The lead investigator

Xu Lingyue guessed that someone had overthought things, and being a rather reserved person, she had been suppressing her emotions. Seeing her older brother return safely, she finally felt relieved and burst into tears.

Just as the maid stepped out the door and saw the brother and sister huddled together, she exclaimed in surprise, "Dalang's out of prison?"

Only then did Xu Lingyue remember that she was an unmarried virgin. She broke free from her elder brother's embrace, sobbing as she stood with her head bowed, her face burning red.

Xu Qi'an led his younger sister into the boudoir, where a maidservant brewed tea for him. He stood quietly to the side, listening to his Dalang and young lady talk.

"Go and tell the servants to boil some hot water; I want to take a bath," Xu Qi'an instructed.

The maid went out to deliver the message, but upon hearing it, the servants' expressions changed drastically, and they all shook their heads in refusal.

The maidservant went back to tell Dalang, feeling wronged. Xu Dalang was also very angry, thinking to himself, "Are you servants getting too big for your britches, or am I, Xu Dalang, too weak to even lift a knife?"

"Then you can help boil some water," Xu Qi'an said.

The maid felt even more aggrieved, but dared not refuse, and left with a pout.

Xu Qi'an turned to Xu Lingyue and smiled, "His Majesty has allowed me to make amends, so I'm fine for now."

Xu Lingyue nodded, her delicate oval face looking somewhat haggard. "How did you manage to fight with your colleague, brother?"

Xu Qi'an then briefly recounted what had happened. Xu Lingyue was furious upon hearing it, clenching her fists tightly. "I've always trusted my brother with everything he does."

She smiled brightly, her eyes filled with pride.

For a fleeting moment, she was so radiant and captivating that Xu Qi'an couldn't resist pinching her cheek.

Xu Lingyue lowered her head shyly.

After taking a bath and putting on their Nightwatchers uniforms, Xu Qi'an and Xu Lingyin sat side by side under the eaves, each holding a large bowl of egg and shredded pork noodles.

This scene was harmonious and heartwarming.

Xu Qi'an said, "Lingyin, how about I trade you some meat for some eggs?"

Xu Lingyin thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, Mother said my older brother tricked me out of the steamed buns last time."

"So, do you think your older brother lied to you?"

She tilted her head and thought seriously for a moment, "I forgot."

Xu Qi'an said, "That's why, why would your brother lie to you? Your brother definitely didn't want to trick you into eating the eggs, your brother just..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Xu Lingyin spit out two mouthfuls of egg noodles.

Xu Qi'an looked stunned.

Xu Lingyin said, "My second brother taught me."

Scholars are all the same! Xu Qi'an lowered his head and ate his food, giving up his younger sister's egg.

But he was cunning and mischievous, and he threatened, "Lingyin, you can't eat this noodle, it's poisonous."

"Huh?" Xu Lingyin's eyes widened as she looked at the bowl on her lap, then at her older brother, her expression filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Xu Qi'an patiently explained to her, imparting some scientific knowledge. "When you fell and scraped your skin before, did your dad wipe the wound with his saliva?"

Xu Lingyin nodded.

Xu Qi'an said, "This is because saliva can kill dirt, so we can deduce that saliva is poisonous once it leaves the mouth. Therefore, we can deduce that your egg noodles are poisonous and you can't eat them."

After he finished speaking, he watched as Xu Lingyin's face gradually turned pale.

"Will I die?" Xu Lingyin asked, her lips trembling, tears welling in her eyes.

"I won't die, but I'll have a stomachache for many days," Xu Qi'an said.

Xu Lingyin nodded and continued eating her noodles with peace of mind.

Xu Qi'an: "???"

After finishing the noodles, Xu Qi'an went to Xu Erlang's room and found his jade mirror in the study. Xu Qi'an put it in his pocket and then noticed a few pages of paper that Erlang had placed on the corner of the table, weighed down by a paperweight.

The paper, covered in dense, hasty handwriting, contained an analysis of Xu Qi'an's situation and an assessment of whether the Bureau of Astronomy and Cloud Deer Academy could be effective.

These thoughts were probably jotted down late at night, while I sat in my study pondering.

"This young man is quite capable," Xu Qi'an smiled and left the study.

He rode at full speed back to the government office and went straight to see Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan had been waiting for a long time. He pointed to the seat next to Yang Yan and said gently, "Sit."

Yang Yan handed over a file with a blank expression.

Wei Yuan said, "I've assigned the Golden Jade Hall, Spring Breeze Hall, and Demon-Suppressing Hall to handle this case together. You'll be the lead investigator!"

Xu Qi'an was taken aback.

Wei Yuan laughed and said, "It was an imperial edict personally issued by His Majesty."

Their eyes met, Xu Qi'an suddenly understood. Wei Yuan wanted to use this incident to promote him and directly appoint him as the chief investigator, rather than just co-investigating the case.

Xu Qi'an unfolded the file, read it carefully, and asked directly, "Is something sealed beneath Sangbo Lake?"

A strange light flashed in Wei Yuan's eyes.

Even Yang Yan's usually expressionless face showed surprise.

The truth that something was sealed in Sangbo was only told to him by Wei Yuan this morning. Nangong Qianrou, who was smarter than him, also had some guesses after the incident in Sangbo last night, and when she thought about her godfather looking at the documents and files in the warehouse that day, but she dared not confirm it.

This morning, their godfather calmly told them the truth.

But this small bronze gong actually revealed that something was sealed beneath Sangbo Lake.

Wei Yuan suppressed his surprise and smiled, "Tell me your reasoning."

Xu Qi'an, burdened by guilt, was eager to prove himself to Wei Yuan, and said, "Although Sangbo is a forbidden area of our Great Feng, to outsiders, the only thing of value is probably the National Guardian Sword."

At this point, he looked at the dossier. "But it says that the National Guardian Sword is unharmed. So the thieves' target must be something else."

"Therefore, I suspect there must be something in the Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple. And why is this thing placed in Sangbo? I dare to speculate further, perhaps that thing needs the National Guardian Sword to seal it away."

Xu Qi'an actually deduced the process in reverse after he knew the answer.

His clear thinking and meticulous logic won Yang Yan's favor, and Yang Yan grew increasingly appreciative and valuing of this junior officer under his command.

Not only is he exceptionally gifted, but he is also intelligent and capable, making him worthy of cultivation.

"Duke Wei knows, doesn't he?" Xu Qi'an probed.

Wei Yuan shook his head frankly. "His Majesty didn't say it explicitly, but I have some guesses in my mind." His expression was serious, and his tone contained a warning:

"Your task is to find out who destroyed the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple. Retrieving that item is none of your business. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, just tell Yang Jinluo, and he will step in."

"His Majesty has bestowed upon you a gold token, which grants you unrestricted access throughout the Imperial City, except for the inner palace and a few special areas."

Xu Qi'an accepted the order and took his leave.

Wei Yuan watched his retreating figure, then, hearing the soft footsteps on the stairs, looked at Yang Yan and asked, "I heard the Supervisor is ill?"

Yang Yan nodded.

Wei Yuan's eyes were calm, and after a long silence, he said, "Old man!"

Leaving Haoqi Tower, Xu Qi'an headed straight for Chunfeng Hall and said, "Boss, immediately summon the two Silver Gongs from Jinyu Hall and Zhenxie Hall to assemble in the front courtyard of the yamen. Hurry!"

Li Yuchun looked completely bewildered. After a long pause, he glared at him and said, "You're the boss, and I'm the boss?"

The little brother actually bossed him around.

Xu Qi'an revealed his gold medal. "I am now the chief official appointed by His Majesty. From today onwards, we will each follow our own roles. I will call you 'Boss,' and you will call me 'Sir.'"

"Boss, go and fetch two silver gongs for the master."

Li Yuchun left dejectedly. Everyone was sticking to their own opinions? Something just felt off.

The Silver Gong of Zhenxie Hall is surnamed Yang and named Feng. He is a tall, thin middle-aged man with dark skin and a large black mole between his eyebrows.

Jin Yutang's Yinluo was a man with a full beard named Min Shan. He had a diagonal scar on his cheek, making him look particularly fierce.

With the addition of Li Yuchun from Chunfeng Hall, three silver gong players and twelve bronze gong players, they quickly assembled in front of the courtyard.

According to the "customs" of the government office, before going out to handle cases, they would gather in the front yard, where the presiding official would give a speech to inspire everyone.

It was also meant to be seen by the other Nightwatchers.

"An explosion occurred at Sangbo last night, destroying the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple. His Majesty is furious and has ordered the authorities to uncover the truth and apprehend the culprits within half a month." Xu Qi'an stood ramrod straight, one hand on his sword, his gaze sharp.

"I have been ordered by His Majesty to personally investigate this case. You will all cooperate in handling it and must do your utmost to repay the Emperor's grace."

Xu Qi'an added in his mind: If you run a successful club with young models, you'll be beheaded at the execution ground.

"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.

Since they were all under Yang Yan's command, they were fairly obedient, though some were Qi Ingestion, wondering how Xu Qi'an, a mere bronze gong, could have the experience and ability to handle such a big matter.

I don't know why His Majesty would appoint him as the chief officer in charge of the case.

Leaving the Nightwatchers's office, Min Yinluo, with a full beard, mounted his horse and asked, "Lord Xu, where are we going?"

"Of course, we'll go to the scene," Xu Qi'an said.

The group rode towards the imperial city, choosing the most time-efficient route: crossing the imperial city.

Actually, they could have bypassed the imperial city to investigate the scene, but Xu Qi'an, relying on the gold medal, did whatever saved time.

In any case, every second counts.

Led by the Imperial Guards, the Nightwatchers arrived at Sangbo Lake, where the scenery had changed drastically. The long corridor connecting the shore had been destroyed in the explosion, and the white marble platform in the center of the lake had also vanished into thin air.

The surface of Sangbo Lake was clean and empty; who would have thought that a grand ancestral worship ceremony had been held here just a few days ago?

A small boat was moored by the lake. Xu Qi'an said, "Let's go take a look; we need to get in the water."

Xu Qi'an was the first to leap onto the small boat. He quietly reached into his robes, activated the back of the jade mirror, and poured out the "magic book" given to him by the great scholar. He tore off a page and held it in his hand.

The other silver gongs then boarded the ship, leaving twelve bronze gongs and a line of imperial guards on the shore.

Li Yuchun rowed the oar to the center of the lake.

The tall and thin Yang Feng (Yang Yinluo) glanced at Xu Qi'an and suddenly said, "Lord Xu, I'll go down."

Xu Qi'an said, "Then you can come into the water with me."

As he spoke, he lit the paper and activated his Qi-Watching Technique.

Clang. He drew his sword, held it in his mouth, and leaped into the water.

The icy lake water stimulated his pores, and strings of tiny bubbles emerged from the corner of Xu Qi'an's mouth, which held the black and gold longsword.

He strained to open his eyes wide, observing the situation at the bottom of the water.

The foundation of the white marble platform extends all the way to the bottom of the lake, and the fracture point where the platform collapsed is more than ten feet above the water surface.

A murmur of undercurrents approached, and Xu Qi'an turned around to see Yang Yinluo following behind.

Yang Yinluo, with his dark skin, also observed the collapse of the white marble platform and immediately made a judgment. He kept his reasoning to himself and planned to test the young gong who had been entrusted with such an important task after he went ashore.

At this moment, Yang Yinluo noticed that Xu Qi'an was diving into the water along the foundation of the white marble platform.

He quickly followed, but the further he went, the blurrier his vision became, until finally only darkness remained.

Yang Yinluo then stopped following and floated up on his own.

"Whoosh~"

He leaped out of the water, climbed onto the small boat, and while circulating his energy to evaporate the icy lake water, looked around at the crowd:

"Lord Xu went down to the bottom of the lake; it was pitch black there, and he couldn't see anything."