Nightwatcher

# 349. Who's going to save me

After the sun had set, the sky lingered in a dusky azure hue for quite some time before it was replaced by the veil of night.

On a hill with a commanding view, the delegation stopped to ignite bonfires and pitch tents.

The women did not disembark, wrapping themselves in thin blankets to rest in the carriages. Xu Qi’an and other senior officials stayed in tents, while the lower-ranking guards slept around the fires.

Fortunately, the mid-spring season brought nights that were neither too cold nor too warm. The occasional breeze felt refreshing, but the abundance of mosquitoes proved troublesome, especially for the “plump sheep” that were the guards with their robust physiques.

The frequent slapping sounds filled the air as the soldiers cursed and swatted at the pests.

Upon returning from his patrol, Xu Qi’an witnessed the scene and immediately realised the delegation lacked any herbal repellents. Their supplies consisted mainly of trauma ointments and antidote pills, with no room for such “trivial” items as mosquito deterrents.

“Why are there so many mosquitoes?” complained the Deputy Minister of the High Court, emerging from his tent in a simple white robe. He muttered irritably, “The buzzing is incessant! How can anyone sleep like this?”

The pampered nature of the civil officials became apparent. Earlier on the ship, despite its rocking and shaking, they managed to endure. But the hardships of traveling overland—no beds, no tea tables, no fine cuisine, and now swarms of mosquitoes—left them grumbling.

Two Censors heard the Deputy Minister’s complaints and joined him outside, lamenting with furrowed brows. “This is unbearable, absolutely unbearable.”

At this moment, Xu Qi’an’s decision to switch to land travel seemed like an error. Had they stayed on the water, they would still be drifting peacefully, with soft beds to sleep on and private quarters to rest in.

Unbothered by mosquito bites thanks to his Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, Chu Xianglong scoffed. “Since you chose the overland route, you must accept the consequences. It’s only been one day. If you regret it, we can still return to the waterway.”

Xu Qi’an pulled out a bundle of specially prepared incense and declared loudly, “I have mosquito-repellent incense here. Toss a piece into the bonfire, and it’ll keep the bugs away.”

The soldiers were overjoyed and eagerly followed his instructions, throwing pieces of incense into the flames.

The incense burned slowly in the fire, releasing a slightly pungent aroma. Within moments, the mosquitoes dispersed.

“Ha! No more mosquitoes! This is wonderful!”

“Now we can finally sleep in peace. Thank you, Sir Xu!”

The soldiers gathered around the bonfires showered Xu Qi’an with praise. His mosquito-repelling incense solved their immediate predicament, allowing them to rest comfortably.

Happiness often stemmed from such small gestures. Under a different leader, it was unlikely these minor annoyances would have been addressed. No one else would consider that a restless night would lead to exhaustion the next day, creating a cycle that would weaken the entire team.

By improving their mood and well-being, the soldiers became more loyal and respectful toward their leader.

For instance, while the entire delegation grumbled in private about the switch to land travel, the hundred Imperial Guards voiced no complaints.

This was approval.

The two Censors and the Deputy Minister of the High Court also requested a piece of incense for their tents. Using a burner to light it, they quickly found relief from the “buzzing.”

“Sir Xu even thought to prepare something as small as this. Truly a meticulous investigator,” one of the Censors remarked loudly.

Meanwhile, in one of the carriages, the maids caught a whiff of the faint scent and exclaimed in delight.

“This smells quite nice! Let’s go ask for some to burn and drive away the mosquitoes.”

“What’s the point? Silver Gong Xu and General Chu are at odds right now. Don’t embarrass yourself by asking,” another maid cautioned.

“Nonsense. Silver Gong Xu is quite friendly, especially toward women,” the first maid insisted.

“Tch! I’m talking about General Chu. We serve the king’s household; we must know our place. No matter how kind Silver Gong Xu is, we cannot forget our identities.”

“Yes, and I heard it was Silver Gong Xu who insisted on switching to the land route. That’s why we’re suffering so much now. It’s entirely his fault!”

At this, the other maids voiced their displeasure, grumbling and berating Xu Qi’an.

In the corner, the princess consort snorted softly, amused by their ignorance.

These shallow-minded maids could only see the mosquitoes in front of them, as blind as toads to the bigger picture.

While she too felt tired and questioned whether the waterway truly posed a danger, she unwaveringly supported Xu Qi’an’s decision. Better to endure some hardship than to face real danger.

…

The Deputy Minister of the High Court lifted the tent flap and glanced at Xu Qi’an, who sat among the soldiers. He asked, “Sir Xu, how confident are you?”

He referred to the possibility of an ambush on the waterway, subtly reminding Xu Qi’an to consider the stakes of their wager.

*No confidence at all. Sending Yang Yan to test the waters was merely a stab in the dark.* Xu Qi’an shook his head slightly without answering.

One of the Censors chimed in, “By now, Gold Gong Yang should have reached the Flowstone Shoals. Whether there’s an ambush or not, he must have already found out. When will he regroup with us?”

Xu Qi’an replied, “I left markers along the way. He’ll follow them to catch up. With his speed, it won’t take long—perhaps by tomorrow morning, or even tonight.”

Chu Xianglong and the other officials fell silent, each lost in thought, waiting for Yang Yan’s return.

An hour later, the camp settled into sleep. Snores rose and fell like the croaking of frogs.

Xu Qi’an remained awake, sketching diagrams in the dirt with a twig. He pondered his next moves once they reached the northern territory: how to investigate the case, how to collect evidence without alerting Zhenbei King, and how to smuggle that evidence back to the capital.

The most vexing issue was that while Xu Qi’an had no way to deal with the Zhenbei King, the reverse was not true.

It was no wonder the High Court officials took such a passive stance. They likely intended to conduct a perfunctory investigation before returning to the capital to report back.

*Blood runs three thousand miles, yet there isn’t a single refugee. This doesn’t add up... As we travel north, I’ll observe carefully. Diving straight into the northern stronghold would be the act of a fool.*

Chu Xianglong’s staunch opposition to the land route might not be without ulterior motives. Perhaps he wanted to rush directly to the north, where Xu Qi’an would be reduced to a puppet in their hands.

Investigate the case in secret?

You’re dreaming.

As thoughts surged through his mind, he suddenly caught a faint ripple of qi emanating from the distance.

Xu Qi’an sprang to his feet, his hand moving faster than his mind to grip the hilt of his black-gold saber.

On the other side, Chu Xianglong opened his eyes as well, his gaze sharp as a sword.

Without exchanging a word, the two men simultaneously turned their attention southward. Out of the darkness, a lone figure approached, walking steadily with a silver spear slung across his back—it was Yang Yan.

The moment they saw him, Xu Qi’an and Chu Xianglong each displayed their own mixture of tension and anticipation.

Xu Qi’an bent down, picked up a water pouch, and went to meet him. “Boss, what’s the situation?”

Yang Yan took the pouch, downed it in one go, and said gravely, “A river dragon ambushed us at Flowstone Shoals. The ship went down.”

*So there was an ambush. What you fear will come to pass—Murphy’s Law applies across the universe...* Xu Qi’an felt a heavy weight settle in his chest, extinguishing the last vestiges of wishful thinking.

*There really was an ambush!?*

Chu Xianglong tightened his grip on his sabre. The firelight reflected in his narrowing pupils.

“Boss, take a seat. I’ll call the men from the Three Ministries to hear the details,” Xu Qi’an said, gesturing for Yang Yan to sit by the fire. He handed over a pouch of dry rations and then entered the tents one by one, waking the censors, the High Court deputy, and Constable Chen of the Ministry of Law.

Constable Chen crawled out of his tent, and upon seeing Yang Yan, asked urgently, “Gold Gong Yang, did you encounter an ambush?”

The two censors and the High Court deputy stared intently at Yang Yan.

“There was an ambush at Flowstone Shoal,” Yang Yan replied, his expression somber. “The ship was sunk. If we hadn’t changed course, we’d all have perished today.”

*There really was an ambush… there really was…!* The High Court deputy’s heart sank like a stone.

*We’d all have perished?* The two censors’ expressions changed dramatically. They turned abruptly to Xu Qi’an and bowed deeply. “We owe our lives to Sir Xu’s foresight in predicting the ambush. You saved us all.”

Constable Chen looked at Xu Qi’an with newfound respect. For the first time, he felt genuine admiration for this adversary of his superior.

“We should discuss this inside the tent,” the High Court deputy suggested.

Xu Qi’an nodded, calling over Chen Xiao, who had already woken. He instructed, “Stay alert tonight. Ensure everyone is vigilant and patrols diligently.”

Having overheard the entire conversation, Chen Xiao understood the gravity of the situation. His expression grew solemn as he nodded. “Rest assured, Sir.”

Xu Qi’an then followed the officials into the tent.

…

The princess consort, curled up in the corner of the carriage, was roused from her sleep by the clamor of hurried footsteps, clinking armor, and murmuring voices.

The maids sharing the carriage were already awake, peeking out of the windows.

“What’s going on? Everything was quiet earlier. Why is there such a commotion now?”

The princess consort felt a jolt of unease. Throwing off her thin blanket, she rubbed her eyes, opened the door carefully, and stepped down from the carriage.

She stopped a group of Imperial Guards preparing for patrol and asked, “What’s happening?”

The lead soldier gave her a brief glance before replying, “Gold Gong Yang has returned. He reported an ambush at Flowstone Shoal—the ship was sunk.”

Another soldier added, “If not for Sir Xu changing our route, we’d all be dead by now.”

The princess consort’s face turned pale with shock, her heart gripped by a profound sense of dread.

*There really was an ambush, aimed at me… Thank the heavens he was here—thank heavens he reacted in time...* She patted her chest, overwhelmed by an unexpected sense of safety.

The unremarkable-looking princess consort took a deep breath, turned, and climbed back into the carriage.

“Did you go ask? What’s going on?” the maids hurriedly inquired.

“There was an ambush on the water. The ship sank,” the princess consort replied curtly.

Gasps of shock filled the carriage as the maids’ faces turned pale with fear.

“Why—why would there be an ambush? Who would target us?”

“Thank goodness for Sir Xu’s vigilance, steering us to land in time.”

Their whispers filled the air as they exchanged their fears.

The princess consort wrapped the thin blanket tightly around herself, curled up in the corner once more, hugging her shoulders, shivering slightly.

In the pitch-black night, she felt a chilling cold—one that emanated from within.

_Who’s going to save me…?_