Xu Qi'an: That felt good
Xu Qi'an lowered his head, staring at the mirror, and waited for a moment. The first to reply was Southern Frontier Little Barbarian No. 5.
[5: Yunzhou is quite far from here, I can't help you.]
She thought Number Two was asking for help from the real world? Number Five must be half asleep, but her IQ is really questionable. Xu Qi'an's lips twitched.
Next was Hengyuan, number six: [What happened? How is Lord Xu in Yunzhou?]
Li Miaozhen first replied that everything was fine, but did not rush to release the details of the case, as if she was waiting for something.
Was she waiting for me, or for Number One or Number Four? Probably both. Since the group's most intelligent members remained silent, she didn't begin discussing the case. Xu Qi'an understood Number Two's thinking and, using his finger as a pen, typed in the information:
Tell me, how's the case in Yunzhou going?
Li Miaozhen breathed a sigh of relief and cheered herself up. If only numbers five and six responded, she wouldn't say anything more.
Currently, the entire case details are being shared in the Dishu chat group.
There was too much information, so she sent it in segments, taking fifteen minutes to explain the situation clearly.
Li Miaozhen remained silent for a long time. Just as she was feeling uneasy and anxious, Number One, who always liked to spy on others, actually took the initiative to send a message this time:
There are essentially two possibilities: First, Liang Youping wasn't actually a member of the Qi faction; he handed the account books to Xu Qi'an for ulterior motives. Second, Liang Youping disappeared.
Liang Youping has disappeared. Li Miaozhen pondered the first possibility, which she hadn't considered.
Just to be on the safe side, she sent a letter saying, "[Is there a possibility that Yang Chuannan and Liang Youping are accomplices, staging a ruse?]"
[Number One: Unlikely. It's the rule in officialdom; Yang Chuannan will have to bear the responsibility this time, the only difference is the severity. If you were Yang Chuannan, would you dig your own grave and jump into it?]
[I personally agree with the hypothesis that Liang Youping killed the original contact and destroyed the problematic parts of the ledger. Therefore, it's highly likely he was a member of the Qi faction.]
At this point, Number Four spoke up: [Therefore, Number One believes that the reason the Witch God Cult interrogated the two gong-wielding men in the dream about Liang Youping's whereabouts is very likely because Liang Youping has disappeared.]
Number One's analysis opened up new avenues of thought for Xu Qi'an.
Liang Youping has disappeared, so the Witch God Cult is eager to find him? Because if he falls into the hands of the "enemy," he will reveal a lot of information that is detrimental to their side.
The mastermind behind Yunzhou believed that Liang Youping had been captured by us, which is why he sent people from the Witch God Cult to interrogate me in my dream about my contact with Liang Youping by Lao Song and Lao Old Zhu. Therefore, they were the most likely people to arrest Liang Youping. Since I hadn't slept, I could only interrogate Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao in my dream.
But why did they only come to interrogate us three days later?
Li Miaozhen held the small jade mirror and waited for a while, but Number Three still didn't give his opinion. He only asked a question at the beginning and then fell silent, which made Li Miaozhen a little anxious.
Number Three is an extremely intelligent person. His opinions and views, while not necessarily the standard answers, can still provide ample inspiration.
[Number 2: Number 3, are you asleep again? What are your thoughts on this case?]
"I'm sitting here watching, "Xu Qi'an thought to himself.
Knowing the other members of the Heaven and Earth Society were also awaiting his opinion, he sent a message: "[I also have a question: a sixth-rank wizard possesses the ability to divine, so why couldn't he predict Liang Youping's whereabouts? Furthermore, wizards also have the ability to curse and kill. If Liang Youping is an accomplice, killing him to silence him would be the safest option after learning of his disappearance and the potential leak of secrets.]"
[Four: I'll answer this question. A wizard's curse can only target those with lower cultivation levels than himself. Given Liang Youping's skill level, it's likely that someone is protecting him. I don't know who it is, but many people can do this.]
[As for the ability to divine, powerful individuals in each of the major systems have methods to deal with divination targeting themselves, but they cannot protect others, except within a single system.]
At this point, Number Four paused, and after a few seconds, said: [The Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy.]
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck everyone's hearts.
Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy? Xu Qi'an was taken aback.
[2: Number 4, do you mean the one who kidnapped Liang Youping was Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy?]
[Part 4: Hehe, all these speculations are based on the premise that Liang Youping has disappeared.]
[1: If Liang Youping was indeed abducted by the Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy, then why didn't Governor Zhang know? Or was he deliberately concealing this from the Second Secretary?]
[Second: It doesn't seem like they're hiding anything; they probably genuinely don't know.]
[Four: This is even more intriguing. But there is one thing you must be wary of. We can guess this, and so can the people of the Witch God Cult, after all, Warlock are able to counter divination and curses. Thus, tonight's dream interrogation came about, to test whether Liang Youping had fallen into the hands of the Nightwatchers.]
[This kind of probing won't happen only once or twice. We can turn the tables and pinpoint the mastermind. Tell Governor Zhang about this; he knows what to do.]
Number One then commented. "[There's another point. Since the other side came to test us, it means they were already mentally prepared for Liang Youping to fall into the hands of the Nightwatchers. At least in their eyes, falling into the hands of the Bureau of Astronomy's Warlock and falling into the hands of the Nightwatchers are the same thing.]"
[In that case, they must have already prepared for a catastrophic collapse.]
Upon hearing this, both Xu Qi'an and Li Miaozhen felt a chill run down their spines.
If that's the case, then we have no choice but to strike first; to catch the thief, we must first catch the king, Xu Qi'an thought to himself.
However, the best course of action now is to find the mastermind behind this. Otherwise, with the enemy in the shadows and us in the open, there's no point in trying.
At this moment, Number One asked, "[Although this case is troublesome, with Xu Qi'an's abilities, he shouldn't be helpless, right?]"
Number One, if you can talk, then talk more; if not, publish a book. Xu Qi'an felt like he'd been licked, and it was quite pleasant.
Li Miaozhen replied: [He is attempting to break through to the Spirit Refining Realm, and his condition is extremely poor.]
[Six: Lord Xu has already broken through to the Refinement of Spirit realm so quickly? Before he left the capital, he was still a little short of the peak of the Qi Refining Realm. I thought he would advance to the Spirit Refining Realm in the spring. Truly astonishing talent.]
Only Xu Qi'an himself knew the reason: since he advanced to the Qi Refining Realm, he had been surrounded by a lot of problems, and had little time for cultivation.
On the way to Yunzhou, aside from bragging to his colleagues, most of the time was boring, so he could only cultivate. As a result, his progress was rapid.
[One: No, this talent is simply astonishing.]
Originally, no one cared. After all, a seventh-grade Spirit Refining Realm was nothing special. Everyone in the Heaven and Earth Society was talented, intelligent, and eloquent. A Spirit Refining Realm warrior couldn't cause much of a stir.
But hearing what Number One and Number Six said, they all became interested, including Li Miaozhen, who had contact with Xu Qi'an in the real world.
[Four: Judging from your tone, this gong player seems quite extraordinary, perhaps even a genius?]
Monk Hengyuan thought for a moment and replied, "[It's not that. It's just that he saw me when he left the capital. Judging from his condition at the time, he should have advanced to the Refining Spirit Refining Realm in the spring. I didn't expect it to be so soon. Number One should know him better.]"
[Part 1: I mentioned his background last time, but I didn't tell you then that Xu Qi'an was only at the Essence Refining Realm when he joined the Nightwatchers. So far, it's only been two months at most.]
No further explanation is needed; everyone can understand the profound message contained in those words.
To advance a rank in just two months—regardless of the system or faction—makes one a top-tier genius.
Number Four couldn't help but think that Number Three was likely Xu Qi'an's cousin, and the reason for his soaring aura was probably related to this cousin. Now, with another Xu Qi'an of such outstanding talent, the Xu Household in the capital would probably become a rising star in the capital in the near future.
When Master Jinlian gifted the fragments of the Earth Book to her cousin, was she actually planning to take advantage of both brothers?
Li Miaozhen was taken aback. What Number One had told her that day was all about how amazing Xu Qi'an was at solving cases, but he hadn't mentioned anything about his talent.
"I wonder how many days and nights he stayed up?" Li Miaozhen suddenly became very curious about this question.
[Five: It's alright, I broke through to the first rank in two months.]
Number Five, who hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise, passed on his comments.
[Three: This is already quite an achievement.]
Xu Qi'an created a fake account to show off.
[Five: Hmm, I didn't say it was bad. It's just that I also advanced one rank in just two months. Now I'm preparing to cultivate my Life Gu, which is at the sixth rank. It took me a little over four months to go from the Subordinate Eighth Rank to the sixth rank.]
?
A big question mark appeared in everyone's minds.
Advancing two ranks in four months, and one rank in two months—no problem. The members of the Heaven and Earth Society seem to know why Master Jinlian invited Number Five to join.
Li Miaozhen excitedly rolled around on the bed, clenched her fist, and waved it forcefully. Sure enough, seeking help from the Heaven and Earth Society members was the right choice.
The cunning Number One, the experienced Number Four, and the exceptionally intelligent Number Three, working together, managed to quickly unravel the case's intricacies.
He even planned out how to deal with it next.
The next day, Xu Qi'an, with dark circles under his eyes, came to the hall for breakfast. Soon after, Governor Zhang and Jiang Luzhong, among others, also came down.
Li Miaozhen was the last to appear, wearing soft armor, carrying a silver spear, with a sword at her waist, and her stylish high ponytail swaying back and forth. Behind her followed a stunningly beautiful woman.
Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao turned their backs to each other in tacit agreement, leaving Su Su with only the back of their heads.
Li Miaozhen went straight to the table where Governor Zhang and Jiang Luzhong were sitting. She glanced at Xu Qi'an first, then raised her pointed chin with a hint of pride and said:
"I've solved the case!"
Governor Zhang and Jiang Luzhong exchanged a glance, the former's eyes flickering slightly. "Let's talk in the room. Ningyan, you come too."
Inside the room, Li Miaozhen vividly recounted the "chat logs," leaving Governor Zhang and Jiang Luzhong stunned.
"General Li is incredibly meticulous; I admire him greatly." Governor Zhang's spirits lifted, and much of the fatigue from staying up all night subsided.
Jiang Luzhong also began to look at this beautiful female general with an oval face with new respect.
Li Miaozhen smiled reservedly, then suddenly turned to look at Xu Qi'an: "You seem to disagree with my reasoning?"
"Nonsense, we're group members, why are you showing off in front of me? You clearly have it, but you still insist on pretending. "Xu Qi'an cooperated by showing an expression of shock and admiration, praising:
"General Li's case-solving and reasoning abilities are superior to mine. I admire him greatly."
Li Miaozhen smiled slightly, "This general never expected that I had such a talent for solving cases."
She felt incredibly satisfied to be able to outmaneuver Xu Qi'an, a master like him.
Xu Qi'an also felt great, because when his identity was exposed in the future, he wouldn't be the only one to suffer social death.
For some reason, Xu Qi'an suddenly felt that the future was full of light. He smiled.
After finishing his breakfast, Governor Zhang was about to go to the Military Commandery when the Tiger Guards came in to report:
"Your Excellency Governor, Provincial Treasurer Song and his officials are here to pay their respects!"
Governor Zhang exchanged a silent glance with Jiang Luzhong and the other two.
Clearly, the Yunzhou officials had come because of the arrest of Commander Yang Chuannan the previous night. But after their conversation, they were wary.
Perhaps this is also a test—a test from the mastermind behind the scenes.
P. S.: This case is almost over, and I've also laid the groundwork for Volume 3. I'm so happy! Please give me a monthly pass, sob sob.