Li Miaozhen entered the capital

The two, a human and a ghost, parted the bushes and searched for a while. In the knee-high weeds, they found a corpse.

The corpse was dressed in black, headless, and clutching a blunt steel knife. The large, bowl-sized scar on its neck had dried and turned black, indicating that it had been dead for at least two hours, or even longer.

"He must have died in a feud within the martial arts world, and his resentment must be quite strong. Let's bury him to prevent him from being left to rot in the wilderness and turning into a vengeful spirit in seven days."

Su Su suggested. As a "Charm," she sensed an extremely strong resentment.

This resentment could very well cause the deceased to transform into a vengeful spirit seven days later. Of course, such spirits cannot exist for long; they will dissipate within a few hours to a few days.

However, this mountain path is not deserted. If a traveler passes by before the vengeful spirit dissipates, they may be attacked by it. At best, they will fall seriously ill; at worst, they will die.

Su Su believes that such incidents should be stopped immediately.

"His resentment runs so deep; something significant must have happened in his life to make him so unwilling to accept his fate. I'll try summoning his spirit to see what it is," Li Miaozhen pondered.

"No way, no way, Master, do you really think you're a female knight-errant?"

Su Su bounced up and down and said, "You are the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect. In the future, you will be a person who transcends emotions. The birth, aging, sickness, death, grudges, and affections of the human world will all be fleeting clouds to you. You will be impartial and detached from emotions, unmoved by feelings and undisturbed by emotions."

"The female knight-errant is just a role we create for ourselves to disguise our identities. Heaven is extremely selfish, yet it is used for the most public good. When you can detach yourself from the world's loves and hates, remain unmoved, neither stop nor interfere, then you will achieve enlightenment."

"Let's just bury him; why cause more trouble?"

Shut up!

Li Miaozhen said impatiently, "Do I need you to teach me the profound principles of the Heavenly Sect? It's true that one should transcend emotions, but if one doesn't even know what 'emotion' is, how can one transcend emotions? Can one just forget them as easily as saying so?"

Besides, she didn't think there was anything wrong with chivalry. Why do some people always complain about the coldness of the world? It's because there are too few meddlesome people.

If everyone had a heart that yearned to help others and meddle in other people's business, the world would not be so cold and indifferent.

Li Miaozhen carried the body to the roadside and instructed Su Su to take out three sections of bamboo tubes. Inside the bamboo tubes were black silt, black blood, and medicinal herbs that emitted a cold aura.

The main component of the black silt is the mud from corpses excavated from mass graves, supplemented with various yin-related materials.

The main component of black blood is the Gui Water of a virgin born at a Yin time, supplemented by various Yin-related materials.

The medicinal herbs that emit a cold aura are those that grow in extremely yin places.

The corpse has been dead for too long to summon its soul directly, and it is also exposed to the wilderness. Forcibly summoning its soul would cause it to dissipate into the power of the sun on the spot.

Su Su skillfully mixed the "ink" with three ingredients, then took out a brush made of finger bone, dipped it in the ink, and handed it to Li Miaozhen.

Li Miaozhen inscribed strange incantations on the corpse, some distorted and flamboyant, others subtle and restrained, while chanting incantations. As the formation gradually took shape, gusts of yin wind rippled around, and the sun seemed to lose its heat.

As the final stroke was made, a chilling wind swept in, carrying fragments of souls from the roadside, from the grass, and from mid-air. Above the corpse, they coalesced into an unreal, phantom.

It was a lean man with a blank stare, floating aimlessly above the corpse.

Li Miaozhen frowned slightly. The Daoist School were experts at dealing with ghosts. With just one glance, she could tell that the ghost was severely damaged and that its soul had been targeted before it died.

However, the opponent was likely a martial artist with limited abilities, unable to completely annihilate the soul.

"Who are you?" Li Miaozhen asked.

At the same time, he raised his finger and sent out a Yin Qi to nourish the soul.

Nourished by the Yin Qi, the ghost's blank expression changed, and it murmured, "Blood slaughter for three thousand miles, blood slaughter for three thousand miles, please send troops to punish them."

Li Miaozhen pressed him for an answer several times, but the ghost kept repeating the same sentence over and over; he couldn't say anything more.

"Slaughtering three thousand miles of blood," Li Miaozhen muttered solemnly.

"What should we do with him?" Su Su realized the seriousness of the situation.

"His soul is incomplete. To get him to reveal the rest, we need to nurture it, but that's a long process, and we can't expect to do it in the short term." Li Miaozhen's gaze then fell on the corpse, and a thought suddenly struck her:

"If we can find out this person's identity, we might be able to learn more about the inside story and what he's trying to say."

"Master is right." Su Su nodded obediently, then asked, "How do we investigate?"

How could I know that Li Miaozhen was lost in thought, her mind involuntarily recalling the process of cooperating with Xu Qi'an in investigating the Yunzhou case?

She tried her best to recall, attempting to use Xu Qi'an's ideas to solve the mystery of the corpse, but she failed.

In the silence, Su Su whispered, "If that kid is still alive, he'll definitely have a way."

"You remembered him too?" Li Miaozhen nodded calmly and said, "He was the most capable detective I've ever met. Hmm, let's bring the body back to the capital and hand it over to the authorities."

"This person was murdered in a remote mountain not far from the capital; he was most likely ambushed."

After saying this, Li Miaozhen took out a fragment of the Earth Book, aimed it at the corpse, and with a flash of light, the corpse disappeared. She then opened the sachet at her waist and put the remnant soul into it.

Because of this incident, the master and servant stopped strolling around leisurely. Li Miaozhen put Susu into her sachet, summoned her flying sword, and gracefully leaped onto its spine.

With a "whoosh," the flying sword shot away.

A quarter of an hour later, she saw the majestic outline of the capital city, and the villages and towns scattered around it.

Li Miaozhen descended her flying sword, which landed outside the city. The sword, possessing a spirit, automatically returned to its sheath.

"Brush!"

She shook the small jade mirror, and a lifelike paper figure floated out from its surface, its frame made of bamboo branches and its features exquisitely drawn.

With a tap of the sachet, Su Su transformed into wisps of green smoke, gracefully drifting into the paper figure.

The paper figure instantly came to life, its eyebrows and eyes becoming lively, its paper body transforming into flesh and blood, and its long dress fluttering.

The master and servant exchanged a smile and entered the capital.

"Master, this is my first time in the capital. Everyone says it's the Great Feng, the most bustling city on land," Su Su said excitedly, looking around eagerly after passing through the city gate.

"Calm down. Your life and your ghost life combined are almost forty years old," Li Miaozhen said, walking towards the notice board by the city wall.

In every city she visited, she would instinctively look at the notice boards, where she would see notices posted by the government, including imperial edicts and wanted posters.

"Master, you're at it again. There are countless experts in the capital. Even if there's a proclamation, it's not your place to act on behalf of Heaven." Su Su held up a red umbrella to shield herself from the sun.

At that moment, she saw Li Miaozhen's body suddenly stiffen, her eyes slowly widen, staring at a notice on the wall with an expression of disbelief.

She rarely lost her composure like this. What had she seen? Out of curiosity, Su Su walked over and stood beside Li Miaozhen, looking at the manifesto.

The next moment, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and her rosy lips parted slightly, as if she had seen a ghost—that's not quite the right analogy; it was more like she had seen a Daoist priest acting on behalf of Heaven.

Whether from shock or excitement, her hand holding the red umbrella trembled slightly.

The afternoon sun was a bit scorching. Xu Qi'an led his subordinates, Tonggong, on a patrol of the streets. A while ago, Wei Yuan adopted his suggestion and, based on it, organized a temporary team composed of martial arts practitioners.

The court would provide them with very generous treatment and remuneration for being put in charge of maintaining order in the capital.

The brilliance of this policy lies in its fundamental solution to the problem of public security chaos. Why are thefts and robberies so frequent?

Since most people in the underworld are just vagrants with no stable livelihood, and prices in the capital are high, how can they survive without stealing or robbing?

Give them a job of making money and let them maintain public order and use the other's spear to attack the other's shield. Of course, every security team organized by Jianghu people will be monitored by people from the court, and they must also be guarded against theft.

After the initial crackdown, the gangsters who flooded into the city behaved much better.

Therefore, Xu Qi'an planned to go to a brothel to listen to music.

"When basic needs are met, people start to indulge in lust. But once that's satisfied, humans seek a higher level of enjoyment—the enjoyment of the spiritual realm. Without computers, we can't play games or watch movies; the only way to maintain a decent life is to go to brothels to watch plays and listen to music."

Xu Qi'an led the troupe into the brothel, asked for a private room, drank tea, ate fruit, and watched the opera in the main hall.

Suddenly, a familiar feeling of palpitation returned.

Xu Qi'an turned his back, blocking the view of the gongs, took out the fragment of the Earth Book, and was shocked.

[Part 2: Xu Qi'an is still alive?!]

[Second: Why didn't anyone tell me Xu Qi'an was still alive? Why didn't you tell me Xu Qi'an was still alive?!]

After the two messages were sent, there was no further news.

[Four: Hmm? Li Miaozhen doesn't know Xu Qi'an is still alive?]

Chu Yuanzhen sent a letter expressing his doubts.

[Part 1: After the Yunzhou case, she had been constantly on the move, so it was normal that she didn't know Xu Qi'an had been resurrected. However, with the news of the magical duel, she knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. Ah, she and Xu Qi'an had forged a deep friendship in Yunzhou; her excitement was not surprising.]

Why do I get the feeling that Number One is gloating? Xu Qi'an's heart sank.

[Six: Why isn't Number Two saying anything?]

Hengyuan also participated in the discussion.

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment, then carefully sent out the message: [Three: Number Two, I have something I want to say to you.]

Before the message could even be sent, everyone in the Earth Book chat group saw the message from Daoist Jinlian: [Li Miaozhen has arrived in the capital.]

After that, no one received any more messages.

On the street, Li Miaozhen, trembling all over, clutched a fragment of the Earth Book, her fingers shaking as she typed a message: [Xu Qi'an, you bastard! How long are you going to keep lying to us?]

The message was sent out, but there was no response for half a day.

Li Miaozhen grew increasingly angry and cold, and sent a message: [Could it be that you all know he is number three? Are you all conspiring to deceive me?]

Only in this way can we explain why everyone is not mentioning the news that Xu Qi'an is not dead, and also explain why everyone is silent at this moment.

[Nine: Miaozhen, they don't know Xu Qi'an's identity. As for why he was resurrected, that's a long story. I'll give you an address; come find me here.]

At this moment, Li Miaozhen received a message from Daoist Jinlian.

Li Miaozhen stared at the letter from Daoist Jinlian, her feelings complex, unable to discern whether she was angry, joyful, or ashamed.

"Master, that kid is really not dead?"

After the message was delivered, Su Su eagerly pressed for more information. Her beautiful face revealed a mixture of nervousness and secret delight, as if the man's life or death was of utmost importance to her.

Li Miaozhen suppressed her anger and gave a soft "hmm".

Thinking back on this period of time, she often lamented with "Mei" beside her about how talented Xu Qi'an was killed by the heavens, and she felt a sense of shame that made her want to cover her face and find a crack in the ground to hide in.

Su Su felt the same way, so the master and servant exchanged a glance and tacitly looked away.

[Nine: Li Miaozhen has entered the city. Do you want to see her? Although I blocked her from saying too much, what's meant to happen will happen.]

Inside the brothel, Xu Qi'an received a message from Daoist Jinlian.

"Master, well done!" Xu Qi'an's eyebrows arched, and his face lit up with joy. He replied with a message: "[I can see her.]"

[Nine: Come to my place.]

Xu Qi'an carefully put away the fragments of the Earth Book, tossed a few pieces of silver, and said, "I have other important matters to attend to. You may finish your drinks and continue your patrol."

"Yes, boss."

Outside the city, at the entrance of a small courtyard planted with willow trees.

Dressed in Daoist robes, Li Miaozhen gently knocked on the courtyard gate. After a few moments, the gate opened automatically, and the gentle voice of Daoist Master Jinlian came out. "Please come in."

Li Miaozhen led her ghost servant Susu inside, crossed the courtyard, stepped over the threshold, and found the Golden Lotus Daoist sitting cross-legged in the house.

His hair was gray, with strands hanging down, and his appearance remained as unkempt and casual as ever.

"Very good, as expected of one of the most talented disciples of the Heavenly Sect, you have already entered the Nascent Soul Realm," praised Daoist Jinlian.

Fourth Rank in Daoist School, Nascent Soul!

"Chu Yuanzhen's Swordsmanship is superb. Unless I reach the fourth rank, I'm afraid I'll have a hard time defeating him," Li Miaozhen said.

"I remember your senior brother was already a fourth-grade Nascent Soul, is there still no trace of him?" Daoist Jinlian asked.

"Who knows? Maybe he died from some woman's revenge, or maybe he was imprisoned by some old flame and kept as her plaything. I can't be bothered with his affairs," Li Miaozhen said indifferently.

Master Jinlian pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, I don't want you and Chu Yuanzhen to fight to the death, and I don't even want to see the two of you fight."

Li Miaozhen said calmly, "This is the destiny of the Daoist School. The Celestial Person and Human sects have fought for countless years without a clear victor. Now that the sect leader has reached the first rank, we can finally put an end to this struggle for Daoist lineage."

Master Jinlian smiled and did not continue the topic.

Li Miaozhen took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, saying, "What's wrong with Xu Qi'an?"

"He didn't die. He took the Rebirth Pill from the Bureau of Astronomy that day and only pretended to be dead," Master Jinlian explained simply.

"Why did you keep it from us all this time?" Su Su said angrily.

"Ask him that question yourselves," Master Jinlian said with a smile, looking towards the courtyard.

The sound of horses' hooves clattered as Xu Qi'an rode his horse to a stop outside the courtyard.

He tied up the mare, entered the yard, went into the room, and gave Li Miaozhen an awkward but polite smile:

"It's been a long time, General Li. Why are you dressed differently?"

Then, glancing at the paper-thin goddesses Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, he teased, "Miss Su Su, have you made up your mind? Do you want to be my concubine?"

"Snort!"

Su Su glared at him, then turned her face away, looking quite disgusted.

"I am a disciple of the Heavenly Sect. In the battle between Celestial Person and Man, this is how I should dress."

Li Miaozhen finished speaking expressionlessly, then snorted, "I'm going to announce to all holders of the Earth Book fragments that you are number three."

PS: Thanks to the leader of "Dugu Qingcheng tb" for the reward.