After Miss Rongrong was taken away, Mr. Liu and the others immediately returned to the inn and informed their senior colleagues of the situation. After discussing, the senior colleagues did not rush to the Nightwatcher's yamen to demand her release, but instead used their connections in the officialdom.

When they learned that Nightwatcher was the one who captured her, those with high status in the capital showed a difficult expression. However, under the persuasion of a large sum of money, they reluctantly agreed.

But when they found out that the person who captured her was Xu Qi'an, their faces changed drastically, and they exclaimed, "It's impossible! It's impossible to deal with him!"

After wasting the afternoon, they visited the Nightwatcher's yamen the next day, hoping that the notorious Nightwatcher would show mercy.

Miss Rongrong's master, a charming middle-aged woman with a round face and a hint of charm, must have been a beautiful woman who was alluring in her youth.

She was worried, knowing the character of men in the world. It had been a night, and she didn't know what kind of torture Rongrong had suffered...

It would be better if she was just violated, but if she was locked up in a mansion and treated as a plaything by a greedy man, that would be a tragedy for a woman.

Mr. Liu's master, on the other hand, was a calm middle-aged swordsman with deep wrinkles on his forehead and sharp eyes.

The two seniors exchanged glances and saw the worry and helplessness in each other's eyes.

In the Nightwatcher's yamen, even the arrogant warriors would restrain their temper and retract their claws.

After anxiously waiting for two quarters of an hour, a young man dressed in Nightwatcher's uniform, with a unique sword hanging from his waist, stepped into the threshold and entered the side hall.

"Which one of you is Miss Rongrong's master?" Xu Qi'an scanned the crowd and spoke first.

The middle-aged woman stood up and bowed, saying, "I am."

The aunt was being modest. With her figure and appearance, how could she be considered old? Xu Qi'an nodded and said, "I have already investigated the truth. It was not Miss Rongrong who stole my treasure, but the Thousand-Faced Thief, Ge Xiaoqing. Now that the culprit has been captured, you can take Miss Rongrong away."

Upon hearing this, the two seniors felt relieved, and the young heroes and heroines who came with them were also pleasantly surprised.

However, compared to the experienced seniors, their thoughts were simpler. The two seniors no longer had any illusions in their hearts. Rongrong was probably...

But the fact that the other party had released her after a night of passion was already rare. They could only consider themselves unlucky.

"Thank you, sir!" The middle-aged woman expressed her gratitude.

As they were speaking, Miss Rongrong, led by the officials, entered the side hall.

She was emotionally stable and happily called out, "Master," without bursting into tears or causing a scene.

The middle-aged woman saw this and remained calm, only saying, "It's alright. This gentleman has seen through the truth and did not wrong you."

Rongrong bowed gracefully and said with a smile, "Thank you, Mr. Xu."

The middle-aged swordsman coughed and clasped his fists, saying, "Then, we won't stay any longer."

After speaking, a stack of silver bills slipped out of his sleeve and was placed on the tea table.

"Take the silver bills." Xu Qi'an said calmly.

He didn't feel right accepting them. After all, Rongrong, who had neither caused trouble nor stolen anything, was simply a misunderstanding.

The middle-aged swordsman couldn't believe it and looked at Xu Qi'an with some surprise. He clasped his fists again and said, "Thank you, sir."

The group of martial artists then left. Just as they stepped out of the side hall, they heard Xu Qi'an say from behind, "Wait!"

The middle-aged swordsman stopped in his tracks, feeling a bit disdainful and relieved. After all, what official didn't love money?

He turned around and saw Xu Qi'an spreading a piece of paper on the table and writing with a brush.

After finishing writing, he dipped his thumb in ink and pressed a handprint.

Everyone looked at him in confusion, not knowing what he was doing.

"I don't like owing things to others. I cut off this kid's magic weapon yesterday. Take this IOU and go to the Bureau of Heavenly Masters to find Song Qing. He will compensate me with a magic weapon." Xu Qi'an flicked his wrist, and the paper flew towards the middle-aged swordsman.

The middle-aged swordsman took it and bid farewell before leaving.

The group left the Nightwatcher's yamen, and the middle-aged woman held Rongrong's hand without saying a word. One of the young heroes finally came to his senses and asked with some concern, "Rongrong, did he... did he do anything to you last night?"

The young heroes were initially stunned, but then they all stared at Rongrong.

The middle-aged swordsman scolded, "Nonsense."

Although he and the middle-aged woman were certain that Rongrong had lost her innocence, they had deliberately avoided mentioning it. Even though they were children of the martial arts world, reputation was still important.

"He didn't do anything to me. I stayed alone in the Nightwatcher's quarters for the night." Rongrong shook her head and explained, "The only problem was that the bedding smelled a bit."

After a night had passed, she was no longer as fearful and worried as before. She knew that the man with the silver gong was a gentleman.

Since the topic had been brought up, the middle-aged woman no longer concealed anything and asked suspiciously, "If he didn't do anything to you, then why did he capture you?"

"The gentleman's treasure was indeed stolen, and it was stolen by Ge Xiaoqing. The reason he captured me and brought me to the yamen was because Ge Xiaoqing disguised herself as me to commit the crime, thus causing this misunderstanding." Rongrong explained.

This made sense...

The middle-aged woman frowned and said, "Why did Ge Xiaoqing disguise herself as you?"

Rongrong said with hatred, "The other day, when I and Mr. Liu and the others were drinking in the restaurant, I specifically mentioned her and criticized her. The Thousand-Faced Thief is just a lowly figure in the martial arts world, only capable of petty theft. How could she compare to me?"

"Presumably, she heard those words and disguised herself as me to commit the theft, taking the opportunity to seek revenge."

"That's what happened." Mr. Liu and the others nodded.

The sequence of events became clear. The man with the silver gong was also a victim, and capturing Rongrong was just a misunderstanding, not the act of a corrupt official.

The young heroes breathed a sigh of relief.

The middle-aged swordsman nodded and said, "He didn't accept the silver bills earlier. It's good that the young ones are still full of righteousness.The tone was full of appreciation.

Young Master Liu thought for a moment and said, "Then, Master... about the matter of the magical artifact."

The middle-aged swordsman glanced at his disciple and shook his head with a smile. "In the capital city, the Bureau of Heavenly Masters ranks above the Nightwatcher. Although the Nightwatcher's identity is not low, it's just a piece of paper that can make the Bureau of Heavenly Masters send out magical artifacts. It's a fantasy."

Young Master Liu couldn't hide his disappointment. "Then what about him..."

The middle-aged swordsman chuckled. "Young people care about face. Let's not take it seriously."

The middle-aged beauty's eyes turned and she suggested, "Since we have nothing to do, let's go to the Bureau of Heavenly Masters and take the children to see the tallest building in The Great Feng."

"Alright."

..........

Xu Qi'an held a yellowed ancient book in his hand. He had just come out of the dungeon after interrogating Ge Xiaoqing and asking her about the secrets of the "Deceiving Heaven" technique.

"This female thief is indeed talented. Keep her for now. She will definitely be useful in the future. Haha, she stole my magic treasure, so not only will I fleece her, but I will also make her work like a horse and eat grass."

The Chunfeng Hall was still under construction, and his hall's entrance was also being repaired. Currently, he didn't have an office as a Nightwatcher, so he had to go to Jinyutang in Minshan to borrow one.

Arriving at the side hall, he instructed the attendants to bring hot tea and opened the yellowed ancient book, reading it with great interest.

The art of disguise in the Thieves' Guild... no, the art of the Divine Thief's disguise was indeed amazing. It was different from ordinary disguises. It didn't involve making a lifelike human skin mask.

Instead, it directly changed one's appearance. The method was to apply a special potion to the face for half an incense stick's time, causing the flesh to heat up and "melt." Then, with the unique method of manipulating qi, the facial features could be changed.

The effect lasted for twelve hours.

Of course, it could also be actively restored.

For a martial artist in the Copper Skin and Iron Bones realm, they needed three times the amount of potion and the face had to be soaked for an additional quarter of an hour. There was no other way, their skin was just too thick.

"The most difficult part of this secret technique is that I have to observe and practice carefully. It's like painting. Beginners have to start with copying, while advanced painters can freely express themselves. They can perfectly copy a person with just one glance.

"It's a skill that requires hard work... The people I'm most familiar with are Second Uncle and Second Brother. If I mention Second Uncle, it will make Aunt misunderstand, so I should start with Second Brother."

An attendant stepped into the threshold and respectfully said, "Master Xu, Wei Gong is inviting you."

..........

Seventh-floor tea room.

Wei Yuan stood by the desk, holding a brush, his eyes focused as he painted.

Without looking up, Wei Yuan continued to draw and asked, "Have you offended anyone recently?"

Xu Qi'an teased, "With you, how can I not offend anyone? I have so many enemies that I can't even count them."

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Wei Yuan nodded. "With this awareness, your future achievements will not be low."

After a pause, he said, "The fifth-grade person you brought back yesterday was taken away this morning. Think carefully, did you offend anyone?"

Xu Qi'an helplessly said, "I really can't remember, that's why I brought that guy back. Why did you let him go again?"

He was complaining to Wei Yuan.

In the Nightwatcher's office, there were only two people who dared to speak to Wei Yuan like this. One was a jealous person, and the other was Xu Qi'an.

Wei Yuan didn't say anything else. He slowly traced his pen on the paper and finally put it down, taking a deep breath. "It's done."

"What did Wei Gong draw?" Xu Qi'an hurriedly approached.

The scroll depicted a palace-dressed beauty, wearing gorgeous clothes and adorned with many accessories. She delicately held a light silk fan in her slender jade hand.

She had an indescribable beauty, not from her facial features, but from her charm.

Xu Qi'an confirmed that she wasn't the empress, so he became bolder and asked, "This sister is so beautiful. Does Wei Gong know her? Does she have a husband? I haven't married yet."

Wei Yuan shook his head regretfully. "No one in the world can capture her beauty, including me."

In the end, he didn't mention who the woman in the painting was, nor did he bring up the matter of offending someone. He waved his hand and sent Xu Qi'an out of the Haoyi Tower.

...........

Xiaohan Rongrong and her group arrived at the square below the Bureau of Heavenly Masters and were once again shocked by the tallest building in The Great Feng.

Previously, they had already observed it from a distance and saw how it soared into the clouds, piercing the sky.

Only after seeing it up close did they realize the grandeur of this tall building. The foundation that protruded from the ground was as high as two floors.

And the bricks and stones that made up the foundation were larger than a carriage.

Standing in front of this tall building, they realized how small they were.

"Master, shall we go in?" Young Master Liu swallowed his saliva quietly.

"Go in?"

The middle-aged swordsman turned around and glanced at his disciple, shaking his head. "I'll go in alone. You all wait outside. It's not as easy to enter the Bureau of Heavenly Masters as it is to enter the imperial palace."

Since he had the idea of "trying it out," he would let him do the embarrassing things alone. Moreover, if one person embarrassed himself, it was as if no one had embarrassed themselves. It would be truly embarrassing if the younger generation followed and witnessed it.

The middle-aged swordsman straightened his clothes, stood up straight, and walked up the long Hanbaiyu steps.

"Senior Hua..." Looking at his master's back, Young Master Liu asked the middle-aged beauty beside him, "Can my master obtain a magical artifact?"

He was still unwilling. The Seven Star Sword was considered a decent magical artifact in the Ink Pavilion. Now that it was destroyed, he would definitely be punished when he returned to the sect.

The most important thing was that he couldn't obtain another magical artifact.

And the name of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters was known to everyone. Any martial artist in the world would be eager to obtain a magical artifact produced by the Bureau of Heavenly Masters.

Under such great temptation, even if they knew the hope was slim, they still liked to daydream.

"Do you know why your master said that the piece of paper was a disguise for young people's face-saving and told you not to have any expectations?" the beautiful woman asked in return.

Including Young Master Liu, the group of juniors shook their heads.

"Because that Song Qing is the personal disciple of the Chief Inspector. In the Great Feng's martial world, his status is no less than that of the emperor's prince. Do you understand now?"Understood, so that young silver gong's note was just a disguise. How could a prince of the Great Feng's martial world be controlled by a mere note?

On the other side, the middle-aged swordsman climbed the steps made of Hanbai jade and entered the first floor, where the hall of ninth-grade physicians gathered.

A strong medicinal fragrance filled the air as the white-robed sorcerers busied themselves. Some were cooking medicinal herbs, some were copying the forms of herbs, and some were sorting and selecting...

"Who are you?" a white-robed sorcerer approached.

The middle-aged swordsman quickly bowed and respectfully said, "I am Yang Yucuan from the Sword State Ink Pavilion."

The Sword State Ink Pavilion, never heard of it... The white-robed sorcerer waved his hand and said, "Just tell me what you want."

"I want to see Song Qing... This note was given to me by a Nightwatcher surnamed Xu." The middle-aged swordsman took out the note and humbly handed it over.

If Young Master Liu saw his master's current appearance, he would surely have mixed feelings. His master often used heavy-handed tactics against them, but in front of a physician with no cultivation, he was obedient and submissive.

The white-robed sorcerer took the note, unfolded it, and immediately became extremely serious. He said, "Wait here!"

He hurriedly went upstairs.

This... the middle-aged swordsman was taken aback. The other party's reaction was beyond his expectations.

No, could this note really exchange for a magic weapon? How is that possible?

But soon, the white-robed sorcerer who had just gone upstairs returned, and what he held in his hand perfectly answered the middle-aged swordsman's doubts.

It was an ordinary-looking sword, with no fancy tassels, and the scabbard and hilt were not adorned with gold foil or jade pieces.

Simple and plain.

"Here!"

The white-robed sorcerer reached out and handed it over. When the middle-aged swordsman hurriedly took it, the sorcerer turned around and went back to his own business.

I should leave too... The middle-aged swordsman didn't have time to examine the treasure sword and quietly left the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, holding it in his arms.

"Master is out." Young Master Liu exclaimed in surprise.

"Is... is that really a magic weapon?" Rongrong saw the middle-aged swordsman holding a sword.

The middle-aged swordsman came in front of everyone, took a look at the treasure sword in his arms, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Let's leave this place."

The beautiful woman nodded, but her gaze remained on the plain-looking treasure sword.

After a while, the group walked further and further away from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters. When they reached a secluded place, the middle-aged swordsman stopped and examined the treasure sword in his arms.

"Master, quickly, take a look..." Young Master Liu's heart was burning with excitement, even more so than seeing a stunning beauty lying on a bed.

The middle-aged swordsman grasped the hilt of the sword and slowly drew it out. Clang... a bright sword light reflected in everyone's eyes, causing them to instinctively close their eyes.

This sword was four feet long, with natural cloud patterns on the blade. The sword emitted a chilling aura, and with a light touch of the fingertip, it immediately tore open a bloody wound.

"The sword qi is self-generated... it's actually self-generated sword qi..."

The middle-aged swordsman's hands trembled with excitement, his eyes filled with fanaticism. "A top-grade magic weapon! Even the Autumn Water Cold Sword of our Ink Pavilion's Sect Master is far inferior to this sword."

Thump, thump... Young Master Liu heard his own rapid heartbeat.

Self-generated sword qi is considered a top-grade magic weapon in the martial world.

"Master, let me see, let me see." Young Master Liu reached out to grab it.

"Smack!"

The middle-aged swordsman slapped him away, and even he himself was stunned for a moment. This was a completely instinctive reaction, as if this sword was his wife and not to be defiled by outsiders.

"Why did you hit me, Master?" Young Master Liu said with a grievance.

The middle-aged swordsman thought for a moment and said with a serious tone, "This sword is a top-grade magic weapon. As the saying goes, 'The innocent carries the guilt of the jade.' This is not a good thing for you.

"I have just made a difficult decision. I will temporarily keep this sword and bear the risk myself. When you reach a high level of cultivation, I will return this sword to you.

"Alright, my decision is final, you don't need to say anything more. Of course, to compensate you, I will give you my beloved sword. This sword has accompanied me for twenty years, just like my wife. You must cherish it."

"..." Young Master Liu looked resentful.

Xu Qi'an didn't see this scene, otherwise he would have sympathized with Young Master Liu. He remembered how his parents had kept countless red envelopes and pocket money from him during his childhood, using the same reason, resulting in a loss of over a billion.

"So, what is Xu Gongzi's true identity?" Miss Rongrong murmured.

No one could answer her question. Everyone fell silent, not knowing what they were thinking. Perhaps, in their minds, the image of the young and handsome bronze gong appeared involuntarily.

The middle-aged beauty looked at the treasure sword with envy, then turned her head to look at her charming and alluring disciple...

She suddenly realized that nothing had happened last night, which was the biggest loss.

...

After seeing off Miss Rongrong and the others, Xu Qi'an practiced his Heart Sword technique, practiced his Hidden Heaven technique, and meditated in the side hall. Unconsciously, he missed lunch.

It was only when his stomach growled that he woke up from his meditation.

"Although the more I learn, the greater the benefits to myself, I feel like I don't have enough time now...

"No, I can't learn any more advanced techniques. Greediness leads to nothing. I should always base myself on the 'Heaven and Earth One Sword Slash' and then learn some complementary auxiliary skills.

"I finally understand why the emperors of past dynasties did not pursue martial arts or even cultivation. It's because they don't have time. There are only twelve hours in a day, and they still have to deal with political affairs. Even for a genius, they will become Zhongyong."

After finishing lunch, Zhong Li arrived.

She was the personal disciple of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters' supervisor, and Chu Caiwei's senior sister. She was wrapped in a coarse robe, with disheveled hair, and her face was not visible as she slightly lowered her head.

"It's good that you're not injured." Xu Qi'an patted her shoulder.

"Thank you for your concern." Zhong Li replied politely.Judging from her voice, she should be between 20 and 25 years old. Women under 20 have clear and pleasant voices. Only women over 20 would possess a sexy voice, along with the mature charm of a woman.

"I'm glad you're okay. Was there any danger yesterday?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"I encountered thirty-six crises in total, twenty minor ones, ten major ones, and six life-threatening ones." Zhong Li replied with practiced ease, "I managed to get through all of them."

This... this nonchalant tone, inexplicably made one's heart ache. Xu Qi'an patted her shoulder again:

"You've worked hard, how's your writing going?"

"Not bad."

"Good, Sister Zhong, I'd like to ask a favor of you." Xu Qi'an said with a grin.

......

PS: This chapter is quite long, so the update was delayed by a few minutes. I didn't even have time to revise it, but luckily I have my trusty proofreaders to catch the bugs. It's such a blessing to have someone help me catch bugs every day. The previous chapters were revised thanks to the dedicated proofreaders.

I will dedicate an extra chapter to the proofreaders in the future.