Nightwatcher

# 354. Bracelet Snatching

“Blood runs three thousand miles...”

Zalmukha's expression remained dazed, his tone devoid of emotion as he responded, "What blood runs three thousand miles..."

*Am I asking the wrong way?* Xu Qi’an furrowed his brow and said gravely, "The massacre that ravaged three thousand miles of the Great Feng's borderlands—was it your barbarian tribes?"

Zalmukha stared blankly ahead and muttered, "I don't know."

... Xu Qi’an's breathing grew heavier. He took a deep breath and asked the same question to Tianlang, only to receive the same answer. The leader of the Jinmu Tribe had no knowledge of it either.

Refusing to give up, he turned to Tangshan-Jun and asked, "Was it your northern yao clans who slaughtered the Great Feng's borderlands for three thousand miles?"

Tangshan-Jun’s expression was one of confusion as he answered, “I don’t know.”

*I Don’t know?*

Xu Qi’an’s breath became laboured once more, his pupils slightly unfocused. He sat frozen for a few moments before asking in a deep voice, “Chu Xianglong, do you know about the blood running three thousand miles?”

Chu Xianglong’s wooden expression showed no change. Upon hearing the question, he instinctively replied, “Wei Yuan sought to frame King Huai. Using a corpse and a soul, he intended to fabricate evidence and send Silver Gong Xu Qi’an to the border, scheming to concoct false charges and slander King Huai.”

*That’s not true. I didn’t. Stop accusing me...* Xu Qi’an vehemently denied it in his mind.

*... Is this Chu Xianglong’s perception? He believes the so-called “Blood runs three thousand miles” is a scheme by Duke Wei and the imperial court against Zhenbei King?*

*So, he played along, using the envoy mission to escort the consort.*

*If that’s the case, Emperor Yuanjing must be complicit too—merely going along with the flow? This implies Emperor Yuanjing and the Zhenbei King are on the same side.*

*After all, they are brothers born of the same mother.*

*The northern barbarians and yaoguai had no knowledge of “blood runs three thousand miles,” while Zhenbei King’s deputy, Chu Xianglong, thought it was a plot by Duke Wei and the court officials. In other words, even he knew nothing about the massacre.*

*Then... who is the true culprit?*

*Hiss...* The case suddenly grew convoluted. For some reason, Xu Qi’an felt a tinge of relief and turned to ask, “What was your plan for dealing with me once we returned to the north?”

Chu Xianglong answered bluntly, “Monitor or detain you, then drive you back to the capital after a while.”

Such a straightforward approach. Xu Qi’an asked again, “What kind of person do you think the Zhenbei King is?”

Chu Xianglong hesitated little before responding, “Domineering, assertive, treats his subordinates well—a master worth serving.”

After some thought, Xu Qi’an posed a bold question, “Do you think Zhenbei King would rebel?”

“Never!” Chu Xianglong’s reply was concise and firm.

“Why?” Xu Qi’an was curious to hear his reasoning.

“King Huai is a natural commander. He thrives on the battlefield and has no interest in court politics. He’s a martial fanatic; besides the battlefield, his heart is set on cultivation,” Chu Xianglong said.

*Hmm, true enough. The throne, while enticing, may not be everyone’s aspiration. If King Huai is indeed a martial fanatic, the throne might seem like a shackle to him.*

Xu Qi’an reluctantly accepted the explanation but remained skeptical. He would reserve judgment until he had met Zhenbei King in person.

Disregarding further questioning, Xu Qi’an lowered his head slightly and launched a fresh round of contemplation:

*There are still two unresolved questions. First, if the consort is so extraordinary, why did Emperor Yuanjing gift her to the Zhenbei King instead of keeping her for himself? Second, though Emperor Yuanjing and King Huai are brothers, the emperor’s suspicious nature wouldn’t allow him to trust the king entirely.*

*When it comes to the throne, even brothers and fathers can’t be trusted. But Emperor Yuanjing seems fully supportive of the Zhenbei King’s advancement to the Second rank. He even gifted him the consort back then to set the stage for today.*

Regarding the first question, Xu Qi’an speculated that the princess consort’s spirit essence only benefited martial artists. Emperor Yuanjing practiced the Daoist path.

In this clearly stratified world, different cultivation systems were vastly disparate. Something that served as a panacea for one system might be useless—or even harmful—to another.

Of course, this hypothesis required further validation.

As for the second question, Xu Qi’an had no immediate answer.

With Chu Xianglong’s questioning concluded, his gaze fell on the two remaining spirits: the slain fake consort and the white-robed Arcanist.

The white-robed Arcanist appeared even more dazed and wooden than the others, muttering ceaselessly under his breath.

“What is your name?” Xu Qi’an tested.

“Xu Shengzu...” The white-robed Arcanist mumbled his name amidst his ramblings.

*So, you’re Xu Shengzu? I thought it was the name of some boss...* Xu Qi’an felt a wave of disappointment.

This man had peered into Monk Shenshu’s essence using Qi-watching techniques, shattering his sanity. This implied he wasn’t of a high rank, allowing Xu Qi’an to easily deduce that there was an organization or someone more powerful behind him.

“Who do you serve?”

“...”

“What organization backs you?”

“...”

“What is your name?”

“Xu Shengzu...”

*This... This is entirely uncommunicative. Apart from repeating his name, he can’t answer anything else. This guy’s basically a toddler...* Xu Qi’an’s mouth twitched.

“I remember there’s a sachet in the Earth Book fragment that belongs to Li Miaozhen...” Xu Qi’an retrieved the Earth Book fragment and tapped the back of the mirror. Sure enough, a sachet fell out.

This sachet contained the remnant soul that repeatedly murmured “blood runs three thousand miles.”

Duke Wei had taken the sachet to accuse Zhenbei King in court, then returned it to Xu Qi’an, who had since forgotten to return it to the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect.

The sachet, crafted by Li Miaozhen herself, was a small magical artefact with the ability to nurture and confine souls. Unless dealing with an ancient, cultivated ghost, newly deceased spirits like these couldn’t escape its confines.

*This Arcanist might prove useful in the future, even if he’s an idiot now. Hmm, I’ll hold onto him for now and give him to Li Miaozhen later. As a Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect, she’ll surely have ways to restore his clarity.*

*Well, this is the advantage of having a wide network of connections—or rather, the perks of being a successful social butterfly... This sachet can house spirits. Let’s call it the ‘Yin Pouch.’*

Xu Qi’an placed the Arcanist and the other spirits into the pouch, then stowed their corpses within the Earth Book fragment, tidying up the scene with minimal effort.

Fortunately, there hadn’t been any intense battles here; Monk Shenshu’s overpowering strength had ensured a clean sweep. All that remained was to deal with the bodies.

Lastly, Xu Qi’an found himself troubled over how to handle the surviving maids.

*Shall I kill them? To achieve great things, one cannot fret over trifles. Although these maids are unaware of the later events, they do know it was I who intercepted the northern experts.*

*Yet, they have neither committed heinous acts nor posed any threat to me. They are innocent lives…*

Xu Qi’an deliberated for a long time before ultimately deciding to spare the maids. On the one hand, his conscience would not permit such a heinous act of slaughtering innocents.

On the other hand, the motivation for silencing them wasn’t compelling enough.

Unless he intended to keep the princess consort hidden away forever, buried in secrecy, never seeing the light of day—or if he planned to steal her spiritual essence for himself—there would be no need for such drastic measures. If that were the case, silencing witnesses would indeed be necessary; anything less would endanger both himself and his family.

However, in Xu Qi’an's subsequent plans, the princess consort had a different, highly significant purpose. Thus, there was no reason to silence the maids.

*Although I won’t kill you to cover this up, your premature escape would disrupt my plans. Therefore… you’ll have to fend for yourselves.*

…

The night carried a faint chill. The old auntie awoke after a deep and restful sleep, her body refreshed and free from exhaustion.

Having gone sleepless for days, her body had accumulated much fatigue, which was now alleviated by the invigorating rest.

She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a massive banyan tree. Its leaves rustled softly in the night breeze.

She lay beneath the tree on a grassy patch, wrapped in a robe, while the crackling sounds of a campfire provided warmth and comfort.

For a moment, she stared blankly before her pupils suddenly focused. Then, this pampered woman sprang up from the ground in a nimble motion, startling even herself.

For someone of her constitution, such agility was a burst of latent potential.

Her first instinct was to check her body. Finding her clothes intact, she breathed a sigh of relief, though she quickly grew alarmed and glanced around nervously.

That’s when she saw the young man sitting by the fire, his face lit by the flickering flames, as warm and gentle as jade.

“You’re awake?”

Xu Qi’an, who was roasting a rabbit, didn’t lift his head and said indifferently, “There’s a water pouch next to you. Drink if you’re thirsty. The rabbit will be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

Memories of what had happened before her unconsciousness flashed through her mind. Her eyes widened as she stared at Xu Qi’an in disbelief.

“Was it you who saved me?”

“Yup!”

Xu Qi’an was about to bask in her gratitude when he saw her shake her head and glare at him warily.

“Impossible! Xu Qi’an doesn’t have such skill. Who are you, really? Why are you impersonating him? What happened to him?”

One hand guarded her ample chest while the other scrambled around for a weapon to defend herself. She clutched the water pouch in a defensive stance, ready to strike.

*Reasonable suspicion. Her brain isn’t entirely useless…* Xu Qi’an rolled his eyes and said irritably:

“Our first meeting was at a restaurant near the South City arena. I picked up your silver, and you stormed at me demanding it back. I even threw my coin pouch at your foot.

“The second time, it was still near the arena. I risked my life to protect you, and you repaid me with a beating.”

There was a dull thud as the water pouch fell to the ground. The old auntie stared blankly at him before softly muttering, “It really is you.”

Xu Qi’an nodded.

She stared at the young man by the fire, her gaze complex and filled with conflicting emotions.

“I saved you with all my might. As for the others, there was nothing I could do,” Xu Qi’an explained offhandedly.

“Yes, yes…”

A sorrowful expression emerged on her face as she whispered, “The princess consort… the princess consort is dead…”

Xu Qi’an glanced at her, replying nonchalantly, “A femme fatale like her, it’s good she’s dead. Dead and gone, worthy of applause.”

Her eyes widened as she glared at him angrily. “What nonsense are you spouting? The princess consort wasn’t a femme fatale! She was a pitiable woman.”

“What’s so pitiable about her?” Xu Qi’an chuckled.

“Hmph!” She lifted her fair chin, turned her head away, and huffed, “You’re just a coarse martial artist; you wouldn’t understand her suffering. I’m not telling you.”

Now that she was out of danger, her feisty arrogance resurfaced. *Both timid and stubborn,* Xu Qi’an thought to himself, amused. He focused on roasting the meat.

At first, the old auntie kept her distance, sitting quietly under the banyan tree far from Xu Qi’an. But as the aroma of the roasting rabbit intensified, she began inching closer, drooling as she shuffled toward the fire.

When the rabbit turned golden brown, Xu Qi’an sprinkled some chicken bouillon and tore off the two hind legs, handing them to her.

Her eyes lit up as she eagerly took them, biting into the meat.

“Hsss…” She winced as the hot meat burned her, but her hunger wouldn’t let her spit it out. She kept nibbling while blowing on the meat to cool it, muttering, “Hsss, ahh…”

The chicken bouillon masked the gamey flavor and enhanced the rabbit’s taste. Though she normally despised the smell of game, she devoured the rabbit legs down to the bone.

She then scurried back to the banyan tree, picked up the water pouch, and took a hearty drink.

At that moment, she felt utterly content with life.

After eating her fill, she returned to the fire, sighing wistfully. “I can’t believe I’ve fallen so far that a few bites of rabbit meat make me feel happy.”

*You’re acting like you’re in the post-meal blues, just like me after post-nut clarity…* Xu Qi’an suppressed the urge to ridicule her and focused on his meal.

What an amusing woman.

“Oh? Your Bodhi bracelet looks quite interesting,” Xu Qi’an commented casually, his gaze falling on her pale wrist.

Her expression changed instantly. She quickly pulled her sleeve down to hide the bracelet and said nervously, “It’s just a worthless trinket.”

*He didn’t notice, did he? He definitely didn’t notice. Who would remember an ordinary bracelet after all these months?*

“Let me take a look.” Xu Qi’an reached for her wrist.

“You, you, you… how dare you!”

The old auntie was shocked. Her delicate hand was not something a man could casually touch.

She hid her hands behind her back, kicking her legs frantically to move away. In the end, she grabbed the water pouch, ready to retaliate if Xu Qi’an came any closer.

Xu Qi’an simply grabbed her ankle and dragged her back.

Her legs flailed, and she screamed loudly.

It looked exactly like a crazed young man trying to assault an older woman.

“Let me see the bracelet. I’m not going to steal it,” Xu Qi’an said in confusion. “Why are you so flustered?”

“No, no, no!” she shouted stubbornly.

Finally, amidst her cries, the bracelet was snatched from her wrist.

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