Nightwatcher

# 84. Finally, the Heaven and Earth Society has a Confucian Disciple

*They found something this quick?*

Including gold gong Jiang Lyuzhong, all the Nightwatchers were roused, and following the direction the white-cloaks were pointing to, looked over, whilst also soaring over the rooftops in that direction.

They saw that on a room stood a bronze gong, a single hand on his sabre hilt, looking over at their contingent.

*The enemy may be hidden close my, waiting for an opportunity to ambush, an this bronze gong hasn’t even pulled out his sword, hardly professional at all…* The few silver gongs there frowned.

Pa-ta!

Under a series of footstep sounds, Jiang Lyuzhong waved his hand, making to summon the young bronze gong, to ask about the situation.

The white cloaks however took the initiative to jump from the Nightwatchers’ backs, hardly being able to wait, sprinting over to Xu Qi’an, bowing and cupping their hands.

“Master Xu.”

The Nightwatchers looked at the respect the Sitianjian white cloaks were paying to this small bronze gong, faces full of blankness.

*So, they didn’t find anything, rather specifically came to say hi to this bronze gong?*

Jiang Lyuzhong narrowed his eyes, examining Xu Qi’an.

Xu Qi’an looked at the white cloaks a while, confirming that he did not know any of them. After all, the ones he knew best were the Alchemists, the Arcanist sixth ranks. Above or below sixth rank, he did not know particularly well.

He didn’t know them, but they knew him.

All of the Sitianjian Arcanists knew of Xu Qi’an, he was a prodigy of prodigies in the realm of alchemy.

He wrote the blue-cover book, which was made a first rank secret by Song Qing. Ordinary disciples couldn’t look at it even if they wanted to.

Even though these people were merely eighth rank qi-watchers, but, one day they will become Alchemists. If they were to gain a good relationship with this alchemical prodigy early, their future progression would be bright.

In their eyes, this was far more important than finding a murderer.

“Master Xu, you haven’t come to the Sitianjian in a long while. Brother Song Qing goes on about you all the time.”

*Goes on about me? Does he want repayment?* Xu Qi’an smiled reservedly.

“Master Xu, some day you must come have tea at the Sitianjian, we also want to ask for your expertise in alchemy.”

*To ask for him to teach alchemy?*

Gold gong Jiang Lyuzhong’s eyebrow raised.

The other Nightwatchers were in disbelief; the always aloof, always looking down on martial artists Sitianjian Arcanists, were so respectful and courteous to a bronze gong.

And judging from what they were saying, this colleague is also experienced in alchemy?

Thinking this much, many of the bronze gong’s eyes were unconsciously drawn to the tag bound at Xu Qi’an’s waist.

On there was carved his name.

“Another day.” Xu Qi’an waved, “The case is urgent, you have my thanks and appreciation.”

“No no, this is our duty,” the white-cloaks turned around, and were much more polite to the Nightwatchers, “This cannot be delayed, let’s continue.”

The white-cloak Arcanists’ attitudes did a 180 turn.

Jiang Lyuzhong nodded slightly, “Leave a few here to search this street.”

The others left along with the white cloaks, and after a few leaps, vanished into the distance.

A silver gong, looking back, and seeing Xu Qi’an’s shadow, could not resist saying “You guys, that colleague of ours, you know him?”

A white cloak sighed, “We know him, but he probably doesn’t know us.”

The other white cloaks all sighed in unison.

*When did the Sitianjian Arcanists become so humble and self-deprecating?* The silver gong was very curious, and continued “What does this mean?”

The white cloaks said proudly “You’ve heard of Brother Song Qing right? Teacher Jianzheng has said, he’s a once-in-a-century alchemical prodigy.

“However, do you know what the most common thing Song Qing has been saying recently?”

Another white cloak butted in: “Xu Ningyan is indeed my teacher!”

*This can’t be true!?* The entire group of Nightwatchers made the same movement — turning their heads, looking back at Xu Qi’an’s figure.

He stood proud on the roof ridge, figure tall and straight.

Gold gong Jiang Lyuzhong did not look back, ordering, “Tomorrow you can ask who he is. For now, get on with your jobs.”

…

Xu Qi’an searched the streets with his newly arrived colleagues. They did not walk far, before Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng returned.

“The city guard have locked down the area, we need to search street by street.” after greeting all the bronze gongs, Song Tingfeng said.

At this time, they had just reached the Qingshu Inn. Xu Qi’an’s eyes flashed slightly, as he said, “Tingfeng, Guangxiao, and I will start from searching this inn, you guys go elsewhere, split up and search.”

The other Nightwatchers did not have any other opinions, thinking this was the right thing to do.

Watching them leave, Xu Qi’an went up, and *thud thud thud* knocked on the inn door, startling awake the employee there, as he came over to open the door bleary eyed.

“O- Officers…” The employee stuttered, scared.

“House search!” Xu Qi’an shouted, very naturally.

The employee was stunned. Song Tingfeng looked at Xu Qi’an, and picked up from where he left off: “We are searching for a criminal.”

Suddenly turning up to a hotel for a search, Xu Qi’an had done plenty off in his past life. Normally, they would go after receiving a report over the phone.

And the reason for the reports, often were that the misses were performing too energetically; clearly they were facing a toothpick that they could hardly feel, but still screamed like it was a thick truncheon.

Making the neighbouring guests unable to sleep, and so in anger reporting them to the police.

The three of them searched room by room. When they reached the second floor, sixth room, the employee said: “No one lives here”

Song Tingfeng replied heavily, “I don’t care if no one lives here, we need to search it anyway.”

The employee took out his keys, and opened the door.

Xu Qi’an entered the room and scanned around, seeing the duvets on the bed folded neatly, the room empty, and silently let out a sigh of relief.

*He’s not stupid…* Even though he had the *Obscured by a single leaf*, if he were to have slept in the bed, then the employee would have found it strange, and that would not have escaped Song Tingfeng with his thorough mind, nor Zhu Guangxiao who liked to observe from a distance.

Leaving the hotel, Xu Qi’an took the excuse of needing to go to the toilet, and did not leave the inn. Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao continued to search house by house.

Squatting in the outhouse with its stink rising to high heaven, Xu Qi’an put the candle by his feet, and pulled out the jade mirror.

【THREE: The Nightwatchers have searched the inn, have you been found?】

After a few seconds, Six replied 【SIX: I’m hiding in the rafters, and haven’t touched anything in the room.】

*An experienced criminal…* Xu Qi’an mouthed off.

【TWO: What’s the situation now. SIX, are you safe? Earlier you hadn’t sent anything in ages, I didn’t dare to ask.】

Two is still not asleep?

Is he (or she) really that enthusiastic?

【SIX: I’m safe for now.】

【TWO: How did you get saved?】

【SIX: THREE, can I say?】

【A Junzi is satisfied and composed, why would I refuse? However, TWO, if you want to know, you’ll need to reply with information of equal value. Mm, I’m very interested in the history of the Wanyao Country, as well as any news on their remnant parts.】

There was suspicion that the remaining evil of the Wanyao Country were behind the saltpetre mine case, and so he ought to help Brother Chun and look into this somewhat.

【TWO: I’m not too familiar with the history of the Wanyao Country.】

At this time, a new person popped out into the group:【FIVE: I know about the history of the Wanyao Country — I know far too much.】

*Nice nice, finally the group is getting lively. Only then can we share information…* the corners of Xu Qi’an’s mouth rose.

Currently, the ones that have appeared were: One, Two, Four, Five, Six, and that LYB Daozhang Nine, as well as himself as Three.

Only Seven and Eight were missing.

Seeing no one else talking, Six began to recount:【THREE gave me a piece of paper, that recorded a Confucian Magic which could obscure my aura. Only then could I escape from the ditch.】

【You’ve successfully left the inner city?】

TWO, FIVE, FOUR and the lurking ONE, all expressed their surprise in unison.

【SIX: Not yet. THREE prepared an inn room for me, and only with the magic to hide my aura could I slip by under the Nightwatchers’ gaze, hiding in the inn.】

【THREE: Wait, you’ve told everyone about the inn, are you not afraid ONE will report you?】

【SIX: ONE won’t. If he were to report me, he would say so immediately. THREE, I owe you my life, I will repay this debt in the future.】

*So the bald-head is subtly revealing to me how ONE does things…* Xu Qi’an thought.

One did not pay mind to that message, rather like every other member of the Earth Book, they were thinking through what Six had told them.

They could be certain now, that Three was indeed a Confucian disciple, and one that was very much a favourite of their teachers.

Given that that’s the case, the possible candidates he could be have been reduced significantly. After all, there were quite a few prestigious students at the Cloud Deer Academy, but still not that many.

Being in the capital, One immediately discovered something not quite right; given that the Nightwatchers have already started moving, and searching and locking down the surrounding area, how did Three manage to help Six?

*Unless he’s also in the inner city, and happened to be in the same area… were there any outstanding students of the Cloud Deer Academy that lived in the inner city?*

*I’ll go investigate afterwards.*

*Finally, Our Heaven and Earth society has a Confucian disciple…* the other Earth Book holders thought.

Even though the Confucianists had fallen from grace, in their height of power they suppressed all other cultivation powers, and so in the eyes of all cultivators, Confucianists had extraordinary status.

【THREE: Only a small matter. FIVE, your turn to say.】