The dejected Gold Gongs

The shockwave transformed into a raging torrent, spreading out in ripples, stirring up dust and debris, destroying houses in the distance, and silently annihilating many lives.

With a muffled groan, the four Golden Gongs each employed different defensive tactics, using the force of the explosion to their advantage, drifting away into the distance, not daring to be at the center of the blast.

Once everything had calmed down and the black-robed man had long since disappeared, the four Golden Gongs breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

"Who is this guy? I mean that arm." The white-robed Warlock suddenly appeared, his back to the crowd.

"An arm?" the swordsman asked rhetorically.

"From what I've observed, that arm doesn't belong to him. The demonic energy he exudes is more terrifying than I've ever seen in my life," said the white-robed Warlock.

Jiang Luzhong stared at the white-robed Warlock's retreating figure. "Yang Qianhuan, are your eyes on the back of your head?"

The white-robed Warlock named Yang Qianhuan said, "Before he left, I glanced back."

"..." Jiang Luzhong said helplessly, "Can you turn around and talk properly? You weren't like this before."

"Please allow me to refuse. I, Yang, act as I please and don't care about anyone's opinion." After he finished speaking, he explained:

"I have carefully observed Teacher Jianzheng and Wei Yuan. Haven't you noticed that one of them always likes to stand in the observation hall with his back to you, and the other always likes to sit on the Eight Trigrams Platform with his back to us?"

"And we felt that both Wei Yuan and his teacher possessed the demeanor of highly accomplished individuals."

The four men felt like they were going to vomit something, but they couldn't.

Jiang Luzhong shook his head and returned to the main topic. "So, based on the information we have so far, that hand is the sealed artifact beneath Sangbo."

Yang Qianhuan frowned at the sealed artifact beneath Sangbo Lake. He had just returned to the capital the day before yesterday and was here today on behalf of the Bureau of Astronomy to help suppress a madman.

He did know that Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple had been bombed recently, but he didn't pay much attention to it. As everyone knows, as long as Warlock has a medicine room and Alchemy laboratory, and meals are delivered on time, he can stay indoors for ten years.

"That monk is most likely Heng Hui," said the man wielding the sword.

Listening to the Jinluo members' conversation, Yang Qianhuan was filled with questions and became increasingly curious.

"If we can capture him, we'll know the whereabouts of Princess Pingyang," Jiang Luzhong said.

Princess Pingyang? The Princess Pingyang who disappeared more than a year ago? Yang Qianhuan remembered that when this princess disappeared, almost Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy were mobilized, making a huge commotion.

Hearing this, he could no longer hold back, turned his back, and asked:

"The Sangbo case has only been a few days, and you Nightwatchers have already investigated it so thoroughly? Wait, I didn't hear my fellow disciples from the Bureau of Astronomy mention it. Don't tell me you didn't ask them for help. Your Nightwatchers aren't that capable of solving cases."

The high-ranking Warlock was completely bewildered.

Logically speaking, for a major case like Sangbo, the Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy would not have failed to inform him, since the Bureau of Astronomy often assisted the court in handling cases, and the exchange of information among its members was a common occurrence.

However, Yang Qianhuan had never heard of Heng Hui, Princess Pingyang, or any other such information.

Yang Yan rarely spoke, saying, "We Nightwatchers didn't even use the golden gong; we handled the case with an ordinary bronze gong."

"What's it to you? You sound so smug." Yang Qianhuan didn't turn around, inwardly scoffing, and retorted, "The gong? You tell me about it."

"You should know this gong-wielding man, hmm, because he's quite famous in the Bureau of Astronomy." Jiang Luzhong recalled the rumors about Xu Qi'an, knowing he used to lecture white-robed Warlock at the Bureau of Astronomy. "His name is Xu Qi'an."

"Xu Qi'an?!" Yang Qianhuan's voice rose a few decibels.

He knew Xu Qi'an; he'd known him since returning to the Bureau of Astronomy. Xu Qi'an was actually giving lectures to his fellow students—he was far too eager to show off and was a formidable rival.

Unexpectedly, he also handled the Sangbo case. It seems he did a pretty good job, and he's become a formidable rival, making quite a name for himself.

"What's the origin of that arm?" Nangong Qianrou asked resentfully.

"I don't know, but its owner is definitely at least a second-rank expert. I don't know much about the martial arts system, and of course, I wouldn't bother to know." Yang Qianhuan's tone was deep, like an invincible and lonely swordsman.

The man had been away from Beijing for several months, and his condition had worsened, the gongsmen thought.

Exhausted from yesterday's exertions and bearing minor injuries, Xu Qi'an overslept and woke up to find it already dawn.

It was definitely past 5 a. m., and since I was already late, I wasn't in a hurry. I leisurely got dressed, washed up, and climbed over the wall to go to the main house for breakfast.

From a distance, you could hear the gluttonous child wailing loudly, his cries full of energy, like the roar of a hungry dragon.

Upon entering the front hall, her second uncle had already gone to work. Her aunt and Lingyue, who had gotten up late, were having breakfast. Xu Lingyin placed her hands behind her back, leaned forward, and launched a sonic attack at her mother.

The aunt, with her beautiful face and dignified demeanor, frowned and silently ate her meal.

Lü'e comforted the little boy.

"What's wrong?" Xu Qi'an asked as he entered with a smile.

Xu Lingyue's eyes lit up, and she turned around excitedly, saying, "Big brother, are you off today?"

"I overslept," Xu Qi'an said apologetically.

"Big brother, big brother!" Xu Lingyin ran over with her short legs, grabbing Xu Qi'an's clothes with one little hand and pointing at her mother and sister with the other, saying indignantly, "They stole my chicken leg! They even steal chicken legs from kids!"

"Is this going too far?" Xu Qi'an scrutinized his aunt and sister.

The aunt gave a soft snort, too lazy to explain.

Xu Lingyue said helplessly, "Lingyin left a chicken leg uneaten last night. She didn't want to eat it, so she took it back to her room. This morning when she woke up, she found the chicken leg was gone, and she thinks my mother and I stole it."

That must have happened after I left last night, otherwise Xu Lingyin would be tugging at her mother's sleeve, accusing me of stealing her chicken leg. Xu Qi'an patted the little bean's head:

"Big brother is an expert at solving cases; big brother will stand up for you."

The little boy was overjoyed to hear this, thinking that his older brother was the best. Except for his habit of stealing his food, he clung tightly to his brother's clothes and glared at his mother and sister with one heart.

Meeting her elder brother's gaze, Xu Lingyue said, "I asked the maid who takes care of her, and the maid said that Lingyin got up in the middle of the night and ate it, but she doesn't believe it at all."

Xu Qi'an lowered his head and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Xu Lingyin shouted, "I didn't!"

Xu Lingyue said, "The maid said she ate with her eyes closed. We found a chicken leg bone by her bedside, which she had gnawed clean. That's how she ate it."

"Big brother, it must have been sister who ate it. Sister is lying." Xu Lingyin couldn't accept the fact that she had eaten the chicken leg that she had been reluctant to eat.

"Big brother already knows who ate it."

Who is it?

You were eaten by your mouth, but your brain doesn't know what Xu Qi'an said, "It's a ghost."

"You rascal?" Xu Lingyin exclaimed in surprise, her pronunciation becoming slurred.

"Don't scare the child," the aunt said unhappily, then added to the young girl, "If you sprinkle a ghost with salt and fry it in oil, it'll taste better than a chicken leg."

Upon hearing this, Xu Lingyin felt both fear and longing.

After breakfast, Xu Qi'an rode his horse to the yamen. Song Tingfeng, who was squinting, said, "Ningyan, Duke Wei just sent someone to invite you to Haoqi Tower."

"You didn't say I was late, did you?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"I said you had diarrhea in the outhouse," he said, squinting.

Xu Qi'an nodded and turned to go to Haoqi Tower.

After the guard announced his arrival, he hurried upstairs, only to be startled by what he saw.

Besides Wei Yuan, there were four other Golden Gongs in the tea room. They were all injured. Yang Yan's arm was in a sling, as if his arm bone was broken.

Jiang Luzhong's forehead was bandaged tightly, and he was only wearing one boot, with his other foot wrapped in thick gauze.

Nangong Qianrou appeared normal, but her face was as pale as a paper doll.

Another unfamiliar Jinluo had his head wrapped in thick bandages, suggesting he had been in a street fight and had his head smashed open.

This scene was both absurd and comical; the dignified, high-ranking martial arts masters looked like a group of thugs who had lost a brawl, and were somewhat dejected.

"Pfft," Xu Qi'an turned his head and couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" The four Golden Gongs stared at him expressionlessly.

"I didn't laugh," Xu Qi'an denied.

Wei Yuan beckoned Xu Qi'an over, pointed to the seat opposite him and told him to sit down, saying, "Heng Hui showed up last night, her target is the Ministry of War's residence."

Xu Qi'an dropped his playful expression and became serious. "Gentlemen, please."

Wei Yuan nodded. "Heng Hui injured him. Last night, the yamen set up a trap at the Ministry of War Minister's residence and the Grand Secretary's residence. Four Golden Gongs, plus Yang Qianhuan, the third disciple of the Supervisor, five fourth-rank masters, couldn't stop Heng Hui."

Xu Qi'an was both shocked and unsurprised by this outcome. He hadn't expected five fourth-rank experts to join the battle, but he wasn't shocked because he felt that the sealed artifact beneath Sangbo should be of such a high rank.

"Have you figured out where it came from?" Xu Qi'an asked the sealed artifact itself.

"A severed hand," Jiang Luzhong replied.

It was indeed that strange hand. Xu Qi'an looked at Wei Yuan: "Duke Wei, what rank is this?"

With such power in one hand, what level of cultivation must the master be at?

"At least a second-rank official," Wei Yuan said.

"At least a second-grade item, but most likely a first-grade one. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a seal instead of an annihilation item," Xu Qi'an guessed. "What exactly is the origin of that sealed item? Is it related to the Demon Race?"

"This matter involves a very secret, and I am not aware of the specifics," Wei Yuan refused to disclose.

A severed hand, a powerful figure, and involvement with the Bureau of Astronomy, the royal family, and Buddhist School. It also touches upon history from five hundred years ago. Xu Qi'an thought to himself, glancing at the Golden Gongs, trying to glean some clues from their eyes.

The golden gongs ignored the little bronze gong's observations.

"Heng Hui possesses a magical Law Artifact that conceals his aura. We can confirm that he hasn't left the city yet. I reported this to His Majesty this morning," Wei Yuan said gently.

"You can continue your investigation."

Xu Qi'an understood the chief eunuch's implication, "Where is the Minister of War?"

"Under the guise of protection, he's under house arrest in the mansion." Wei Yuan took a sip of tea.

"I'll go investigate right away." Xu Qi'an understood immediately.

Wei Yuan advised, "Minister Zhang is a second-rank official, so be mindful of your conduct. Officials of the fourth rank and above are not allowed to use Qi-Watching Technique; that's the rule. However, you can still bring along Warlock."

This means that although the Warlock's accusations cannot be used as evidence, they can serve as a reference for me. Xu Qi'an clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

He glanced at the dejected members of the teahouse, then with a "pfft," he left the teahouse before they could get angry.

P. S.: Do you have any monthly tickets or recommendation tickets? I'd appreciate it.

This chapter was half typed on my phone, so please forgive any typos. Please point them out for me, and I'll come back and revise it in half an hour.