The Return Journey

Feeling refreshed, Xu Qi'an went upstairs, leaving his two colleagues some time to relax.

"I should have been under the car, not inside, watching you two being so sweet. Kukuku, hahaha!" He laughed maniacally as he went upstairs.

"Xu Ningyan, you son of a bitch!"

Behind them came the angry roars of Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao.

Over the next few days, Xu Qi'an experienced the aftereffects of their friendship falling apart. Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao subjected him to cold violence, ignoring him and treating him like he was invisible.

Xu Qi'an tried to strike up a conversation with them, but they pretended not to hear him and went about their own business.

Was he mentally broken and felt too ashamed to talk to me, or was he taking his anger out on me? Xu Qi'an thought it was definitely the former.

So during lunch, Xu Qi'an took the initiative to strike up a conversation. "I've already forgotten what happened at the teahouse, and I won't laugh at you anymore."

"What?!" Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were furious.

Su Su, you toyed with our feelings, and you toyed with our friendship. Who is the real victim here?

"It was your loss of control that led you to fall under that enchantress's spell, is it my fault?" Xu Qi'an looked at them resentfully.

"Why would I hide it from you? You have the nerve to ask? If I had exposed you on the spot, you two would have jumped off a building. See, if it weren't for Li Miaozhen coming over, wouldn't this have been kept perfectly secret?"

"Neither of you is embarrassed. Guangxiao didn't know that Tingfeng used his little brother to bang against the pillar for fifteen minutes, and Tingfeng, you didn't know that Guangxiao had such good waist strength when he supported himself on the table."

"No, stop talking!" Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao covered their faces.

Actually, if they had confronted them on the spot, Lao Song and Old Zhu would have been embarrassed for a while at most, but they would never be as ashamed as they are now, to the point of wanting to roll on the ground and feeling like they have no face to live.

Whenever they recalled the words they had spoken and the feelings they had expressed to Xu Ningyan —such as vowing to marry no one but her and saying they would regret it for the rest of their lives—Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao felt an urge to commit seppuku and leave this dark world.

Song Tingfeng turned his head away and sneered, "I don't have a friend like you. From that day on, we're no longer friends."

Zhu Guangxiao said in a deep voice, "Me too."

"Stop fooling around. How could a mere female ghost shake our friendship?" Xu Qi'an said with a pained expression, seeing that the two were unmoved.

"At worst, we can go back to the capital and invite you to the Imperial Academy of Music."

Song Tingfeng scoffed, "You think a mere Imperial Academy of Music like the Jiaofangsi can bribe me and Guangxiao?"

Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice, "Twice."

Song Tingfeng snorted, "Get lost, don't talk to me."

Xu Qi'an said with heartache, "Three times."

Song Tingfeng: "Heh."

Xu Qi'an gritted his teeth and said, "Five times!"

Song Tingfeng gripped his sleeve tightly. "Then write it down."

After three days of turmoil, the ship of friendship finally got back on track. Brothers, how could they really fall out over such a small conflict? Inviting the Imperial Academy of Music was merely a way for both sides to save face; the main reason was the sincerity of their friendship. These were the words of Song Tingfeng.

Xu Qi'an agreed and said, "Then let's forget about the Imperial Academy of Music)."

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao shouted in unison, "We'll sever all ties!"

As he spoke, he waved the document in his hand.

"And another thing," Zhu Guangxiao glanced at him, "Is that we can't let the story of Su Su, that female ghost, get out. No one can be told."

"You can't make fun of us about this anymore," Song Tingfeng added.

"No problem, I absolutely, absolutely won't do that." Xu Qi'an hurriedly turned his head away, covering his face. A few seconds later, he turned back. "I absolutely won't make fun of you."

What were you laughing at?

"I wasn't laughing."

You smiled.

"I really didn't laugh. I've been rigorously trained not to laugh, no matter how funny it is."

Military camp outside Baidi City.

Li Miaozhen sat in the military tent, listening to Su Su's report, "Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao spend most of their time at the post station. Occasionally, when they get tired of the food at the post station, they will go out to find a restaurant."

"They traveled together as a pair, but Xu Qi'an did not participate. He acted alone and went to brothels every time he went out."

"I would spend about an hour in the brothel almost every day, and then return to the post station. During that time, I didn't go to any government offices, nor did I investigate Zhou Min's case."

"Yes, Zhou Min's grave shows signs of being disturbed. Based on the timeline, it was probably on the day the governor's entourage arrived in Baidi City."

These past few days, Su Su has been acting as a lookout, keeping an eye on everything at the post station. Whenever Xu Qi'an and his two companions come out, she quietly follows them.

Martial artists cannot sense Yin Qi, nor can they see ghosts. As long as they keep a safe distance, Su Su will not be discovered.

"Is there anything else unusual?" Li Miaozhen asked.

"Abnormal? Is it abnormal that Xu Qi'an keeps picking up silver every day?" Su Su wondered to herself, but she knew Li Miaozhen was asking about Zhou Min's case, so she shook her head.

"No, they seem to be waiting for the governor to return so they can investigate Zhou Min's case again."

Qi's faction had already informed Wei Yuan of his impeachment of Yang Chuannan, the military commander of Yunzhou. Everyone in Yunzhou's officialdom knew perfectly well why the governor's entourage had come.

Li Miaozhen uncorked a porcelain bottle and summoned a ghost living inside, a tall, thin middle-aged scholar.

"I said, you write it!"

"Yes, Master."

Based on the information Li Miaozhen obtained through the Heaven and Earth Society, she believed she had a fairly intuitive understanding of Xu Qi'an, who was very capable in investigating cases and had a wealth of experience.

If he truly had any clues or a clear direction, he wouldn't have lingered at the inn for so many days. After all, the longer a case drags on, the fewer clues there will be.

This means that Xu Qi'an is also at a loss.

Before long, a letter was finished, and Li Miaozhen handed it to Su Su: "Take this letter to Yang Chuannan."

"Okay!" Su Su hugged the letter and swayed her slender waist as she left the military tent.

She paused in front of the thick curtain, turned her head, frowned, and gave a pitiful look:()

"Just say what you have to say," Li Miaozhen said impatiently.

"Isn't Master going to avenge me? That brat humiliated me!" Su Su complained bitterly.

"I'll only lock you up for one day." Li Miaozhen waved her hand, refusing the female ghost subordinate's request.

Women are all petty, and the prettier the woman, the more petty she is. Li Miaozhen could never understand this.

She prefers the life of drinking from large bowls, eating meat heartily, and leading troops to suppress bandits—a life of adventure and vengeance. To put it bluntly, it's a typical male mentality.

"Hmph." Su Su stormed off in a huff.

The largest restaurant in Qingping County, which is located near Baidi City.

The restaurant was booked out for the entire day, and as the last stop on this tour, the lunch prepared was very lavish.

After lunch, the three high-ranking officials, Governor Zhang, Yang Chuannan, and Song Changfu, along with more than ten other high-ranking officials from Yunzhou, gathered in a private room at the restaurant to exchange their impressions of the inspection tour.

Taking the opportunity, Governor Zhang flew into a rage, denouncing the officials as incompetent and lazy, who allowed bandits to proliferate and grow, leading to an increase in the number of refugees in Yunzhou and a decline in people's livelihoods.

"Your words, Governor, truly make me ashamed," said Provincial Governor Song, feeling embarrassed.

"According to confidential intelligence, the banditry in Yunzhou is due to someone secretly supporting and supplying military provisions." Governor Zhang made a pointed remark.

"Some people, though they enjoy the emperor's bounty, are actually stealing the country's wealth."

The officials glanced discreetly at the silent Commander Yang Chuannan. No one spoke up for him; instead, they all expressed their support for Governor Zhang's thorough investigation.

Yang Chuannan remained silent, sitting motionless, letting the group of people speak sarcastically.

The atmosphere of isolating and suppressing Yang Chuannan in the entire Yunzhou officialdom took shape during the inspection.

At this moment, a general knocked on the door and entered. He was Yang Chuannan's confidant. He coldly glanced at the officials, handed a secret letter to Yang Chuannan, and turned to leave.

Yang Chuannan unfolded the envelope, read it, and a smile broke across his serious, silent face. He put the envelope away and said with a grin:

"I also support Your Excellency the Governor. This matter must be thoroughly investigated and no leniency should be shown. Your Excellency has many capable subordinates; I'm sure you'll soon uncover the truth."

Governor Zhang frowned, his gaze falling on the superstition in Yang Chuannan's hand. The other officials did the same, all speculating about what was written in the letter, which suddenly gave Yang Chuannan more confidence.

On the way back to Baidi City, Governor Zhang lifted the curtain and coughed loudly.

Jiang Luzhong, who was in front, looked back and tacitly slowed down his horse to ride alongside the carriage.

"I suddenly have a bad feeling," Governor Zhang said, looking at Jinluo, who had contributed almost nothing to the investigation.

"Is it because Yang Chuannan suddenly became arrogant?" Jiang Luzhong nodded in realization.

Governor Zhang grunted in agreement. This inspection was a prelude and a test, aimed at sowing discord within the Yunzhou officialdom in preparation for his arrest of Yang Chuannan.

If the officials in Yunzhou are of one mind, then he should carefully formulate a plan. If they are not, he should find a way to isolate Yang Chuannan and gain the support of the Yunzhou officials.

Governor Zhang was extremely confident about this, because at the banquet when he first arrived in Yunzhou, Provincial Governor Song had already subtly revealed some information.

Everything was progressing very smoothly. With the cooperation of Governor Zhang and Provincial Treasurer Song, they sent a signal to the officials that "we are preparing to deal with Yang Chuannan," forcing them to take sides.

But after receiving that letter, Yang Chuannan suddenly seemed to gain confidence, no longer remaining silent, and even jokingly teased him with a smile.

Governor Zhang rubbed his temples, wondering what the other side had come up with.

"No matter what, Your Excellency, as long as you handle the official matters, I'll take care of the military, and Xu Qi'an will handle the investigations," Jiang Luzhong said, gripping the reins.

Governor Zhang nodded thoughtfully, "We can only pin our hopes on Ningyan. We hope he can solve the mystery as soon as possible and find the evidence left by Zhou Min."

"What kind of lousy code is this? Zhou Min is just messing with us," Jiang Luzhong cursed.

Upon hearing this, Governor Zhang's mood grew somewhat somber.

The large contingent returned to Baidi City before sunset. In the golden afterglow of the sunset, Governor Zhang led his troops toward the post station.

The curfew had just been in effect, and the streets had been cleared out, so people shouldn't be able to go out. However, this wasn't the capital, and the governor was the highest-ranking official in Yunzhou, so the curfew couldn't restrict him.

The post station staff had received advance notice that the governor was returning today, and they busied themselves preparing dinner.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the post station. Governor Zhang stepped off the carriage onto the wooden benches laid out by his attendants. Several guards, including Xu Qi'an and two others, waited in the courtyard.

Governor Zhang was worried about Yang Chuannan's reaction, and when he saw Xu Qi'an, he was suddenly startled. "What's wrong with you?"

Xu Qi'an's eyes were bloodshot, and his dark circles weren't just black, but a bluish-black, with slight swelling. He looked as if he might be swept away by the wind at any moment and ascend to immortality.

Jiang Luzhong strode over and scrutinized Xu Qi'an intently. "How many days has it been?"

Xu Qi'an said dejectedly, "It's been fifteen days."

"..." Old Jiang gasped, "How are you feeling now?"

"Not bad, I guess I could pass away at any time," Xu Qi'an joked.

So he hasn't reached his limit yet? This kid's Primordial Spirit has such great potential? Once he advances to the Refining Spirit Refining Realm, to what extent will his Primordial Spirit advance by leaps and bounds?

A martial artist at the Spirit Refining Realm will have extremely sharp mental power, and will be able to sense any movement or disturbance in their surroundings, especially those that are hostile.

Therefore, martial artists at the Spirit Refining Realm are almost never ambushed. At the same time, the convergence and mutual reinforcement of essence, energy, and spirit will elevate their combat power to a new level.

After the two finished catching up, Governor Zhang refrained from asking, "Ningyan, have you made any progress regarding Zhou Min's code?"

"I've already received the ledgers," Xu Qi'an replied calmly.

Governor Zhang listened calmly and nodded, saying, "Don't be discouraged, we'll eventually decipher the code."

He suddenly stopped and stared silently at Xu Qi'an.