Questions

Luo Yuheng was taken aback, her beautiful eyes flashing with light. She looked at Chu Yuanzhen, pursed her lips, and said, "Xu Qi'an intervened in the battle between Celestial Person, and won against you and Li Miaozhen?"

Chu Yuanzhen nodded and gave a wry smile, "I don't know why he suddenly made a move."

In fact, he had some suspicions in his heart that it was Daoist Jinlian who secretly instigated it, on the grounds of avoiding life-and-death confrontations among the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, but he could not tell Luo Yuheng this suspicion.

"Tell me in detail how he defeated you." Luo Yuheng glanced at him, then turned her gaze to the vibrant flowerbed.

Chu Yuanzhen felt that the Imperial Preceptor had suddenly become brighter, like the flowers in the courtyard vying for beauty, no longer feeling heavy as before.

"Actually, he defeated me and Li Miaozhen with the help of external forces. He had a Confucian School book on him that recorded many Law Technique. However, swords and Law Artifact are also external things. Once you lose, you lose," Chu Yuanzhen said magnanimously.

Luo Yuheng pondered for a moment and said, "Confucian School Law Technique alone are not enough to defeat you and Li Miaozhen."

Her tone was very confident.

Upon hearing this question, Chu Yuanzhen's expression suddenly turned strange. Looking at Luo Yuheng's stunningly beautiful face, he said in a low voice, "I was just about to consult the Imperial Advisor about this matter."

After a pause, he said in an incomprehensible and incredulous tone, "Xu Qi'an has pushed the Vajra Divine Skill to the minor completion level. Without drawing my sword, I simply cannot break through his defense."

"But the Imperial Preceptor, he has been practicing the Vajra Divine Skill for over a month. How could he have achieved such a level?"

This situation cannot be described simply as "a prodigy." After much deliberation, Chu Yuanzhen believed that the Arhat Du'e's praise of Xu Qi'an as a disciple of Buddha might have another layer of meaning.

For example, the reincarnation of a high -Buddhist School monk.

Luo Yuheng smiled and said, "A few days ago, a cat came to me, asking for a Green Pill, saying it could help me delay the battle between Celestial Person."

There's a cat demon? No, Demon Race can't enter the imperial city, much less the Lingbao Temple. To be able to enter the Lingbao Temple in a cat's body and chat with the Imperial Preceptor about the conflict between Celestial Person, the other party must either be an old friend of the Imperial Preceptor or a member of the Daoist School.

Chu Yuanzhen was very clever and good at analysis. He immediately identified a suspicious person: Daoist Jinlian.

Extending this line of thought, the reason why Xu Qi'an forcibly intervened in the conflict between Celestial Person and Man is easily explained: he was instigated by Daoist Jinlian.

Chu Yuanzhen knew about the medicinal effects of Qingdan, and couldn't help but recall that during the battle, Xu Qi'an proudly said that it was he and Li Miaozhen who had tempered his body.

Everything suddenly became clear: Master Jinlian and the Imperial Preceptor had reached a deal; the former would help delay the conflict between the Celestial Person and the human race, and the latter would pay a corresponding price.

And the price was definitely not just the green pill; the green pill was given to Xu Qi'an, and Daoist Jinlian had other plans.

Therefore, the reason for Xu Qi'an's rapid improvement in his golden body was the Qingdan he consumed.

I heard that Xu Qi'an defeated me and Li Miaozhen. The Grand Preceptor's surprise wasn't feigned; it shows she lacks confidence in this deal. Chu Yuanzhen bowed and said:

"Before Li Miaozhen breaks through her golden body, she will not incite any further conflict between the Celestial Person and the human realms. The Imperial Preceptor can rest assured."

Luo Yuheng nodded.

Chu Yuanzhen did not linger any longer and took his leave.

Not long after he left, an orange cat leaped onto the wall, its amber eyes gazing intently at Luo Yuheng.

"I didn't expect him to actually do this," Luo Yuheng sighed softly.

"This proves my guess was right; he harbors a secret." The orange cat said in a deep voice.

"When he escaped from the tomb that day, he told me that he was able to defeat the ancient corpse because the supervisor had left a trick inside his body. Haha, he thought I was just an ordinary Daoist priest, so I pretended to believe his nonsense."

"That day, I happened to see his golden body improve rapidly, which deepened my suspicions. So I went along with it and encouraged him to make a move, wanting to see just how strong his physical body really was."

"Unexpectedly, he took the initiative to ask for the Green Pill and absorbed its medicinal power without any hindrance, pushing his Vajra Divine Skill to the minor completion stage."

Luo Yuheng's eyes flickered, and she stared intently at the orange cat with a serious expression. "What's your guess?"

The orange cat pondered for a moment and said, "Based on my observation of him and the supervisor's scheme, I suspect that the secret within him is related to Buddhist School. Don't you think it's strange that the supervisor specifically named him to participate in the magical duel? It seems like he was deliberately sent into the Buddhist realm to cultivate the Vajra Divine Skill."

"It's not that strange, but considering everything you've said, the convergence of all these factors makes it quite strange and not simple at all." Luo Yuheng gazed at the calm surface of the pool, his pupils dilated, his eyes unfocused, lost in thought as he spoke:

"Is Buddhist School getting involved too?"

The orange cat chuckled and said, "A pawn of the supervisor, a disciple of Buddhist School, and with that strange aura of fortune surrounding you, junior sister, if you don't make a decision now, he might not be willing to cultivate with you in the future."

Luo Yuheng looked up, glared at the orange cat, and struck a seductive pose.

"You seem very happy," she said.

"Of course, the more secrets Xu Qi'an has, the less ordinary he is, and the greater his chances of helping me slay the demon in the future," the orange cat said leisurely.

Luo Yuheng smirked and scoffed, "All those gifts he received came at a price. Senior brother, you're being too optimistic."

Upon hearing this, the orange cat's face stiffened, then it sighed, "He's got a lot of messy affairs going on. I hope he can get through it safely when the time comes to settle things. As his junior sister dao companion partner, you must help him then."

"Of course," Luo Yuheng said subconsciously, then realized what he meant and angrily said, "Get out."

The Imperial Palace.

The old eunuch rushed into the emperor's bedchamber, excitedly shouting, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, great news!"

Emperor Yuanjing, who had been sitting cross-legged, immediately opened his eyes. He didn't blame the old eunuch for his rudeness, but he also didn't show any joy. Instead, he sighed, "Chu Yuanzhen won, didn't he? Ha."

What good is winning? It only gives the Grand Preceptor a three-move advantage. The gap between the second and first ranks cannot be bridged in three moves.

"No, no," the old eunuch said excitedly, "Your Majesty, the battle between the Celestial Person and the humans didn't break out; Xu Yinluo stopped it."

Emperor Yuanjing's pupils contracted slightly, shocked by the sudden news. He leaned forward slightly and pressed, "What happened? Tell me the truth."

The old eunuch immediately reported the message from the guard truthfully.

This includes Xu Qi'an Xu Qi'an's appearance, his awkward poetry, Xu Qi'an making a pact with Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen in front of the crowd, and the battle itself.

The old eunuch smiled obsequiously, "In this way, Your Majesty will no longer need to worry about the Imperial Advisor. Oh my, Xu Yinluo is truly amazing; he inexplicably puts my mind at ease."

Just like the previous battles of wits, just like the major cases that emerged during the year of the Capital Evaluation, as long as Xu Yinluo was there, they could always be resolved perfectly.

After speaking, the old eunuch noticed that Emperor Yuanjing was staring blankly, seemingly lost in thought.

"His Majesty?"

Emperor Yuanjing's pupils flickered slightly, regaining their focus. He snapped out of his reverie and, as if speaking to the old eunuch, murmured to himself, "I remember, even the Prince of Zhenbei was inferior to him back then."

The old eunuch immediately lowered his head, not daring to express his opinion.

Meanwhile, the night watchmen, their emotions complicated, returned to the Nightwatchers's office. Jiang Luzhong thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we go together to see Duke Wei and tell him about this?"

Nangong Qianrou sneered, "Going to curry favor for Xu Qi'an?"

Yang Yan, whose expression remained unchanged like a sculpture, said calmly, "A chat is fine."

Only things related to Martial Dao can pique the interest of this expressionless man. For Yang Yan, if there is a warm harbor in this cold world, it is definitely not the abyss that men yearn for, but the word "Martial Dao".

The eight Golden Gongs entered the Haoqi Tower.

In the tea room, Wei Yuan held a book in his hand, with tea and pastries beside him, leisurely reading in the bright morning sunlight.

"You're back."

Wei Yuan didn't look up and continued, "Let me guess who won. Hmm, Li Miaozhen is a newly promoted fourth-rank swordsman, her foundation is not yet stable. Chu Yuanzhen's cultivation path is unconventional, so the two should be evenly matched. But I heard from Xu Qi'an that Chu Yuanzhen created his own method of cultivating sword intent, keeping his three-foot-long sword sheathed for years. If he were to draw his sword..."

Listening to Wei Yuan talking to himself, like a wise strategist analyzing the outcome of the struggle between Celestial Person and Man, Yang Yan wanted several times to call a halt and tell his adoptive father:

Stop guessing; things aren't what you think at all.

However, they were stopped by Jiang Luzhong and his gang of thugs with their eyes or hands.

"So I think..." Wei Yuan noticed his subordinates' subtle movements and, seeing Yang Yan's uncomfortable expression, frowned and asked:

"Is something the matter?"

Yang Yan nodded immediately and said in a deep voice, "Godfather, Xu Qi'an has won the battle between Celestial Person and Man."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yan felt a great sense of relief, no longer having to awkwardly watch his godfather's performance.

"???"

Wei Yuan was uncharacteristically stunned, expressionless, before exclaiming in astonishment, "What did you say?"

"At dawn this morning, Xu Qi'an forcibly intervened in the battle between Celestial Person, challenging two outstanding disciples of the Daoist School to a duel. He made a pact with them that if they wanted to participate in the battle between Celestial Person and Man, they had to defeat his golden body first." Nangong Qianrou knew that Yang Yan didn't like long-winded speeches, so she took over and told Wei Yuan about the battle.

"Although he used Confucian School Law Technique to defeat Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozhen, it is undeniable that Xu Ningyan's golden body is powerful enough to rival the physical body of a fourth-rank martial artist," Jiang Luzhong remarked.

The other members of the Golden Rooster Association sighed in unison. Before today, they had discussed Xu Qi'an with a condescending attitude. But after today, in their hearts, Xu Qi'an's status had risen from a promising junior to someone slightly inferior to them, but someone they would eventually catch up with.

Wei Yuan remained unsettled for a long time, then, recalling his earlier analysis, he explained, "Oh, that's something I hadn't considered."

The men in the gold gongs chuckled inwardly, but being professionally trained, they rarely laughed.

Wei Yuan glanced at the crowd and said, "You may all leave now. I need to read in silence."

As the gong players turned around, Wei Yuan picked up his brush and quickly wrote several slips of paper. He then summoned an official and said, "Send these to the gong players."

"Hehe, it's rare to see Duke Wei make a fool of himself, it makes me feel inexplicably good." Jiang Luzhong said with a hearty laugh as he climbed the stairs.

"It's all Yang Yan's fault. He couldn't keep anything to himself, and Duke Wei found out," Zhang Kaitai blamed Yang Yan.

Nangong Qianrou also showed a slight smile.

He also felt that occasionally embarrassing his godfather was a pleasant thing to do.

"Hahaha." All the gong players burst into laughter at the same time.

"Boring," Yang Yan commented indifferently.

Just as Jiang Luzhong, Yang Yan, and the other officials descended the stairs, a clerk called out from behind, "Please wait a moment, Duke Wei has a note for you."

The men took the slips of paper blankly, unfolded them, and were all stunned, frozen in place.

"I... I'll extend my night watch by one month, because I often leave the yamen without permission in the middle of the night. Where's the 'often'? I only sneaked off to the Imperial Academy of Music once." Jiang Luzhong was dumbfounded.

"I'm fining you three months' salary because I caused the death of a death row inmate." Nangong Qianrou's lips twitched.

"I'm fining you two months' salary because Chu Yuanzhen was defeated by me back then, but now he possesses combat strength comparable to mine. Duke Wei believes I've been neglecting my cultivation. But I'm already at the peak of the fourth rank; without fortuitous opportunity, it's impossible for me to advance to the third rank."

"I fined him a month's salary, but what's this compared to that? My reason is that I always step out with my left foot first, and Duke Wei felt I was disrespectful to him."

Then, the men all looked at Yang Yan, whose hands were empty; there was no note in his hand.

"Interesting!" Yang Yan commented casually.

"." A chorus of gongs.

Tea room.

"The Vajra Divine Skill, comparable to a fourth-grade physical body, the Vajra Divine Skill, comparable to a fourth-grade physical body," Wei Yuan tapped his fingers on the table, muttering to himself.

Xu Qi'an, oh Xu Qi'an.

Wei Yuan sighed softly, stood up, and walked out of the tea room with his hands behind his back, saying, "Prepare the carriage; I need to go to the Bureau of Astronomy."

The Xu Residence.

When Xu Qi'an woke up, it was already past lunchtime. He opened his eyes, and then his brain was filled with overwhelming pain, and he couldn't help but groan.

"You're awake."

Su Su sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him with a smile.

Xu Qi'an nodded, rubbed his forehead, and sat up, groaning, "I didn't sleep long, did I? Ugh, my head is throbbing. But the aftereffects of Confucian School Law Technique aren't too bad."

Upon hearing this, Su Su scoffed, "Do you even know you've died once again?"

"Have I died once? Why do I not know that I've died again?" Xu Qi'an cast a bewildered look at the female ghost.

"To be precise, your soul has left your body. If it doesn't return within seven days, you'll truly die." Su Su wrinkled her nose and said:

"It was my master who found your soul, repaying evil with kindness, how noble! And look at you, she treated you as a friend, yet you stabbed her in the back, ugh, despicable."

Xu Qi'an forcefully poked Su Su's body with his finger, and with a "poof" sound, the paper was pierced.

Su Su was horrified. Clutching her chest, she ran out the door sobbing, crying, "Master, Xu Ningyan stabbed my chest! Quick, help me mend it!"

A few minutes later, Xu Lingyin ran in, went to the bedside, and handed a half-eaten chicken leg to Xu Qi'an, saying, "Big brother, have a chicken leg."

"Where did you get that chicken leg?" Xu Qi'an asked with a hint of disgust. "It's covered in your saliva."

I left it at noon.

The little boy jumped up and down, shouting, "You'll get better after eating the chicken leg, that's what my master told me!"

As she spoke, she raised her eyebrows and explained, "But I really wanted to eat it, so I secretly took a bite. Just pretend you don't know, okay?"

Seeing that Xu Qi'an didn't speak, she said loudly again, "Okay?"

Xu Qi'an then took it and began to gnaw on it. The little boy stood by the bed, watching longingly, swallowing his saliva.

When Li Miaozhen entered with her maid ghost, she saw the brother and sister sitting on the edge of the bed, taking turns gnawing on chicken legs. She was stunned for a moment, and her indifferent expression softened slightly.

She finally changed out of her Daoist robe and into a light pink, open-front long dress, with a matching ribbon cinching her waist and intricate, beautiful cloud patterns on the cuffs. With her full breasts and slender waist, she was dressed as an extremely beautiful, virtuous young woman.

However, her overly sharp temperament ruined her image.

Xu Qi'an believed that she would be better suited to wearing light armor, camouflage, or police uniforms. Only in this way could her sharp and capable demeanor be highlighted.

The Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect sat at the round table, her face grim, and said coldly, "I need a reason."

Do I need a reason? Do I need a reason? Xu Qi'an thought of Xingzai's lines, but he didn't dare to say them out loud, afraid that he would be beaten to death by Li Miaozhen for being too cheeky.

"Master Jinlian asked me for help, and the reward she offered was a green pill. I have no reason to refuse," Xu Qi'an said.

"You know the conflict between Celestial Person and man is unstoppable, so why get involved? Is Qingdan more important than your life?" Li Miaozhen said angrily.

"You don't understand, I have too many secrets. My strength is my foundation," Xu Qi'an laughed. "If the Heavenly Sect asked you to kill me, would you?"

"I won't."

Li Miaozhen didn't make any pretentious excuses about not being able to disobey her master's orders, but she told Xu Qi'an very seriously, "If I still can't beat you, the elders of the sect will take action. Believe me, they won't kill people on their own initiative, but they will kill without any psychological burden."

"Let alone killing you, they wouldn't hesitate to massacre an entire city if necessary. Of course, they wouldn't stoop to such a thing."

"Damn, I feel like the Heavenly Sect is even scarier than a cult. At least cults know they're doing bad things, or they have a reason for doing bad things. The Heavenly Sect is truly devoid of emotion," Xu Qi'an pondered.

Will you become like that in the future?

Li Miaozhen was taken aback. She saw concern in those tired eyes, a concern without any other motive.

After a few seconds of silent eye contact, she nodded. "Yes."

Xu Qi'an said with a wry smile, "That's truly a sad thing."

Then came a quarter of an hour of silence. Neither of them spoke. Xu Lingyin lay in Da Guo's arms, intently sucking on the chicken leg bone.

"I'll handle things with the sect for you. If things really come to a head, just admit defeat. We Heavenly Sect members never hold grudges."

Was it because he knocked the enemy's brains out on the spot? Xu Qi'an nodded. "Okay."

After Li Miaozhen left, Xu Qi'an patted Xu Lingyin's head and said softly, "Call Lina over for your brother; I have something to ask her."

"Oh."

Xu Lingyin lifted her little bottom, jumped off the bed, grabbed a chicken bone, and wiggled her chubby body as she ran out.

Before long, the little black-skinned girl from Southern Frontier came in with light steps, lively and bright, her eyes always crinkling, smiling before she even spoke.

"What do you want?" he asked in a thick Southern Frontier accent.

"Lina, you've stayed at my house for several days now. Is there anything you're unhappy about?" Xu Qi'an asked with a kind smile.

Lina tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, "No."

The food here is much better than in Southern Frontier; even the vegetarian dishes are cooked so deliciously. The streets are so wide, the houses are so big, and the beds are so comfortable. To be honest, Lina doesn't want to go back to Southern Frontier.

As long as this family doesn't kick her out, she can stay there forever.

"I'm glad you're satisfied. We people of Great Feng are very hospitable," Xu Qi'an said. After a few seconds of pause, he looked at Lina's face and said:

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you: how did you know I was the one who picked up the silver? What else do you know? Who told you?"

P. S.: Please remember to point out any errors, thank you everyone.

Thank you to "Left Hand Dull" for the generous donation. Thank you to "Your Neighbor Brother Wang" for the generous donation -- what a great name!