Gone, leaving an empty hall

After the energy was infused, the fragments of the Earth Book glowed with a murky, faint light. The light flowed like water, igniting one incantation after another.

Xu Qi'an and Luo Yuheng leaped onto the stone slab in perfect unison. The next moment, the murky light silently expanded, engulfing the two of them and carrying them away from the stone chamber.

Once again in a completely dark environment, Xu Qi'an's whole body tensed up, as if facing a formidable enemy, and he couldn't help but recall the scene of his silent "death" last time.

I recalled that terrifying, overwhelming pressure.

Just then, he felt a light tap on his arm from the whisk, and heard Luo Yuheng's voice transmission in his ear. "Follow behind me!"

The whisk struck him again, seemingly indicating that he could follow.

It's too dark, I can't see anything at all. If I reach out and grope, will I be able to touch my aunt's shapely buttocks? I'd probably be killed on the spot. He thought to himself as he walked slowly.

The passageway was silent and long. After walking for a quarter of an hour, Xu Qi'an's heart tightened, bracing himself for the terrifying breathing sound and the oppressive pressure as heavy as Mount Tai.

However, there was nothing ahead; all was calm.

Um?

He remained calm and continued walking with Luo Yuheng. After a few minutes, a faint but pure golden light appeared ahead.

"I died here last time," Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, remaining rooted to the spot.

With Luo Yuheng's skills and cultivation, there's no need for him to give unnecessary reminders; if any danger arises, his aunt can handle it perfectly well.

Besides, this is just a clone of my aunt. Wait, if she can't handle the clone, then what about my real body? Thinking about this, Xu Qi'an suddenly froze.

Lost in thought, he suddenly saw golden light emanating from Luo Yuheng, bright yet not dazzling, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

My aunt turned her head, her exquisitely beautiful features resembling a golden statue, and said calmly, "There's nothing unusual here, just a monk."

No abnormalities?! Xu Qi'an was stunned again.

Where is the terrifying pressure? Where are the horrifying breathing sounds?

Filled with doubt, he and Luo Yuheng moved closer to the golden light that exuded Buddhist School aura.

As they drew closer, they saw a spacious secret chamber ahead. In the center of the chamber was a stone bed and a bronze Pill Furnace. Beside the stone bed was a deep, fractured abyss.

On the stone bed sat a tall, imposing monk, with a golden bead, the size of a fist, floating above his head.

His eyes were closed, and he had already lost all signs of life.

Master Hengyuan, Xu Qi'an, felt a sudden, tearing pain in his chest.

In an instant, images of Hengyuan's past flashed through my mind: his embarrassment when he asked me for money, his earnest care for the widows and orphans at the orphanage.

Luo Yuheng stared at the fist-sized bead for a moment, then said, "A relic, the fruition of a second-grade Arhat."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Xu Qi'an: "He only faked his death."

But Xu Qi'an, who had been feigning death, suddenly stopped his surging grief, exhaled with relief, and asked:

"Shariputra represents the Arhatship, but Hengyuan couldn't possibly be a second-grade master."

Unless Hengyuan is a hidden second-rank master of Buddhist School, which is clearly impossible.

Luo Yuheng pondered for a moment and said:

"Five hundred years ago, Buddhist School flourished in the Central Plains, likely due to the presence of eminent monks from that era. As for why he possessed relics, either he was a reincarnation of an Arhat, or he had a special fortuitous opportunity that led him to obtain relics."

Xu Qi'an frowned. "I've heard that Arhats are immortal."

After saying that, he thought to himself, "The Buddhist School system of cultivation is much more stable than that of Daoist School. The three sects of Daoist School have completely gone Evil Dao."

Luo Yuheng glanced at him sideways and said indifferently:

In the Buddhist School Zen master system, the fourth rank of ascetic monk is the foundational level. Ascetic monks must make great vows, and the greater the vow, the higher the attainment.

"Depending on their attainment level, there is a distinction between Arhats and Bodhisattvas. Once an attainment level is achieved, it cannot be changed. In other words, an Arhat will always be an Arhat and will never attain the rank of a Bodhisattva."

"Thus, the method of reincarnation and rebirth came into being. If an Arhat wants to achieve the highest rank, he must be reincarnated and reborn, giving up everything in this life. For each reincarnation of an Arhat, the Buddhist School will do everything in its power to find him and then implant the relics of his previous life into his body to protect him on the path."

"Five hundred years ago, Confucian School promoted the suppression of Buddhism, forcing the Buddhist School to retreat to the Western Regions. These relics were likely left behind back then. Therefore, this monk may have obtained the relics by fortuitous opportunity, and is not necessarily a reincarnation of an Arhat."

This is Hengyuan's secret, and this is why Master Jinlian gave him the fragments of the Earth Book. Whether Hengyuan is an Arhat reincarnated or obtained the relic by fortuitous opportunity, his future achievements will definitely not be less than those of the relic. Did the relic have a spirit and protect Master Hengyuan from danger? Xu Qi'an suddenly realized.

At the same time, he thought of how the Arhat Du'e had once called him a disciple of Buddha.

Did Du'e suspect that he was the reincarnation of some Arhat?

As his thoughts wandered, Luo Yuheng extended a finger and gently touched the relic.

She used a secret Daoist School Secret Method to awaken the Primordial Spirit, which is not offensive.

The relics gently rippled with a soft halo.

A few seconds later, Xu Qi'an heard Heng Yuan's dormant heart beat again and begin to pump blood. A dozen seconds later, the monk's eyelids trembled as he opened his eyes.

"Young Master Xu? The Imperial Advisor?"

After looking around blankly, Hengyuan saw Xu Qi'an and Luo Yuheng, who was radiating bright golden light.

"Master, you're incredibly lucky!" Xu Qi'an laughed.

Hengyuan was about to speak when he was suddenly startled, giving off the impression of a cat-like Daoist priest with its fur standing on end. He abruptly looked towards the bronze Pill Furnace, where there was no one.

The bristling "cat hairs" slowly subsided, and Hengyuan let out a soft breath, his expression much more relaxed.

Hengyuan's reaction startled Xu Qi'an. After a moment of hesitation, he briefly recounted how he discovered the secret passage and how he sought help from the Imperial Preceptor.

Then he asked, "What happened to you here?"

Only after hearing Xu Qi'an's description and verifying the details did Hengyuan believe that the two people in front of him were real.

He immediately swallowed the relic, clasped his hands together, and began to recount. "After I was taken away by the Prince of Huai's spies, they used the teleportation array of the Pingyuan Earl's mansion to send me here. Here, here."

At this point, a look of extreme horror crossed his face. "An evil creature lives here."

Evil thing?!

Xu Qi'an's expression changed slightly, his back muscles tensed up, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

"He wanted to eat me, but he failed because of the relic. However, the relic is useless against him, and sooner or later he will refine it. In order to fight against him, I fell into a state of deathly silence and activated the relic with all my might." Hengyuan looked bitter and resentful.

"What does he look like?" Xu Qi'an asked quickly.

"The feeling he gave me was very similar to that of the evil Daoists of the Earth Sect. His eyes were full of malice, as if one glance would lead you to fall into depravity along with him. Brutality, greed, lust, and all sorts of evil thoughts arose. This is why I chose to enter the 'Nirvana' state. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to maintain my true nature in the confrontation with him," Hengyuan said with lingering fear.

As expected, it was another clone of the Earth Sect's leader! Xu Qi'an subconsciously looked at Luo Yuheng and saw that she was also looking at him. Both of them showed a look of realization.

"And what about him?"

Xu Qi'an scanned the stone chamber and noticed something unusual: the chamber was sealed off, with no passage leading to the ground.

He immediately looked towards the abyss to the right of the stone bed, suspecting that the creature was at the bottom of the abyss.

Hengyuan frowned. "Not long ago, I felt the pressure from the outside world suddenly disappear."

He also turned his gaze to the abyss.

Luo Yuheng leaped lightly into the air and plunged into the abyss.

About five minutes later, Luo Yuheng rode up in a golden light. For the first time, Xu Qi'an saw extreme anger in her eyes and in her expression.

"Imperial Preceptor?" he called out tentatively.

"It's safe down here," Luo Yuheng said expressionlessly.

What could be at the bottom of the abyss that made her face look so pale? Xu Qi'an, filled with doubt, asked her opinion, "I want to go down and take a look."

Luo Yuheng's exquisitely sculpted lips curled into a cold smile, "Whatever."

Xu Qi'an leaped into the abyss, landing in freefall. A dozen seconds later, with a loud bang, he crashed to the bottom of the abyss.

"What a vulgar brute! Not elegant at all," he thought to himself. Then he heard a loud "boom" behind him as Hengyuan also crashed down.

"The monks are just as crude!" Xu Qi'an added to himself.

Unaware that he was being mocked by Lord Xu, Hengyuan opened his mouth and spat out a relic. A soft and solemn golden light pierced the darkness, allowing the two to see the scene underground.

Xu Qi'an's expression suddenly froze.

As far as the eye could see, the ground was littered with bones—skulls, ribs, leg bones, hand bones. They piled up to form four words: mountains of bones.

It's impossible to estimate how many people died here; over the years, countless bones have piled up.

These are the people that the Earl of Pingyuan has brought from the capital and the surrounding areas over the past forty years.

There were men and women, even children.

They were sent to the underground palace, above the dragon vein, where they were slaughtered and their lives were taken for some reason.

Forty years, how many people have died here? Xu Qi'an's cheek muscles twitched slightly, and he spat out two words through gritted teeth. "Beast!"

He felt as if he had returned to Chuzhou, and to the people who had fallen like weeds in Zheng Xinghuai's memory.

"Amitabha."

Hengyuan clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and chanted Buddhist mantras, his burly body trembling uncontrollably.

Despite his compassionate heart, a raging inferno surged within him—the fury of a Vajra subduing demons.

The trembling wasn't from fear, but from anger.

Much later, Xu Qi'an calmed his turbulent emotions and looked at a place that was not covered by corpses. It was a huge stone disc, carved with twisted and strange runes.

Is this teleportation array the only way to the outside world?

Did the leader of the Earth Sect leave through it?

Why did I leave? Why did I choose to leave at this time? Was it because my previous exploration had alarmed the other party?

"The Imperial Advisor."

He looked up and called out.

Golden light descended from above, and Luo Yuheng hovered in mid-air, looking down at them, down at the abyss, down at the mountains of white bones.

Luo Yuheng said calmly, "Your coming in last time might have alerted him, causing him to choose to leave. Throw the Earth Book over there, and I'll teleport to the other end to check the situation. You two go back now and wait for me at the Pingyuan Marquis's residence."

The other end of the formation might be a trap.

Since she was just an avatar, it didn't matter if she was gone or not. She didn't mind being used as cannon fodder. As long as the connection between her main body and the avatar was severed in time, she could avoid being corrupted by the leader of the Earth Sect.

Xu Qi'an took out the fragment of the Earth Book, manipulated the Qi, sent it to the stone plate, and then poured Qi into it from a distance.

A murky, faint light appeared, illuminating the runes and activating the teleportation array.

Luo Yuheng transformed into a golden ray of light and shot towards the teleportation array. Upon touching the faint light, his body suddenly disappeared and he was teleported to the other end of the array's connection.

Xu Qi'an recalled the fragments of the Earth Book and quickly evacuated the secret chamber with Heng Yuan. They ran wildly through the passageway and then teleported back to the Pingyuan Earl's Mansion.

The two left the stone chamber and walked out of the artificial hill. Taking advantage of the time, Xu Qi'an told Hengyuan about the "relationship" between Emperor Yuanjing and the head of the Earth Sect, and about that secret major case.

He was also told that Master Jinlian was the benevolent leader of the Earth Sect.

Hengyuan remained silent for a long while, then sighed, "So that's how it is. I found it strange the day before that Daoist Jinlian could entangle the demonic thoughts of a second-rank expert. Hmm, how does Lord Xu possess fragments of the Earth Book?"

Xu Qi'an's expression remained unchanged. "Erlang has gone to fight in the Northern Frontier. I'm temporarily keeping the fragment of the Third Earth Book for safekeeping."

Master Hengyuan, you are my last act of defiance.

Hengyuan, who trusted Lord Xu implicitly, nodded without the slightest doubt.

After waiting for a long time in the back garden, a golden light, invisible to ordinary people, flew in and descended on the artificial hill.

Luo Yuheng stood on the artificial hill and gently shook his head. "That's an abandoned mansion in the inner city."

An abandoned mansion? The other end isn't a palace, but an abandoned mansion?

Xu Qi'an fell silent.

The leader of the Earth Sect has already left. He left so decisively! Where did he go? Was he so frightened by my presence that he fled?

Or did they go to the palace?

Where is the supervisor? Does the supervisor know he's gone? Will the supervisor just stand by and watch him enter the palace?

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Luo Yuheng asked, "Has the trail gone cold again?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head, then nodded. "The Earth Sect Master's avatar must have left. Perhaps I alerted him during my first exploration. But what I can't understand is that he left in such a hurry and didn't handle his hiding place well."

Hengyuan frowned and said, "Perhaps for the leader of the Earth Sect, the goal has already been achieved, and what happens in the capital is no longer relevant to him?"

Xu Qi'an looked at him. "How do you know he achieved his goal? However, if the leader of the Earth Sect doesn't care about Emperor Yuanjing's situation at all, then he can indeed leave very gracefully."

Xu Qi'an rubbed his face and exhaled a breath of stale air. "Never mind, I'll just go directly to the supervisor."

With the Earth Sect leader gone, the case has run out of leads. Although there was no official confirmation from the Earth Sect leader, his speculations remain just that—speculations—but that's not important.

The piles of bones underground are the crucial and irrefutable evidence.

With Duke Wei no longer here, this matter can only be handled by the Supervisor. The only fear is that the Supervisor will refuse to see him, just like last time.

"Thinking about it now, the supervisor knew about these things. Otherwise, what a coincidence that he didn't want to see me when I was about to explore the dragon vein last time? But I don't understand why he stood by and watched coldly?" he said in a low voice.

Luo Yuheng frowned and said, "That's certainly illogical."

Just as Xu Qi'an was about to speak, he felt a slap on the back of his head. He rubbed his head and pulled out the fragment of the Earth Book.

Fragment of the Book of Earth No. 1 initiated a private message to Fragment No. 3.

He really wanted to slap her back; what would it feel like to slap the back of a goddess's head? He silently grumbled to himself, but ultimately chose to accept it.

[One: I'm at the Xu Residence, return immediately.]

[Three: What's up? Oh, right, I rescued Hengyuan.]

Huaiqing didn't respond for a long time. After a long while, he sent a message with doubt. "[Are you safe and sound?]"

Does she mean that the person was rescued safely?

[Three: There's really no danger. We can discuss the details in person. By the way, what did you want to see me about?]

[One: There are problems with your case. Let's discuss it further when we get back to the office.]

P. S.: This conversation lasted nine hours.