Replies from the Backups

It's so dark. Where am I? Who am I?

He vaguely remembered who he was and where he was.

Waaaaah.

Knock knock knock.

Xu Qi'an heard the sound of horns and drums. Gradually, he heard other sounds: a deafening roar of battle cries, the deep and chaotic sound of horses' hooves, explosions, and the sharp clash of blades.

The various sounds intertwined, forming a clear picture in Xu Qi'an's mind.

It's a battlefield!

Just as he thought this, the darkness before him split open, and light pierced through, revealing a battlefield in his vision.

The massive, dark army charged forward, like swarms of ants. High-ranking warriors rampaged across the battlefield, much like humans trampling an anthill.

This battlefield is not only inhabited by humans, but also by giant beasts two stories high, snakes tens of meters long, and birds of prey coiling in the sky.

There were high-ranking monks chanting scriptures while sitting cross-legged high in the sky; barbarians with the strength to uproot mountains and the aura to overwhelm the world; an army of fearless corpses; rows and rows of artillery; and valiant cavalry riding ferocious beasts.

"What kind of battlefield is this? This is outrageous! So many people have died!" Xu Qi'an thought blankly.

His gaze swept across the battlefield, past the army of corpses, past the artillerymen, and looked towards the high sky behind the battlefield, where a group of flying beasts hovered in the air.

A figure in a green robe stood proudly atop the beast's head, hands clasped behind his back, indifferently surveying the fiercely fighting battlefield.

"Wei Yuan?!"

Xu Qi'an's heart jolted, and he suddenly remembered who he was. At that very moment, the battlefield scene collapsed, plunging into boundless darkness.

Xu Qi'an opened his eyes, but all he saw was darkness.

Oh my god, this is so stuffy. He didn't get up immediately, but instead focused his attention and sensed things carefully. Then, he "saw" the dark cabin, five coffins neatly arranged, the slowly moving official ship, and the shimmering canal.

This was a miraculous event he obtained after entering the Spirit Refining Realm.

I don't know how other Spirit Refining Realm are, but Xu Qi'an's mental power can, to some extent, act as his eyes.

Even if his titanium alloy eyes go blind one day, he won't be afraid at all.

"The dream I just had... no, it couldn't have been a simple dream. How could a dream be so vivid? An army of corpses, Buddhist School monks... I've never encountered any of these things, how could I dream about them?"

Why is Wei Yuan in my dream? He looks so young, at least his temples aren't gray. My dad was so handsome when he was young, just like me.

Xu Qi'an lay in the coffin, he recalled the scene he saw in his dream: a vast, dark army covering the mountains and plains, with an enormous number of participants.

A multi-factional conflict ensued.

Combined with Wei Yuan's appearance and his deeds, Xu Qi'an immediately made a guess in his mind—the Battle of Shanhai Pass.

Wei Yuan's most famous deeds include the Battle of Shanhai. A massive, multi-state conflict, it perfectly matches the historical record of the Battle of Shanhai Pass. But why did I dream of the Battle of Shanhai Pass? My second uncle, that weakling, actually survived; he must be lying in a pile of corpses pretending to be dead. Xu Qi'an thought to himself as he pushed open the coffin lid.

Fresh air rushed in, he took a deep breath, and sat up abruptly. Suddenly, a joyful voice came from the dimly lit cabin:

"You're awake."

Xu Qi'an was startled and then noticed a person in white sitting cross-legged three meters to his left, with their back to him. Alright, the identity is revealed: Yang Qianhuan.

This guy is the only man Xu Qi'an can recognize just by looking at his back.

He didn't respond immediately; he hesitated for a few seconds, choosing his words carefully, before finally asking, "Where are we?"

Yang Qianhuan's tone was quite light, showing that he was in a very good mood. "On the way back to the capital, oh no, on the water."

"The Yunzhou case is over?" Xu Qi'an's face lit up with joy. "Hey, this damn case is finally over, I finally don't have to stay up all night working myself to the bone."

"I died once, and I don't know if Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were sad for me. They were probably even sadder that they lost five chances to get something for free."

"Sigh, in the end I still couldn't trick Su Su into coming home as my virtual wife. Li Miaozhen probably wants to kill me. Luckily I died a little earlier, otherwise it would have been quite embarrassing."

Yang Qianhuan listened patiently to his rambling.

"By the way, what are you doing on the ship?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Yang Qian thought for a moment and said, "I came to Yunzhou on my master's orders. Now that the matter is settled, I will naturally go back. It just so happens that the Nightwatchers is sending your remains back to the capital, so I secretly slipped up here."

"Then I noticed that the knife wounds and arrow holes on your body had mysteriously healed, so I deduced that you were not dead. After waiting for ten days, hey, you really did come back to life."

Yang Qianhuan spoke calmly, but his inner thoughts were far more turbulent than his tone suggested. Upon learning of Xu Qi'an's death in battle, he thought to himself, "It's all over. When I return to the capital, my teacher will imprison me at the bottom of the Star-Plucking Tower, where I will never see the light of day again."

In a panic, he almost deserted his master and ran away.

At the same time, I feel it's a real pity. How could such an interesting young man have died in battle? How could he be so foolish as to exchange his 20-year-old life for that of an old man?

Governor Zhang is a decrepit old man with one foot in the grave.

He followed him all the way, sneaked onto the official ship, and opened Xu Qi'an's coffin. Unexpectedly, a glimmer of hope appeared, and the clouds parted to reveal the clear sky. The boy's injuries had miraculously healed, and his heartbeat gradually returned to normal, a sign that things were turning around for the better.

So Yang Qianhuan happily stayed by the coffin, not even having time to relieve herself.

Of course, Xu Qi'an couldn't know about these things.

Did he uncover my coffin? Otherwise, how would he know my injuries had healed? Why would he uncover my coffin out of the blue? I always feel like he has some ulterior motive. Xu Qi'an thought to himself, but smiled on his face.

"What brings you to Yunzhou, Lord Supervisor?"

Just then, Yang Qianhuan asked, "How did you manage to come back to life?"

After asking the question, the two looked at each other and fell silent.

A few seconds later, feeling guilty, they simultaneously changed the subject:

The weather is nice today.

The wind is quite noisy today.

Xu Qi'an and Yang Qianhuan fell silent again.

Just as Xu Qi'an was thinking of changing the subject and talking about something else, feeling a little awkward, he suddenly realized that he was carrying four letters in his arms.

Whose letter?

The coffin was stored at the bottom of the hold, with only faint light filtering in through the gaps in the deck.

The deck was actually translucent; this ship really needed a good overhaul. Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, then casually opened the envelope and began reading in the dim light.

Now his eyesight is good enough to see in the dark without any obstruction.

Upon entering the Spirit Refining Realm, all aspects of the body's attributes are enhanced.

Big Brother:

The letter I sent arrived home. Mom and Dad were very happy, and Lingyin was happy too, especially Mom. She never expected her eldest brother to write to her; she was so happy she practically slapped the table. Knowing that my eldest brother is doing well, I'm relieved."

The handwriting was beautiful; it was a letter from Lingyue.

Auntie, are you sure you're not going to slam your fist on the table and curse my deceased mother? Are you happy or not? Little sister Xu Qi'an pictured Xu Lingyue's delicate and refined oval face in her mind, imagining her slightly lowered head and shy demeanor, and couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips into a smile as she continued reading.

"Not long after you left the capital, Lingyin was forced to go to a private school, and everything was arranged by my second brother. Now, Lingyin can already recite the first nine characters of the Three Character Classic. When Father and Mother first found out, they almost cried tears of joy."

Lingyin can actually recite nine characters? Xu Qi'an almost burst into tears of joy.

"But it seems she was bullied. The jade bracelet her mother bought for her, worth ten taels, disappeared a few days ago. There are light bruises on her wrist, obviously she was forcibly pulled off."

"Lingyin is so clueless. When asked who did it, she wouldn't say and didn't seem to care at all. It's probably because nothing matters to her except food."

"With the Spring Festival approaching, Father was coming home very late every day, or he would stay overnight at the camp, leaving him no time to manage the household affairs. Mother didn't dare tell him, and went to the school teacher to question him, but the teacher claimed he didn't know, perhaps Lingyin had lost it herself. Mother was trembling with anger, but there was nothing she could do."

"If my eldest brother were home, this definitely wouldn't have happened. If my second brother were home, he would have scolded him so badly he would have no face to hide."

"But my second brother is very angry lately. I heard from Dad that he stood in the cold wind for half the night, and when he came home the next day to get money and food, he wouldn't talk to us. My second brother is so stingy. It's not my eldest brother's fault that I forgot to write to him. My eldest brother is very busy too."

"Girl, Erlang is still your own brother, isn't this just siding with outsiders? You're even siding with me! Please keep it up!" Xu Qi'an almost covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud when he saw this.

What a pity, I didn't get to see Erlang in such a sorry state, kukuku.

"Oh, right, Mother said she'd find me a husband after spring. Mother's so annoying, why doesn't she marry herself? Lingyin misses you so much, she keeps saying she wants to find my older brother. I... I miss you too."

What nonsense are you talking about? How could Auntie remarry? Auntie was born a member of the Xu Household, and she will die a member of the Xu Household. Yes, my elder brother misses you all very much.

After reading it, Xu Qi'an folded the letter with satisfaction and put it back in the envelope.

He glanced at Yang Qianhuan, who was still facing away from him, quiet as a wooden statue.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Where else could I be?" Yang Qianhuan said irritably.

Xu Qi'an ignored him, lowered his head, and opened the second letter.

Xu Lang:

Twenty days have passed since we parted, and my longing for you grows ever more intense, like oil being poured on a raging fire. I am doing well at the Imperial Academy of Music, except I am always prone to drowsiness. When I wake up, I pick plum blossoms and wander around. I have brewed a jar of plum blossom wine, hoping for your return so we can raise a cup and drink together."

This is the courtesan's reply.

"Occasionally I would go out to have a few drinks with guests and listen to their lively conversations. Actually, I wanted to hear news about you, but Yunzhou is thousands of miles away from the capital, and it is not easy to send messages."

"Those stinking men, who call themselves scholars, are mostly good-for-nothings, with mediocre talents, not even a fraction as good as Xu Lang. I often think that meeting Xu Lang is the greatest blessing God has ever given me."

"A few days ago, my maid brought back some news. I heard that Master Xu has written a new poem in Qingzhou, which was treasured by the Layman Ziyang and engraved on a stele to warn the world. I am honored and overjoyed."

"My love, I think of you every night."

Xu Qi'an chuckled, carefully folded the letter, and put it back in the envelope.

Finally, there were two more letters in which he reminisced about the backup suitors he had kept: Chu Caiwei, Huaiqing, and Lin'an.

There were clearly three people, oh no, three babies, so why did they only reply to two letters?

Xu Qi'an was a little angry, thinking to himself, "Who didn't reply to my message? Was it because my pregnancy care techniques weren't good enough, or was it because my fork wasn't aimed accurately enough?"

He randomly picked a letter and began to read it:

"Dog lackey:"

When will the case in Yunzhou be over? It's not that I miss you, it's just that with the Spring Festival approaching, many guards have gone home on leave, and I don't have many servants left to rely on."

The very first sentence exudes a sassy, arrogant, and manipulative vibe.

Does Her Highness need more guards? Hmm, Biao Biao still remembers to reply to my letter, not bad, not bad. Xu Qi'an continued reading.

"The Go game you invented has been greatly developed by me. Everyone praises me for being intelligent and wise. Even the annoying Huaiqing is now completely convinced of my abilities and tells me in private: 'Lin'an's wisdom far surpasses mine. Huaiqing is completely inferior.'"

"But she definitely won't admit to something like this. I'm just telling you casually, so don't take it to heart. After all, Huaiqing is a princess, so let's save her some face."

"I won't take advantage of you. The spring festival is approaching, and my father gave me some gold, silver, jade, silk, and jewelry. When you return, feel free to pick a few pieces from my storeroom."

Haha, this silly girl from Lin'an! I tricked her by saying that my second uncle was borrowing money everywhere to support my martial arts training and that life was tough for him, and she actually believed me! She's been trying to give me money in all sorts of ways. She's so damn naive! Please keep it up!

Xu Qi'an smiled happily.

"What's with that chicken essence? Didn't you invent it? Why is everyone saying it was invented by Chu Caiwei of the Bureau of Astronomy? I was furious, so I went to the Bureau of Astronomy and made a scene."

"The officials in white robes from the Bureau of Astronomy didn't dare lay a hand on me, so they went to complain to my father, and I got a severe scolding from him. When you return, I'll take you to seek justice."

Um... Actually, the chicken essence was indeed made by Caiwei. I was just giving her an idea. Well, she wanted to use the chicken essence to condense the Alchemy's rank, and she had already informed me of this.

Xu Qi'an was a little touched; Biao Biao was still very protective of her own.

He stuffed the letter from Lin'an back into the envelope, took a deep breath, and opened the last letter.

Huaiqing and Caiwei, now we'll find out who the traitor is.

Xu Tongluo

Yunzhou has a complex environment and a long history of banditry. Since the Qi Party and the Witch God Cult have been secretly plotting for many years, they must have accumulated considerable power in Yunzhou.

"Remember to proceed with caution. Even with Jiang Luzhong, a fourth-rank martial artist, it's not entirely safe. Once you've locked onto a target, you must apprehend them with lightning speed, giving them no time to react."

"I suspect that Duke Wei is secretly making arrangements, but he most likely won't meet with you. Perhaps Governor Zhang knows, or perhaps he doesn't. Although you are a brilliant detective, your abilities are limited, so please don't act alone."

The letter is from Huaiqing.

Xu Qi'an had mixed feelings, a mixture of disappointment and joy. He was disappointed that the cute girl with big eyes turned out to be a scumbag. All his deep affection for her, his decision to take her into his "fishpond," had been in vain, and she was so heartless.

What's gratifying is that Huaiqing didn't become a bad woman; she still has feelings for Ben Tongluo.

Both sides are his flesh and blood; faced with this outcome, Xu Qi'an felt a mix of joy and sorrow.

"Huaiqing is terrifying; her IQ is far too high. No, it's not just IQ, it's also her ability to analyze situations and control people's hearts. She can even grasp Duke Wei's thoughts completely. She'll easily get caught cheating in the future."

Princess Huaiqing seemed to be Wei Yuan's half-disciple, so it wasn't surprising that she possessed such abilities. Xu Qi'an squinted and continued reading:

"A few days ago, Caiwei came to my palace for a meal. During our chat, she mentioned you. She said she's been worried about how to reply to you lately because she doesn't like reading and is afraid that her writing will be bad and you'll laugh at her."

She also said, "Xu Ningyan is so thoughtful, sending me a red lotus petal from Qingzhou. She said I am as bright and beautiful as the red lotus."

When Caiwei mentioned it to me, a smile played on her lips. I then said to Caiwei, "I will write a reply for you." She readily agreed.

"Ah, Lord Xu is truly dashing and romantic, presenting a flower to two people, each with a different explanation, yet both descriptions are perfectly apt."

"I admire you."

Xu Qi'an stared blankly at the letter.

"What's wrong?" Yang Qianhuan asked.

"I've crashed!" Xu Baipiao blushed, feeling so ashamed he wanted to jump into the canal and swim back to Baidi City.

Holy crap, I forgot that Chu Caiwei is a naive girl who hasn't experienced love yet. She and Huaiqing are close, so she has absolutely no psychological barriers to sharing this kind of thing with her best friend.

Huaiqing already had a prejudice against me; he refused to see me when I left the capital. Now that Caiwei has gone and stolen my home, Huaiqing must have labeled me a scumbag. Xu Qi'an blushed with embarrassment.

Xu is a man of some standing, how can I face returning to the capital after you've done this? I'm already dead, so it's alright.

At the same time, he felt fortunate because Huaiqing wouldn't see the letters from Biao Biao, Fuxiang, and Lingyue.

Needless to say, the latter two had no connection with Huaiqing. Although Biao Biao was her sister, the two were sworn enemies and it was impossible for them to share such intimate messages.

Showing off is even less likely. No matter how innocent (or hypocritical) she may be, she is still a princess born into royalty. She wouldn't be foolish enough to take out such a letter and spread it around.

Fortunately, I knew Chu Caiwei was a blockhead, so I didn't flirt with her. I only talked about the delicious food along the way. Perhaps that's why Princess Huaiqing was displeased, but she still wrote a letter to remind me. After all, what I wrote to her was a love letter (flattering), while what I wrote to Caiwei was a normal letter.

Hehe, you didn't expect that, Huaiqing? You thought I was on the second floor, but actually I'm on the fifth floor.

Who wrote the letter?

Seeing that Xu Qi'an had finally finished reading, Yang Qianhuan started talking again.

"A letter from a friend in the capital." Xu Qi'an remained expressionless.

"They're lovers, aren't they?" Yang Qianhuan asked.

Xu Qi'an immediately became alert. "You peeked at my letter?"

Yang Qianhuan sneered, "I, Yang Qianhuan, disdain to do such despicable things."

After all, he was a fourth-rank Warlock. Xu Qi'an nodded and said, "Speaking of which, your junior sister Caiwei is really a blockhead. At her age, she should be having romantic feelings by now. I just can't win her over. I even wrote her a letter, and she still..."

Xu Qi'an sighed deeply.

Yang Qianhuan agreed, "Junior Sister Caiwei is indeed Aperture Opening. She only told Princess Huaiqing about it as ordinary correspondence between friends. It's not that she has no interest in you; at least you are a very important friend to her."

Xu Qi'an's gaze suddenly sharpened. "How the hell did you know she told Huaiqing?"

"." Yang Qianhuan.

The arrogant guy remained silent for a long time, realizing he had been tricked. Suddenly, he understood the shame Xu Qi'an had felt earlier.

Not only did you peek at my letter, you even glued it back together!

"Forget it, considering you helped me catch Liang Youping, I won't bother with it," Xu Qi'an advised.

"But you must never tell anyone about the letter."

Now that things have come to this, and Yang Qianhuan has already seen it all, he can't possibly turn back time, so he might as well pretend to be generous.

Yang Qianhuan was taken aback. "I didn't help you catch Liang Youping."

A gust of cold air rushed in through the gaps in the deck and blew against Xu Qi'an's neck.

He slowly shivered, his hair standing on end, and his voice trembled slightly. "What did you say?"

Under the warm winter sun, Nangong Qianrou drove to the outskirts of the palace.

After parking the carriage, he tossed the reins to the approaching Imperial Guards, bent down to remove a wooden stool, opened the carriage door, and said:

"Godfather, we've arrived."

Wearing a luxurious blue robe, Wei Yuan, with graying temples, climbed out of the carriage and stepped down onto a wooden stool.

The two entered the palace and headed towards the Imperial Study.

"Godfather, I heard there was an urgent message that traveled 800 li this morning?" Nangong Qianrou asked.

The Great Feng's intelligence reports were divided into three levels of urgency: 300 li, 400 li, 600 li, and the highest level, 800 li.

The urgent intelligence reports delivered by the courier were sent directly to the cabinet, which then forwarded them to the emperor. Before they reached the cabinet, no one except the courier delivering the intelligence was allowed to handle them.

Otherwise, it would be considered treason.

Wei Yuan nodded solemnly. Not long after the urgent document was sent to the palace, His Majesty convened a small court meeting in the Imperial Study.

A message delivered by express courier over 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers) must be of great importance; it's just unknown which state it originates from.

"These are truly turbulent times!" Wei Yuan sighed softly, then paused and asked, "How's the rhinoceros armor I asked you to prepare going?"

"The materials have been collected and are ready to be taken to the Bureau of Astronomy for refining." Nangong Qianrou said with a hint of sourness.

The rhinoceros armor was a gift Wei Yuan intended to give to Xu Qi'an. It was impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire. If the Alchemist and Formation Master of the Bureau of Astronomy were to be consulted, it could be forged into a magical Law Artifact.

That is an unparalleled defensive treasure; even a fifth-grade martial artist would not be able to break through it easily.

Nangong Qianrou knew Wei Yuan's thoughts; he wanted to make up for Xu Qi'an's last shortcoming and protect this sapling that had not yet grown.

As they approached the Imperial Study, Nangong Qianrou was stopped by the Imperial Guards, while Wei Yuan proceeded alone.

Wei Yuan stepped over the threshold and entered the imperial study.

He casually glanced at the assembled officials on either side, and his brows immediately furrowed.

All the ministers were looking at him with inscrutable expressions.

Emperor Yuanjing was also watching Wei Yuan, but the old emperor was deep in thought and did not show his joy or anger.

"Your Majesty." Wei Yuan bowed and naturally took his place in the ranks.

PS: Thank you to "Old Man Leaning on Sword and Knife", "Society Forces You to Be Strong", and "Mad Song~" for their generous donations. I will add more chapters.

This chapter contains 6,000 words, of which 3,000 are the regular update and the other 3,000 are bonus words for the patron.

P. S.: I'll save tomorrow morning's update for tonight. This volume is finished, and I'll start the second volume. I need to brainstorm some ideas.