Nightwatcher-Chapter 460: Part of the Truth
# 460. Part of the Truth
“National Teacher, let’s head back first. When there’s new progress, I’ll inform you. Please could you…”
Xu Qi’an hadn’t finished speaking when he saw the National Teacher turn into a beam of golden light and disappear. His expression froze. The phrase “Please could you send us back” never made it out of his mouth.
*You could’ve at least sent us back, my little mare’s not with me!*
He grumbled inwardly, then glanced at Hengyuan beside him… *mn, thank goodness I didn’t bring my little mare.*
The two of them scaled the Earl’s mansion wall. Seeing no one around, they swiftly left and merged into the bustling crowd on the main street.
When they reached the junction under the Yong’an Street archway, the sundial showed the time as 8 AM (fourth quarter of chen).
At the entrance of every major street in the capital stood a grand archway. Next to it was a sundial for the people to check the time.
*It’ll take about half an hour to get home. Hope Huaiqing doesn’t get too impatient*, Xu Qi’an murmured.
In the capital, scaling walls and walking on rooftops was forbidden, day or night.
Xu Qi’an didn’t want to attract attention either. With his current fame, keeping a low profile was wise, otherwise, it could cause chaos if passersby got too excited.
Fortunately, he wasn’t wearing his Silver Gong uniform, so commoners wouldn’t notice him. Most of the time, people could only remember distinctive features, just like how he couldn’t recognise the cultural treasures from his past life’s hard drive once they were clothed...
Besides, with the capital’s population over two million, not everyone was lucky enough to witness the heroic presence of Silver Gong Xu.
Many had never even seen him in person.
As they walked, Xu Qi’an suddenly froze, then looked towards Hengyuan with a composed expression. “Master, you’ve been trapped underground for over a month. You should return to the Welfare Hall and check on the elders and children.”
Hengyuan nodded. “Have they been well?”
“I haven’t visited personally,” Xu Qi’an replied calmly, “but I’ve been sending money and household goods regularly.”
Hengyuan pressed his palms together and bowed. “Sir Xu is the kindest man this humble monk has ever met. I am honoured to have made your acquaintance.”
Xu Qi’an returned the gesture, likewise pleased, having the admiration of a monk with an Arhat fruit would surely be beneficial in future.
Chu Yuanzhen, brilliant and peerless; the Holy Maiden of Heaven Sect, with her gallant heart; Lina, tremendously gifted and superhumanly strong; Hengyuan, who bore the Arhat fruit; and Eldest Princess Huaiqing, unrivalled in intellect.
Within a decade, the Heaven and Earth Society might well become one of the most powerful forces in Jiuzhou.
As for Number Seven and Number Eight, they had yet to appear, hopefully they wouldn’t disappoint.
As the crowd bustled past, Xu Qi’an watched Hengyuan leave and finally let out a sigh of relief. If Hengyuan followed him home to Xu manor, there’d be no hiding Huaiqing’s identity as Number One.
And knowing Huaiqing’s temperament, she’d probably just decide everyone should die together.
…
Xu Manor.
Huaiqing sat in the hall, growing slightly impatient. Auntie, who was nominally the mistress of the house, had been forced to keep her company for a bit due to Huaiqing’s overpowering presence and status, but soon excused herself, claiming to be unwell.
Xu Lingyue had been turned away by Li Miaozhen. Although the eldest daughter of the Xu family was more reliable than her mother, what was to be discussed involved state secrets, she couldn’t be allowed to listen.
Li Miaozhen remained sceptical about Huaiqing’s claim that there was a major flaw in the case. She considered her deductive ability second only to Xu Qi’an’s, making her the second lead investigator in the Heaven and Earth Society.
At last, they saw Xu Qi’an enter the courtyard. He crossed the stone-paved path and stepped into the hall.
As the host, Xu Qi’an glanced at the two available chairs, which were already taken by Huaiqing and Li Miaozhen, so he sat at a lower guest seat and looked to the Eldest Princess:
“What have you discovered?”
Huaiqing paused for a few seconds, then said in a clear voice, “How are you certain the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect used ‘One Qi Transforming into Three Purities’?”
*Isn’t that obvious?* Xu Qi’an was taken aback, momentarily unsure how to answer.
Huaiqing turned to Li Miaozhen and asked, “Can Daoist techniques split the primordial spirit, without necessarily forming three separate people?”
Li Miaozhen didn’t need to think. She replied:
“‘One Qi Transforming into Three Purities’ is the pinnacle technique of the primordial spirit domain. It allows a person to split into three distinct individuals, each with an independent consciousness. They are separate persons, but can also merge as one.
“If it’s just splitting the primordial spirit, then anyone who’s cultivated a Yin Spirit can do it. But such split spirits are incomplete and flawed, nothing like ‘One Qi Transforming into Three Purities’.”
Huaiqing was satisfied with the answer and turned to Xu Qi’an. Her limpid gaze was intense.
“You said Daoist Jinlian is a remnant soul, that fits with primordial spirit division. Perhaps the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect merely split off his good and evil thoughts. What you call ‘One Qi Transforming into Three Purities’ is just your speculation. There’s no proof.”
Xu Qi’an furrowed his brow, keeping his tone steady:
“Perhaps the three entities split off by the Daoist Leader are completely disconnected. Hmm… that must be the case, otherwise Daoist Jinlian would have been found by Heilian long ago.”
Li Miaozhen said, “Even in ‘One Qi Transforming into Three Purities’, the three can be independent and disconnected. Separation isn’t a necessity.”
Xu Qi’an was momentarily speechless. He remembered how the late emperor’s daily records included commentary by the Daoist Leader on this very technique.
One person, three entities, that was precisely what it meant.
They could indeed be three entirely separate individuals.
Huaiqing went on, “There’s another thing. You once said that in the Chuzhou massacre, King Huai got the Blood Pill, and Father Emperor got the Soul Pill. But the Soul Pill’s effects don’t justify Father Emperor risking everything.”
“Yes. That’s exactly why I began investigating Yuanjing,” Xu Qi’an nodded.
“I asked Caiwei about the Soul Pill’s properties. It turns out its greatest effect is repairing remnant souls. All other functions are minor in comparison. But if the Daoist Leader truly used ‘One Qi Transforming into Three Purities’, then his primordial spirit couldn’t be incomplete.
“Let me spell it out: would a second-rank Daoist really be unable to handle the technique of ‘One Qi Transforming into Three Purities’?”
Xu Qi’an was stunned. He quickly reevaluated his reasoning in light of Huaiqing’s analysis:
*I fell into a logical trap. Once I suspected that another clone of the Daoist Leader might be hidden within the dragon ley, I instinctively linked it to the Soul Pill, assuming it was created to mend a fractured soul… but I ignored the level of a Rank two Daoist. How could a Daoist Leader who mastered ‘One Qi Transforming into Three Purities’ possibly have a damaged soul? And yet… Daoist Jinlian is a remnant soul...*
Thoughts flashed through his mind like a lantern show. Xu Qi’an swallowed and exhaled:
“That is indeed a flaw in the logic. But just like my suspicion of the Daoist Leader, your doubts are still only that, suspicions. We have no conclusive evidence.”
Huaiqing nodded, her gaze sweeping lightly over the legendary Silver Gong before her.
“There’s one more point. Or rather, something _I_ consider suspicious… the abductions started in the 26th year of Zhende. That was your finding.”
Xu Qi’an mused for a moment. “Even though the one on the throne was the previous emperor, Yuanjing, as Crown Prince, would still have had the power to secretly create hidden chambers in the palace.”
Huaiqing shook her head slowly. “That’s not what I meant. At the time, Earl Pingyuan was still very young, just rising in prominence. He secretly formed a child-trafficking organisation to serve Father Emperor. That would have involved some exchange of benefits.
“But after the Father Emperor ascended the throne, the Earl remained just that, an earl. His rank and office never advanced. And it’s not because he lacked ambition. His alliance with the Liang Clique to murder Princess Pingyang proves that.
“Do you think that’s reasonable? Put yourself in the Earl’s shoes, would you be content? You do all the dirty work for the Crown Prince, only to remain stagnant for over twenty years after he takes the throne?”
Silence fell over the hall.
The atmosphere quietly turned heavy. Though Li Miaozhen only half-understood and hadn’t fully grasped it, she could sense that the case seemed to have taken a turn. Huaiqing’s reasoning made a lot of sense, and Xu Qi’an didn’t object.
Huaiqing took the initiative to break the silence and asked, “What did you find in the dragon ley underground?”
Xu Qi’an recounted how he had rescued Hengyuan.
“So, there really is a terrifying presence beneath the dragon ley, but it’s not the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect?” Li Miaozhen glanced at Huaiqing, then at Xu Qi’an. “Then who could it be?”
Huaiqing shook her head. “No, we can’t yet be sure it’s not the Daoist Leader. Even if the soul pill wasn’t given to him, even if there are suspicious points about Earl Pingyuan, we still can’t rule out the possibility that the one beneath the dragon ley is the Daoist Leader.”
Xu Qi’an thought for a moment, pinching his brow. “It’s easy to confirm. Hengyuan saw that person. Miaozhen and I have seen Heilian. Just draw a portrait and let Hengyuan identify it.”
Li Miaozhen and Huaiqing’s eyes lit up.
Xu Qi’an and Li Miaozhen said simultaneously, “I can’t draw.”
Huaiqing naturally took the task upon herself.
The three left the inner hall and entered the room. Xu Qi’an diligently poured water, ground ink, spread the paper, and weighed it down with a white jade paperweight.
Huaiqing tucked up her sleeves with one hand and took up the brush with the other. Hovering over the paper, she glanced up at Li Miaozhen and Xu Qi’an. “What does he look like?”
He’s a half-human, half-fish merman, not left or right, not top or bottom, has a head and a… Xu Qi’an began describing, “His face is narrow, and he has a high nose…”
With his description and Li Miaozhen’s additions, Huaiqing drew four or five portraits, eventually producing one of an elderly man who resembled the Earth Sect’s Daoist Leader to about seventy or eighty percent. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
“That’ll do.”
Xu Qi’an grabbed the paper and shook it, drying the ink with his qi. As he rolled the portrait up, he said softly, “Draw one more. You shouldn’t be unfamiliar with this one.”
Huaiqing was silent for a moment, then unfolded a new sheet and drew a second portrait.
As Xu Qi’an hurried off, Li Miaozhen frowned and asked, “Who was the second one you drew?”
Huaiqing didn’t answer, her face grim and serious.
…
Eastern City, Welfare Hall.
Hengyuan had visited every elder and child, including the pitiful child wrapped in dog skin. He returned to his room and began packing.
Not much, just two monastic robes and a few Buddhist scriptures.
A monk had little to his name. His belongings were few.
He couldn’t stay here any longer. Emperor Yuanjing would return sooner or later. If not now, then later. To protect the elders and children, he had to sever ties with them and leave.
An old clerk stood in the doorway, trembling and sorrowful.
“I’m not leaving the capital just yet. I plan to stay at the Xu estate for a while. It’s both a safer place and helps bolster the Xu household’s defences. Since the Chuzhou massacre case, his situation has been precarious… I’ll return to visit periodically.”
While folding his robes, Hengyuan said gently, “Don’t worry about the money. Sir Xu is a kind man. He’ll continue to support the Hall’s expenses.”
In truth, he already was.
The old clerk nodded repeatedly, sorrowfully saying, “Master, you must promise… don’t come back. None of us want you getting hurt again.”
After packing, Hengyuan brushed past him and stepped out.
In the courtyard, eight white-haired elders had gathered, some supported by children, others with walking sticks.
Twelve children were present too, save for the one in the rear yard who could no longer walk.
The children looked up at him with clean little faces and bright, innocent eyes, watching Hengyuan in silence.
“We came to see you off.”
One elder said, “Go on, don’t come back. You’ve helped us too much. We can’t drag you down any further.”
The children said nothing, their eyes glistening.
Hengyuan pressed his palms together and bowed silently.
When he looked up again, he saw Xu Qi’an hurrying through the Welfare Hall’s gates.
“Sir Xu?”
Hengyuan stepped forward, both surprised and pleased.
“Master Hengyuan, you’ve seen the presence beneath the ground, right?”
When Hengyuan nodded, Xu Qi’an unfolded the portrait of Heilian, eyes blazing. “Was it him?”
Hengyuan focused on the image for a moment and shook his head. “It wasn’t him.”
*Not him… right, Hengyuan had seen Heilian before, and he’d taken part in the battle over the lotus seed in Jianzhou. If it were Heilian, he would’ve recognised him immediately underground. I overlooked that detail… then again, perhaps that avatar looked different from the Daoist Heilian himself. After all, Jinlian and Heilian don’t look alike…*
Xu Qi’an flicked his hand, burning the portrait of Heilian. Then he opened the second portrait Huaiqing had drawn and asked, voice tight with unease, “Is… is it him?”
Hengyuan’s expression immediately turned grave. He said solemnly, “Where did you get his portrait? Yes, it’s him.”
*Wha…* Xu Qi’an’s pupils dilated. He felt a shiver rise from his spine, hair standing on end.
*The late emperor!*
*Huaiqing had drawn the late emperor!*
*The presence beneath the dragon ley was the late emperor!!*
At that moment, Xu Qi’an felt it was both absurd yet logical, both surprising yet not surprising at all.
After Huaiqing pointed out those two suspicious points, he had already begun suspecting the late emperor. That was why he had asked for the second portrait. And the fact that Huaiqing drew the late emperor meant she suspected it too.
*So back then, the one polluted by the Daoist Leader of the Earth Sect wasn’t King Huai or Emperor Yuanjing, it was the late emperor… yes, he spoke often of One Qi Transforming into Three Purities and of immortality. He was the one obsessed with eternal life.*
Xu Qi’an walked slowly to the stone table and sat down, countless details rising one by one in his mind.
*One Qi Transforming into Three Purities: three as one, three as three, one as three. One person can be three, so the late emperor could be the late emperor, could be King Huai, and could also be Yuanjing.*
*So, the three of them were one and the same. That’s why the suspicious and paranoid Yuanjing trusted King Huai completely, gave him the Sovereign Sword and the most beautiful woman in the realm. That kind of trust is unlike any emperor’s.*
*I remember now. The princess consort once said that when Yuanjing first met her, he showed a disturbing obsession with her beauty (see Chapter 164 of this volume[^1])… no wonder he gave her to King Huai, because King Huai was also him?*
*In that case, the Southern Garden incident, whether King Huai and Yuanjing died or not, they were affected. Either controlled or polluted by the Earth Sect’s Daoist Leader. And later, they were assimilated by the late emperor, taken over, becoming one. That’s the secret of one being three. That was what the Earth Sect’s Daoist Leader told the late emperor back then. After their philosophical discussion, they may have begun planning this.*
*What lies beneath the dragon ley is the late emperor’s true body… the Jianzheng knew everything but did nothing, because it wasn’t the Earth Sect’s Daoist Leader causing trouble, it was the emperor of the Great Feng. No, perhaps the Jianzheng had his own plan, but I can’t fathom it.*
*Earl Pingyuan has long been trafficking people, but never dared claim credit. That’s because he was working for the late emperor. He thought he was helping the late emperor, not Yuanjing.*
*Why did the late emperor need those civilians? The Chuzhou massacre already gave me the answer, blood pills and soul pills!*
*The late emperor wasn’t a proper Daoist and couldn’t perfectly master the One Qi Transforming into Three Purities. It left flaws, like a damaged soul. So he needed soul pills to patch it…*
Xu Qi’an’s scalp tingled.
---
[^1]: Best to use the contents page, the chapter numbers otherwise don’t reset.
