Li Yuchun's lifelong nemesis

The sun was high in the sky, and the banquet was in full swing. After offering a round of toasts, Xu Qi'an excused himself to use the restroom and returned to his study, where he pondered how to face the delegation of Buddhist School envoys from the Western Regions.

Zhong Li sat at the square table, head down, eating her food in small bites.

Based on his research over this period, he believes that the Buddhist School delegation from the Western Regions had two purposes for visiting the capital.

Their primary objective was, of course, to understand the ins and outs of the Sangbo case, which was also the main purpose of their trip.

"I just don't know if those bald monks will only do some research, or if they intend to stay in the capital and track down the whereabouts of Monk Shenshu. We'll probably have to wait until they figure things out before making a decision." Xu Qi'an twirled his calligraphy brush in his hand.

The secondary purpose was probably to demand an explanation.

The relationship between Buddhist School and the Great Feng is complicated; they are the kind of allies who are all smiles on the surface but cursing each other in their hearts.

For example, in the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the Western Buddhist Kingdom and the Great Feng were allies and were victorious. The Southern Frontier and the North were defeated nations.

However, after experiencing that dream of dying and coming back to life, Xu Qi'an discovered that the Battle of Shanhai Pass was not as simple as recorded in historical books, because the Witch God Cult of Northeast China was also involved.

"If the barbarians of the Southern Frontier, the barbarians of the Northern Frontier, the Demon Race of the Northern Frontier, the witch god cult of the Northeast, and the remnants of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons were also involved, how large would the defeated side's camp be?"

"In other words, how powerful was the Great Feng Kingdom back then? How powerful was the Buddhist School in the Western Regions? How skilled was Wei Yuan in leading troops into battle? It's terrifying to think about."

However, this alliance was not solid. Over the past twenty years, the northern and Southern Frontier had repeatedly invaded the borders of Great Feng. The imperial court had repeatedly sought help from the Western Regions, but the Buddhist School ignored it.

Leaving aside the north, half of the Southern Frontier region has now fallen into the hands of Buddhist School —the former territory of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons.

If the Buddhist Kingdom truly valued the alliance, they could simply send troops to steal the crystals. Would the Southern Frontier barbarians still dare to attack the border?

Of course, the Great Feng was no good either. In the distant past, Cloud Deer Academy spearheaded the anti-Buddhist campaign. More recently, after Monk Shenshu escaped, that old geezer, the Supervisor, feigned illness.

"It's none of my business to question or punish someone. I'm just a lowly silver gong. The officials in the court and Emperor Yuanjing can worry about it themselves. I don't know if the supervisor will take action, but this old silver coin probably won't."

"As the presiding officer in the Sangbo case, I will most likely have contact with Buddhist School monks. To be on the safe side, I should also meet with the supervisor."

"Furthermore, the arrival of this delegation is both a crisis and an opportunity. The Buddhist School community knows best about Monk Shenshu's identity. I can use this opportunity to subtly probe and uncover more information, which will allow me to give Monk Shenshu an explanation."

A bold plan took shape in Xu Qi'an's mind.

"Zhong Li, let's go."

Immediately, he changed into the Nightwatchers's uniform, put on a sable hat, and left the Xu Residence.

Riding his little mare, who never gets stuck in traffic, he quickly arrived at the Star-Gazing Tower. He tied the mare to the steps and climbed the tower side by side with Zhong Li.

Having just descended the stone steps and entered the first-floor hall, a white-robed Warlock's back suddenly appeared before my eyes, his voice resounding:

"Holding the bright moon in my hands and plucking stars from the sky"

"There is no one like me in this world," Xu Qi'an answered quickly.

Yang Qianhuan paused for a moment, then started again, saying leisurely, "Holding the bright moon in hand and plucking stars from the sky."

"There is no one like me in this world," Xu Qi'an answered again, then said, "Senior Brother Yang, we are going to see the Supervisor, please don't block our way."

Yang Qianhuan remained silent for a long time before saying, "That's why I came. My teacher asked me to inform you."

"Did the Superintendent know I was coming?" Xu Qi'an nodded and said, "Please speak."

Yang Qianhuan gathered her strength in her Dantian: "Get out!!!"

While patting his ear, Xu Qi'an untied the mare's reins and said dejectedly, "You Bureau of Astronomy also know the Buddhist School Lion's Roar?"

"What should I do if I have tinnitus? Will I go deaf?"

After he finished speaking, he saw Zhong Li silently begin to sign: I'm deaf, I need to go back and take my medicine, otherwise my ears will be useless.

"."

Xu Qi'an pointed to his ear, then to himself, as if to say: Did I ruin you?

Zhong Li shook her head (helplessly, not wanting to waste words with Xu Qi'an).

Xu Qi'an nodded. It seemed this was another ordeal for Zhong Li, and he himself was the one who was implicated.

The fact that the Superintendent wouldn't see me meant that the shielding of heavenly secrets should be sufficient to get the answers the Buddhist School monks wanted, Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief.

After waiting downstairs for a while, Zhong Li returned after taking her medication.

Is your ear better?

Zhong Li nodded. "Mm."

The two immediately arrived at the Nightwatchers's office and went straight to Jin Yutang in Minshan. Min Yinluo, a burly man with a scar on his cheek, said irritably:

"Your One-Sword Hall has been repaired, what are you doing here?"

Yidao Hall is Xu Qi'an's "office," a name he chose himself, meaning "Who in the world can withstand my blade?"

"Is anything happening in the capital today?" Xu Qi'an asked casually.

You've heard about it too?

Min Shan chuckled, "The Western Regions envoy delegation has arrived. I heard there's a highly accomplished monk in the group; Buddhist light shines brightly within ten miles. Many soldiers guarding the city have seen it."

"After entering the city, the people went mad, chanting 'Holy Monk!' When it comes to methods of bewitching people, Buddhist School is still the most powerful."

This should be the ability of a seventh-rank monk. I remember the records in the archives say that when a seventh-rank monk preached, the people who heard him were enlightened and many of them entered the Buddhist order. Xu Qi'an pretended to be confused:

What brings the Buddhist School delegation to the capital?

Who knows?

Min Shan was unaware that the sealed object in the Sangbo case was actually the Buddhist School monk Shenshu, and even less aware of the implications involved.

The canal boats slowly docked at the pier, and dozens of Nightwatchers stood on the deck of a three-masted sailing ship.

Jin Luo, Yang Yan, and Jiang Luzhong led a group of Nightwatchers away from the official boat. The group looked at the long-lost capital city and were extremely excited.

Especially the vanguard team led by Jiang Luzhong and Governor Zhang, who were away from Beijing for more than two months. They left in the dead of winter and returned when willow branches were sprouting and all things were new.

Li Yuchun beckoned to Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, and said in a deep voice, "After we finish our reports, let's go and pay our respects to Ningyan."

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao nodded, their expressions grave.

More than a month has passed since Xu Ningyan. The overwhelming grief they felt then has now settled in their hearts, becoming a colleague and subordinate they will always remember.

Years later, when recalling that carefree young man, one might still feel a touch of sadness and regret.

Yang Yan, who was walking ahead, turned around, his face expressionless, but his voice was deep. "I'm going too."

Governor Zhang sighed, "I must see His Majesty, so I will not accompany you. Tomorrow I will bring my wife and children to pay my respects in person."

He's very busy and definitely won't have time to visit Xu Ningyan's grave tomorrow.

This group of people had been drifting on the water since they left Qingzhou, and had never received any messages from the imperial court, so they were unaware of Xu Qi'an's resurrection.

Xu Qi'an not only revived, but also solved a palace murder case.

Soon, they arrived at the Nightwatchers's office.

On this side, Xu Qi'an led Zhong Li out of Jin Yutang and was about to visit his own hall when Zhong Li suddenly noticed that Xu Qi'an had stopped.

She glanced at Xu Qi'an first, then followed his gaze to the entrance of the yamen. There, a group of weary night Nightwatchers crossed the threshold and froze in place.

They resembled stone statues.

"Who is this person? Why does he look so much like Xu Ningyan?"

Does our yamen have such a silver gong?

"Are you seeing things? I think I see Xu Ningyan. No, Xu Ningyan isn't that handsome."

"Are they brothers? But Xu Ningyan has no brothers."

One question after another surfaced in the minds of the Nightwatchers returning south.

The worst fear is when the air suddenly goes quiet, the worst fear is when memories suddenly surge and writhe in pain, the worst fear is when I suddenly see your figure. Xu Qi'an felt that these lyrics perfectly captured their current State of Mind.

He gave an awkward but polite smile, "Hello everyone, my name is Xu Qian."

They will meet again someday, but in Xu Qi'an's mind, the right way to do it is:

After Yang Yan and the others returned to the capital, they learned from their colleagues in the government office that they had been brought back to life. Overjoyed, they rushed over like wild dogs, hugged him, and wept bitterly.

This awkward reunion was something he hadn't expected.

Zhong Li must have brought me bad luck.

Li Yuchun stared intently at Xu Qi'an, and with all her might, she managed to stammer, "You, you are Xu Ningyan?"

The others remained silent, watching him intently and holding their breath.

"It's me, I'm not dead," Xu Qi'an said with a smile.

After hearing his answer, there was a silence of more than ten seconds on the other end. Suddenly, Song Tingfeng shouted and ran wildly into Xu Qi'an's arms, giving him a big hug.

"How come you're not dead? You're clearly dead."

"What happened to your drastically changed appearance? How did you come back to life? Tell us."

"Alive, really alive. Warm."

The Nightwatchers surrounded Xu Qi'an, chattering excitedly.

"I'll explain this later, I'll explain this later."

Xu Qi'an pushed aside Song Tingfeng and the others, grinned, pointed to the silver gong insignia on his chest, and said to Li Yuchun, "Boss, I've become a silver gong!"

Li Yuchun, with his hands behind his back, feigning composure, nodded and said, "Not bad, my hard work in nurturing you hasn't been in vain."

Xu Qi'an beckoned and said, "Zhong Li, come here, let me introduce you to my boss."

Only then did Li Yuchun notice Zhong Li.

Her hair was dry and messy, her coarse cloth robe was full of wrinkles, and her embroidered shoes hadn't been washed in a long time, obscuring her face. Li Yuchun felt as if a cold snake was crawling across her back, and her scalp tingled inch by inch.

He looked terrified, backed away repeatedly, and roared at Zhong Li:

"Whose daughter is this? Whose daughter is this?!"

"Zhong Li, you go to my Yidao Hall first. Just turn right ahead." Xu Qi'an quickly sent his fifth senior sister away.

"Oh!"

Zhong Li lowered her head and walked away, feeling wronged.

Li Yuchun felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders, and the goosebumps on his arms slowly disappeared.

Next, Xu Qi'an explained in detail how he was brought back to life.

"The Rebirth Pill, a pill that can shed one's old body and gain a new one? I heard His Majesty once asked the Supervisor for one, but the Supervisor refused. Is Chu Caiwei your lover?" Jiang Luzhong clicked his tongue in amazement.

After hearing his explanation, some of the Nightwatchers were unaware of the Rebirth Pill suddenly realized what was going on.

Once his colleagues had calmed down, Xu Qi'an put his arm around Song Tingfeng's shoulder and said, "Let's go have some fun at the Imperial Academy of Music tonight."

To everyone's surprise, Song Tingfeng shook his head and said, "I will not go to the Imperial Academy of Music again."

He glanced at Xu Qi'an and said righteously, "I am no longer the person I used to be. The current Song Tingfeng will be a person who is ambitious and diligent in his cultivation."

"Ningyan, you'll change, and so will I. You can't look at me with the same eyes you used to."

Xu Qi'an scrutinized him with surprise. In the month since his death, Song Tingfeng had indeed become much more composed and resolute.

Li Yuchun praised, "Tingfeng is right. You've changed the most during this trip to Yunzhou. I'm very pleased."

Song Tingfeng smiled calmly.

Xu Qi'an clapped his hands, looked around at everyone, and said, "After everyone has finished their reports, let's go to the Imperial Academy of Music for drinks tonight. It's on me."

After saying that, Xu Qi'an put his arm around Zhu Guangxiao's shoulder and said, "I still owe you five times from the Imperial Academy of Music (a government-run entertainment institution), we even have a written agreement."

His colleagues were overjoyed.

Song Tingfeng swallowed hard. "Ningyan, my agreement also includes tonight. I'm going to the Imperial Academy of Music for drinks too."

You can't go.

Xu Qi'an's face was serious, and he spoke righteously, "You are no longer the Song Tingfeng of the past. Let Guangxiao and I handle the drinking, merrymaking, and dissolute behavior. You are the ambitious and enterprising Song Tingfeng."

The Buddhist School delegation's lodging was at the Sanyang Post Station in the western part of the city, which was also the largest post station in the outer city. It was a two-courtyard building with three century-old willow trees planted in the courtyard.

That's where the name comes from.

The courier from the post station came out of the main gate, looked around for a moment, and then silently entered a small alley.

In the alley stood a young man in Nightwatchers's uniform, one hand on his knife, his back against the wall, a piece of silver in his hand, waiting for a long time.

"My lord, this is the list of the Western Regions delegation. The leader's master's Dharma name is 'Du'e'."

The courier handed over the note, his gaze sweeping over the loose silver coins, and said, "Master Du'e has just been summoned to the palace and is not at the post station."

"Well done."

Xu Qi'an flicked his finger, sending the silver coins arcing through the air. The courier caught them steadily, beaming, "Thank you, sir."

After dismissing the courier, Xu Qi'an quickly took off his Nightwatchers's uniform and then took out a monk's robe from the fragments of the Earth Book and put it on.

He touched his buzz cut, steeled himself, and tried to console himself:

It can be longer.

A few minutes later, a handsome and dashing monk emerged from the alley, his robes billowing.

Upon arriving at the post station, they found not postmen guarding the gate, but two young monks.

"How should I address you, senior brother?"

Two young monks came forward and blocked their way.

Xu Qi'an clasped his hands together and chanted the Dharma name. "Amitabha. This humble monk is Hengyuan from Qinglong Temple. Having learned that fellow disciples of our sect have come from the Western Regions, I have come to pay my respects."

The two monks from Qinglong Temple were not easily fooled. They scrutinized Xu Qi'an and asked, "Brother Hengyuan, you have not observed the precepts?"

"This humble monk practices martial arts," Xu Qi'an said with an air of "only family members know their own secrets."

Without further questions, the two monks immediately became polite. "Brother Hengyuan, please come inside!"

PS: Updated first, revised later. Thanks to "HarryPotteryy" for the generous donation.