A little friend is in trouble... is it Number Five, or another junior that Taoist Master Jin Lian knows?

Xu Qi'an made a puzzled expression. "Where is that junior of the Taoist Master? Do I need to mobilize the court's forces?"

Taoist Master Jin Lian shook his head. "She's in Xiangzhou."

Xiangzhou was about four hundred kilometers south of the capital... not too close, but not too far. Xu Qi'an frowned. "Taoist Master, I have a duty at the yamen, but I need to ask for leave first, as the journey is long."

Taoist Master Jin Lian nodded. "You can have someone from the mansion request leave for you tomorrow. We'll set off tonight and make good time... Oh, what about the fortune teller?"

"If you want to find someone, you need the help of a diviner."

"She's at the Bureau of Heavenly Masters..." Xu Qi'an let out a breath and said jokingly, "Alright, I'll go to her family's house and bring her here."

This diviner must be a woman... both Number Six, Heng Yuan, and Number Four, Chu Yuanzhen, thought to themselves.

The three of them waited inside, while Xu Qi'an brought a young mare from the backyard and rode it to the Bureau of Heavenly Masters.

The lights at the Bureau of Heavenly Masters were on all night. Xu Qi'an entered the main hall on the first floor and asked the alchemists who were working hard, "Which senior brother can go and inform Senior Sister Zhong Li that I'm looking for her?"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. The alchemists exchanged glances and then said, "Senior Sister Zhong Li is on the underground level. Please wait a moment..."

A man in white entered and, a few seconds later, a loud shout came from inside, "Senior Sister Zhong Li, Master Xu is here to see you."

With that, the sorcerer hurriedly ran out, as if there were a big bug chasing after him.

In the main hall, the other white-clad figures dropped their work and rushed towards the stairs. In an instant, the main hall was quiet, with no one else except Xu Qi'an.

After a few minutes, Zhong Li came out, with her hair disheveled, wearing a coarse robe, and looking down.

A very standard appearance of a grieving woman.

"I need to leave the capital to take care of something, and I'll be back soon. I need your help." Xu Qi'an was straightforward and didn't beat around the bush.

"Okay." Zhong Li nodded succinctly, like a good tool.

The two of them left the Bureau of Heavenly Masters side by side, with Xu Qi'an riding the horse and Zhong Li walking. Her speed was not slower than that of the young mare.

Before long, they returned to the Xu mansion and met up with Taoist Master Jin Lian and the other two members of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters.

Chu Yuanzhen said, "It's not suitable to fly within the inner city. Let's go to the outer city. Brother Xu, please take us out of the city."

If it were just him, flying within the inner city would be fine. The experts in the city would not interfere or attack out of respect for the Bureau of Heavenly Masters. However, with more people, it would be troublesome.

So Xu Qi'an led the three of them out of the mansion. With Xu Qi'an leading the way, whether it was the Nightwatchers or the Imperial Guards, they only conducted routine inquiries and did not obstruct them.

On the way, Taoist Master Jin Lian looked at Xu Qi'an and said in a deep voice, "Number Five has gone missing."

Chu Yuanzhen immediately looked at Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an was puzzled. "Taoist Master, what are you talking about? Oh, why aren't you attached to the cat today, Taoist Master?"

Taoist Master Jin Lian remained calm. "Number Five is the sequence number of the holder of the fragment of the Earth Book. You should be clear about this. It was thanks to you that Heng Yuan was saved that day. Oh, what's wrong with the cat?"

Xu Qi'an said, "Oh," and then, "It's nothing. I remembered it wrong."

Taoist Master Jin Lian nodded in satisfaction.

Xu Qi'an also nodded in satisfaction.

Chu Yuanzhen looked at the two of them first, then at Heng Yuan, and smiled. "Is this the Heng Yuan Master who was saved during the Sangbo case?"

Heng Yuan clasped his hands together. "I was greatly indebted to Master Xu back then."

Heng Yuan was indeed involved in the Sangbo case. He had said in the fragment of the Earth Book that it was all thanks to Xu Qi'an that he was able to escape from the Nightwatcher's yamen... Now it seems that there is more to this matter. Taoist Master Jin Lian contacted Xu Qi'an through Number Three, which means that Xu Qi'an knows about the Bureau of Heavenly Masters and the fragment of the Earth Book.

With this, I am more certain of a speculation: Taoist Master Jin Lian gave the fragment of the Earth Book to Xu Xinnian, a student of the Yunlu Academy, but he actually wanted both of them.

Chu Yuanzhen smiled but said nothing.

When they arrived at the outer city, Chu Yuanzhen patted his back, and the sword of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, along with its scabbard, flew out and hung in mid-air.

Taoist Master Jin Lian took out a paper crane from his pocket and gently tossed it. The paper crane instantly turned into a seven-foot-long bird, flapping its wings and circling.

"I'll go with you, Taoist Master!" Xu Qi'an hurriedly said.

This fool knows how to choose. Chu Yuanzhen is standing, while Taoist Master Jin Lian is sitting.

Heng Yuan and Chu Yuanzhen leaped onto the sword scabbard and flew away with a "whoosh."

After Xu Qi'an and Taoist Master Jin Lian sat on the white crane, they realized that there was no seat for Zhong Li.

"Do sorcerers know how to fly?" Xu Qi'an asked the "grieving woman" below.

"No, only a fourth-grade teleportation array can perform such a feat," Zhong Li shook her head.

Xu Qi'an looked around and then at his own thigh, suggesting, "Sit on my saddle."

"It's okay!" Taoist Master Jin Lian took off a wooden hairpin and threw it to Zhong Li.

Zhong Li held the wooden hairpin and, following its lead, soared into the sky with a "whoosh," closely following Chu Yuanzhen's flying sword.

Taoist Master, you're taking a narrow path... Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

The white crane flapped its wings and flew.

...

The flying sword, paper crane, and wooden hairpin flew higher and higher, and gradually, the scenery on the ground began to blur.

Phew... the clouds parted, and the sword and crane broke through the clouds.

The night sky was a clear blue, with a crescent moon hanging in the sky, and the sea of clouds below was motionless.

The world suddenly became silent.

"We've entered the stratosphere," Xu Qi'an transmitted his voice.

The strong wind made it hard for him to open his eyes. If he spoke, his voice would be immediately torn apart by the strong wind, so communication could only be done through voice transmission.Taoist Master Jin Lian also closed his eyes and used his divine sense in place of his eyes. After receiving Xu Qi'an's message, he was surprised and said, "Stratosphere?"

"I just made that up. Taoist Master, tell me about the situation with Number Five," Xu Qi'an messaged.

"After the internal communication of the Tian Di Hui ended last time, there was no response from Number Five. At that time, I could still sense the location of the fragment of the Earth Book in Xiangzhou. The next day, I suddenly lost the sense of the fragment," Taoist Master Jin Lian said in a deep voice.

"Did Number Five encounter the demonic path of the Earth Sect?" Xu Qi'an's face changed slightly as he made a guess.

"That's a possibility," Taoist Master Jin Lian nodded.

So, that's why you invited me, Heng Yuan, and Chu Yuanzhen to act together... Taoist Master's will to survive is quite strong, Xu Qi'an nodded and evaluated their own combat power.

Chu Yuanzhen, who appeared to be in the martial arts system but actually practiced the swordsmanship of the Renzong Sect, should have a combat power of at least the fourth rank, even if not higher.

Heng Yuan, who appeared to be in the Buddhist system but was actually the sixth member of the martial arts system, was difficult to judge, as they had not fought before. Heng Yuan also had very little combat experience.

Then there was Taoist Master Jin Lian. I remember that he was chased by the fourth-ranked Purple Lotus back then, and he fled all the way into the capital. Taoist Master Jin Lian's strength level should not be weaker than the fourth rank.

The reason is that he was not injured by the Purple Lotus, but by the demonic Earth Sect leader. Even so, he was still able to escape from the pursuit of the fourth-ranked Purple Lotus.

If they encountered the demonic path of the Earth Sect, then, below the third rank, our side is as stable as an old dog... Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

An hour later, Taoist Master Jin Lian messaged everyone, "We've arrived. The area within a hundred miles below us should be where Number Five disappeared. I still haven't sensed the fragment of the Earth Book."

The group descended from the clouds and dove towards the ground.

The ground went from blurry to clear, and Xu Qi'an saw the outline of a large city to the east, with many villages and towns scattered around the city as its core.

The four of them landed in a mountain forest, and Taoist Master Jin Lian and Chu Yuanzhen sat cross-legged to restore their energy.

Heng Yuan guarded them, while Xu Qi'an wandered alone in the mountain forest and caught two wild chickens and a deer.

Returning to the meditation area, Xu Qi'an asked, "Did anyone bring a pot?"

"I did," Chu Yuanzhen opened his eyes and was about to get up to go to the nearby woods to get the iron pot. But then he thought that since Xu Qi'an already knew about the fragment of the Earth Book, there was no need to hide it.

So he took out the fragment of the Earth Book and the iron pot, and the four of them made two bonfires, one for stew and one for barbecue.

Regardless of the system, energy needed to be replenished after consumption. The body cannot generate energy out of thin air.

"I also have some wine..." Chu Yuanzhen took out two jars of wine and explained, "When traveling around, two things must be brought along. One, pots and pans. Two, toilet paper."

Xu Qi'an raised the porcelain bottle and raised his eyebrows, saying, "Now there's a third thing: chicken essence."

Chu Yuanzhen immediately nodded in agreement.

Xu Ningyan is a clever person, interesting!

Chu Yuanzhen showed no flaws, but I can't give up. I must find a way to make him die of shame.

The two smiled at each other.

After eating and drinking, Taoist Master Jin Lian casually picked up a dry branch and tied up his white hair. Then, his expression suddenly stiffened.

"What about the prophet?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an's face immediately stiffened. Oh, where's Zhong Li?

"I remember when we landed, she was still by my side, but then, I don't know how I forgot about her..." Xu Qi'an's face turned pale.

"She should be nearby. Let's all look for her together, and be careful. This is more urgent than saving Number Five. Number Five might be fine, but if the prophet's words are true, then..." Taoist Master Jin Lian said in a deep voice.

Heng Yuan, who did not understand the system of the sorcerer, asked, "Then what?"

Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice, "Then it's over."

Taoist Master Jin Lian nodded silently.

The four quickly spread out, and after a quarter of an hour, Xu Qi'an found Zhong Li. When she landed, she fell into a deep pit. Then this woman just squatted in the pit and didn't move.

It wasn't until Xu Qi'an found her and heard his voice that Zhong Li climbed out.

By the bonfire, Zhong Li sat on the ground, hugging her knees and facing away from everyone, her shoulders thin and her back lonely.

"I really didn't mean to forget about you. Don't be mad, okay?" Xu Qi'an apologized and explained, "I just, I just... accidentally forgot."

Zhong Li sat there hugging her knees, ignoring him.

Chu Yuanzhen clicked his tongue and smiled as he watched the scene.

Master Heng Yuan put his hands together and asked, "There's no danger around. Why doesn't Miss Zhong come out on her own?"

"There's no danger to you," Zhong Li said in a low voice. "Based on my past experience, in such situations, staying in place and waiting for rescue is the safest way."

"If I come out, I will encounter all kinds of crises, perhaps meteorites falling from the sky, or encountering passing demons, evil cultivators, and so on."

Misfortune cannot be fathomed, nor can it be divined. It can happen at any time, just like..."

Before she could finish speaking, the bonfire suddenly crackled and a string of sparks splashed, igniting Zhong Li's hair.

"Be careful!"

Heng Yuan's face changed slightly, and he instinctively picked up the scalding meat soup and poured it towards Zhong Li.

At that moment, Xu Qi'an stood in front of Zhong Li, waving his energy to sweep away all the scalding meat soup.

Zhong Li hugged Xu Qi'an's thigh, trembling.

Chu Yuanzhen stared in amazement.

The scene suddenly fell silent.

In the silent atmosphere, Master Heng Yuan put his hands together and said compassionately, "Miss Zhong, even if there are ten thousand Buddha lamps in the world, they cannot illuminate the darkness around you. Amitabha."

Taoist Master Jin Lian and Chu Yuanzhen also put their hands together and said compassionately, "Amitabha.""Daoist master, why are you chanting Buddhist sutras..." Although Zhong Li is in a pitiful state, I can't help but want to laugh... Xu Qi'an complained inwardly.

Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original.

He reached out and gently patted Zhong Li's head to comfort her.

"Just now, when we were landing, I noticed there's something off with the feng shui nearby. At the base of the mountains to the south, there's a large tomb," Zhong Li whispered.

...

PS: Today's update is 10,400 characters, feeling great. Asking for monthly votes at the beginning of the month.