Daoist Order Earth Sect

[Nine: Where are you?]

Xu Qi'an stared at the mirror, stunned for a long time. The mirror was talking? It was a sentient being?

What does "" mean? This mirror is called ?

No, if it were the mirror's own spirit, it wouldn't ask, "Where are you?" Because I sleep in the same bed with you, sharing the same pillow every day.

Xu Qi'an stared at the mirror, lost in thought.

He was thinking about four questions:

First, what kind of treasure is a mirror? Besides storing items, can it also receive information?

Second, is this a message? If so, who sent it?

Third, who is the old Daoist priest, and why did he give me the mirror?

Fourth, should I respond?

Out of caution, Xu Qi'an, adhering to the idea that "as long as I pretend it doesn't exist, then it doesn't exist," silently put away the mirror and did not intend to respond.

Moreover, he didn't know how to respond.

Upon entering the courtyard, Xu Qi'an dipped his head into the water vat, dried it with a towel, and then left the courtyard.

He has already joined the Nightwatchers, but his official start date is the day after tomorrow. The Nightwatchers's office needs to prepare a uniform and a gong for him.

It's still early, a quarter past noon.

Xu Qi'an first went to the Changle County government office to inform his colleagues and County Magistrate Zhu that he had become Nightwatchers.

County Magistrate Zhu had already received the news that the Nightwatchers had retrieved Xu Qi'an's household registration from the Changle County ahead of time.

Xu Qi'an arranged to have dinner with his colleagues and County Magistrate Zhu that evening, which would be both a farewell banquet and a celebratory feast to celebrate his promotion and wealth.

The location was naturally chosen to be Xiaoyue Pavilion, not far from the county government office; brothels were the first choice for socializing in official circles.

Before that, Xu Qi'an planned to go to a brothel to listen to music while having lunch.

The farewell banquet began at Shenshi (3-5 PM) and lasted until Youshi (5-7 PM).

During the banquet, County Magistrate Zhu sighed, "Ningyan, you come from the Changle County government. It's a blessing for Changle County to have you become Nightwatchers. I've always thought highly of you."

He paused, raised his glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

If I can continue to climb the ranks, County Magistrate Zhu will probably be the first truly trustworthy connection I have in officialdom. Xu Qi'an understood, and also drank his cup to the last drop.

After the banquet ended, the officials' prostitutes didn't leave. The madam summoned a group of young and beautiful girls and led them to a private room for the officials to choose from.

She's not bad looking. In my past life, she'd be a line of young models at a club. Xu Qi'an shook his head. After tasting the sweetness of beauties like Fuxiang, he looked down on ordinary women.

After making arrangements for County Magistrate Zhu and his colleagues, Xu Qi'an left Xiaoyue Pavilion and headed home.

Upon arriving at the courtyard gate, they found the lock unlocked, and candlelight shone from inside the house.

My second uncle came to see me?

Xu Qi'an pushed open the courtyard gate and entered the house.

In the candlelight of dusk, a girl in a plain-colored dress sat at the table, resting her forehead on one hand, nodding her head slowly.

Xu Qi'an immediately glanced at the bedside cabinet and, seeing no signs of it being opened, breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Hmm, perhaps I could consider writing a diary in English."

He walked over and gently woke Xu Lingyue.

"Where did Big Brother go?" Xu Lingyue opened her eyes, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion for a moment, then filled with joy.

In the candlelight, her delicate oval face resembled a piece of warm, smooth jade, flawless. Her eyes sparkled.

"What are you doing here?" Xu Qi'an asked.

She said softly, "Why didn't my older brother come home for dinner? Dad said he must have gone to a brothel."

My second uncle really understands me!

Xu Qi'an said, "No, no, it was just a normal social engagement. I went to the Nightwatchers's office, so I treated my colleagues to dinner."

However, it's normal for Second Uncle to think that way. A normal martial artist, after finally reaching the Qi Refining Realm and holding back for ten or twenty years, would definitely not give up until all his essence is exhausted.

"Since you've already eaten and had a drink, I'll head back now. There's still food warming up in the kitchen." Xu Lingyue smiled happily, believing her brother's explanation.

Xu Qi'an was somewhat touched. In this family, besides his second uncle, this younger sister was the one who treated him the best.

"Well, it's getting dark. It's not safe to walk alone at night. Let me take you there, brother."

Xu Lingyue did not refuse. It was about two or three hundred meters from the small courtyard to the main gate of the Xu Residence. It was indeed unsafe for a weak woman to walk alone.

But to her surprise, Xu Qi'an led her to the corner of the courtyard, put his arm around her slender waist, and leaped over the wall.

As soon as her toes touched the ground, she hurriedly pushed Xu Qi'an away, her voice barely audible, "Thank you, brother."

Watching Xu Lingyue's figure disappear, Xu Qi'an leaped back into his own courtyard.

At this moment, he felt a strange palpitation again, and took out a small jade mirror from his pocket. A line of small characters slowly appeared on the clean surface of the mirror:

[Nine: Where are you?]

Xu Qi'an frowned, wondering what was going on.

The messages kept coming in, and if they weren't resolved, it felt like a potential problem.

Xu Qi'an leaned against the wall, pondered for a long time, and decided to reply to the message.

There are two reasons for his reply: First, the mirror is now his property, and if he could thoroughly understand the mirror's functions and mysteries, it would be a beneficial thing for him.

It's like holding an AK47 but wielding it like a cane.

Second, he suspected that the message was sent by the old Daoist priest. If so, he could then find out why the other party wanted to give him the treasure.

Unknown gifts always leave one feeling uneasy.

Xu Qi'an tried voice input. "Hehe, taking a shower."

The clean mirror surface remained unchanged.

Xu Qi'an changed his approach, using his fingers instead of a pen to write the sentence on the mirror.

A magical scene unfolded: a line of text appeared on the mirror: [Three: Hehe, taking a shower.]

Can thoughts be conveyed through touch?

Does "three" represent the serial number of my mirror? The other person's number is "nine," so they also have a mirror?

[Nine: Who are you?]

Xu Qi'an did not answer him.

Silence fell on the other end. After a few minutes, another message came: [Jiu: Where is Senior Brother Jinlian? Is he dead or alive? How did you get this mirror? Are you a member of the Heaven and Earth Society?!]

Senior Brother Jinlian should be the Daoist priest who gave me the mirror. This person with the number nine calls him Senior Brother, and the two are from the same sect.

The Heaven and Earth Society—how come there's an anti-Qing and restoration movement in another world?

After roughly figuring out the other party's identity, Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief and used his finger as a pen to input the information:

[Part Three: I am not a member of the Heaven and Earth Society; this mirror was given to me by an old Daoist priest.]

[Nine: How can you prove you're not a member of the Heaven and Earth Society? Tell me your name.]

Xu Qi'an felt like a reader asking for his mailing address, intending to send him some local specialties. He instinctively resisted and didn't agree.

[Three: Master, I am just a nobody.]

After a while...

[Nine: Where is the Daoist priest who gave you the mirror?]

[Three: I don't know.] Xu Qi'an sent the message and waited quietly to see what the other party would say.

[Nine: This humble Daoist is Zilian. The Daoist priest who gave you the mirror is my senior brother. This mirror is Law Treasure of our Earth Sect.]

Hehe, since my senior brother gifted you the mirror, you must be no ordinary person, and you must have heard of the great name of my Earth Sect.

Xu Qi'an replied: [Part Three: Sorry, I know nothing about this.]

There was a long silence on the other end, with no emotional response: [Nine: The Daoist School is divided into three branches: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.]

So they were from the Daoist School. Xu Qi'an's spirits lifted.

P. S.: It's the weekend today. I woke up at 1 a. m. and sat bolt upright in a panic. I scrambled to my computer to update the chapter I finished writing yesterday, only to realize I'd forgotten to set a timer.