Nightwatcher

Chapter 303: Frightening Bad Luck

# 303. Frightening Bad Luck

*A young friend is in trouble… is it Five, or some other junior acquaintance of Daoist Jinlian?*

Xu Qi’an showed an appropriate expression of confusion: "Where is your young friend, Daoist? Do you need me to mobilize the court’s forces?"

Daoist Jinlian shook his head and replied, "She’s in Xiangzhou."

*Xiangzhou lies to the south of the capital, about 400 kilometers away... not too close, but not too far either.* Xu Qi’an frowned, saying, "Daoist, if you have business, I have no choice but to assist. However, I’ll need to request a leave of absence from the yamen first, since the journey is long."

Daoist Jinlian nodded, “You can have a servant request leave on your behalf tomorrow. We’ll depart tonight to save time… Oh, by the way, what about the Master of Prophecy?

"If we want to locate someone, we’ll need the help of her Qi-watching technique."

"She’s at the Sitianjian..." Xu Qi’an sighed, then added jokingly, "Alright, I’ll go to her mum’s house and drag her here."

*This Master of Prophecy must be a woman…* Number Six Hengyuan and Number Four Chu Yuanzhen both made this mental deduction.

The three of them waited inside while Xu Qi’an went to the back courtyard, fetched his mare, and rode off to the Sitianjian.

The lights at the Sitianjian never dimmed. Xu Qi’an entered the grand hall on the first floor and asked the overworked physicians, "Can one of you senior brothers pass a message? I’m looking for Senior Sister Zhong Li."

The atmosphere immediately stiffened. The physicians exchanged glances before one of them replied, "Senior Sister Zhong Li is on the first underground level. Please wait…"

One of the white-robed arcanists entered the inner hall, and a few seconds later, a loud shout echoed: "Senior Sister Zhong Li, Young Master Xu is here to see you!"

Having shouted, the arcanist fled in a hurry, as if a wild beast were chasing him.

In the grand hall, the remaining white robes all dropped what they were doing and bolted for the stairs. In an instant, the hall was empty, save for Xu Qi’an.

After a few more minutes, Zhong Li appeared from the inner hall, her hair unkempt and draped over her shoulders. She wore a plain robe and kept her head slightly lowered.

The picture of a forlorn woman.

"I need to leave the capital for a short while. I’ll be back soon. I need your help," Xu Qi’an said bluntly, without any pleasantries.

"Ok."

Zhong Li nodded succinctly, as obedient as a tool ready for use.

The two left the Sitianjian side by side—Xu Qi’an on horseback and Zhong Li walking. Her pace was no slower than his mare's.

Soon, they returned to Xu’s residence and joined Daoist Jinlian and the other two members of the Heaven and Earth Society.

Chu Yuanzhen spoke up, "It’s not proper to fly within the inner city. We’ll head to the outer city; Brother Xu, please lead us out."

If it were just him alone, flying within the inner city would be permissible, and the city’s experts, out of respect for the Human Sect, wouldn’t intervene or attack.

But with a group, they couldn’t turn a blind eye, which would put them in a spot of trouble.

With that, Xu Qi’an led the three out of the mansion. With him, a Silver Gong, leading the way, the Nightwatchers and the City Guards merely asked a few routine questions without causing any issues.

On the way, Daoist Jinlian looked at Xu Qi’an and said gravely, "Number Five has gone missing."

Chu Yuanzhen immediately turned to Xu Qi’an.

Xu Qi’an looked puzzled, "Daoist, what are you talking about? Oh, by the way, why aren’t you possessing a cat today?"

Daoist Jinlian replied calmly, "Number Five is the serial number of a holder of a fragment of the Earth Book. You should be aware of this. Hengyuan was saved with much help from you. Uh, what’s this about a cat?"

Xu Qi’an let out an "Oh," and said, "Nothing, I must have been mistaken."

Daoist Jinlian nodded in satisfaction.

Xu Qi’an also nodded in satisfaction.

Chu Yuanzhen glanced at both of them and then at Hengyuan. With a smile, he said, "So it was during the Sangpo case that you saved Master Hengyuan?"

Hengyuan put his hands together, "It was all thanks to Sir Xu back then."

*Hengyuan had indeed been embroiled in the Sangpo case. He’d mentioned in the Earth Book fragment that he owed his escape from the Nightwatcher’s headquarters entirely to Xu Qi’an. Now, it seems there’s more than meets the eye—Daoist Jinlian has connections with Xu Qi’an through Three. This means Xu Qi’an is aware of the Heaven and Earth Society and the existence of the Earth Book fragments.*

*If so, then I’m even more certain on my hypothesis. Although Daoist Jinlian gave the Earth Book fragment to the Cloud Deer Academy student Xu Xinnian, he really wanted them both.*

Chu Yuanzhen smiled without saying a word.

Once they reached the outer city, Chu Yuanzhen patted his back, and the Human Sect magical sword flew out, scabbard attached, and hovered in mid-air.

Daoist Jinlian took a paper crane from his robe, tossing it lightly. The paper crane transformed into a large bird, about seven feet long, and began circling above them.

"I’ll go with you, Daoist!" Xu Qi’an said quickly.

Anyone could see the obvious choice—Chu Yuanzhen’s sword was a standing ticket, while Daoist Jinlian’s crane had a reserved seat.

Hengyuan and Chu Yuanzhen jumped onto the sword, which shot into the sky with a whoosh.

Xu Qi’an and Daoist Jinlian settled on the white crane, but then they realized there wasn’t enough room for Zhong Li.

"Can Arcanists fly?" Xu Qi’an asked the "forlorn woman" below.

"No, only a fourth-rank Arcanist can use teleportation formations," Zhong Li replied, shaking her head.

Xu Qi’an glanced around and then looked at his own thigh, offering, "How about sitting on my lap?"

"No need!" Daoist Jinlian removed his wooden hairpin and tossed it to Zhong Li.

Zhong Li caught the hairpin, which guided her into the sky with a whoosh, closely following Chu Yuanzhen’s sword.

*Daoist, you’ve missed an opportunity…* Xu Qi’an thought to himself.

The white crane flapped its wings and soared.

...

The sword, crane, and hairpin ascended higher and higher. Soon, the landscape below became a blur.

Whoosh… Breaking through the clouds, a sword and a crane burst into the open sky.

The night sky was a deep, serene blue, with a crescent moon hanging overhead. Below them, a sea of clouds stretched out, unmoving.

Everything was still, and silence reigned.

"We’ve reached the stratosphere," Xu Qi’an transmitted his voice.

The wind was so strong that he couldn’t keep his eyes open, and his words would be torn apart by the gales if spoken aloud, so they had to communicate telepathically.

Daoist Jinlian also closed his eyes, using his spiritual sense instead. Hearing Xu Qi’an’s transmission, he asked in surprise, "Stratosphere?"

"I just made it up. Daoist, tell me about Number Five's situation," Xu Qi’an transmitted back.

"After the last Heaven and Earth Society gathering ended, Number Five stopped responding. At that time, I could still sense the Earth Book fragment’s location in Xiangzhou. The next day, however, I suddenly lost the connection with the fragment," Daoist Jinlian said gravely.

"Did Number Five encounter the demon Daoists of the Earth Sect?" Xu Qi’an’s expression darkened as he offered his guess.

"It’s possible," Daoist Jinlian nodded.

*So that’s why you invited me, Hengyuan, and Chu Yuanzhen to join you on this mission… Daoist Jinlian’s survival instincts are pretty strong.* Xu Qi'an nodded, evaluating their collective strength.

On the surface, Chu Yuanzhen appeared to be a martial artist, but he was actually practicing the Human Sect's swordsmanship. His true combat strength was likely at the fourth rank, and even if he hadn't reached it yet, he was close.

Hengyuan, who appeared to follow the Buddhist path, was actually a martial artist as well. It was hard to assess his true abilities, as they hadn’t yet fought, and Hengyuan had little combat experience.

Then there was Daoist Jinlian. Xu Qi’an recalled that he had been pursued by a fourth-ranked Zilian all the way to the capital, which meant Jinlian’s strength couldn’t have been worse than fourth. The reason was that Jinlian hadn’t been wounded by Zilian but by the demonic Daoist leader of the Earth Sect. Even so, he had still managed to escape Zilian’s pursuit.

*If we encounter the demon Daoists of the Earth Sect, then, anyone under third rank would be good as dead…* Xu Qi'an thought.

An hour later, Daoist Jinlian transmitted a message to everyone: "We’ve arrived. The area within a hundred miles below us should be where Number Five disappeared. I still can’t sense the Earth Book fragment."

The group descended through the clouds, diving toward the ground.

As they neared the surface, what was once blurry became clear. Xu Qi'an saw the outline of a large city to the east, with many villages and towns scattered around it like stars surrounding a moon.

The four of them landed in a forest. Daoist Jinlian and Chu Yuanzhen sat down cross-legged to recover their energy.

Hengyuan stood guard for them while Xu Qi'an wandered the forest, managing to catch two wild pheasants and a deer.

When he returned to the group, he asked, "Did anyone bring a pot?"

"I did," Chu Yuanzhen replied, opening his eyes. He was about to get up and fetch the iron pot from the nearby woods but changed his mind. Since Xu Qi’an knew about the existence of the Earth Book fragments, there was no need for pretense.

He pulled out his Earth Book fragment and took out the iron pot. The four of them set up two bonfires, one for boiling soup and the other for grilling.

Regardless of their cultivation system, after expending energy, everyone needed to replenish it. No one could produce strength from thin air.

"I also brought some wine..." Chu Yuanzhen said, producing two jars of liquor to go with their grilled meat and soup. He explained, "When traveling far and wide, there are two things you must always bring. One: pots and pans. Two: toilet paper."

Xu Qi'an raised the porcelain bottle he had and smiled, "Now there’s a third: chicken bouillon."

Chu Yuanzhen immediately nodded in agreement.

*Xu Ningyan is quite the character, how interesting!*

*Chu Yuanzhen doesn’t have any weaknesses on him, but I can’t give up, I must see him have a social death.*

The two exchanged smiles.

After a hearty meal, Daoist Jinlian casually grabbed a dry branch to tie up his greying hair, but then his face stiffened suddenly.

"Where’s that Master of Prophecy?"

Hearing this, Xu Qi'an’s expression turned stiff. *Fuck, where’s Zhong Li?*

"I remember she was beside us when we landed, but then… somehow, I just forgot about her…" Xu Qi'an turned pale.

"She must be nearby. Let’s search the area. We need to be thorough, and hurry up," Daoist Jinlian said seriously. "This is more urgent than rescuing Number Five. Number Five might still be fine, but if it’s the Master of Prophecy, by the time we’re late…"

Hengyuan, unfamiliar with the Arcanist system, asked, "What will happen?"

Xu Qi'an replied gravely, "She'll be cold and stiff."

Daoist Jinlian silently nodded.

The four quickly spread out. After about a quarter of an hour, Xu Qi'an found Zhong Li. She had fallen into a deep pit when they landed and had been sitting there, unmoving, ever since.

It wasn’t until she heard Xu Qi'an's voice that she climbed out.

Back by the campfire, Zhong Li sat with her back to everyone, hugging her knees, her frail shoulders hunched, her silhouette exuding loneliness.

“I didn’t mean to forget you, please don’t be mad,” Xu Qi'an apologized again and again, explaining, “It’s just I… I… I accidentally forgot.”

Zhong Li remained in her seated position, ignoring him.

Chu Yuanzhen clicked his tongue, watching the scene unfold with an amused smile.

Hengyuan, with his hands together in prayer, couldn’t understand. "There was no danger nearby. Why didn’t she just come out by herself?"

"It wasn’t dangerous for you," Zhong Li muttered softly. “Based on my past experiences, staying put and waiting for rescue is the safest option. If I had come out on my own, I might’ve encountered all kinds of dangers, like a meteor falling from the sky or a passing monster or evil cultivator.

"Misfortune can’t be predicted, nor can it be divined. It could happen at any time, like just now…”

Before she finished speaking, the bonfire crackled suddenly, sending sparks flying that ignited Zhong Li’s hair.

“Watch out!”

Hengyuan’s face changed, and in a reflex, he grabbed the boiling soup and splashed it toward Zhong Li.

At that moment, Xu Qi'an leaped in front of her, using his Qi to sweep away the scalding soup.

Zhong Li clung to Xu Qi'an’s leg, trembling.

Chu Yuanzhen was left speechless.

The scene went silent.

In the quiet atmosphere, Hengyuan pressed his palms together in pity and said, "Benefactor Zhong, even the thousands of Buddha lamps in the world cannot illuminate the darkness around you. Amitabha."

Daoist Jinlian and Chu Yuanzhen, following his lead, pressed their palms together and chanted, "Amitabha."

*Daoist, aren’t you from the Daoist sect? Why are you chanting Buddhist mantras?… Zhong Li’s situation may be tragic, but for some reason, I still feel like laughing…* Xu Qi’an silently grumbled to himself.

He reached out and patted Zhong Li’s head as a gesture of comfort.

“When we landed earlier, I noticed something off about the Feng Shui in the area. There’s a large tomb beneath the mountains to the south,” Zhong Li said softly.