219: Night watch

"This is the correct way to make money..." Xu Sanyan walked down the street, head lowered in thought. Through his chat with the Old Ghost, he could discern one underlying meaning: he could not use force.

With the yamen around, he certainly could not forcefully drag people in to take the fall; he could not commit illegal acts. It was common knowledge that Xu Sanyan was a law-abiding citizen who never crossed the red line of the law.

But he could use the "Purple Mountain Heart Planting Art," combined with some verbal techniques...

The gloomy sky was filled with thick fog, hiding the sun. Only a sliver of light managed to pierce through the mist to illuminate the earth.

Suddenly feeling hungry, he bought another steamed bun. While eating, he scanned his surroundings, searching for the next victim... or rather, the next person of destiny.

...

Meanwhile, in Moyang City.

Fang Qingge glanced at Junior Sister Yu, who was clinging to his left arm, then turned his head to look at Princess Lu WanZhe, who was holding his right arm. Finally, he looked ahead and gave an awkward smile.

"Qingwei, you're awake?"

Luo Qingwei shook her dizzy head and said in a slurred voice, "How long was I out?"

"Two and a half days."

Seeing his sister wake up, Luo Changtian breathed a sigh of relief. He had woken up yesterday and had been guarding his sister ever since.

"What happened to Xu Sanyan?" Luo Qingwei asked.

Fang Qingge shook his head. "He left. I couldn't keep him."

Although she had expected it, Luo Qingwei still found it hard to believe. She knew Fang Qingge's strength well.

Adding Net Intent, whose strength was not inferior to Fang Qingge's, along with Mo Qianqian and herself, the four of them combined could not stop Xu Sanyan. To think there was such a person among the younger generation.

"What is his background? Why have I never heard of him before?" Luo Changtian asked.

"I don't know. I hadn't heard of him before either. I only know that he was the champion at the recent Saint Sect Saint Ceremony."

As Fang Qingge spoke, he tentatively tried to pull his arm away, but Junior Sister Yu twitched her nose and hugged tighter.

Behind them, Junior Sister Zhao sighed; there was no room left for her to make a move.

Luo Qingwei shook her head. She didn't bother competing for attention with Junior Sister Yu and Princess Lu WanZhe. Instead, her gaze paused. After scanning the area, she frowned slightly.

"Why... are there so few people?"

Before she fell unconscious, there had been thirty or forty people from the Qidao Sect of Yong Mountain, plus the group from the Siyuan Sect, totaling eighty or ninety. But looking now, there were fewer than fifty left.

Luo Changtian sighed and pointed to the residence standing in the middle of the street. "They all went in there."

Luo Qingwei was stunned. She only just noticed the house there. "Why is this house built here? And..."

As she spoke, she used her thumb and forefinger to gesture. "Why is it so small?"

It was actually a normal size, but compared to the massive pavilions on either side, it appeared somewhat small.

Fang Qingge looked at the distance between her fingers and, perhaps associating it with something else, instinctively sucked in his stomach.

"I don't know. It appeared suddenly. Everyone who went inside hasn't come out. Now that you're awake, we'll go in and investigate together in a moment."

"Mm, once I recover my magical power."

Luo Qingwei shifted her gaze, glanced at the two women beside Fang Qingge, and silently turned her head away.

Fang Qingge felt even more awkward. He sighed inwardly, 'Second brother, oh second brother, your older brother has suffered quite a bit for you...'

...

Xu Sanyan walked down the street, gripping a Spirit Stone in each hand to absorb them. Before long, the Spirit Stones turned to powder and scattered on the ground.

"That should be about enough..."

With a flicker of his mind, the interface appeared before his eyes.

[Xu Sanyan]

[Age — 21 / 462]

[Realm — Mi Dao Realm (Mid-stage)]

[Cultivation Technique — "Duo Dao Qi Yuan Scripture" (Perfection)]

[Techniques — "Subduing the Mind Monkey Art" (Mid-stage), "Soaring Wind Manipulation Technique" (Perfection). "Soul Condensation Technique" (Perfection). "Lu Family Refining Spirit Strength" (Perfection). "Purple Mountain Heart Planting Art" (Perfection)...]

[Skills — Perfect Stance (Perfection). Three Tigers Subduing Dragon Saber (Perfection). Horse Appraisal Technique (Perfection)...]

[Qi — 624]

The plus sign behind "Subduing the Mind Monkey Art" had appeared, proving it could be upgraded.

Xu Sanyan walked to a secluded spot and thought to himself.

"Upgrade!"

The "Qi" was consumed like flowing water.

In an instant, a "rumbling" sound echoed deep within his consciousness, as if the God of Thunder had raged and sent down ten thousand bolts of lightning.

Xu Sanyan's slightly open eyes lost focus, and his mind fell into a trance. The chaotic thoughts in his brain were struck by the heavenly thunder and turned into dust.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the thoughts that had been flickering like stars in the sky faded away. His constantly running brain finally found a moment of respite.

He had never felt so relaxed. It was as if the ten-thousand-pound shackles tightly wrapped around his Divine Soul had all fallen away, and he felt a deep sense of relaxation and freedom from the depths of his Soul.

This feeling was even more refreshing than "that moment."

But most importantly, he could clearly perceive the thoughts in his heart, no longer disturbed by chaotic ideas, and completely eliminated the intrusion of the Heart Demon.

"The tide signals come upon the Qiantang River; only today do I know that I am me..."

Xu Sanyan slowly opened his eyes. The sharp light in his gaze was much more restrained, no longer as aggressive as before.

In terms of temperament, he had lost some of his agitation and gained a sense of calm.

Reflecting silently, many things from the Jade Slip that he hadn't understood before now had new insights.

"As expected of a secret technique of the Yaotian Holy Sect, truly remarkable!"

Xu Sanyan was excited. Successfully cultivating this technique had saved him at least several decades of time.

Immediately, he sensed his Meridians bulging and the magical power in his Qi Sea surging; even his cultivation had improved slightly.

He didn't need his cultivation to advance, though. In a few days, after saving up enough "Qi," he could reach Perfection in the Mi Dao Realm, and then he could...

His gaze swept over his Storage Pouch, and he smiled slightly.

The girl inside the ruler was confused. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

He looked up at the sky. It had grown even gloomier. It seemed that nightfall was not far off, and he needed to hurry to the yamen.

He planned to work as a night watchman again tonight, at least to understand what happened at night.

Besides, he was indeed short of money.

There were significantly fewer ghosts on the long street, and even the merchants had packed up and gone home; only a few ghosts were still scurrying about.

Xu Sanyan strode toward the yamen. The yamen was in the northern part of the city, quite a distance away. To avoid wasting time, he channeled the wind beneath his feet and dashed forward, finally arriving outside the government office before dark.

At this moment, two figures were waiting there. One ghost was dressed in a black uniform, looking like a yamen runner, holding a copper gong and a mallet.

The other was a young man, looking somewhat timid, also holding a gong and mallet, standing to the side without saying a word.

Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes, feeling the person looked familiar. Upon closer recollection, he seemed to have seen him earlier when competing for the Jade Slip.

The young man heard the sound and instinctively turned his head. His eyes widened in shock, and he blurted out, "Xu Sanyan?"

Xu Sanyan ignored him and cupped his hands to the yamen runner. "My apologies, sir, I was delayed on the way."

The yamen runner nodded and stiffly handed over a gong. "The two of you are responsible for the south of the city. Strike it once every hour to announce the time, prevent fires, and guard against disasters and theft. Stop at the hour of the dragon."

Xu Sanyan nodded and took it. "Understood."

After speaking, the yamen runner turned and entered the government office, closing the vermilion gate without looking at them again.

Only then did Xu Sanyan look at the young man, a faint smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.

"You recognize me?"