The shockwave turned into a frenzy, spreading out in ripples, lifting dust and debris, and demolishing distant houses, causing countless lives to perish without a sound.

Amidst groaning sounds, the four Nightwatchers each took different defensive measures, using their strength to drift away from the center of the explosion.

When everything calmed down, the figure of the black-robed man was long gone. The four Nightwatchers breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help feeling angry.

"What's the deal with this guy? I mean that arm." A white-robed sorcerer appeared abruptly, with his back to the crowd.

"Arm?" The Nightwatcher with the sword asked in response.

"From my observation, that arm is not his, and the demonic energy is terrifying. I have never seen anything like it." The white-robed sorcerer said.

Jiang Lvzhong stared at the white-robed sorcerer's back, "Yang Qianhuan, do you have eyes on your back?"

The white-robed sorcerer, Yang Qianhuan, said, "I took a peek when he left."

"..." Jiang Lvzhong said helplessly, "Can you turn around and talk properly? You weren't like this before."

"Allow me to decline. Yang does things as he pleases and doesn't care about anyone's opinion." He explained, "I have carefully observed the supervisor and Wei Yuan. Haven't you noticed that one of them always likes to stand in the observatory, with his back to you, and the other always likes to sit on the gossip platform, with his back to us?"

"And we feel that Wei Yuan and the supervisor have a very high level of expertise." The four Nightwatchers felt like they were going to vomit, but couldn't.

Jiang Lvzhong shook his head and returned to the topic, "So, based on the current intelligence, that hand is the seal under Sangpo."

The seal under Sangpo... Yang Qianhuan frowned. He had just returned to the capital a few days ago and was here today to help the Tianjian Observatory capture a madman.

He knew that the temple in Yongzhen Mountain had been bombed, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. It was well known that as long as sorcerers had an alchemy room and an alchemy experiment room, and were served meals on time, they could stay indoors for ten years without going out.

"That monk is probably Heng Hui." The Nightwatcher with the sword said.

Listening to the Nightwatchers' conversation, Yang Qianhuan was increasingly curious.

"If we can catch him, we can find out where Princess Pingyang is." Jiang Lvzhong said.

Princess Pingyang? The Princess Pingyang who disappeared over a year ago? Yang Qianhuan remembered that when the princess disappeared, the sorcerers of the Tianjian Observatory almost emptied their ranks, causing quite a stir.

Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but turn around and ask, "The Sangpo case happened only a few days ago, and you Nightwatchers have already investigated it so thoroughly? Wait a minute... why haven't I heard the supervisor's disciples mention it? Don't tell me you didn't ask them for help. Your Nightwatchers' investigative skills aren't that strong."

This high-level sorcerer was confused.

In theory, for a big case like Sangpo, the sorcerers of the Tianjian Observatory couldn't possibly not know about it. After all, the Observatory often assisted the court in solving cases, and exchanging information within the organization was a common occurrence.

But Yang Qianhuan had never heard of Heng Hui, Princess Pingyang, and other information.

Yang Yan rarely spoke, "We Nightwatchers didn't even use the gold gongs. The case was handled by a copper gong who was unremarkable."

"What's it to you? Why do you sound so proud?" Yang Qianhuan didn't turn around and retorted, "Copper gong? Tell me more.""This bronze gong, you should know him, because he is famous in the Bureau of Astrology." Jiang Lvzhong remembered the rumors about Xu Qi'an, knowing that he had taught lectures to the white-robed sorcerers in the Bureau of Astrology. "His name is Xu Qi'an."

"Xu Qi'an?!" Yang Qianhuan's voice rose a few notches.

He knew this person, just returned to the Bureau of Astrology and knew about this person. He actually gave lectures to his junior brothers, really loved to show off... he was a formidable opponent.

I didn't expect that he also handled the case of Sangbo. It seems that he did a good job and made a big splash... he was a formidable opponent.

"Where did that arm come from?" Nangong Qianrou asked angrily.

"I don't know, but its owner is definitely of the second rank or higher. I don't know much about the martial arts system... heh, of course, I don't care to know." Yang Qianhuan's tone was deep, like an invincible and lonely swordsman.

This person has been away from the capital for several months, and his condition has become more and more serious... the night watchmen thought.

...

After yesterday's exhaustion, Xu Qi'an, who had minor injuries on his body, overslept and woke up when it was already bright outside.

The hour of Mao had definitely passed, so he wasn't in a hurry even though he was late. He leisurely got dressed and washed up, then climbed over the wall to the main residence to have breakfast.

From afar, he could hear the greedy child crying loudly, his cry full of energy, like a hungry dragon's roar.

In the front hall, Second Uncle had already gone to work, and his late-rising aunt and Lingyue were having breakfast. Xu Lingyin stood with both hands behind her back, leaning forward and emitting sound waves at her mother.

Aunt was beautiful but dignified, her eyebrows furrowed as she silently ate.

Lüe was comforting Xiao Douding by her side.

"What's going on?" Xu Qi'an walked in with a smile.

Xu Lingyue's eyes lit up and she turned her head, excitedly saying, "Big brother, are you resting today?"

"I overslept..." Xu Qi'an said shamefully.

"Big brother, big brother!" Xu Lingyin ran over with her short legs, grabbing Xu Qi'an's clothes with one small hand and pointing at her mother and sister with the other, indignantly saying, "They stole my chicken leg, they even stole a child's chicken leg... waaahh..."

"That's too much?" Xu Qi'an scrutinized his aunt and sister.

Aunt snorted, too lazy to explain.

Xu Lingyue said helplessly, "Last night, Lingyin left a chicken leg uneaten and brought it back to her room. This morning, she found that the chicken leg was missing and thought that my mother and I had stolen it."

That should have been what happened after I left last night, otherwise Xu Lingyin would be tugging at her mother's sleeves, accusing me of stealing her chicken leg... Xu Qi'an rubbed Xiao Douding's head:

"Big brother is the best at solving cases, big brother will help you out."

Xiao Douding was very happy to hear this, thinking that big brother was the best, except for liking to snatch his food. He held onto big brother's clothes tightly, glaring at his mother and aunt with him.

Facing big brother's gaze, Xu Lingyue said, "I asked the maid who takes care of her, and she said that Lingyin got up in the middle of the night and ate it, but she doesn't believe it."

Xu Qi'an lowered his head and asked, "Did you eat it?"

"I didn't." Xu Lingyin said loudly.

Xu Lingyue said, "The maid said she ate it with her eyes closed. We found the chicken leg bones at the head of her bed, and it was eaten very cleanly, which is her way of eating."

"Big brother already knows who ate it.""Who is it?"

"You may have a big mouth, but you don't have a brain..." Xu Qi'an said, "It's a ghost."

"A dead ghost?" Xu Lingyin was shocked and her pronunciation became unclear.

"Don't scare the child," Auntie said unhappily, then said to the little girl, "Sprinkle salt on the ghost, fry it in oil, and it'll taste better than chicken legs."

Xu Lingyin was both scared and curious.

...

After breakfast, Xu Qi'an rode his horse to the yamen. Song Tingfeng, who was squinting, said to him, "Ning Yan, Wei Gong just sent someone to invite you to the Haoqi Tower."

"You didn't say I was late, did you?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"I said you were hiding in the outhouse," he squinted and said.

"..." Xu Qi'an nodded and turned to the Haoqi Tower.

After the guards informed them, he quickly climbed the tower and was shocked by what he saw.

In the teahouse, besides Wei Yuan, there were four Jinluo. They were all injured, and Yang Yan's arm was wrapped in gauze, as if his arm was broken.

Jiang Lvzhong's forehead was tightly wrapped, and he was wearing only one boot on his foot, with thick gauze wrapped around the other foot.

Although Nangong Qianrou looked normal on the outside, her face was as pale as paper.

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The other Jinluo, whom he didn't know, had his head wrapped in thick gauze, as if he had been hit on the head during a street fight.

This scene was both absurd and funny. The high-ranking martial artists looked like a group of gangsters who had lost a fight and were a bit dejected.

"Ha..." Xu Qi'an turned his head and couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" the four Jinluo stared at him expressionlessly.

"I'm not laughing..." Xu Qi'an denied.

Wei Yuan greeted Xu Qi'an to sit down and pointed to the opposite seat, saying, "Henghui appeared last night, and the target was the Minister of War's Mansion."

Xu Qi'an's playful expression disappeared, and he became serious. "How are the four Jinluo..."

"Henghui injured them. Last night, the yamen set a trap at the Minister of War's Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion. The five Jinluo, plus the third disciple of the supervisor, Yang Qianhuan, five fourth-grade experts, couldn't capture Henghui." Wei Yuan said.

Xu Qi'an was shocked and not shocked by this result. He had never thought that five fourth-grade experts would work together. Not being shocked meant that he thought the seal under the Sangpo River should have such a level.

"Have you figured out its origin?" Xu Qi'an asked about the origin of the seal.

"A severed hand," Jiang Lvzhong replied.

Sure enough...it was that strange hand. Xu Qi'an looked at Wei Yuan and asked, "Wei Gong, what grade is it?"

"At least second grade," Wei Yuan said.

At least second grade, but it's probably first grade...otherwise, it wouldn't be a seal instead of killing...Xu Qi'an guessed, "What is the origin of the seal? Is it related to the Yao clan?"

"This matter involves a huge secret, and I am not sure of the specific situation." Wei Yuan refused to disclose.

A severed hand, a powerful person, involving the Bureau of Astronomy, the royal family, and the Buddhist sect. It also involves the history of five hundred years ago. Xu Qi'an thought, scanned the Jinluo, and tried to see some clues from their eyes.

The Jinluo ignored the observation of the small copper gong.

"Henghui has a device that shields his breath. I can confirm that he has not left the city yet. I have already reported the situation to His Majesty this morning." Wei Yuan said gently, "You continue to investigate."Xu Qi'an understood the eunuch's implication, "Where is the Minister of War?"

"Under house arrest in the name of protection." Wei Yuan took a sip of tea.

"I'll investigate right away." Xu Qi'an nodded.

Wei Yuan reminded him, "Minister Zhang is a second-rank official, be cautious. Officials above fourth-rank cannot use divination, that's the rule, but you can still bring a wizard with you."

In other words, although the wizard's accusation cannot be used as evidence, it can provide me with a reference... Xu Qi'an clasped his hands, "Understood."

He glanced at the disappointed Jinluo, then chuckled and quickly left the teahouse before they could get angry.

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