uniform, waist tag, and sword in his hands, ignoring the people following him.

"This humble servant, Li Yuchun, joined the yamen in the 20th year of the Yuanjing era. I have always been dutiful and responsible, upholding the belief of eradicating corrupt officials and striving to serve the country." Li Yuchun's voice was loud and clear.

"For sixteen years I have worked diligently and conscientiously, never neglecting my duties or breaking the law; never accepting bribes; never oppressing the good and kind. I originally thought that my passion and dedication could bring about a brighter future."

"However, over the past sixteen years, I have witnessed many of my colleagues oppressing the people and extorting money from merchants. Every time their homes are searched, they embezzle silver and valuables and rape the female relatives of corrupt officials. This is intolerable."

"How can one enforce the law if one's heart is not upright? How can one correct others if one is not upright oneself? Today, Li Yuchun could not bear it any longer, so he resigned. You may also execute me."

After saying his last sentence, amidst the astonished gazes of the night Nightwatchers around him, he forcefully threw his uniform, sword, and waist badge on the ground, discarding them as if they were worthless.

Li Yuchun, who had publicly humiliated Wei Yuan at Haoqi Tower, turned and left, and none of the dozens of Nightwatchers stopped him or made a sound.

"Should we stop them?" someone asked in a low voice.

The Nightwatchers around him stared at him coldly.

Wearing prison clothes, Xu Qi'an sat in the jail of the Nightwatchers's office, leaning against the wall, smelling the unique damp and rotten smell of the cell.

"Third time in jail. In my past life I was an ordinary citizen, but in this life I'm a regular at the jail." Xu Qi'an chuckled self-deprecatingly, sighing at the capriciousness of fate.

The cell was silent, except for the occasional curses from the inmates next door; most people remained silent.

The majority of the prisoners here are death row inmates, disheartened and disillusioned. At first, they would cry foul and curse, but after being taken out and talked to amicably by the prison guards, they learned to behave themselves.

They also learned the importance of keeping quiet in public places.

No one wants to suffer inhumane torture before they die.

Xu Qi'an closed his eyes, pondering whether he still had a chance to survive.

"The great scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy might come and cause trouble, but they are commoners without official positions, so trying to influence officials won't work. Physical methods won't work either, after all, this is the Nightwatchers's office."

"The Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy will definitely try to save me, but unless the Director himself intervenes, they can't save me. And for the Director himself to intervene, my status isn't Xu Qi'an enough. Xu Qi'an, Xu Qi'an, have you forgotten the coldness of society after experiencing warmth with Fuxiang? You've dragged it out for two months and still haven't managed to seduce Chu Caiwei."

"The fragments of the Earth Book were also taken away, otherwise I could have tried to get Number One to save me. I don't know if he/she is high enough in status."

As he pondered, he fell asleep. When he woke up, the cell was silent, and outside the small window lay the deep darkness of night.

Sleep replenished the physical strength he had lost while unleashing the "Heaven and Earth One Slash," at the cost of being starving.

By the dim light of the oil lamp in the passage, Xu Qi'an saw a bowl of white rice placed by the fence, and two fat rats with big ears were eating it with relish.

"Damn it, you son of a bitch Shuke and Beta, you stole my food!"

Xu Qi'an cursed angrily.

There was no food left, so he could only sit cross-legged and meditate, breathing in and out his vital energy.

I don't know how much time passed, but dawn broke.

Footsteps came from the dark passageway, and two jailers came over and opened the cell door.

Xu Qi'an opened his eyes.

"Come out!" the jailer shouted.

Wearing handcuffs and shackles, Xu Qi'an was taken to the interrogation room by the prison guards.

Beams of sunlight pierced through the vents in the wall, dispelling the darkness of the interrogation room, but not the chilling cold within.

Two young men sat at the interrogation table in the torture chamber. One had almond-shaped eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, and delicate features. The other had red lips and white teeth, and was incomparably handsome.

Two rabbits run side by side; how can one tell which is male and which is female?

Nangong Qianrou sneered, "Greasy hair and powdered face."

He disliked the scholar's attitude. From the moment he entered the government office to this place, the scholar always held his head high and chest out, looking at people not with his eyes, but with his nose.

This arrogance is inexplicably annoying; Virtue the other scholars at the Cloud Deer Academy, and just Virtue the white-robed officials of the Bureau of Astronomy.

Xu Xinnian glanced at him sideways and said indifferently, "Women and petty men are the most difficult to deal with."

"Who are you calling a woman?" Nangong Qianrou smiled, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"I apologize for my abruptness." Xu Xinnian bowed respectfully. "May I ask your name, young lady?"

"Nangong Qianrou wanted to kill someone."

Xu Xinnian, whose sharp tongue was at its peak, sneered and raised his head again.

Seeing this scene at the door and overhearing the conversation between the two, Xu Qi'an broke out in a cold sweat for his little brother.

Thinking to Cijiu! This great beauty is a high-ranking martial artist, while you are just a lowly scholar of the eighth rank. You must know when to yield and when to stand firm."

Nangong Qianrou turned her head, glared at Xu Qi'an, and stood up, saying, "The time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

After saying that, he left.

Xu Xinnian stared at his cousin, remaining silent.

"Why are you here, Cijiu? Aren't you studying at the academy?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"Last night, one of your colleagues came to the mansion with a letter informing me of what had happened. Father left the capital overnight to rush to the Cloud Deer Academy to inform me." Xu Xinnian let out a breath of stale air.

"I returned to my residence last night and didn't come in until dawn when the inner city gates opened."

He only learned that he was allowed to visit the prisoner because he received a letter from his teacher and was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations.

"Your family is very worried about you; your mother didn't sleep all night," Xu Xinnian said.

Xu Qi'an nodded.

"Lingyin was also worried about you; she only had a bowl of porridge this morning."

"I feel sorry for her." Xu Qi'an was touched.

Xu Xinnian nodded, agreeing with his cousin's opinion, and continued, "The teacher suggested that I plead with the Princess; perhaps she can save you. As for the relationship between the teacher and Wei Yuan, it's not good."

Xu Qi'an hesitated and said, "Cijiu, aren't you going to blame your elder brother?"

Xu Xinnian said in a deep voice, "Brother's skills are lacking; he didn't even manage to kill that bastard."

Xu Qi'an laughed heartily, "That's what a scholar should be like!" Then, he fell silent and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Xu Xinnian remained silent.

The interrogation room fell silent; neither of the brothers spoke.

After a long silence, Xu Cijiu sighed, "I will rescue you."

Xu Qi'an nodded, pretending not to be moved, and said, "Since you're here, do me a favor, brother. Did you bring any money with you Cijiu?"

"Of course I brought it," Xu Xinnian replied.

What kind of prison visit is it if you don't bring any money?

"Okay, go find the jailer and tell him you want to retrieve one of my items, if it's still there. It's a small jade mirror. Take the mirror to the orphanage in the east of the city and find a monk. Tell him to pass on a message: Number Three is being held in the Nightwatchers's dungeon, and he requests help. Xu Qi'an!"

Once the Earth Book fragment has been bound to its owner, others will be unable to log in to chat, so it needs to be transferred by number six.

I believe that the clever Number One will know what to do once he sees the message. Because in the Earthly Book chat group, and in the capital, only Number One holds real power.

Number One still owes him a debt.

Of course, Number One might stand by and watch someone die, but that's another matter.

In addition, having Xu Erlang retrieve the fragments of the Earth Book was a test by Xu Qi'an against Wei Yuan.

She was testing whether he truly intended to kill her.

Xu Xinnian stared at him for a moment, then asked, "What if there isn't one?"

"Then forget it."

Watching his cousin being led into the dark passage, Xu Xinnian left the interrogation room, found the prison warden, and magnanimously handed over thirty taels of silver, saying, "I need to retrieve one of my cousin's belongings."

The prison warden certainly had no objections; money makes everything easier.

He immediately led Xu Xinnian to the storeroom, took out a package containing the items that had been stripped from Xu Qi'an's body.

"You can't take the gong, waist tag, sword, or uniform," the warden said.

These are all items Nightwatchers's office.

Xu Xinnian fumbled around for a bit and found a small mirror made of jade. The mirror's surface had faint patterns that resembled strange designs like crossbows and banknotes.