"Four: Now?"
Number Four, Chu Yuanzhen, was the first to reply.
Daoist Priest Golden Lotus replied, "Nine: No, there's no need for now. It will take half a month for the nine-colored lotus to mature. It's the most vulnerable time when it's about to mature and can't withstand any damage.
"Unless the Earth Sect wants to destroy it, they won't attack at this time. But there will be a big battle in half a month. "
Number Two, Li Miaozhen, replied, "Have the monsters of the Earth Sect found out where you're hiding?"
The Jinlian Taoist priest replied, "There is a close connection between the Black Lotus and the nine-colored lotus. Usually, I can hide the connection between us, but the lotus is about to mature and I can't hide it anymore. Just now, the nine-colored light shot into the sky. The Black Lotus must have sensed it."
"Black Lotus?" "The Dao Master of the Earth Sect is called Black Lotus? Umm, are the Taoists of the Earth Sect all named after the nine-colored lotus?" "I wonder if there's a white lotus …" This was the first time Xu Qi 'an had heard the name of the Dao Master of the Earth Sect.
"Black Lotus, Skyless Buddha, is that you?"
He sat by the table and muttered a joke that only he could understand. Then, he smiled a little desolately.
Chu Yuanzhen replied, "This also means that the monsters of the Earth Sect are more prepared, which is very disadvantageous to us."
At this time, Number Five, who rarely spoke, replied: [Who cares? No matter how many people come, I can still smash them into meat paste.]
Seeing this, Xu Qi 'an felt that it was necessary to remind them. He typed in the information with his finger.
"Three: I heard from my brother that he saw the Dao Master of the Earth Sect in Chu Zhou City making the Blood Elixir. It was a clone, but its power was at the third level. If there's another clone like this during the fight for the nine-colored lotus, I think we can give up on the nine-colored lotus. "
"Ah, it's a bit shameful to pretend to be Erlang. No, what really shameful is that Li Miaozhen and the Jinlian Taoist priest know my identity …" Xu Qi 'an covered his face and felt that his social death had deepened.
The members of the Heaven & Earth Society were shocked. If the Black Lotus could really send out a third level clone, even if it was only at the third level, it would be enough to wipe out the members of the Heaven & Earth Society.
The Jinlian Taoist priest sent a message. "The Black Lotus gained a lot from the massacre in Chu Zhou City. That third level clone must have been made at that time. Although his doppelganger would be destroyed afterwards, he would definitely have energy left over. Perhaps he could create another doppelganger of the same level.
"But you don't have to worry. Now that I've recovered, as long as Black Lotus doesn't personally come here, I can deal with him. Hehe, it's impossible for him to come with his true body. I can guarantee that.
"You have to deal with the other Lotus Taoists of the Earth Sect."
"How can you guarantee that the Black Lotus won't come here personally? Also, the Jinlian Taoist priest, are you really that powerful? The Black Lotus's clone is at the third level … "Xu Qi 'an frowned.
"Hmm, the Jinlian Taoist priest snuck back to the Earth Sect to steal the nine-colored lotus. After he was injured by the Black Lotus, he fled to the capital. So, it seems that the Jinlian Taoist priest is more powerful than I thought?
Even more powerful than the fourth level? "
The members of the Heaven & Earth Society were relieved to hear the Jinlian Taoist priest's promise.
Chu Yuanzhen sent a message. "The massacre in Chu Zhou City tells us that Duke Huai is in cahoots with the Black Lotus. Based on this, could the Yuanjing Emperor be in cahoots with the Earth Sect as well? We have to be careful about this. "
"Yeah, why didn't I think of that? If the Yuanjing Emperor gets involved in this, there will be more variables …" Li Miaozhen's heart skipped a beat.
"Chu Yuanzhen is indeed the most intelligent person in the group. He said what I was worried about …" Xu Qi 'an nodded slightly.
"We can just smash them together …" Lina thought nonchalantly.
Number Six and Number One kept peeping and didn't send any messages.
The Jinlian Taoist priest replied, "This is easy. Number Three, inform your cousin and ask him to help. First, it can increase our combat power. Second, Wei Yuan won't just sit back and do nothing. "
"Good idea!"
Chu Yuanzhen's eyes lit up.
Although Xu Ningyan was a sixth level martial artist, he had mastered the Vajra Divine Art and had Confucian spells. His combat power was far greater than that of a normal fourth level martial artist.
Most importantly, Xu Ningyan was a Warrior. The Warrior's attack methods were the best in all systems.
His endurance was also the best.
Apart from his single method, inability to deal with complex situations, and lack of group attack skills, he had no shortcomings in other aspects.
"Hmm, did the Jinlian Taoist priest choose me as the holder of the Book of the Underworld's third fragment and later use me as a bridge to reach a certain tacit understanding with Duke Wei?"
Xu Qi 'an suddenly thought of this detail and thought it was highly possible.
This was in line with the image of the Jinlian Taoist priest.
"Jinlian Taoist priest, don't you feel ashamed saying this …" Li Miaozhen didn't say anything. She sat at the table with a complicated look in her eyes.
She knew the true identity of Number Three. Now that she saw Xu Qi 'an and the Jinlian Taoist priest doing a double act, Tenzō Shōnin felt ashamed.
"Three: Okay, Taoist priest. I will inform my cousin. However, if Wei Yuan agrees to help, I'm afraid you will have to give away some of your lotus seeds. "
"Nine: No problem. The Nine-colored Lotus matures once every 60 years and can bear 14 lotus seeds at a time. I can only give away two more. I hope you can tell your cousin about this and let him tell Wei Yuan. "
"Three: Okay, I'm weak so I won't join in the fun. However, my cousin is very brave and will definitely help you protect the lotus seeds."
"Nine: Hehe, two heroes in one family."
"These two …" Li Miaozhen silently covered her face.
…
After ending the group chat, Xu Qi 'an unsurprisingly received a message from the Jinlian Taoist priest. "How's your cultivation?"
Xu Qi 'an replied, "I'm just missing a good fight. Maybe I can break through and advance to the fifth rank."
The Jinlian Taoist priest: "Very good. A fifth rank Warrior is the real deal. You are not afraid of group attacks."
Xu Qi 'an: "Taoist priest, let's not talk about this first. The Black Lotus is in cahoots with the Yuanjing Emperor. If he knows that I have the fragment of the Book of the Earth, then the Yuanjing Emperor will also know about it. If the two of them work together, I will be in a lot of trouble. How can I temporarily remove the ownership relationship with the fragment of the Book of the Earth? "
If the Black Lotus didn't know that he had the fragment of the Book of the Earth, then he wouldn't hate him that much.
Most importantly, the Black Lotus knew that the mysterious Overlord in Chu Zhou City was the owner of the fragment of the Book of the Earth. Therefore, if Xu Qi 'an wanted to participate in the fight to protect the lotus seeds, there were only two ways.
First, hide everything about "Xu Qi 'an."
This method had a big drawback. He couldn't use the Black Gold Blade, the Blade of Heaven and Earth, or the Diamond Divine Art. And Shen Shu had fallen into a deep sleep.
How could he protect the lotus seeds if he couldn't use his abilities?
Second, remove the ownership relationship with the fragment of the Book of the Earth.
Therefore, the reason why Xu Qi 'an was in Jin Zhou was because he was invited by Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen. It wasn't because he was the owner of the fragment of the Book of the Earth.
Smart people would even think that when Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozhen helped him stop the Imperial Army, they might have made a deal in exchange for Xu Qi 'an's help to protect the lotus seeds.
In comparison, the second method was obviously better.
The Jinlian Taoist priest was silent for a long time, and then he sent a message: "When you come to Jin Zhou, I will remove the ownership relationship for you. The Book of the Earth cannot be taught to outsiders, I hope you understand. Of course, if you are willing to be my disciple, it won't be a problem. "
Hehe, why don't you talk to the four teachers of Yunlu Academy and see if they agree? Xu Qi 'an's mouth twitched.
Why does everyone want to be my master?
On the contrary, the master who is my disciple has never had such thoughts, and is even unwilling to accept me as his son …
The next day, Xu Qi 'an woke up when the sun was high in the sky. He carried a wooden basin to the courtyard and saw the Princess sitting on a chair with messy hair, eyes closed as she basked in the sun.
He glanced at the plain-looking beauty of Daibun and didn't say anything. He fetched a bucket of water and prepared to wash his face and brush his teeth.
Seeing this, the Princess hurriedly ran into the house and came out with her wooden basin. She squatted beside him and poured the remaining water into her wooden basin.
Then, she soaked her white handkerchief and wiped her cheeks.
Xu Qi 'an tilted his head and looked at the woman beside him. He said in disbelief, "Are you waiting for me to fetch water?"
The Princess glanced at him while wiping her face and snorted, "Can't I?"
Xu Qi 'an put down his bristle toothbrush and cupped his hands at her.
…
After leaving the Princess's courtyard, Xu Qi 'an returned to the Xu Mansion. He fetched his beloved filly and rode it to the yamen of the night watchmen.
When he arrived at the yamen, he threw the reins to the guard and went straight in.
The guard instinctively took the reins, but he suddenly remembered that Xu Yinluo was no longer a silver gong. He looked at his back and opened his mouth, but in the end, he remained silent.
Along the way, many familiar silver gongs and copper gongs nodded at him, but no one came forward to greet him.
This wasn't because they were snobbish, but because if they showed too much enthusiasm, they might be secretly reported to His Majesty. This was what the night watchmen did.
Only Wei Yuan didn't need to care about the Yuanjing Emperor's mood. Even if Xu Qi 'an was no longer a night watchman, the incense still remained.
Thus, he quickly met Wei Yuan in the familiar tea room on the seventh floor.
"Duke Wei, the Jinlian Taoist priest of the Earth Sect asked me to bring a message. The Nine-Colored Lotus is about to ripen, and he hopes that you can help. He will give you two lotus seeds as a reward."
Just like before, Xu Qi 'an cupped his fists respectfully.
He didn't explain what the Nine-Colored Lotus was, because with Wei Yuan's knowledge, it was impossible that he didn't know about it.
Wei Yuan was one of the most knowledgeable people Xu Qi 'an had ever met. Even the top student, Huaiqing, couldn't compare to him.
"One seed is enough. I will ask Qianrou to help, but only her. There won't be any other night watchmen," Wei Yuan said gently.
He immediately stood up and looked into the distance. He asked in a low voice, "Where?"
"Jianzhou."
"Jianzhou …" Wei Yuan said in a low voice, "I will get you some information about the Wulin League. When the Nine-Colored Lotus ripens, the Wulin League of Jianzhou, as the local tyrant, will pay attention to it. They might even fight for it."
Xu Qi 'an nodded, then asked, "Duke Wei, have you heard of a man named Su Hang?"
"Su Hang …"
Wei Yuan frowned and repeated the name a few times. He said, "I seem to have an impression of him, but I can't remember. Why are you asking about him? "
"He was a scholar in the 29th year of Joan of Arc. In the 14th year of Yuanjing, he was demoted to Jiang Province as the magistrate. The following year, he was executed for corruption and bribery. He is the father of a friend of mine. I promised her that I would help her find out the truth behind his father's execution, "Xu Qi 'an said.
"What's the problem?" Wei Yuan asked in return.
It was not unusual for a high-ranking official to be executed for corruption and bribery. There would be similar high-ranking officials falling from power every year.
"I learned from a secret channel that this person was defeated by the Royal Clique, High Duke Cao, and many noble clansmen," Xu Qi 'an said.
Wei Yuan thought for a moment and shook his head. "Your information is wrong. I don't remember there being such a person more than 20 years ago."
"Wei, Duke Wei doesn't know …" Xu Qi 'an's pupils contracted slightly, and his thoughts were boiling.
He seemed to have grasped something, and a flash of inspiration flashed past. In the end, he chose to remain silent for the time being. He would wait for more clues and more speculations before discussing it with Wei Yuan.
"Duke Wei, I want to go to the archives to look up this person's information."
"Alright, I will give you a handwritten letter."
…
Three days passed quickly. In the private room of the restaurant, Xu Qi 'an waited for a quarter of an hour before Chief Chen and Dali Monastery prime minister arrived one after another. Both of them wore casual clothes and made simple disguises.
Dali Monastery prime minister took out two dossiers and handed them to Xu Qi 'an. "One is from the 14th year of Yuan Jing, and the other is from the 15th year of Yuan Jing."
Xu Qi 'an opened the dossier and read it carefully.
Dossier from the 14th year of Yuan Jing: Su Hang, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, accepted bribes and covered up for his subordinates to embezzle disaster relief food, causing countless victims to starve to death. He was demoted to Jiangzhou.
Dossier from the 15th year of Yuan Jing: Su Hang, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, also accepted bribes and was reported to the capital. After the court thoroughly investigated, he was executed!
Su Hang turned out to be the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion … Then High Duke Cao's secret letter wrote "Su Clique"? Xu Qi 'an returned the dossier to Dali Monastery prime minister and turned to look at the dossier handed to him by Chief Chen. There was no difference between the two.
"Temple Prime Minister, how long have you been an official in the imperial court?" Xu Qi 'an raised his wine glass.
"Twenty five years." Dali Monastery prime minister also raised his glass and took a sip.
"Then why don't you know Su Hang, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion?" Xu Qi 'an questioned.
Dali Monastery prime minister's face suddenly stiffened. He held his wine glass and stared blankly. That's right, why don't I remember the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet? Why don't I have any impression of Su Hang?
Xu Qi 'an didn't ask further. He invited the two to drink and eat. In this day and age, there was no need to consider the rules of not driving when drinking and not drinking when driving. Even if he was drunk, he could just lie down on the little mare and the mare would carry him back to the Xu Mansion.
After eating and drinking to their heart's content, Xu Qi 'an didn't see Dali Monastery prime minister and Chief Chen off. He watched them open the door of the private room and leave.
Xu Qi 'an was a little tipsy. He lay down on the big chair and put one hand on the table. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the surface of the table. He was deep in thought.
"Dali Monastery and the Ministry of Justice have files, but the Yamen of the Night Watchman doesn't have them. According to the time, Duke Wei didn't have the Yamen of the Night Watchman at that time. He only really started to take power after the Battle of Shanhai Pass … Su Hang died 23 years ago, and the Battle of Shanhai Pass took place 20 years ago.
"Su Hang is the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, but Dali Monastery prime minister and Duke Wei don't remember him. Not only them, I've asked High Duke Cao's soul again, but he doesn't remember Su Hang either. And then I think of the word that mysteriously disappeared in the secret letter …"
Four words appeared in Xu Qi 'an's mind: Shielding Heavenly Secrets.
Subconsciously, he thought, "Does this have something to do with the Supervisor?"
But he vaguely felt that this speculation lacked evidence and corresponding logic … As he thought about it, he leaned back on the long chair and dozed off.
After a quarter of an hour, he woke up.
"Eh, I actually fell asleep? Dali Monastery prime minister and Arrester Chen have left? "Xu Qi 'an pinched between his eyebrows and stood up.
"Su Hang's case is really troublesome. There are no clues at all. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have agreed to help Susu. It's all because she's too beautiful, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to think about it … "
He seemed to have forgotten everything that had just happened. He stretched his back and left the private room.
…
At dusk, inside the bedchamber.
The old eunuch, with a horsetail whisk in the crook of his arm, crossed the high threshold and quickly entered the bedchamber.
"Your Majesty, there's an emergency …"
The Yuanjing Emperor had just taken the bait. He sat cross-legged and breathed with the help of the medicine, ignoring the old eunuch.
The old eunuch did not dare to disturb him anymore. He waited impatiently for a long time. Finally, the Yuanjing Emperor finished his breathing and opened his eyes. He said calmly, "What's the matter?"
The old eunuch took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to the Yuanjing Emperor.
The Yuanjing Emperor took it and unfolded the paper to read it. His deep eyes lit up.
"The Nine-Colored Lotus Seed can enlighten all things …"
