# 200. Number Two's Questions
In this era, the method to produce seedless loquats would absolutely be considered a secret technique. However, for Xu Qi'an, who had properly studied middle school biology, this was basic knowledge. He even knew that these poor plants had to rely on bees, the proverbial "neighbours," for pollination to reproduce.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense. Xu Qi'an's words caught the officials off guard and left them in disbelief. They had been astonished and delighted when they first learned about the method to produce seedless loquats.
Who would have thought that a mere Bronze Gong would reveal the secret so plainly?
Li Miaozhen widened her beautiful eyes and started reassessing this little Bronze Gong. She realized she might have been wrong. Although this Bronze Gong might be a lecherous scoundrel drained by alcohol and women, he was not incompetent and had some real skills.
*The fact that he was placed at the high table by Inspector Zhang indicates he has at least some skill.* Li Miaozhen put aside her contempt and realized she had still underestimated him.
Other Silver Gongs and Bronze Gongs were seated at different tables. Why was this guy sitting beside the Inspector?
This couldn't be explained by mere competence. Were the other Silver Gongs and Bronze Gongs not talented?
"Heh, hoisted by his own petard," Li Miaozhen thought with an inward snicker, relishing in schadenfreude at Provincial Administrator Song’s discomfort.
Even with Provincial Administrator Song's profound expertise in officialdom, he couldn't help but feel a wave of embarrassment. He had earlier extolled the seedless loquats with lofty talk of the White Emperor’s blessings and incense infusions, only to be publicly debunked in front of everyone, including the Inspector.
"Ningyan, this trivial matter would naturally have been explained to me by Provincial Administrator Song. Why did you speak out of turn?" Inspector Zhang scolded.
While outwardly reprimanding Xu Qi'an, he was subtly mocking Administrator Song.
"....What is your esteemed name, sir?" Provincial Administrator Song finally managed to compose himself, asking with an unchanged expression.
"My name is Xu Qi'an, courtesy name Ningyan," Xu Qi'an replied.
"This young man is quite talented," Inspector Zhang said, stroking his beard and smiling at Xu Qi'an.
Indeed, the officials refocused their attention on Xu Qi'an, pondering the identity and status of this Bronze Gong within the Inspector's team.
*So, his name is Xu Qi'an... hmm, that name sounds familiar.* Li Miaozhen thought for a moment and recalled who Xu Qi'an was. She remembered that Number Three had mentioned him before and praised him highly.
*So, it’s him... If Number Three values him so much, he must be extraordinary.*
Provincial Administrator Song managed to steer the conversation away from the embarrassing topic of loquats by introducing the customs and culture of Yunzhou. It was evident he still felt very embarrassed.
As Inspector Zhang drank to a slight buzz, the banquet drew to a close. No one was overly drunk, and there were no inappropriate suggestions to visit the Jiaofangsi, much to Song Tingfeng's disappointment.
High-class banquets like this seldom involved wanton revelry, similar to how high-ranking officials almost never frequented the Jiaofangsi.
When one reaches a certain status, they must maintain their image. Even if they were corrupt, they must present themselves as upright and virtuous.
Take Xu Qi'an, for instance. He could indulge freely now because he was young and held a low position.
But if he ever became highly influential, he would have to pay for everything...
Leaving the mansion, Inspector Zhang and the officials bid farewell outside before boarding the carriage and departing.
After traveling a short distance, Inspector Zhang lifted the curtain of the carriage window and praised, "Ningyan, well done."
Xu Qi'an knew he was referring to the matter of the seedless loquats, so he replied, "It was a minor matter."
Inspector Zhang clicked his tongue twice, speaking more casually as they conversed, "You even know about agriculture?"
Before Xu Qi'an could respond, Jiang Lyuzhong, who was sitting at the front, chimed in with a laugh, "He’s even proficient in alchemy, comparable to the White-cloaks of the Sitianjian."
*If you take credit for my accomplishments, what’s left for me to boast about?* Xu Qi'an corrected, "Actually, the White-cloaks of the Sitianjian should call me half their master."
The three of them burst into laughter.
Xu Qi'an took the opportunity to ask, "Why was the Inspector so affable today?"
Inspector Zhang glanced back at the mansion, now out of sight, and said gravely, "In Yunzhou, Provincial Administrator Song holds the most influence, and he does not get along with Yang Chuannan."
Xu Qi'an recalled, "They did seem a bit distant... but Yang Chuannan seems to be distant with everyone."
Inspector Zhang sneered, "That suggests most of Yunzhou’s officials are also called Song."
"Please enlighten me, sir."
“Of the three major offices, the Military Commission holds the most power. Yet, it was Provincial Administrator Song who welcomed me. Although it’s proper for the Provincial Administrator to appear in such situations, consider this: the first person he introduced to me was the Judicial Commissioner, not the Military Commissioner. Clearly, the two do not get along.
"I also noticed at the banquet that Yang Chuannan mostly remained silent, while Provincial Administrator Song acted like the host. In officialdom, this is quite telling. One must not overstep their bounds," Inspector Zhang explained with a smile, adding, "Ningyan, take note of this."
*Why would a martial artist like me need to learn all this?* Xu Qi'an silently took note.
"And also, I just figured something out," Inspector Zhang said. "Do you know why that Song gave loquats at the banquet?"
*Just showing off innit…* Xu Qi'an shook his head. "No idea."
"Anyone curious would ask about it, and by not answering, it's a subtle way of giving me a small challenge," Inspector Zhang sneered. "Moreover, it's a hint that Yunzhou can be peaceful if one person is removed. Just like those loquats."
Who needed to be removed was obvious.
*Do officials always have to be so scheming?...* Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples in frustration. *Duke Wei was right, I’m not cut out for officialdom. One can only have so much energy—half for Fuxiang and half for cultivation. There's no energy left for navigating the bureaucracy.*
Xu Qi'an’s troubled look made Inspector Zhang laugh heartily, feeling suddenly balanced.
"Inspector, how about we guess another riddle?" Xu Qi'an said with a mischievous smile.
Inspector Zhang instinctively wanted to refuse but felt his scholarly dignity was being challenged, so he raised his eyebrows. "Go ahead."
"A woman giving birth—guess the four-character phrase," Xu Qi'an said, smiling.
Inspector Zhang’s face gradually stiffened, grew blank, and then filled with impotent rage... before he lowered the carriage curtain.
"Hahaha," Jiang Lyuzhong and Xu Qi'an laughed in unison.
"Hmph!" came the Inspector’s cold snort from inside the carriage.
…
On the other side, Commander Yang Chuannan had just entered his carriage when the curtain was lifted again by Li Miaozhen, her high ponytail fluttering, full of vigor.
"With everyone watching, aren’t you afraid your reputation will suffer by getting into my carriage?" Yang Chuannan frowned.
"People of the Jianghu don’t care about such things," Li Miaozhen waved her hand dismissively. "I’m here to ask about the situation. That Inspector seemed quite polite. Maybe he's just going through the motions. Should you spend some money to smooth things over?"
She knew the rules of the Great Feng’s bureaucracy: with money, you’re friends. Without it, even blood brothers gave no quarter.
"Giving money to a Censor? Are you trying to get me killed faster?" Yang Chuannan shook his head. "But we can have them all killed in Yunzhou."
Li Miaozhen rolled her eyes. "What do you think of this Inspector?"
"Mediocre," Yang Chuannan assessed.
"That's good then. The more incompetent he is, the safer you are," Li Miaozhen laughed.
"Mediocre doesn't mean inept," Yang Chuannan shook his head. "Those who don’t show their claws are the most dangerous. He might be secretly gathering strength to deliver a fatal blow."
After a pause, he added, "That Bronze Gong needs attention."
Already aware of Xu Qi'an's unusual nature, Li Miaozhen raised her brows. "What did you notice?"
The wheels clattered as Yang Chuannan lifted the swaying curtain to look at the night outside, pondering. “His sabre is different from other Nightwatchers. But it's still a sabre, not some other weapon.
"As far as I know, Nightwatchers' sabres come from the Sitianjian and are semi-magical artifacts. There’s only one explanation: he carries a magical artifact."
Li Miaozhen nodded. "And someone who can use a magical artifact must either have an unusual status or a special relationship with the Sitianjian."
"His demeanor is also unusual. Even when he's quiet and seemingly respectful, there's not much genuine respect for either Inspector Zhang or Song Changfu. This could be attributed to the pride of a martial artist, but having such pride at the Refining Qi stage is rare."
As for Jiang Lyuzhong, a fourth-rank Gold Gong, there wasn’t much to be said. Caution was warranted.
…
Back at the station, Xu Qi'an, who still needed to pull an all-nighter cultivating, wrote down two sets of codes left by Zhou Min on a sheet of paper.
*In the end, it’s always me bearing everything alone... The Refining Spirit stage's promotion method would have been extremely popular in my era. Shut-ins would grind endlessly, until their hair fell out, and their girlfriends had psychological trauma... oh, they didn't have girlfriends, so it’s fine.*
*Old Jiang said warriors improve step by step until they become god-like beings... The Refining Vitality and Refining Qi stages are more like the martial arts movies I watched in my previous life, and low-level ones at that... But the stages after Refining Spirit elevate things... Even the Refining Qi stage still requires eating and sleeping. I suspect the Refining Spirit stage allows for long periods without rest... That's already beyond human.*
Xu Qi'an's guess was reasonable. Refining Vitality strengthened the body, enabling warriors to engage in high-intensity combat. Refining Spirit tempered the soul, and its promotion method was relentless effort and sleepless nights.
Once successfully advancing to the Refining Spirit stage, both the body and soul could endure high-intensity work without rest.
All cultivation systems, including the martial system, progressed gradually, each rank laying the foundation for the next.
For instance, in the arcanist system, the physician rank laid the groundwork for the ability to observe Qi, which in turn prepared one to become a master of feng-shui, and the enhanced feng-shui became a master of formations.
There was a strong logic to it, giving a sense of realistic, grounded progression rather than mystical fantasy.
His thoughts returned to the case: *The code isn't from the Nightwatcher organization; it must be Zhou Min's creation... That’s absurd. Who could guess it? It’s like leaving a code saying: ‘Withered leaves, budding oranges, pear silk thin, petals falling, sea wings following.’*
*No one in the Nine Provinces could match that code.*
*I’ve profiled too many times today; my brain cells are exhausted. But I can’t sleep, so bored... If Fuxiang were here, we could happily engage in some beneficial exercise... but I might die on her white, smooth belly...*
Just then, he felt a sudden palpitation in his heart, nearly causing him to collapse dead right then and there.
Taking a deep breath, he reached under his pillow and pulled out the fragment of the Earth Book, ready to see who was messaging the group at such a late hour. To his surprise, it was:
【TWO: THREE, I have some questions for you. You can name a condition in exchange.】
*Number Two, that military girl? I was just looking for a chance to probe...* Xu Qi'an replied with a finger as his pen:
【THREE: Let’s hear your question first.】