Veiling Heaven's Secrets

[4: Now?]

Number four, Chu Yuanzhen, was the first to reply.

Master Jinlian relayed the message: [Nine: No, it's not necessary now. The Nine-Colored Lotus will take another half month to mature. The period when it enters maturity is precisely when it is most vulnerable and cannot withstand any damage.]

[Unless the Earth Sect intends to destroy it, they won't attack at this time. But a major battle is inevitable in half a month.]

The second True Disciple a message: [Have the evil cultivators of the Earth Sect discovered your hiding place?]

Master Jinlian replied: [There is a close connection between the Black Lotus and the Nine-Colored Lotus. Normally, I can conceal their connection, but with the lotus seeds nearing maturity, their aura can no longer be hidden. Just now, the nine-colored light shot into the sky, and the Black Lotus must have sensed it.]

Black Lotus? Is the leader of the Earth Sect called Black Lotus? Um, are all the Earth Sect Daoists named after colored lotus flowers? I wonder if there's a White Lotus. This is the first time Xu Qi'an has heard of the Earth Sect leader's Daoist title.

The title "Black Lotus," the title of "Buddha Without Heaven," is that you?

He sat at the table, muttering jokes that only he could understand, then gave himself a somewhat forlorn laugh.

Chu Yuanzhen sent a message saying: [This also means that the Earth Sect's demonic forces are better prepared, which is very disadvantageous to us.]

At this moment, Number Five, who rarely spoke, replied via text message: [Who cares? No matter how many come, I can smash them all into mincemeat.]

Seeing this, Xu Qi'an felt it necessary to verbally prompt them to use their fingers instead of pens to input the information:

[Three: I heard from my elder brother that when he was in Chuzhou, he saw the leader of the Earth Sect participating in the Blood Pill refining; it was an avatar. However, its strength was vaguely at the third rank. If another avatar like that appears when we compete for the Nine-Colored Lotus, I think we can give up on the Nine-Colored Lotus in advance.]

Ah, it's really embarrassing to speak as a fake Erlang. No, what truly embarrasses me is that Li Miaozhen and Daoist Jinlian know my true identity. Xu Qi'an wanted to cover his face, feeling that his social death had deepened once again.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society felt a chill run down their spines. If the Black Lotus Daoist leader could really send out a third-rank clone, even one that barely reached the third-rank combat power, it would be enough to sweep away the entire Heaven and Earth Society.

The Golden Lotus Daoist sent a message saying, "[Black Lotus gained enormous benefits from the massacre in Chuzhou. That third-grade clone must have been created at that time. Although the clone was destroyed afterward, he must still have some power left, and he may be able to create another clone of the same level.]"

[But you don't need to worry. Now that I've recovered, I can deal with Black Lotus as long as he doesn't come in his true form. Hehe, he can't come in his true form, I can guarantee that.]

[You are dealing with the other Lotus Daoists of the Earth Sect.]

What guarantees you won't come in your true form? Also, Golden Lotus Daoist, are you really that strong? The Black Lotus clone is a third-grade cultivator. Xu Qi'an frowned.

Hmm, back then, Master Jinlian sneaked back into the Earth Sect to steal the Nine-Colored Lotus Flower, was injured by the Black Lotus Sect Leader, and fled all the way to the capital. So, it seems Master Jinlian is more powerful than I imagined?

Even surpassing the fourth rank?

Seeing Master Jinlian's confident assurances, the members of the Heaven and Earth Society breathed a sigh of relief.

Chu Yuanzhen sent a letter saying, "[The massacre of Chuzhou tells us that the Prince of Huai colluded with the Black Lotus. Based on this, could Emperor Yuanjing also be colluding with the Earth Sect? We must be wary of this.]"

"Yes, how come I didn't think of that? If Emperor Yuanjing gets involved, things will change drastically." Li Miaozhen's heart skipped a beat.

Chu Yuanzhen, as expected of another intellectual powerhouse in this group, voiced my concerns. Xu Qi'an nodded slightly.

"We can just smash them all up," Lina thought nonchalantly.

Number Six and Number One remained watching the screen without sending any messages.

Master Jinlian replied via letter: [This matter is easy to handle. Number three, inform your cousin and ask him to lend a hand. Firstly, it will increase our fighting strength, and secondly, Wei Yuan will not stand idly by.]

Great idea!

Chu Yuanzhen's eyes lit up.

Although Xu Ningyan is a sixth-rank martial artist, he has achieved minor mastery of the Vajra Divine Skill and possesses Confucian School Law Technique scrolls, making his combat power far superior to that of an ordinary fourth-rank martial artist.

Most importantly, Xu Ningyan is a martial artist. Martial artists' offensive and defensive methods are among the best of all systems.

Their endurance is also top-notch.

Aside from its limited range of methods, inability to handle complex situations, and lack of group attack skills, it has no weaknesses in any aspect.

Um, when Master Jinlian chose me as the holder of the third fragment of the Earth Book, and later used me as a bridge to reach a certain understanding with Duke Wei, was he planning to use the Nightwatchers at a crucial moment?

Xu Qi'an suddenly thought of this detail and thought it was highly likely.

This is in line with the image of Elder Jinlian Dao's silver coin.

"Master Jinlian, don't you feel ashamed to say such things?" Li Miaozhen remained silent, sitting at the table with a complex expression.

She knew Number Three's true identity, and now, watching Xu Qi'an and Daoist Jinlian putting on a show, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect felt ashamed.

[Three: Okay, Daoist Master, I will inform my cousin. However, if Wei Yuan agrees to help, I'm afraid you'll have to give away some more of your lotus seeds.]

[Nine: No problem. The Nine-Colored Lotus matures once every sixty years, producing fourteen lotus seeds each time. I can only give away two more. Please tell your cousin this, and have him inform Wei Yuan.]

[Three: Alright, my strength is too weak to join in, but my cousin is incredibly brave and will surely help the Daoist priest protect the lotus seeds.]

[Nine: Hehe, two outstanding talents from one family.]

These two... Li Miaozhen silently covered her face.

After the group chat ended, Xu Qi'an, as expected, received a message from Daoist Jinlian: "How is your cultivation progressing?"

Xu Qi'an replied via letter, "I'm just missing a satisfying battle; maybe I can break through and advance to the fifth rank in the heat of battle."

Master Jinlian: "Very good. A fifth-rank martial artist is truly a master, unafraid of being attacked by a group."

Xu Qi'an: "Daoist, let's put that aside for now. Black Lotus is colluding with Emperor Yuanjing. If he finds out I'm the holder of the Earth Book fragment, then Emperor Yuanjing will also find out. If the two of them join forces afterward, I'll be in big trouble. How can I temporarily sever my bond with the Earth Book fragment?"

If Black Lotus doesn't know he's the holder of the Earth Book fragment, then his hatred level won't be too high.

Most importantly, on that day in Chuzhou City, Black Lotus knew that the mysterious powerhouse was the holder of the Earth Book fragment. Therefore, if Xu Qi'an were to participate in the Lotus Seed Guardian Battle, he would only have two paths to take:

First, conceal everything about "Xu Qi'an".

This method has significant drawbacks: he cannot use the Black Gold Longsword, cannot unleash the Heaven and Earth Slash, and cannot use the Vajra Divine Skill. Meanwhile, Shen Shu has fallen into a deep sleep.

With all those skills, if you can't use them, how can you protect the lotus seeds?

Second, sever the ownership relationship with the fragments of the Earth Book.

Therefore, Xu Qi'an's presence in Jianzhou was due to an invitation from Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen, not because of his status as the holder of the Earth Book fragment.

Intelligent people might even speculate that when Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozhen helped him intercept the Imperial Guards, they might have made a deal in exchange for Xu Qi'an's help in protecting the lotus seeds.

In comparison, the second method is clearly better.

After a long silence, Daoist Jinlian sent a message: "Once you arrive in Jianzhou, I will sever your master-disciple relationship. The Secret Method of the Earth Book cannot be passed on to outsiders; I hope you understand. Of course, if you are willing to become my disciple, then this is not a problem."

"Hehe, why don't you first greet my four teachers at the Cloud Deer Academy and see if they agree?" Xu Qi'an's lips twitched.

Why does everyone want to be my mentor?

On the contrary, the powerful figure who had a master-disciple relationship with me never had any similar thoughts, and was even unwilling to take me as his adopted son.

The next day, Xu Qi'an got up when the sun was high in the sky. He carried a wooden basin to the courtyard and saw the princess sitting on a chair with her hair disheveled, squinting in the sun.

He glanced at the unremarkable beauty of the Great Feng Dynasty, said nothing, and went about fetching a bucket of water to wash his face and brush his teeth.

Upon seeing this, the princess hurriedly ran into the house, came out with her wooden basin, squatted down beside him, and poured the remaining half-bucket of water into her own basin.

Then soak a white face cloth in water and gently wipe your cheeks.

Xu Qi'an turned his head to look at the woman beside him, and said incredulously, "You were waiting for me to fetch water?"

The princess glanced at him sideways as she wiped her face, grumbling, "Can't I?"

Xu Qi'an put down the boar bristle toothbrush and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards her.

After leaving the princess's courtyard, Xu Qi'an returned to the Xu Residence, brought his beloved mare, and rode it to the Nightwatchers's office.

Upon arriving at the gate of the government office, he tossed the reins to the guards and went straight inside.

The guard instinctively took the reins, then suddenly remembered that Xu Yinluo was no longer Yinluo. He opened his mouth to look at Xu Yinluo's back, but ultimately remained silent.

Along the way, many familiar silver and bronze gong players nodded to him, but no one came up to greet him.

This wasn't because they were snobbish, but rather because they were displaying excessive enthusiasm, which could easily be secretly reported to His Majesty—that's what Nightwatchers do.

Only Wei Yuan didn't need to worry about Emperor Yuanjing's mood; even though Xu Qi'an was no longer the Nightwatchers, the bond between them remained.

Therefore, he soon met Wei Yuan in the familiar tea room on the seventh floor.

"Duke Wei, the Golden Lotus Daoist of the Earth Sect asked me to convey a message: the Nine-Colored Lotus is about to ripen, and he hopes you can lend a hand. He will offer two lotus seeds as a reward."

Xu Qi'an, as always, respectfully clasped his hands in greeting.

He didn't explain what the nine-colored lotus was, because with Wei Yuan's knowledge, it was impossible for him not to know about the nine-colored lotus.

Wei Yuan was one of the most learned people Xu Qi'an had ever met; even the female academic genius Huai Qing was far inferior to him.

"One pill is enough. I'll have Qianrou help, but it will be just her; there won't be any other Nightwatchers," Wei Yuan said gently.

He immediately stood up, gazed into the distance, and said in a deep voice, "Where is it?"

"Jianzhou."

"Jianzhou." Wei Yuan pondered, "I'll get you some information on the Martial Alliance later. The Nine-Colored Lotus has matured, and the Martial Alliance of Jianzhou, as the local power, won't be indifferent; they might even try to seize it."

Xu Qi'an nodded, then asked, "Duke Wei, have you ever heard of a man named Su Hang?"

"Su Hang."

Wei Yuan frowned, muttered the name several times, and said, "I seem to have a vague impression of him, but I can't quite remember him. Why are you asking about him?"

"He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 29th year of the Zhende era. In the 14th year of the Yuanjing era, he was demoted to Jiangzhou as the prefect. The following year, he was executed for corruption and bribery. He is the father of a friend of mine, and I promised her that I would help her find out the truth behind her father's execution," Xu Qi'an said.

"What's the problem?" Wei Yuan asked in return.

It's not unusual for a high-ranking official to be executed for corruption and bribery; similar high-ranking officials fall from grace every time the Capital Evaluation.

"I learned through clandestine channels that this person was brought down by a joint effort of the Wang faction, Duke Cao, and many other nobles and relatives," Xu Qi'an said.

Wei Yuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Your information is wrong. I don't remember there being such a person more than twenty years ago."

Wei, the Duke Wei, is unknown. Xu Qi'an's pupils contracted slightly, his thoughts churning and boiling.

He seemed to have grasped something, an inspiration flashed by, and he ultimately chose to remain silent, waiting to gather more clues and make more inferences before discussing it with Wei Yuan.

"Duke Wei, I'd like to check this person's information in the archives."

"Okay, I'll give you a handwritten note."

The three-day appointment arrived quickly. In the private room of the restaurant, Xu Qi'an waited for a quarter of an hour before Chief Constable Chen and the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review arrived one after another. Both of them were dressed in plain clothes and had made simple disguises.

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review took out two files from his robes and handed them to Xu Qi'an: "One is from the 14th year of the Yuanjing era, and the other is from the 15th year of the Yuanjing era."

Xu Qi'an unfolded the file and read it carefully.

The case file from the 14th year of the Yuanjing era states: Su Hang, a Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion, accepted bribes and protected his subordinates who embezzled disaster relief grain, resulting in the starvation of countless disaster victims. He was demoted to Jiangzhou.

File from the 15th year of the Yuanjing reign: Su Hang, a Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion, also accepted bribes. Someone went to the capital to file a complaint with the emperor. After a thorough investigation, the court found the allegations to be true and executed him!

Su Hang was actually a Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion? The secret letter from Duke Cao mentioned "Su's faction"? Xu Qi'an returned the dossier to the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and then looked at the dossier handed over by Constable Chen. There was no difference between the two.

"Lord Chancellor, how long have you been serving in the court?" Xu Qi'an raised his wine cup in greeting.

"Twenty-five." The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review also raised his wine cup and slurped down a mouthful.

"Then why don't you recognize Grand Secretary Su Hang of the Eastern Pavilion?" Xu Qi'an questioned.

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review's face suddenly stiffened. Holding his wine cup, he stared blankly into space. "That's right, why don't I remember the Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet? Why do I have absolutely no recollection of Su Hang?"

Xu Qi'an didn't ask any further questions and invited the two to drink and eat. These days, there's no need to worry about the rules of not drinking and driving. Even if he got completely drunk, he could just lie on the mare's back and the mare would carry him back to the Xu Residence.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Xu Qi'an did not see the Dali Temple official and Constable Chen off, but watched them leave as they opened the door to the private room.

Slightly tipsy, Xu Qi'an reclined in a large chair, resting one hand on the table and rhythmically tapping his fingers on the surface as he fell into thought.

"Both the Court of Judicial Nightwatchers and the Ministry of Justice have files, but the Night Watchman's Office does not. Judging from the timeline, Duke Wei Gong had not yet taken charge of the Nightwatchers's Office at that time. He truly began to wield power after the Battle of Shanhai Pass, while Su Hang died 23 years ago. The Battle of Shanhai Pass took place 20 years ago."

"Su Hang was a Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, but the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Duke Wei did not remember him. Not only them, but I also asked the spirit of the Duke of Cao again, and he did not remember Su Hang either. This is further complicated by the mysterious disappearance of the word in the secret letter."

Four words flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind: shielding the secrets of heaven.

Subconsciously, his thought was: Is this related to the supervisor?

But he had a vague feeling that this guess lacked evidence and logical basis. As he thought about it, he leaned back on the bench and took a nap.

Fifteen minutes later, he woke up.

"Huh, I actually fell asleep? The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review and Constable Chen are gone?" Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples and stood up on his own.

"This Su Hang case is really troublesome. There's not a single clue. I should have never agreed to Su Su's proposal. It's only because she's so beautiful that I wouldn't have bothered to think about it."

He seemed to have forgotten everything that had just happened, stretched lazily, and left the private room.

Dusk, inside the palace.

The old eunuch, with a whisk draped over his arm, stepped over the high threshold and strode into the bedchamber.

"Your Majesty, there is an urgent matter."

Emperor Yuanjing had just taken the medicine and was sitting cross-legged, breathing exercises to help him recover, so he ignored her.

The old eunuch dared not disturb him any longer and waited impatiently for a long time. Finally, Emperor Yuanjing finished his breathing exercises, opened his eyes, and said calmly, "What is it?"

The old eunuch took a slip of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Emperor Yuanjing.

Emperor Yuanjing took the note, unfolded it, glanced at it, and a gleam flashed in his deep pupils.

"Nine-colored lotus seeds, transforming all things."

P. S.: Sorry for the late update, I'm going to work on the next chapter now. Please help me fix any bugs. Thanks.

Little Mare Card: Waiting-for-Husband Card! Available online at midnight. Hehehe.