Empathy

If a fourth-rank martial artist gets close, it's not difficult for him to instantly kill other martial arts systems of the same level; a single combo can take them down.

A fourth-rank martial artist's strength depends on two conditions: neutralizing internal force and "intention".

A martial artist at the Transformation Realm represents the pinnacle of personal martial arts. Not to mention Li Miaozhen, even Xu Qi'an, who is also a martial artist, would probably be on the receiving end if he encountered a Transformation Realm martial artist.

Not to mention the fourth rank of cultivating "intention".

Of course, one is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, and the other is Great Feng Silver Gong Master; both have backup plans and trump cards. However, now is not the time for a death match.

A fourth-rank martial artist cannot be killed in a short time. Once they are entangled with him, the three of them will be unable to escape. At that time, other spies and soldiers will swarm in, and they will be unable to get away.

Xu Qi'an cannot reveal his identity, and he cannot use his Confucian School scriptures or his golden body, so he cannot be guarded by a fourth-rank official.

"Call out!"

Li Miaozhen drew her flying sword and soared straight into the sky, dodging the whirling arrow.

Below, a figure leaped onto the rooftops, running and bounding across the rooftops of residential buildings, chasing after the flying sword. During this process, the figure, clad in a black robe, continuously drew his bow, firing arrows imbued with fourth-grade "arrow intent."

Li Miaozhen, who was soaring upwards, was forced down by two arrows. Just as she got rid of the arrows above her head, she suddenly heard a series of arrows whistling through the air below as several arrows shot towards her.

The black-robed figure soaring through the clouds on the rooftop fired a total of thirteen arrows. These sharp arrows, like flying swords, attacked Xu Qi'an and his companions from different angles, embodying the True Intention of never giving up until the enemy was hit.

Li Miaozhen, like a seasoned swordswoman, skillfully maneuvered her flying sword, drifting, turning, and swirling, nimbly dodging each arrow.

But as the black-robed man fired more and more arrows, the three of them became trapped in a large array of arrows.

While cheering for Li Miaozhen's driving skills, Xu Qi'an pondered how to shake off the pursuers on the ground.

The Confucian School magic book cannot be used, the monk Shenshu cannot use it, and countless people below are watching the Vajra Divine Skill, which cannot be used as it would expose my identity. The same applies to the Heaven and Earth One-Slash Technique.

Xu Qi'an then realized that he hadn't learned enough, and his knowledge wasn't flashy enough.

"Wait, not being able to Confucian School Law Technique doesn't mean I can't use magic books." A thought flashed through his mind.

In a flash of thought, he saw the building beneath the black-robed man's feet collapse with a roar. He leaped into the air and flew to a certain height. Just as he was about to exhaust himself, an arrow flew down to his feet.

He ascended into the air, stepping on arrows one after another, while continuously firing arrows, giving Li Miaozhen no chance to catch her breath.

This should be the peak of the fourth rank. Xu Qi'an frowned.

A talisman slipped from Li Miaozhen's sleeve, she held it to her lips, chanted incantations, and then suddenly flicked it out.

The talisman burned in the air, the flames expanding rapidly and transforming into a giant fireball with a diameter of over ten meters, resembling a sun.

The blazing fire illuminated the city below, making it seem as if daylight had arrived early.

Xu Qi'an smelled a burning odor, turned his head and saw that Zhao Jin's eyelashes were gone and his hair was curly and dry.

My eyelashes must be gone too. What did my hair do wrong? The whole world is targeting my hair. Thinking of his current stubble and the eyelashes that just left him, Xu Qi'an felt a pang of sadness.

Li Miaozhen's hair danced wildly as she stretched out one hand and gave a sharp shove.

The fireball, like a meteorite, hurtled towards the man in black.

The man in black robes moved horizontally in mid-air, stepping on arrows and dodging fireballs, letting them fall and harm the people in the city, without intending to stop them.

Li Miaozhen frowned, and her open hand suddenly clenched.

Boom!

Flames exploded in the air like a grand firework display, with clusters of sparks bursting out in circles and extinguishing before they even hit the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, the man in black robes stepped on arrows, soaring through the air and quickly closing the distance between them.

Once he gets close, he's confident he can quickly and severely injure Li Miaozhen, or at the very least knock her down from the air. Li Miaozhen's options are either to abandon her two companions and flee alone, or to become trapped beasts with them.

Facing the menacing black-robed figure charging towards her, Li Miaozhen remained undaunted, her beautiful face displaying a calm composure unwavering even in the face of a collapsing mountain. She pointed her sword to the sky and uttered a low shout:

"Amnesty!"

Boom!

Dark clouds rolled across the sky, thunder roared, and a blinding bolt of lightning suddenly struck down from the churning black clouds.

Lightning was too fast, and the air was not a martial artist's domain. This time, the man in black robes failed to dodge and was struck head-on.

Sizzle!

The lightning was blocked by an invisible gas shield, and fine arcs of electricity danced across the surface of the shield.

He mustered his strength and withstood the lightning strike.

Zhao Jin's expression changed drastically. Even such a violent lightning strike could not stop the man in black. Given the distance between them, the man in black would be right next to them in the next moment.

Li Miaozhen frowned. Since there was no other choice, they could only fight to the death on the ground. With their Xu Qi'an strength, they might be able to kill this peak fourth-rank expert.

Just then, she heard Xu Qi'an say, "Keep flying!"

Without hesitation, she immediately abandoned the idea of fighting to the death on the ground and rode her flying sword upwards.

At that moment, the man in black robes was just a few feet away, already gathering his strength, ready to pounce at any moment.

Laugh!

Xu Qi'an flicked his wrist, burning a page of paper, and shielded it from the flames with his body, proclaiming loudly, "Heaven cherishes life; killing is forbidden!"

The man in black robes, who was poised to pounce, suddenly froze. His sharp pupils softened, his fighting spirit vanished, and an impulse of repentance rose within him.

He repented for his pursuit of the three people before him, and for the murders he had committed in the past.

This process lasted only half a second, and the martial artist's powerful will dispelled the influence.

It was all too late. The arrow, out of control, fell, and he could only see the dark figures of Li Miaozhen and the other two, growing farther and farther away, quickly disappearing into the clouds.

Buddhist School?

The man in black robes murmured, his voice a mixture of anger and helplessness.

Li Miaozhen flew above the sea of clouds for a quarter of an hour, then changed direction and flew for another quarter of an hour. Finally, she dropped to the ground, carrying the two of them through the sea of clouds back to the human world.

"Was that a spy from the Prince of Zhenbei?" she transmitted her voice.

"A top-tier secret agent," Zhao Jin replied telepathically. "Anyone with this level of cultivation is definitely a top-tier secret agent. Xu Yinluo was right; we were indeed being followed."

He showed an expression of gratitude and admiration. "Fortunately, you two were here, otherwise I, Zhao, would have certainly died just now."

Having witnessed the prowess of Flying Swallow and Xu Yinluo, he became increasingly confident in his upcoming actions.

If the two of them are willing to help, they will surely be able to get the news back to the capital and have the court punish the Prince of Zhenbei.

Half an hour later, following Zhao Jin's directions, Li Miaozhen landed outside a valley. As soon as she landed, Xu Qi'an noticed hostile gazes fixed on him.

This is the intuition of a martial artist at the Spirit Refining Realm, capable of detecting hostile gazes and thoughts in their surroundings.

There was no footage of the attack, indicating that the other side had no immediate intention to make a move. Xu Qi'an subtly turned his head and glanced at Zhao Jin.

The latter nodded slightly, took a few steps forward, and then imitated the call of an owl.

A few seconds later, the same cry echoed through the valley, both at the same frequency.

A moment later, a tall and imposing figure emerged from the dense forest of the valley, carrying a long sword at his waist and a hard bow with ox horns on his back—the typical attire of a warrior from the Northern Territory.

"Brother Zhao, you're finally back."

The newcomer was a bearded man, seven feet tall, with muscular build that filled out his clothes. He had a rugged appearance and distinctly Northern features.

He stood at a distance, scrutinizing Xu Qi'an and Li Miaozhen: "Who are they?"

Zhao Jin explained, "This is the Flying Swallow Heroine Li Miaozhen, also the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect. As for this one, hehe, he is the famous Silver Gong Xu Qi'an."

"Gentlemen, this is my sworn brother, Li Han, a sixth-rank martial artist."

The burly man carrying the ox-horn bow was quite cautious, looking at the two men. "How do you prove your identities?"

Li Miaozhen patted the sachet, and wisps of green smoke rose up, floating in mid-air, accompanied by the wailing of ghosts.

"This method of controlling ghosts can only be found in the Witchcraft Cult and the Daoist School." The burly man carrying the ox-horn bow then looked at Xu Qi'an, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:

"We are hiding from capture and must be careful. I hope you understand how you prove you are Xu Yinluo."

Xu Qi'an didn't speak, but took out his identification badge and tossed it over, saying, "Give this to Zheng Xinghuai; he'll naturally know who I am."

While a commoner might not recognize Nightwatchers's badge, Zheng Xinghuai, as the provincial governor of a prefecture, would certainly be familiar with it.

The burly man took the waist token, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen."

He immediately strode into the valley, and after about fifteen minutes, Xu Qi'an saw the torchlight moving toward him.

A group of people came forward. The leader was a gaunt old man in his early fifties with a goatee. His first impression was that of a rigid and dignified person, exuding the unsmiling demeanor of someone in a high position.

Behind this man were six martial arts figures, one of whom posed a great threat to Xu Qi'an. He was tall and thin, with heavy bags under his eyes, as if he had been overindulging in excessive sexual activity and had been hollowed out.

Of the remaining five, there was Zhao Jin's sworn brother Li Han, and three men and one woman.

As Xu Qi'an scrutinized everyone, they were also observing him and Li Miaozhen. Everyone felt that this young man, who tilted his head and looked at people with a sidelong glance, was somewhat arrogant.

The gaunt old man gazed at Xu Qi'an, bowed, and asked, "Are you Xu Yinluo?"

"Exactly!"

Xu Qi'an nodded, cupped his cheeks in his hands, and gently rubbed them until his true appearance was restored.

"It really is Xu Yinluo." Li Han smiled with surprise.

Those present seemed to have seen Xu Qi'an's portrait before, and breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking to themselves, "No wonder he's Xu Yinluo. No wonder he tilts his head and looks at people with a sidelong glance. This arrogant and domineering aura is unmatched by ordinary people."

"I am Zheng Xinghuai, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Chuzhou." The gaunt old man bowed and said, "This is not the place to talk. Please come inside."

Xu Qi'an and Li Miaozhen followed them into the valley, where there was a natural cave, spacious and deep, leading directly into the mountainside.

Zhao Jin moved some branches from the cave entrance and used them as a simple disguise.

A campfire burned in the cave, and a simple "bed" was made of dry grass. Many bones were scattered on the ground. In addition, there was an iron pot and a reserve of rice.

After escaping the city, Xu Qi'an hid in the deep mountains. After scanning the cave, he sat down by the campfire at Zheng Xinghuai's suggestion.

"They are all my retainers. There were more than twenty of us when we escaped, but now only six of them remain," Zheng Xinghuai explained.

The tall, thin man was named Shentu Baili, a fifth-rank master of internal energy. After the two fourth-rank masters fell, he became the strongest member of this distressed group.

The remaining three men included a burly, strong man named Wei Youlong, a sixth-rank cultivator, who wore a dirty purple robe and carried a large cleaver.

The man wielding the spear was named Tang Youshen. He had a scar on his left cheek and a sharp, piercing gaze, like a knife, which reminded Xu Qi'an of Xu Qi'an, who was also known for his eagle-like eyes.

According to Zheng Xinghuai, Tang Youshen was a military man who was dismissed from his post for offending his superiors. He was later recruited by Zheng Xinghuai and became a guest advisor in his household.

The last man, carrying a long sword, had handsome features and was named Chen Xian. The beautiful young woman was his wife; the couple also wielded swords.

Adding Zhao Jin's sworn brother Li Han, there are exactly six people.

Xu Qi'an's gaze swept over everyone, then turned to Li Miaozhen. The latter understood immediately, untied the red string on the sachet, and released a wisp of green smoke.

The wisps of smoke in the air transformed into a blurry-faced man, who murmured, "A bloodbath spanning three thousand miles, I beg the imperial court to send troops to quell this."

He kept repeating that sentence.

Wei Youlong, leaning on his large cleaver, stared at the remnant soul, a look of grief on his face:

"His name is Qian Youyi. He was my brother who traveled the world with me back then. We used to be bodyguards and killed local gentry. Later, I served under Lord Zheng, while he continued to roam the world."

"After the massacre in Chuzhou, the six of us, including Lord Zheng, were already wanted by the secret agents of the Prince of Zhenbei and could not travel long distances. He was the first person I thought of."

"He's still the same brother he always was, the same brother who would go to great lengths for his friends."

At this point, his eyes reddened, and he rubbed his chubby face vigorously.

The companions lowered their heads slightly, and the atmosphere was somewhat subdued.

Zheng Xinghuai sighed, "We found several heroes from the martial arts world to help deliver a message to my old friend in the capital, exposing the tyranny of the Prince of Zhenbei. But we never expected this."

"Why not expose the Prince of Zhenbei in the Chu Prefecture officialdom?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"It's useless; that will only harm others. Once the news gets out, it will attract assassination attempts from the Prince of Zhenbei's spies. Besides, who would believe they're saying Chuzhou City is still perfectly fine? It will only invite the Prince of Zhenbei's spies to hunt them down."

Zheng Xinghuai shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion and fear, not fear of assassination by secret agents, but fear of the current state of Chuzhou City.

In fact, both the barbarian and Demon Race are searching for the location where the Prince of Zhenbei massacred the people. It's a pity you don't know about this level of struggle; otherwise, as long as the news is spread, there would be no need for the imperial court to send an envoy to investigate.

Xu Qi'an nodded, accepting Zheng Buzhengshi's explanation.

"You should know that the imperial court has sent a delegation to investigate this case," Xu Qi'an probed.

"We heard from Zhao Jin that he sends messages back regularly. But we dare not go to the mission, for fear of being silenced. The Prince of Zhenbei is capable of massacring entire cities, let alone an envoy," Li Han said indignantly, carrying a cowhorn bow.

"I am the organizer," Xu Qi'an emphasized his identity.

Everyone's faces lit up with joy. Although the capital was thousands of miles away from Chuzhou, they knew of Xu Yinluo's formidable reputation.

Xu Yinluo solved a series of bizarre cases, and his fame soared due to his involvement in Buddhist School magic duel. Although Xu Yinluo was not in Chuzhou, his legend lived on there.

Zheng Xinghuai stood up, straightened his clothes, and bowed, saying, "Please, Xu Yinluo, uphold justice for the people of Chuzhou."

Xu Qi'an did not respond, but instead asked, "What is Lord Zheng's opinion on the current situation in Chuzhou? According to you, since Chuzhou has already been massacred, how can it be a scene of peace and prosperity as it is now?"

Zheng Xinghuai's face stiffened, and he said dejectedly, "I am also terrified and puzzled."

Shen Tu Baili and the others showed the same bewildered expression.

Xu Qi'an looked at Li Miaozhen and transmitted his voice, "I used my Qi-Watching Technique to check, and it wasn't a lie. However, this contradicts reality. Besides Qi-Watching Technique, what other methods do you have to detect lies?"

The crude and uncouth warrior had no choice but to seek help from the flamboyant female Daoist nun.

Li Miaozhen pondered for a moment, then replied telepathically, "There is a Law Technique called empathy, which can temporarily merge the souls of two people, allowing them to share memories. I wonder if you've ever heard of it?"

Empathy?

Xu Qi'an was taken aback, and couldn't help but recall the day he bought the house, when, with Caiwei's help, he empathized with the female ghost in the well and witnessed the collusion between Qi Dang, the Minister of War, and the Witch God Cult.

At that time, he was repeatedly entered and exited by the wizard named Tamraha from a first-person perspective.

Although it didn't feel real, like watching a first-person movie, it still caused a huge psychological trauma.

"That won't do. I'm riddled with secrets. If they sympathize, I'll have to kill them all before the Prince of Zhenbei's spies even find me, "Xu Qi'an transmitted his voice.

"Is there a way to empathize unilaterally? I don't want others to pry into my memories."

Li Miaozhen smiled and confidently transmitted her voice, "Of course."

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath. "Then let me see the scene of the massacre that day."

"Lord Zheng, we want to see the scene of the massacre that day. We hope you will cooperate." Xu Qi'an said, looking at Li Miaozhen.

The Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect added, "Close your eyes and recall the details of the massacre that day."

Zheng Xinghuai nodded, sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes, and recalled that bloody and cruel night that often woke him up in terror.

Li Miaozhen pulled three talismans from her sleeve and affixed them to the foreheads of herself, Xu Qi'an, and Zheng Xinghuai. Then, she pressed down on Xu Qi'an's shoulder and leaped into the air.

Xu Qi'an felt himself jump up. Looking down, he was surprised to find that he and Li Miaozhen were still in the same place.

His Primordial Spirit had left his body? Before he could ask any questions, he felt the talisman on Zheng Xinghuai's forehead generate a huge suction force, turning into a vortex that swallowed him and Li Miaozhen.