Nightwatcher-Chapter 428: Bequest

# 428. Bequest

"Read it to me. I can't understand cursive script." Xu Qi’an pushed it back again.

Xu Xinnian's expression stiffened. He stared at him blankly. "If that's the case, why did you ask me to write it down?"

*Because I'm in a bad mood today...* Xu Qi’an urged, "Stop wasting time. Just read it. Isn't an elder brother like a father? Does my word mean nothing now?"

Xu Xinnian muttered a few curses under his breath, cursing his brother's entire family, then picked up the xuan paper and began reading aloud.

"Wait!"

When he reached a certain passage, Xu Qi’an suddenly interrupted.

He snatched the xuan paper, scrutinising it closely, and asked as he read, "What’s this conversation about? What comes next? Is there no continuation?"

Xu Erlang nodded. "There's no continuation in the Imperial Diary. It was probably altered at some point. Hmm, is there something wrong with this conversation?"

He looked at his brother curiously. In his view, this passage was nothing remarkable, just a discussion between the previous emperor and the previous Daoist Leader of the Human Sect about the Dao and longevity.

Talking about longevity with a Daoist master was as ordinary as discussing the classics with a great Confucian scholar.

Xu Qi’an didn’t answer. He fell into deep thought, letting his mind wander from this passage, making connections.

*Since ancient times, those who ruled by Heaven’s mandate never endured. Could the Daoist path to longevity overcome this fate…*

*This sentence shows that the previous emperor knew those blessed by fortune could not attain eternal life.*

*Longevity was possible, but permanence was not…*

*When the former Daoist Leader spoke of "longevity," he likely meant prolonging life, while the latter half—"endurance"—was what Emperor Yuanjing truly sought.*

*One Qi transforms into Three Purities—does this mean the three are one person, or three separate individuals...? Wait, what does this mean? Was the previous emperor speaking casually, or was there some deeper implication?*

With these questions in mind, Xu Qi’an gestured for his younger brother to continue reading.

But no further suspicious clues appeared.

"Erlang, you need to speed up. Within three days, copy all of the previous emperor's Imperial Diary for me. Do it discreetly—don’t let anyone at the Hanlin Academy notice. We have to investigate in secret. If this leaks, disaster will come knocking."

His instincts as an old detective told him that Emperor Yuanjing’s obsession with the Dao might be connected to the previous emperor.

In truth, the core question in this case was simple: if an emperor could not achieve immortality, why did Yuanjing dedicate himself to Daoist cultivation?

Answering that question would reveal the truth.

Yuanjing wasn’t a fool. Even the beyond-rank confucian sage, the first-rank martial artists Gaozu and Wuzong could not achieve eternal life. Without some certainty, without having glimpsed some hope, he would never have pursued this path so obsessively.

"Mhm." Xu Erlang nodded, then suddenly said, "Lately, I've heard something at court, war’s started in the north. Big Brother, did you know?"

"War in the north?" Xu Qi’an was startled.

Back then, after he killed Zhenbei King, while Jili Zhigu was gravely wounded and the monk Shenshu was in a rampage, he had specifically pursued and slain the third-rank barbarian on the official road outside Chuzhou.

His goal had been to cripple the northern barbarians and leave them leaderless. Just the internal struggle for a new leader should have kept them in chaos for some time.

There should have been no immediate threats to the northern border.

And the northern barbarians and Yao were closely connected—there was no way the northern Yao would take advantage of this to encroach on the barbarians, as that would only worsen their internal conflicts.

"The Church of the Warlock God?!" Xu Qi’an blurted out.

"The Church of the Warlock God has seized the opportunity to attack the northern Yao and barbarian lands, aiming to take them for themselves. This is bad news for the Great Feng," Xu Erlang said.

"How is the war going?" Xu Qi’an asked.

"I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard the Yao and barbarians are losing ground fast." Xu Erlang’s expression turned serious. "I also heard that the Church of the Warlock God's leading general is none other than the King of Jing—Xiahou Yushu."

*Who…?* Xu Qi’an was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly recalled the records of the Battle of Shanhai Pass.

Xiahou Yushu, King of Jing, had commanded Jing’s army twenty years ago in that battle. Marching tirelessly for three days and nights, he cut off the Great Feng’s supply lines on the eve of the decisive fight.

He had caught Wei Yuan off guard—that was the closest the allied forces had ever come to victory. They had nearly rewritten history.

The Great Feng held him in high regard, ranking him as a strategist just below Wei Yuan’s calibre, especially for his logistical and strategic vision.

In pure command ability, Xiahou Yushu surpassed even the Zhenbei King.

The northeast was vast, sparsely populated, and dominated by three kingdoms: Jing, Kang, and Yan.

All three worshipped the Warlock God, with the Church as their state religion. There, divine authority reigned supreme, and royal authority came second, just like in the Western Regions.

The three northeastern kingdoms cultivated only two paths: warlocks and martial artists.

*Wait, Duke Wei once said that after the autumn harvest, he would strike the Church of the Warlock God. And now, the Church is invading the northern Yao and barbarians? The Great Feng might go to war... No, this can't just be a coincidence. I refuse to believe Duke Wei could predict this so perfectly. If he planned to fight the Church, he must have had another reason.*

Xu Qi’an frowned.

For some reason, he had the ominous feeling of an approaching storm.

…

Deep in the night, the full moon hung high.

Its cold light spilled over the dense forest. Nocturnal birds flapped through the thick foliage, crying mournfully.

A wisp of azure smoke drifted under the moonlight, sweeping over forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers before slipping into a cave.

Winding through a maze of tunnels, it finally arrived at a subterranean valley. Cold moonlight shone from above, illuminating a field of pure white moonflowers.

A high stone platform stood amidst the valley, entwined with vines and blossoms, forming a “flower platform”.

There was a stone chair on the platform, a chair covered in plush snow-white fox fur, and a breathtakingly beautiful young woman lounged lazily upon it, propping up her head with one hand, watching the returning azure smoke with a smile.

The smoke coalesced into a graceful yet indistinct female figure, exuding charm but with blurred features.

"Master, I have returned."

She curtsied elegantly.

"Six years have passed in the blink of an eye. You did well. I originally sent you to the capital for the sealed relic beneath Sangpo Lake."

The beauty on the stone chair bent one leg, letting her skirt slide down, revealing two long, snow-white legs like twin pythons. Smiling, she teased,

"But then I saw your letters, saying you'd fallen for a man. So, I allowed you an extra six months to resolve your mortal attachments. Now, is there still anything in the capital that ties you down?"

The woman lowered her head, remaining silent.

The seated woman had fox-like eyes, enchanting and bewitching. She narrowed them slightly and chuckled,

"Ah, the famed oiran, Fuxiang, so dazzling. Have you forgotten your true name… Yeji?"

"Yeji dares not. Fuxiang was the daughter of a criminal and died of illness six years ago. Yeji merely occupied her body to accomplish her mission. Yeji is forever loyal to Master."

"And if one day, I order you to kill Xu Qi’an?" The woman on the stone chair asked playfully, though her tone carried a chill.

Yeji trembled, kneeling with an anguished plea. "Then Yeji can no longer serve Master. Please grant me death instead."

The woman sat upright and laughed. "Naughty girl. You know I’d never kill you. Haven't you always wondered what I plan to do with Xu Qi’an?

"When I sent you nine sisters across Jiuzhou, I once said that if you all fell for the same man, he would be my future husband—the king of ten thousand Yao."

"Besides you, another girl has fallen for him as well."

Yeji's head snapped up, surprised and jealous. "Who… who is it?"

The princess of the Wanyao Kingdom smiled enchantingly but didn’t answer. Instead, she said: "Rest here for now. I will rebuild your body.

"After that, I have a new task for you."

…

Dawn.

Under the leadership of Tianji and Tianshu, their subordinate spies rode on horseback towards Baifeng Mountain in the western suburbs.

A grand archway bore the three characters "Qinglong Temple," and a winding stone staircase extended deep into the forest, leading up to the imposing temple at the mountaintop.

Leaving a few men to guard the horses, Tianji and Tianshu ascended the steps and entered the temple.

After being announced by a disciple, the two Tian-ranked spies were ushered into the presence of the abbot of Qinglong Temple—Monk Panshu.

The old monk's white beard draped down to his chest. His kind face bore a benevolent expression as he sat cross-legged in the meditation chamber, speaking warmly, "My lords, to what do I owe the honour of your visit?"

Tianji took out a folded portrait from his robes, unfolded it, and asked, "Abbot Panshu, do you recognise this man?"

The portrait depicted a monk with a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, an imposing and rugged countenance. It was none other than Monk Hengyuan.

"Amitabha."

Monk Panshu pressed his palms together and said, "He is Hengyuan, my disciple."

Tianji and Tianshu exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with sharp insight. Tianji leaned forward slightly and fixed his gaze on the old monk. "Is he in the temple?"

Monk Panshu shook his head. "He left the temple more than two years ago. That year, another disciple of mine, Henghui, went missing and has remained unaccounted for. Hengyuan left the mountain in search of him and never returned.

"This matter can be testified by any disciple in the temple. If my lords do not believe me, you may ask them."

Tianji nodded. "Please gather the disciples for questioning."

After questioning the monks in the temple and receiving consistent answers, Tianji and Tianshu left, walking side by side down the mountain steps.

Tianji spoke slowly, "More than two years ago, Henghui of Qinglong Temple eloped with Princess Pingyang, only to be silenced by the Liang Clique. Later, during his investigation of the Sangpo case, Xu Qi’an uncovered this old affair."

Tianshu grunted in acknowledgment. "The monks in the temple said that Hengyuan was not well-liked here. After leaving, he never returned. He is most likely no longer in the capital."

After a moment of contemplation, Tianji said, "The monks also mentioned that this man had a habit of meddling in others’ affairs. In two years, he must have left traces in the capital. There must be many who recognise him. Send people to investigate in the outer city, but be careful not to alert him."

…

Xu Manor, during breakfast.

Lina drank her porridge: gulp gulp gulp.

Little Pea drank her porridge: gulp gulp gulp—burp...

The others sipped their porridge and ate their dishes at a leisurely pace.

Second Uncle Xu stroked the Taiping Sabre while grinning.

Auntie snapped, "All you do is stroke that sabre all day. Why don’t you sleep with it too?"

"Alright." Second Uncle Xu grinned and looked at his nephew.

"Alright." Xu Qi’an nodded. "Taiping, you should spend more time with Second Uncle."

Auntie fumed, "Not a single one of you is any good!"

She then turned to her son. "Erlang, how are things with that Miss Wang?"

"Why bring that up now…?" Xu Erlang mumbled, feeling awkward.

"You've been to the Wang estate, haven’t you? Shouldn’t we invite the young lady over for a visit? Our Xu family may not be an esteemed scholarly household, but we understand propriety. You should invite her to our home as a guest," Auntie said with the authority of a matron.

*Auntie, if you put it that way, I should prepare some sunflower seeds in advance…* Xu Qi’an perked up with interest.

"This wouldn’t be proper. If I invite her, it wouldn’t be appropriate in terms of etiquette," Xu Erlang pointed out, exposing his mother’s half-baked understanding of social norms.

"I can invite her in my name. That would be proper," Xu Lingyue said softly.

Xu Erlang thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

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Xu Qi’an chimed in, "Then set a date soon. Don’t delay. Make it within the next few days."

Auntie turned to her nephew. "Why are you so enthusiastic, Dalang?"

*I’m not enthusiastic, I just can’t wait to watch you get completely outmatched by your future daughter-in-law…* Xu Qi’an thought to himself. His monotonous life of case-solving finally had some entertainment.

He then looked at Xu Lingyue.

Would Wang Simo trample over her future mother-in-law, or would the little sister charge in like a knight, fiercely battling her future sister-in-law to rescue her mother from peril?

Surely, this would be far more entertaining than the plays in the Goulans.

"As the elder brother, it is only natural for me to take an interest in Erlang’s marriage. Once Erlang's marriage is settled, we can start discussing Lingyue’s," Xu Qi’an said solemnly.

Xu Lingyue lowered her head, but her beautiful eyes glimmered.

"Very true!" Auntie agreed.

After breakfast, Xu Qi’an returned to his room and glanced at Zhong Li, who was eating at the table.

Her messy black hair was slightly parted, revealing her cherry-like lips, which moved lightly as she nibbled like a rabbit.

Although he had never seen Zhong Li’s full face, the occasional glimpse of her eyes or lips suggested she was quite a beauty.

"Go away, I need to write my memos."

Xu Qi’an shooed her away from the desk.

Zhong Li, hugging her bowl, squatted by the bed and continued eating.

*This morning, I will cultivate 'Intent' and work on integrating various supreme techniques into a single sabre strike. One Blade from Heaven and Earth + Heart Sword + Lion’s Roar + Taiping Sabre. I have a feeling that once I master 'Intent,' I will dominate the fourth rank.*

*"This afternoon, I have a date with Lin’an. The other day, I 'accidentally' touched her waist, how soft!*

*Tomorrow, I can’t stay home. I need to sleep at the widow’s place. I’ll probably have to take her out shopping too, have some fun.*

*The day after tomorrow, I’ll visit Huaiqing in the morning. Can’t neglect her. It’s been a while since we last talked. Having intellectual conversations with a learned beauty is truly a pleasure.*

*In the afternoon, I promised Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao we’d go watch plays. Jiaofangsi… sigh, maybe I should skip the Jiaofangsi.*

*The day after that, I promised Li Miaozhen I’d buy grain and distribute porridge. That foolish heroine—I told her, 'Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day; teach him to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.' But she just said, 'What can you teach them to fish?' And I had no answer.*

*In the afternoon, I’ll take Lina, Caiwei, and Little Pea to a restaurant for a feast…*

*After that, I need to sleep at the widow’s place again…*

Writing thus far, Xu Qi’an felt something was off.

*Wait, where’s my actual work? Where’s the case I’m investigating?*

At the end of his memo, he wrote: *Xu Qi’an oh Xu Qi’an, you can’t just indulge in women all day and neglect your responsibilities.*

A few seconds later, he crossed it out and replaced it with: *I need a copy of 'Master Luo’s Guide to Time Management.'*

Feeling deeply melancholic, he closed his memo and glanced at Zhong Li, who had finished eating and was now meditating cross-legged on the bed. He thought, *Fifth Senior Sister is still the best—calmly staying in the fish pond.*

*She doesn’t stir up trouble, nor does she get in the way of work.*

At that moment, Old Zhang from the gatehouse hurried over and called from the doorway, "Dalang, someone is here to see you."

Xu Qi’an responded, "Who?"

"It’s a young lady. She calls herself Mei’er."

*Mei’er… Fuxiang’s personal maid…* Xu Qi’an paused for a moment, then said, "Lead her to the outer hall. I’ll be right there."

He tucked his memo into a book and warned Zhong Li, "Don’t peek."

Zhong Li nodded obediently.

Leaving his room, he crossed the inner courtyard and arrived at the outer hall, where he saw Mei’er sitting at the edge of a chair, back straight, looking rather tense.

A small cloth bundle sat on the tea table beside her.

"Mei’er."

As Xu Qi’an stepped into the hall, the anxious girl quickly stood up. He gestured for her to stay seated and asked gently, "Are you in trouble?"

Unlike before, Mei’er was dressed plainly and wore no makeup, a stark contrast to her once-flamboyant appearance at Reflecting Plum Pavilion.

He suspected she had been mistreated at the Jiaofangsi.

"Silver Gong Xu… no, Young Master Xu."

Mei’er shook her head. "I’m no longer at the Jiaofangsi. Before Fuxiang left, she left me some of her savings so I could buy my freedom. I plan to return home to serve my parents, and then find an honest man to marry."

*Damn, what did honest men ever do to deserve this? Why does this happen even in another world…* Xu Qi’an smiled gently. "So, you’re here to bid farewell?"

*To live a normal life is good. Fuxiang was thoughtful, in trying to give her a good future.*

Mei’er shook her head again. "Before she left, Fuxiang entrusted me with a few things to pass on to you."

Xu Qi’an’s pupils constricted slightly.