Nightwatcher

# 368. Ambushed

“First, we need to analyse the motive behind the act—or more precisely, the objective of the perpetrator.”

Speaking of matters within his area of expertise, Xu Qi’an elaborated fluently: “The man claiming to be the Administrator of Chuzhou fled the city and has been covertly organising people ever since, attempting to expose what happened.

“When his attempts to deliver information failed, he remained undeterred. Your appearance, however, gave him hope. He likely sees Lady Flying Swallow as a reliable, noble heroine, prompting him to reach out.”

Li Miaozhen snapped, “Get to the point. Why flatter me?”

Xu Qi’an shook his head, his expression utterly sincere. “I’m not flattering you. Lady Flying Swallow is the most admirable hero I know.”

Li Miaozhen snorted disdainfully.

From the side, Susu glanced at Xu Qi’an, thinking to herself that this man certainly knew how to charm women. Since her master descended the mountain for training, her proudest accomplishment had been earning the title “Lady Flying Swallow.”

Although Li Miaozhen feigned indifference, Susu knew Xu Qi’an’s words had struck a chord.

Xu Qi’an continued, “As an outsider, he couldn’t possibly have ulterior motives toward you, yet he still sought your help. His intent is clear: to spread word of the Zhenbei King’s massacre of the city.

“He hasn’t divulged this to the barbarians, which indicates he’s unaware they also covet the refined blood and aim to stop the Zhenbei King’s ascension. This suggests he’s a victim, swept into the events, rather than a manipulator.”

*Indeed, that makes sense…* Li Miaozhen nodded as she listened:

“So, he thought that I could help disseminate the information. He likely attempted it once, but those aiding him—Jianghu warriors—were intercepted and killed near the outskirts of the capital. That’s the body I discovered on the roadside.”

The details aligned, giving Li Miaozhen a sense of clarity.

The Chuzhou Administrator had escaped the massacre and gone into hiding, dispatching martial artists to deliver his message to the capital. But the messengers had been ambushed and killed, their bodies discovered inadvertently by her.

Xu Qi’an, still tilting his head, rubbed his chin and said, “It’s understandable that Zheng Xinghuai wouldn’t write official documents—they’d be intercepted. And spreading the word in Chuzhou itself would invite death, as it’s the Zhenbei King’s territory.

“What puzzles me is why the heroic messenger, so close to the capital, failed to make it. If they managed to reach the capital’s borders, entering the city shouldn’t have been hard. The capital’s power structure is complex, unlike Chuzhou which is entirely dominated by the Zhenbei King’s spies and subordinates.”

Li Miaozhen speculated, “Perhaps it was an ambush—a trap laid in advance near the capital.”

Xu Qi’an nodded, but, eager for rest, didn’t linger on the topic. He got up and headed toward Li Miaozhen’s bed, lying down straight as a plank.

“Wake me at dusk,” he instructed.

“You…” Li Miaozhen opened her mouth, then stopped.

*What was wrong with this man? Did he think a lady’s bed was his for the taking?*

*Fine, fine. Jianghu folk shouldn’t fuss over such trivialities. I’ll have the innkeeper replace the bedding later…* She took a deep breath to calm herself.

*Lying down does feel much better. With my current physique, this soreness should have faded quickly… The aftereffects of Confucian spells are truly dreadful… Hmm, where’s this faint fragrance coming from? Li Miaozhen doesn’t seem like the type to use cosmetics. Could it be… the legendary melon fragrance of maidens?*

*Once the “melon” is broken, it’s just called body scent.*

Xu Qi’an stifled his wandering thoughts and quickly fell asleep.

…

Elsewhere in the corridor, in a room a dozen meters away, Zhao Jin spent the day in anxious anticipation.

After observing and gathering information, he was convinced this Lady Flying Swallow was the real deal. Two points supported this:

First, the barbarians in the Northern Frontier were brazenly raiding. Many martial artists had come to resist them, and some had either met or heard of Lady Flying Swallow and her signature flying sword.

Second, the recently concluded Conflict of Heaven and Man in the capital had been brewing for over a month. By now, Lady Flying Swallow’s true identity was widely known within the jianghu.

Even so, he couldn’t shake his nervousness. Having revealed such a grave secret, he anxiously awaited a response. The wait was excruciating.

Suddenly, he noticed the teacup on the table tipping over, startling him.

The spilled water formed four characters: *Come to my room.*

Delight lit up Zhao Jin’s face. He quickly stood, then paused, taking a deep breath to steady his pounding heart.

He tried to appear calm as he walked naturally to Li Miaozhen’s room and knocked lightly on the door.

The door opened on its own.

Inside, Lady Flying Swallow and her breathtakingly beautiful maid sat at the table, the candlelight casting a warm orange glow on their flawless faces.

By now, Zhao Jin was used to their beauty. Ignoring it, he looked past them to the bed, where a man lay.

*This… Is he the companion Lady Flying Swallow mentioned? To think he’d be allowed to sleep on her bed—they must be quite close.* Zhao Jin was taken aback. Then he saw Li Miaozhen turn her head and call out to the bed:

“Get up. Our guest is here.”

The man on the bed stirred, seemingly awakened. He suddenly sat up and looked at Zhao Jin.

Thump, thump, thump…

Zhao Jin instinctively retreated. The man tilted his head, glaring coldly with slanted eyes.

Not only was he giving a side-eye, but he was doing it while tilting his head. Such arrogance!

“You’re Zhao Jin?” the man asked.

“Yes, that’s me…” Zhao Jin stammered, then took in the man’s appearance under the candlelight—stunningly handsome, like a paragon of elegance.

With a face like that, he and Lady Flying Swallow did make a fine match.

“I have a question for you.” The tilted-head man spoke solemnly.

Zhao Jin nodded.

The handsome youth scrutinised him for a moment, then asked, “How did you determine, or confirm, that Zheng Xinghuai’s words were true?”

Li Miaozhen’s interest was piqued. Since Zhao Jin hadn’t experienced the massacre himself, how had he judged Zheng Xinghuai’s account? If he’d only heard Zheng Xinghuai’s side, today’s matters would have to be put on hold.

Zhao Jin lowered his voice. “I have a sworn brother who served in Administrator Zheng’s residence. He and several other retainers helped escort Zheng Xinghuai out of Chuzhou City.”

The Great Feng Empire divided its territories into thirteen provinces, each with prefectures, commanderies, and counties. What was officially known as Chuzhou Province had once been called Chuzhou Prefecture before it was upgraded.

The same applied to the other provinces.

Zheng, the Provincial Administrator, as an official overseeing the livelihood and governance of an entire region, held a position of considerable power and influence. It was only natural that his residence was guarded by numerous experts.

If the one who massacred the city was not the Zhenbei King, Xu Qi’an considered it reasonable that he had managed to escape Chuzhou City by sheer luck.

"That day, my sworn brother came to me seeking assistance. When I learned of the matter, I found it utterly incredible. So, I secretly went to Chuzhou City and found everything as usual, with no signs of a massacre."

"Then how did you determine whether the massacre was real or not?" Li Miaozhen frowned.

"But I later discovered there was another Provincial Administrator Zheng in the city. How could there possibly be two Provincial Administrators? With this doubt in mind, I agreed to help my sworn brother. While secretly protecting him, I began rallying trustworthy people from the jianghu, attempting to expose the matter.

"During this time, we discovered that the official roads and counties near the borders of Chuzhou were sealed, with generals conducting thorough inspections and the Zhenbei King’s spies covertly hunting for people. It was then I realised that what Administrator Zheng had said might indeed be true.

"About half a month ago, our first group of brothers secretly left Chuzhou, intending to go to the capital to file a grievance. They vanished without a trace."

Zhao Jin sighed.

Xu Qi’an’s eyes flashed with clear light.

*No lies… So, the residual soul’s exact words that day were: Blood runs three thousand miles! We plead the court to send troops to suppress the Zhenbei King!*

Xu Qi’an pondered and asked, "What do you think of the current state of Chuzhou City, or rather, what does the real Provincial Administrator Zheng think?"

Zhao Jin shook his head with a bitter smile. "I don’t know. Lord Zheng is just as baffled. He personally witnessed Que Yongxiu leading troops to slaughter the city, yet when we later infiltrated Chuzhou City again, everything had returned to normal."

*…Fuck!* A simple description made Xu Qi’an’s scalp tingle, and a chill ran down his spine.

*The envoy should have already arrived in Chuzhou City by now. If there were issues, Yang Yan’s cultivation should be able to detect them… No, Yang Yan is just a straightforward martial artist; he might not notice anything unusual. After all, even the Wanyao Princess and the mysterious arcanists are searching for the location of the Zhenbei King’s massacre.*

*What kind of methods did the Zhenbei King use to cover all this up?*

*My knowledge is still insufficient. I have no clues. Meeting Provincial Administrator Zheng should be my next step; he was directly involved…* Xu Qi’an sat cross-legged on the bed, tilting his head as he asked:

"Where is the real Zheng Xinghuai?"

At this critical moment, Zhao Jin fell silent instead. He glanced at Xu Qi’an, then at Li Miaozhen, showing a hint of hesitation.

Li Miaozhen frowned. "You don’t trust me?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Zhao Jin shook his head. "I naturally trust Lady Flying Swallow."

Saying so, he glanced at Xu Qi’an. He knew nothing about this crooked-necked man, and even though the latter was Lady Flying Swallow’s companion, he couldn’t help but harbor doubts.

This was human nature.

It’s hard to trust someone you’re unfamiliar with, especially when the matter concerns the safety of Provincial Administrator Zheng.

Li Miaozhen glared at the man behind her in exasperation, then turned to Zhao Jin and explained, "You should have heard of him."

Zhao Jin paused, then reexamined Xu Qi’an, probing, "What do you mean by that, Lady Flying Swallow?"

Susu, standing with her hands on her hips, said proudly, "The Silver Gong of Great Feng, Xu Qi’an. Have you heard of him?"

*The Silver Gong, Xu Qi’an?!*

That sentence struck Zhao Jin like a thunderclap, leaving him dumbfounded and frozen in place.

A few seconds later, overwhelming joy surged through him, like a ship adrift in darkness finding a lighthouse or a lost traveler seeing the glow of a candle.

In Zhao Jin’s heart, excitement rose at finally finding a major figure to take charge.

The Silver Gong, Xu Qi’an—this man had risen to prominence during the Year of the Official Evaluatoin, solving countless bizarre cases and earning great merits for the court; this man had represented the Sitianjian in a contest against the Buddhist sect, defeating a Buddhist Arhat.

Stories about him had long spread beyond the capital.

As for his triumph over Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhan during the Conflict of Heaven and Man, that tale had yet to reach the northern regions, but his reputation was already well established.

Li Miaozhen continued, "You must know about the delegation’s arrival in the northern territories."

Reluctantly tearing his gaze away from Xu Qi’an, Zhao Jin nodded eagerly. "They came to investigate the blood runs three thousand miles case."

Li Miaozhen smiled and gestured toward Xu Qi’an. "The lead investigator is him. To conduct the investigation discreetly, he separated from the envoy midway and secretly infiltrated the northern territories."

*So that’s how it is…* Zhao Jin’s doubts vanished entirely. Overjoyed, he cupped his fists and lowered his voice:

"Sir Xu, you are the person I admire most. You bested the Buddhist sect and restored the court’s honour, you are talked about widely in the Jianghu. But what I find most admirable is your feat during the Yunzhou rebellion, where you single-handedly held off tens of thousands of rebel troops. Thinking about it always fills me with fervour. A man should live like that."

*This meme is never dying, is it?*

Xu Qi’an almost covered his face in embarrassment. Li Miaozhen, one of the individuals involved in that incident, was now giving him a disdainful look, making him feel thoroughly ashamed.

*This man always loves boasting. It’s a bad habit he just can’t shake, and now he’s dragging me into this, making me lose face too. I can’t even reveal his identity within the Heaven and Earth Society…* Li Miaozhen shot him a glare and huffed inwardly.

"Ahem!"

Xu Qi’an cleared his throat and said coolly, "A true hero doesn’t dwell on past glories. Enough chatter; let’s meet with Provincial Administrator Zheng immediately. Miaozhen, use your flying sword to take us away, and make sure to take a convoluted route."

Li Miaozhen frowned. "You think we’re being watched? But my little ghost hasn’t given any such feedback."

Xu Qi’an sneered. “That just means whoever is watching us is highly skilled. Think about it: the Zhenbei King’s spies have intercepted and killed martial artists trying to deliver messages. It’s only logical they’d have some control over Provincial Administrator Zheng’s movements.

“And you happened to appear at this critical moment. The Zhenbei King’s spies wouldn’t overlook you. They’re likely ignoring you deliberately, trying to use you to flush out Provincial Administrator Zheng.

"Luckily, Brother Zhao here was cautious enough to stay hidden around you instead of approaching directly. But even so, it’s likely that Zhao and the martial artists under your command are already under investigation. Perhaps in a few more days, the Zhenbei King’s spies will come knocking."

Li Miaozhen pondered this for a moment, her frown deepening as she nodded slowly. "No wonder the authorities initially wanted to kill me when I intercepted the grain profiteers, only to later change their approach and negotiate with me, asking me to restrain myself."

Immediately, she placed Susu back into her sachet. With a thought, the flying sword leaning against the table sprang to life, hovering and circling inside the room.

Li Miaozhen waved her hand, and with a clang, the window flew open as the sword streaked outside.

"Let’s go!"

She leaped out the window first, followed by Xu Qi’an and Zhao Jin. The three of them stepped onto the sword’s blade, with Li Miaozhen in front, Xu Qi’an in the middle, and Zhao Jin at the rear.

The flying sword carried them straight into the sky.

At that moment, Xu Qi’an’s mind conjured a scene: below them, an arrow radiating immense energy shot toward them.

The arrow carried an aura that vowed to pierce its target no matter what.

"Left!" Xu Qi’an shouted.

Li Miaozhen didn’t hesitate, steering the flying sword into a sharp left turn. The next moment, a streak of light zipped past, striking the spot they had just vacated.

The arrow missed but made a sharp turn, locking onto them once more as it sped forward with a fierce whistle.

"It’s a fourth-rank martial artist," Li Miaozhen said grimly.

"Higher, higher! Don’t let the martial artist get close!" Xu Qi’an’s scalp tingled.