A visit to the Directorate of Astronomy

Since Xu Qi'an left the capital, Huaiqing has never contacted him.

Xu Xinnian had just visited to discuss the oversights in the donation plan, and he pointed out the shortcomings of the new emperor's lack of prestige, which prevented him from controlling the officials in the court.

"If only my elder brother were in the capital!"

Xu Erlang sighed with emotion.

Unfortunately, since Xu Qi'an began his travels, he has lost contact with the capital and has never received a letter from home.

Huaiqing knew, of course, that Xu Qi'an would have a stronger influence if he were in the capital, especially given his past actions such as blocking the Meridian Gate, beheading the Duke, and killing the late emperor.

With a single call to action, he rallied many ministers, and none of them wanted to provoke him.

But Huaiqing didn't do that, not because it was inconvenient to speak up, or because their relationship wasn't close enough. It was simply because he felt that if the Great Feng had truly reached the point where everything needed to be handled by one person...

Then their fate is truly sealed.

"Did your lackey send you a letter?" Huaiqing asked.

Of course!

Lin'an raised her snow-white chin proudly and said, "Much older."

"You must be dreaming." Huaiqing bluntly exposed him.

"You!" Lin An glared at her.

Huaiqing, in a good mood, picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

Lin'an left angrily and returned to Shaoyin Palace in a sullen mood.

"Your Highness, did you suffer another mistreatment at Dexin Garden?"

The personal maid covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Lin'an remained silent, somewhat disheartened.

She accepted the tea offered by the palace maid, but didn't drink it; instead, she held it in her hands to warm it.

After sitting for a while, Lin'an suddenly said:

Sometimes I think, actually, I'm not that important to him.

The personal maid naturally understood her meaning and said softly, "Why does Your Highness have such thoughts?"

"I am not as clever as Huaiqing, nor do I have a good temper, and I lack cultivation. Back when he was just a lowly silver-ranking official, I was a princess, and I was very confident."

"She confidently stands in front of him every day with her hands on her hips," the palace maid added softly.

"But now even the princess can't put her hands on her hips in front of him; I'm completely useless to him."

Lin'an wore an unusually sorrowful expression.

She could only confide these innermost thoughts to the palace maid she had grown up with since childhood.

The palace maid said, "This servant believes that Xu Yinluo's affection for His Highness has nothing to do with whether His Highness is useful or not. If the premise for liking someone is that that person is 'useful,' then what is the point of such affection?"

Your Highness, you should just be yourself.

Lin'an suddenly became somewhat excited:

Why doesn't he contact me?

"When investigating cases in the past, he only cared about Huaiqing and consulted with Huaiqing on everything."

"Now that he has left the capital, I have heard nothing from him. I asked the Bureau of Astronomy to send him a letter a long time ago, but he has never replied."

"Now that my brother the emperor is in trouble, he's the only one I can rely on, but I can't find him."

As she spoke, her voice lowered, her head bowed, and her expression became forlorn.

It was nearing dusk.

A streak of pale golden light swept across the sky above the capital and landed on the Eight Trigrams Platform of the Bureau of Astronomy.

As the golden light faded, it revealed Xu Qi'an and his group of seven.

The supervisor sat behind his desk, his back to everyone, overlooking the capital city.

Miao Youfang looked around nervously, his legs even feeling a little weak. This was his first time in the capital, his first time climbing the legendary Star-Gazing Tower, and his first time meeting the Imperial Censor.

With white hair and white robes, he truly lived up to his reputation as a celestial being. Miao Youfang gazed at the recluse's retreating figure and was filled with emotion.

This was also Li Lingsu's first time in the capital and her first time meeting the Imperial Censor. Apart from being a little reserved, she was generally quite calm.

Luo Yuheng waved his wide sleeves, revealing the Arhat of Compassion sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.

"You may leave on your own. I have something to discuss with the supervisor."

Xu Qi'an glanced at everyone.

Li Lingsu was bursting with curiosity, hoping to hear some high-level secrets and perhaps even guess Xu Qian's true identity. But since Senior Xu had spoken, she could only obediently leave.

Watching Li Miaozhen and the others descend the steps, Xu Qi'an let out a sigh of relief, finally abandoning his pretense of superiority.

"Supervisor, the Imperial Preceptor and I have captured the Arhat of Compassion in Yongzhou."

Xu Qi'an bowed respectfully to the Imperial Supervisor.

The supervisor seemed not to hear, his back to him and Luo Yuheng, remaining motionless.

"Could he be dead?" Xu Qi'an thought to himself, when he heard Luo Yuheng say:

"His Primordial Spirit left his body."

ha?

Xu Qi'an couldn't hide his surprise, not because he was surprised that the Supervisor could actually have his Primordial Spirit leave his body.

He was a frequent visitor to the Bureau of Astronomy, having ascended the Eight Trigrams Platform quite a few times. Whenever someone came, the Director of the Observatory would be waiting for them.

Xu Qi'an was surprised to learn what had happened to the supervisor that caused him to not return promptly even after a "guest" had arrived at his home.

"Since you've come all the way to the Bureau of Astronomy, I'll show you around."

Li Miaozhen led everyone downstairs with practiced ease. Not long after, they saw a white-robed Warlock carrying a soft-bristled brush and Xuan paper pass by them.

"Senior brother, where is Junior Sister Caiwei?"

Li Miaozhen called out to him.

The white-robed Warlock replied, "Junior Sister Caiwei is reading in the library."

Li Miaozhen was taken aback. "Chu Caiwei is reading a book?"

I thought to myself, "Has the sun risen in the west?"

"Junior Sister Caiwei will be able to teach under her master next year, but now she spends all her time holed up in the library," the white-robed Warlock explained before hurrying away.

Li Miaozhen originally wanted to ask Chu Caiwei to be her guide, but seeing how busy she was, she gave up on the idea.

Anyway, she and Chu Yuanzhen had been to the Bureau of Astronomy several times, so they weren't strangers.

The group continued walking, with Li Lingsu and Miao Youfang looking around curiously at the legendary Bureau of Astronomy.

This is a place where Warlock gather, and only here can one see large groups of Warlock.

Miao Youfang asked Li Lingsu in a low voice, "Why do the Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy always carry writing brushes, ink, and paper with them?"

As they traveled, they noticed that the white-robed Warlock always carried paper and soft-bristled pens, as if they would write something down at the slightest provocation.

Li Lingsu pondered for a moment, "Warlock are generally quite eager to learn."

Miao Youfang suddenly realized. "So that's how it is. I'm truly ashamed; all I can write is my own name."

As they spoke, they arrived at the seventh floor.

Li Miaozhen explained, "This floor is where Alchemist gather; the Bureau of Astronomy's alchemy chamber is located here. Let's leave quickly."

Seeing her junior sister's rather apprehensive expression, Li Lingsu asked curiously:

"Is this a forbidden area of Bureau of Astronomy?"

As he spoke, a look of realization dawned on his face. "The technology is kept secret?"

"No!"

Chu Yuanzhen said calmly, "It's because the Alchemist on this floor are all obsessed. If you know nothing about Alchemy, they'll look down on you and mock you for not being smart enough."

"How aloof," Li Lingsu asked. "If one had even a slight understanding of Alchemy, would one be treated as an honored guest?"

"No!"

Master Hengyuan said in a deep voice:

"If you show interest in Alchemy, they will recommend some strange and unusual foods for you to try, such as fruits with eyes, roast chickens with two heads, and so on. They might even encourage you to try human transmutation experiments."

"In the entire capital, only the Superintendent and Lord Xu can keep them in check."

"Lord Xu?" Li Lingsu didn't react.

"Xu Qi'an!" Hengyuan said.

"Xu Qi'an!" Li Lingsu suddenly realized, "I've heard so much about him, but never had the chance to meet him. Now that I'm in the capital, I must pay him a visit."

The three holders of the Earth Book fragments glanced at him with an indescribable expression.

"What does 'human transmutation' mean?" Miao Youfang interjected, seizing the opportunity.

"For example, crossbreeding you with a pig."

Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu both shrank back and quickened their pace.

The group quickly left the seventh floor and encountered a group of white-robed Warlock on the sixth floor.

"Master Li."

A white-robed Warlock greeted them warmly with a cupped-fist salute, then turned and glanced at them with the back of his head before walking away.

"The top scholar from Chu."

Another white-robed Warlock recognized Chu Yuanzhen, greeted him with a smile, then suddenly turned his head and showed them the back of his head.

Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu were stunned for a moment, looking at Li Miaozhen blankly.

"For this group of people, looking at you with the back of their head is a sign of respect," Li Miaozhen said calmly.

She seemed unwilling to offer further explanation.

Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu nodded, indicating that they understood.

He thought to himself, "The rules of the Bureau of Astronomy are really strange."

After visiting the sixth floor, they went down the stairs to the fifth floor.

Three white-robed Warlock walked into the corridor, and Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu took the initiative to greet them.

Greetings, fellow senior brothers.

The three white-robed Warlock did not recognize the two men, but they knew Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen. Just as they were about to bow in return, they suddenly saw the two men turn around at the same time, turning their backs to them.

The three white-robed Warlock' faces flushed instantly, feeling immensely humiliated. They flicked their sleeves and said:

Who do you think you are!

He left in a huff.

"???"

Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu looked at Li Miaozhen with blank expressions.

Li Miaozhen's eyes held a smile, "I said, I was referring to that group of people."

Li Lingsu's expression froze. "There's a difference?"

Chu Yuanzhen, who was standing nearby, suddenly sighed, "In a few years, when the disciples of the Bureau of Astronomy greet each other, they might be exchanging fruits and pastries."

Poor Supervisor Li Miaozhen, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan all thought the same thing at the same time.

Li Lingsu and Miao Youfang exchanged bewildered glances, not understanding why the three of them had such complicated expressions.

Li Miaozhen said, "Chu Yuanzhen, Master Hengyuan, and I plan to go underground to see a friend. The guest rooms are on the fourth floor; you can ask your fellow disciples from the Bureau of Astronomy to take you there."

Miao Youfang was somewhat surprised. "We don't need to be questioned? This is our first time here with Brother Li."

"Need not!"

Li Miaozhen waved her hand. "They're too lazy to question us. With the supervisor in charge, what's there to fear about anyone causing trouble?"

Li Lingsu said, "Underground at the Star-Gazing Tower? Miao Youfang and I will go with you."

Li Miaozhen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright."

The group arrived at the lobby on the first floor, opened the iron door inside, and descended the steep steps into the underground.

Oil lamps were embedded in the stone walls underground, dispelling the darkness.

"The underground of the Bureau of Astronomy was used to imprison criminals, but there weren't many criminals worth keeping for long periods throughout the year, so it was usually the 'guest room' for the two disciples of the Director of the Observatory, who often stayed there."

Li Miaozhen didn't forget to introduce it.

Why would the supervisor's disciples live in such a dark and damp place? Li Lingsu wondered to herself.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the dimly lit corridor.

Suddenly, a deep voice came from one of the doors:

What are you doing here?

Everyone stopped in front of that door, and Chu Yuanzhen responded:

"Senior Brother Yang, we've come back to the capital to visit you and Junior Sister Zhong. From now on, we'll be scattered across the land, each traveling our own paths, and it will be a long time before we can return to the capital."

Li Miaozhen asked, "What has Senior Brother Yang done this time?"

As long as Yang Qianhuan is underground, it means he has been imprisoned by the supervisor again.

Yang Qianhuan was silent for a few seconds, then said in a muffled voice:

"It's not a big deal. This winter is bitterly cold, and the people in the capital are short of charcoal and cotton. I wanted to distribute all the silver and silver in the Bureau of Astronomy's treasury to help the disaster victims. But the Director of the Observatory disagreed and locked me up here."

"Teacher, you always mislead me."

Miao Youfang opened his eyes wide upon hearing this.

Such chivalrous deeds have been committed by the Bureau of Astronomy; I am not alone in my path.

"Your Excellency possesses noble character and integrity!"

Li Lingsu gave a compliment, then looked through the small window of the iron gate and saw a figure standing aloof and proud inside.

A true master!

At that moment, he heard the tall figure in the back ask in a conflicted tone:

"I've been stationed at the Bureau of Astronomy for a long time and have no way of knowing what's going on outside. That bastard Xu Qi'an has been away from the capital for over a month; has any news come back?"

After a long while, Xu Qi'an heard the supervisor exhale a long breath, and knew that he had returned.

"I didn't see the Primordial Spirit return at all," Xu Qi'an couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Where has the Imperial Censor gone?"

"A fight broke out with Galoshu on the border of Leizhou."

The supervisor picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

He didn't mention who won or lost, nor did he explain his motive for the fight. He put down his wine glass and turned his head to look at the seated Arhat.

Did the supervisor fight with Jialuoshu on the border of Leizhou? Was it because of me, or something else?

As Xu Qi'an pondered this, the supervisor turned around, scrutinized him, then looked at the Arhat of Compassion, and praised him:

"Knowing how to find alternative paths."

Xu Qi'an knew he was referring to the capture of a top Buddhist School master and the removal of the Demon-Sealing Nails, so he said:

"Although the Imperial Preceptor has captured the Arhat of Compassion, he is difficult to command. Therefore, we have brought him back to the capital and handed him over to you, the Supervisor, for your disposal."

The supervisor dipped his finger into the wine glass, touched it with a drop of wine, and flicked it out gently.

Snap!

The drop of wine landed on the forehead of the Love-Crossing Arhat, and Xu Qi'an seemed to hear a deafening thunderclap. One can only imagine what the Love-Crossing Arhat must have felt.

The old monk, his long hair hanging down his cheeks, trembled, slowly opened his eyes, as if waking from a dream.

He glanced at the supervisor, Luo Yuheng, Xu Qi'an, then put his hands together and said:

"Amitabha Buddha, greetings to the Supervisor."

The supervisor said calmly, "Remove the Demon-Sealing Nail, and I will imprison you at the bottom of the Star-Gazing Tower for three years. After the three years, you may return to the Western Regions."

The Arhat of Compassion pondered for a moment, "This humble monk has one more condition."

The old monk looked at Xu Qi'an: "Release Jingxin and Jingyuan, and this humble monk will remove the three demon-sealing nails for you."

Without coercion or bribery, and without any refusal to yield, the Arhat of Compassion compromised the moment he saw the supervisor.

The supervisor also made appropriate concessions, leading to an agreement between the two parties.

Three?

Xu Qi'an emphasized.

The Arhat of Compassion clasped his hands together, lowered his eyes, and said softly:

"The Mnemonic for unsealing each Demon-Sealing Nail is different. The Demon-Sealing Nails are magical Law Artifact crafted by the Buddha. This humble monk has mastered the Mnemonic for unsealing three of them."

"If the Buddhist disciple wishes to unravel all the mysteries, the Bodhisattva himself must intervene."

Even with the Bodhisattva personally intervening, Xu Qi'an couldn't help but want to pinch his brow.

The four great Bodhisattvas of Buddhist School —Karapala, Samantabhadra, Dharmaraksha, and Vaidurya—are all supreme figures, and each of them desires his body.

Asking them to unseal the Demon-Sealing Nails is utterly delusional. Xu Yinluo will just be packing himself up and sending himself away, while the Buddhist School cheers and eagerly awaits unpacking the package. He silently grumbled.

"The Demon-Sealing Nail was one of Xu Pingfeng's final arrangements, with the aim of nailing down Shen Shu and me. He was prepared for failure; even if he couldn't reclaim the fortune, he would still cripple me."

"So it's understandable that the Demon-Sealing Nails are difficult to remove. How could simply capturing an Arhat and eliminating the problem permanently be worthy of the planning of a dignified second-rank Qi Refinement?" Xu Qi'an could only console himself with this thought.

"Which three?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"Two meridians in the Governing Vessel, one in the Baihui point," said the Arhat of Compassion.

The Demon-Sealing Nail at Baihui acupoint has been removed by Shenshu; fortunately, only one nail overlapped.

This result is in line with expectations.

"Thank you for your trouble, Master. I will keep my promise and release the pure mind and pure karma." Xu Qi'an politely put his hands together in prayer.

Seeing that the deal was done, Luo Yuheng made a hand seal and recalled the iron sword.

In the pupils of the Arhat who had attained liberation, a golden light flashed, and his aura rose steadily, becoming majestic and boundless.

Xu Qi'an walked up to the Arhat of Compassion and sat down cross-legged with his back to him.

Duqing Luohan paused for a moment, as if gathering his strength. Xu Qi'an could feel the aura behind him increasing significantly, just like when Shen Shu cut off his arm to remove the Demon-Sealing Nail.