The Holy Son with Connections Across the Nine Provinces

Heading westward, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect's expression changed slightly, and he frowned, asking, "Why?"

Xu Qi'an didn't answer, but continued, "Go to Leizhou."

Absolutely not!

Li Lingsu shouted as if by reflex.

Xu Qi'an smirked. "You can leave too."

"What a nasty senior!" Li Lingsu thought to herself, sighing, and said:

"Senior, the Dongfang sisters are also going to Leizhou; we're bound to run into them on this trip."

Although the Heavenly Gu Clan's "Star Shifting and Constellation Changing" power can conceal heavenly secrets, the Eastern Sisters will definitely recognize him as long as the two sides encounter each other.

In front of a peak fourth-rank expert, any disguise technique is just a bluff, and can be seen through at a glance.

At this moment, Xu Qi'an pulled on the reins, and the mare instinctively slowed down, changing to a trot. Li Lingsu had no choice but to slow down as well.

What do you think of him?

Xu Qi'an pointed to a man with a dull expression and ordinary features by the roadside. He was wearing a thick cotton-padded coat and pulling a donkey cart.

"?"

Li Lingsu was completely bewildered.

A dozen minutes later, by a river, Li Lingsu squatted down. His reflection was on the calm lake surface; his expression was blank, and his features were ordinary.

It was the same man who had driven the donkey cart that they had met not long ago.

"Wow!"

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect turned around, looking at Xu Qian with both admiration and shock, and said:

"Is there really a disguise technique in the world that can alter facial skin and bones?"

High-level experts can also achieve this level. For example, after condensing a Yang Spirit, they can change their appearance at will, but that is more like a transformation technique.

What Xu Qian demonstrated was a method that could achieve similar effects using potions, allowing even ordinary people to change their appearance at will.

"Not bad." Xu Qi'an smiled, his demeanor nonchalant.

"The longer you live, the more unscrupulous you'll become, and the more unscrupulous people you'll encounter."

Mu Nanzhi quietly pouted.

"Truly a monster who has lived for hundreds of years. You're not referring to me, are you, are you?" the Heavenly Sect's Holy Son said admiringly.

"You're amazing, senior."

Xu Qi'an nodded slowly:

"The effects of the medicine will wear off after twelve hours, and your appearance will return to normal. However, while your face may be changed, your temperament cannot. You have shared a bed with the Dongfang sisters for half a year and know them well."

"If you want to conceal your past at close range, you need to be constantly vigilant."

At lunchtime.

Li Lingsu jumped into the river and caught several plump fish. Turning around, she saw that Xu Qian had already set up two small pots, one for cooking rice and the other for preparing fish and other dishes.

Li Lingsu was not surprised at all. It was perfectly normal for such an unfathomable senior to possess a storage Law Artifact.

If the Dongfang sisters hadn't taken his belongings, he would have had storage Law Artifact: a Storage Bag bestowed upon him by his master during his travels down the mountain, and a fragment of the Earth Book given to him by Daoist Jinlian.

"Sigh, if my strength hadn't been sealed, I should have reached the peak of the fourth rank by now. If that were the case, I could return to the sect after three years."

Li Lingsu cleaned the river fish's internal organs while sighing with emotion.

Disciples of the Heavenly Sect can only return after three years of travel. Holy Sons and Daughters, on the other hand, must reach the peak of the fourth rank before they can return to the sect.

The fourth and third ranks are Daoist School. If a disciple of the Heavenly Sect wants to transcend the ordinary and enter the third rank, he must comprehend the Supreme Forgetfulness.

For lunch, the three of them had river fish soup, stir-fried tofu with pork, braised duck, stir-fried sausage, and stir-fried mutton with bamboo shoots.

They were all made by Mu Nanzhi, whose cooking skills are mediocre.

Since taking in the Seven Deadly Gu, Xu Qi'an's appetite has reached an astonishing level. He often wakes up hungry at night, then eats hot water with steamed buns and pastries to satisfy his hunger on his own.

He now understands Lina very well; if they were still in Beijing, the three foodie giants would become four.

Li Lingsu ate with her mouth full of oil, and exclaimed:

"This chicken bouillon is truly amazing; it has the power to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary."

Turning the rotten into the miraculous?! Mu Nanzhi gave him a cold look.

Li Lingsu quickly added, "If it were combined with Madam's culinary skills, it would be like adding wings to a tiger; one bite would make one feel that heaven is wonderful."

Mu Nanzhi nodded in satisfaction and glanced at Xu Qi'an.

See, there's a reason why he can win a woman's heart.

I no longer need sweet words to coax women; have you heard of the Southern Frontier Love Poison? Xu Qi'an swallowed his food and listened to Li Lingsu's rambling:

"The Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy were indeed remarkable. Confucian School taught and nurtured people, contributing to the brilliance of civilization. These Warlock practiced medicine to save lives, crafted Law Artifact, tools, and instruments, and also..."

He held up the porcelain bottle. "And this chicken bouillon. These are the things that truly benefit the people."

"This thing was invented by Xu Qi'an."

Mu Nanzhi frowned.

"Xu Qi'an?"

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect was taken aback, as if confirming something. "You're saying that chicken essence was made by that Xu Yinluo?"

Princess Mu raised her chin.

What does this have to do with you? Look how arrogant you are... The Holy Son didn't believe him and laughed:

"Madam, Xu Qi'an is a martial artist. The difference between Warlock and a martial artist is like the difference between the Western Regions and the Witch God Cult—there is a Great Feng. If a martial artist can study Alchemy, can he still be called a crude martial artist?"

Anyway, this lady is an ordinary woman, and Xu Qian has a great deal of connection with the Gu Clan, which has nothing to do with martial arts practitioners.

The Holy Son indulged in his breastfeeding.

At this moment, he noticed Xu Qian giving him a cold and indifferent look, and saying:

"The essence of Alchemy is knowledge, it is research. Anyone who learns and understands Alchemy knowledge can begin to research it."

Li Lingsu was taken aback. "Judging from what you're saying, senior, could it be that chicken essence was really invented by Xu Qi'an?"

Xu Qian kept his head down and ate his food, without answering.

The Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect clapped his hands and laughed:

"Interesting, very interesting. That Xu Yinluo truly deserves to be called a rare genius. Looking at the history of the Great Feng, probably only Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wuzong can compare to him."

"Yes, Wei Yuan is one too, but unfortunately he's too low-key. Compared to Xu Yinluo's dazzling success, Wei Yuan has been virtually unknown for the past twenty years. I'm increasingly eager to go to the capital."

If you go to the capital, won't I be socially dead again? Well, I was going to hide my identity anyway, and no matter how much I brag, I can always force myself back on track. Xu Qi'an changed the subject, saying:

"From here, it's tens of thousands of miles to Leizhou. To get there as quickly as possible, we have to take the waterway."

"Are we going to take a boat again?"

Mu Nanzhi frowned. She suffered from seasickness and vomited every day when she went to the northern border with the delegation last time.

Whether it was just her imagination or not, Li Lingsu gradually felt that although this lady's appearance was average, her temperament was excellent, and her every move exuded feminine charm.

Li Lingsu shook her head and said, "At this time of year, the canal to Leizhou is blown by northwest winds, and the canal flows from west to east, which will undoubtedly slow down the ships. If we take a boat, we probably won't be able to reach Leizhou when the pagoda opens."

Xu Qi'an turned his head to look at him. "So, which way did you originally plan to go?"

"Sister Rong has a Law Treasure called the Wind-Riding Boat, which can travel three thousand miles a day. It only takes ten days to reach Leizhou. However, it needs to rest for one day after flying. On our last trip, we landed in Pingzhou, which is within the territory of Yongzhou."

This is a low-spec version of an airplane! Even the Bureau of Astronomy doesn't seem to have such a large Law Artifact. Xu Qi'an was secretly surprised.

"It was a gift from Sister Rong's master; the Wind-Riding Boat is one of the twelve Law Artifact of the Witch God Sect."

Xu Qi'an nodded slowly. If that was the case, then the plan to go to Leizhou along the canal would have to be changed. He should directly call Sun Xuanji and have him take his group to Leizhou.

However, this would inevitably arouse Li Lingsu's suspicion regarding Sun Xuanji's existence.

Of course, he wouldn't immediately guess that he was Xu Qi'an, but if a few more similar clues came up in the future, this intelligent holy son would definitely be able to make the correct judgment and guess that Xu Qian was Xu Qi'an.

Li Lingsu smiled and said, "I have a way to get us to Leizhou within ten days."

Xu Qi'an and Mu Nanzhi looked over at the same time.

"In Leizhou, there is a kind of raptor called the Red-tailed Fierce Eagle, which is thirteen feet tall and has a wingspan of thirty-seven feet. It is a mythical beast. In Leizhou, the local government raises this raptor and forms a flying beast army."

"During the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the Flying Beast Army composed of Crimson-tailed Fierce Eagles shone brightly. However, after the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the power of the Great Feng Kingdom gradually weakened. The Crimson-tailed Fierce Eagles had too much appetite, and the Leizhou government could not afford to support the pampered Flying Beast Army. They drastically reduced the army and sold half of the Crimson-tailed Fierce Eagles to local merchants, Aristocratic Clan, and martial arts forces."

"Among them, the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce recruits the most Red-tailed Fierce Eagles, specializing in transporting valuable items. It is both safe and fast. Coincidentally, Zhangzhou, which is adjacent to Yongzhou, is a branch of the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce."

"These Red-tailed Fierce Eagles are impossible to rent even if you have the money. But I have a way to get a few, and we'll ride them to Leizhou."

Xu Qi'an and Mu Nanzhi exchanged another glance, the former asking in surprise:

Have you been to Zhangzhou before?

"No."

Have you been to Leizhou?

"No."

"Then why are you so certain that you can obtain the precious Crimson-tailed Falcon?"

"This is a long story."

The Holy Son sighed, revealing a smile etched with the marks of time:

"When I was traveling around the world, I once met the young lady of the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce who was traveling to Qingzhou with a merchant caravan. She was a girl with skin as smooth as jade, bright eyes and white teeth. She was shrewd and had an extraordinary business ability."

"Of course, that's not the point. The point is that we met in the vast sea of people, fell in love with each other, and thus began our relationship."

Xu Qi'an was stunned.

When did this happen?

"At that time, I was being chased by Sister Rong and Sister Qing. I met Rou'er while I was on the run."

Good heavens, I'm totally speechless. Xu Qi'an nodded. "Then let's do it this way."

Do you have girlfriends all over the country?

I finally understand why Li Miaozhen refused to help someone in distress.

Half a month later, at Zhangzhou Wharf.

Xu Qi'an led the mare down the boat on a sturdy plank, followed by Li Lingsu, who was also leading a horse, and Princess Mu, who followed on foot.

As they walked and asked for directions, guided by the local people, they arrived at the Leizhou branch.

This is a large estate, with a plaque bearing gilded characters hanging above the lacquered red gate, and two large stone lions, each as tall as a person, standing outside the gate.

Guards dressed in tight-fitting clothes stood watch at the door.

Li Lingsu said:

"When we parted that day, Rou'er gave me a token that allowed me to mobilize the resources of the Chamber of Commerce headquarters and its branches, and to divert up to 150,000 taels of silver. Unfortunately, I lost it when I went to the Gu Clan later."

"But even if it's not lost, it will eventually be confiscated by Sister Qing and Sister Rong."

Xu Qi'an coldly scrutinized him. "So?"

Li Lingsu chuckled and said, "You wait, I have a plan."

Having said that, he led his horse toward the gate and said to the guard who stopped him, "I want to see the branch president."

P. S.: Regarding the physical book, you can only buy it through the link today. Tomorrow you can directly search for "The Great Feng Nightwatchers" on Tmall and JD. com to purchase it. See below for details.

Due to the timed release schedule, only those with the link in the group can purchase it. Many friends have reported that they cannot find it by directly searching for "Great Feng Nightwatchers". The editor in charge of the publishing house expressed deep apologies for this and contacted the publishing house and official store overnight to re-release it on all platforms at 10 am tomorrow and confirm that everyone can find it.