He'd been able to predict the monster's position after it entered the water... and land a perfect shot through its skull. This level of sharp perception and judgment was terrifying. Lü Qing, a woman serving as a Prefecture constable, had risen by outperforming her male peers — she was proud.
But at this moment, witnessing Xu Qian's divine marksmanship, she conceded wholeheartedly.
*Not only is he powerful — he's modest and low-profile. Better than every man who looks down on women.*
Phew... If the monster hadn't been wounded, poisoned, and separated by a layer of water, I might not have landed that shot... Xu Qian holstered the crossbow with some regret. The artifact could only fire three times before its enchantment faded — far too limited.
After three shots, it would become an ordinary military crossbow.
It was meant to be a life-saving trump card. Using it against a monster felt like a waste.
Lü Qing followed his gaze and noticed the unremarkable-looking crossbow. One closer look, and her eyes widened.
The weapon was etched with intricate, arcane formation patterns. Combined with the qi eruption when the bolt fired, there was no mistaking it — this was a magic artifact.
Night Watchmen only had their gongs as artifacts... Was this his personal property? He'd said he could bring a warlock from the Directorate — she'd thought he was bluffing... Lü Qing's impression of the man shifted once more, her favorability climbing.
Xu Qian angled his body to block her view of his treasure and grinned: "If we don't fish it out soon, the current will carry it away. That's a huge merit on the line."
Lü Qing pressed her lips together in a restrained smile and nodded.
They entered the river together and dragged the monster's corpse to shore.
By then, Song Tingfeng was supporting a limping Zhu Guangxiao as they staggered out of the forest.
"You killed it?" Song Tingfeng couldn't suppress his grin, relief washing over him.
The taciturn Zhu Guangxiao let out a long, turbid breath.
"How are you?" Xu Qian asked, concerned about Zhu Guangxiao's injuries.
The clam shook his head. "Nothing serious. Just two broken ribs."
The four rested briefly on the riverbank while the two Essence Refining constables escorted the village elder down the mountain.
When the elder saw the monster's corpse, rage and terror warred on his face. He crept forward, kicked the body once, then retreated with surprising agility for a man his age.
After a few seconds, when nothing happened, he charged back and unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches — impotent fury.
Venting complete, the old man dropped to his knees and kowtowed to Xu Qian and the others.
Xu Qian waved him off. "I have a question. The cave to the south — when was it excavated?"
The elder thought. "That was an old kiln left over from years past. There isn't much limestone to the south, and the path is terrible. It was abandoned ages ago. I don't know when it was dug out like that."
Xu Qian pressed further. "Was that area frequently traveled before?"
The elder replied: "Well, it wasn't exactly deserted."
*Just say 'occasionally' instead of dressing it up...* Xu Qian mentally rolled his eyes. "Go on back for now. Wait for the Prefecture to summon you."
The old man had been injured by Zhu Guangxiao's kick earlier — Xu Qian noticed him wincing and holding his side.
Lü Qing had no objection to Xu Qian's handling of the matter and sent a colleague to escort the elder home.
The remaining four rested on-site, breathing through cultivation cycles to recover their strength and replenishing water and food.
A quarter-hour later, three horses dragged the monster's corpse along the official road at an unhurried pace.
On the way, Lü Qing recounted Xu Qian's spectacular shot with vivid detail, her words brimming with admiration.
Song Tingfeng rode up close to Xu Qian and murmured so quietly it was barely audible: "She seems quite taken with you."
Xu Qian whispered back: "What are you trying to say?"
Song Tingfeng said: "Constable Lü has quite a reputation among the capital's law enforcement. She's still unmarried. Every man dreams of being the sole traveler on a certain path, doesn't he?"
*She'd be considered an older unmarried woman in this era...* Xu Qian smiled. "Then go for it."
Song Tingfeng squinted and shook his head with a sigh. "A man like me — only the Bureau of Music suits me."
Xu Qian grinned: "Even if the shaded lane you yearn for is frosted white every morning and dusk?"
Zhu Guangxiao frowned, unable to follow his colleagues' cryptic banter.
"By the way — what was that move you used earlier?" Xu Qian asked.
"The Gale Sword Art," Song Tingfeng said.
*Sword art... But Constable Lü's blade work earlier was like a cutting machine — that was also some kind of master technique... Wait — sword art?!*
Xu Qian stared at the saber hanging at Song Tingfeng's waist.
Song Tingfeng shrugged. "Technically, you can't use sword techniques with a saber."
*Yeah, yeah — who says you can't kill someone without a spearhead?* Xu Qian quipped internally.
Chatting and laughing, they spotted a group of villagers approaching along the path, converging toward the official road.
Leading them was the village elder, along with the Essence Refining constable who'd escorted him back.
The constable shook his head helplessly. "They insisted on coming to thank us."
The elder held a basket of eggs high in front of Xu Qian. "This is every egg the village could scrape together, sir. Please accept it. These past six months, we've barely survived. If you hadn't rid us of this monster... to speak blasphemy — unable to pay our taxes, we'd have had no choice but to flee as refugees."
Xu Qian met the elder's anxious gaze, his eyes sweeping over the gaunt, sallow faces of the lime-burners.
"Deal." He accepted the basket with a smile and hung it from his saddle.
The surrounding villagers broke into grins. Only then did they dare speak freely, pointing at the monster's corpse and unleashing a torrent of curses.
*If I'd refused and declared: "We don't take a single needle or thread from the people!"*
*I'd probably have terrified them.*
Xu Qian sighed silently.
...
Back in the capital, the monster's corpse was handed over to Prefecture civilian constables waiting outside the city. It was loaded onto a cart, covered with a white cloth, and the trail cleaned before they entered.
"The saltpeter mine is serious business — it needs to be reported," Song Tingfeng said, cracking an egg and swallowing the raw yolk.
*Parasite warning...* Xu Qian nodded.
Returning to the Night Watchman headquarters, the three had no time to write reports. They went straight to the Spring Breeze Hall and briefed Li Yuchun on everything.
Spring Brother listened with a solemn expression.
"Well handled, Xu Qian. You've rendered great merit." Li Yuchun approached the three and personally adjusted their attire, smoothing every crease.
He returned to his seat, considering. "What's your assessment?"
The three gong bearers exchanged glances. Song Tingfeng spoke:
"Based on Xu Ningyan's analysis, the monster was deliberately driving out the lime-burners. Our investigation uncovered a saltpeter mine in the mountain... This is no coincidence."
"Is there a more specific, more compelling analysis?" Li Yuchun pressed.
Song Tingfeng spread his hands. "Boss, I'm good at killing people. Investigating cases..."
*...is really not my thing.*
All three looked toward Xu Qian. Li Yuchun's gaze carried expectation: "Ningyan, what do you think?"
They'd experienced Xu Qian's case-cracking ability firsthand.
Though he was a newcomer who'd just entered Qi Refinement, having him around felt inexplicably reassuring.
In domains beyond their expertise, people instinctively relied on the strong.
Xu Qian thought for a moment, then said: "I'll add to the analysis. I can now confirm that the monster drove out the surrounding lime-burners specifically to monopolize the saltpeter mine."
"At first, I thought it might be nesting in the Daqing Mountain waterways. On the way back to the capital, I realized it was male."
"There's one question I can't answer — why would the monster target a saltpeter mine? The substance has medicinal uses, and of course it's used to make gunpowder."
*Naturally, saltpeter has other applications too, but the generational gap is too wide. Better left unsaid.*
He glanced reflexively at Li Yuchun — and froze. The man's face had gone rigid, eyes wide, as though something had just clicked into place.
"It's the demon race... it's the demon race..." he murmured.
Li Yuchun offered no explanation. He spread out paper and began writing furiously.
...
Song Tingfeng took Xu Qian to the Records Office to fill out an "injury report."
"After this, we get two days off — no shift tomorrow," Song Tingfeng said. "You need to learn to claim your benefits."
*This is basically workman's comp — no, paid leave...* Xu Qian wholeheartedly endorsed his colleague's resourcefulness.
They left the Records Office at dusk. Xu Qian planned to head home and rest.
Song Tingfeng called after him: "Didn't we agree to go to the Bureau of Music tonight?"
Xu Qian blinked, then looked at Zhu Guangxiao standing beside Song Tingfeng in surprise: "Your injuries — are you sure?"
Zhu Guangxiao answered in his deep voice: "The women at the Bureau of Music... really know how to take care of a man."
*So they'll mount you and do all the work?* Xu Qian clasped his fists in acknowledgment.
Indeed — how could one let a mere broken bone ruin a proper bonding session with colleagues.
Skipping home was fine. Second Uncle knew Night Watchmen pulled night shifts. And Aunt — well, she obviously wouldn't care whether he came home or not. She spent all day making disgruntled noises at him anyway.
Tonight, Xu Qian would forego home for a social outing with two colleagues, in keeping with the Great Feng's official class customs.
Destination: the Bureau of Music!
He'd attended similar functions in his past life — just the format had shifted from dinner parties to visiting pleasure houses.
In the Great Feng, or rather this era, the grand bordello was the venue of choice for socializing.
The Night Watchman's badge let the three bypass curfew in the inner city. When they ran into fellow Night Watchmen on patrol, a brief questioning was followed by a knowing look the other way.
...
The three walked into the Bureau of Music's alley. Song Tingfeng, whose eyes crinkled when he smiled, said: "When you're on night patrol in the future and run into colleagues near the Bureau of Music, turn a blind eye. But if you encounter them elsewhere — stay sharp. You never know what they're really doing out at night."
"I once heard a story from an old-timer. A Night Watchman had a grudge against someone, snuck into their home at night, and wiped out the whole family. The investigation couldn't find a thing. It took enormous effort to finally identify a fellow Night Watchman as the killer."
"We'll discuss the details during our Tea Gathering."
Xu Qian nodded with a smile.
Clique intelligence like this was invaluable. With envious or scheming colleagues, they wouldn't necessarily share.
"Oh right — which courtyard are we heading to?" Zhu Guangxiao, who guarded his words like gold, spoke up.
"Yingmei Pavilion," Xu Qian said.
"Just find any place," Song Tingfeng said.
Two answers — the first from Xu Qian, the second from Song Tingfeng.
Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng both looked at Xu Qian as if to say: *What are you thinking?*
Song Tingfeng patted the new colleague's shoulder with a smile. "Lady Fuxiang charges ten taels for a Tea Gathering. And she rarely entertains guests intimately — usually it's Tea Gatherings for days on end without a single intimate visitor. It's a clever tactic..."
*Scarcity marketing — I get it...* Xu Qian remembered now: they didn't know about the frame-up he'd orchestrated against Zhou Li. Such inside knowledge naturally wasn't public knowledge. They had no idea he'd once shared a bed with the courtesan queen.
Just sleeping. Literally.
Zhu Guangxiao reminded him: "Lady Fuxiang wouldn't give us the time of day."
He spoke little, but what he said was always candid and well-intentioned.
His two colleagues didn't want to waste money at Yingmei Pavilion. Xu Qian considered, then said: "Think of it as broadening your horizons. I'll cover the Tea Gathering fee."
As the new guy, treating senior colleagues to a nice meal was standard networking practice.
Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao smiled. Nobody refused a generous host.
Before long, they arrived at the gates of Yingmei Pavilion.
Xu Qian gazed at the courtyard where music drifted into the evening air and thought: *I'm here to cleanse my shame.*