Nightwatcher

# 367. Clashing Heads

Hearing Zhao Jin’s account of events, Li Miaozhen almost couldn’t control herself from drawing her sword and going right over to cut off the Zhenbei King and Duke Protector’s heads.

But she was no longer the inexperienced Li Miaozhen who had left her sect mountain to train. A year and a half later, she was much calmer, much more experienced.

“Alright. I can help you, but I need to wait for my partner to arrive. Before then, stay in the inn, pretend nothing happened.” Li Miaozhen said, staring at Zhao Jin, “Understood?”

Zhao Jin did not lie, yet he still may have not told the truth, this was still possible.

She had attained fourth rank, but this involved conflict at even higher levels. Li Miaozhen knew her own limits. If she were to involve herself forcefully, it may not end well.

Zhao Jin nodded readily. “Understood!”

As soon as he spoke, Li Miaozhen vanished inexplicably. When Zhao Jin opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on his bed, as though just awakening from sleep.

On the floor, the ashes of the burned talisman remained.

_The Heaven Sect’s methods are truly astounding…_ Zhao Jin marveled as any martial artist might.

Meanwhile, Li Miaozhen returned to her room, retrieved a jade mirror, and inscribed a message with her finger: 【Daoist Jinlian, I need to speak with you alone.】

When Daoist Jinlian isolated the connection from the others, she transmitted another message: 【I need to contact Xu Qi’an about something urgent.】

*The Heaven and Earth Society members being too close may not be a good thing…* Daoist Jinlian sighed inwardly but played the role of a dutiful tool, enabling private communication between Li Miaozhen and Xu Qi’an.

【TWO: Xu Qi’an, where are you? Come to Shankou County at once. I’ve found a lead on the Zhenbei King’s massacre of civilians.】

...

Elsewhere, Xu Qi’an, enjoying tea and idle chatter with the princess consort in a small courtyard, felt a lurch in his body from his earth book fragment. Using the toilet as an excuse, he left momentarily.

【THREE: What lead did you find?】

【TWO: Xu Qi’an, your idea worked wonders. Today, among the martial artists under my command, one named Zhao Jin approached me in private to reveal the inside story of the Zhenbei King’s massacre.】

_Wait, when did you start commanding subordinates? Are you born to be a boss or something?_ Xu Qi’an replied: 【He’s been observing you for a long time, hasn’t he?】

Li Miaozhen explained: 【For a few days now. Considering the timing, he likely approached me not long after I gained some renown. He didn’t reveal himself immediately, only expressing admiration for Lady Flying Swallow’s name and asking to follow me in my endeavours.

【You know right, no matter where I go, there will be a group of heroes who want to follow me. I didn’t think anything of it and accepted him.】

_No, I had no idea. Honestly, you’re the real protagonist here—just one quiver of Lady Flying Swallow’s heroic aura, and everyone kneels in reverence…_

Xu Qi’an responded: 【Makes sense. He was likely wary of Lady Flying Swallow being an impostor or a spy sent by Zhenbei King, so he stayed close to observe. If I’m not mistaken, he must have shown extreme reverence and eagerly sought information about you.】

Li Miaozhen blinked. He’d hit the nail on the head. Zhao Jin’s fervent admiration had indeed been palpable, and he had enthusiastically pried for her details within the group.

She had assumed it was simple infatuation—after all, what wandering hero wouldn’t admire Lady Flying Swallow? It was something she’d grown used to.

Now, Xu Qi’an’s deduction illuminated the truth.

_Another lesson learned… My perspective truly pales in comparison to his. Xu Qi’an is remarkable._

Li Miaozhen processed this newfound understanding and continued: 【Zhao Jin says the person behind him is Chuzhou’s Imperial Commissioner, Zheng Xinghuai. The civilians slaughtered by Zhenbei King were the entire population of Chuzhou City.】

“Clang…”

The earth book fragment slipped from Xu Qi’an’s grasp, clattering onto the floor with a crisp sound.

His mind reeled as though struck by a heavy hammer, and for a moment, all thought ceased. He stood frozen, utterly stunned.

_Chuzhou City?!_

*Zhenbei King had slaughtered the entire population of Chuzhou City… Was he insane?*

Chuzhou City was the beating heart of the region, a hub for the province’s talents and elites. By eradicating the city, Chuzhou’s very essence was obliterated.

After a long while, Xu Qi’an inhaled deeply, picked up the fragment, and wrote: 【That’s impossible. If it were Chuzhou City, there’s no way the barbarians, Chuzhou officials, commoners, and martial artists wouldn’t know. It defies logic.】

Li Miaozhen didn’t respond immediately, seemingly pondering his words.

At that moment, Daoist Jinlian interjected: 【If it were Chuzhou City, wouldn’t it be precisely the unexpected choice? Everyone, including you, assumes it’s impossible. The barbarians would think the same. Who would ever believe it?

【Heh, I, too, initially thought Miaozhen was deceived. But upon reflection, the more impossible something seems, the more likely it may be. You mentioned that a mysterious Arcanist is aiding the barbarians. For the Zhenbei King, taking such a gamble might be the only way to obscure the heavens.】

Xu Qi’an rubbed his face, forcing down the fiery anger boiling within. He countered: 【But how would he conceal this from all the major powers? There’s something I haven’t told you—the remnants of the Wanyao Kingdom are also involved. Barbarians, a mysterious Arcanist, and Wanyao remnants—these are some of the most formidable forces in Jiuzhou. Concealing such an atrocity from them would be unimaginably difficult.】

Li Miaozhen saw an opening and offered her own hypothesis: 【Could it be the work of an Arcanist? You mentioned they can obscure heaven’s secrets, causing people to overlook certain events or individuals.】

Without hesitation, Xu Qi’an dismissed the idea: 【First of all, if the heavens were truly obscured, the Blood Runs Three Thousand Miles case wouldn’t exist, and Zhenbei King himself might forget what he’d done.

【Second, obscuring the heavens doesn’t erase evidence. It merely makes people forget related memories or ignore certain events. Let me give you an example: if you, Li Miaozhen, were to demolish Jinluan Palace, and an Arcanist covered for you, the Emperor and court officials would forget it was you who did it and wonder who was responsible. But the destruction of Jinluan Palace would remain—a tangible fact that couldn’t be erased.】

Li Miaozhen understood now. It wasn’t that the heavens had been obscured; if the Jianzheng had intervened, the court wouldn’t even be aware of the Blood Runs Three Thousand Miles case.

In reality, Chuzhou had become a wasteland, a ghost town.

Now, everyone knows about the _Blood Runs Three Thousand Miles_ case, but no one can pinpoint its location—quite the contrary.

As her thoughts churned, she saw Xu Qi’an’s message appear in the communication:

【THREE: How did that Provincial Administrator Zheng Xinghuai escape?】

Li Miaozhen immediately responded:

【TWO: According to Zhao Jin, it wasn’t the Zhenbei King who slaughtered the city but the Commander-in-Chief, Que Yongxiu. On that day, the Zhenbei King led his troops to intercept marauding barbarians and wasn’t in Chuzhou.】

*… This is classic fabrication of an alibi and a smokescreen. After all, the Zhenbei King himself is the focus of all sides' scrutiny. His departure from Chuzhou would naturally draw away most of the attention.*

*Then that Commander Que Yongxiu, took advantage of the opportunity to massacre the city’s populace.*

Xu Qi’an sent another inquiry:

【THREE: When did this happen?】

【TWO: Around a month ago.】n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

*A month ago…* Xu Qi’an recalled the undercover courtesan Cai’er in Sanhuang County’s brothel. She had mentioned that around a month prior, strict border checks were suddenly implemented in Sanhuang County. Initially, Xu Qi’an had thought they were searching for him, but now it seemed they were after this Provincial Administrator, Zheng Xinghuai.

As Xu Qi’an’s thoughts raced, another question surfaced:

【THREE: Zhao Jin didn’t personally witness this, did he?】

【TWO: Zhao Jin has a brother who is a retainer in Zheng Xinghuai’s household. After the incident, Zheng Xinghuai fled under the escort of his guards. Since then, he has been secretly gathering righteous men, attempting to expose the Zhenbei King’s atrocities, but all his efforts have come to naught.】

Xu Qi’an wanted to ask about many details, but communication through the Earth Book was inefficient. He quickly sent a final message:

【THREE: Alright, I’ll head over immediately. I’ll arrive within half a day at the earliest or by tomorrow at the latest.】

Ending the transmission, Xu Qi’an stowed away the Earth Book fragment and returned to the courtyard.

The princess consort was seated at the table, one hand propping up her cheek, while the other idly doodled on the table surface. She hummed a lilting tune, her soft and sultry voice captivating.

“Princess Consort, I’ve discovered the location of the Zhenbei King’s massacre,” Xu Qi’an said, sitting across from her with a grave expression.

“Wasn’t it in Xikou County?” she asked, surprised.

Xu Qi’an shook his head and, fixing his gaze on the seemingly ordinary face of the most beautiful woman in Great Feng, replied solemnly:

“We’ve been evading others and staying hidden for so long. Now, it’s finally time to face your husband. All grievances must be resolved.”

The princess consort’s smile faded, and she looked at him oddly. “Your words… sound strange…”

Her eyes widened suddenly as the scoundrel opposite her struck her nape with a chopping hand.

Caught off guard, the princess consort let out a soft cry before collapsing onto the table, unconscious.

Even after knocking her out, Xu Qi’an remained cautious. He prepared a concoction of knockout wine and poured it into her mouth.

“That should keep her asleep for two days.”

Satisfied, he retrieved the _Earth Book_ fragment and placed her within it. Then, tearing a page from it, he used his Qi to ignite the paper.

“I have invisible wings that let me soar a thousand miles a day,” Xu Qi’an recited slowly.

The air around him swirled as an invisible pair of wings unfurled.

With a single beat of his wings, the dust beneath his feet rose, and he shot into the sky, ascending through the clouds before veering northeast.

…

The heavens stretched vast, and the earth spread wide. Mountains and rivers passed below him—winding rivers resembling silver ribbons and undulating peaks radiating majestic beauty.

Confucian techniques were truly unmatched. In just three hours, he had travelled from the distant southwest to the northern part of Chuzhou.

*The scenery is stunning. Bringing her along for a ride in the skies could be a novel experience. But I have serious matters to attend to; I can’t be distracted by carrying the princess consort around.*

*Hmm, I seem to have been thinking about her quite a lot lately. Strange, I’m not even attracted to her physically…*

Spotting a remote mountain peak, he descended and consulted a map. He discovered that he was still about eighty li from Beishan County.

This time, he refrained from using the Confucian technique to travel further. It was wasteful to burn through so much paper, and his shoulders couldn’t bear the strain.

The side effects of the Confucian technique depended on its intensity. For this particular skill, the worst he could expect was soreness in his shoulders and neck afterward.

By dusk, Xu Qi’an arrived at Beishan County. With his strikingly handsome features and a fur hat to ward off the cold, he tilted his head due to lingering neck pain as he searched for an inn.

It wasn’t long before he located Li Miaozhen’s lodging and knocked on her door.

The door creaked open, revealing Li Miaozhen. Delighted at the sight of her old friend, she froze momentarily at his odd posture.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, stepping back with a furrowed brow.

“Slept funny,” Xu Qi’an replied, his head still tilted.

“???”

Suppressing her questions, Li Miaozhen led him inside and instructed Susu, who was stifling laughter, to pour tea.

“Time is of the essence. Let’s get straight to the point,” Xu Qi’an declared, deliberately knocking over his teacup. The hot tea splashed onto Susu’s chest.

The 36D paper waifu’s large cheste deflated like a punctured balloon.

Stomping her foot in frustration, Susu complained, “Master, look at him! He’s bullying me again!”

Li Miaozhen sighed and shot a glare at Xu Qi’an. She handed Susu some paper and paste. “Fix yourself up. Honestly, this might be better—saves you from leading men astray everywhere you go.”

*How could she be so much bigger than me…*

After dismissing Susu, Li Miaozhen turned to Xu Qi’an. “What’s your plan?”

Xu Qi’an, having disciplined the mischievous spirit, tapped the table rhythmically with his fingers. He didn’t hesitate. “Naturally, I’ll meet the Provincial Administrator.”

Li Miaozhen frowned. “Aren’t you afraid it’s a trap?”

Xu Qi’an shook his head with a confident smile. “The odds are slim.”

His assured tone intrigued Li Miaozhen. Eager to learn, she pressed on, “Why do you think so?”

She enjoyed listening to Xu Qi’an’s analyses. Each time, she gained a deeper understanding of how to think critically.