Nightwatcher-Chapter 451: The National Teacher’s Suggestion

# 451. The National Teacher's Suggestion

【THREE: Don’t worry, I’m fine. But I haven’t rescued Hengyuan.】

*You haven’t rescued Hengyuan… So it really was just a preliminary exploration…* The members of the Heaven and Earth Society were a little disappointed, but quickly rallied, waiting for Xu Qi’an to explain further.

【THREE: I can’t say for certain that the other end of the formation leads to the palace, because it’s also an underground tunnel, completely pitch-dark. But going by the principles of earth-travelling, it’s almost certainly the palace…】

Xu Qi’an then recounted his experiences in the tunnel to the members, including the eerie breathing-like sounds, the possible sighting of Hengyuan’s golden light, and the premonition of his own silent death.

【FOUR: So you’re unable to determine whether the strange noise was caused by the dragon ley, or something else. And none of us are well-versed in geomancy. Wait, no, that unlucky sod at your house is a Fifth Rank Arcanist, she would understand it best.】

【THREE: I haven’t returned to Xu Manor yet. I’m still in the underground stone chamber…】

Hearing this, Li Miaozhen sent a message: 【I’ll go ask her.】

Zhong Li was staying at the Xu residence, in Xu Qi’an’s room, no less.

Xu Qi’an turned pale with fright and hastily replied: 【No, no, don’t! Don’t go into my room, don’t disturb her…】

*Such a big reaction… was he feeling guilty about something? Was he worried I’d find something I shouldn’t, like a Sitianjian senior sister lying in his bed after a night of passion?*

Li Miaozhen’s mind wandered.

【THREE: Her condition is stable at the moment. As long as no one disturbs her, no accidents will happen for the time being. If you enter the room and make contact with her, it will trigger a series of crises.】

Xu Qi’an muttered internally: *I’ve already put the Taiping sabre in the Earth Book, lest it takes a dislike to Zhong Li again.*

【FOUR: Just like when we went to find Lina?】

Chu Yuanzhen remembered how, when they had gone to Yongzhou to find Lina, Zhong Li had gone missing right after they descended on sword-flight, and they had searched for ages before finding her curled up motionless in a pit.

Her reasoning had been that if she stayed hidden somewhere safe and didn’t move, that safety would last a bit longer; but if she left, countless dangers would descend.

Thinking back to how she had almost been cut down by the Taiping Sabre, almost choked to death on Xu Lingyin’s pastries, almost had her soul scattered by himself… Li Miaozhen believed Xu Qi’an’s warning.

【THREE: Also, Zhong Li once said the dragon ley is the condensation of a nation’s fortune. Even the Jianzheng cannot easily control it. I doubt Zhong Li could have any deep understanding of it. Rather than focusing on that, we should think about how to deal with the situation ahead. The tunnel is set with restrictions that even I would certainly die to.】

The Earth Book chat group fell silent for a moment, before Number One sent a message:

【ONE: Why must you go personally? Why must we go personally?】

Xu Qi’an’s heart stirred: 【You mean… tell the Jianzheng?】

【ONE: Or the National Teacher.】

*Brilliant. The strongest powers in the capital were the Jianzheng and, second, the Heaven Sect’s Daoist Leader Luo Yuheng, who was at Transcending Tribulation. If they intervened, the matter wouldn’t even require much thought on their part.*

Xu Qi’an was delighted. He had not thought of this at first, mainly because of his ingrained instincts from his past life.

Whether as a policeman in his previous world, or as a Nightwatcher in this one, he was used to being the first to tackle problems head-on. So when faced with a situation like this, his instinct was to shoulder it himself.

【FOUR: Hmph, even if it’s just the dragon ley and Hengyuan beneath the palace, what can the Jianzheng and National Teacher do? Still, it’s worth a try.】

After discussing business, Li Miaozhen asked: 【Chu Yuanzhen, you’ll reach the Northern Border in about two days, right?】

【FOUR: The army has already reached Chuzhou.】

【THREE: So fast?】

【FOUR: Of course. Warships are much faster than regular official vessels. And in wartime, speed is of the essence. Don’t worry, I’ll protect Xu Cijiu well.】

【THREE: Many thanks.】

He had meant to say that Xu Erlang could use some training, but he held back. On the battlefield, things changed in an instant, and accidents were far too common. It was one thing to talk about training; in reality, it could easily get someone killed.

This kind of talk only made sense if there were a Third Rank expert personally guarding him, ensuring nothing could go wrong.

…

The next day, Xu Qi’an rode his little mare, the hooves going clip-clop, to the Stargazing Tower. He tied her to a white marble balustrade and entered alone.

Chu Caiwei was not at the Sitianjian, and Yang Qianhuan had been missing for a long time. That left Xu Qi’an no choice but to seek out the "mad scientist" of the Great Feng, the "overworking alchemist" of the Sitianjian — Song Qing.

Song Qing was a very focused person, as evidenced by his eternal dark circles under his eyes.

“Why, Young Master Xu, you’ve finally come to guide us humble alchemists?” Song Qing was overjoyed, spreading his arms wide in welcome.

After a quick hug, Xu Qi’an gave him a once-over and said, “Senior Brother, you don’t seem very happy lately.”

The frustration was written all over Song Qing’s face.

He sighed despondently: “It’s because of the war. The court has ordered the Sitianjian to mass-produce magical artefacts to bolster military supplies. Such repetitive, mindless labour is an insult to a genius like me.”

*It’s not just geniuses like you, anyone would hate assembly line work…* Xu Qi’an thought for a moment and said, “But when it comes to military supplies, the court should have had plenty of stockpiles.”

Song Qing lowered his voice: “There haven’t been any major wars for twenty years, and the equipment has fallen into disrepair. Besides, artefacts from the Sitianjian are valuable, a prime opportunity for certain people to profit, like the former Minister of War. Or, say, our emperor, who needs a miracle pill every season.”

*When it comes to corruption, the Great Feng is rotten to the bone. Even Prime Minister Wang, for all his brilliance, is entangled in it, accepting bribes. Even Duke Wei, most of the time, chose to turn a blind eye to officials’ corruption…*

Xu Qi’an shook his head. Against the tide of the times, even a genius like Wei Yuan, or an old fox like Prime Minister Wang, could not stem the flood alone.

Which was why Wei Yuan had stressed to him the words: “Blend in with the dust of the world.”

“Enough of that. I’m here today to visit the Jianzheng. I have an important matter to report,” Xu Qi’an said.

“Hmph!”

Song Qing gave a cold snort. “Teacher Jianzheng misled me. I don’t want to see him.”

*Science nerds really are something else…* Xu Qi’an thought admiringly.

But at his request, Song Qing reluctantly agreed and went up to the Bagua Platform to seek the Jianzheng. After a while, he came back, sleeves flapping angrily.

“What a coincidence, he doesn’t want to see me, and he doesn’t want to see you either. Told me to get lost.”

*The Jianzheng refuses to see me…* Xu Qi’an sighed inwardly. “Then I won’t trouble you further.”

“Don’t leave! You finally came, I have so many ideas I want to share!”

Song Qing dragged Xu Qi’an into his alchemy lab. After they sat down, he said, “Wait a moment, I’ll show you something.”

He brought out a tray holding strange-looking "fruits" — a watermelon the size of a fist, a peach the size of a watermelon, an apricot sprouting feathers, and a bunch of crystal-clear grapes, each with a tiny eye inside.

“I’ve been deeply studying the grafting techniques you taught me. After spring came, I conducted vigorous experiments. I’ve had major breakthroughs, but there are some problems…”

Song Qing pointed at the watermelon: “I grafted a peach and a watermelon. Sometimes it produces a watermelon the size of a peach; sometimes a peach the size of a watermelon. They’re edible, but the taste is… off. And the yield is low. Would you like to try, Young Master Xu?”

“No, no, no…”

Xu Qi’an hastily waved him off, his eyes glazing over.

"As for apricots, I grafted an apricot tree onto a bird. A tiny apricot tree grew from the bird's back. It could bear fruit, but it wasn’t edible. My original aim was to give apricots a meaty flavour. As for grapes, well, I still haven't quite figured out why eyes grew inside them. Perhaps it’s because the vine sprouted from the eyes of a dead horse…”

*I’ve always felt that among Jianzheng’s collection of eccentric disciples, Song Qing is the maddest and most dangerous of the lot…* Xu Qi'an gave a hypocritical compliment: "Not bad. By the way, how’s my human transmutation project coming along?"

At the mention of this, Song Qing lit up with joy and said, "I already understand your request. In gratitude for Young Master Xu’s kindness to us, my fellow disciples and I plan to craft for you the most beautiful woman in the Great Feng, modelled after the princess consort.

"Sadly, we have never seen the princess consort in person. Later, when Lady Fuxiang passed away… my fellow disciples and I decided instead to create a replica of Lady Fuxiang. But regrettably, we had never seen Lady Fuxiang either."

*Of course. How could a bunch of engineering nerds like you possibly care about something as vulgar as women? Mere fleeting clouds…* Xu Qi'an was overflowing with criticisms in his mind.

Song Qing continued, "The one we know best is Junior Sister Caiwei. However, after some discussion, the brothers unanimously agreed that a lecher like Young Master Xu does not deserve to have Junior Sister Caiwei."

"???"

Xu Qi'an stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Oh, I speak rather bluntly, no offence meant," Song Qing hastily explained.

*No offence meant—just pure verbal abuse…* Xu Qi'an thought wryly.

"But we did make plenty of men."

*What are you trying to say?* Xu Qi'an glanced at him, then said coolly, "Senior Brother Song, I have other matters to attend to. I’ll see you later."

Without paying attention to Song Qing’s attempts to keep him, he quickly departed.

…

Leaving the Sitianjian Stargazing Tower, Xu Qi'an rode his little mare, bobbing up and down as he brooded over Jianzheng’s attitude.

At such a critical juncture, to be turned away so coldly, it was clear that Jianzheng either didn’t want to get involved, or had some hidden motive for refusing to act.

As for what that motive might be, even Wei Yuan had failed to see through this peak Arcanist's mind, so Xu Qi'an saw no point in tormenting himself over it.

Fortunately, he still had the beautiful legs of Luo Yuheng to look forward to embracing.

Upon returning to the Xu Residence, he found Zhong Li, who was in a cheerful mood since nothing unlucky had happened today.

"Don't climb onto the rooftop!" he warned her, then drew out a talisman sword, extended his spiritual consciousness into it, and sent a message: "National Teacher, it’s me, Xu Qi'an."

A few breaths later, a beam of golden light invisible to ordinary folk pierced through the roof. In the midst of the light, the National Teacher descended gracefully.

She wore a lotus crown upon her head and a feathered robe over her shoulders. Her cold, exquisite face had the noble, sacred beauty of a celestial maiden. And yet, looking again, she seemed a bewitchingly alluring mature woman, waiting for the rain of love to fall upon her.

Since his encounter with Huang Xian’er, Xu Qi'an had abstained from women. Now, he stole a glance to the side, steadying his nerves, before returning his gaze to her and saying with a straight face:

"National Teacher, I have something I wish to discuss with you."

The word "discuss" was perhaps somewhat irreverent, but Luo Yuheng didn’t take offence. She simply nodded slightly, waiting for him to continue.

"I have found some clues regarding Emperor Yuanjing…"

Xu Qi'an began to recount everything, from the dragon ley, to the teleportation formation beneath Earl Pingyuan’s Manor, and even last night’s encounter, describing it all in detail.

Luo Yuheng, with her sharp mind, immediately grasped his meaning. She parted her lips slightly and said, "You want me to intervene—and even help you rescue someone?"

Xu Qi'an guided the beautiful woman to a seat and, shamelessly smiling, said, "I would be deeply grateful if the National Teacher would lend a hand."

Luo Yuheng curled her lips slightly, her bright eyes flashing with amusement: "Help you save someone, and in doing so, break ties with Yuanjing?"

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment. "Yuanjing must be up to something. If the National Teacher acts, it would be in the cause of justice."

Luo Yuheng gave a cold snort. Her beautiful eyes gleamed with displeasure as she said indifferently, "You cannot even be sure what lies within the dragon ley, and yet you so rashly ask me for help. To put it plainly, you never really considered my situation.

"If there truly is something wrong with the dragon ley, so be it. But if it’s merely a monk imprisoned inside, how am I supposed to extricate myself afterwards? Will I still be able to remain the National Teacher? Will I still be able to suppress the karmic fire using the dynasty’s fortune? Whether I live or die, you care nothing for it."

A trace of disappointment passed over her flawless face.

Xu Qi'an said nothing for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, "You’re right. I was reckless. I simply thought of you as the Daoist Leader of the Human Sect, an invincible powerhouse, the number one remarkable woman in the Great Feng. I… somewhat blindly worshipped you."

Luo Yuheng was momentarily stunned. She looked at him, surprised.

So, in his heart, he held her in such high esteem, admired her so deeply?

Xu Qi'an went on, "And because of that, I forgot you too have your own difficulties. That was never my intention."

Luo Yuheng's expression softened slightly. She said in a gentle voice, "If you want me to act, it’s not impossible, but you must present concrete evidence. Not vague guesses or half-baked leads."

After speaking, the room fell silent.

Luo Yuheng sat quietly for a while. Seeing that he said nothing further, her fine eyebrows creased slightly. "Is there anything else?"

*Hm? The National Teacher seems reluctant to leave, but has no reason to stay…* Xu Qi'an keenly picked up on the strange atmosphere.

In the past, even if he had sensed it, he would probably have paid it no mind. But now, things were different. He clearly knew that he had already entered Luo Yuheng’s pond.

This peerlessly beautiful, mature, and coldly elegant superlative woman was seriously considering dual cultivation with him…

Which meant that, on her side, she actually longed for more interaction and conversation with him, to better assess him.

But as the National Teacher and the Daoist Leader of the Human Sect, she could not easily lower herself to show overt affection to a young man.

Thus she was caught in this awkward position.

*At a time like this, it falls upon the man to take the initiative. Whether I’m right or wrong, it’s worth a try…* Thinking thus, Xu Qi'an chose his words carefully and said:

"The ley line can’t be explored deeper. My clues have broken off. I wonder if the National Teacher might have any better suggestions?"

As he spoke, he wore a look of expectation and admiration.

This was not only a way to create more conversation between them, to work together, but also a means of deepening Luo Yuheng’s sense of involvement, subtly turning the investigation into something they did together, not just Xu Qi'an's solitary endeavour.

Whether it was illusion or not, Luo Yuheng’s expression seemed to soften slightly, a faint smile appearing as she picked up the thread of conversation: "You mentioned there’s an earth-travelling teleportation formation beneath Earl Pingyuan’s Manor."

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Xu Qi'an nodded, looking at her with focused attention.

This look of admiration and rapt focus seemed to please Luo Yuheng. The smile at her lips deepened slightly as she said calmly, "Very few people can master earth-travelling techniques. And even fewer could construct a teleportation formation based on the dragon ley.

"Such a feat involves both feng-shui and formation arts. Aside from high-ranking Arcanists, only the Earth Sect, who possess the magical artefact the Earth Book, could accomplish it. Isn’t that a lead?"

…

At the borderlands.

Ten thousand troops marched across a somewhat barren plain. Whether cavalry or infantry, they all maintained strict silence.

In the long column, Xu Erlang chewed on a candied fruit, lightly squeezed his horse’s flanks, and drifted away from the main force, gazing back at the militiamen and infantry struggling to transport cannons and bed crossbows.

He thought, *If enemy cavalry launched a sudden raid now, there’d be no time to dismantle the artillery or crossbows… which only highlights the importance of the scouts…*

*Still, while cannons and crossbows are terrifying battlefield weapons, they severely hampered the army’s marching speed. Gains and losses—there are always trade-offs. In warfare, one had to weigh the advantages and disadvantages based on both sides’ strengths and the terrain. There are no fixed rules…*

War games were nothing compared to real campaigning. Since arriving in Chuzhou, he had been constantly reflecting, constantly thinking. His mind had not rested for a single moment.

*Thank goodness I brought plenty of candied fruits. They keep my mind sharp during intense thinking. Mm, as big brother says, sugar is the only energy source the brain can directly absorb…*

Yesterday, the army had arrived in Chuzhou. After resting for a night, they immediately set out again, heading to rendezvous with Yang Yan’s forces.

Yang Yan had already entered the wall, and had fought several battles with the iron cavalry of Jing.