Nightwatcher

# 395. Obscuring Heaven's Secrets

【FOUR: Right now?】

Number Four Chu Yuanzhen, was the first to reply.

Daoist Jinlian sent a message: 【NINE: No, not now. The Nine-coloured Lotus still needs half a month to mature. During this period, it is at its most fragile and cannot withstand any disturbance.

【Unless the Earth Sect wishes to destroy it, they will not strike at this moment. However, in half a month, a great battle will be inevitable.】

Number Two Li Miaozhen, asked: 【Have the Earth Sect demon daoists already discovered your hiding place?】

Daoist Jinlian responded: 【There is a close connection between Heilian and the Nine-coloured Lotus. Normally, I can obscure this link, but as the lotus approaches maturity, its aura can no longer be concealed. Just now, a nine-coloured radiance shot into the sky—Heilian must have sensed it.】

*Heilian? Heilian? So the Earth Sect’s Daoist Leader is called Heilian? Wait, do all Earth Sect Daoists take names based on coloured lotuses? I wonder if there’s a White Lotus…* [Bailian]

This was Xu Qi’an’s first time learning the Earth Sect Daoist Leader’s title.

Sitting at his desk, Xu Qi’an murmured a joke only he could understand, then chuckled to himself, feeling a touch of loneliness.

Chu Yuanzhen sent a message: 【This means the Earth Sect demon daoists will be even better prepared, which is extremely unfavourable for us.】

At this moment, Number Five Lina—who rarely spoke—replied: 【Who cares? No matter how many come, I’ll smash them into meat paste.】

Seeing this, Xu Qi’an felt it was necessary to step in and offer a reminder. Using his brush to represent his voice, he typed:

【THREE: My big brother once told me that back in Chuzhou, he saw the Earth Sect Daoist Leader participating in the Blood Pill refinement. That was just an avatar. However, its strength was vaguely at Rank Three. If another such avatar appears in the struggle for the Nine-coloured Lotus, I think we should give up in advance.】

*Ah, pretending to be Second Brother is truly embarrassing. No, what’s really embarrassing is that Li Miaozhen and Daoist Jinlian know my true identity…* Xu Qi’an wanted to cover his face—his social death had deepened yet again.

The members of Heaven and Earth Society felt a chill in their hearts. If Daoist Leader Heilian truly had a Rank Three avatar at his disposal, even one barely reaching Rank Three, it would be enough to sweep through them all.

Daoist Jinlian replied: 【Heilian gained tremendous benefits from the Chuzhou massacre. That Rank Three avatar was likely created then. Though it was destroyed afterward, he surely has reserves and may well create another one of equal strength.

【However, you need not worry. I have recovered. As long as Heilian does not come in person, I can handle him. Heh, and he will not come in person—I can guarantee that.

【What you need to deal with are the other Lotus Daoists of the Earth Sect.】

*How can you guarantee Heilian won’t show up in person? And Daoist Jinlian, are you really that strong? A Rank Three avatar is no joke…* Xu Qi’an frowned.

*Hmm, back then, Daoist Jinlian stole the Nine-coloured Lotus from the Earth Sect, was injured by Heilian, and fled all the way to the capital. This suggests he’s far stronger than I imagined…*

*Could he even surpass Rank Four?*

Seeing Daoist Jinlian’s confident guarantee, the members of Heaven and Earth Society breathed a sigh of relief.

Chu Yuanzhen sent a message: 【The Chuzhou massacre showed us that King Huai was colluding with Heilian. Based on that, could Emperor Yuanjing also have ties to the Earth Sect? We cannot ignore this possibility.】

*Right! Why didn’t I think of that? If Emperor Yuanjing intervenes, things will get much more complicated…* Li Miaozhen’s heart tightened.

*Chu Yuanzhen truly deserves to be this group’s other strategic mind—he voiced exactly what I was worried about…* Xu Qi’an nodded slightly.

*Just smash ‘em all innit…* Lina thought carelessly.

Numbers Six and One remained silent, simply lurking.

Daoist Jinlian responded: 【That is easily handled. Three, notify your cousin and ask for his aid. First, this will strengthen our side. Second, Wei Yuan will not sit idly by.】 ȑаℕОꞖΕⱾ

*Good idea!*

Chu Yuanzhen’s eyes brightened.

Xu Ningyan might be a Rank Six martial artist, but his Vajra Divine Art had reached minor achievement, and he had a Confucian spellbook, allowing him to exert far greater strength than an ordinary Rank Four.

More importantly, he was a martial artist. Martial artists had the strongest offensive capabilities of all systems.

Their endurance was also the best.

Aside from their limited techniques, lack of large-scale attack abilities, and inability to handle complex situations, they had no weaknesses.

*Wait, was Daoist Jinlian’s choice of me as the Number Three Book of the Earth holder, and later his decision to use me as a bridge to form an understanding with Duke Wei, all part of a plan to leverage the Nightwatchers at a crucial moment?*

Xu Qi’an suddenly realised this and found it highly plausible.

That would align perfectly with Daoist Jinlian’s scheming nature.

*Daoist Jinlian, don’t you feel ashamed saying such things…* Li Miaozhen remained silent, sitting at her desk with a complicated expression.

She knew Number Three’s true identity, and now, watching Xu Qi’an and Daoist Jinlian put on this act together, the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect felt second-hand embarrassment.

【THREE: Understood, Daoist. I will inform my cousin. However, if Wei Yuan agrees to help, you may have to part with some of your lotus seeds.】

【NINE: No problem. The Nine-coloured Lotus matures once every sixty years and produces fourteen lotus seeds. I can only afford to give away two more. Please relay this to your cousin so he can inform Wei Yuan.】

【THREE: Alright. I am weak and won’t join the battle, but my cousin is incredibly valiant—he will surely help you protect the lotus seeds.】

【NINE: Hehe, a family of two heroes.】

*These two…* Li Miaozhen silently covered her face.

…

After ending the group chat, Xu Qi’an unsurprisingly received a message from Daoist Jinlian: “How is your cultivation progressing?”

Xu Qi’an replied, “I just need a good, intense battle. I might even break through mid-fight and advance to fifth rank.”

Daoist Jinlian responded, “Good. A fifth rank martial artist is truly stepping into the hall of mastery, no longer fearing group assaults.”

Xu Qi’an said, “Daoist, let’s set that aside for now. Heilian is colluding with Emperor Yuanjing. If he learns that I am a holder of an Earth Book fragment, then Emperor Yuanjing will know as well. If the two of them join forces afterward, I’ll be in serious trouble. How can I temporarily sever my bond with the Earth Book fragment?”

If Heilian remained unaware of his identity as an Earth Book fragment holder, the level of enmity would not be too high.

More importantly, back in Chuzhou City, Heilian had learned that the mysterious expert was an Earth Book fragment holder. If Xu Qi’an participated in the battle to guard the lotus seeds, he would have only two choices:

First, he could conceal everything related to “Xu Qi’an.”

This approach had significant drawbacks—he wouldn’t be able to use the Black Gold Blade, unleash the Heaven and Earth Slash, or activate the Vajra Divine Skill. Moreover, Shen Shu had already fallen into slumber.

With his abilities restrained, how could he possibly protect the lotus seeds?

Second, he could sever his bond with the Earth Book fragment.

That way, his presence in Jianzhou would be justified as a response to invitations from Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen, rather than his identity as an Earth Book fragment holder.

Clever individuals might even speculate that the previous interception of the Imperial Guards by Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozhen was part of a private deal—an exchange for Xu Qi’an’s future assistance in guarding the lotus seeds.

Comparing the two, the second option was clearly superior.

Daoist Jinlian remained silent for a long time before finally messaging, “Wait until you arrive in Jianzhou. I will then help you sever the bond. The Earth Book’s secret arts cannot be passed on, and I hope you understand that. Of course, if you are willing to become my disciple, then this won’t be an issue.”

*Heh, perhaps you should first speak with the four teachers at Cloud Deer Academy and see if they’d agree?* Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched.

*Why does everyone want to take me as a disciple?*

*Ironically the one person who had ever treated me as a disciple had never considered making it official, nor would he adopt me as his son…*

The next morning, Xu Qi’an woke up late, only rising when the sun was already high. He carried a wooden basin to the courtyard and saw the Princess Consort sitting in a chair with her messy hair, squinting as she basked in the sunlight.

He glanced at the woman, the plain and unassuming most beautiful woman in the Great Feng, said nothing, and quietly fetched a bucket of water to wash his face and brush his teeth.

Seeing this, the Princess Consort hurried inside, returning with her own wooden basin. She crouched beside him and poured half of his remaining water into her basin.

Then, she soaked a white face cloth and carefully wiped her cheeks.

Xu Qi’an turned his head to look at her and asked incredulously, “Were you waiting for me to fetch water?”

The Princess Consort continued wiping her face, glanced at him sideways, and hummed, “Why not?”

Xu Qi’an set down his boar-bristle toothbrush and cupped his hands in salute to her.

…

Leaving the Princess Consort’s courtyard, Xu Qi’an returned to Xu Manor, retrieved his beloved mare, and rode toward the Nightwatcher’s Office.

Upon reaching the entrance, he tossed the reins to the guard and walked straight inside.

The guard instinctively caught the reins but suddenly remembered that Silver Gong Xu was no longer a Silver Gong. He opened his mouth as if to speak but ultimately remained silent as he watched Xu Qi’an’s retreating figure.

Along the way, many familiar Silver Gongs and Bronze Gongs nodded to him, but none stepped forward to greet him.

This was not due to snobbery—displaying excessive warmth toward him could easily be reported to His Majesty. And gathering intelligence on colleagues was precisely the kind of thing the Nightwatchers did.

Only Wei Yuan had no need to care about Emperor Yuanjing’s opinion. Even though Xu Qi’an was no longer a Nightwatcher, their bond remained.

Thus, Xu Qi’an quickly found himself face-to-face with Wei Yuan in a familiar tea room on the seventh floor.

“Duke Wei, Daoist Jinlian of the Earth Sect asked me to deliver a message—The Nine-Coloured Lotus is about to mature. He hopes you can lend a hand, and he offers two lotus seeds as payment.”

Xu Qi’an still maintained his old habit of respectfully cupping his fists when addressing Wei Yuan.

He did not explain what the Nine-Coloured Lotus was—there was no need. Given Wei Yuan’s vast knowledge, it was impossible for him to be unaware.

Wei Yuan was one of the most learned individuals Xu Qi’an had ever met. Even the academic Princess Huaiqing paled in comparison.

“One seed will suffice. I will send Qianrou to assist, but only him—there will be no other Nightwatchers.” Wei Yuan’s voice was calm.

He then rose to his feet, gazed into the distance, and asked in a deep voice, “Where is it?”

“Jianzhou.”

“Jianzhou…” Wei Yuan pondered. “In a bit, collect a dossier on the Wulin Alliance. The Nine-Coloured Lotus’ maturation will undoubtedly draw the attention of the Jianzhou Wulin Alliance. They may even attempt to seize it.”

Xu Qi’an nodded, then asked, “Duke Wei, have you ever heard of a man named Su Hang?”

“Su Hang…”

Wei Yuan furrowed his brows, repeating the name a few times before saying, “It sounds familiar, but I can’t recall the details at the moment. Why do you ask?”

“He was a *jinshi* of the 29th year of Zhende. In the 14th year of Yuanjing, he was demoted to the post of Jiangzhou prefect and was executed the following year for corruption and bribery. He was my friend’s father, and I promised her I would uncover the truth behind his execution.” Xu Qi’an explained.

“What’s suspicious about it?” Wei Yuan asked.

A high-ranking official executed for corruption and bribery was hardly unusual. Every court review resulted in similar cases.

“I received information from a hidden source that he was taken down by the Wang Clique, Duke Cao, and various nobles working together.” Xu Qi’an said.

Wei Yuan pondered for a moment before shaking his head. “Your information is incorrect. I don’t recall such a person from twenty years ago.”

*Wei… Duke Wei doesn’t know…* Xu Qi’an’s pupils contracted slightly. His mind whirled, and a flash of insight surfaced before slipping away.

He felt as though he had grasped something crucial. But rather than rushing to conclusions, he chose to stay silent for now, determined to gather more clues before discussing his suspicions with Wei Yuan.

“Duke Wei, I would like to check the archives for this man’s records.”

“Very well. I’ll write you an authorisation.”

…

The three-day deadline arrived quickly. In the private room of the tavern, Xu Qi’an waited for a quarter of an hour before Chief Constable Chen and High Court Deputy Justice arrived one after another. Both were dressed in plain clothes with simple disguises.

The High Court Deputy Justice took two case files from his robe and handed them to Xu Qi’an. "One is from Yuanjing 14, the other from Yuanjing 15."

Xu Qi’an unfolded the documents and read them carefully.

Dossier of 14 Yuanjing: Eastern Pavilian Grand Academician Su Hang accepted bribes and shielded his subordinates who embezzled disaster relief grain, leading to countless famine victims. He was demoted to Jiangzhou.

Dossier of 15 Yuanjing: Eastern Pavilion Grand Academician Su Hang, again accused of accepting bribes, was impeached in the capital. The court conducted a thorough investigation and sentenced him to execution!

*Su Hang was actually a Grand Academician of the Eastern Pavilion…? So what was written in Duke Cao’s secret letter was actually “Su Clique”?* Xu Qi’an returned the case files to the High Court Deputy Justice and then examined the documents from Chief Constable Chen. Both contained the same information.

"Sir Justice, how long have you served in court?" Xu Qi’an raised his wine cup in gesture.

"Twenty-five years." The High Court Deputy Justice also lifted his cup and took a sip.

"Then why do you not recognise Grand Academician Su Hang?" Xu Qi’an questioned.

The High Court Deputy Justice's face froze. Holding his wine cup, he stared blankly. *Yes, why do I not remember a Grand Academician of the Cabinet? Why do I have no recollection of a figure like Su Hang?*

Xu Qi’an did not press further. Instead, he called for them to drink and eat. In these times, there was no need to worry about the rule of "don’t drink and drive." Even if he got drunk and collapsed on his little mare, she would still carry him steadily back to Xu Manor.

After drinking and feasting, Xu Qi’an did not escort the two men out, merely watching as they pushed open the door and left.

Feeling slightly tipsy, he reclined on the chair, one hand resting on the table, fingers tapping rhythmically as he pondered.

*Both the High Court and the Ministry of Law have case files, yet the Nightwatcher Constabulary has none. Based on the timeline, Duke Wei had not yet taken control of the Nightwatcher Constabulary at that time. He only truly came into power after the Battle of Shanhai Pass… But Su Hang was executed twenty-three years ago, while the Battle of Shanhai Pass happened twenty years ago.*

*Su Hang was a Grand Academician of the Eastern Pavilion, yet neither the High Court Deputy Justice nor Duke Wei remembers him. Not just them—I even asked Duke Cao’s soul again, and he too does not recall Su Hang. And then there’s that missing character in the secret letter…*

Three words surfaced in Xu Qi’an’s mind: *Obscuring*

*heaven’s secrets.*

Instinctively, his thoughts turned to: *Could this be related to the Jianzheng?*

But he felt this assumption lacked evidence and logical support… As he continued thinking, he dozed off on the long chair.

Fifteen minutes later, he woke up.

*Hm? I actually fell asleep? The High Court Deputy Justice and Chief Constable Chen left?* Xu Qi’an rubbed his brow and stood up.

*This Su Hang case is a real headache, not a single clue to follow. If I had known, I wouldn't have agreed to help Susu. And it’s only because she’s too damn beautiful, or else I wouldn't have bothered wasting my brain on this…*

As if forgetting everything that had just happened, he stretched lazily and left the private room.

…

At dusk, within the imperial bedchamber.

The old eunuch, a horsetail whisk draped over his arm, stepped over the high threshold and strode swiftly inside.

"Your Majesty, there is urgent news…"

Emperor Yuanjing was in the middle of meditation, absorbing the medicinal effects of his recent dose, and did not respond.

Not daring to interrupt, the old eunuch waited anxiously. Finally, the emperor ended his meditation, opened his eyes, and asked indifferently, "What is it?"

The old eunuch retrieved a slip of paper from his sleeve and presented it.

Emperor Yuanjing took it, unfolded it, and after a glance, a gleam burst forth from his deep eyes.

"Nine-Coloured Lotus Seeds—capable of imbuing all things with spirit…"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!