Nightwatcher

# 336. First Inferrences

As soon as Xu Qi’an blurted out that question that had been nagging him for so long, he immediately regretted it.

It wasn’t because the question itself was inappropriate, rather the way he asked it was problematic — he revealed too much.

Number Five, Lina, didn’t know he was Number Three. Xu Qi'an had only told her that he was a peripheral member of the Heaven and Earth Society. But his question just now had clearly exposed his true identity.

_Ugh, it’s all Li Miaozhen’s fault. She made me feel as if my identity as Number Three was already public knowledge… It’s also because my mind is clouded and aching right now, making me less rational…_ With a slightly stiff expression, Xu Qi'an cautiously glanced at Lina.

“No way!” Lina suddenly shouted, waving her arms excitedly. “I promised Heaven Gu Granny that I wouldn’t tell anyone about this or reveal that the information came from her.”

_Oh, so the information came from Heaven Gu Granny… Wait, she hasn’t realised I just outed myself as Number Three?!_

_What a treasure…_ Xu Qi'an looked at Lina with admiration in his eyes.

“That’s your choice. A gentleman never forces others,” Xu Qi'an said, nodding and appearing as though he wouldn’t press the matter. But after Lina sighed in relief, he added casually, “Now, let’s tally up your expenses during your stay at the Xu residence.”

He glanced at the pretty dress Lina was wearing and said, “My sister made you two dresses with top-quality imperial silk. The cost is ten taels of silver per bolt, plus labour. That’s thirty taels of silver for the two dresses.

“Accommodation costs three cash per night. You’ve stayed here for several days, so let’s round it to three taels. Then there’s food—Miss Lina, do I need to elaborate on your appetite? Altogether, you’ve eaten forty taels of silver worth of food.

“In total, that’s 120 taels. Please settle the bill.”

Lina stared blankly at him, dumbfounded, and said, “You’re amazing! You calculated the total so quickly.”

_Heh, I made all of that up. Do you think I’d actually waste time calculating for a fool like you? You couldn’t figure it out anyway… Wait, I’m being dragged into her pace._

Xu Qi'an patted the edge of the bed and said loudly, “Focus on my main point!”

The little black-skinned girl from the Southern Marches said pitifully, “But I can’t break my promise. If I agree to something, I must follow through.”

“Very well. Then either pay up or leave!” Xu Qi'an said gruffly.

“I…” Lina’s eyes reddened. She felt like a helpless outsider being bullied. Stamping her foot, she said, “Fine, I’ll leave! I’ll go find Daoist Jinlian! Even if I starve to death, die in the streets, or become homeless, I won’t betray Heaven Gu Granny!”

“Wait,” Xu Qi'an called after her, making one last effort. “Heaven Gu Granny is in the Southern Marches, right? I’m in the capital. Thousands of miles separate us. If neither of us says anything, how would that count as breaking your promise?”

“Is that true?” Lina asked hesitantly.

“Of course,” Xu Qi'an nodded solemnly. “It’s like going to the Jiaofangsi—paying for a woman’s company is patronage. But if you don’t pay, it’s not patronage. Correct?”

Lina froze, thought about it, and felt that Xu Ningyan’s reasoning made sense.

Xu Qi'an continued his persuasion, “Besides, you’re in a foreign land, alone and helpless. What’s sacrificing a little credibility for survival? No one will blame you.”

Lina hesitated, showing signs of wavering.

Xu Qi'an delivered the final blow. “Three days of food at Guiyuelou —all you can eat.”

_Gulp._ Lina swallowed her saliva discreetly and said crisply, “Deal. But you have to swear not to tell anyone.”

Xu Qi'an nodded.

Lina turned and jogged to the door. After poking her head out to check that no one was eavesdropping, she returned to the table and said, “It was last time, remember? Number Three used the Earth Book fragment to ask about a friend who frequently finds money. Our Heaven Gu Tribe knows everything—heavenly patterns above, earthly veins below. They observe the stars and rivers; nothing escapes their sight.

“So, I asked the leader of the Heaven Gu Tribe, Heaven Gu Granny. She said that the person finding the money was definitely him, not his friend…”

Suddenly, Lina froze mid-sentence. She stared at Xu Qi'an, her eyes widening in shock. Pointing a trembling finger at him, she screamed, “You—you—you’re Number Three?!”

_You’re only realising that now?_ In his heart, Xu Qi'an tipped his hat to her. With a blank expression, he said, “Yes, I’m Number Three. But I promised Daoist Jinlian not to reveal my identity. Well, it’s out there now, we’ve both broken our promises, there’s no issue to it.”

Lina stared at him dumbly for a moment before finally accepting that Xu Qi'an was Number Three. With that realisation, her guilt about breaking her promise lightened significantly.

“Heaven Gu Granny said that twenty years ago, two thieves stole something very precious from a prominent family. Some members of that family have realised it by now, while others remain oblivious.

“She also asked me where you were. When I told her you were in the capital, she seemed shocked, as if you absolutely shouldn’t be here.”

“Hold on,” Xu Qi'an interrupted, leaning back against the pillows. After a moment’s silent contemplation, he said, “Continue.”

“Before I left the Southern Marches, Heaven Gu Granny told me that one of the thieves was her husband. In the Southern Marches, there’s a legend that one day, the Gu God will awaken from the Abyss, destroy the world, and transform the Nine Provinces into a realm ruled solely by Gu.

“This prophecy has been passed down through generations of Heaven Gu seers and is destined to happen. To change this future, Grandpa came up with a plan and left the Southern Marches. He never returned.

“The life Gu he left behind in the tribe withered away, signifying his death.

“Heaven Gu Granny also said that the stolen object is about to resurface. She foresaw that I would get involved and instructed me to seek opportunities in the capital.”

Lina finished speaking, omitting only the existence of the Sevenfold Gu, which Heaven Gu Granny had entrusted her to gift to someone fated. Lina felt it had nothing to do with Xu Qi'an, so she didn’t mention it.

“I see… Lina, leave me for now. I need some time alone,” Xu Qi'an instructed. “And remember, you mustn’t tell anyone about today’s conversation.”

“Got it!”

Lina nodded vigorously, skipping to the door. Just as she opened it, she turned back and said, “I’ll take Lingyin to Guiyuelou now. Remember to settle the bill later!”

“?”

Even in his current foul mood, Xu Qi'an’s mind filled with question marks.

He stared at Lina in shock. “But lunch wasn’t that long ago, was it?”

“We’ll practice the horse stance in a moment. Won’t we get hungry then?” Lina waved her hand and left the room.

_Mother of mercy, are you two planning to bankrupt me in one go? Can I retract my promise…_ Xu Qi'an opened his mouth, feeling an ache in his chest.

Lina skipped happily out of the room, her thoughts filled with the delicacies of Guiyuelou. She quickly forgot about her earlier guilt.

As for Xu Qi'an being Number Three, her attitude was simple: _Who cares who Number Three is? It has nothing to do with me. Life’s about being happy—why overthink it?_

If it were Number Four Chu Yuanzhen in her place, he’d probably be experiencing thunderstorms in his brain right now.

Passing by the east wing, she heard the Xu Family matriarch whispering softly to her eldest daughter, “Lingyue, have you heard any strange sounds at night lately?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“But mum always feels like someone is whispering outside the window at night, and sometimes I even hear roof tiles shifting. Do you think the house is haunted again?”

“Mother, stop saying such things. It scares people so much they can’t sleep. I’ll go ask Big Brother tonight to keep me company at my door.”

“I’m not making it up. You don’t know this, but after every evening meal, Lingyin always goes out to the courtyard alone. When I ask her what she’s doing, she says she sees lots of ghosts and wants to fry them to eat, but she can’t catch them. I’ve heard children’s eyes can see unclean things.”

“Mother, is it that time of the month again? You’re being so paranoid. Our house has Father, Big Brother, and Second Brother. What ghost would dare come here? Besides, the Heaven Sect Holy Maiden is in our house. What’s there to be afraid of?”

“That’s true.”

Her reasoning was so logical that Auntie believed her, then added, “Lingyin also told me that the Susu girl is a ghost.”

“Lingyin is being so rude. She’ll offend our guest.”

“Exactly, so I gave her a good beating.”

Lina thought for a moment and decided not to tell the mother and daughter the truth, sparing them from unnecessary fear. She wandered around the residence and found her disciple hiding in the flowerbed, sucking on a chicken bone.

“What are you doing hiding here?” Lina put her hands on her hips, scolding angrily. “Slacking off again?”

Xu Lingyin glanced at her, then quietly discarded the chicken bone and clutched her stomach, collapsing to the ground.

“What are you doing?” Lina blinked, stunned.

“I ate a suspicious chicken leg. I’m poisoned now. I can’t do horse stance practice,” Xu Lingyin announced loudly.

“Nonsense! That chicken bone is from the drumstick you hid during lunch.” Lina cleverly exposed her lie.

Xu Lingyin was taken aback, shocked that her plan had been seen through so easily. Not bad for her master—truly smarter than her. Thinking quickly, she had an epiphany and declared, “It’s the chicken leg my brother ate. His saliva is poisonous, so I can’t practice now.”

“Your brother’s saliva isn’t poisonous.” Lina exposed her again.

“You’ve never eaten my brother’s saliva, so how do you know it isn’t poisonous?” Xu Lingyin retorted indignantly.

Lina froze, unable to think of a comeback. So, she gave Xu Lingyin a good beating.

A master disciplining her disciple—completely justified.

*This disciple is a bit too clever. If I don’t discipline her now, I won’t be able to control her in a few years!*

...

In his room, Xu Qi'an endured a pounding headache as he sat at his desk, writing four characters on a sheet of paper: _Twenty Years Ago._

He didn’t want to analyse or deduce in his current terrible condition, as it would lead to too many errors. But this was about the greatest secret of his life, and he couldn’t wait another moment.

After massaging his temples and taking a deep breath, he wrote a second phrase: _Two Thieves._

Pausing for a few seconds, he added a third line: _Only One Remains._

This seemed beyond doubt. The Heaven Gu Grandma wouldn’t make such a mistake. As the current leader of the Heaven Gu tribe, she wouldn’t blunder on something so significant.

One of the two thieves from back then had already perished.

Finally, he wrote: _Gu God, Apocalypse!_

Rising to pour himself a cup of cold water, he drank slowly before returning to his desk. Beside _Twenty Years Ago,_ he added:

_Battle of Shanhai Pass._

*On the official ship returning to the capital from Yunzhou, when I woke up, I dreamt of the Battle of Shanhai Pass. I saw a young Wei Yuan… This doesn’t make sense. I was just born twenty years ago and couldn’t have experienced the battle, let alone have memories of it.*

Xu Qi'an’s eyes gleamed as he added _Fortune_ next to _Two Thieves._

*The Heaven Gu Grandma insisted I was the one picking up silver and linked me to the two thieves from back then. And what’s my greatest secret? My Fortune!*

*So, back then, the two thieves stole the fortune of Great Feng? In the ancient tomb, Monk Shenshu mentioned that my fortune had been refined…*

He dipped his brush in ink and wrote _Yunzhou Arcanist?_ next to _Only One Remains._ The question mark showed his uncertainty.

*Dean Zhao Shou said the three major forces tied to fortune are the Confucians, the Arcanists, and the dynasty. The dynasty can be ruled out—I’m likely not of royal blood. The Confucians can also be ruled out since their strength lies in enforcing laws from commandments, not using fortune.*

*That leaves the Arcanists, the experts in manipulating fortune. I suspect the first- and second-rank Arcanist professions are tied to fortune.*

*So, who stole the Great Feng’s fortune, refined it, and hid it in me?*

Previously, Xu Qi'an had suspected the Jianzheng. After all, the Jianzheng had orchestrated everything about him so thoroughly. But now, he had doubts.

*Would the Jianzheng be a thief? The mighty Jianzheng of the Great Feng, the most skilled fortune manipulator in the land—would he need to collaborate with the Heaven Gu tribesman to steal fortune?*

That would frankly, be insulting to a first rank Arcanist.

*Compared to the Jianzheng, I’m more inclined to suspect the Arcanist who appeared in Yunzhou—a mysterious Arcanist of at least the third rank. He colluded with the previous Heaven Gu leader to steal the Great Feng’s fortune.*

*Because the two worked together, they briefly managed to deceive the Jianzheng? Twenty years ago, they stole the fortune, and the only major event of that time was the Battle of Shanhai Pass—a massive battle involving all forces across the Nine Provinces, with over a million troops.*

*The dream of the Battle of Shanhai Pass corroborates this. While I didn’t participate in the battle, this might not be my memory but rather scenes revived by the fortune. If that’s the case, then the battle was far more complicated than it appeared. I need to investigate its origins—maybe I’ll uncover more clues.*

*But why was the fortune placed in me? I’m just an ordinary Xu family son. Why entrust such an important thing to me?*

*They gave me something so critical, yet for twenty years, it remained silent and undetected. Did they just give it to me for free?*

Suddenly, Xu Qi'an trembled, his pupils contracting sharply. He froze like a statue for a long time, his hand trembling as he wrote three more characters:

_Tax Silver Case!_