Nightwatcher-Chapter 452: Zhende 26

“Second, the Church of the Warlock God. The battlefield is the domain of warlocks. You are all seasoned generals and need no further elaboration. Most importantly, there is a Rank Three warlock among the Jing army. His presence alone has restrained Zhujiu, who has yet to recover from his wounds.

“Third, Xiahou Yushu is a top-class commander. His level of command has reached a point of mastery. Against such a figure, unless we can crush him with absolute strength, it is nearly impossible to defeat him with mere clever tactics.”

After a brief pause, he continued, “The army currently fighting us on the Chuzhou border is the Left Army of Jing, led by a Rank Four warrior named Tuoba Ji. He commands three thousand fire-armour troops, five thousand light cavalry, and ten thousand infantry and artillery. Tuoba Ji intends to pin us down here on the Chuzhou frontier.”

*Pinned down on the Chuzhou frontier, which means the two sides were quite close to each other...* Xu Erlang judged in his heart.

Sure enough, Jiang Lyuzhong said after a moment’s thought, “So, if we wish to march north and aid the yao and barbarians, we must first defeat Tuoba Ji.”

Yang Yan nodded slowly. “Only by defeating Tuoba Ji’s forces can we advance without worries. The problem is, in terms of cavalry, we are no match for them. And in artillery, they are well-equipped with cannons and siege ballistae. Apart from having overwhelming superiority in numbers, we have no advantage in other aspects.”

A general laughed and said, “That’s why your arrival is timely. Now that we have sufficient troops and supplies, we can act swiftly and launch a surprise attack on Tuoba Ji.”

The generals of Chuzhou also revealed smiles; they had long been waiting for reinforcements.

Jiang Lyuzhong nodded slowly. “Do we know their position?”

Yang Yan gave a low hum. “We know the general direction. We have scouts observing them, reporting back every hour. So far, no anomalies.”

Jiang Lyuzhong looked around and said, “This battle must be fought quickly. Otherwise, with the warlocks’ abilities, if it drags into a prolonged engagement, the number of corpse soldiers will only increase. On the battlefield, we may not always be able to burn the corpses in time.”

Warlocks had the power to manipulate corpses. The best countermeasure was to burn the dead immediately, thus effectively reducing the number of corpse soldiers.

Everyone discussed this topic in detail.

“Arcanists from the Sitianjian will provide targeting coordinates. We’ll begin with a few rounds of bombardment, then advance with archers and musket troops…” ȑ₳ΝÖ𝐁Ëṧ

“But if the enemy retreats, apart from the cavalry, the rest of our forces won’t be able to catch up. If only the cavalry pursues, it would be like sheep entering a tiger’s den.”

“Why not take advantage of our superior numbers to set up an encirclement?”

“No, an encirclement would disperse our forces and weaken our advantage. The enemy could break through in any direction, or even launch a counterattack.”

“We must also guard against the warlocks’ divination. If only we had a high-ranking arcanist to shield our fortune from heaven’s gaze.”

“Masters of Divination can only predict their own fortunes. If there’s no danger to their lives in this battle, they won’t be able to foresee anything. Hah, if the enemy had a Rank Three Master of Wisdom, forget what I said.”

As the fierce debate continued, Xu Erlang glanced at Chu Yuanzhen. The former top scholar had his eyes closed, resting, showing no intention of joining the discussion.

Xu Erlang could only remain silent. After a quarter of an hour, the generals were still debating, but had moved past their disagreements and started working on details and strategy.

Xu Erlang glanced at Chu Yuanzhen again. He was still silent. Xu Erlang could not hold back anymore. He coughed and raised his hand, then said loudly:

“Gentlemen, may I say a word?”

The discussion stopped. All the generals frowned and turned their sharp gazes on the lone scholar in the tent.

Originally, Xu Xinnian had no right to sit here, given his position as Assistant Surveillance Commissioner of Dingzhou and his lack of seniority. However, because Jiang Lyuzhong and Xu Qi’an had once gone to the Jiaofangsi together and investigated cases in Yunzhou together, Jiang Lyuzhong paid special attention to his comrade’s little brother.

As for Yang Yan, there was even less to say. He swept a glance over the displeased generals and nodded expressionlessly. “Assistant Commissioner Xu, speak freely.”

Receiving the Commander-in-Chief’s permission, Xu Xinnian breathed a sigh of relief and asked the assembled generals:

“What is our objective?”

A general frowned and replied in a deep voice, “Naturally to rout Tuoba Ji’s army and rush north to aid the yao and barbarians.”

Xu Erlang nodded. “So our true goal is to reinforce the yao and barbarians, not to engage Tuoba Ji in a battle to the death.”

“What difference does it make?” one general asked with a sneer.

Xu Erlang glanced at Yang Yan and, seeing that he was listening intently without interrupting, continued:

“Of course it makes a difference. When battle is to be made, attacking cities is inferior, attacking hearts is superior. Achieving victory at the lowest possible cost is what we must strive for. If all we know is to recklessly throw away soldiers’ lives to achieve victory, that is a crude—”

“Ahem, ahem, ahem!” Chu Yuanzhen suddenly coughed, cutting off Xu Xinnian’s words.

“The principle of 'attacking cities is inferior, attacking hearts is superior' comes from a military treatise written by Xu Qi’an. You may not have read it yet. The book is called 'Sun Tzu’s The Art of War,' authored recently by Xu Ningyan. Oh, and by the way, let me introduce you, this is Xu Qi’an’s cousin, a newly ranked Second Class *Jinshi*, yes, Assistant Commissioner Xu, do continue,” Chu Yuanzhen said with a smile.

*Silver Gong Xu actually knows military strategy? Attacking cities is inferior, attacking hearts is superior — marvellous…*

*So this white-faced scholar is Silver Gong Xu’s cousin…*

The assembled military officers were filled with thoughts. Upon learning that Xu Xinnian was the cousin of Silver Gong Xu, they all promptly put away their displeasure and adjusted their attitudes.

The burly soldier who had mocked him earlier now wore a friendly smile and said, “Assistant Commissioner Xu, please continue. We are listening.”

Their attitudes had changed completely.

Xu Qi’an’s efforts to seek justice for the 380,000 citizens of Chuzhou, and to clear the name of the Chuzhou Administrator Zheng Xinghuai, had long since spread throughout the province.

Among the officers present, some were natives of Chuzhou. These men revered Xu Qi’an as though he were a deity, grateful beyond measure.

Naturally, even those soldiers and officers who were not locals held Silver Gong Xu in high esteem. When they spoke of him, who would not boast a little and give a thumbs-up?

Since this unruly, pale-faced scholar was the cousin of Silver Gong Xu, it meant he was not ill-mannered but, just like his cousin, a man of bold speech and outstanding talent.

Well, whether he was truly outstanding remained to be seen, but it did not prevent the gathered officers from looking at him with new eyes.

*Xu Cijiu really is a little too thin-skinned. He has such a fearsome cousin’s reputation at his back and still did not think to use it. If he mentioned it sooner, who would not have shown him due respect? Why make me step in to help…* Chu Yuanzhen shook his head.

_I do not need my cousin’s protection…_ Xu Xinnian muttered proudly to himself. Taking a deep breath, he continued:

“Our aim should be to shake off Tuoba Ji. The army that Jing left at the Chuzhou border was placed there to tie us down, to wear down our strength, so that they could buy time to wipe out the Yao and the Barbarians, reducing the pressure on themselves.

“If we fight to the death, even if we win, it would only be a local victory and would not aid the overall situation.”

Jiang Lyuzhong frowned. “We understand that logic. What is your proposal?”

The officers all looked at him. They understood the reasoning, but if they did not kill the enemy, how could they advance north to reinforce their allies?

Xu Xinnian swept his gaze around the room and said, “Our advantage lies in our superior numbers. I believe the best way to make use of this advantage is not merely to rely on numbers to overwhelm the few, but to deploy our forces rationally.”

He paused, then said, “Why not send a large army around by another route?”

Hearing this, the gathered generals could not help but feel disappointed.

Only Yang Yan and Jiang Lyuzhong furrowed their brows in thought.

“How would we go around? If we don’t deal with Tuoba Ji first and just attempt to bypass him, we would only end up surrounded.”

“Assistant Commissioner Xu, your plan is good, in theory. But it is not suited to the current situation,” the generals said tactfully.

This Assistant Commissioner Xu was nothing like his elder cousin.

Xu Xinnian braced his hands against the table and said calmly, “Hear me out first. Just now, I heard you mention that Tuoba Ji commands around eighteen thousand men. Is that correct?”

Yang Yan’s deputy nodded. “That is accurate, excluding logistics and militia forces.”

Xu Xinnian asked, “With eighteen thousand men, could he take a city?”

One general chuckled. “A fool’s dream. Let alone Chuzhou City, even a small town would not fall to such a force. Besides, we have hundreds of strongholds along the frontier, ready to reinforce at any time.”

Yang Yan’s deputy added, “We have already employed scorched earth tactics.”

Xu Xinnian smiled. “In that case, it would not be difficult for us to transfer ten thousand troops from Chuzhou, would it?”

Yang Yan’s deputy pondered. “You brought twenty thousand men. If ten thousand are left to defend Chuzhou City, we could indeed redeploy the remainder without endangering the city.”

Xu Xinnian’s smile deepened. “Then allow me to ask one more impertinent question: to face Tuoba Ji, seeking only to harass and delay, how many men would suffice?”

This time it was Yang Yan who answered. “Twenty thousand would be more than enough. Chuzhou is not far; with proper coordination, reinforcements could come quickly. In fact, even fifteen thousand would do.”

Xu Xinnian nodded. “To be safe, let us keep twenty thousand here. At present, the camp has over forty thousand soldiers. We can extract twenty thousand and link up with the ten thousand from Chuzhou. This combined force of thirty thousand would circle around deep into the northern territories and rendezvous with the Yao and Barbarians.

“As for Tuoba Ji, we leave twenty thousand behind to entangle and distract him, so that he cannot pursue or outflank us.”

The command tent fell silent. The generals made no immediate reply, each weighing the feasibility of the plan.

“We also have arcanists. Using the Qi-watching technique, we can scout the enemy’s movements. Even if they realise what is happening and march north in pursuit, we can still delay them.”

“If they move, we move. If they stay still, we harass them. In this way, we can reinforce the Yao and Barbarians while keeping Tuoba Ji’s eighteen thousand pinned down.”

“Hmm, though it is not the most satisfying method, the plan is indeed workable…”

The officers present were all seasoned veterans. They needed only a brief moment’s thought to recognise that Xu Xinnian’s strategy was sound.

Within the command tent, the senior officers’ gazes towards Xu Xinnian softened, their appraisal of him improving. At the very least, they now recognised that he had a capable mind and could take part in serious discussion.

Yang Yan exhaled and smiled. “Not bad. This plan is viable. We shall discuss the finer details further.”

Xu Xinnian let out a breath of relief. He did not grow arrogant; devising a good plan during a military council did not make one a genius. Among the officers present, many must have had moments of brilliance when offering their own strategies.

In warfare, no single scheme is enough. The depth of knowledge required was immense, even down to details like the placement of latrines in the camp, every arrangement carried its own significance.

_Cijiu does have talent in military strategy, but he lacks command experience. For now, serving as a strategist suits him well enough…_ Chu Yuanzhen nodded to himself in approval.

…

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“National Teacher, your insight is truly unmatched!”

Xu Qi’an first offered a word of flattery, then proceeded to analyse, “It is true that the Leader of the Earth Sect colluded with Emperor Yuanjing. But what does that prove? I already knew about it back in Chuzhou.”

Besides, the Leader of the Earth Sect now recognised no ties of kinship, concerned only with committing evil deeds and chasing women. There was little point in investigating that line.

The breathtakingly beautiful National Teacher, Luo Yuheng, cast a languid glance at him. “Is not investigation supposed to be your strength? If I knew everything, why would I send you?”

*That’s- I can’t refute that point.*

Next, Luo Yuheng asked a few questions about his cultivation and offered some guidance on his training of the Heart Sword. Upon learning that Xu Qi’an was stuck at the stage of ‘intent’, Luo Yuheng pondered for a while before saying:

“Techniques are techniques, and intent is intent. Without intent, there is nothing. You must now focus on comprehending intent, not on fusing techniques. You are putting the cart before the horse.”

_But I have no ‘intent’ to comprehend. If freeloading counted, I would already be at the peak of Fourth Rank, Auntie…_ Xu Qi’an drooped his head in dejection.

“More haste, less speed. Others may take years, even decades, to grasp it. You have only been practising for just over a month,” Luo Yuheng advised. “There is no need to rush.”

She paused, then added, “However, I hope you will achieve it within two years.”

_Hmm? Why within two years? Is there some particular reason?_ Xu Qi’an nodded. “I will focus my mind.”

Luo Yuheng nodded, said no more, and turned into golden light as she sped away.

However, she did not return to Lingbao Temple. Mid-air, she changed direction and landed in a small courtyard not far from the Xu residence.

The small courtyard was filled with blossoming flowers of every colour, the air thick with sweet fragrance. A plain-looking woman lay comfortably on a bamboo chair, eating early-season oranges. Though she grimaced from the sourness, her craving was stronger, and she forced herself to endure it.

"Why are you here again? What if someone finds out?" Mu Nanzhi said crossly.

"Other than the Jianzheng, no one can see me," Luo Yuheng replied coolly. "If you think the Jianzheng would covet your beauty, then I shan't come again."

"I do have enough self-awareness," Mu Nanzhi muttered.

Luo Yuheng ignored her, walked straight to the water tank, and glanced at the thriving nine-coloured lotus root, nodding with satisfaction.

"You've been living quite well lately," she said, moving her gaze to scrutinise the princess consort.

"I feel like my waist's thicker," the princess consort grumbled, pinching her slim waist. "It's all that dog Xu Qi'an's fault, always dragging me out for feasts."

Luo Yuheng smiled. When Mu Nanzhi had been the principal consort of King Huai, she had had every delicacy at her disposal but had no real appetite. Now, living as a plain woman among the common folk, eating coarse meals, her appetite was better than ever.

After being confined in the king’s estate for twenty years, she was finally free. Even the sparkle in her eyes had changed.

At this moment, if she revealed her true face, she would surely be the most captivating woman in the world.

Luo Yuheng said offhandedly, "Xu Qi'an is going to leave the capital. Will you go with him?"

The princess consort quickly shook her head and denied it. "Of course not. Why should I follow him? I'm not his concubine. I merely borrowed some silver from him and am temporarily living in his outer residence."

Luo Yuheng was very satisfied with this answer and said calmly, "Remember your words. If you go back on them, I’ll sell you to a brothel."

Mu Nanzhi said suspiciously, "What’s it to you?"

Luo Yuheng said nothing.

The princess consort tossed an orange over. "Try it. I bought it at the market this morning. It cost a fortune."

Luo Yuheng waved her hand, batting the orange back without even glancing at it. "I don't eat."

The princess consort tutted and said, "Tsk, I really envy women like you who don't even need to use the privy."

Luo Yuheng frowned slightly. "You’re talking more and more like a vulgar street woman."

The princess consort only giggled.

…

Meanwhile, Xu Qi'an was pondering how to find a breakthrough with the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect.

*I definitely can't investigate the Daoist Leader directly. First, I don't know where the Earth Sect is, and even if I did, I couldn’t go. Daoist Jinlian would surely report me for throwing away my life. Besides, I can’t return to the dragon ley line anymore, it's too dangerous and yielded nothing.*

*I've already read through the Imperial Diary and found no crucial leads. How should I proceed? No, what exactly am I trying to uncover?*

Xu Qi'an reviewed his clues and reasoning. Initially, he investigated Emperor Yuanjing because the Emperor had supported the Zhenbei King’s massacre of a city, where the cost and benefit were wildly disproportionate. There was clearly something wrong.

After all this time, Xu Qi'an confirmed that Emperor Yuanjing did have a serious problem, but he still lacked a clear answer or direction.

*My goal is to unveil the mystery surrounding Emperor Yuanjing. The soul pill, the trafficking of people, the dragon ley — all these are clues, but they aren't yet linked together. In the soul pill, there’s the shadow of the Daoist Leader. The dragon ley also shows his involvement...*

*Luo Yuheng’s way of thinking is correct. The Earth Sect Daoist Leader might indeed be the thread connecting everything. But how do I find the entry point?*

*I’ve also fallen into a thinking trap. I don't necessarily have to approach the Daoist Leader himself. I can start from his actions. I'll visit the Nightwatchers’ constabulary.*

Without hesitation, he left the house, mounted his little mare, and headed straight for the Nightwatchers’ constabulary.

Upon arrival, he tossed the reins aside, shook out his robe, and entered the building as if returning home.

The guards at the gate did not stop him. One even took the reins to look after the horse.

Inside, Xu Qi'an searched around but couldn’t find the two notorious flirts, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao. Most likely they had taken the chance to go to a brothel or listen to music.

Luckily, Li Yuchun was a diligent and reliable Silver Gong. Seeing Xu Qi'an visit, he greeted him warmly, pulling him inside while glancing anxiously behind him.

"Relax, that scruffy girl didn’t follow me," Xu Qi'an said, fully understanding his superior.

"No, don't say it, don't even mention it..."

Li Yuchun waved his hands vigorously. "Even now, just thinking of her gives me goosebumps."

*It seemsZhong Li had left a deep psychological shadow on Brother Chun, so vast it’s even got two bedrooms and a living room...* Xu Qi'an wasted no words and stated his purpose.

"Boss, I want to look at the confessions from the human traffickers connected to the Earl of Pingyuan."

"Easy enough. I’ll have someone fetch them," Li Yuchun agreed readily, calling a clerk to retrieve the files from the archives.

For cases like this, there was no need for a Nightwatcher to go personally, a clerk would suffice.

The two sat down for tea and a chat. Li Yuchun said, "By the way, Guangxiao is getting married at the end of the year. The date is set."

"That’s wonderful news!"

Xu Qi'an gave a genuine smile, thinking that Zhu Guangxiao would finally escape Song Tingfeng’s bad influence and step away from the frosty, winding path of bachelorhood.

During the investigation in Yunzhou last year, Zhu Guangxiao had said he would return to the capital and marry his childhood sweetheart once the case concluded.

*Looks like I’ll have to give another wedding gift…* Xu Qi'an’s smile hid an instinctive grumble born of his past life.

Speaking of which, one of the most regrettable things in his previous life was never marrying. University classmates, high school friends, childhood companions, all got married one after another. He shelled out gift money repeatedly, and now there was no chance of getting it back.

The mere thought was like a knife to the heart.

Before long, the clerk returned, holding a thick stack of documents: the case files for the human traffickers.

After the death of the Earl of Pingyuan, most of the leaders and henchmen of the trafficking ring had been captured, with only a few escaping. Those arrested had long since been executed at the market.

Only their interrogation records remained.

Xu Qi'an skipped over the confessions of the small fry and focused on reading the testimonies of the mid-level leaders within the organisation.

The nominal leader of the group was a man called "Black Scorpion."

Black Scorpion's identity was mysterious. Back when the Nightwatchers had yet to lock onto him, Hengyuan had killed the Earl of Pingyuan, disrupting their plans.

As for these mid-level leaders, they did not even know they were working for the Earl of Pingyuan. They were simply responsible for luring, abducting, and seizing lone children, women, and even adult men.

The men were sold off as slaves or labourers, while the women were either sold into brothels or kept for the brothers within the organisation to abuse.

They were utterly unaware of the Earl of Pingyuan secretly transporting people into the palace.

*With the Earl of Pingyuan's status, he certainly would not have dealt with the human traffickers in person. This Black Scorpion is an important figure. Before the Nightwatchers could lock onto him, Hengyuan had already attacked the Earl's residence...*

Xu Qi'an drew a deep breath. *Could the 'python' in Fuxiang’s story be referring to this Black Scorpion? Perhaps he knew the Nightwatchers were investigating him, so he secretly reported to Emperor Yuanjing. After receiving imperial instructions, he leaked the information to Hengyuan, using him to silence the witnesses?*

This speculation flashed across his mind.

But it was only a fleeting thought. Black Scorpion's fate was either fleeing the capital and vanishing far away or being silenced.

There was no point in investigating him further.

Xu Qi'an continued reading the confessions. As he read, an unremarkable detail caught his attention.

One testimony came from a mid-level leader called "Master Sabre," who mentioned that when he first joined the trade, he had followed a senior figure known as "Master Deer."

This Master Deer claimed to be one of the founding members of the human trafficking organisation. When Master Sabre was young, he had worked under him. As Master Deer grew older, he gradually stepped back and promoted his trusted aide to take over.

The biggest issue with this information was that Master Sabre had entered the trade in his early twenties and was now forty-three.

Before Master Sabre, there had been a Master Deer. This meant the human trafficking organisation had existed for at least thirty years.

*At the very least, it had existed for thirty years—a conservative estimate. Yet Emperor Yuanjing has only been cultivating for twenty-one years...*

Xu Qi'an inhaled sharply.

"Does this Master Deer's family still exist?"

He passed the confession over to Li Yuchun.

Li Yuchun shook his head. "I didn’t handle this case myself, not too clear on the details. I'll go and ask."

He took the document and left. About a quarter of an hour later, Li Yuchun returned and said:

"Master Deer died of illness long ago. According to Great Feng law, trafficking in people is punished based on the severity: death by a thousand cuts, beheading, exile, or caning. If the father dies, the son atones, with the penalty reduced by two degrees.

"Master Deer's crime warranted a thousand cuts. Because he died of illness, his son atoned for him, penalty reduced by two degrees, and was exiled to the frontier. As for Master Deer’s wife, she’s still alive."

Xu Qi'an drained his cup of tea and stood up. "Take me to see her."

...

Although Master Deer had amassed considerable wealth early on, he had been fully aware of the “dangers” of his profession and prepared accordingly. He had purchased a residence in the Inner City and left behind a fortune.

After his son was exiled, Master Deer’s wife and the family moved into the inner city, where they could have continued living luxuriously.

Unfortunately, the Nightwatchers were like ruthless blades. Every now and then, they extorted the families of human traffickers, squeezing every penny of their ill-gotten gains.

Eventually, Master Deer's family was forced to move back to the Outer City. They now lived in a small courtyard in the North City, consisting of a grandson, a daughter-in-law, and the old woman.

Led by Li Yuchun, Xu Qi'an knocked on the courtyard door. A fairly pretty but timid woman opened it.

She was in the middle of rinsing clothes, wearing a coarse linen dress, looking very plain.

In the yard, a child rode a bamboo horse, while an old woman with silver hair scattered feed for chickens.

When the two women saw Li Yuchun’s Nightwatcher uniform, their faces changed dramatically. The younger one trembled all over, while the older one immediately threw down her sieve and wailed:

"The officials are bullying us again! They’re here to bully us again! Just kill me already, I’ll make sure the whole neighbourhood sees what a bunch of bastards you are..."

The old woman must have been fierce in her younger years, which was not surprising given she had been the wife of a human trafficker boss.

Li Yuchun stepped forward and kicked her a few times, cursing: "Shut up. Keep screaming and I'll sell your grandson off."

That threat struck a nerve. The old woman immediately fell silent, glaring at Li Yuchun and Xu Qi'an with venom in her eyes.

Xu Qi'an closed the courtyard door, sidestepped piles of chicken droppings, and walked over to the old woman, speaking in a low voice: "I’ll ask you a few questions. Answer honestly."

After the old woman nodded, he asked: "Was Master Deer one of the founding members of the human trafficking organisation?"

Her eyes flickered. "What founding member? I’m just a woman. I know nothing."

"Oh, you know nothing."

Xu Qi'an nodded as if enlightened, then dragged the young woman towards the house, grinning cruelly: "Young lady, you’re very graceful. Let’s have some fun inside."

Awkwardly, the young woman flushed red and stole a glance at Xu Qi'an but did not scream.

Xu Qi'an, embarrassed and angry, barked: "I’ll sell you to a brothel afterwards!"

Only then did the young woman shriek: "Mother, help me..."

"I'll sell the brat too," Xu Qi'an added.

The old woman hurriedly grabbed her grandson and shouted: "No, don’t! I’ll tell you everything!"

She told Xu Qi'an that Master Deer had once been an idle good-for-nothing, hanging around the streets and alleys with other ruffians.

Until one day, someone commissioned him to "obtain" a few people. From then on, what had started as commissions became organised work, and the human trafficking ring was born. Master Deer, along with his brothers, had joined and prospered.

"When exactly did this happen?" Xu Qi'an asked.

The old woman frowned in thought and said, "If I remember right, it was year 26 of Zhende."

The year when their poor lives turned around was deeply etched into her memory.

*Year 26 of Zhende... sounds familiar...*

Xu Qi'an muttered to himself for a moment before his body suddenly stiffened, his expression freezing.

The former Emperor’s imperial diary noted that in the year 26 of Zhende, the Emperor had invited the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect into the palace for a debate on the Dao.

The records also noted that in the same year, King Huai and Yuanjing had gone hunting deep in the Southern Garden and been attacked by a bear, losing almost all their bodyguards.

And in that year, someone had commissioned Master Deer to abduct people in secret—people who were later secretly transported into the palace. It could be inferred that the earth-travelling formation at the Earl of Pingyuan’s residence had been constructed in the year 26 of Zhende.

All of it happened in the same year.

After a long, long time, Xu Qi'an murmured with all the strength left in his body: "The Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect..."