Chapter 870

Late at night, the night in the Northern Region was desolate and bitterly cold.

Xu Xinnian, who was dozing off by the campfire, woke up regularly. He pressed his hands on the shoulders of the two soldiers and whispered, "Blood is boiling!"

The two soldiers moaned comfortably and no longer curled up to keep warm like before. Instead, they showed slight satisfaction in their sleep.

The allied forces of the demons, barbarians, and Daibun were scattered by the heavy cavalry of the Yasukuni Kingdom. They did not have time to bring many things, such as rations and daily necessities.

Without tents and blankets, sleeping outdoors in the Northern Region during autumn was a very difficult thing to do. The soldiers might even catch a cold and die of illness.

In the absence of supplies, catching a cold was equivalent to death.

Therefore, Xu Erlang would wake up regularly in the middle of the night to cast a spell to dispel the cold and warm the soldiers' bodies.

He was already a Benevolent Man of the Seventh Rank. In addition to having a stronger physique than ordinary people, a Confucian scholar of this realm had mastered the rudiments of Verbal Compliance.

Words were power!

Xu Erlang could impose any status on the target within a certain range, such as weakness, courage, or pain reduction …

To a certain extent, it was necessary to maintain rationality.

For example, with Xu Erlang's current level, he could only stimulate the potential of the soldiers to dispel the cold. If Director Zhao Shou was here, he would sing a song: The beautiful scenery of the desert, in March ~

The surrounding climate would change from autumn to spring, and it would stay that way for a long time.

After casting the spell to dispel the cold on the soldiers one by one, Xu Erlang could not hide his exhaustion. He took out a piece of jerky and bit it hard.

At this time, he realized that Chu Yuanzhen was not asleep. The top scholar was sitting with his back against the carriage, his feet digging deep into the ground.

His expression was also not right. Hiss, how could a man have such a complicated expression … Xu Erlang got up, walked over, and sat next to Chu Yuanzhen.

He said, "What's wrong? Your expression has been very strange since the letter was sent just now."

"I just feel that the trust between people has suddenly disappeared …"

Chu Yuanzhen looked at Xu Cijiu with an autistic expression. After hesitating for a while, he whispered,

After a while, he said in a low voice, "Erlang, I've said and done many strange things to you before. I hope you don't mind. Now that I think about it, I get goosebumps all over my body. I feel that my reputation has been ruined. "

Xu Erlang thought for a moment and said, "You mean standing on the street and smiling at me for no reason?"

Chu Yuanzhen felt like he was struck by lightning. "Don't, don't say it …"

The truth was obvious. Number Three was Xu Qi 'an. He had been pretending to be his cousin, Xu Xinnian. Number Three said that he did not want his identity to be exposed, so it was best not to mention the Earth Book when they met.

"Number Three said that I'm going to fight with the army, and the fragment of the Book will be with Big Brother for safekeeping."

These were all deceptions to cover up the fact that Xu Ningyan was Number 3.

"But, but Xu Erlang cooperated too well."

Chu Yuanzhen asked unwillingly, "You said you don't know about the Book of the Earth, but you always feel that you're special, um, tolerant of me. No matter what strange things I say or do, you don't react at all. "

Many of the conversations that he thought were tacit were all a one-man show now that he thought about it. Erlang didn't know about the Book of the Earth, so there was no tacit understanding between them.

Xu Xinnian said honestly, "Big Brother told me that no matter what strange things you say or do, I shouldn't be surprised. I should smile, nod, or ignore you."

Chu Yuanzhen's feet dug deep into the ground again.

But very quickly, the quick-witted Chu Yuanzhen remembered that Xu Ningyan had been pretending to be his cousin. In order to fit his persona, he often bragged about "Big Brother" in the Book of the Earth, saying many things that made people's scalps go numb just thinking about it.

'If Xu Ningyan finds out that I know his identity, he should be the one feeling embarrassed!

'I can't let him get away with this!'

Chu Yuanzhen immediately smiled. This was a very clear thought.

…

Capital's Xu Manor.

Xu Qi'an felt someone pat him on the head and immediately woke up. Because he had experienced this a few times, he didn't suspect that Taiping Dao and Zhong Li had hit him on the head.

'Seriously, a private chat in the middle of the night. That bastard, don't tell me it's Huaiqing with no nightlife again …' He skillfully pulled out the Book of the Earth from under his pillow, then got up, walked to the table, and lit a candle.

In the fiery light, he sat down and read the message.

[Four: Xu Qi'an, you're Number Three, right? You've been lying to us all this time.]

Xu Qi'an was completely stunned.

'When did Chu Yuanzhen find out my identity?

When did I expose myself?

Did he finally see through Xu Erlang's mistake and see through my identity? '

At this moment, the feeling of shame was like a tidal wave, no, a tsunami, swallowing his whole body.

After Chu Yuanzhen sent the message, he didn't say anything else. Xu Qi'an, on the other hand, was immersed in a huge sense of shame and momentarily lost the 'courage' to reply.

After a long time, Xu Baimuo finally collected his emotions and replied: [Not bad. You're the first person in Heaven & Earth Society, other than the Jinlian Taoist priest, to see through my identity.]

No matter how embarrassing and embarrassing it was in reality, on the 'internet', I'm still wise and I'm a heavy puncher.

Most importantly, only such a calm attitude can dissolve the awkwardness.

[Four: Heh, you hid it well. Actually, I've had my suspicions for a long time, but I only confirmed it recently.]

[Three: As expected of the Attorney General.]

Of these two, one of them couldn't wait to return to the capital on his sword and kill Xu. The other wanted to cover his face in shame, feeling that there was no meaning in living anymore.

However, they deliberately pretended to be indifferent.

[Three: Found out recently?]

[Four: Heh, four hours ago, after I asked about your second uncle's comrade-in-arms, Erlang confessed to me.]

What's wrong with Erlang? He's not reliable at all. Huh? What about my second uncle's comrade-in-arms … Xu Qi'an frowned and sent a message: [My second uncle's comrade-in-arms?]

It turns out that Xu Ningyan doesn't really care about it. He's just putting on an act … Chu Yuanzhen then told him about Zhou Biao and Zhao Panyi.

Clang!

The sound of a stool falling over woke Zhong Li up. She rubbed her eyes and looked up.

She saw Xu Qi'an pouncing on the desk like a madman, grinding, lifting a brush, and writing at a rapid speed …

About a quarter of an hour later, she saw Xu Qi 'an blow dry the ink, fold the paper, and solemnly place it in the book. He exhaled and muttered,

"So this is the principle behind shielding Heaven's Secrets."

"What's the principle behind it?" Zhong Li pricked up her ears and asked in a low voice.

"Don't ask. It's a secret if you ask." Xu Qi'an rolled his eyes at her. "You are a professional student. How dare you ask a layman like me?"

Zhong Li lowered her head in shame and curled up in the blanket, seeking the little warmth left in the world.

Xu Qi'an exhaled, calmed his emotions, and sent a message: [Brother Chu, can you keep this a secret for me?]

Chu Yuanzhen replied: [Your identity is not a secret. There's no need to hide it.]

Xu Qi'an seemed to see the faraway Northern Region and Chu Yuanzhen's mocking and sneering expression.

[Three: Alright then. If you want to make it public, I hope to confess myself. I did not do it properly. It caused Brother Chu to always treat Cijiu as the number three and believe in it. He said and did many wrong things.]

[Four: Actually, I don't care whether your identity is exposed or not.]

'Damn you, Xu Qi'an. When I return to the capital, I will cut off your golden body with my sword …'

After a pause, Chu Yuanzhen sent another message: [Xu Erlang knows about the Earth Book. He also knows that Hengy Yuan and I were deceived by you, causing him great trouble.]

Xu Qi 'an sent a message to probe: [So?]

I feel very embarrassed and can't lift my head. I need something to balance the relationship between me and Erlang … [Chu Yuanzhen sent a message: [I feel a little guilty.]

[Three: I understand. When I have time, I will chat with Erlang about poetry. His famous work is: If the heavens did not give birth to me, Xu Xinnian, the ages of Daibun will be like a long night.]

[Four: Okay.]

After comforting Erlang, Xu Qi'an returned to his bed and stuffed the Earth Book fragments into his pillow. Then, he wriggled around like a maggot.

He vented the overwhelming shame in his heart.

'I've never been so embarrassed in my life … It's too embarrassing. My image and reputation as Xu Qi'an are all gone … Now, apart from Hengy Yuan, everyone knows about me … Wait, everyone knows, but no one says anything. Doesn't that mean I'm not dead?!

'Even if everyone knows, everyone is keeping the secret for me. They even cover it up and try to make others believe that Xu Cijiu is Number Three.

'If that's the case, I'm not dead.

'On the other hand, even if everyone shows their cards in the future, I don't think I'll be dead because everyone knows about it. 'On the other hand, the people who try their best to cover up for me and mislead others are the ones who are really dead.'

Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up.

'I'm relieved. Hmm, I should sleep early. Tomorrow is the day to explore the Dragon Vein with Little Aunt.'

The next day.

After washing up, Xu Qi'an finished his breakfast and waited in his room. Soon, a golden light shone through the roof, but it did not destroy it. Amidst the light, Luo Yuheng's slender figure appeared.

She was still wearing the Daoist robe that he saw last time. It was tightened at the waist and showed off the size of her breasts.

This undoubtedly increased her feminine charm and increased her presence as a woman. It lowered the inviolable aura of a fairy.

"Advisor!"

Xu Qi'an greeted her with a warm smile.

Luo Yuheng nodded slightly. She hummed coldly and said, "I'll bring you there."

Even though he was confident in Luo Yuheng, he still had to play it safe and asked cautiously, "Will he discover us?"

"No!"

Luo Yuheng's tone was calm. Her exquisite face was expressionless. "I'll hide my presence."

Other than Warrior, all the other systems were fancy. Envious … Xu Qi'an smiled. "Let's not waste any time. Let's act as soon as possible."

Luo Yuheng nodded. With a wave of her sleeve, the golden light wrapped around Xu Qi'an and disappeared from the room.

As soon as he opened and closed his eyes, Xu Qi'an saw the fake mountains in the back garden of Count Pingyuan's residence. He heard Luo Yuheng's feminine voice. "Is it here?"

He answered and walked to one of the fake mountains. He pressed a mechanism with familiarity.

A 'door' opened on the surface of the fake mountain, revealing a dark cave entrance.

"State Preceptor, this is the cave," Xu Qi 'an said.

Luo Yuheng nodded reservedly and followed him into the cave.

Soon, the two arrived at the stone chamber. They saw the large stone plate, which was engraved with twisted and strange runes.

Luo Yuheng stood beside the stone plate and looked at it carefully. "The Earth Escape Technique is very profound. It does look like Senior Brother Jinlian's work."

"Senior Brother Jinlian?"

Xu Qi'an expressed his doubts.

According to the Former Emperor's daily log, the Jinlian Taoist priest and the previous Taoist master of Renzong were of the same generation. Back in Sword Province, the LSP Black Lotus's clone had boasted that Luo Yuheng was his good niece and wanted to dual cultivate with her.

The tall and beautiful Imperial Tutor casually explained, "The Dao Masters of the three sects are equal."

In terms of status, the three Taoist masters were equal. That was why the Jinlian Taoist priest was her senior brother. But in terms of age, Jinlian was of the same generation as her father, so he could be her Uncle-Master?

Xu Qi'an thought. He did not stop moving his hands. He took out the Book of the Earth and placed it on the stone plate.

…

In the study room of Huaiqing's residence.

Huai Qing, whose hair was tied up in a high bun, looked somewhat lazy as he sat on a soft chair in the study. In front of him was a Purple Rhino Dragon Sandalwood table that had been passed down from the Great Zhou Dynasty.

There was a piece of paper on the table and a brush dipped in ink was placed on top of the white jade brush. She looked down and stared at the paper in a daze.

After fifteen minutes of silence, Huaiqing finally picked up the brush and wrote down '26 years of Joan of Arc', 'pollution', 'the Earth Sect Taoist Master has become a demon', 'massacre in Chu Zhou City', and 'Soul Elixir'.

If the Earth Sect's Dao Chief was the culprit behind everything, then Xu Qi 'an's speculation was reasonable and valid.

Many of the clues that had been discovered so far matched up. Even though there were some unreasonable parts, it was because they had not thoroughly investigated the matter yet.

Therefore, some details would not match up, such as the Earth Sect Taoist Master's intention of polluting father and Duke Huai.

"Father wants to kill Hengy Yuan because Hengy Yuan saw the secret passage to Count Pingyuan's residence. That means father knows about the Earth Sect Taoist Master's existence. Ever since the massacre in Chu Zhou City, father has been working hard for the Earth Sect's Dao Master. Why? "

This was what Huaiqing found the most unreasonable. From her point of view, no alliance would be stable without benefits.

"Unless father is completely controlled by the Earth Sect Taoist Master … Can the Jinlian Taoist priest see through all the conflicts of interest in the court?"

"The massacre in Chu Zhou City that exposed father, Duke Huai, and the Earth Sect Taoist Master's collusion means that the massacre in Chu Zhou City is very important to them. The essence of the case is the blood elixir and soul elixir."

"The soul elixir is very important …"

Time passed quietly. After an unknown amount of time, Huaiqing's crystal clear and cute ears twitched slightly. She heard footsteps coming towards the study.

She quickly crumpled the paper into a ball, held it in her hands, and tucked it in her sleeves.

After waiting quietly for a dozen seconds, the footsteps stopped at the door. A palace maid said in a soft voice, "Your Highness, Miss Caiwei is here."

Huaiqing replied coldly, "Let her in."

After the palace maid left, Chu Caiwei walked in cheerfully, holding an orange in each hand. She said coquettishly, "Huaiqing, I want to eat osmanthus fish."

Osmanthus fish was the specialty of the chef in Huaiqing's residence. It was unique and could not be eaten outside.

Huaiqing smiled, "Alright, I'll have someone inform the kitchen."

Chu Caiwei happily took out a big bag of pastries from her deerskin pouch and shared the delicacy with Huaiqing.

They ate the pastries, drank tea, and chatted casually for a while. Then, Huaiqing asked in a normal tone, "Caiwei, do you know about soul elixirs?"

"Eh, why do you always ask about soul elixirs?"

Chu Caiwei looked at her best friend in surprise, "A while ago, Xu Qi'an came to the Stargazing Tower to check on soul elixirs. He even asked me how I would know, so I took him to the library."

"What's the use of soul elixirs?" Huaiqing asked humbly.

Chu Caiwei immediately showed a "you're lucky" expression and snorted, "I didn't know at first, but after reading with Xu Qi'an last time, I found out."

After a pause, she said, "The soul elixir is a good thing. It has a wide range of uses. It can strengthen the primordial spirit, be used as a material for alchemy, forge magic weapons, mend imperfect souls, and cultivate tool spirits."

Mend imperfect souls … Huaiqing's breathing suddenly quickened, and she accidentally knocked over the teacup.