Only listening to songs at the pleasure house could soothe my soul

[Lu: Don't believe Number Nine, don't respond, don't respond, don't respond.]

In the quiet reception hall, Xu Qi'an stared at the sentence, cold sweat breaking out on his back.

An indescribable fear permeated my heart.

He took a sip of tea, looking dazed, and stared blankly for a moment before breaking free from the eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

This "Number Six" should be the light spot I just clicked on. What does he mean by that? Is Number Nine lying to me?

If Number Nine was lying to me, why? Since Number Six knew Number Nine was lying, why didn't he tell me sooner?

If number nine is unreliable, then number six is equally questionable.

I don't trust anyone.

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, used his finger as a pen, and typed in the information:

[Three: Who are you? What makes you think Number Nine is untrustworthy? You're a member of the Heaven and Earth Society, aren't you?]

[Lu: Yes.]

Xu Qi'an admitted it so readily. After a few seconds of silence, he wrote:

[Three: What did you mean by what you just said?]

[Lu: The Earth Book belongs to the Heaven and Earth Society, and Number Nine is a member of the Earth Sect. They are a group of vicious, brutal, and incomprehensible madmen. You must never have contact with them, or your life may be in danger.]

[Part 3: How did you know I was in contact with Number Nine?]

Xu Qi'an raised questions.

[Lu: Fragment No. 3 has been sealed by the Earth Sect, cutting off our ability to communicate. Furthermore, the Earth Sect can use Fragment No. 9 to locate Fragment No. 3.]

[This is why Master Jinlian gave away the fragments and gifted them to you.]

In other words, even if I don't trade with Number Nine, he can still lock onto me through Number Nine?

No wonder he wasn't in a hurry to urge me to return the item to its owner, and even gave me the initiative to choose the location.

No wonder when I asked Number Nine yesterday if the Heaven and Earth Society could use the "Book of Earth" to pinpoint my location, he changed the subject. Xu Qi'an recalled more details.

No matter what I choose, he's guaranteed to profit. If I choose to trade, he can double-cross and eliminate me. If I don't choose to trade, he can still stall for time until he locks onto my position.

"Damn it!" Xu Qi'an cursed inwardly, his scalp tingling.

Lu Hao continued to send messages, "But the Earth Book is a unified entity, and we can still see your communication with Jiu Hao through it, which is extremely frustrating. Until you established a connection with me through Blood-Drip Recognition."

[Part 3: What should I do?]

[Lu: I hope you can return the fragments of the Earth Book to the Heaven and Earth Society. If you're worried, I'll give you an address; have someone deliver them there.]

Xu Qi'an stared at the mirror, offering no reply. He had asked for five hundred taels of gold from Laozi.

He trusts no one!

Lu Hao might not be a good person; he might be trying to outsmart me.

If I were that easily fooled, I would have wasted my time at police academy. Xu Qi'an replied: [Three: The Earth Book is a treasure of the Heaven and Earth Society. Number Nine is a member of the Earth Sect. The Earth Sect covets the Earth Book?]

According to internal records of the Nightwatchers, the Earth Book is a treasure of the Daoist School Earth Sect, while the Heaven and Earth Society is merely a Jianghu organization.

But Lu Hao just said that the Earth Book belongs to the Heaven and Earth Society, and the Earth Sect covets it.

If Lu Hao cannot provide a reasonable explanation, Xu Qi'an will block him.

[Lu: The Earth Book was a treasure of the Earth Sect, but that was in the past. It now belongs to the Heaven and Earth Society, which was formed by some members of the Earth Sect.]

[Part Three: What makes you say that?]

[Lu: This matter involves a secret of the Earth Sect, which I am not a member of and therefore cannot disclose.]

[Three: I understand, please leave your address.]

[Lu: On Yangshui Street in the inner city, opposite Zhang's silk shop, there is a house with a loquat tree planted in the courtyard.]

Xu Qi'an had completely regained his composure by now. He took a sip of the tea, which was gradually losing its temperature, and lightly tapped the table with his fingertips.

Currently, he faces three choices:

First, acknowledge Lu Hao and return the mirror; he can hire someone to deliver it. This way, he won't have to worry about Lu Hao's identity or being targeted by Jiu Hao. He can then extricate himself from the situation.

Second, the downside of trading with Number Nine is the potential risk of being double-crossed. The upside is that if the bet is right, you'll get 500 taels of gold.

Third, hand over the Earth Book to the Nightwatchers in exchange for merit.

If I were still that quick-witted young man from the Changle County, I would definitely choose the first method, prioritizing stability.

But I'm Nightwatchers now. In the Great Feng, no matter how powerful the outside forces are, dragons have to coil up and tigers have to lie low. No, they don't even dare to enter the city.

I've just joined the Nightwatchers, I have no merits and no resources, so I can use the Earth Book to exchange for a bright future.

The government would surely be happy to accept such an High Antiquity treasure, and the powerful eunuch Wei Yuan would definitely not stand idly by.

Having made up his mind, Xu Qi'an returned the booklet, retrieved his waist token from the clerk in charge of the archives, and hurriedly left the archives.

In a secluded corner, he retrieved the items from inside the jade mirror: a crossbow, bone-corroding poison, a heart-protecting mirror, and the four hundred taels of silver returned by Chun Ge.

With these things safely tucked away, he arrived at the tallest building in the Nightwatchers's office: the Haoqi Tower.

The guards downstairs stopped him.

Xu Qi'an removed his waist badge and said in a deep voice, "Immediately report to Duke Wei that Xu Qi'an, the Copper Gong, has an important matter to report."

The guard took the waist tag, confirmed it was correct, and scrutinized him. "Why didn't you seek out your direct subordinate, the Silver Gong?"

"The silver gong is nowhere to be found. The situation is urgent. Go immediately." Xu Qi'an was even more resolute than him.

He didn't intend for Li Yuchun to know about this, or more accurately, he didn't intend for any other people to know.

Whether it's the Heaven and Earth Society or the Daoist School Sect of Daoism, they are both powerful forces.

They might not dare to retaliate against the Nightwatchers, but Xu Qi'an has a family.

This is something he cannot afford to overlook.

Xu Qi'an must downplay his involvement in this matter and make the people of the Heaven and Earth Society and the Earth Sect ignore him.

The two guards exchanged a glance, and one of them hurriedly went into the building.

A few minutes later, the guard returned and said, "Go in, Duke Wei is waiting for you on the seventh floor."

Xu Qi'an finally breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that the powerful eunuch was willing to see him meant that the plan was half successful.

He immediately went into the building, quickly climbed the stairs, and arrived at the seventh floor.

A black-clad official was already waiting at the top of the stairs, leading him through the corridor to a tea room.

The tea room was empty, but in the adjacent lookout hall stood a woman in a blue robe.

Wei Yuan turned his head and said gently, "What is it?"

He had handsome features, a refined demeanor, graying temples, and an indescribable sense of vicissitude in his eyes.

He didn't seem like a eunuch; rather, he was a scholar.

Xu Qi'an dared not look directly at him, and lowered his head slightly. "This humble servant has made a significant discovery for Duke Wei, and has come to report it."

As he spoke, he took out a small jade mirror from his robes, raised it high with both hands, and said in a deep voice:

"This is the Earth Book, a supreme treasure of the Earth Sect of Daoist School."

Wei Yuan paused, staring intently at the small mirror. "How did you obtain it?"

Xu Qi'an made no secrets and told the Grand Eunuch exactly how he obtained the mirror, how he received the information, and what happened in the archives.

He had no need to hide it; the mirror was something he had obtained before joining the Nightwatchers, and it was his private property.

The same principle applies even if one obtains a mirror after joining the Nightwatchers.

Wei Yuan will not develop a negative impression of him because of this.

The senior eunuch in blue robes asked with a half-smile, "Five hundred taels of gold?"

"Boss, isn't your focus a bit odd?" Xu Qi'an chuckled awkwardly, "I'm just seeking profit within reasonable limits."

Wei Yuan smiled gently, his gaze returning to the mirror. At that moment, a line of words appeared on the mirror's surface:

[Nine: Have you made up your mind? When is the time to trade?]

The chief eunuch smirked and tossed the mirror to Xu Qi'an: "This mirror has already Blood-Drip Recognition. Only you can reply. Tell him the transaction will take place in the Cassia Moon Tower within the inner city, in the Luanfeng Heming Private Room. The time is set for one hour from now."

Xu Qi'an immediately responded in the mirror.

[Jiu: Okay!]

Wei Yuan said, "You didn't reveal your identity or address, that's a good response. You can go now, someone will take care of this."

"What about my five hundred taels of gold—no, my merit points?" Xu Qi'an asked in his heart.

He didn't dare say it aloud, but clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"

He didn't take the mirror with him and left the tea room directly.

After leaving Haoqi Tower, Xu Qi'an had mixed feelings. He felt relieved to have gotten rid of a hot potato, but also heartbroken at losing his treasure and five hundred taels of gold.

As for his achievements, although the Grand Eunuch didn't mention them, Xu Qi'an could understand his high standards.

It would be beneath a high-ranking official like myself to discuss "merits" with a lowly nobody like him.

Anyway, he figured he wouldn't be treated badly. Xu Qi'an left the Nightwatchers's office with a heavy heart, intending to go to a brothel to listen to some songs and soothe his mood.