Dusk, the setting sun in the west.

From the thieves' den, one after another member of the Houtu Gang emerged, totaling thirteen people, plus the members of the Tian Di Hui, making it sixteen in total.

"They finally came out!"

"It feels like a lifetime, I almost thought I was going to die in there... Unfortunately, the loot we got is limited."

The tomb robbers were excited, some sat on the ground as if they were exhausted, enjoying the joy of surviving the ordeal; others lightly examined the treasures brought out from the tomb, lamenting the low cost-effectiveness of this operation.

The members of the Tian Di Hui were heavy-hearted, with no smiles on their faces.

Heng Yuan gently placed Lina on the ground, looking blankly at the thieves' den, and said in a low voice, "I am not even as good as a woman."

He sat in silence for a few seconds, clasped his hands together, and wept bitterly.

The extent of his grief was even greater than when Heng Hui died in his arms.

Heng Yuan was afraid that he would be exposed in the future, and this was his greatest vulnerability in his state of mind... Chu Yuanzhen opened his mouth, intending to comfort him, but couldn't find the words.

He also needed some time to calm his grief.

Heng Yuan had received great kindness from Xu Qi'an, but at this critical moment, he "cowardly" escaped, and the impact of this incident on Heng Yuan was unimaginable.

Although he had not received Xu Qi'an's kindness, he regarded him as a friend with whom he could share his heart. Xu Qi'an died in the underground tomb, and he was deeply grieved.

This should not have happened... This should not have happened... He was a man with great fortune, and he should not have perished here... Taoist Master Jin Lian rarely showed a look of despair, in stark contrast to his usual lofty image.

Although he thought so in his heart, he also knew that a man with great fortune was not truly immortal, especially when it came to reaching a high level.

The loss of such a man with great fortune here was a sign that I would also perish... Taoist Master Jin Lian was lost in thought.

"Master!"

At this time, the sickly leader of the Houtu Gang walked over, looking even more haggard, with sunken eye sockets, weak qi and blood, and a pair of turbid eyes bursting with light.

"Please tell us the name of our benefactor. Although the Houtu Gang is a group of tomb robbers, we also understand the principle of repaying kindness."

"Our benefactor has passed away, and we can never repay him in this lifetime. We just want to erect a monument for him. From now on, all members of the Houtu Gang will worship him every day and never forget him."

Qian You's eyes were filled with tears as he wiped them, crying, "Please tell us the benefactor's name, Master."

"Please tell us the benefactor's name," the members of the Houtu Gang were excited.

"Xu Qi'an, his name is Xu Qi'an, and he was a Nightwatcher in the capital city's Nightwatcher Office." Taoist Master Jin Lian sighed and then told them how to write the name.

Xu Qi'an... the members of the Houtu Gang silently remembered this name.

At this moment, Taoist Master Jin Lian, Heng Yuan, and Chu Yuanzhen suddenly froze, as they caught the extremely faint sound of footsteps coming from the thieves' den.

There was a moment of silence, and then Heng Yuan grabbed Lina and threw her towards the members of the Houtu Gang, roaring in a low voice, "Go, run!"

Taoist Master Jin Lian and Chu Yuanzhen stepped back a distance, forming a "品" shape with Heng Yuan, facing the thieves' den.

The old Taoist said in a deep voice, "Leave quickly, go as far as you can, the monsters in the tomb... are coming out."

Heng Yuan was not afraid, but instead showed a relieved expression, speaking in a very relaxed tone, "Amitabha, this time, I won't run away again."

I haven't even participated in the struggle between heaven and man yet... Chu Yuanzhen muttered to himself, reaching behind him and gripping the sword that had never been drawn.

The faces of the members of the Houtu Gang turned pale, and they fled in terror.

For a moment, no one paid attention to the unconscious Lina.

These damn things... the sickly leader of the Houtu Gang cursed in his heart, enduring intense fear as he turned back, trying to take Lina away.

He grabbed Lina's hands, bent down to lift her onto his shoulder, and looked towards the thieves' den, praying that the terrifying Yin Corpse would not come out at this moment, and then... he saw a bald, round figure.

This bald figure walked out slowly, with a disheveled girl in a coarse cloth robe on its back, forming a stark contrast, making people unable to help but think:

Why not share some of the hair with him.

The sickly leader was stunned, maintaining his bent posture, still holding Lina's wrist, staring blankly at the man and woman who came out.

The three people facing the thieves' den were also as dumbfounded as him.

The scene fell into silence for a moment.

Chu Yuanzhen murmured, "Is it really him?"

"Fortune" has become even more profound, and the spell that blocked the heavenly secrets has failed? How did he escape from the hands of the stiff corpse... Various thoughts flashed through Taoist Master Jin Lian's mind, but he said rather awkwardly:

"It should be him."

At this moment, Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "Everyone is out, that's great."

As he spoke, he lifted Zhong Li's buttocks and lifted her up.

The narrow corridor could not provide the space needed for a princess carry, so he had to carry her on his back.

"Lord Xu..."

Bathed in the twilight sunlight, Heng Yuan felt that the world was so beautiful, good deeds are rewarded, and the Buddha's teachings are boundless.

He tried hard to control his emotions, clasping his hands together with a slight tremble, his eyes red, and reciting the Buddhist scriptures with his head bowed.

"Sir, sir... You're not dead, it's really great." Qian You, who had been cautious and afraid of death, saw Xu Qi'an coming out unscathed.

He was overjoyed and ran back.

Although this person was cautious and afraid of death, his character was still good.

"Sir, you have great fortune and great destiny, it's wonderful, it's really wonderful." The members of the Houtu Gang followed suit, their faces full of joy.

Xu Qi'an felt a little embarrassed by their praise, thinking to himself that if it weren't for the stimulation of his fortune, Shen Shu would not have awakened, and he might have really escaped at that time...The jade seal turned into white sand, and the energy penetrated into his body. At that time, Xu Qi'an felt something awakening in his body, which was the severed hand of Shen Shu. The originally dormant severed hand made Xu Qi'an feel its presence for the first time.

With confidence, he dared to stay behind. Otherwise, he could only pray to run faster than his teammates.

After all, when encountering a "bear," you are not competing with the bear, but with your teammates.

............

Outside the city, in a valley far from the southern mountains, Xu Qi'an took the water handed to him by Qian You.

He filled the water from the stream... and didn't know if it would give him diarrhea, full of bacteria... Xu Qi'an thought to himself, then drank it all in one gulp.

Exploring the ancient tomb took a whole day, and after the final battle with the boss, he needed to replenish his strength.

Lina was left on the side, sleeping soundly. Zhong Li sat alone by the stream, tending to her injuries.

The sorcerer system is not good at fighting, and their physique cannot compare to the martial arts system. Fortunately, every sorcerer is a master, a group of lifesavers.

Zhong Li could handle this minor injury herself, without affecting Xu Qi'an's boasting.

"At that time, I didn't think about anything, I just wanted everyone to leave quickly, and I would take on all the danger..." Xu Qi'an said, spitting as he spoke.

This deeply moved the members of the Houtu Gang, making them feel ashamed when they remembered their own cowardly behavior.

Privately, Xu Qi'an told Taoist Master Jin Lian and others through voice transmission: "The Supervisor left a backdoor in my body. As for what it is, I can't say."

The Supervisor actually left a backdoor in him... as I expected, Xu Ningyan is an important pawn of the Supervisor. Now it seems that the importance of this pawn is extraordinary.

Taoist Master Jin Lian nodded with sudden realization and relief.

No wonder, no wonder Miss Zhong Li of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters followed him... Chu Yuanzhen looked into the distance at Zhong Li's slender figure, showing a look of sudden realization.

In addition, he thought of more details, such as why the Supervisor appointed him as a representative to compete with the Buddhist sect. Also, why Taoist Master Jin Lian is so concerned and fond of Xu Qi'an.

And the details he showed when leading the way in the maze just now, all indicate that Xu Qi'an is not simple, and there are unimaginable secrets hidden behind him.

Interesting.

Heng Yuan's thoughts are relatively pure. In his view, Xu Ningyan is a good person, and as long as Xu Ningyan is not dead, the world is temporarily still beautiful.

"Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to practice the Indestructible Vajra, and it's a distant dream to reach the third rank." Heng Yuan sighed in his heart.

After boasting, Xu Qi'an's gaze shifted to the wild sorcerer in the Houtu Gang, a man in his fifties with white hair, wearing a dirty robe.

"How should I address this senior?"

"Don't call me 'senior.' My surname is Gongyang, and my name is Xu." The wild old sorcerer waved his hand.

"How did the senior discover this tomb?" Xu Qi'an asked.

According to Qian You, the sorcerer and deputy gang leader Gongyang Xu discovered this large tomb under the southern mountains.

This is very strange. This tomb has been buried there for thousands, no, tens of thousands of years. Why was it excavated at this time?

"I didn't discover that tomb, my teacher did. Most of the sorcerers in our system have almost no chance of promotion. Most of them stop at the fifth rank, as for the reason..."

Gongyang Xu shook his head. "The secrets of the system cannot be revealed."

It's just that you need to rely on the court. I knew that a long time ago... Xu Qi'an secretly sneered, didn't interrupt him, and continued to listen.

"People have to eat, and there are only a few ways to make a living. The most profitable business, hehe, is nothing more than robbing the dead. I traveled the world with my teacher since I was young, and every time we encountered a feng shui treasure, we would record it and dig it up in the future.

"If there's a tomb, we make a fortune, if not, we introduce it to the rich. This tomb was discovered by my teacher when he was young, so it was recorded. But my teacher was not keen on digging up tombs, saying that it goes against the will of heaven and will be condemned sooner or later.

"Who would have thought that this old thing would actually be right. If it weren't for the help of the benefactor, I'm afraid I would have slept underground forever."

I don't have the ability to judge whether what you said is true or false. As a sorcerer, divination is useless to you... The opportunity for this matter is the fifth, not me. I know that the existence of a member of the Heavenly Masters is rare, and it also has to meet a condition, which is to know the whereabouts of the fifth. This rules out the possibility of human arrangement... sigh, I'm almost getting post-traumatic stress disorder from the Supervisor.

Xu Qi'an sighed in his heart.

He then thought of the mysterious sorcerer he encountered in Yunzhou and couldn't help but curse: Sorcerers are all old bastards.

Hmm, high-level sorcerers.

Chu Caiwei, a woman with a not very bright mind, definitely chose the wrong system, as did Zhong Li.

This novel is available on "p𝑎wread.com".

But saying this is a bit disrespectful to Zhong Li, after all, although she is unlucky and pitiful, and lacks initiative, her intelligence is obviously a level higher than Caiwei's.

Gathering his thoughts, he pretended to be curious and asked, "Senior Gongyang, who is the founder of your system?"

Gongyang Xu looked at him steadily and shook his head. "I don't know."

That's a lie, the facial features are too obvious... Xu Qi'an pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Isn't it the First Generation Supervisor?"

Gongyang Xu remained calm and said, "The origin of the sorcerer is indeed the First Generation Supervisor, but as for the founder of my system, I don't know."

"It should be a faction that broke away from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters five hundred years ago." Xu Qi'an said casually.

Gongyang Xu's face changed drastically.

He opened his mouth, and his Adam's apple rolled. "Master Xu, may I have a word with you?"

I don't even have a hard drive, how can I lend you one? Xu Qi'an sneered in his heart, smiled and got up, walking down the stream.

Gongyang Xu silently followed.The soles of his feet stepped on the cobblestones, and he walked out for a hundred meters before Xu Qi'an stopped, because this distance ensured that their conversation would not be "overheard" by Taoist Master Jin Lian and others.

"Friends are friends, but I can't reveal the secrets of the warlock system to you unless you pay."

The footsteps behind him stopped, and Gongyang Su stared at Xu Qi'an, his face serious, and asked tentatively, "Young Master Xu, do you know anything else?"

"I also know that the reason the Martial Ancestor Emperor was able to successfully usurp the throne was because he formed an alliance with the Buddhist sect, and the Buddhist sect helped him kill the First Generation Supervisor," Xu Qi'an turned around and looked at him intently.

"...You even know about this. Who exactly are you? You have a prophet by your side and managed to escape from the hands of the ancient tomb's evil corpses," Gongyang Su said with a sneer and disdain in his eyes and expression, directed not at the Buddhist sect, but at the current Supervisor.

I guessed right. The Supervisor did indeed play a role in the past, which is why he has his current position... Xu Qi'an sighed, feeling very uncomfortable.

He didn't have a moral aversion, but he instinctively felt repulsed and couldn't accept this kind of act of killing one's master.

"So, the warlocks who are now wandering the world are all split off after the death of the First Generation Supervisor?" Xu Qi'an asked steadily without revealing any flaws in his expression.

"The warlocks who split off from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters back then were six factions, each being one of the First Generation Supervisor's six disciples. My ancestor was the Fourth Disciple of the First Generation Supervisor, with a rank of Fourth-Rank Formation Master," Gongyang Su replied.

Xu Qi'an hurriedly asked, "Do you still have contact with the other five warlock factions? How are they now?"

Gongyang Su shook his head, "They've all gone their separate ways. There's no contact anymore. Besides, why should we have contact and form a secret organization to resist the Bureau of Heavenly Masters?"

He sighed, "The warlock system needs to be attached to the royal court, especially as they reach higher ranks. This is also the reason why our six warlock factions have declined."

This doesn't make sense. The warlock I met in Yunzhou was definitely a high-ranking one, and he didn't belong to the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, and the six factions couldn't promote to higher ranks... There's a logical problem.

"I once met a high-ranking warlock in Yunzhou, at least a Celestial Mechanism Master. He wasn't a member of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters," Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice.

Gongyang Su was taken aback, frowning, "That shouldn't be."

Xu Qi'an pondered, "Is it possible that he joined a certain power, just like how the Bureau of Heavenly Masters is attached to The Great Feng?"

Gongyang Su pondered, "In that case, both the Buddhist sect and the God of Witchcraft are possible. As for the Southern and Northern Barbarians, you may not know, but they cannot gather Qi."

No, I know. Dean Zhao Shou told me...

Only the Buddhist sect and the God of Witchcraft... The warlock who helped me thwart the God of Witchcraft's conspiracy must have had ill intentions towards me, because I suspect that the warlock behind the tax case is this group of people. Of course, this speculation needs to be verified... But, regardless of whether he has good or bad intentions towards me, he and the God of Witchcraft are not on the same side.

So, only the Buddhist sect is left?!

I knew those bald donkeys from the west weren't good people... Careful, careful, it's still an assumption now, with no evidence... Hmm, but that doesn't stop me from dissing the bald donkeys. Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, realizing clearly the surging undercurrents between the major forces in the Nine Provinces.

"One last question I'd like to ask Senior Gongyang," Xu Qi'an said.

"You've saved my life, so as long as it's something this old man knows, I'll tell you everything I know," Gongyang Su nodded.

"Do you know that the Supervisor has blocked all information about the First Generation Supervisor?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Gongyang Su chuckled, "As expected, emperors throughout history have known how to modify history books."

Xu Qi'an sounded puzzled, "But the problem is, there are quite a few people who know about the existence of the First Generation Supervisor, such as you and me."

Gongyang Su pondered for a moment, then looked at the rushing stream and said, "Young Master Xu, what do you think it means to block the Celestial Mechanism?"

"To erase everything related to a certain person, or to block the special traits of a certain person?" Xu Qi'an gave an answer based on his understanding of the "404 Great Law."

Gongyang Su withdrew his gaze and looked at Xu Qi'an, "Then, what does it mean to erase everything related to a certain person?"

Before Xu Qi'an could answer, he lowered his head and drew a line on the ground with his toe, pointing to the mark and said, "Erasing this mark is simple, and no one can know that I drew a line here. But what if this line were to expand countless times, becoming a trench, or even a canyon?"

"Furthermore, if this canyon were to cut across the capital city?"

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized, "I understand. The First Generation Supervisor is this canyon, and even if the Celestial Mechanism has been blocked, its impact is too great and too conspicuous to completely erase the traces."

Gongyang Su nodded, and continued, "In addition, if the people closest to Young Master Xu, such as your parents, had their traces of existence erased, would you feel like you popped out of a rock? Would others think you popped out of a rock?"

"The spell to block the Celestial Mechanism also has to follow the rules of heaven and earth, the principles of the Great Dao. If it's the people closest to you, they will leave a vague concept in your mind, but won't remember the corresponding details."

So that's why. No wonder Wei Yuan said he kept forgetting about the existence of the First Generation Supervisor, only remembering when recalling information from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, that there was a First Generation Supervisor!

Xu Qi'an seemed to imply, "You really know a lot."Gongyang Su smiled without a hint of guilt: "It's not that I know much, it's that our lineage only knows so much. Since we've come this far, let me tell you some secrets of the sorcerer system.

"The first and second ranks of sorcerers are very mysterious; even my ancestor did not know the names of these two ranks, nor the corresponding techniques."

Xu Qi'an nodded slowly: "Thank you for the reminder."

After ending the conversation, Xu Qi'an walked slowly towards Zhong Li by the creek. She was cleaning her wounds and applying a brown ointment to her swollen and congested leg.

Only when the swelling in her leg had slightly subsided did she take out two prepared sticks and a strip of cloth, intending to set her own bones.

Suddenly, Xu Qi'an shouted loudly from behind her.

Startled, Zhong Li shivered, and one of the sticks slipped from her hand, floating away with the stream.

Xu Qi'an stood with his hands on his hips, watching with smug satisfaction.

"You........"

Zhong Li was somewhat angry, grinding her teeth and muttering: "I won't come back to find you next time."

"Alright, alright, what's there to regret about a broken stick. When we return to the capital, I'll get you a silver stick."

Xu Qi'an helped her up, shouldered his unlucky fifth junior sister, and called out: "Taoist priest, it's time to return to the capital."

In a moment, flying swords and paper cranes soared with the wind, shooting into the high sky and disappearing from sight.

With his back to the setting sun, Xu Qi'an held Zhong Li's pert buttocks in his hands and sang loudly.

Members of the Houtu Gang looked up, watching the departure of the lofty figures, their hearts and spirits shaken.

From afar, a singing voice carried: "The light of righteousness shines upon the great buttocks........."

............

In the afterglow of the setting sun, members of the Houtu Gang arrived at the gates of Xiang City, just a quarter of an hour before the gates were to be closed.

"Hurry up, hurry up, let's find an inn to rest. It'll be curfew if we're any later," the sickly gang leader urged his followers to quicken their pace.

Looking back, he noticed that Qian You had not kept up but was standing by the notice wall at the city gate, staring blankly at the official notice.

"Qian You, Qian You........ what are you dazing at? Is there a woman on the wall that's got you so rooted to the spot?" the sickly gang leader bellowed angrily.

Qian You turned around, his expression too complex for words, and stammered: "Leader, come here for a moment........."

The sickly gang leader stormed over, cursing: "If there's no woman on that wall, I'll strip you naked and paste you on it."

While cursing, he followed Qian You's gaze to the notice on the wall.

Then, both of them stood frozen by the wall.

"Leader, what's wrong with you two?"

Seeing this, the other members came over, wondering if there was a stunning beauty on the wall that had captivated them.

Upon closer inspection, they saw an official notice posted on the wall:

In the year of Xin Chou, on the 18th day of the third month, the Buddhist delegation arrived in the capital, wishing to compete in magic with the Bureau of Heavenly Masters. The Nightwatcher Xu Qi'an fought, breaking the magic formation, slaying the golden body, discerning Buddhist doctrine......... He defeated the Buddhists and upheld the might of The Great Feng.

Qian You stuttered: "I, I remember the benefactor's name, isn't it Xu Qi'an?"

"Gulp!" A member of the Houtu Gang swallowed hard.

"Gulp......."

The sound of swallowing saliva echoed one after another.

Representing the Bureau of Heavenly Masters in the magical duel, defeating the Buddhists......... Gongyang Su's pupils contracted sharply, sensing that the young man surnamed Xu was no ordinary person.

But he had not expected the other to be such a figure.

The sickly gang leader murmured: "I was wrong, so wrong...

"I naively thought he was the lowest-ranked warrior, but in reality, he is the true personage of importance. Breaking the magic formation, slaying the golden body, discerning Buddhist doctrine........ Truly a divine being."

..............

PS: Today should be the earliest update time. Every time I see everyone saying: redefine five o'clock.

I feel ashamed.

But today, I stand with hands on hips and say: please redefine five o'clock.

This chapter is long and hard, don't forget to cast your monthly votes. And of course, don't forget to subscribe to the official version and correct any typos, love you all~