Nightwatcher

# 271. Princess Lin'an's Life-Threatening Situation

"The little one!"

After bandaging her head, Zhong Li took off her two embroidered shoes, hugged her knees, and lowered her head as she spoke, “I've stayed in your esteemed household for quite some time. From your uncle to the servants, everyone's luck has worsened.

"Only that child remains unaffected, showing no change in fortune."

*So it's not Lingyue, huh? Makes sense. Heaven has already blessed her with Auntie's beauty. If she were favoured any more, Little Pea would be too pitiful...* Xu Qi'an thought.

"Does this mean my little sister has great fortune as well?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Zhong Li slowly shook her head. "Those with fortune are blessed and benefit wherever they go. She clearly isn't one of them. Her fortune is simply that resilient that she can’t be affected by bad luck."

"The whole household's luck has worsened... hearing you say this, I wonder if the reason I haven't found any silver on the street these past few days is because of you?"

Ever since taking in Zhong Li, this inauspicious star, Xu Qi'an had stopped stumbling upon silver cash.

*I suddenly have an idea. If Lingyin is immune to your bad luck, I can bring her along when I go out, and I might start finding silver again,* Xu Qi'an pondered and suggested, "How about we test it?"

"How will we test it?" Zhong Li asked.

"Just wait here."

Xu Qi'an left the room, went to the front hall, and carried out a flowerpot of orchids, Auntie's cherished possession. He placed it on the roof ridge of the corridor. Then he walked toward the eastern wing, listening for a moment before knocking on the door and calling out, "Second Uncle, is Lingyin asleep?"

Second Uncle's puzzled voice came from within. "She's still tossing about in bed. What's going on?"

"Nothing, just bring Lingyin out," Xu Qi'an replied.

Without further question, Second Uncle carried Little Pea out. Xu Qi'an, being mindful since this was his second uncle and aunt's bedroom and it was already late, stepped back a few paces.

"Big Bwother..." Little Pea spread her tiny arms and instinctively leapt into Xu Qi'an's embrace.

Holding her, Xu Qi'an headed toward his room. Reaching the corridor where the flowerpot was perched overhead, he set Lingyin down and said, "Sit here and eat some snacks. Once you're done, we'll head back."

Ordinarily, Little Pea would have wondered why she had to sit outside to eat. But the moment she heard there were snacks involved, her already limited intelligence took a nosedive.

"Okay!" she responded cheerfully.

Thus, Xu Qi'an placed the tiny Little Pea on the step beside the corridor, and as if by magic, producing a little cake from somewher and handing it to her to eat.

"With my bad luck, the flowerpot is bound to fall," Zhong Li whispered.

"Mm-hmm," Xu Qi'an nodded.

He was testing Lingyin's fortune. If Zhong Li was wrong, no harm done—he would simply intercept the pot before it could hurt Little Pea.

A few seconds later, a soft "thud" sounded from the roof ridge, and sure enough, the flowerpot tumbled down.

At that exact moment, a ginger cat darted out from the flowerbed, leaping up and batting the flowerpot aside, sending it toward Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an dodged to the side, but Zhong Li wasn't so lucky...

The pot shattered on Zhong Li's head.

"I knew this would happen. I'll go back to my room to bandage up," Zhong Li muttered as she quietly walked away.

"Kitty! Kitty..." Little Pea, with her mouth full of snacks, pointed excitedly at the ginger cat.

"Alright, alright. Big Brother will take you back to bed," Xu Qi'an said, scooping her up and carrying her back to the east wing, handing her over to Second Uncle. He then reminded him to make sure she brushed her teeth.

Remembering that the shattered pot had been Auntie's beloved orchid, Xu Qi'an collected the shards, the flower, and the soil and carefully returned them to the hall.

After finishing everything, he went to the backyard, scanning around until he saw the ginger cat sitting on the well's edge, its amber eyes glowing as it stared at him.

"Daoist." Xu Qi'an greeted as he approached.

"What were you doing just now?" The ginger cat spoke in a human voice.

"Just a small experiment," Xu Qi'an replied.

The ginger cat slowly nodded. "Was that the Sitianjian’s Master of Prophecy earlier?"

"Mm-hmm," Xu Qi'an confirmed, then added, "With your discerning eyes, you must have seen the dark clouds gathering over her head."

"It's more than just dark clouds. She seems like someone cursed by the heavens..." The ginger cat lifted a paw, stroking its whiskers. "Unlike a Master of Prophecy, a Master of Divination from the warlock clans seems favoured by the heavens. They only need to endure eighty-one tribulations, and if they survive, they can become a true Master of Divination."

Hearing this, Xu Qi'an chimed in, "Whereas a Master of Prophecy must endure 3,600 calamities... hmm?"

Xu Qi'an suddenly paused, confused. "Master of Prophecy... Master of Divination... aren't they essentially the same thing? Just with different names."

As he spoke, he looked to Daoist Jinlian for confirmation.

It was precisely because the terms were different that he hadn't connected "Master of Prophecy" and "Master of Divination" before. But after hearing Daoist Jinlian’s words, it dawned on him that the two were probably referring to the same thing, just under different names.

Much like how "goddess" and "player" refer to different roles but share the same purpose: maintaining relationships with multiple suitors or lovers.

The ginger cat lowered its paw and sat neatly on the well’s edge, looking rather cute, though its voice remained that of an old man. “Heh, it seems you still don’t know.

“The Arcanist system has six hundred years of history, rising alongside the Great Feng. But isn’t it strange, that whilst the martial system has been perfected over millennia, there still isn’t a martial god? As for the Warlocks, Buddhists, Daoists, and Confucianists, they all have history stretching back thousands of years,

“In a mere six hundred years, apart from a beyond-rank, the Arcanist class has produced everything from nine to one, a perfect set.”

*Right, after only six hundred years the Arcanist system has become pretty much complete. If it really were a system created from nothing, then what kind of prodigy was the first generation Jianzheng, and why wouldn’t such a person attain beyond-rank status?*… Xu Qi’an astutely noticed a problem with the history, and asked, confused: “So, why’s this?”

The ginger cat didn’t respond directly, rather laughing: "Let me tell you a bit of history, and you can reflect on it yourself."

After licking its paw again, the cat continued, “The founding emperor of the Great Feng faced many hardships, and was nearly pushed to the brink several times. One year, he went to the northeast to seek help from the Church of the Warlock God, promising them that if he succeeded in overthrowing the corrupt dynasty and founding a new one, he would make their religion the state religion.

“That would mean bringing the Central Plains into the warlocks' domain. The Church of the Warlock God agreed, lending him 200,000 elite soldiers, along with many of their masters.

“In the end, that founding emperor toppled the decaying old dynasty, defeated the various warlords, and unified the Central Plains. But the Church of the Warlock God did not achieve their goal of becoming the state religion.

"Because the Great Feng gained a Sitianjian, and thus the Arcanist system was born."

Xu Qi'an was left with only two words in his mind: _Oh Fuck!_

*Daoist Jinlian was ostensibly recounting the dark history of the founding emperor of Great Feng burning bridges after crossing them... although, it’s hard to consider it “dark history,” as founding emperors throughout history have always been ruthlessly pragmatic and morally dubious figures. True gentlemen could never achieve such feats... However, Daoist Jinlian was actually hinting at the true origins of the Arcanist system.*

*The Arcanist system originated from the warlocks!*

This was the conclusion Xu Qi'an deduced based on his nine years of compulsory education in reading comprehension.

No wonder the abilities of a Master of Prophecy and a Master of Divination are so similar.

*In fact, there’s a parallel case with the Martial Artist system and the Warrior Monk system! If Arcanists truly evolved from warlocks, it’s not an impossible notion...* Xu Qi'an suddenly realized.

Moreover, he began to connect the dots, suspecting that the first Jianzheng might have been among the warlocks who assisted Great Feng back then.

*Though Arcanists evolved from warlocks and had a foundation based off them, establishing a brand-new system is no easy task. The deeper truths behind this are probably only known to the first Jianzheng and the founding emperor of Great Feng... I suspect this might be related to the secret the Jianzheng is guarding. It might also unveil the mystery behind the mysterious arcanists in Yunzhou.*

Xu Qi'an voiced his suspicions, hoping that the well-informed Daoist Jinlian could provide some clarity.

Unfortunately, Daoist Jinlian, lacking any intention of imparting wisdom to Xu Qi'an, pretended not to hear him.

*I guess I can only seek out Wei Yuan or the Eldest Princess to ask about this…* Xu Qi'an shifted the topic, asking, "What brings you here, Daoist?"

The orange cat stared at him quietly for a moment before speaking. “Passing by, I noticed that your good fortune has disappeared, so I came to check on you.”

What immediately appeared in Xu Qi’an’s mind was: ???

A moment later: !!!

His second reaction came as he realized what had happened. No wonder he hadn’t found any silver lately—it was all due to the Jianzheng’s “`404` Technique”.

“But after seeing that girl, I understood the reason,” said the orange cat.

*Daoist Jinlian believes that Zhong Li’s misfortune has cancelled out my good fortune?* Xu Qi'an didn’t bother explaining and remained silent.

He also had no interest in teaching an old Daoist about his fortune.

...

After bidding farewell to Daoist Jinlian, Xu Qi'an returned to his room with a sour expression, glaring at Zhong Li without saying a word.

This woman, her head wrapped in bandages and her face covered, looked pitiful. Noticing the change in Xu Qi'an’s demeanor, she asked in a soft voice, "What did that Daoist master tell you?"

“None of your business.”

“Oh.” She lowered her head slightly.

But Xu Qi'an didn’t let it go, snapping, “Did you know I used to find silver cash every day?”

“I didn’t know, but I can understand.” Zhong Li replied honestly.

“Because of you, Jianzheng has kept me in the capital and blocked part of my fortune.” Xu Qi'an reasoned that it was only part of his fortune, as he could still ward off disasters for Zhong Li.

“I’m sorry…”

*Is "sorry" enough? I’m losing hundreds of thousands every day...* Xu Qi'an seethed. “You’ll have to compensate me.”

“I... I don’t have any silver.” Zhong Li shamefully lowered her head.

“If you don’t have silver, then spend the night with me. My bed is sturdy and won’t break.”

...

The next morning, Xu Qi'an woke up feeling refreshed and thoroughly satisfied. The bed had not collapsed.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Zhong Li. What he had said the night before was just angry talk. Though Jianzheng’s actions pained him, he had never actually intended to subject Zhong Li to such an experience.

This woman had already suffered enough. Xu Qi'an’s conscience wouldn’t allow him to harm her further.

However, Zhong Li had agreed to give him two magical artifacts as compensation, which made Xu Qi'an happy, and he slept especially well.

After washing up, he went to the front hall for breakfast, where he heard Little Pea’s wailing from a distance.

Stepping over the threshold, Xu Qi'an entered the room and saw Auntie pressing Xu Lingyin onto a stool, whipping her with a feather duster across her little bottom.

Xu Ershu, Xu Lingyue, and Xu Erlang continued eating unfazed, ignoring their sister’s (or daughter’s) cries, their focus solely on porridge, buns, and vegetables.

Seeing the injustice, Xu Qi'an loudly shouted, “Stop!”

Auntie didn’t pay him any mind. This was her own daughter, so what business was it of his?

“Auntie, this is too much,” Xu Qi'an said, snatching the feather duster. “Lingyin is still young. You can’t hit her like this.”

“Big bwother…”

That “big bwother” was shouted with such anguish and emotion, like the cry of a child to their father.

“Big Brother,” Xu Lingyue explained, “Mother’s beloved orchid was broken and can’t be saved. She suspects Lingyin broke it.”

Xu Qi'an handed the feather duster back to Auntie, patting her on the hand. “You have to discipline children early. If you don’t, it’ll be too late later. Auntie, you’re doing the right thing. Please, continue.”

“Waaah...” Xu Lingyin cried even harder, heartbroken.

As expected, this child has no good fortune—she’s purely relying on her tough fate.

…

As more and more martial artists flooded into the capital, the city’s public order deteriorated rapidly. To address this issue, Wei Yuan devised a clever solution.

He ordered the construction of four sturdy white marble platforms, located in the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest corners of the outer city, naming them the "Heroic Platforms."

These platforms were specifically created for the “what’re you lookin’ at”, “you wanna go”, “chattin’ shit mate” wandering martial types to resolve their disputes. Before long, people arriving in the capital flocked to the Heroic Platforms. If they had an enemy in the capital, they would jump onto the platform and shout, "XXX, do you dare to come up and fight? If you don't, you're a yellow-bellied coward!"

If XXX heard this challenge, they would come to the platform the next day to fight.

This provided a venue for jianghu heroes to settle their feuds without involving ordinary citizens. It also gave the capital's residents constant entertainment and increased local dining revenues, as people gathered to watch.

*Wei Yuan really knows his stuff; he’s an official who can get things done,* Xu Qi'an nodded to himself, listening to Uncle Xu recount stories from his patrols.

In addition, young jianghu men without grudges would often take to the platform to spar and gain fame. Meanwhile, the female wanderers of the jianghu had little interest in showing off their skills on the stage. Instead, they preferred to chat and laugh with renowned male heroes, attend banquets, and find ways to curry favour with influential officials in the capital or flirt with promising young scholars.

This revealed the stark difference between what men and women sought. Men wanted instant fame, women wanted instant popularity.

Because of the many flirtatious cougars outside, Uncle Xu strictly forbade Erlang from wandering the streets unnecessarily. "We can't let those coarse jianghu women get tempted," Uncle Xu warned.

Xu Qi'an immediately grasped Uncle Xu’s real point: _Erlang should stay at home, while I, as his father, will handle those temptresses._

“Uncle, have any famous female heroes arrived in the capital recently?” Xu Qi'an asked, noticing Auntie and Xu Lingyue’s suspicious looks. He quickly added, “I’m just asking to prevent trouble.”

Auntie and Xu Lingyue then turned to Uncle Xu, who frowned and complained, “You rascal! How would I know about such things? Do you think I’d pay attention to that?”

Xu Erlang scoffed, unimpressed by his brother and father’s antics.

After finishing breakfast, Xu Qi'an and his uncle set off together, leading their horses. Uncle Xu patted the mare and remarked, “Since you started riding her, she seems to have more energy.”

“She’s been well cared for,” Xu Qi'an replied.

“Huh?” Uncle Xu looked puzzled.

“I mean, the Nightwatcher’s office feeds her high-quality grains—barley, soybeans, eggs, and coarse salt,” Xu Qi'an explained.

Hearing this, Uncle Xu grew envious. “Let’s switch horses. Send mine to the Nightwatchers to improve her diet.”

Xu Qi'an waved his hands quickly. “I’m not switching.”

“Let’s get back to talking about the female heroes, Uncle,” Xu Qi'an said eagerly, driven by his fascination with the jianghu, perhaps a remnant of his past life.

Uncle Xu smiled knowingly. “They say the capital is full of beautiful wanderers, but the most outstanding ones are four in particular. First, there’s the daughter of the head of the Luya Sword Pavilion, known as the ‘Butterfly Sword.’ Not only is her cultivation exceptional, but she’s also stunningly beautiful.

“Then there’s Liu Qingyang from Hongxiang Pavilion, nicknamed the ‘Soul-Stealing Hand.’ From what my colleagues say, she’s a seductress no man can resist.”

_Soul-Stealing Hand?!_

Xu Qi'an’s thoughts immediately jumped to a more indecent interpretation of the nickname.

“Then there’s a female thief known as the ‘Thousand-Faced Thief.’ No one knows what she really looks like, as she’s a master of disguise. She always appears as an exquisite beauty.”

Usually, that meant she was probably not attractive.

“And finally, there’s a famous female swordswoman who wields twin sabres. She’s a disciple of the Shuangdao Sect from Leizhou. A real hero of the martial world. If I were twenty years younger... I’d still choose your Auntie,” Uncle Xu concluded.

Xu Qi'an nodded, sensing Uncle Xu’s deep affection for Auntie. Patting his uncle on the shoulder, he said, “Leave those female martial artists to your twenty-year-younger nephew.”

Upon reaching the Nightwatchers constabulary, Xu Qi'an completed the morning roll call and then practiced breathing techniques at Silver Gong Minshan’s hall for half an hour. He planned to patrol the streets with his two Bronze Gongs afterward—Spring Breeze Hall had burned down, and the reconstruction was still incomplete.

“Boss, where should we patrol today?” one of the Bronze Gongs asked.

“Do you know where the female martial artists usually hang out?” Xu Qi'an asked.

“Naturally, at the Heroic Platforms! The four platforms in the outer city are lively these days. Even citizens from the inner city are flocking there to watch the excitement.”

“Alright, we’ll head to the southern Heroic Platform today,” Xu Qi'an decided.

Just as he was leaving the office, he saw a rider approaching at full gallop. The rider, dressed in the palace’s livery, was one of Lin’an’s guards.

“Sir Xu!”

The guard, overjoyed to see Xu Qi'an, yanked his horse to a sudden stop.

“Sir Xu, the Second Princess urgently summons you to the palace!”

“What’s going on?” Xu Qi'an asked calmly.

“The Second Princess says it’s a matter of life and death. Her fate is now in your hands,” the guard said gravely.

“???”

As Xu Qi'an instructed the Bronze Gongs to fetch his horse, he asked, “Has something happened in the palace?”