Everyone's experiences are different. Once missed, it cannot be recovered no matter how much you regret it.

The Red Sleeve Lady, who became famous overnight, cried until she was out of breath. It would probably take several days for her to understand this truth and adjust herself in a long period of melancholy.

Seeing the Red Sleeve Lady crying like this, the group led by Wei Yuan, instead of complaining or blaming, comforted her and told her to rest well.

After sending away the Red Sleeve Lady, Wei Yuan and the others continued drinking. The official brothel sector was a place for socializing and networking.

Having a beauty by your side is an added bonus, but it doesn't matter if she's not there. Men should drink and chat with each other.

"Just now, didn't they say that a Nightwatcher came to the brothel?" Wei Yuan suddenly remembered this detail and asked the maid beside him.

"The Red Sleeve Lady mentioned that someone claimed to be Fu Xiang's lover," the maid replied.

Wei Yuan had a vague guess in his heart. He stopped drinking and stared at the maid seriously. "Then... what is the name of the Nightwatcher called Tong Luo?"

"Sir, I don't know," the maid shook her head, thinking that she didn't pay attention to this.

The other gentlemen were all smart and connected the unusual behavior of the Red Sleeve Lady earlier. They were shocked and asked, "Then, Xu Ningyan has arrived in Yuzhou?"

The case of the Grand Marshal's disappearance had only happened today and had not spread to Yuzhou yet. Among this group of scholars, only Wei Yuan had a background in the officialdom, but it would still take a day or two for him to know about these matters.

"We can go to the post station tomorrow. If the Nightwatcher is staying at the post station, we must pay a visit."

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....

Post station!

The carriage slowed down and stopped outside the post station.

Zhang, the governor, got off the carriage with a serious expression and returned to the post station with Jiang Lvzhong who was accompanying him. It was already late at night with a full moon hanging high in the sky.

Zhang, the governor, glanced at the stable not far away. There were only a few horses tied there. After entering the post station and asking the postman, he learned that most of the Nightwatchers were hanging out outside and had not returned to the post station.

Feeling heavy-hearted, Zhang, the governor, angrily said, "Absurd! We are here on imperial orders, how can we be so negligent and indulge in pleasure?"

Jiang Lvzhong smiled and said, "They have been cooped up on the boat for so many days. It's normal for them to relax and enjoy themselves. Governor, as long as you are fine, it doesn't matter what others do."

The two of them went upstairs. In the dark corridor, a guy in his underpants walked towards them, shivering in the cold.

Jiang Lvzhong had night vision ability and stared at the man, wondering, "What are you doing?"

"I just finished taking a cold shower," Xu Qi'an, who didn't stay at the official brothel sector, answered.

"And then?"

"This is the south," he said randomly, then sighed, "I'm looking for the feeling of the past... Jiang Jinluo, Zhang, you're back. The others are staying at the official brothel sector."

Zhang, the governor, nodded and went into his own room.

"Why didn't you stay at the official brothel sector?" Jiang Lvzhong scrutinized Xu Qi'an. As far as he knew, this kid was also experienced in the pleasure quarters.

"Even though eels are not decent, they still have standards. Any transaction involving money is vulgar and sinful. Eels firmly resist such behavior," Xu Qi'an said with a serious expression, then walked away.

Jiang Lvzhong watched his back and thought that this kid must be drunk. He was talking nonsense. Moreover, a Qi Refining cultivator was already immune to cold and heat, but he pretended to be in a state of hunger and cold.

Xu Qi'an entered his room, closed the door, and shivered with excitement. He quickly jumped onto the bed, rolled up the blanket, and pretended to live in the cold and damp south.

Geographically speaking, Yuzhou was not a coastal city, but it was still considered the south. Unlike the bone-chilling wind in the capital, the cold in Yuzhou was close to the skin and penetrated the pores.

This reminded Xu Qi'an of the southern region where he lived in his previous life. Taking a cold shower in the middle of winter, turning off the hot water, and shivering while applying soap.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, his nose started running.

Unfortunately, a Qi Refining cultivator had a strong physique and wouldn't feel cold easily. Even if soaked in ice water, it would only feel cool.

Wrapped in a blanket, Xu Qi'an peacefully entered dreamland.

....

The candlelight flickered with a dim halo.

Zhang, the governor, sat at the desk, holding a pen, and writing a report:

"As I passed through Yuzhou, I accidentally discovered a corruption case. Yan Kai, the Grand Marshal of the Yuzhou Canal, ordered the local gang, the Yellow Flag Gang, to kill the ship guards and embezzle iron ore, secretly transporting it to Yunzhou...

"After reviewing the records of the sunken ships at the Yuzhou Canal Office, I found that there have been a total of forty-three sunken ships and two million catties of lost iron ore in the past ten years. The amount is staggering and horrifying. The traitors have been silently draining the prosperity of the Great Feng Dynasty, causing people to shudder.

"In the land of Yuzhou alone, losing two million catties of iron ore in ten years, if this is accumulated in the sixteen provinces of the Great Feng Dynasty, the amount will be enormous. I request His Majesty to thoroughly investigate the sinking incidents of the canal offices in all the provinces of the Great Feng Dynasty.

"The former Minister of Works colluded with the God of Witchcraft and secretly supported the bandits in Yunzhou. There may be rebellious intentions.

"In addition, Xu Qi'an, the Nightwatcher, is exceptionally sharp and talented, and is a pillar of the country. He should be credited for solving the sinking case.

"The trip to Yunzhou is dangerous and unpredictable. I will do my best and devote myself to the mission."

.....

The next evening, the group of people left Yuzhou and continued their journey to Yunzhou by boat.

During the day, Xu Qi'an, along with the Tiger Guard and his Nightwatcher colleagues, purchased seasonal vegetables, drinks, rice, and other supplies in the city.

They used the accounts of the Canal Office, which was equivalent to getting everything for free.

That night, the ship's crew prepared a sumptuous dinner for the imperial envoys. After eating and drinking to their heart's content, Xu Qi'an sat cross-legged in his room to cultivate.

"Ningyan, it's a pity you didn't spend the night with the Red Sleeve Lady at the official brothel sector in Yuzhou," Song Tingfeng felt sorry for his colleague. The abalone was so good, it was a waste to refuse it.

"Heh, the Red Sleeve Lady looks down on us rough warriors," Xu Qi'an said.

"If you had revealed your identity as the great scholar who wrote 'Fragrance Floating in the Moonlit Dusk,' she would have eagerly offered herself to you," Song Tingfeng replied.

Xu Qi'an was puzzled, "If that's the case, why didn't you help me?"

Song Tingfeng sneered, "Bullshit! I'm jealous enough, if I help you gain fame, then watch you sleep with the courtesans?"

"You're enjoying yourself every day too."

"Is it the same?"

"It's all the same when the lights are off."

"It's 'blowing out the lights'," Song Tingfeng corrected.

Oil lamps are blown out, not turned off. What's the difference?

Zhu Guangxiao, who was also cultivating, paused for a moment and opened his eyes. "Besides the courtesans at the official brothel sector, I think the head constable Lu in the prefectural yamen also has a liking for Ningyan."

Song Tingfeng became even more jealous, "How did you manage that? You must have great skills in seducing virtuous ladies. Teach me a few moves?"

"Brother?"

"Younger brother?"

"You should call me 'father'."

"Get lost!" Song Tingfeng refused outright. He had been tricked by Xu Qi'an using the same trick before.

"Are you going to call me or not?"

"Father."

Xu Qi'an laughed, "These girls are like sand, you can't hold them tightly. You have to make them wet, so you can not only hold them but also put them in various positions."

"What do you mean?" Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao didn't understand.

"You have to be sincere, not just lustful," Xu Qi'an said.

"It seems to make sense, but do you really have the qualifications to say that?" Song Tingfeng said, then suddenly became angry, "You tricked me into calling you 'father' again. Call me 'father' back quickly, or I'll kill you."

He pounced on Xu Qi'an, ready to use his strength to overpower him.

At this moment, the three of them heard a cry for help from outside.

"Something's wrong..." Xu Qi'an pushed away Song Tingfeng and rushed out of the room without even putting on his boots.

The two colleagues followed closely behind.

Almost at the same time, the highly skilled Nightwatchers also rushed out, followed by the Nightwatcher leader, Tong Luo.

There was no navigation at night, and the boat was moored in a calm area of the water. A Tiger Guard soldier was struggling in the water, sinking and resurfacing from time to time.

He seemed to know how to swim, but something in the water grabbed his ankle and dragged him down.

"Hmph!"

Inside the cabin, Jiang Lvzhong snorted.

The Tiger Guard soldier who fell into the water suddenly seemed to be released from the restraint and floated to the surface without sinking further.

The Nightwatchers on the deck threw down a rope and pulled him up.

At this time, many Tiger Guard soldiers rushed up from the cabin, fully armed and tense.

"It's alright, someone just fell into the water," Xu Qi'an turned his head and reassured them, then turned to look at the man who fell into the water. He saw a bruise on his ankle, a purplish handprint.

"What happened?" one of the experienced boatmen asked. He was a bit frightened. "Water spirits, the spirits of the dead who turn into evil creatures, often lure people into the water. Countless people die in this canal every year, and it's inevitable that water spirits will be born from the accumulated yin energy.

"Adults, it's better not to come out at night. Water spirits never come ashore. As long as you stay on the deck, nothing will happen. When we set sail, we eat, drink, and relieve ourselves in the cabin. That's the rule."

Everyone turned their heads and looked at the dark water surface. Encountering such a thing in the middle of the night was creepy.

With this incident, the Tiger Guard soldiers no longer came out at night to solve their metabolic needs. The Nightwatchers continued their duties as usual.

Take Xu Qi'an, for example, he deliberately went to the deck every night to relieve himself, but he never encountered the legendary water spirits.

It wasn't that Xu Qi'an was brave, he just wanted to let the water spirits take maternity leave. He wanted to see what a water monkey looked like. He had been scared by stories of water monkeys in his previous life.

On this day, the imperial envoy finally arrived at the Qingzhou dock.

After arriving in Qingzhou, they would have to take the overland route, which required carriages and horses, something the imperial envoy did not have.

They needed to seek assistance from the Qingzhou government.

After disembarking, Zhang, the governor, walked over to Xu Qi'an with a smile and said, "The prefect of Qingzhou is a Great Scholar from the Yunlu Academy, Yang Gong, also known as Yang Ziqian."

Xu Qi'an didn't react for a moment. Zhang, the governor, added, "He is also known as the Purple Sun Hermit."