Nightwatcher

# 285. Unbreakable Diamond

Hengyuan pondered for a moment and said, “I met Sir Xu during the Sangpo case. At that time, my junior brother Henghui was involved in the case, and the Golden Gongs of the Nightwatchers had surrounded the place where we were hiding.

"I thought that even if I escaped death, I would be imprisoned. Unexpectedly, Sir Xu, as the official in charge, after finding out that I was implicated and not a co-conspirator with Henghui, immediately released me."

Here, Hengyuan made some modifications, concealing how Xu Qi'an had tricked him... Of course, Hengyuan still doesn't know Xu Qi'an tricked him.

"He's not a bad person after all!" Monk Jingchen snorted coldly.

But also a shameless one. Earlier, when asked what kind of person Xu Qi'an was, Monk Jingchen remembered how shameless Xu Qi'an was in his self-praise, to the point that even Monk Jingchen felt embarrassed for him, yet Xu Qi'an spoke so confidently.

*It's not about being good or bad... how to put it, he has an indescribable personal charm..*. Hengyuan continued:

“After I left Qinglong Temple, I stayed at a welfare hall in the southern part of the city, which shelters a group of homeless elderly and children. When Sir Xu found out, he generously gave money, frequently sending silver to help them.

“To know, his monthly salary was only five taels of silver, and at that time, he was just a Bronze Gong. Yet, he never complained and even comforted me, saying that the silver was just picked up off the ground.

"Heh, I’ve secretly investigated him. Unlike other Nightwatchers, he never used his power for personal gain or exploited the common people. That silver, it was saved through his own frugality."

Hearing this, Monk Jingchen fell silent.

He remembered Xu Qi'an's boastful words, claiming he'd never taken even a needle or thread from the common people.

Master Du'e remained indifferent, saying calmly, "Doing good deeds doesn't necessarily make one a good person. People have many faces."

Hengyuan frowned slightly, feeling displeased, and continued, “Then let me tell you another story, Senior Uncle. Before the Sangpo case, he once almost beheaded a superior who was trying to defile a young girl he didn't even know. Because of this, he was imprisoned and sentenced to be executed by chopping at the waist.

"If not for the destruction of the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple at that time, and the court urgently needing manpower, he would already be dead."

Master Du'e pondered for a long time and then asked, "What special qualities does he have?"

*Special qualities...* Hengyuan carefully considered his response: "Other than his extraordinary talent in martial arts, he has no particularly special traits."

Master Du'e seemed a bit disappointed, nodding slightly, "You may go about your business."

Hengyuan pressed his hands together and left the room.

"Senior Uncle, Hengyuan didn't lie. It seems that Xu Qi'an is indeed a good man, although his way of doing things can be rather hateful," Monk Jingchen said.

Whether as an official or a person, that Xu Qi'an was a man of good character. Although he had his moments that made him extremely unlikeable, it didn't diminish his integrity.

Master Du'e hummed in agreement.

The handsome Monk Jingsi immediately asked, "Then could he still be involved with the demonic creature?"

Master Du'e shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The mastermind behind this case is a remnant of the Wanyao Kingdom, as well as Emperor Yuanjing and the Jianzheng. The former only half-heartedly acts, while the latter watches coldly. It has little to do with that Silver Gong. Since he is a good man, we need not make things difficult for him."

Jingchen snorted, "The Feng Dynasty is untrustworthy and has repeatedly broken its promises. Why should we ally with them? I don't understand what the Arhats and Bodhisattvas are thinking."

As one of the Arhats, Master Du'e glanced at his junior disciple and said slowly, “The northern barbarians have the bloodline of the demon gods, and have been allied with the northern yao clan for thousands of years.

“The southern barbarian tribes are numerous, and the seven strongest shaman tribes are also considered descendants of the demon gods. In the northeast, the Church of the Warlock God has a Warlock Deity who has surpassed the nine ranks.

"If we want the Buddha's light to shine throughout the land of Jiuzhou, we can only ally with theGreat Feng."

*Only ally with the Great Feng...* Jingchen and Jingsi extracted a crucial piece of information from their master's words:

The reason the Buddhist Sect is allied with Great Feng is that Great Feng has no beyond-rank beings, and is not entangled with the ancient gods and demons.

Of course, thousands of years ago, there was a Confucian sage in the Central Plains who surpassed first rank. But back then, there was no Great Feng.

Returning to his thoughts, Jingchen tentatively asked, "What should we do next? Should we continue to track the demonic creature? Should we just let things go with the Feng?"

Master Du'e smiled mysteriously and said, “I've heard that due to the Daoist conflict between Heaven and Man, many martial artists have flocked to the capital recently, and the government has built four arenas in the outer city.

“We'll take two of them. Jingsi, you'll challenge the capital's martial artists with your Vajra body. Jingchen, you can take an arena at random and preach there.

"As for me, since I'm here in the Great Feng, I will pay a visit to the Jianzheng."

After Master Du'e finished speaking, he stepped out of the room and gazed at the setting sun in the west, murmuring, "The Central Plains have not felt the might of our Buddhist sect for a long time."

…

Late at night, Xu Qi’an went to the Jiaofangsi with his colleagues. As always, Song Tingfeng shamelessly tagged along, still the same young man he used to be. Among them were also Li Yuchun, who once commented that "the beds in the Jiaofangsi are never in sync," and Yang Yan, who claimed, "I'm just here for a drink."

Fuxiang was deeply attached to Xu Qi’an. Every time he brought people to the Reflecting Plum Pavilion, she would always appear with her qin in hand, graciously performing a piece. Several Oiran, who had close ties with Xu Qi’an, also joined the fun, giving Freeloader Xu the chance to be embraced from both sides.

But Freeloader Xu was far from happy. While others were joyfully drinking until dawn, he was calculating in his head: *Motherfucker, this little outing will cost me at least a hundred taels of silver.*

When he came to Jiaofangsi alone to indulge in love with the Oirans, it was all very elegant and pure, with no vulgar exchanges of money for favours. However, bringing along so many colleagues for drinks—there was no way it could be free.

Even though Fuxiang was willing to cover the "costs" out of her own pocket, how could Xu Qi’an, a dignified seven-foot man, who prided himself on never taking advantage of the common folk, agree to such a thing?

_In the future, I must be more cautious when treating others, especially at a money-pit like the Jiaofangsi... Tomorrow, I'll try expense it from Duke Wei. Hopefully, he’ll approve, seeing how loyal I’ve been._ Forcing a smile, Xu Qi’an raised his cup and said, "Drink up, everyone! Don’t be polite, we won’t leave until we’re all drunk!"

_Get wasted, everyone, so I can save on paying for the women!_

However, despite drinking late into the night, this group of warriors stubbornly refused to get drunk. Xu Qi’an had no choice but to end the party with a forced smile and an internal curse, saying,

"To make sure boss gets a good night's sleep, everyone should follow the rhythm when shaking the beds tonight. Don't go off-beat."

Li Yuchun: "..."

...

The next day, Xu Qi’an, riding Erlang’s horse, galloped back to the Constabulary. Upon arriving at One Blade Hall, he picked up a brush and ink… and made the clerk write an expense request.

*Participants in the event:* twenty-one.

*Activities:* Praising the court, praising Duke Wei (drinking, merrymaking, and spending the night with women).

*Total cost:* one hundred and sixty-four taels, three cash silver.

After writing the note, Xu Qi’an pondered for a moment. Realizing that Silver Gong Xu had a reputation to uphold, he had the clerk send the request to the Tower of Noble Spirit.

Not long after, the clerk returned, reporting, "Duke Wei said the note wasn’t written by you personally, showing a lack of sincerity."

_Whew..._ This implied that Wei Yuan wasn’t happy but was still willing to reimburse him. Xu Qi’an chuckled to himself, _Rest assured, Duke Wei, I’ll repay your great kindness with unwavering loyalty!_

Xu Qi’an immediately rewrote the reimbursement slip, dried the ink, and folded it neatly, having the clerk deliver it once more.

Soon after, the clerk returned with a new message: Not approved!

_...Is he messing with me?!_ Xu Qi’an, fuming, asked, "What did Duke Wei say?"

The clerk hesitated for a long time, cautiously replying, "He mocked your poor handwriting. Does that count?"

_Wei Yuan, you son of a..._ Furious, Xu Qi’an kicked the clerk out of the room.

...

After the spring imperial examinations, the most anticipated event should have been the palace examination a month later. The phrase "first rank on the golden list" had always stirred the hearts of many, from common folk to the Emperor and his ministers.

However, in the 37th year of Yuanjing, there were especially many disruptions. First, there was the Conflict of Heaven and Man within the Daoist sects, a once-in-sixty-years event, which was far more captivating than the imperial exams.

Later, a diplomatic mission from the Western Regions arrived in the capital, causing yet another stir.

Buddhist temples in Great Feng were sparse, and high-ranking Buddhist monks were rare. However, stories about Buddhist masters had been passed down in the Jianghu for generations—tales of reincarnation, indestructible golden bodies, relics that could break all magic, and so on.

Jianghu folk were filled with curiosity about Buddhism, and the Western delegation didn’t disappoint. The next day, a young and handsome monk appeared on a platform in the southern part of the city.

He arrogantly declared that he would use the Buddhist Vajra “Diamond Body” to challenge the martial artists of the Central Plains.

This immediately attracted waves of Jianghu warriors, but none were able to break his Vajra Body and left in shame.

In the northern part of the city, opposite the southern platform, another high-ranking monk from the Western Regions took over the stage. However, instead of challenging Great Feng’s martial artists, he began preaching.

Citizens flocked to hear the monk’s sermons, entranced by his words. Some wayward individuals wept bitterly, criminals repented for their sins, and men who had been the last of their lineage for generations were struck by sudden enlightenment, deciding to become monks...

Rumors of all sorts spread through the streets, becoming more and more bizarre. The crowd grew as more people gathered to listen to the monk’s teachings.

In the inner city, at a restaurant.

Agroup of Jianghu guests were discussing the monks from the Western Regions. What started as a conversation between two people gradually drew in more participants, until even commoners joined the discussion.

“It’s been three days now, and that young monk hasn’t lost a single match. Aren’t you Jianghu people supposed to be experts? How come you can’t even beat a monk?”

“What do you know, you commoner? That’s no ordinary monk; he’s a high monk from the Western Regions. Even their children can’t be underestimated.”

“So that’s how it is. The Western Buddhist monks are indeed powerful. Compared to them, we’re far behind.”

“Hmph, aren’t the Nightwatchers supposed to be the guardians of the capital? Every Gold Gong is said to be a top-tier expert, so why haven’t they stepped in?”

“You outsiders don’t understand. The Nightwatchers are busy dealing with corrupt officials. When it comes to external threats, they become cowards,” a local citizen scoffed.

A Jianghu warrior, offended, retorted, “Nonsense! Just a few days ago, I saw with my own eyes a Silver Gong injuring a sixth-rank expert with a single slash.”

To this, the local replied, “But didn’t you just say that even children from the Western Regions’ Buddhist sects can’t be underestimated? How can our Great Feng martial artists compare?”

“Well, that’s true. I’ve travelled the Jianghu for many years and have never seen such a powerful Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, glowing like gold. The Western masters are indeed formidable.”

On the second floor, Young Master Liu withdrew his gaze from the railing and muttered in frustration, “A bunch of frogs in a well! Master, what’s the deal with that little monk’s body?”

“That’s a unique body-strengthening technique in Buddhism, far beyond the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones of a sixth-rank martial artist,” the middle-aged swordsman sighed.

“Let the immortals fight. We’re just here to enjoy the show,” a beautiful woman chuckled.

Unwilling to accept this, Young Master Liu looked at his future sword, which currently belonged to his master, and asked, “Can this weapon, forged by the Sitianjian, break through his body?”

The middle-aged swordsman snickered and didn’t bother answering his disciple’s naive question.

With her heavy makeup, which was striking but not vulgar, Miss Rongrong frowned and said:

“For the past three days, most of those who have come to the stage are people from the Jianghu. Occasionally, there are a few experts from the government, but their cultivation levels aren’t very high. Why haven’t any high-ranked warriors stepped up?”

“You said it yourself—high-ranked warriors,” the middle-aged beauty shook her head and replied. “We went to see that young monk yesterday. His cultivation isn't high, but thanks to his Vajra Art, he stands invincible. High-ranking experts have their pride. Winning wouldn’t bring them any glory, and if they have to exert too much effort to break his body’s defences... that would be very embarrassing.”

The middle-aged swordsman nodded in agreement, adding, “The court hasn’t sent any experts either for the same reason. If the other side just sends a young monk to the arena and the court hurriedly deploys high-ranked experts to suppress him, who would look more foolish? The dignified Great Feng must maintain at least this much composure.”

“So we just have to suffer in silence?” Young Master Liu frowned.

Although he usually roamed the Jianghu, spouting insults about corrupt officials and calling the emperor incompetent, he felt a surge of righteous indignation whenever an outsider came to humiliate the Great Feng.

“It depends on whether the Great Feng has any talented young experts,” the middle-aged swordsman said as he sipped his wine.

…

At the same time, in Southern City, a tavern.

Xu Qi’an, dressed in his Silver Gong uniform, stood on the lookout platform, watching the fights on the stage below. To his left was the azure-robed swordsman, Chu Yuanzhen, and to his right was the tall, burly ‘Lu Zhishen’ Hengyuan.

Currently, a young swordsman in white was facing off against Monk Jingsi. The young man’s cultivation was not bad, at the peak of the Refining Qi stage, though it was unclear which prestigious sect he hailed from.

The white-clad swordsman’s techniques were unpredictable, aiming directly at Monk Jingsi’s vital points. However, Monk Jingsi stood unmoving, allowing the iron sword to strike his body and produce sparks, occasionally batting away strikes aimed at more sensitive areas like his crotch or eyes.

Though his body was like unbreakable diamond, his clothes were not, and he still had to protect his waistband.

After hundreds of exchanges, the white-clad young hero exhausted his strength. Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword and cupped his hands, saying, “I admit defeat!”

A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd. Both the citizens of the capital and the Jianghu folk were disappointed.

“That one seems to be the senior brother of Butterfly Sword,” Xu Qi’an said, pointing to the side of the stage at a spirited, beautiful female warrior.

Butterfly Sword of the Luya Sword Pavilion was one of the Four Flowers of the martial world, alongside Miss Rongrong, the Thousand-faced Thief, and the female sabre expert from the Shuangdao Sect.

She was indeed a striking beauty, the kind that immediately caught the eye.

Hengyuan and Chu Yuanzhen glanced over at her but quickly lost interest and looked away.

“Hengyuan, this is the unique body refinement technique of the Western Buddhist sects, part of the warrior monk system,” Chu Yuanzhen commented. “Aren’t you tempted?”

“Of course I am,” Hengyuan replied.

Hearing this, Xu Qi’an’s heart stirred. Could the body refinement technique demonstrated by Monk Jingsi be a method that, without the need for cooking or pounding the body, could rival the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones stage?

“I’m tempted too,” Xu Qi’an said, swallowing.

Hengyuan glanced at him. “The Vajra Sutra is not something that just anyone can master. Without a foundation in Buddhist teachings, it’s impossible to learn it. Unless you have natural Buddhist roots.”

*Are we talking about proper "Buddhist roots" here...?* Xu Qi’an silently ridiculed in his mind.

“Little monk, let’s ‘ave a go!”

At that moment, a burly man squeezed through the crowd and leaped onto the stage.

This man’s body emitted a subtle, divine light invisible to the naked eye, marking him as a warrior of the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones stage.

The crowd, which had just been disappointed and booing, immediately grew excited.

The little monk from the Western Regions had dominated the arena for three days, and finally, a true Bronze Skin and Iron Bones expert had come to challenge him.

“This is going to be interesting,” Xu Qi’an said with a smile.

As he spoke, his gaze swept through the crowd, and to his surprise, he spotted a familiar face.

It was a middle-aged woman dressed in plain clothes, her hair pinned with a simple wooden hairpin. She had a somewhat plump figure and a stern expression, staring intently at the stage without blinking.