Sanhuang County

[Two: I'm investigating Blood Slaughter Three Thousand Miles. I figured such a big thing couldn't be kept secret. But, Xu Qi'an, let me tell you, this case is extremely strange.]

[I flew for three days and three nights on the border of Chu Prefecture, but haven't found the location of the "Three Thousand Miles of Bloodshed." However, I discovered something very strange: I encountered a small group of barbarian cavalry on the border, killed them, and summoned their spirits to inquire. I discovered they had no knowledge of the "Three Thousand Miles of Bloodshed."]

Li Miaozhen flew north on her flying sword, much faster than Xu Qi'an. To put it simply, one was traveling by airplane, while the other was traveling by cruise ship, carriage, and on foot.

Xu Qi'an typed in the message: [I already know about this. This case isn't as simple as it seems.]

Besides, "slaughtering three thousand miles" is a historical allusion, not an actual massacre of three thousand miles. Sister, you should at least read more books, he thought to himself.

Li Miaozhen replied in utter shock: [Ah? You knew all along? No wonder you're like that.]

"It's not as mystical as you think. I'm just like you, killing to summon spirits. The only difference is that you killed barbarian cavalry, while I killed a barbarian chieftain, "Xu Qi'an continued.

[Any other discoveries?]

True Disciple letter: [Yes, I've found that things are very cheap in Chuzhou. Whether it's staying at an inn, eating, or buying other things, five taels of silver can last a very long time. But in the Great Feng, five taels of silver disappears in the blink of an eye.]

"What are you saying?" Xu Qi'an was completely bewildered. It took him a few seconds to react. To put it simply, Li Miaozhen's words were. "The steamed buns here cost one yuan for four."

So what do you mean by that? Are you just expressing your amazement at how cheap things are in Chuzhou? Or are you venting your shopping desires as a woman?

Xu Qi'an frowned as he relayed the message: [Miaozhen, I don't quite understand what you mean.]

Li Miaozhen replied: [Generally speaking, if a region experiences war, the prices of local grains and other commodities will skyrocket. However, I checked the grain prices in several counties of Chuzhou, and although there were fluctuations, the differences were not significant.]

Xu Qi'an understood. She meant that prices in Chuzhou were relatively stable, which meant that although the barbarians had invaded the border and committed acts of burning, killing, and looting, it was only a relatively small area compared to the vast territory of Chuzhou, which spanned eight thousand miles.

[Part 3: The city was not captured?]

[Second: I didn't see it. Besides, if the border cities were occupied, the barbarians wouldn't just plunder the border and wouldn't dare to venture deep into the heart of Chu Province.]

"Without attacking cities or seizing territory, they only plunder the border people and never venture deep into enemy territory. Hmm, this is because they are afraid of being surrounded. I think I understand why ancient wars always insisted on fighting to the death over cities. If a city is not captured, it will never be bypassed, because that would be tantamount to handing over one's back to the enemy."

When Xu Qi'an was a child, he watched TV dramas and always thought that the ancient people were out of their minds. Why did they have to fight to the death against a city? Why didn't they just bypass it and attack the next city, or even attack the capital?

"Children's world is always so simple," he thought to himself, then saw True Disciple a letter:

[Xu Qi'an, I'm starting to doubt whether the "Blood Slaughter of Three Thousand Miles" incident really happened. I don't know how to continue investigating.]

Even through the book on the ground, one could sense Li Miaozhen's helplessness and frustration.

She contacted Xu Qi'an privately this time to ask him for advice on how to continue investigating the case.

It's not impossible that Li Miaozhen has suspicions. The case of the massacre that ravaged three thousand miles originated from a remnant soul, a remnant soul of unknown identity and origin.

Hmm, thinking about it this way, weren't the decisions made by Duke Wei, the officials in the court, and Emperor Yuanjing a bit too hasty?

While this case will definitely need to be investigated, sending a delegation directly is frankly a bit excessive. Normally, a small team would be sent to investigate, or even a secret agent would be dispatched for covert surveillance.

However, the massacre of three thousand miles did not exist, so how can the remnant soul be explained?

Li Miaozhen stumbled upon the corpse by the roadside. If she hadn't happened to be a Daoist School disciple who knew how to summon souls, the deceased's spirit would have vanished in a few days.

Therefore, the possibility of it being arranged by someone is unlikely.

The deceased was a northerner who had traveled a great distance to the capital to appeal to the emperor because of the massacre that had ravaged the region. However, he was intercepted and killed eighty miles from the capital.

Actually, I didn't have a particularly good idea for this answer. Would it diminish my image of being a great and imposing figure in Li Miaozhen's mind?

After pondering for a long time, Xu Qi'an had an idea and sent a message: "[Miaozhen, the corpse you picked up by the roadside was a martial arts practitioner, right?]"

[Two: Yes, this is what you analyzed.]

[Three: Have you ever considered who would be the first to impeach the Prince of Zhenbei if such a major event were to occur in the Northern Territory?]

[Second: Naturally, these are officials from the northern border, those who suffered the massacre in a region spanning three thousand miles.]

[3: Great, then, why did you find the body of a charlatan?]

[Two: Awesome!]

[Three: This isn't the main point. The main point is, why are they the corpses of martial arts figures?]

Li Miaozhen, who had rich experience in this field, sent a letter to answer, "Whenever dogs are slaughtered for justice, it is normal for people in the world to see the tragic situation and feel angry and go to Beijing to complain."

Xu Qi'an chuckled and sent a message: "[If that's the case, then he won't be intercepted at all. No one will pay attention to a mere commoner. Consequently, even if he gets to the capital, without any evidence, he won't be able to file a complaint with the emperor.]"

[I won't go into the shady dealings of filing a lawsuit against the emperor; let's just state the facts. How could a commoner, without any evidence, possibly accuse a prince? Believe me, the court wouldn't even give him a second glance.]

At this point, Xu Qi'an's doubts resurfaced. Therefore, whether it was Emperor Yuanjing, Duke Wei, or the officials of the court, they all seemed somewhat hasty in sending the mission north.

Li Miaozhen was quite clever; after his prompting, she immediately understood and sent a message saying, "[You mean that the local officials actually submitted a memorial impeaching the emperor, but encountered an unexpected event, so they sent that hero to the capital to file a complaint. He might have been carrying some kind of token, which is why he was intercepted and killed.]"

Having analyzed the situation to this point, Li Miaozhen suddenly felt enlightened and her thoughts became clear.

Actually, I had some thoughts myself, but they weren't clear. It was only after his guidance that I understood. Li Miao said sincerely, then subconsciously passed on a message:

How do I check?

After sending the message, she regretted it, thinking to herself: Li Miaozhen, you are too indecisive, which makes you seem like an incompetent woman who needs to depend on him!

She angrily reflected on her actions while staring intently at the mirror.

[Three: Simple. Conceal your identity as the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect and travel the martial world of Chuzhou as the Flying Swallow Heroine. It's best to do more acts of chivalry.]

Li Miaozhen's heart skipped a beat. "[You mean...]"

Xu Qi'an relayed a message: "We have been overlooking the person behind the 'roadside dead.' That person must have encountered trouble, which is why they sent a martial arts practitioner to deliver the message. If they are still alive, they are definitely hiding somewhere, waiting for news."

He might not necessarily go to the envoy, haha. Once the envoy enters the northern border, it will probably be under surveillance at every level. Even the Huai King's faction is using the envoy as bait. Compared to the envoy, I think he is more likely to seek out some well-known martial arts heroes. This can be verified by the case of that dead hero.

[Of course, all of this is predicated on the person who wanted to appeal to the emperor still being alive.]

"Yes, how come I didn't think of that? You're truly amazing!" Li Miaozhen's eyes sparkled as she relayed a message: "[I understand. I'll contact you again once I have a lead.]"

Xu Qi'an immediately sent a message: [Okay, I have one more question. Hmm, if a person suffers a mental breakdown and loses their reason before death, and cannot communicate after a spirit summoning, can they recover? How long does it take?]

After a few seconds of silence, Li Miaozhen replied: [Is the soul complete?]

Xu Qi'an said: [The three souls are complete.]

Why did he take the corpse with him that day? It was so that the white-robed Warlock's soul could reunite seven days later. After seven days, the human soul would overflow from the corpse and merge with the scattered souls of heaven and earth.

At this point, the soul will break free from its dazed state and return to its normal state as it was in life.

The deceased that Li Miaozhen found by the roadside must have suffered severe damage to his Primordial Spirit before his death, which is why it was incomplete. And because the murderer was a martial artist who was not good at destroying souls, a remnant soul was left behind.

[Second: Easy, it'll only take a couple of days.]

[Three: This matter isn't urgent; we'll discuss it after we meet up.]

After finishing the message transmission, Xu Qi'an finished the still-warm porridge, hid the fragments of the Earth Book, and walked out of the cliff cave.

I've finished eating.

The princess, who had secretly thrown away the roast chicken, shouted loudly.

Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement, pretending not to notice her little actions, and walked alongside her on the mountain path.

The area was shaded by lush trees, filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. Apart from the occasional rustling sound from the bushes on either side that startled the princess, she quite liked this environment close to nature.

Who exactly is this princess, possessing such spiritual power? Great Feng version of Tang Sanzang's flesh? Ha, in that case, I'm Sun Wukong.

Master, take this from my old Sun!

Haha. Xu Qi'an couldn't help but smile.

As they approached Sanhuang County, more and more villages appeared in the surrounding area. Xu Qi'an and the princess had lunch at a farmhouse, each of them having a bowl of porridge and a plate of pickled vegetables.

This farming family consists of five people: two elderly people, a couple, and a child.

Living in mud-brick houses and wearing patched-up, tattered clothes, the elderly were emaciated, and the children had sallow complexions.

They were having lunch in the courtyard when they heard their child's voice from inside the hall. "Mom, I'm so hungry."

"Didn't we already eat it?" the woman said softly.

"There used to be a whole bowl, why is there only half a bowl today?" the child said, feeling wronged.

"We have guests today. Skipping a meal won't kill you," the head of the household scolded.

The child was afraid of his father and lowered his head, not daring to speak.

"The people of the North are quite hospitable."

The princess muttered under her breath, "Look at their house, it's so bare. I bet they eat porridge every day and can't afford white rice."

Having stayed in the capital for so long, I almost forgot what the hardships of ordinary people meant. Xu Qi'an sighed inwardly, but said aloud:

"Isn't this normal? Do you expect them to eat meat and fish every day? They should be lucky to have enough to eat."

The princess pursed her lips and whispered, "Do you have any silver on you?"

"Of course I have some. All my possessions are in the fragments of the Earth Book." Xu Qi'an understood her meaning and said, "You want to borrow money from me?"

She nodded.

"How much?" Xu Qi'an asked.

The princess hesitated for a moment, then said, "One hundred taels, but we can't give too much, or it will expose our identities."

Xu Qi'an stared at her stiffly, and said, word by word, "How much?"

"Did I give you too much? Well, then, fifty taels." She blinked her beautiful big eyes.

Xu Qi'an mentally slapped the spendthrift woman, and said in a deep voice, "One tael of silver, no more than that."

Shouldn't one repay a favor tenfold? The princess looked at him in surprise, frowning as she said, "I will repay you; don't be so stingy."

Xu Qi'an sighed, "Given our current state of disarray, even a coin is a lot. Any more would be unreasonable. If the Prince of Zhenbei's men or spies from the north were to find us here, a casual question would expose us."

One tael of silver, no more, no less, was enough for this poor family to eat meat for a few days.

The princess nodded, accepting Xu Qi'an's explanation. She was quite Qi Ingestion by Xu Ningyan's meticulousness.

Then, with a delighted expression, she said, "When we get to Sanhuang County, I need to take a bath; I can't stand the sour smell on my body anymore."

Xu Qi'an ignored her, sat on a small stool in the yard, gazed at the azure sky, and said quietly, "I want to drink yogurt after dinner."

He slurped down his porridge, then called over the head of the household and said, "Thank you. I brought this to town to visit relatives, but I didn't have much with me."

Xu Qi'an took out a small piece of silver and handed it to the man. "A small token of my appreciation."

"This, this..." The man was stunned. He had seen copper coins before, but rarely silver.

The two shoved each other for a while. The princess stood aside and watched Xu Qi'an seriously reasoning with the man. She felt inexplicably happy and the corners of her mouth curled up.

A man with humanity, though perhaps a bit lustful, is still better than those scheming, cruel, and bloodthirsty big shots.

After the two left, the man, holding the broken silver pieces in both hands, returned to the hall with an excited expression, showing them off to his family as if they were treasures.

"They left some silver," the man shouted.

The old man reached out his trembling hand and touched the child's head. "I'll ask you to buy meat for me tomorrow."

The members of this impoverished family wore expressions of heartfelt, grateful joy.

Why didn't you introduce myself earlier?

Walking on the official road, the princess said angrily.

"What?" Xu Qi'an didn't react.

The princess caught up quickly, glaring at him. "You said you were going to the city to visit relatives, and then you skipped me! Humph!"

Xu Qi'an remembered, it was indeed true, and asked in return, "Then how do you think I should introduce you? If I say 'wife,' your appearance doesn't match my handsome face now. If I say 'sister,' that's too far-fetched, you obviously aren't my biological daughter. If I say 'maid,' it's not appropriate given our current state."

"Then say I'm your great-aunt." The princess said, hands on her hips.

"Get lost! Why don't you just say it's your great-grandmother?" Xu Qi'an said irritably.

Before dusk, they arrived at Sanhuang County, but did not immediately enter the city. Instead, they drank a cup of cool tea in a pavilion outside the city. Arriving at Sanhuang County marked their true arrival in the northern border region.

Upon arriving in Sanhuang County, Xu Qi'an was able to meet the Nightwatchers's spies and gather intelligence.

Sanhuang County is not large, with a population of less than 100,000 in the city. When they entered the city, the two were questioned and asked to show their official travel permits.

The princess suddenly tensed up, her confidence faltering. She knew that without a travel permit, she couldn't withstand any investigation.

What to do? She couldn't get into the city now. Her heart clenched. This meant she would have to continue her long journey, and it also meant Xu Qi'an would be unable to investigate the case.

For a moment, I felt that the future was bleak.

Yes, yes.

With a broad smile, Xu Qi'an took out the official certificate and respectfully handed it over.

The soldiers guarding the city glanced at him, handed him back to Xu Qi'an, and said, "Go in."

The princess lowered her head and followed Xu Qi'an with small, quick steps. Only when the city gate gradually disappeared into the distance did she breathe a sigh of relief and say:

Where did you get your travel permit?

"I went out and robbed you while you were sleeping. I became a highway robber," Xu Qi'an said calmly.

The princess smiled, then heard Xu Qi'an sigh and say, "The situation is not optimistic. Your husband's people know I went north alone."

"?"

A question mark flashed through the princess's mind. "It must be a lie. They've been traveling north stealthily, without revealing themselves at all. How did the Prince of Huai's men know that Xu Ningyan gone north?"

Moreover, how did Xu Qi'an find out?

As clever as she was, she couldn't see the slightest clue.

"But luckily they don't know you're with me," Xu Qi'an added.

"How so?" The princess pursed her lips, tilted her head, and gazed intently with her beautiful eyes, humbly seeking guidance.

She always enjoyed listening to Xu Qi'an's stories of solving cases, and would slap the table in amazement when she heard the most exciting parts. Of course, the princess never told Xu Qi'an about these hobbies.

PS: Updated first, revised later.