The sun was high in the sky, and the banquet was reaching its climax. After Xu Qi'an toasted another round, he excused himself from the table and returned to his study to contemplate how to deal with the envoy from the Western Buddhist Sect.

Zhong Li sat at a square table, eating her meal with her head down, taking small bites.

Based on the research he had done during this period, Xu Qi'an believed that the envoy from the Western Buddhist Sect had two main purposes for visiting the capital.

The primary purpose, of course, was to understand the details of the Sangbo case, which was also their main objective for this trip.

"I wonder if these bald donkeys are just here to gather information or if they plan to stay in the capital and investigate the whereabouts of Shen Shu and the others... Well, I guess they'll have to figure out the situation before making a conclusion," Xu Qi'an said as he twirled his brush in his hand.

The secondary purpose should be to demand justice.

The relationship between the Buddhist Sect and The Great Feng was complicated, appearing as friendly allies on the surface but harboring hidden intentions.

For example, in the battle of Shanhaiguan, the Western Buddhist Sect and The Great Feng were allies and belonged to the victorious side, while the Southern Frontier and the Northern Region were the defeated side.

However, after experiencing the dream of resurrection, Xu Qi'an discovered that the battle of Shanhaiguan was not as simple as recorded in history books, as the God of Witchcraft from the Northeast also participated.

"The Southern Frontier barbarians, the Northern Region barbarians, the Northern Region demon tribes, the Northeast God of Witchcraft... If we add the remnants of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, the defeated side's camp becomes quite large."

"In other words, how strong was The Great Feng back then? How strong is the Western Buddhist Sect? How skilled is Wei Yuan in leading troops? It's terrifying to think about."

But this alliance is not reliable. In the past twenty years, the Northern Region and the Southern Frontier have repeatedly violated The Great Feng's borders, and the court has requested assistance from the Western Buddhist Sect multiple times, but they turned a blind eye.

Not to mention the Northern Region, even the Southern Frontier, which now has half of its territory under the control of the Buddhist Sect, the former territory of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom.

If the Buddhist Sect truly considered the alliance, they could have sent troops to steal the crystals. Would the Southern Frontier barbarians dare to attack the border?

Of course, The Great Feng is not a good entity either. In the past, the Yunlu Academy played a leading role in the extermination of the Buddhist Sect. Recently, Shen Shu has escaped, and the Bureau of Heavenly Masters' leader pretended to be sick.

"The demand for justice has nothing to do with me. I am just a humble Nightwatcher. The court officials and Emperor Yuan Jing himself should be the ones worrying about it. I don't know if the leader of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters will take action, but this old coin probably won't."

"As the organizer of the Sangbo case, I will most likely come into contact with the Buddhist monks... Just to be safe, I should go see the leader of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters."

"In addition, the arrival of this envoy is both a crisis and an opportunity. The identity of Shen Shu and the others is best known by the people of the Buddhist Sect. I can take this opportunity to indirectly gather more information and give Shen Shu and the others an explanation."

A bold plan formed in Xu Qi'an's mind.

"Zhong Li, let's go."

Immediately, they changed into the uniform of the Nightwatcher, put on their fur hats, and left the Xu residence.

Riding on a small mare that never got stuck in traffic, they quickly arrived at the Bureau of Heavenly Masters. Xu Qi'an tied the mare to the side of the steps and climbed the stairs alongside Zhong Li.

Just as they finished climbing the stone steps and entered the first-floor hall, their eyes caught sight of the back of a white-robed sorcerer, who was reciting in a powerful and resounding voice:

"Holding the bright moon, plucking the stars..."

"No one in the world is like me," Xu Qi'an interrupted.

... Yang Qianhuan paused for a moment, then started again, saying slowly, "Holding the bright moon, plucking the stars..."

"No one in the world is like me," Xu Qi'an interrupted again, then said, "Senior Brother Yang, we need to see the leader of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters. Please move aside."

Yang Qianhuan remained silent for a long time before saying, "I came here for this matter. My teacher asked me to inform you."

"The leader of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters knows that I am coming?" Xu Qi'an nodded and said, "Please go on."

Yang Qianhuan clenched his fists and said angrily, "Get lost!!!"

...

While patting his ears, Xu Qi'an untied the reins of the mare and complained, "Does the Bureau of Heavenly Masters also have Buddhist lion's roar? What if I get tinnitus? Will I go deaf?"

After saying that, he saw Zhong Li silently gesturing in sign language: "I'm deaf, I need to go back and take medicine, otherwise my ears will be useless."

"..."

Xu Qi'an pointed to his ears and then pointed to himself, meaning, "Did I cause this to you?"

Zhong Li shook her head (helplessly, indicating that she didn't want to waste time talking to Xu Qi'an).

Xu Qi'an nodded, realizing that this was another calamity for Zhong Li, and he himself was affected by the other party.

If the leader of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters doesn't see me, it means that the effect of blocking the heavenly secrets should be enough to deal with the high monks of the Buddhist Sect... Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief after getting the answer he wanted.

After waiting downstairs for a while, Zhong Li returned after taking the medicine.

"Is your ear better now?"

Zhong Li nodded, "Mm."

The two of them immediately went to the Nightwatcher's office in the Bureau of Heavenly Masters and went straight to Minshan's Jinyutang. Min Yinluo, a burly man with a scar on his cheek, asked in a displeased tone, "Your Yidao Hall has been repaired. Why are you here?"

Yidao Hall was Xu Qi'an's "office," a name he came up with himself, meaning "No one can stop me with a single strike."

"Is there anything happening in the capital today?" Xu Qi'an asked casually.

"You've heard about it too?"

Minshan sneered, "The envoy from the Western Buddhist Sect has arrived. It is said that when their procession was within ten li, the Buddhist light soared into the sky. Many soldiers guarding the city have witnessed it."

"After entering the city, the people in the city went crazy and shouted for the holy monk. When it comes to methods of bewitching people, the Buddhist Sect is the strongest."

This should be the ability of a seventh-grade mage. I remember reading in the archives that when a seventh-grade mage gives a sermon, the people who hear it will have a great awakening and enter the Buddhist path... Xu Qi'an pretended to be puzzled.

"Why did the envoy from the Buddhist Sect come to the capital?"

"Who knows?"Minshan didn't know that the seal in the Sangbo case was actually the monk Shen Shu from the Buddhist sect. He also didn't know the relationship between them.

.........

The cargo ship slowly docked at the pier, and dozens of Nightwatchers stood on the deck of a three-masted sailboat.

Yang Yan and Jiang Lvzhong, leading a group of Nightwatchers, left the official ship. They looked at the long-lost capital with great excitement.

Especially for Jiang Lvzhong and Zhang Xunfu's vanguard team, they had been away from the capital for more than two months. They left in the middle of winter and returned when the willows were sprouting and everything was blooming.

Li Yuchun waved and called Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, saying in a deep voice, "After the debriefing, let's pay tribute to Ning Yan."

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao nodded, their expressions heavy.

It had been over a month since Xu Ningyan's death in battle. The overwhelming sadness at that time had now settled in their hearts, becoming colleagues and subordinates they would always remember.

Years later, when recalling the carefree young man, there might still be a faint sadness and regret in their hearts.

Yang Yan, who was walking in front, turned around. His face was expressionless, but his voice was low. "I'll go too."

Zhang Xunfu sighed, "I have to meet the Emperor, so I won't go with you. Tomorrow, I will personally pay my respects with my wife and children."

He had a lot of things to do, and he definitely wouldn't have time tomorrow to visit Xu Ningyan's grave.

This group of people had been drifting on the water since leaving Qingzhou, and they couldn't receive any imperial edicts from the court. Therefore, they didn't know about Xu Qi'an's resurrection.

Not only did Xu Qi'an come back to life, but he also solved a palace murder case.

Soon, they arrived at the Nightwatcher yamen.

..........

On the other side, Xu Qi'an and Zhong Li left the Jinyu Hall. They were about to visit Xu Qi'an's hall when Zhong Li suddenly noticed that Xu Qi'an had stopped in his tracks.

She glanced at Xu Qi'an and followed his gaze to the entrance of the yamen. There, a group of dusty Nightwatchers crossed the threshold... and froze in place.

They were like statues.

"Who is this person? Why does he look so similar to Xu Ningyan..."

"Do we have such a person named Tongluo in our yamen..."

"Am I seeing things? I seem to have seen Xu Ningyan, no, Xu Ningyan doesn't look this handsome..."

"Is he a brother? But Xu Ningyan doesn't have any brothers..."

One question after another appeared in the minds of the returning Nightwatchers.

They were most afraid of the sudden silence, most afraid of memories suddenly rolling and causing unbearable pain, most afraid of suddenly seeing your figure... Xu Qi'an felt that these lyrics perfectly matched their current state of mind.

He raised an awkward but polite smile and said, "Hello, everyone. My name is Xu Qian."

There would be a day of reunion sooner or later, but in Xu Qi'an's mind, the correct way to open it should be:

After Yang Yan and the others returned to the capital, they would learn about Xu Qi'an's resurrection from their colleagues at the yamen. They would be extremely surprised and then rush over like unleashed wild dogs, embracing him and crying.

This awkward reunion was something he hadn't expected.

It must be Zhong Li who brought me bad luck.

Li Yuchun stared at Xu Qi'an, using all his strength to tremble as he spoke, "You, you are Xu Ningyan?"

The others didn't speak, silently watching him, holding their breath.

"It's me, I didn't die." Xu Qi'an smiled.

After hearing his answer, there was silence for more than ten seconds. Suddenly, Song Tingfeng shouted and rushed into Xu Qi'an's arms, embracing him tightly.

"Why didn't you die? You were clearly dead."

"What happened to your appearance? How did you come back to life? Tell us."

"I'm alive, really alive... and warm."

The Nightwatchers surrounded Xu Qi'an, speaking excitedly to each other.

"We'll explain this later, explain later..."

Xu Qi'an pushed away Song Tingfeng and the others, smiling as he pointed to the silver gong emblem on his chest, saying to Li Yuchun, "Boss, I've become a Silver Gong."

Li Yuchun crossed his arms and pretended to be calm, nodding. "Not bad, it wasn't in vain that I cultivated you."

Xu Qi'an waved his hand and said, "Zhong Li, come here, let me introduce you to my boss."

Only then did Li Yuchun notice Zhong Li...

Her hair was dry and messy, her coarse robe wrinkled, and her embroidered shoes hadn't been washed for a long time. Her face couldn't be seen... Li Yuchun felt a cold snake crawling over his back, and his scalp went numb.

He showed a look of horror, repeatedly stepping back, pointing at Zhong Li and roaring, "Whose girl is this, whose girl is this!!!"

"Zhong Li, go to my Yidao Hall, turn right in front." Xu Qi'an quickly sent Fifth Senior Sister away.

"Oh!"

With her head lowered, Zhong Li walked away with a grievance.

Li Yuchun felt relieved, and the goosebumps on his arms slowly disappeared.

Next, Xu Qi'an explained in detail the process of his death and resurrection to everyone.

"The Rebirth Pill, which can shed the old body and gain a new one? I heard that His Majesty used to ask the Monastic Supervisor for it, but the Monastic Supervisor didn't give it... Is Chu Caiwei your sweetheart, kid?" Jiang Lvzhong exclaimed.

After hearing his explanation, some of the Nightwatchers who didn't know about the Rebirth Pill suddenly realized.

As the emotions of their colleagues gradually stabilized, Xu Qi'an put his arm around Song Tingfeng's shoulder and said, "Let's go to the Official Brothel Sector tonight."

But Song Tingfeng shook his head and said, "I won't go to the Official Brothel Sector anymore."

He glanced at Xu Qi'an and said firmly, "I am no longer the person I used to be. The current Song Tingfeng will be someone who is determined to make progress and practice diligently."

"Ning Yan, you will change, and I will change too. You can't look at me with your old perspective."Xu Qi'an looked at him in surprise. Indeed, Song Tingfeng had become much more composed and resolute in the month following his death.

Li Yuchun praised, "Tingfeng, you've changed the most on this trip to Yunzhou. I'm very pleased."

Song Tingfeng responded with a calm smile.

Xu Qi'an clapped his hands, looked around at everyone, and said, "After everyone has reported, let's go to the Official Brothel Sector for drinks tonight. It's on me."

With that, Xu Qi'an put his arm around Zhu Guangxiao's shoulder and said, "I still owe you five visits to the Official Brothel Sector. I've made a written promise."

His colleagues were overjoyed.

Song Tingfeng swallowed, "Qi'an, my name is also in the written promise... Tonight, I want to go to the Official Brothel Sector for drinks too."

"You can't go."

Xu Qi'an's face turned serious, and he said righteously, "You're not the old Song Tingfeng anymore. Let Guangxiao and I handle the drinking and merrymaking. You are the ambitious Song Tingfeng."

...........

The lodging place for the Buddhist delegation was the Sanyang Post Station in the west city, which was also the largest post station outside the city. The courtyard was planted with three hundred-year-old willows, hence the name.

A post soldier walked out of the main gate, looked around, and silently entered a small alley.

In the alley, a young man dressed as a Nightwatcher was standing, with one hand on his knife, leaning against the wall, and twirling a piece of broken silver in his hand, waiting for a long time.

"Sir, this is the list of the Western Regions delegation. The leader's Dharma name is 'Du'e'."

The post soldier handed over the list, his eyes swept over the broken silver, and said, "Master Du'e has just been summoned into the palace and is not at the post station."

"Well done."

Xu Qi'an flicked his finger, and the broken silver flew out in an arc, caught steadily by the post soldier, who was all smiles, "Thank you, sir."

After sending away the post soldier, Xu Qi'an quickly took off his Nightwatcher uniform, then took out a monk's robe from the ground and put it on.

He touched his shaved head, gritted his teeth, and comforted himself:

It can grow back.

A few minutes later, a handsome and masculine monk walked out of the alley, his robe swaying.

Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original.

At the entrance of the post station, the gate was guarded not by post soldiers, but by two young monks.

"Brother, how should we address you?"

The two young monks came up and blocked the way.

Xu Qi'an put his hands together and chanted his Dharma name, "Amitabha, I am Heng Yuan from the Orient Loong God Temple. I heard that our fellow monks have come from the Western Regions, so I came to pay my respects."

Heng Yuan from the Orient Loong God Temple... The two monks were not easy to fool. They looked at Xu Qi'an and asked, "Brother Heng Yuan, have you not kept your precepts?"

"I am a martial monk," Xu Qi'an said with a tone of 'our secrets are known to our own people'.

The two monks suddenly realized, and their tone immediately became polite, "Brother Heng Yuan, please come in!"

........

PS: Update first, revise later. Thanks to "Harry Potter yy" for the alliance leader's reward.