It's so dark... Where am I... Who am I?

He thought dazedly, unable to remember who he was or where he was.

Wuwuwu...

Dong dong dong...

Xu Qi'an heard the sound of horns and drums. Gradually, he heard other sounds as well - the deafening shouts of battle, the thunderous and chaotic sound of galloping horses, explosions, and the sharp clash of blades.

Various sounds intertwined in Xu Qi'an's mind, forming a clear picture.

It's a battlefield!

Just as he thought this, the darkness in front of him split open, and light pierced through. In his line of sight, he saw a battlefield.

A massive army charged forward like a swarm of ants, and high-ranking warriors wreaked havoc on the battlefield, trampling on the ant nest of humanity.

This battlefield was not only filled with humans, but also towering beasts and giant snakes coiling in the sky...

There were high monks chanting scriptures in the sky, powerful barbarians capable of moving mountains and overturning the world, fearless armies of the undead, rows of artillery soldiers, and brave cavalry riding on ferocious beasts...

"What kind of battlefield is this? It's too exaggerated, there are too many dead people," Xu Qi'an thought in confusion.

His gaze swept across the battlefield, the army of the undead, and the artillery soldiers, and then he looked towards the sky behind the battlefield, where a group of flying beasts hovered.

A figure in green robes stood proudly on the head of a beast, hands behind his back, calmly overlooking the fierce battlefield.

"Wei Yuan?!"

Xu Qi'an's heart trembled, suddenly remembering who he was. In that instant, the battlefield scene collapsed and returned to boundless darkness.

Xu Qi'an opened his eyes and still saw darkness.

Damn, it's so stuffy... Instead of immediately getting up, he focused his senses. Then, he "saw" the dark cabin, the neatly arranged five coffins, the slowly sailing official ship, and the shimmering canal.

This was the divine ability he gained after stepping into the realm of refining the spirit.

He didn't know about other cultivators in the realm of refining the spirit, but Xu Qi'an's mental power could to some extent serve as his eyes.

Even if his titanium alloy dog eyes went blind one day, he wouldn't be afraid at all.

"The dream I just saw... No, it shouldn't be just a dream. How could a dream be so clear? I've never come into contact with an undead army or high-ranking monks... How could I dream about them?"

"Why was Wei Yuan in the dream? He still looks young... At least his temples aren't gray. My dad was really handsome when he was young, just like me..."

Xu Qi'an lay in the coffin, recalling the scenes he saw in the dream. The massive army covered the mountains and plains, with a huge number of soldiers engaged in battle.

Various forces were fighting each other.

Combining this with Wei Yuan's appearance and his deeds, Xu Qi'an immediately had a guess in his mind - the Battle of Shanhai Pass.

The most famous of Wei Yuan's deeds was the Battle of Shanhai Pass... A large-scale battle involving multiple countries, perfectly matching the historical records of the Battle of Shanhai Pass... But why did I dream about the Battle of Shanhai Pass? My second uncle is such a weakling, he must have played dead in a pile of corpses... Xu Qi'an thought to himself, pushing open the coffin lid.

Fresh air rushed in as he took a deep breath and sat up. Suddenly, a pleasant voice came from the dim cabin:

"You're awake."

Xu Qi'an was startled, only then realizing that there was a person sitting three meters away on his left, with their back facing him... Alright, their identity was revealed - Yang Qianhuan.

He was the only man that Xu Qi'an could recognize just by looking at his back.

Without an immediate response, Xu Qi'an pondered his words for a few seconds before asking, "Where are we?"

Yang Qianhuan's tone was quite cheerful, showing that he was in a very good mood. "On our way back to the capital, or rather, on the water."

"Is the case in Yunzhou over?" Xu Qi'an's face showed a flicker of joy. "Ah, this damn case is finally closed. I don't have to stay up all night anymore."

"I died once, I wonder if Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were sad for me. Maybe they're more upset about missing out on five opportunities for freebies..."

"Ah, in the end, I still couldn't deceive Su Su into becoming my paper wife. Li Miaozhen probably wants to kill me now. Fortunately, I died early, otherwise it would have been quite awkward..."

Yang Qianhuan patiently listened to his rambling.

"By the way, why are you on the ship too?" Xu Qi'an asked.

...Yang Qianhuan thought for a moment and said, "I was sent by my master to Yunzhou on a mission. Now that the mission is complete, I'm naturally going back. Coincidentally, the Nightwatcher is sending your remains back to the capital, so I secretly sneaked on board."

"Then, I noticed the knife wounds and arrow holes on your body, mysteriously healed, so I knew you weren't dead. I waited for a while, and hey, you really came back to life."

Yang Qianhuan spoke calmly, but his internal thoughts were much more turbulent than his tone. After hearing the news of Xu Qi'an's death, he thought, "It's over, it's over. After returning to the capital, my master will suppress me in the Zhaixing Tower, and I'll never see the light of day again."

He panicked and almost left the sect.

At the same time, he felt regret. Such an interesting kid, why did he have to die? Why couldn't he see the bigger picture? He actually traded his 20-year-old life for an old man's life.

Zhang Xunfu was practically a decrepit old man with one foot in the coffin.

He followed Xu Qi'an all the way, sneaked onto the official ship, and opened Xu Qi'an's coffin board. Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better. The injuries on this kid's body miraculously healed, his heartbeat gradually recovered, and he showed signs of a prosperous future.

So, Yang Qianhuan happily guarded the coffin, not even having time to take a shit.Of course, Xu Qi'an couldn't know about these things.

... Did he open my coffin? How else would he know about the injuries on my body... Why did he open my coffin for no reason... I always feel like he has some ulterior motive... Xu Qi'an thought to himself, but smiled on his face.

"Why did the Lord send you to Yunzhou?" Yang Qianhuan asked at this moment.

Just as they finished speaking, they looked at each other and fell into silence.

After a few seconds, feeling guilty, they tacitly changed the subject at the same time:

"The weather is nice today."

"The wind is quite noisy today."

Xu Qi'an and Yang Qianhuan fell silent again.

It was a bit awkward... Just as Xu Qi'an was thinking of changing the topic and chatting about something else, he suddenly realized that he had four letters in his arms.

Whose letters?

The coffin was stored in the cabin, with only a faint light coming through the cracks in the deck.

The deck is actually translucent. This ship must have been well repaired... Xu Qi'an couldn't help but complain, and casually opened the envelope, then started reading under the faint light.

Now his vision was able to see clearly in the dark without any obstacles.

After stepping into the realm of refining the gods, all aspects of his body had been enhanced.

"Big brother:

The letters you sent back have been received by our family. Mother and father are very happy, and Lingyin is also very happy. Especially mother, she didn't expect that you would write her a letter. She was so happy that she slapped the table. Knowing that you are safe outside, I feel relieved."

The handwriting was elegant and graceful, it was a letter sent by Lingyue.

Auntie is probably scolding my deceased mother... Are you happy, little sister... Xu Qi'an thought of Lingyue's beautiful and ethereal face, and imagined her slightly lowering her head with a shy and timid posture. He couldn't help but curl his lips and continue reading.

"You haven't been away from the capital for long, and Lingyin has been forced to go to the academy to study. Everything was arranged by Second Brother. Now, Lingyin can recite the first nine characters of the Three-Character Classic. When father and mother found out, they almost cried with joy."

Lingyin can actually recite nine characters? Xu Qi'an almost cried with joy.

"But it seems like she has been bullied. The jade bracelet that mother bought for her, worth ten taels, disappeared a few days ago. There are faint bruises on her wrist, obviously she was forcibly taken off."

"Lingyin is silly. When asked who did it, she didn't say anything and didn't take it seriously at all. Perhaps in her heart, nothing is important except for food."

"The Spring Festival is approaching, and father comes home late every day, either staying outside or camping. He doesn't have time to manage things at home. Mother didn't dare to tell him and went to the academy to question the teacher, but the teacher claimed not to know. Maybe Lingyin lost it herself. Mother was so angry that she trembled, but she couldn't do anything."

"If big brother were at home, this wouldn't have happened. If Second Brother were at home, he would definitely scold the teacher until he had no place to hide."

"But Second Brother has been angry recently. Father said that he stayed out in the cold wind for half a night, and when he came home the next day to get money and food, he didn't speak to us. Second Brother is really petty. Forgetting to write him a letter is not big brother's fault. Big brother is also very busy."

Little sister, Second Brother is your own brother. You shouldn't turn your back on him. You shouldn't even turn your chest towards me... Please continue... Xu Qi'an almost covered his mouth with his hand when he saw this, so as not to laugh out loud.

It's a pity that I didn't witness Second Brother's embarrassed appearance, kuku...

"By the way, mother said that after the spring, she will find a husband for me. Mother is so annoying, why doesn't she marry herself? Lingyin really wants to find big brother. I, I... also miss you."

What nonsense are you talking about? How can Auntie remarry? Auntie was born into the Xu family and will die as a ghost of the Xu family... Well, big brother also misses you all.

After finishing reading, Xu Qi'an satisfactorily folded the letter and put it back into the envelope.

He glanced at Yang Qianhuan, who was still facing away from him, quiet like a wooden man.

"What are you looking at me for? Where else can I be?" Yang Qianhuan said impatiently.

Xu Qi'an ignored him, lowered his head, and opened the second letter.

"Xu Lang:

It has been two weeks since we parted, but my longing for you has become even stronger, like a raging fire. Everything is fine at the Official Brothel Sector, except that I always feel sleepy. When I wake up, I pick some plum blossoms and take a walk. I have brewed a jar of plum blossom wine, hoping that you will return and we can drink together."

This was the reply from the courtesan lady.

"Occasionally, I would go out and have a few drinks with the guests, listening to their discussions. In fact, I just want to hear news about you. But Yunzhou is thousands of miles away from the capital, and it's not easy to pass on information."

"Those stinky men, who claim to be scholars, are mostly just empty vessels. Their talents are mediocre, not comparable to Xu Lang. I often think that meeting Xu Lang is the greatest gift from heaven to me."

"A few days ago, a maid brought back some news. I heard that Xu Lang wrote a new poem in Qingzhou, which was regarded as a treasure by the hermit Ziyang and engraved on a monument as a warning to the world. I am honored to have a connection with it and can't contain my joy."

"Xu Lang, I think of you every night. My nails are neatly trimmed."

Think of me if you want, but don't make it so obvious... Xu Qi'an chuckled, carefully folded the letter, and put it back into the envelope.

There were still two letters left. He recalled the backups he had cultivated: Chu Caiwei, Huai Qing, and Lin An.

There were clearly three people, no, three backups, but why did he only receive two letters?

Xu Qi'an was a little angry and wondered who didn't reply to me? Is it because my backup cultivation skills are not good enough, or is it because the Trident of the Sea King didn't pierce accurately enough?

He randomly chose one of the letters and started reading:

```"Dog slave:

When will the case in Yunzhou end? This palace doesn't miss you, it's just that the Spring Festival is approaching, and many guards have gone home to rest, leaving me with few servants."

The first sentence of the opening, a strong sense of arrogance and arrogance.

Doesn't the princess still lack guards... Well, Biao Biao still remembers to reply to me, not bad... Xu Qi'an continued reading.

"The Five Chess you invented has been widely spread by me. Everyone praises me for being beautiful and intelligent. Even the annoying Huai Qing is sincerely convinced by me. Privately, she said to me: Lin'an is far superior to me in wisdom, and Huai Qing is willing to admit defeat.

"But she definitely won't admit it. I'm telling you casually, don't take it to heart. After all, Huai Qing is a princess, so give her some face.

"I'm not taking advantage of you either. The Spring Festival is approaching, and the emperor has given me some gold, silver, jade, silk, and jewelry. When you come back, feel free to pick a few things from the palace's storeroom."

Hahaha, Lin'an is such a silly girl. I fooled her by saying that my second uncle borrowed money from everywhere to support my martial arts training, and she actually believed it. She keeps finding ways to give me money. She's so naive... Please continue to do so.

Xu Qi'an laughed happily.

"What's the deal with that chicken essence? Wasn't it invented by you? Why is everyone saying that Chu Caiwei from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters invented it? I was so angry that I caused a scene at the Bureau of Heavenly Masters.

"The white-robed people from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters didn't dare to do anything to me. They ran to the emperor to complain. The emperor scolded me harshly. When you come back, I'll take you to seek justice."

Um... Actually, the chicken essence was made by Caiwei. I just gave her the idea. Well, she wants to use the chicken essence to condense the position of an alchemist. I've already informed her about this.

Xu Qi'an was somewhat touched. Biao Biao really cares about her little brother.

He put Lin'an's letter back into the envelope, took a deep breath, and opened the last letter.

Huai Qing and Caiwei, which one of you is the traitor will be revealed now.

"Xu Tongluo,

The situation in Yunzhou is complicated, and bandits have been a long-standing problem. Both the Qi Party and the God of Witchcraft have been secretly planning for many years, and they must have accumulated considerable power in Yunzhou.

"Remember to be cautious in your actions. Even with Jiang Lvzhong, a fourth-grade warrior, it is not completely secure. If you lock onto a target, you must capture them swiftly, not giving them time to react.

"I suspect that Wei Gong is secretly plotting, but he probably won't meet with you. Perhaps Zhang, the governor, knows, or perhaps he doesn't. Although you are brilliant in solving cases, your strength is limited, so don't act alone."

The letter was from Huai Qing.

Xu Qi'an's mood was complicated, with both disappointment and joy. He was disappointed that the innocent and naive Lin'an turned out to be a terrible woman. He had treated her with deep affection and even brought her into his circle, but she turned out to be so heartless.

But he was happy that Huai Qing didn't become a terrible woman and still cared about him.

He had mixed feelings about the outcome. Xu Qi'an smiled bitterly and said, "Huai Qing is really terrifying. Her intelligence is too high... No, it's not just intelligence, but also her analysis of the situation and her control over people's hearts. She can even grasp Wei Gong's thoughts... It's over, it will be easy for her to catch me if I cheat."

It seemed that Princess Huai Qing was still Wei Yuan's disciple to some extent. It wasn't surprising for her to have such abilities... Xu Qi'an squinted his eyes and continued reading:

"A few days ago, Caiwei came to my palace to have a meal and mentioned you in our conversation. She said she was troubled about how to reply to your letter because she doesn't like reading and is afraid of writing poorly and making you laugh.

"She also said: Xu Ningyan is really thoughtful. He sent me a piece of red lotus petal from Qingzhou and said I am as bright and beautiful as the lotus.

"When Caiwei mentioned it to me, there was a smile in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows... So I told Caiwei: I will write the reply for you. She happily agreed.

"Hehe, Mr. Xu is truly charming. One flower for two people, with different words to describe each. It's just right.

"I admire it."

... Xu Qi'an looked at the letter with a blank expression.

"What's wrong with you?" Yang Qianhuan asked.

"I messed up..." Xu Bai Piao blushed, feeling ashamed and wanting to jump into the canal and swim back to Bai Di City.

Damn it, I forgot that Caiwei is an innocent girl who hasn't experienced love. She has a good relationship with Huai Qing, and there's no psychological barrier for her to share this kind of thing.

Huai Qing already had a bias against me. She refused to see me before leaving the capital. Now that Caiwei has stolen my heart... Huai Qing must have labeled me as a scumbag. Xu Qi'an blushed with embarrassment.

I, Xu, am also a person with dignity and face. How can you make me face the capital like this... Oh, I'm already dead, so it doesn't matter.

At the same time, he felt fortunate because Huai Qing couldn't see the letters from Biao Biao, Fu Xiang, and Ling Yue.

The latter two didn't need to be mentioned, as they had no connection with Huai Qing. Although Biao Biao was her sister, the two of them were like fire and water, and it was impossible for them to share such intimate letters.

It was even more impossible for her to show off. Even though Biao Biao was naive and arrogant, she was still a princess of royal birth and wouldn't be foolish enough to show these letters to others.

Fortunately, I know that Caiwei is a simple-minded girl and didn't flirt with her. I only talked about the food along the way... Perhaps that's why Huai Qing was unhappy, but she still wrote me a letter to give me advice. After all, the letter I wrote to her was a love letter, while the one I wrote to Caiwei was a normal letter.

Hehe, Huai Qing, you didn't expect that, did you? You thought I was on the second level, but I'm actually on the fifth level.

"Who wrote the letter?"

Seeing that Xu Qi'an had finally finished reading, Yang Qianhuan opened his mouth again."A letter from a friend in the capital," Xu Qi'an said, his expression unchanged.

"Must be a sweetheart," Yang Qian huan suggested.

Xu Qi'an immediately became alert, "Did you sneak a peek at my letter?"

Yang Qian huan scoffed, "I, Yang Qian huan, would never stoop to such despicable acts."

After all, he is a fourth-rank sorcerer... Xu Qi'an nodded, "Speaking of which, your junior sister Caiwei is really a blockhead. At her age, she should be experiencing the throes of young love. But I can't seem to stir her emotions. I wrote her a letter, and she..."

Xu Qi'an sighed deeply.

Yang Qian huan agreed, "Indeed, junior sister Caiwei is a late bloomer. She simply treated your letters as ordinary correspondence between friends, that's why she told Princess Huai Qing. She's not completely indifferent to you, at least in her heart, you are a very important friend."

Xu Qi'an's gaze suddenly sharpened, "How the hell do you know she told Huai Qing?"

"..." Yang Qian huan.

The king was silent for a long time, realizing he had been tricked, he felt the same embarrassment Xu Qi'an had just experienced.

Not only did you peek at my letter, you even resealed it...

"Forget it, considering you helped me catch Liang Youping, I won't hold it against you," Xu Qi'an warned, "But you must never spread the news about the letter."

At this point, Yang Qian huan had already seen everything, he couldn't turn back time, so he might as well pretend to be generous.

Yang Qian huan was taken aback, "I didn't help you catch Liang Youping."

A cold draft seeped through the deck's cracks, hitting Xu Qi'an's neck.

He shivered slightly, his hair standing on end, even his voice trembled slightly, "What did you say?"

......

The warm winter sun hung high in the sky as Nangong Qianrou drove his carriage to the outskirts of the palace city.

After parking the carriage, he handed the reins to the approaching Imperial Guard, bent down to pick up the wooden stool, opened the carriage door, and said, "Father, we're here."

Dressed in a luxurious blue robe, the white-haired Wei Yuan climbed out of the carriage, stepping down on the wooden stool.

The two entered the palace city and headed for the Imperial Study.

"Father, I heard there was an urgent dispatch of eight hundred li this morning?" Nangong Qianrou asked.

The Great Feng's intelligence levels were divided into three hundred li, four hundred li, six hundred li, and the highest, eight hundred li.

The eight hundred li dispatches were delivered directly to the cabinet and then to the emperor. Before they reached the cabinet, no one was allowed to handle them except the courier.

Otherwise, it would be considered treason.

Wei Yuan nodded solemnly. Not long after the eight hundred li dispatch was delivered to the palace, the emperor held a small court meeting in the Imperial Study.

An eight hundred li dispatch must be a major event, but it was unclear from which state it came.

"What a troublesome autumn!" Wei Yuan sighed lightly, paused, and then asked, "How is the preparation of the rhino armor going?"

"All the materials have been collected, just waiting to be taken to the Bureau of Heavenly Masters for refining," Nangong Qianrou replied with a sour tone.

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

The rhino armor was a gift Wei Yuan wanted to give to Xu Qi'an. The armor was impervious to swords and spears, and immune to fire and water. If it was refined into a magical instrument by the alchemists and array masters of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters.

It would be a peerless defensive treasure, even a fifth-rank warrior wouldn't be able to break it easily.

Nangong Qianrou knew Wei Yuan's intentions. He wanted to make up for Xu Qi'an's last weakness and protect this yet-to-mature sapling.

As they approached the Imperial Study, Nangong Qianrou was stopped by the Forbidden Army, and Wei Yuan proceeded alone.

Wei Yuan crossed the threshold and entered the Imperial Study.

He casually glanced at the ministers on both sides, his brows furrowed instantly.

All the ministers were looking at him with obscure and inexplicable expressions.

Emperor Yuan Jing was also looking at Wei Yuan, but the old emperor's thoughts were deep and he showed no emotion.

"Your Majesty." Wei Yuan saluted and naturally took his place.

PS: Thanks to "Old Man with Sword and Cane", "Society Forces You to Be Strong", and "Mad Song~" for their generous rewards. There will be additional updates.

This chapter of six thousand words includes three thousand words of regular updates and three thousand words of additional updates.

PS: Tomorrow morning's update will be postponed to the evening. The current volume is ending, and the second volume will begin. I need some time to plan.