Reborn anew

Just moments before, the Xu clan members were lamenting the untimely death of their Dalang and the shattering of the Xu clan's grand dream, their hearts heavy with sorrow.

But when they saw Xu Dalang actually sit up from the coffin, his legs moved faster than his brain, and they all rushed to a distance to watch cautiously.

"He's come back to life! Lord Xu has really come back to life! Report to the authorities quickly! Report to the authorities quickly!"

"Why bother reporting to any official? Every official here is more powerful than the county magistrate."

The noise was deafening, and the Xu clan members were both surprised and frightened. However, because of the princess and several prominent figures in the courtyard, they felt reassured and did not run away.

Some people retreated in fear, while others instinctively moved forward, yet they were also hesitant and confused, unsure of the situation. This included people like Xu Erlang, Xu Lingyue, Chu Caiwei, and Huaiqing.

It's so itchy! Xu Qi'an felt waves of itching on his scalp, like lice were crawling on it.

He reached out and scratched his head a few times, tearing off a large patch of scalp with hair still attached.

"Ah!!!"

The timid aunt screamed in fright and pushed Xu Lingyue, who was next to her, out as a shield.

Xu Lingyue was also terrified. Even though it was her favorite older brother, the sudden lifting of the coffin made Lingyue's scalp tingle. Instinctively, she wanted to scream and run away.

But she didn't. Tears streamed down her face, and her voice trembled as she cried, "Brother, brother, is there something you didn't say before you left? Are you unwilling to accept this?"

Overwhelmed with grief, my younger sister wept, her face streaked with tears.

After a brief moment of shock and confusion, several people in the room quickly realized Xu Qi'an's true state.

They are Princess Chu Caiwei, who is at the Qi Refining Realm; Chu Caiwei from the Bureau of Astronomy; Nangong Qianrou and Zhang Kaitai, both high-ranking martial artists; and Xu Pingzhi, her second uncle.

Chu Caiwei Qi-Watching Technique, distinguishing between the living and the dead. Recalling what her teacher, the supervisor, had said, even though this girl wasn't very bright, she had come to understand some things at this moment.

Is this the effect of the Rebirth Pill? No wonder the teacher said that I gave the Rebirth Pill to Xu Qi'an, but how did the teacher know that Xu Qi'an would be resurrected? And how did Xu Qi'an take the Rebirth Pill? Chu Caiwei couldn't quite understand.

As for Xu Pingzhi and the others, it was purely due to their keen hearing and sharp eyesight as martial artists that they heard Xu Qi'an's heartbeat and saw the subtle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

Their expressions varied, yet they shared a common thread: a mixture of surprise and delight.

Xu Pingzhi slowly opened his eyes, his ordinary face a mixture of ecstasy and sorrow. This grown man, in front of everyone, burst into tears.

Zhang Kaitai was excited and overjoyed, his emotions written all over his face. Xu Ningyan had been resurrected? He had come back to life?

Since entering the Xu Residence, Huaiqing, who had maintained a cool and reserved demeanor, instantly softened her pale face, and the joy hidden in her eyes and brows would have surprised anyone who knew her well.

Nangong Qianrou looked suspicious.

"A last message?" Xu Qi'an's heart skipped a beat. He remembered his aunt crying last night, saying he was the ugliest man. So, in a sorrowful, low voice, with a trembling tone, he said:

My aunt has treated me badly; I want her to apologize.

My aunt burst into tears.

The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or supernatural beings!

Lacking the keen hearing of a martial Warlock and the Qi-Watching Technique of a sorcerer, Xu Erlang, Confucian School eighth-grade Self-Cultivation Realm, assumed his elder brother was truly a zombie and stepped forward, muttering incantations.

He wanted to use the rudimentary power of the Confucian School concept of "Law Follows Speech" to get his elder brother back to a comfortable position.

"Go!"

But his father suddenly slapped him over, Xu Pingzhi, overwhelmed with mixed feelings of sorrow and joy, rushed to the coffin as if he were welcoming a rare treasure.

"Etc."

Nangong Qianrou stopped Xu Pingzhi, squinting as she scrutinized Xu Qi'an, who was scratching his ears and cheeks, tearing off pieces of flesh.

"Even if the body is alive, it's hard to say whether the person is still the same," Nangong Qianrou said with a cold laugh.

Everyone was startled, and remembering the strange orange cat, they immediately realized something was wrong.

The orange cat leaped over his corpse, and Xu Dalang actually came back to life. This inevitably leads to speculation—that it wasn't Xu Dalang was resurrected, but someone else entirely.

Nangong Qianrou, Princess Huaiqing, and the others were all well-informed people; they had either witnessed or heard of such practices as possession of Primordial Spirit.

"No, it must be Dalang." Xu Pingzhi said firmly.

There was no other reason; he simply accepted the fact that his Dalang had come back to life. Other reasons were things he couldn't face or bear.

The knife has already stabbed my heart once.

"Second Uncle, it's me. I'm not dead," Xu Qi'an said.

"Huh? Why did the voice change? "Xu Pingzhi's expression changed slightly.

This time, the voice calling him "Second Uncle" was clear and resonant, with a masculine magnetism, much better than Dalang's previous voice.

Second Uncle Xu's heart sank. He clenched his fists and stared at his nephew who had come back from the dead. "How can you prove that you are Xu Qi'an?"

Xu Pingzhi's questioning tone made the already suspicious group even more wary.

"Luckily I don't have a mother, otherwise I'd have to prove that my mother is my mother," he thought to himself, pondering for a moment before saying, "Green tangerines are sour and astringent, but Second Uncle thinks the juice from the peel has other uses."

Xu Pingzhi's face froze instantly.

Xu Erlang still couldn't believe his elder brother had come back to life. He glanced at his father, whose expression seemed off, took a deep breath to compose himself, and asked:

"Are you really the eldest brother?"

At this moment, Xu Qi'an's face was a grimace of contrasting youthful and aged flesh, but his gaze towards his younger brother was deep and profound, filled with emotion as he spoke:

"If Heaven had not granted me the Xu Xinnian, the Great Feng would have remained in perpetual darkness for eternity."

He silently added to himself, "When the women are not at home, the three of us stroll alone in Yingmei Pavilion."

If Heaven had not given birth to Xu Xinnian, the Great Feng in perpetual darkness. Hearing these words, the second uncle and aunt became even more certain that it was Xu Dalang who had awakened, because these small, trivial matters of life could not be known unless one had experienced them firsthand.

Inside the mourning hall, everyone's attention immediately turned to Xu Xinnian.

Chu Caiwei was thinking that she must not let Senior Brother Yang hear this, otherwise she and her fellow disciples in the Bureau of Astronomy would probably have to go through a brainwashing cycle every day.

This is just as bad as Yang Qianhuan's quirks. Nangong Qianrou and Zhang Kaitai frowned, feeling that this scholar from the Xu Household was too arrogant. Warriors can't stand arrogant and domineering pronouncements.

Princess Huaiqing remained silent, but she scrutinized Xu Xinnian with a profound and insightful gaze.

"."

Xu Erlang's handsome face flushed crimson, even his ears turned red. These words were already shameful and embarrassing to his family, but to have them read aloud by his elder brother in front of so many outsiders, the shame was beyond what Xu Dalang, at his age, should be able to bear.

He wished he could push his elder brother away, lie down in a coffin, and end it all.

call.

Seeing his son draw the attention of everyone and become the center of attention, Second Uncle Xu breathed a sigh of relief and felt somewhat happy.

"It really is Big Brother!" Xu Lingyue cheered and rushed over without hesitation, hugging Big Brother's neck and sobbing.

"Big pot, big pot!" Xu Lingyin was overjoyed, jumping up and down by the coffin, opening her arms wide, hoping her older brother could hug her too.

But Xu Dalang was comforting his sister's soft, delicate body, completely ignoring the little bean sprout.

Xu Pingzhi also rushed forward excitedly, hugging his daughter and nephew tightly, afraid that if he relaxed his grip, they would be gone again.

Xu Erlang raised his face, refusing to let the tears roll down his cheeks. He would never do such a sentimental thing in front of a large audience.

"Snort!"

Her aunt tossed her sharp, white chin away, turning her head with disdain, but then she covered her mouth and cried.

Nangong Qianrou glanced at the detached dead flesh without showing any emotion; it wasn't dead skin, but chunks of dead flesh. She frowned and asked:

How did you come back to life?

"I'm not dead at all!" Xu Qi'an was about to explain when he heard Chu Caiwei raise her hand. The oval-faced beauty with big eyes said crisply:

"Did you take the rebirth pill I gave you?"

Xu Qi'an was slightly taken aback, but quickly regained his composure and feigned gratitude, "Miss Caiwei's kindness is immense; Xu Ningyan will never forget it and wishes he could repay her with his own body."

"Pooh!"

Chu Caiwei blushed. Actually, she felt a little ashamed. This adorable foodie wasn't good at lying and had a strong moral bottom line.

Unlike Xu Qi'an, who was a habitual liar and had mediocre fish-raising skills, nearly drowning in the small pond several times.

Xu Qi'an looked at the crowd, knowing they needed an explanation. After a moment's thought, he said:

"On the day of the rebellion in Yunzhou, the rebel army besieged the Provincial Administration Commission, and the governor and others were on the verge of death. I knew that my life or death in this battle was uncertain. I remembered the Rebirth Pill given to me by Caiwei, so I took a gamble. Hehe, the situation was critical at the time, and I had no other choice."

"It seems the governor thought I had died in battle, causing such a big misunderstanding."

"So that's how the Rebirth Pill works." Nangong Qianrou and the others nodded in understanding.

Huaiqing looked at Xu Pingzhi and the others who were still confused and said calmly, "The Rebirth Pill is a miraculous medicine refined by the Director of the Bureau of Astronomy Observatory. Taking this medicine is like a cicada spinning its cocoon, shedding its old body and being born with a new one."

Even if one suffers a fatal wound, one can still emerge from the cocoon and transform into a completely new body.

The medicinal power of the Rebirth Pill is to use the old body as nourishment to nurture a new body, just like a cicada transforming into a butterfly.

It also has significant drawbacks, such as its high cost and demanding usage conditions. The effects of the medicine take effect after half an hour, and the person who takes the pill must die within that half hour; if you don't die, it will force you to die.

This could easily lead to a tragic situation where people travel thousands of miles just to be killed.

If someone's head is chopped off, or they die on the spot, the Rebirth Pill cannot bring them back to life.

In short, it was just when his life was hanging by a thread that the medicine took effect.

Knowing the effects of the Rebirth Pill, Nangong Qianrou and the others could only sigh that Xu Qi'an was lucky to be alive.

To the Xu Household, their Dalang's resurrection was entirely due to the miraculous medicine bestowed upon him by Caiwei, a maiden from the Bureau of Astronomy.

"Miss Caiwei, I am deeply grateful," Xu Pingzhi said, clasping his hands in thanks.

"My Dalang owes you a life. From now on, whether he's going through fire or water, just give the order. If he doesn't agree, I, his second uncle, will tie him up and take him with me."

He did nothing and yet saved my life. Damn it, Chu Caiwei is the real protagonist template! Xu Qi'an clasped his hands in thanks.

"Alright, Lingyue, quickly help your older brother out. It's bad luck for a living person to stay in a coffin." Xu Pingzhi was in a great mood.

"Hmm." Xu Lingyue responded, but instead of immediately helping her older brother up, she helped him peel off pieces of dried flesh from his face.

After peeling off the skin from his face and head, Xu Qi'an felt a cool sensation on his forehead. His heart sank. Oh no, his beautiful hair, which he had grown for twenty years, was ruined in an instant.

Immediately, he noticed Xu Lingyue staring at him intently.

"What happened to my face?" Xu Qi'an's heart sank, and he quickly touched his face.

Xu Lingyue's pretty face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, remaining silent.

Xu Qi'an had no choice but to step out of the coffin himself, facing Huai Qing, Nangong Qianrou, and the others. Then, he clearly saw that they were all stunned.

The Xu Qi'an before me had perfectly sculpted features, exuding masculine vigor. He had thick eyebrows, a high nose, bright and piercing eyes, and lips with a perfectly curved shape.

Her facial features haven't changed, but they've become more refined and perfect.

"This... this is the boy I raised?" Aunt's rosy lips parted slightly as she stared at Xu Qi'an in disbelief.

Nangong Qianrou scoffed.

Even the naive Chu Caiwei couldn't help but take a few more glances, thinking that Xu Ningyan had become even more handsome after his transformation.

Princess Huaiqing's gaze lingered on his face for a few seconds, then she turned her head slightly, averting her gaze as if trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Big brother is so handsome." Xu Lingyin said happily. Although her brother didn't hug her, her deep love for him remained unchanged.

"I was like that when I was young," Second Uncle Xu said happily.

After saying that, seeing the family staring at him in silence, Second Uncle Xu felt a little embarrassed and added, "Pretty much, pretty much."

"Dalang isn't dead?"

Among the Xu clan members, an elderly man called out from afar.

Second Uncle Xu immediately went over and told the clansmen the good news that Xu Dalang had come back from the dead, as well as the reason why.

Only then did the Xu clan realize that it wasn't a case of a corpse turning into a zombie; Xu Dalang hadn't died at all, but had been saved by the miraculous elixir of life from the Bureau of Astronomy.

The common people of the capital were no strangers to the Bureau of Astronomy. Many pharmacies and clinics in the city were owned by the Bureau of Astronomy. Ninth-rank Warlock would visit the clinics every few days to practice their skills, and their medical skills were superb and inexpensive.

After explaining, Second Uncle Xu pulled Xu Qi'an to bow to the elders. The Xu clan members were also very happy; the fact that a junior member of the clan had come back to life was a joyous occasion in itself. Moreover, having witnessed Xu Qi'an's potential and connections, the clan members naturally hoped that he would rise higher and higher.

In an instant, the funeral was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

After calming his clansmen down, Xu Qi'an saw off the two Golden Gongs, Chu Caiwei, and Princess Chu Caiwei, then turned and went to the bathhouse.

The Xu family members stayed at the Xu Residence to help dismantle the funeral arrangements.

Xu Qi'an filled the bathtub with water, then braced himself against the edge of the tub, looking down at his face reflected in the water.

"Wow, that's awesome! Now it's more immersive, even though it's still a bit different from my past life." Xu Qi'an exclaimed in admiration.

At this moment, his features are still vaguely the same as before, but they are more refined and perfect, and his appearance has improved dramatically.

Lying in the cool water, Xu Qi'an groaned comfortably, then sadly touched his bald head.

Just then, an orange cat pushed open the door a crack, walked gracefully with its tail held high, and entered the bathroom.

"Tsk, I've long heard of the extraordinary effects of the Rebirth Pill, and seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation. It has transformed an ordinary person like you into someone exceptionally heroic."

So, in your heart, Daoist Master, I'm just an ordinary gong? Xu Qi'an was somewhat saddened, and said:

"The Daoist priest has actually developed the bad habit of riding on cats."

"Don't worry about such a trivial matter." Master Jinlian raised her paw and slapped the ground.

The orange cat jumped onto the edge of the bathtub, onto the stool used to place clean clothes, sat down, and began to speak in a human voice:

"I never believed you would die in the line of duty. Today, upon learning of your funeral, I came to see for myself. Sure enough, although your body showed no signs of life, there were clearly subtle fluctuations of your Primordial Spirit."

This subtle fluctuation of the Primordial Spirit is undetectable to martial artists; only Daoist School disciples who cultivate the Yin spirit can perceive it.

"I'll stop you here so your Primordial Spirit can return to you sooner."

"Thank you, Daoist Master."

Xu Qi'an expressed his sincere gratitude. If it weren't for the Daoist priest's arrogant and domineering manner, flying up and letting out a loud shout, even if he were to be resurrected, it wouldn't have been of any significance.

Sure enough, good fortune smiles upon the virtuous, and the fishpond owner was blessed by heaven.

"But Miao Zhen said that there was no trace of your Primordial Spirit fluctuations, and that your death was quite thorough," said Daoist Jinlian.

Is that how you use "transparent"? Xu Qi'an pondered:

"I was completely unconscious on the entire journey back to the capital from Yunzhou, and only vaguely regained consciousness last night."

He meant that the subtle fluctuations in the Primordial Spirit were recent occurrences and a sign of recovery.

Master Jinlian nodded, lowered her head, and pressed her paw on the fragment of the Earth Book, clicking her tongue. "Wei Yuan didn't retrieve the fragment of the Earth Book."

Wei Yuan is fishing? Xu Qi'an was taken aback, then heard Daoist Jinlian continue:

"However, for him, bringing you into the Heaven and Earth Society was just a casual move. A strategist's plans are far-reaching. After your death, he was probably somewhat disheartened and unwilling to get involved in the Heaven and Earth Society's affairs anymore. Whether the fragments of the Earth Book are buried with you or taken by me, it doesn't matter."

"Master, you and Wei Yuan are indeed in cahoots. But I still feel a little embarrassed to have my double-dealing exposed in front of me, "Xu Qi'an chuckled dryly.

"By the way, could we not tell Li Miaozhen about my resurrection yet?" Xu Qi'an asked, splashing water.

Master Jinlian stared intently at him with her amber cat-like eyes. "Be honest, young man."

Damn it, who hasn't bragged online? When I used to browse Bilibili, I liked to pretend to be a highly educated person. My catchphrase was. "Thanks for the invitation. I'm in the US, just got off the plane."

Xu Qi'an chuckled a few more times, then, recalling the events in Yunzhou, asked, "Daoist Master, there are traces of Warlock involved in the Yunzhou case, and at least third-rank Warlock at that. How much do you know about the Bureau of Astronomy?"

He told Master Jinlian about the deeds of the mysterious Warlock in the Yunzhou case.

Master Jinlian quickly understood Xu Qi'an's meaning and pondered, "The Bureau of Astronomy only has one third-rank Warlock named Sun Xuanji."

"But I think the Warlock who made the move in Yunzhou wasn't him; it was someone else."

"Who?" Xu Qi'an asked hurriedly.

Master Jinlian glanced at him. "Do you think I would know?"

"What use are you?" Xu Qi'an laughed. "In my heart, Daoist Master has always been a wise elder, knowledgeable in both astronomy and geography."

It's an old silver coin.

Master Jinlian shook her head and corrected, "Those who know astronomy are Warlock, and those who know geography are Confucian scholars."

"However, the supervisor definitely knows the Warlock's background; it's just that no one can fathom the old man's thoughts."

After speaking, Master Jinlian scrutinized Xu Qi'an and clicked her tongue, saying, "Your Qi and Blood and energy have increased several times over, and your spirit is full of vitality. You have made great progress compared to when you left the capital. The Rebirth Pill is truly remarkable."

"It's just too expensive," Master Jinlian thought regretfully.

"I was lucky, lucky, to have reached the Spirit Refining Realm in just three months. My aptitude is really dull, really dull," Xu Qi'an said modestly.

The orange cat turned and left, leaving behind the words: "Go find Wei Yuan. You couldn't buy resources at the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm even if you sold your entire fortune, but he can give them to you."

After taking a bath and changing into dry clothes, Xu Qi'an rode out of the mansion and headed straight for the Nightwatchers's office.

P. S.: At least 10,000 words today. More tonight. I'll correct typos tonight. I'll go out and have some fun during the day. Finally, a holiday! What a miserable office worker! Happy Dragon Boat Festival everyone.