A formidable enemy arrives

Seeing that this young man was handsome and distinguished, and did not seem like the type to swindle or cheat, the gatekeeper hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Please wait a moment, young master!"

He turned and hurriedly ran into the mansion. About fifteen minutes later, he heard hurried footsteps and a woman rushed out. She was wearing a plain long dress, with eyebrows like distant mountains, cherry lips, and fair and tender skin that looked as if you could squeeze water out of it.

The young woman in her early thirties, dressed simply, could not hide her stunning figure. A white flower was tucked into her hair. What drew attention most to her was her faint sorrow, which inexplicably evoked pity.

"Xinger!"

Li Lingsu wore a smile, a handsome and refined gentleman amidst the turbulent world.

Chai Xing'er stared blankly at him, her eyes reddening, and said coldly:

"Young Master Li, didn't you call yourself a wandering swordsman, with no one to rely on but to roam the world? What brings you here today?"

Li Lingsu sighed, "A person with something to hold onto in their heart will not go far. It will eventually return to the side of their loved one."

Chai Xing'er turned her face away, stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall.

Xu Qi'an secretly guessed that the kid must have left without saying goodbye, leaving behind a letter or something.

Otherwise, this young woman wouldn't be so resentful. Besides, compared to the Dongfang sisters and Wenren Qianrou, this Chai family aunt's personality is probably quite stubborn.

Li Lingsu opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something sweet, but then, sensing the inappropriate atmosphere, coughed and said:

"This senior is a friend of mine. He came to Xiangzhou with me on our travels. He heard about what happened at the Chai residence and came to see if there's anything I can help with. Xing'er, please don't hesitate to ask."

The young gatekeepers were dumbfounded; this young master was calling Aunt Chai "Xing'er" repeatedly.

Chai Xing'er took a deep breath, nodded to Xu Qi'an, and spoke in a cool but polite voice:

"You've come from afar, sir. Please come in."

If there were truly no feelings involved, they should have kicked us out by now. Sigh, another fish completely taken advantage of by a scumbag. Xu Qi'an clasped his hands in greeting and led the mare into the mansion.

After handing the mare over to the servants of the Chai household for proper care, the three of them followed Chai Xing'er to the main hall.

"Xing'er, did Chai Xian really kill the head of the Chai family?"

After Chai Xing'er dismissed the servants, Li Lingsu couldn't wait to ask, "This shouldn't be happening. Chai Xian is kind and gentle; he's not such a rebellious person. Is there some misunderstanding?"

"Misunderstand?"

Chai Xing'er's pale face revealed a cold smile, "I witnessed this with my own eyes, and everyone in the Chai household witnessed it. How could it be false?"

Li Lingsu pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps it was a thief in disguise?"

Chai Xing'er shook her head. "Disguise can't fool my eyes. Besides, the techniques, personal belongings, and methods of controlling corpses are all evidence. Appearance can be changed, but these things cannot."

Li Lingsu was speechless, frowned for a long time, and then asked the question that had been bothering her for a long time, "But why would he do such a heinous thing?"

Chai Xing'er said:

"Because my elder brother planned to marry Xiao Lan into the Huangfu family. You know, Xiao Lan and Chai Xian were childhood sweethearts, and he has always been in love with Xiao Lan. After learning about this, he repeatedly asked his elder brother to retract his decision and expressed his desire to marry Xiao Lan."

"Although Chai Xian is quite talented, my elder brother believes that marrying Xiao Lan to him would only be icing on the cake and wouldn't bring much benefit to the Chai family. However, if we could form an alliance with the Huangfu family through marriage, it would be more beneficial to the Chai family's development."

Chai Xing'er is the younger sister of the head of the Chai family. Her previous husband was a son-in-law who married into the family.

Hearing this, Li Lingsu frowned even more deeply. "Xiao Lan doesn't love him, she only sees him as a brother. By the way, where is Xiao Lan?"

Upon hearing this, Chai Xing'er's face fell. "Xiao Lan has been kidnapped."

Under Li Lingsu's persistent questioning, she recounted the events in detail. On the day of the incident, everyone in the mansion was awakened by the sound of a thief moving. They rushed to the head of the household's courtyard and found that the head of the household had been murdered. The murderer was none other than her adopted son, Chai Xian.

Seeing that his scheme had been exposed, Chai Xian became enraged and manipulated four iron corpses to fight his way out, thus escaping for good.

"When I was cleaning up the mess, I discovered that Xiao Lan was no longer in the room. For the past two weeks, I've sent people everywhere to search for her, but we haven't been able to find her anywhere," Chai Xing'er said, her face full of worry.

Li Lingsu asked, "Xing'er, don't you think there's anything unreasonable about this?"

Chai Xing'er said calmly:

"When he stormed out of the Chai residence that day, I also tried to stop him. The most illogical thing is that Chai Xian's cultivation level has inexplicably improved by leaps and bounds, and is now no less than mine."

"But as you know, the Chai family's corpse manipulation techniques are derived from the Corpse Gu Technique of the Gu Clan. No one but the person controlling the corpse can truly master them."

Li Lingsu hissed, his expression grave and confused. He instinctively felt that there were many unreasonable aspects to this matter, but he couldn't summarize them effectively, nor did he know how to investigate.

Seeing him deep in thought with furrowed brows, Chai Xing'er spoke in a cold tone:

"You believe Chai Xian is innocent and want to investigate the case thoroughly to clear his name?"

Li Lingsu shook her head and said, "It's about revealing the truth to the Chai family. Now that I'm here, I'll naturally help you resolve this matter."

Chai Xing'er looked at him coldly. "Then what are your features?"

Li Lingsu was speechless for a moment, then shook her head.

The young woman, with a delicate and melancholic air like a lilac blossom, chuckled dismissively, "You think you're Xu Yinluo, solving bizarre cases?"

Li Lingsu smiled bitterly, "Xing'er, why are you being so sarcastic? I know you hate me for leaving without saying goodbye back then."

Knock knock!

At this moment, the sound of knocking on the table interrupted the lovesick couple. Chai Xing'er frowned and looked at the man in blue.

Xu Qi'an said slowly, "I have a few questions for the young lady."

The young girl, Chai Xing'er, raised an eyebrow.

"His identity is extraordinary; even the patriarch of the Chai family is but a greenhorn in front of him." Li Lingsu, fearing that her confidante might contradict Xu Qian and displease the old man, quickly explained via telepathy.

Chai Xing'er knew what "longevity" meant, and her beautiful expression changed slightly. Her attitude immediately became reserved, and she said softly:

"Please speak, senior."

"How does the patriarch Chai Jianyuan treat Chai Xian? What is Chai Xian's character like?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Myolie Chai replied:

"Chai Xian was an orphan when he was young and suffered a lot of bullying. His elder brother took pity on him and adopted him as his son. He not only raised him to adulthood, but also taught him how to control corpses and how to cultivate Martial Dao. It is no exaggeration to say that his kindness was as heavy as a mountain."

"As for Chai Xian, if it weren't for this bloody incident, everyone would still be in the dark and think he was an honest and kind person."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "In other words, the Chai family head has been incredibly kind to him, and his previous character didn't seem like that of an ungrateful person. So, even if he truly harbors resentment and cannot tolerate the Chai family's daughter marrying someone else, wouldn't it be a better choice to simply kidnap her and run away to the ends of the earth?"

Yes, that's right. Li Lingsu clapped her hands suddenly, which is why he felt there were many unreasonable aspects to this matter.

Chai Xing'er frowned in thought, then said, "What you say makes sense, senior. However, I personally fought him that day and confirmed that Chai Xian is indeed him. Many people in the manor can testify to this. Those iron corpses are also indeed his."

"There are witnesses," Xu Qi'an analyzed. "Corpse Gu can be compatible from top to bottom. A powerful Corpse Gu master can release sub-Gu to forcibly control other people's puppets. What if someone impersonates Chai Xian and forcibly controls his iron corpse?"

Li Lingsu pondered and said, "So, the reason his cultivation level advanced by leaps and bounds wasn't actually him?"

Chai Xing'er shook her head. "No, if someone were really impersonating him, they wouldn't have revealed their strength. Besides, there are very few strong individuals who meet the criteria. What would his motive be? Just to frame Chai Xian?"

Xu Qi'an gave her a deep look and smiled, "This needs to be investigated thoroughly. Of course, capturing Chai Xian alive would save even more trouble."

The Bureau of Astronomy in the capital.

In the lobby on the second floor, Yang Qianhuan stood by the window, facing away from everyone.

Behind him were more than twenty Warlock, all of whom belonged to Yang Qianhuan's faction and were known among their fellow disciples within the Bureau of Astronomy as the "Back-of-the-Head Party."

This is clearly an impolite and sarcastic name.

However, other factions also have less appealing names. For example, Song Qing's faction is called the "Madman Party," Sun Xuanji's faction is called the "Mute Party," and Zhong Li's faction is called the "Ghost-Slaying Party."

Chu Caiwei was too low in rank to be qualified to take on disciples on behalf of her master, and therefore had no faction.

However, she will be qualified to teach apprentices next year.

Getting back to the main point, the atmosphere in the hall was very tense, with everyone looking serious.

"Didn't they say they were closing the shop? When will these people stop? Don't they have any way to make a living?"

"This is utterly absurd! Are these unruly commoners trying to squeeze every last drop out of our Bureau of Astronomy?"

"If all else fails, then mobilize the Imperial Guards to suppress the rebellion."

"But in that case, Senior Brother Yang's reputation will be irreparably damaged."

"It couldn't be worse than it gets anyway."

The Warlock discussed the matter amongst themselves, their faces etched with worry.

A while ago, Senior Brother Yang had a sudden inspiration and decided to open a shop in the city to do good deeds. People in the capital can come to Yang Qianhuan, a hero who serves the country and the people, to solve any difficulties or injustices they may have.

Initially, the people of Beijing did not believe that such a good person existed, and no one visited "Yang Qianhuan's Agency," but this did not deter Yang, who possessed both talent and wisdom.

He found a woman who had suffered greatly. Her husband was a gambling addict, her mother-in-law was seriously ill and she had no money for treatment. In desperation, she sought help from Yang Qianhuan's agency.

Yang Qianhuan, a man determined to become a hero king, selflessly helped this pitiful woman.

From then on, more and more people sought help from Yang Qianhuan and were satisfied. Word spread quickly, and Yang Qianhuan of the Bureau of Astronomy became a well-known philanthropist.

But not long after, the taste changed.

The common people were like a bottomless pit, taking advantage of Yang Qianhuan for free. They considered it their due when they were satisfied, and cursed him when they were not.

Yang Qianhuan, having been repeatedly patronized by prostitutes, saw that his grand plan was doomed to fail, and heartbroken, closed his shop and retreated to the Bureau of Astronomy.

But the people did not let him off the hook, gathering in the square Star-Gazing Tower to demand justice.

We clearly agreed to get it for free forever; one should have a sense of contractual obligation.

Looking down from the window, Yang Qianhuan saw hundreds of people gathered in the large square Star-Gazing Tower.

"What are these things? Read them to me."

His voice was low and weathered, like that of someone who had been through the harsh realities of life and whose life was full of stories.

The white-robed Warlock breathed a sigh of relief. One of them grabbed a thick stack of letters from the table, unfolded the first one, read it, and said:

"Aunt Zhang, who lives on Gulu Street, said that Aunt Yang next door had another grandson, and she also wanted to have a grandson. She hoped that the Bureau of Astronomy could think of a way to help her."

Yang Qianhuan nodded. This was not a difficult matter. Although the Bureau of Astronomy had suffered huge losses recently, they could still afford a packet of medicine.

"Then prescribe some kidney-tonifying and aphrodisiac medicine for her son," he said.

The white-robed Warlock looked at him strangely and said, "But Aunt Zhang only gave birth to three daughters, so where did she get a son?"

"..." Yang Qianhuan said in a deep voice, "The next one."

"Manager Wang of Xinghua Street said that a new shop opened next door and was taking away his business. He hopes the Bureau of Astronomy can help drive the other shop away."

"Don't do anything illegal, next letter."

"Xiao Cui, a maid in the Zhao family on Pingkang Street, thinks she is prettier and has a better personality than her mistress. She is unwilling to be a maid for the rest of her life and asks us for help so that she can also become a young lady from a wealthy family."

Yang Qianhuan hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "May I be reborn into a better family in my next life, and then I'll write one more."

"Li Er from Li Household, his wife is six months pregnant and about to give birth. The Li Household only has one son in the lineage, and he wanted to buy some medicine to help with the pregnancy, but he didn't have the money, so he came to us for help."

Before Yang Qianhuan could speak, the Warlock said helplessly, "A pregnancy-stabilizing medicine is easy to arrange, but I think the first thing Li Er should do is forgive his wife."

Yang Qianhuan waved her hand wearily. "Next letter."

"Liang San, a scoundrel, is hoping to find a job that allows him to easily make a fortune every day. If possible, he would prefer that our Bureau of Astronomy give him a mountain of gold."

Yang Qianhuan sighed, "There's no gold mine. All the lucrative jobs are listed in the Great Feng Law. Let him choose one he likes."

"Oh, this letter is from the matriarch of the Xu Household, Xu Yinluo's aunt," the white-robed Warlock exclaimed in delight.

Yang Qianhuan's tone softened somewhat as she said, "Tell me what she wants. I've known that scoundrel Xu Qi'an for a while, and I'll try my best to fulfill his aunt's request."

The white-robed Warlock nodded and said:

She said her youngest daughter had a huge appetite, and the family was so poor they were almost starving. If possible, she wanted to send her daughter to the Bureau of Astronomy Bureau of Astronomy learn skills, where she would live and eat. Her daughter also had a teacher, a girl from the Southern Frontier, who would be coming along as well, and she hoped we wouldn't mind.

Yang Qianhuan's tone was weary. "Too stupid, can't be Warlock unless the supervisor personally instructs him."

What a mess!

In the quiet passageway, the sound of light footsteps could be heard.

Zhong Li walked to the doorway, peeked into the dimly lit passageway, and said softly:

"Senior Brother Yang, why are you back?"

Yang Qianhuan's voice was hollow. "Life isn't worth it. I plan to come back and rest for a while."

He paused, then asked suspiciously, "Junior Sister Zhong, I remember you said my idea was excellent and would definitely succeed."

Zhong Li replied innocently, "Did I say that? I don't remember."

"."

Zhong Li asked in a low voice, "How's your career going?"

Yang Qianhuan pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "I think assassinating the emperor is a safer option."

Chai Mansion in Xiangzhou.

In the back garden pavilion, Mu Nanzhi, wrapped in a fox fur cloak, grabbed a handful of bait and threw it into the pond, attracting koi carp to scramble for it.

At the stone table behind her, Xu Qi'an threw the poisonous herbs and fruits into a mortar and pestle, crushed them, scraped them out with a porcelain spoon, and ate them.

He never stopped taking poison. He was extremely grateful that he had the reincarnation of the Flower Goddess with him as he traveled the world. Every once in a while, he could consume mutated poisonous herbs and fruits of extremely high quality.

I'm also glad I brought the mare along; interacting and communicating with her helped alleviate the aftereffects of the Heart Gu.

Xu Qi'an recently discovered an excellent way to deal with the aftereffects of the Corpse Gu: manipulating Hengyin's corpse to make him speak and act, thus achieving the goal of "dancing with the corpse."

Just like now

Li Lingsu rushed over in a hurry, but Hengyin, who was waiting outside the pavilion, stopped her and said in a deep voice:

"Please don't be a third wheel, sir."

Li Lingsu glanced at him in surprise, too lazy to think about why this deadbeat had suddenly spoken, and hurriedly walked past him into the pavilion, saying in a deep voice:

"This is terrible! I heard from the steward that several monks arrived just now, and the leader called himself Jingxin."