Social death

Song Tingfeng's voice was somewhat strange, a mixture of surprise and urgency. If one had to describe it, it would probably be something like: Wife, come out and see God!

That's the tone.

Xu Qi'an tucked the account book into his pocket and went out first, while Zhu Guangxiao quickly put on his boots and followed him out.

In the lobby of the inn, a young woman dressed in a light blue, fitted outfit sat at a table drinking tea. Her close-fitting clothes outlined her lithe, leopard-like figure, her sleeves were tied up, and her hair was still in a high ponytail.

Her clean and decisive attire highlighted her chic and stylish demeanor.

"She's clearly a dashing American soldier. Where's the resemblance to the Holy Maiden of the Daoist School Heavenly Sect who made her transcend emotions, turning her into a chivalrous heroine?" Xu Qi'an thought to himself, smiling outwardly.

"General Li, it's nice to see you again."

The boy's dark circles had deepened, and he seemed to be in poor spirits. He must have had his life force drained by a demon. Li Miaozhen scrutinized him with her clear, bright eyes and nodded, saying, "Lord Xu."

Xu Qi'an sat down opposite her, with Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao on either side. A courier came forward to pour tea and then withdrew.

Neither of them rushed to speak, each lost in their own thoughts.

She must have come for Mei, but she hadn't received Mei's report in a long time. Knowing something was wrong, Xu Qi'an drank his tea and pondered how to deal with it.

Give Mei back to her?

He was reluctant to part with her; she was such a beautiful anime wife, just looking at her was a pleasure. He was even thinking of taking Jingcheng to broaden Lingyin's horizons.

Moreover, the ability to possess is very useful and applicable to a variety of situations and environments.

"My lords," Li Miaozhen said, stroking her teacup, "Did you see a young lady named Su Su yesterday?"

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao looked over sharply.

Here it comes, the time for the public execution of these two young buddies. Xu Qi'an smirked. "I've met her. She has formed an inextricable bond with two of my colleagues."

Upon hearing this, the three men reacted differently. Song Tingfeng glanced at Zhu Guangxiao, thinking to himself, "It's clearly me who has formed an inextricable bond, what does it have to do with this taciturn Zhu Guangxiao?"

Li Miaozhen glanced at the two men's faces with some pity. Judging from Xu Qi'an's words, Su Su must have drained their life essence.

However, she became increasingly certain that "Charm" was in Xu Qi'an's hands, otherwise he wouldn't have said such a thing.

"I'm sorry, it was my oversight. I wonder if you could return it to me, sir?" Li Miao said sincerely.

"Plotting to frame a high-ranking official and extract confidential information is a capital offense, General Li," Xu Qi'an said with a half-smile, his eyes narrowed.

Li Miaozhen calmly met his gaze, neither arguing nor getting angry, seemingly disregarding the laws of Great Feng.

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized that Number Two was a radical youth. Although she was chivalrous and righteous, it could not hide the fact that she was a knight-errant who used martial arts to break the law and that she hated the irresponsible Emperor Yuanjing.

Most importantly, Number Two is a fifth-rank expert. To her, everyone else present is trash.

Having changed his attitude, Xu Qi'an abandoned his idea of using his power to intimidate Su Su and take her for himself, and burst into laughter:

"However, I am not the kind of person who is unforgiving when he is in the right; everything is negotiable. My main admiration is for General Li, who has been running around suppressing bandits for more than a year, all for the sake of the country and the people. His dedication to the country and the people makes me feel ashamed."

"However, I am quite fond of Miss Su Su. General Li, would you be willing to part with her?"

Xu Qi'an planned to bargain. Otaku all know that their virtual wives are just something they can see but not have, but that doesn't stop them from loving them.

Upon hearing this, Li Miaozhen frowned and said, "Although the demon is a high-level vengeful spirit, it cannot exist for long unless it continuously absorbs vital energy. Over time, it will lose its mind and become an uncontrollable monster."

"Only by staying by my side can things remain the same. You are not a disciple of the Daoist School and are not proficient in such secret arts. Keeping her by your side will only harm both of you."

Her real-life image is quite different from her online image. Online, she's more lively and rebellious, while in real life she's more serious. Well, a serious image is suitable for leadership; it's probably a kind of disguise. Xu Qi'an said helplessly, "Okay!"

Xu Qi'an said "Wait a moment" and got up to return to his room.

Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng stared at each other blankly, their expressions stiff. What was charm? What was the extraction of vital energy? What were they talking about?

They just mentioned... Miss Su Su?

A moment later, Xu Qi'an returned with a wine pot, slamming it onto the table. The three men's eyes immediately fell on the wine pot.

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao looked bewildered, but Li Miaozhen narrowed her eyes and recognized that the wine pot was engraved with a Daoist School spirit-sealing talisman.

Xu Qi'an lifted the lid of the teapot, and the next moment, wisps of green smoke rose from the spout, transforming into a stunningly beautiful woman. She first glared at Xu Qi'an, then scolded him playfully with a hint of anger:

"You stinky man, I'm starving!"

Then she saw Li Miaozhen, and her little face instantly brightened, but she quickly put on a wronged look and cried:

"Master, you must stand up for me! This brat bullied me and insulted me! If you had come any later, I would have been pregnant with his bastard child! Waaaaah!"

Su Su, Zhu Guangxiao, and Song Tingfeng were frozen inch by inch in the low temperatures of January.

Bang!

Li Miaozhen put the lid back on the pot, nodded, and said, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Lord Xu. I owe you a favor for this matter. Please feel free to ask for anything in the future."

Xu Qi'an then smiled and said, "General Li, you're too kind."

Number Two's promise is still valuable; exchanging a charm that can't be kept by one's side for a promise is a win.

He saw Li Miaozhen off from the post station, and as they reached the door, he asked, "With General Li's status and cultivation, surely you don't lack a demon?"

Li Miaozhen carefully considered and said, "A demon is not an ordinary ghost. Only a woman born in a yin year and yin month, and who remains a virgin after death, can be refined into a demon."

What year and month is "yin year and yin month"? Xu Qi'an smiled and nodded, pretending that he understood.

"However," Li Miaozhen changed the subject, a smirk playing on her lips, "Even raising a dog develops a bond, right?"

Xu Qi'an laughed, and the atmosphere between the two became less reserved and awkward.

Taking the opportunity, Li Miaozhen asked, "Lord Xu, could you accompany me a little further?"

Xu Qi'an responded with a warm smile, "With pleasure."

After saying that, he turned around and saw Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao sitting there motionless, their backs lonely and forlorn.

"Let's go!" Xu Qi'an's smile grew even brighter.

Walking along the wide street, Li Miaozhen, carrying a silver spear on her back and a long sword at her waist, moved with a captivatingly graceful gait.

Xu Qi'an frequently turned his head to examine the face of this Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect. Her temperament always reminded Xu Qi'an of the school beauty he had a crush on when he was in school.

She had short, ear-length hair, pretty features, a clean face, and long, straight legs in camouflage pants.

Compared to that school beauty, Xu Qi'an imagined it for a moment and still felt that Li Miaozhen, with her white horse, silver spear, scarlet cloak, and soft armor, was far superior.

Li Miaozhen said calmly, "Lord Xu, people of the martial world need not be so formal, but I am, after all, a young woman. It is extremely impolite of you to stare at me like that."

Ugh, that man is such a lecher.

If the initial impression of Xu Qi'an at the banquet was that he was a lecherous man, then now, Li Miaozhen's label for Xu Qi'an has changed to: a lecherous man of considerable talent.

I feel like it's hard to shake off the impression that I'm a lecher. Despite the damage to my reputation, Xu Qi'an's smile remained unchanged, "General Li reminds me of an old friend."

"Pah!" Li Miaozhen cursed inwardly, but a smile remained on her face. "This Baidi City is as beautiful as a painting, but Lord Xu, traveling with the governor, must have seen plenty of desolate scenes along the way."

"It's truly heartbreaking."

"Normally, a prefectural military command governs between 20 and 30 garrisons, but the Yunzhou military command only governs 15. Do you know why?" Li Miaozhen asked herself, answering her own question.

"Because Yunzhou has a sparse population and a serious bandit problem, it is impossible to station troops on a large scale. Without troops, how can we suppress the bandits?"

According to the system of the Great Feng, at the level of prefectures and counties below the Commandery Command, "Guards" were established, with each Guard consisting of 5,600 men. At the level of counties below the prefectures and counties, "Offices" were established, with each Office consisting of 1,100 men.

There are states with only 15 garrisons, but Yunzhou is a region plagued by bandits. Logically, it should have more than 25 garrisons to be considered adequate in terms of military strength.

"As long as we cultivate the fertile land, the army can farm on its own and be self-sufficient," Xu Qi'an said.

The regional military commands each had military farmland, and when the troops were not fighting, they did the same work as the farmers.

Li Miaozhen glanced at him. "What about the military pay?"

Xu Qi'an said, "I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed!"

I remember now, soldiers are paid, it's not just about having food. The more soldiers recruited, the more pay they receive. If they can't pay their soldiers, the army can riot at any time. There are countless examples of this in history books.

"I've been in Yunzhou for over a year, and I've cooperated with Commander Yang Chuannan on more than twenty bandit suppression campaigns. Each time, he's been incredibly dedicated. I don't believe someone like him would collude with mountain bandits." Li Miaozhen's true intentions were revealed; she looked at Xu Qi'an with a serious expression.

"Lord Xu is a key figure in this investigation. Your attitude will determine the governor's attitude. I hope you will handle this matter carefully."

"General Li, you flatter me. I am but a lowly clerk." Xu Qi'an appropriately feigned surprise.

Li Miaozhen frankly replied, "I have investigated Lord Xu and believe I am quite familiar with you."

For example, you might be skilled at investigating cases, or you might have had affairs with several courtesans from the Imperial Academy of Music.

"It seems that Lord Xu has a cousin who is studying at the Cloud Deer Academy?"

Number Two is indeed suspicious of Number Three's identity. He suspects Erlang is indeed the kind-hearted scholar Number Three. I might as well use this opportunity to amplify the misunderstanding. After all, Erlang is at the academy, and Number Two is in Yunzhou, a vast distance apart. This way, I can use Erlang's "familiarity" to gain Number Two's trust. Anyway, I can't reveal my own identity; the consequences of social death are too terrible. Xu Qi'an said with a smile:

"Yes, Cijiu is a scholar full of ambition, highly regarded by the great Confucian scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy, and is said to be groomed to be the academy's successor."

"No wonder Number Three knows so much about the layout of the Cloud Deer Academy and those confidential information when the successor is the one training him." Li Miaozhen nodded in realization and smiled.

"Lord Xu is also passionate and chivalrous."

Her attitude has clearly changed; it seems she's developed a slight liking for Xu Qi'an out of affection for him.

If I say something like, "That damned Emperor Yuanjing!" my second-ranked fanbase will probably explode with goodwill towards me.

After exchanging a few words, the two said goodbye; one continued on his way, while the other turned back.

Li Miaozhen found a secluded alley, took out a wine pot, wiped off the sealing talisman, and released Su Su. Then she popped out a paper figure to serve as Su Su's vessel.

The paper figure transformed into the exquisitely made-up Su Su, her face filled with sorrow, "Master."

Li Miaozhen stared at her and asked, "What did you say to him?"

Xu Qi'an was able to discern her identity as Daoist School disciple in a single sentence, clearly because he had extracted this information from Su Su.

Su Su raised her hand, pinching her little finger with her thumb, indicating, "I only said a little bit."

"How much is 'a little bit'?"

"A little bit is just a little bit."

"Explain!"

"They didn't say much, just about your identity, age, cultivation level, and whether you came down the mountain for training."

"?"

A big question mark appeared in Li Miaozhen's mind:

"Haven't you confessed everything?"

"At least I didn't tell him the day you came into your Gui Water."

"."

When Xu Qi'an returned to the post station, he saw Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng still sitting there, looking at each other with distrust in their eyes.

Why didn't you tell me about you and Susu?

"You didn't say anything either."

Seeing Xu Qi'an return, Song Tingfeng stared at him blankly. "Ningyan, you knew Su Su's identity all along?"

"I know."

"Then why didn't you tell us?" Zhu Guangxiao said in a deep voice.

"You guys told me to keep it a secret." Xu Qi'an shrugged.

The look in Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao's eyes immediately filled with distrust.

"What happened between us and Susu at the teahouse?" Song Tingfeng asked in a low voice.

"It's all your imagination!" Xu Qi'an replied truthfully.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief; it was just an illusion.

Song Tingfeng laughed with relief, "It was just a hallucination, then it's nothing. I was just confused and passed out."

Xu Qi'an looked at them with pity and shook his head. "You've been affected by an illusion, but you haven't lost consciousness."

"Not unconscious?" Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng's hearts sank.

Xu Qi'an walked to the pillar and said in a deep voice, "Tingfeng, this is what you were like back then."

He clung to the pillar and charged wildly at it.

Song Tingfeng: "."

"Guangxiao, this is how you are." He came to the table, pressed his hands on the edge of the table, and showed off his waist strength.

Zhu Guangxiao: "."

"Hey, why are you two crawling under the table?" Xu Qi'an finished and found that Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng had crawled under the table and wouldn't come out.

"Xu Ningyan, get out of here! Please, just leave! I don't want to see you today!" Song Tingfeng crouched under the table, holding his head.

Hahahaha