Nightwatcher

# 390. Fantastic Beasts of Jiuzhou

"After King Huai’s death, I took the opportunity to steal the Soul Pill amidst the chaos and brought it back to the capital. I gave it to his Majesty…" Que Yongxiu’s spirit answered truthfully.

*No wonder Yang Yan had mentioned that when the commoners were sacrificed, their blood essence rose to form the Blood Pill, while their souls sank underground—yet there had been no trace of them afterwards. It turned out Que Yongxiu had seized the opportunity and stolen the Soul Pill in the aftermath…*

Xu Qi’an suddenly understood. He had assumed the Soul Pill had been taken by the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect, but instead, it had fallen into Emperor Yuanjing’s hands.

*So, the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect participated in this for the sake of so-called ‘evil’… mnn, Zhenbei King and the Daoist Leader had some degree of cooperation, but what about Emperor Yuanjing? Could he also be colluding with him?*

*That would be troublesome. If that’s the case, I need to be extra careful with my identity. Back during the 1v5, the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect sensed the aura of an Earth Book fragment on me.*

*He knows that the mysterious expert in Chuzhou possessed a Earth Book fragment. That alone doesn’t necessarily mean anything. But if Xu Qi’an is also a Earth Book fragment holder… that would be too suspicious.*

With this thought, Xu Qi’an asked, "Is Emperor Yuanjing secretly colluding with the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect?"

Que Yongxiu’s spirit replied blankly, "I don’t know…"

"What does Emperor Yuanjing want to refine the Soul Pill for?"

"I don’t know…"

_You don’t know this, you don’t know that—what use are you?!_ Xu Qi’an felt a flicker of frustration. After a long moment of contemplation, he asked with utmost seriousness:

"Do you have any hidden assets or silver?"

Que Yongxiu answered honestly, "No."

Although the Duke Protector’s residence was in the capital, Que Yongxiu had spent years operating in Chuzhou. If he had any private funds, they would likely still be in Chuzhou.

_Hmm, the Duke Protector’s residence will certainly be confiscated—there’s no other way to appease the court officials. Pity that I’m no longer a Nightwatcher, or else I could have been involved in the confiscation. That would’ve been a fortune…_ Xu Qi’an felt a pang of regret.

Turning to Duke Cao, he asked, "Do you have any hidden assets?"

"I own thirteen private residences in the capital, where I keep my mistresses and young boys. Three of them are unoccupied. One of those three is where I store some rare antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and silver."

_He kept his valuable antiques outside his estate rather than in it… That means those items were things he didn’t want exposed. Truly a despicable corrupt official…_ Xu Qi’an felt both delighted and scornful.

"Where are the land deeds and property contracts for those residences?" he asked.

"The ones for the residence where I store my treasures are inside that property. The rest are kept at my estate," Duke Cao replied.

_Damn it, twelve houses slipping through my fingers…_ Xu Qi’an felt a deep, indescribable sorrow.

At the same time, his curiosity towards that particular residence grew. The fact that Duke Cao had separated it so thoroughly from himself and his official estate suggested it was meant to be entirely untraceable to him.

He finished up his questioning. He didn’t ask about what tresures were inside, preferring to leave it as a little surprise for later.

He then stored both spirits back into the pouch and stepped out of the secret chamber to check on his three comrades from the Heaven and Earth Society. Each of them was resting in a separate room.

Xu Qi’an first went to Li Miaozhen’s quarters and knocked on the door.

Creak… The door opened slightly, revealing a face of unparalleled beauty—his paper-cut wife.

_Smack!_

The door slammed shut.

After a few moments, it reopened. Li Miaozhen was now properly dressed, sitting at the table while Chu Caiwei tidied up ointments, bandages, and medicine bottles.

_Was she just changing her bandages…_ Xu Qi’an subtly glanced at Li Miaozhen’s body before asking with concern, "Are you alright?"

After she nodded, he said, "Emperor Yuanjing has issued the self-reproach edict and promised not to trouble you. You don’t need to leave the capital in a hurry."

_Though, even if he wanted to deal with you, you wouldn’t have been afraid. The Daoist Leader of the Heaven Sect is on par with the Jianzheng. Even if Emperor Yuanjing had ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare to kill you._

_Having a "dad" to rely on really is great…_ Xu Qi’an sighed inwardly.

No wonder, in the novels he had read before, villains with powerful backers always acted recklessly and arrogantly. If not for running into the protagonist, ordinary people could do nothing against them.

"Anything else?" Li Miaozhen asked with a frown.

_Why do you look like you want to chase me away? Am I getting in the way of your blossoming romance with those two?_ Xu Qi’an teased internally before smiling and saying:

"Soul Pills—I want to know what they’re used for."

Li Miaozhen gave him a puzzled look as if to say, _Didn’t Daoist Jinlian already tell you?_

Xu Qi’an lowered his voice. "I just asked Que Yongxiu’s spirit and learned from him that the one who needed the Soul Pill wasn’t the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect—but Emperor Yuanjing."

Li Miaozhen’s pupils contracted slightly.

Xu Qi’an continued, "According to Daoist Jinlian, a Soul Pill alone wouldn’t be enough to justify committing such an atrocity. But the fact is, Emperor Yuanjing did it. So, I suspect there must be some unknown use for the Soul Pill."

Li Miaozhen pondered for a long time before slowly shaking her head.

At that moment, Chu Caiwei asked curiously, "Are you talking about the kind of Soul Pill refined from souls?"

Xu Qi’an turned to her, his gaze sharp with suspicion. "You know about it?"

_That doesn’t seem like Chu Caiwei… This big-eyed little cutie isn’t someone who reads anything other than medical books…_

Chu Caiwei explained, "Senior Brother Song mentioned it during his research a few days ago. He speculated that a Soul Pill might allow him to merge his refined body with a soul—but that was only a guess. After all, Soul Pills are incredibly rare, and the conditions for refining them are extremely strict.

"He would never kill people to refine one—if he did, the Jianzheng would be the first to kill him. Hmm, Senior Brother Song also said that the library on the eighth floor of the Observatory Tower contains records about Soul Pills."

Xu Qi’an and Li Miaozhen immediately said in unison, "Take us there."

"Uh…"

Chu Caiwei hesitated, looking troubled. “The library is a restricted area of the Sitianjian. Only disciples of the sect are allowed entry, and even then, they need permission from the Jianzheng or Senior Brother Yang. I can’t take you inside… I’d be punished.”

Li Miaozhen’s expression fell slightly.

Xu Qi’an stepped forward and patted Caiwei’s delicate shoulder. “Whatever you want to eat in the next few days, just tell your big brother—I’ll get it for you.”

Chu Caiwei’s eyes lit up, and she beamed. “I’ll take you there right now.”

Li Miaozhen was stunned. “You’re not afraid of being punished anymore?”

“Oh, it’s just a small matter.”

“…”

The three humans and one ghost, entered the library. However, Chu Caiwei couldn’t recall the title of the book that recorded information about the Soul Pill or where it was stored.

The vast space was lined with towering bookshelves filled with ancient tomes. Searching for a specific book here was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

“I-I’ll go ask Senior Brother Song…” Chu Caiwei stuck out her tongue before skipping away.

Li Miaozhen and Xu Qi’an exchanged dark looks before beginning their aimless search.

Suddenly, Xu Qi’an’s attention was drawn to an old text: _The Fantastic Beasts of Jiuzhou: Volume One_.

The book stated that exotic beasts were the descendants of ancient gods and demons. By examining the types of exotic beasts in later generations, one could infer some knowledge of the original divine creatures.

The most widespread and numerous were the “jiao” — the river dragons. According to the book, their ancient ancestor was the mythical true dragon.

Similarly, the legendary beast that had once appeared in Yunzhou, which came from across the seas, summoning storms and gales with every breath, was likely a descendant of a divine creature called a qilin.

Flipping through the pages, Xu Qi’an was surprised to find an old acquaintance — the Spirit Dragon.

There was no concrete evidence regarding the Spirit Dragon’s ancient origins, but historical records first mentioned it during the era of the Human Sovereign. It had been the sovereign’s steed, carrying him across the four seas, cutting through waves—a true king of the waters.

_"That can’t be right. That grovelling bootlicker of a dragon hardly acts like the king of the waters…"_ Xu Qi’an scoffed inwardly.

With a sense of doubt, he continued reading and found additional information.

Huaiqing had once told him that the Spirit Dragon was drawn to purple qi, which explained why it pursued the imperial family and became their guardian beast. It also symbolised the legitimacy of the dynasty.

However, the book mentioned another ability of the Spirit Dragon—it could consume and release the fate of a dynasty, extending the reign of an empire.

The heavens dictated that all things, when they reached their peak, must decline. When a dynasty’s fortune blazed too brightly, like oil on fire, it was destined to weaken. The Spirit Dragon, however, could absorb excess fortune when it was abundant and release it when it was waning, maintaining a steady equilibrium.

_A fortune balance regulator?!_

A phrase popped into Xu Qi’an’s mind.

_"When I first arrived in this world, I suspected that dynastic fortunes here didn’t follow the 'Three-Hundred-Year Rule' commonly discussed in the cheap historical novels I read. Back then, I assumed it was due to the existence of supernatural forces. But now… could it be because of the Spirit Dragon?"_

Before he could dwell on it further, Chu Caiwei bounced back into the room, her voice crisp as she announced, “The book is called _Records of Rare Pills_. It’s in Section B, on the third shelf, second row. I’ll get it for you.”

Xu Qi’an collected his thoughts and followed her, watching as she pulled out a book titled _Records of Rare Pills_.

The result was disappointing. The uses of the Soul Pill had already been summarised by Daoist Jinlian, with no new information revealed.

_As an elder of the Daoist sects, it makes sense that Daoist Jinlian wouldn’t have overlooked anything regarding the Soul Pill. That means… either the Soul Pill is just a distraction, or one of its known uses is far more important than we realise…_ Xu Qi’an mused.

He decided that when the opportunity arose, he would consult Luo Yuheng about this matter. At the very least, he needed to inform her so she could keep an eye on Emperor Yuanjing.

Of course, before that, he needed to ask Daoist Jinlian.

_"I’m not too familiar with my kind-hearted 'auntie', so whether she can be trusted is something Daoist Jinlian should determine first."_ Xu Qi’an thought to himself.

_Tomorrow, I’ll check out Duke Cao’s private residence. The day after, I’ll head to Cloud Deer Academy to pick up Second Uncle and Auntie. Then, I’ll contact Daoist Jinlian and ask whether 'auntie' can be trusted._

_Also, I need to bring the princess consort back. I can’t just leave her out there forever… Tsk, so many loose ends…_

…

Night.

The moonlight was like frost, casting a soft, pale glow over the surface of the lake.

The Spirit Dragon lay by the shore, looking listless. From time to time, it snorted, or lazily flicked its tail, sending ripples across the water, distorting the reflections of the jagged rocks.

A figure emerged from the darkness, stopping before the Spirit Dragon.

He crouched down, running his fingers through its coarse mane, and sighed. “The Chuzhou Massacre has finally been exposed to the world. I failed to change the outcome. I failed to salvage the imperial family's dignity.”

The Spirit Dragon lazily snorted in response.

The man continued, “With the imperial family’s reputation ruined, we have lost the people's trust. And when trust is lost, fate disperses. I did intend to weaken the empire’s fate, but this… this is beyond what I can bear.

"We are the same, you and us. Struggling to maintain balance. Not too much, not too little. But those fools outside… they understand nothing. And Wei Yuan—he understands the least. He defies me again and again.”

He withdrew his hand and placed his palm against the Spirit Dragon’s forehead. His voice was gentle, yet devoid of warmth.

“Return to us some of the fortune we stored within you.”

The Spirit Dragon’s large, black, button-like eyes flickered with hatred and resistance. But in the end, it did nothing, allowing him to take what he wished.

…

The Next Morning.

Clank… Clank…

The sound of a stone door grinding open echoed in the dim underground chamber.

Xu Qi’an peered into the darkness below and called out, "Senior Sister Zhong, I’ve come to fetch you."

Before long, Zhong Li emerged, clad in a plain robe, her hair a tangled mess as she slowly ascended the stone steps.

She lifted her head slightly, and beneath the dishevelled strands of hair, her bright, watery eyes gleamed with joy.

It had been a month and a half since Xu Qi’an had gone north.

"You’ve improved your cultivation again," Zhong Li murmured softly.

"And you’re still the same," Xu Qi’an replied, placing a hand on her head.

Zhong Li swatted it away.

He pressed it back down.

She swatted it away again.

"Fine, then I’ll leave," Xu Qi’an said, feigning anger.

Zhong Li immediately relented, allowing the man who called her Senior Sister to ruffle her hair as he pleased.

He gathered Zhong Li, Li Miaozhen, his paper waifu, and Chu Yuanzhen. The group split into two, stepping onto their flying swords. With a whoosh, they shot up from the Bagua Platform, heading towards Cloud Deer Academy.

"Why are you tagging along?" Xu Qi’an grumbled through a sound transmission to Chu Yuanzhen.

"Four people on one sword is too cramped. Can’t I give you a lift?"

Chu Yuanzhen innocently explained. _Is this man heartless? My injuries haven’t even fully healed, yet I’m acting as his ‘coachman,’ taking him to Cloud Deer Academy. Instead of being grateful, he’s complaining!_

Sensing Chu Yuanzhen’s displeasure, Xu Qi’an sighed. He couldn’t very well expose his indecent little scheme, so he reluctantly said,

"I just wanted to relive the experience of squeezing into a crowded metro. I kind of miss it."

"What’s a ‘metro’?"

"You don’t need to know…"

…

The scholars of Cloud Deer Academy had not been having a good time these past few days. In fact, they were feeling rather irritable.

Why?

Because there was a particularly persistent couple who kept pestering them, saying, "Please, teach our child!"

_Teach your goddamn mother!_

The thought was unanimous in every scholar’s heart.

Of course, they knew who the child was—The Xu family’s little daughter, Xu Ningyan and Xu Cijiu’s little sister, the youngest of the Xu family. A child renowned for being utterly infuriating.

And now, she had come to the academy seeking an education.

The academy boasted over a dozen scholars, all learned men proficient in military strategy, Confucian classics, and philosophy. Teaching an infant her first lessons should have been the easiest of tasks.

However, some children were born different. Their minds worked in ways ordinary people could never comprehend. The methods that applied to normal students simply did not work on them.

Xu Lingyin was one such child.

…

Soaring on their flying swords, the mountains stretched beneath them, verdant and serene. The official roads wound like long, meandering ribbons. It took them only half an hour to reach Qingyun Mountain.

Glancing down, Xu Qi’an spotted a lone figure lying in the withered grass near a pavilion at the foot of the academy. The child’s hair was tied into two little buns, resembling steamed dumplings.

"I see Xu Lingyin. Let’s land."

Chu Yuanzhen followed the request, guiding the flying sword down near the pavilion.

There, sprawled on the ground, was Xu Lingyin, fast asleep, her small frame covered in fallen leaves and grass clippings.

Xu Qi’an strode over, shook her awake, and scolded, "If you keep sleeping out here, I’ll call your mum to come and deal with you!"

"...Big Bwother…"

Xu Lingyin boldly maintained her sprawled-out position, entirely unbothered by his threat.

"I went out with Master to hunt game. But halfway through, Master disappeared, so I got tired and took a nap," she explained in perfect clarity.

Then, furrowing her little brows, she added, "I’m not afraid of mum hitting me."

Xu Qi’an sneered. "Oh? You’re not afraid of mum? Are you also not afraid of dad using a bamboo rod on you?"

Xu Lingyin’s eyes widened in horror. She immediately clutched her tiny hands over her backside, her face stricken with panic. "Big Brother, I think my bummocks is starting to hurt already!"

"What’s a bummocks?" Xu Qi’an asked, picking her up like a little chick and heading towards the academy.

"Bummocks means bum! It’s a new word I learned!"

Little Pea finally found a chance to educate her big brother. "Did you get it?"

"It’s *buttocks*!"

"bummocks!"

"Butt!"

"Bum."

Little Pea repeated it exactly as she had before. _Was there something wrong with what I said?_