Nightwatcher

# 343. Northward Bound

"Two reasons," Wei Yuan said as he placed the teacup down, analysing the situation for his trusted Silver Gong. “An inspector general represents the court. His authority, at best, is on par with the Zhenbei King. His Majesty does not wish to appoint an inspector who might constrain the Zhenbei King, either out of personal motives or due to military concerns.

"By appointing a Silver Gong as the lead investigator, such issues are avoided altogether."

Xu Qi'an frowned. "Doesn't that mean I'll be greatly restricted in my investigation?"

Wei Yuan smiled faintly. "A desirable task always draws eager competition. Why do you think the court officials unanimously recommended you? Blood runs three thousand li... if the Zhenbei King has falsified military reports to evade responsibility, and the lead investigator uncovers it..."

*If it's uncovered, won't they kill me to silence the truth?* Xu Qi'an's heart shuddered.

"That's the second reason those officials nominated you," Wei Yuan remarked with a tranquil tone.

*These damned LYBs... Duke Wei doesn't seem concerned at all?* Xu Qi'an quickly asked, "What should I do?"

Though he had his own ideas, he was eager to hear Wei Yuan's advice. Adopting sage counsel was always a good habit.

"Feign compliance, investigate covertly," Wei Yuan replied succinctly, offering his strategy in four words. He elaborated further: “Once you're in the north, avoid rash actions and minimise conflict with the Zhenbei King's subordinates. Present yourself as weak to lower their guard.

"If an investigation can be conducted in secret, avoid overt confrontations at all costs. Should you find evidence implicating the Zhenbei King, secure it and wait until you're back in the capital to reveal it. If assassination attempts occur, it is unlikely that the Zhenbei King will act personally. I'll assign Yang Yan to accompany you."

Wei Yuan paused, his calm gaze assessing Xu Qi'an. "Your own strength is no small matter. With your Vajra Divine Art already approaching mastery, I'm not overly concerned in that regard."

*If the Zhenbei King were to act personally, no amount of Golden Gongs would make a difference. Though I don't know exactly how powerful a third-rank martial artist is, the court has only one third-rank master, while fourth-rank experts are numerous...* Xu Qi'an nodded thoughtfully. "That's precisely what your subordinate had in mind as well."

In truth, Xu Qi'an was not afraid of assassination attempts. What he feared was the Zhenbei King intervening personally. In such a case, he'd have no choice but to summon Monk Shenshu, though facing a third-rank martial artist would drive the monk into a frenzied state, killing indiscriminately. This was something Xu Qi'an did not want to see.

Moreover, he'd have to flee the court and live in the Jianghu, a scenario that would play right into the hands of the mastermind behind the scenes...

Wei Yuan continued, "Balance the situation as you see fit. If circumstances become untenable, you may abandon the case. At worst, upon your return to the capital, you'll face reprimand."

"I..."

Xu Qi'an hesitated, the words "Blood runs three thousand li" flashing vividly in his mind.

"If the rumours are true... I cannot walk away or turn a blind eye," he said quietly, before adding, "But I won't be reckless. You can trust me, Duke Wei."

Wei Yuan regarded him silently for a long moment, his gaze a mix of appreciation, resignation, and eventually, comfort. "Prepare yourself. You leave in three days."

…

King Huai Manor.

The rear garden was in full bloom, the air alive with the hum of bees and the playful dance of butterflies. The air carried a heady floral fragrance as the veiled princess consort wandered through the vibrant flowers, a bamboo basket in hand, her elegant gown trailing behind her.

She bent to pluck a fresh blossom, bringing it to her nose with a soft smile.

Dressed in resplendent attire befitting spring, the consort's graceful back and slender waist were outlined by her flowing ribbons. Her long hair was pinned up, with a few strands cascading down her fair, slender neck. Her figure alone was captivating; even if her features were not flawless, she would still be considered an alluring beauty.

The sound of clinking armour marked the approach of Chu Xianglong, clad in light scale. He halted at a respectful distance, clasping his hands in a salute. "The Emperor has decreed that in three days, Madam Consort must accompany the investigation team to the northern border. Please prepare accordingly."

The princess's delicate expression turned cold, her fingers tightening around the flower stem until it snapped. She said icily, "Anything else? If not, get out."

Chu Xianglong bowed and retreated.

…

Upon learning of his imminent journey north, Xu Qi'an left the constabulary and returned home, riding his mare. He found Li Miaozhen meditating and called out, "Could you accompany me to Cloud Deer Academy?"

"No," Li Miaozhen replied bluntly.

*Hey, can't you be a bit softer? You're too strong-willed...* Xu Qi'an cupped his hands and said, "It's important."

Li Miaozhen opened her clear, deep eyes, waiting silently for an explanation.

"Do you remember the case you uncovered? Blood runs three thousand li," Xu Qi'an began, setting his blade down and pouring himself a cup of water. "The court has appointed me as the lead investigator. In three days, I'll head north to look into the matter."

Li Miaozhen's eyes lit up, and she shifted from a meditative posture to sitting upright. "I'll go with you."

*Sigh, a noble Holy Maiden with such zeal for justice—what karmic debt could this be?* Xu Qi'an pondered. "The court has its rules. You hold no official position and cannot participate directly in the investigation."

"How about this: You head north first, and we'll meet there. We'll coordinate via the Earth Book," Xu Qi'an suggested.

He had come to her precisely because of her passionate sense of justice, knowing she would insist on joining. Having a fourth-rank Daoist from the Heaven Sect as an ally would significantly increase their chances of solving the case.

"I have one condition," Li Miaozhen stated.

"Go ahead."

"When you're investigating, I want to be by your side. If I can't be present, you'll need to recount everything to me afterward, including your reasoning and methods," she demanded earnestly.

*She wants to learn my investigative skills? Hmm, makes sense. As someone dedicated to eliminating evil and righting wrongs, understanding crime-solving and reasoning would serve her well...* Xu Qi'an agreed, nodding solemnly.

"Fine, but one more thing."

Li Miaozhen straightened up, prepared to listen.

"When you contact me via the Earth Book, make sure Daoist Jinlian screens out everyone else."

"...!" The Heaven Sect Holy Maiden gave him a withering look.

Moments later, they were on their way out of the city—Xu Qi'an on horseback, Li Miaozhen flying her sword. Their destination: Cloud Deer Academy.

Arriving at Qingyun mountain, Xu Qi’an greeted the three great scholars. With a face full of awkwardness, he said: “ah, this student recently has experienced a great writer’s block, and no matter what, I can’t think of any good poetry, please may sirs forgive me.”

The three scholars in billowing robes looked at him calmly: “No matter, what brings you here?”

Xu Qi’an cleared his throat, and thickened his skin: “The book of techniques that Master Li and Master Zhang gave me is about half gone, so I thought…”

The “spellbook” that Li Mubai and Zhang Shen gave to him was mostly comprised of some lower-class techniques. The Sitianjian’s qi-watching technique made up its majority.

This was because these great scholars didn’t have much saved to begin with; they needed to use high skilled magicks themselves. Furthermore, back then Xu Qi’an was just Refining Qi, giving him too strong of techniques would only harm him.

The strongest spells in the spellbook were Li Mubai and Zhang Shen’s “Laws follow Commandments”, the high art of the Confucians. Other systems at similar levels might has well have been absent.

The three great scholars looked at him for a moment before Li Mubai said, "Lately, inspiration has run dry..."

Zhang Shen: "My body feels unwell..."

Chen Tai: "My spirit is is utterly drained..."

*Anyone willing to be freeloaded off in such a manner must have been an angel with clipped wings in their past lives. Clearly, you three are not...* Xu Qi’an responded, "In that case, I’d like to trouble the three teachers to help me inscribe a Daoist communication spell."

"Very well!" The three great scholars nodded.

Li Miaozhen frowned. "Communication spells require an array."

Zhang Shen waved his hand dismissively. "You just need to cast it. Leave the rest to us."

As he spoke, he pulled out a blank, brown-covered book and slowly began grinding ink.

Seeing this, Li Miaozhen didn’t waste words. From her earth-book fragment, she retrieved yin-element materials, arranged the array, and began performing the Daoist spell.

Within the room, chilly winds arose, as if spring had abruptly transitioned into deep winter.

Zhang Shen dipped his brush and began to write in the book with fluid strokes. Each time his pen touched the page, it emanated a gentle azure glow.

The spirit-gathering array failed to summon any souls, as expected. No spectres could exist on Qingyun Mountain; under the vast righteous aura, all fiends and demons would be annihilated.

Zhang Shen paused at the appropriate moment and said, "It’s done. Twelve pages have been inscribed—will that suffice?"

"More than enough..."

Xu Qi’an nodded fervently while marveling inwardly at how absurdly overpowered the Confucian system was. It was like flipping through a book: once read, it could be remembered; once remembered, it could be copied into another.

"I’ve also inscribed a few Confucian spells for you. Be wary of their severe side effects—you’ve likely experienced this firsthand. Do not use them unless absolutely necessary," Zhang Shen cautioned gravely.

Xu Qi’an accepted the book with delight, then asked a question that had puzzled him for a long time:

"Teachers, I don’t understand. How do you avoid the backlash from using Confucian spells?"

Given the severe repercussions of Confucian magic, if the great scholars couldn’t circumvent them, they couldn’t possibly endure in long-term conflicts.

To his query, Zhang Shen smiled and replied, "Confucians at the fourth grade are called ‘*Junzi.*’ Junzi cultivate vast righteous energy, which renders them impervious to all evils."

*Impervious to all evils? So reaching the rank of Gentleman essentially nullifies or deflects the backlash from spells? Isn’t that ridiculously overpowered?* Xu Qi’an suddenly regretted pursuing the martial path.

Junzi who defeat their enemies with words rather than force—that’s the aesthetic he always envisioned for himself.

Li Mubai added, "If a spell is cast upon someone, that person will bear the consequences of the backlash instead."

Xu Qi’an’s pupils contracted in alarm as he silently celebrated not acting on his earlier whimsical thoughts.

_"My Diao Chan rests upon my waist"_—the repercussions of such a spell could range from _shrunken yin into seams_, _iron wire coiled around the waist_, to even more horrifying outcomes... all of which could literally prove explosive.

*My Diao Chan is in my lap — the repercussions of such words could be my yang shrinking into a thread, iron wire around my waist… or even… my cock would explode.*

*If this is the case, then my opinion of Erlang has just drastically gone down, there’s no making use of him…* Xu Qi’an mocked internally.

After bidding farewell to the three scholars, Xu Qi’an left Cloud Deer Academy with Li Miaozhen. They descended the mountain path together.

"The Confucian system truly is remarkable. Beyond their laws follow commandments ability, their righteous qi rivals our Daoist Golden Core. They can even record spells from other systems..."

Li Miaozhen couldn’t help but marvel. "I can only imagine how powerful the Confucian school must have been at its peak. ‘All pursuits are inferior; only study reigns supreme.’ I now understand the weight of those words. Such a pity."

"Indeed, a pity," a voice interjected from ahead.

It belonged to a dishevelled old man in tattered Confucian robes. His greying hair was unkempt, yet his eyes were clear and bright, carrying the weight of age and wisdom.

Li Miaozhen was stunned. Before the man spoke, she hadn’t noticed his presence.

"This Student greets the Dean," Xu Qi’an quickly saluted.

_He’s the Dean of Cloud Deer Academy? The man once regarded as the foremost Confucian scholar..._ Li Miaozhen straightened her posture in respect.

Zhao Shou smiled gently and nodded in acknowledgment. "Are you heading to the Northern Border?"

*Cloud Deer Academy indeed has its informants in the court. My casual remark turned out to be true...* Xu Qi’an gave a soft grunt of affirmation. "To investigate a case."

"Aren’t you afraid of offending the Zhenbei King?" Zhao Shou probed further.

"I am, but I want to see what’s going on," Xu Qi’an replied firmly.

Zhao Shou studied him silently for a few moments before smiling, stroking his beard. “You are not unworthy of the great destiny upon you, Xu Qi’an. Remember, the essence of destiny lies in the word ‘people.’ At least, yours does.

"It is the common folk who forge this destiny; it is all living beings who shape it."

Xu Qi’an quickly glanced at Li Miaozhen, only to find her expression calm as she scrutinised Dean Zhao Shou. It seemed she hadn’t heard a word.

*Has the Dean blocked her hearing?*

While these thoughts ran through his mind, he saw Zhao Shou wave a sleeve. A book floated over and hovered before him.

"This is a record of spells from various systems that I compiled during my youthful travels. I have no use for it now."

Xu Qi’an gratefully accepted the book without opening it immediately. Bowing deeply, he said, "Many thanks, Dean."

When he straightened, Zhao Shou had vanished.

…

Three days later, at the capital's dock, the northbound delegation boarded their official vessel.

This mission comprised two hundred members. Xu Qi’an and Yang Yan led the group, accompanied by four Silver Gongs, eight Bronze Gongs, one Head Constable from the Ministry of Law, twelve bailiffs, two Censors from the Censorate, a Deputy Justice from the High Court with twelve guards and attendants, and a hundred imperial guards—a standard entourage for a patrol inspector.

The rest were under Chu Xianglong’s command.

It wasn’t until the last moment that Xu Qi’an learned Chu Xianglong would also accompany the delegation to the Northern Border.

In the Constabulary, Brother Chun, Song Tingfeng, and Zhu Guangxiao had wanted to join him but were refused.

Though a major crisis was not guaranteed on this northwards journey, the potential danger was immense. Xu Qi’an didn’t want them caught in it. After all, among the Nightwatchers, these three shared the closest bond with him.

At the dock, Xu Xinnian and Second Uncle represented the family to see him off. Joining them were the azure-robed swordsman Chu Yuanzhen, Number Six Hengyuan, and Heaven Sect Holy Maiden Li Miaozhen.

"Return home safely," Second Uncle said, patting his nephew’s shoulder. That was his sole request.

Chu Yuanzhen quietly handed over a talisman sword, whispering, "The National Teacher asked me to deliver this."

*The National Teacher? We’re not even close—why send me this...* Curious but without asking further, Xu Qi’an accepted the talisman sword and replied via voice transmission, "Please thank the National Teacher for me."

Hengyuan pressed his palms together and spoke a Buddhist intonation, "May Sir Xu return safe and sound."

Li Miaozhen fixed her gaze on him and said clearly, "Do good deeds. Don’t ask for outcomes."

Then, in a voice transmission, she added, "I will go ahead and wait for you in the Northern Border."

Xu Qi’an smiled faintly. "‘Do good deeds. Don’t ask for outcomes.’—well said."

He responded telepathically, "See you in the North."

Stepping aboard the ship, he watched as the sails unfurled.

On the deck, Xu Qi’an scanned the crowd below, his eyes landing on three familiar figures: Yang Qianhuan, facing him with the back of his head; Chu Caiwei, cupping her hands to shout daintily; and Zhong Li, silently waving goodbye.

_Why are you here? Feels like the risks you’ll face just returning to Sitianjian from the dock might outweigh my journey north..._ Xu Qi’an sighed inwardly, caught between worry and amusement.