The State Preceptor's suggestion

[Three: Don't worry, I'm fine. But I couldn't save Hengyuan.]

So, they only called it a preliminary exploration because they couldn't rescue Hengyuan? The members of the Heaven and Earth Society were slightly disappointed, but they immediately perked up and waited for Xu Qi'an to explain the situation.

[3: I can't tell whether the end of the formation must be the palace, because it's also a cave and it's pitch black. But according to the rules of earth escape, it's basically the palace.]

Xu Qi'an recounted his experiences in the cave to the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, including the terrifying sounds that resembled breathing, the seemingly eternal golden light, and the warning of his silent death.

[Four: Therefore, you can't determine the source of that strange sound—whether it's caused by a dragon vein or something else. And none of us are experts in feng shui. Wait, that unfortunate fellow in your family is a fifth-rank Warlock; she knows best.]

[Part 3: I haven't returned to the Xu Residence residence yet; I'm currently in an underground stone chamber.]

Upon hearing this, True Disciple a message saying, "[I'll go ask her.]"

Zhong Li lived in the Xu Residence and was staying in Xu Qi'an's room.

Xu Qi'an was terrified and sent a message: [No, no, no! Please don't go to my room! Don't disturb her!]

His reaction was so strong. Was he feeling guilty about something? Was he afraid that I would see something I shouldn't see if I went into his room, like a female Bureau of Astronomy lying in bed with someone she had just had sex with?

Li Miaozhen's mind wandered to wild fantasies.

[Three: Her condition is currently stable, and if no one disturbs her, nothing unexpected will happen for the time being. Once you enter the room, she will interact with the outside world, and various crises will arise.]

As he spoke, Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, "I've put the Taiping Blade into the Earth Book, so it won't suddenly take a dislike to Zhong Li again."

[Four: Just like when we went to find Lina?]

Chu Yuanzhen recalled that when he went to Yongzhou to find Lina, Zhong Li disappeared when he landed on his sword. It took a long time to find her. At that time, she was curled up in the pit and didn't move.

The reasoning is that if she is temporarily safe hiding somewhere, that safety will last for a considerable period of time as long as she remains still, but if she leaves the pit, various dangers will arise.

Recalling the day Zhong Li was nearly killed by the Taiping Blade, choked to death by Xu Lingyin's pastries, and had her soul scattered by her own attack, Li Miaozhen believed Xu Qi'an's story.

[Three: Furthermore, Zhong Li said that the dragon vein is the condensation of a nation's fortune, and even the Supervising Official cannot easily control it. I don't think Zhong Li has any profound understanding of the dragon vein. Instead of talking about that, let's think about how to deal with it next? There are restrictions set up over the cave; even I would surely die there.]

After a moment of silence in the Earth Book chat group, Number One sent a message: [Why does it have to be you? Why does it have to be us?]

Xu Qi'an's heart skipped a beat: [You mean, tell the supervisor about this?]

[One: It could also be the Imperial Advisor.]

That's brilliant! The strongest fighter in the capital is the Supervisor, followed by Luo Yuheng, a second- Daoist School Daoist priest at the Tribulation Transcending stage. If they get involved, they won't even need to think about this themselves.

Xu Qi'an was overjoyed. He hadn't thought of this method at first, mainly because his professional inertia had held him back.

Whether he was a corporate slave in his past life or a night Nightwatchers in this one, he was always the type to take the lead in solving problems. So when faced with a similar situation, his subconscious thought was to shoulder the burden himself first.

[Four: Ha, if the underground is just a dragon vein and Hengyuan, then what good will it do for the Supervisor and the Imperial Preceptor to go there? Nevertheless, there's no harm in giving it a try.]

After finishing their business, True Disciple a message asking, "[Chu Yuanzhen, you'll probably arrive at the Northern Border in about two more days, right?]"

[Part 4: The main army has arrived in Chuzhou.]

[Three: So fast?]

[Four: Warships are naturally faster than ordinary official ships; speed is of the essence in war. I will protect Xu Cijiu, don't worry.]

[Three: Thank you.]

I wanted to suggest that Erlang should be given some experience, but I held back. The battlefield is unpredictable, and there are too many unexpected events. Just because you think he can gain experience doesn't mean he actually can.

He might just die.

Such words only apply when Xu Erlang has a third-rank expert protecting him, ensuring his safety.

The next day, Xu Qi'an rode his little mare to the Star-Gazing Tower, tied it to the white marble railing, and went inside alone.

With Chu Caiwei no longer at the Bureau of Astronomy and Yang Qianhuan having disappeared for a long time, Xu Qi'an could only seek out Song Qing, the "science madman" of the Great Feng, the "workaholic programmer" of the Bureau of Astronomy, and an enthusiast of Alchemy.

Song Qing is a devoted person, which can be seen from the unchanging dark circles under her eyes.

"Young Master Xu, what brings you here? You finally have time to instruct your fellow disciples in Alchemy?" Song Qing was overjoyed and spread his arms wide with a broad smile.

After the hug, Xu Qi'an scrutinized Song Qing and said, "Senior Brother seems rather unhappy lately."

The alchemy fanatic's frustration was written all over his face.

Upon hearing this, Song Qing sighed desolately, "But now that there's a war, the imperial court is ordering the Bureau of Astronomy to forge magical Law Artifact to strengthen the military. This repetitive and monotonous work is simply an insult to a genius like me."

It's not just geniuses like you; everyone hates assembly line work. Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and said, "Regarding military supplies, the imperial court's military inventory shouldn't be small."

Song Qing's voice was low. "The Great Feng has not fought any major battles for the past twenty years, and its military equipment has suffered from a lack of maintenance and upkeep. In addition, the items produced by the Bureau of Astronomy are quite valuable, and for some people, they are the best means of making profits, such as the former Minister of War. For example, our Emperor who expends a large amount of elixir every season."

In terms of corruption, Great Feng was indeed rotten to the core. Even the chief minister, Wang, was swayed into accepting bribes. Even the Duke Wei mostly turned a blind eye to the corruption of his subordinates and officials. Xu Qi'an shook his head.

Faced with the overwhelming tide, even the brilliant Wei Yuan and the shrewd and calculating Chief Minister Wang could not single-handedly stop the torrent.

That's why Wei Yuan emphasized the four words "blending in with the world" to him back then.

"Let's not talk about that. I'm here today to visit the Superintendent. I have important matters to report to him," Xu Qi'an said.

"Snort!"

Song Qing gave a displeased snort, "The supervisor has misled me; I don't want to see him."

"Science majors are awesome," Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

But at Xu Qi'an's request, Song Qing reluctantly agreed and went to the Eight Trigrams Platform to see the Supervisor. A moment later, he returned dejectedly, angrily saying:

"What a coincidence, the teacher doesn't want to see me either, and doesn't want to see you either, so she told me to get back here."

"The supervisor won't see me." Xu Qi'an sighed silently and said, "Then I won't disturb you any longer."

"Don't go! You've come all this way, I have so many things to tell you."

Song Qing forcibly dragged Xu Qi'an to his Alchemy Chamber. After they sat down, he said, "Wait a moment, I'll show you a few things."

Song Qing brought over a plate with strangely shaped "fruits": a watermelon the size of a fist, a peach the size of a watermelon, an apricot with feathers, and a bunch of crystal-clear grapes with eyes inside.

"I have thoroughly studied the grafting techniques you taught me, and I have been actively experimenting with them since the beginning of spring this year. Although I have made significant breakthroughs, there are still some problems with the results."

Song Qing pointed to the watermelon and said, "I grafted peaches and watermelons together, and sometimes the result is watermelons the size of peaches, and sometimes peaches the size of watermelons. They're edible, but the taste isn't quite right, and the yield is low. Would Young Master Xu like to try some?"

No, no, no

Xu Qi'an quickly waved his hand, his gaze somewhat fixed.

"As for apricots, I grafted an apricot tree onto a bird. Small apricot trees grew on the bird's back, bearing fruit, but they're inedible. My initial intention was to give the apricots a meaty flavor. As for grapes, well, I don't yet understand how they grow eyes inside. Maybe it's because the grapevines grew from the eyes of dead horses."

I've always felt that among the group of eccentric disciples under the Supervisor, Song Qing is the most insane and dangerous. Xu Qi'an offered a hypocritical compliment. "Not bad. By the way, how's my human body transmutation going?"

Speaking of this topic, Song Qing was overjoyed and said, "I already know your request. In order to repay Young Master Xu's kindness to us, my fellow disciples and I plan to create the most beautiful woman in the Great Feng Dynasty for you, modeled after the Princess Consort."

"Unfortunately, we never saw what the princess looked like. Later, the maiden Fuxiang passed away. The brothers decided to create another Fuxiang Fuxiang. But sadly, we still never saw her."

Yeah, you bunch of STEM nerds wouldn't care about such vulgar creatures as women, it's all just fluff. Xu Qi'an's mind was full of complaints.

Song Qing continued, "Of course, we are most familiar with Junior Sister Caiwei, but after discussing it, the brothers unanimously agreed that a lecherous man like you, Young Master Xu, is not worthy of having Junior Sister Caiwei."

"???"

Xu Qi'an stared at him blankly.

"Oh, I'm just being blunt, I didn't mean anything by it," Song Qing quickly explained.

"Nothing else was meant, it was just a simple insult to me, Xu Qi'an," he said.

"However, we have trained many men."

"What do you want to say?" Xu Qi'an glanced at him and said calmly, "Senior Brother Song, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

Ignoring Song Qing's attempts to persuade him to stay, he left quickly.

After leaving the Star-Gazing Tower of the Bureau of Astronomy, Xu Qi'an rode his mare while pondering the attitude of the director of the observatory with a sense of unease.

Being turned away at this critical juncture clearly indicates that the supervisor doesn't want to get involved, or perhaps the old silver coin has other motives and therefore doesn't intend to intervene.

As for his purpose, even Wei Yuan couldn't see through this peak-level Warlock, so Xu Qi'an decided not to bother with it.

Fortunately, he still had Luo Yuheng's beautiful legs to hug.

Back at the Xu Residence, Zhong Li, who was somewhat happy that nothing had happened that day, was sent away.

"Don't go onto the roof!"

Xu Qi'an gave a warning, then took out his talisman sword, probed into his Primordial Spirit, and transmitted his voice, "Imperial Preceptor, Imperial Preceptor, I am Xu Qi'an."

A few breaths later, a golden light invisible to ordinary people descended, piercing through the roof ridge. Within the golden light, the tall and stunningly beautiful female national advisor stood gracefully.

Wearing a lotus crown and a feathered robe, her cool and aloof face resembled that of a noble and holy fairy, yet upon closer inspection, she also seemed like a charming and alluring mature woman, awaiting the grace of rain and dew.

After Huang Xian'er, Xu Qi'an, who had not been near any other women, glanced to the side, composed himself, and then turned back to look at her with a normal expression, saying:

"Imperial Advisor, I have something to discuss with you."

The word "discuss" seemed a bit disrespectful. But Luo Yuheng didn't mind, nodding slightly as he waited for him to continue.

"I've already uncovered some clues about Emperor Yuanjing."

Xu Qi'an recounted in detail the dragon vein, the teleportation array beneath the Pingyuan Earl's mansion, and his experiences the previous night.

Luo Yuheng was incredibly clever; she understood his meaning and gently parted her lips. "You want me to get involved in this matter, and even hope I can help you save people?"

Xu Qi'an led the beautiful woman to her seat and shamelessly said with a smile, "I hope the Imperial Advisor will lend a hand."

Luo Yuheng slightly pursed her lips, her bright eyes looking at him with a hint of mockery. "Helping you save someone, and breaking ties with Yuan Jing?"

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment, "Yuan Jing must have something wrong with him. The Imperial Advisor's intervention is to uphold justice."

Luo Yuheng snorted coldly, her beautiful eyes filled with displeasure, and said indifferently, "Since you can't even be sure what's in the dragon vein, you're so abruptly asking me for help. To put it bluntly, you've never taken me seriously."

"It would be one thing if there were problems with the dragon vein, but if it's just imprisoning a monk, how am I supposed to live? Can I still be the Imperial Preceptor? Can I still use the fortune to suppress the karmic fire? You don't care whether I live or die."

A flicker of disappointment crossed her flawless face.

Xu Qi'an remained silent for a long time before sighing, "Indeed, I was rash. I only thought that the Imperial Preceptor was the leader of the Human Sect, an invincible powerhouse, and the most extraordinary woman in the Great Feng, and I blindly admired you."

Luo Yuheng was taken aback and looked at him in surprise.

So, in his heart, he actually admired and revered himself so much?

Xu Qi'an continued, "To the point that I forgot that the Imperial Preceptor also has his difficulties, which Non-Self intention."

Luo Yuheng's expression softened slightly as she said softly, "If you want me to take action, it's not difficult. You need to provide concrete evidence, not just a guess or a vague clue."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Luo Yuheng sat for a moment, and seeing that he remained silent, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Is there anything else?"

Hmm, the Imperial Advisor doesn't seem to want to leave, but he has no reason to stay any longer. Xu Qi'an keenly sensed this unusual atmosphere.

In the past, even if he noticed this abnormality, he probably wouldn't have paid it any mind. But now it's different; he knows clearly that he has entered Luo Yuheng's fishpond.

This stunningly beautiful woman, with her unparalleled elegance, mature charm, and ethereal beauty, is seriously considering cultivating with him.

As for Luo Yuheng, he actually hoped to have more contact and communication with him in order to better assess him.

However, as the Imperial Preceptor and the head of the Renzong Daoist sect, she couldn't bring herself to show excessive enthusiasm towards a young man.

Therefore, they are in a somewhat awkward predicament.

At this point, the man needs to take the initiative. I don't know if I'm right, but well, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Thinking this, Xu Qi'an paused for a moment and said:

"I can't penetrate the ley lines any further, and my trail has gone cold. Does the Imperial Advisor have any better suggestions?"

As he spoke, he wore an expression of anticipation and admiration.

This is both to give the two of them something to talk about and to "work" together, and to increase Luo Yuheng's sense of involvement, subtly making the investigation a matter for both of them, rather than Xu Qi'an doing it alone.

I don't know if it was an illusion, but Luo Yuheng's eyebrows relaxed slightly and he took the topic with a slight smile, "Didn't you say that there is an Earth Escape Teleportation Formation underground in Uncle Pingyuan's Mansion?"

Xu Qi'an nodded, looking at her intently.

His adoring and focused gaze seemed to make Luo Yuheng quite happy. The smile on his lips deepened slightly and his tone was calm, "There are very few people who can master the earth escape technique. There are even fewer people who can build teleportation formations based on dragon veins."

"It involves both feng shui and formations. Apart from high-level Warlock, only the Earth Sect, which wields the Law Treasure Earth Book, can accomplish this. Isn't this a clue?"

frontier fortress.

Ten thousand men trudged across the somewhat desolate plains, both cavalry and infantry maintaining a high degree of silence.

In the long procession, Xu Erlang chewed on candied fruit, turned his horse around, gently spurred it, and slung it slightly away from the group, gazing at the militia and infantrymen transporting cannons and ballistae behind him.

What he was thinking was that if enemy cavalry launched a surprise attack at this moment, there wouldn't be enough time to dismantle the cannons and ballistae. That's why the importance of scouts became apparent.

However, while artillery and ballistae were undoubtedly powerful weapons on the battlefield, they also severely slowed down the army's movement. It can only be said that there are gains and losses. When marching and fighting, one must consider the advantages and disadvantages of both sides, the terrain, and other factors. There is no fixed formula.

Theoretical military strategy and actual warfare are two different things. Ever since he arrived in Chuzhou, he has been summarizing and reflecting. His mind has never stopped.

Luckily, I brought plenty of candied fruit, which prevented me from getting mentally exhausted during intense thinking. Well, according to my older brother, sugar is the only energy the brain can obtain.

The army arrived in Chuzhou yesterday, and after resting for a night, it immediately set off to join forces with Yang Yan's army.

Yang Yan had already participated in the war in advance, and fought several battles, large and small, against the iron cavalry of Jingguo.