# 204. Interrogation
In the private room, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were still engaged in their "multiplayer exercise," their faces enraptured, unable to extricate themselves.
*The female ghost's illusion was very powerful; its effects had not yet worn off... I only regret not having a phone on me. Otherwise, I would have recorded their positions—a black history for a lifetime...*
Xu Qi'an did not disturb his two colleagues' "pleasant dreams." Instead, he ignited a piece of paper inscribed with the qi-watching technique and walked to the window, slowly scanning the street below for suspicious figures.
What he saw was a sea of white auras. In the definition of Qi Observation, white light indicated commoners.
"Whew..." Xu Qi'an exhaled a breath of turbid air, returned to the table, and sat down to drink tea, waiting patiently for the illusion to end.
After about ten minutes, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao suddenly froze, as if time had stopped. Ten seconds later, they collapsed to the ground with a satisfied sigh.
Looking at his two unconscious colleagues, Xu Qi'an had a bold idea.
He carried Song Tingfeng to the neighbouring private room and slapped him twice, "smack, smack!"
Song Tingfeng mumbled in his sleep, "Mmm," and opened his tired eyes.
"Ningyan?" Song Tingfeng was shocked, sitting up suddenly. He looked around, searching for something, "Miss Susu? Where is she?"
"She left!" Xu Qi'an said with "bewilderment," "I came back from the restroom and saw her leaving with a flushed face, limping slightly. Of course, I tried to stop her, but she hurried away and didn't respond to my calls."
"...Find her, I must find her. I want to marry her," Song Tingfeng jumped up, then staggered, feeling dizzy.
The illusion directly affected the soul, and the aftereffects included dizziness.
"Damn it, why am I getting weaker and weaker?" Song Tingfeng pushed Xu Qi'an, "Xu Ningyan, quickly help me find her. She is my unwed wife."
*Unwed wife? Are you referring to that pillar next door?* Xu Qi'an coughed and asked, "What happened to you guys?"
This... Although Song Tingfeng was a lecherous person, he was still conservative at heart. Engaging in carnal activities in a teahouse in broad daylight was something he found difficult to admit.
"Don't worry, sit and rest for a while. I'll go outside and look for her. I will definitely bring her back," Xu Qi'an said as he left the private room and turned back to the one next door.
"Smack, smack!"
He slapped Zhu Guangxiao awake.
Zhu Guangxiao's reaction was more intense than Song Tingfeng's. Seeing Xu Qi'an, he looked extremely terrified and instinctively covered his crotch before realizing he was wearing pants.
He looked around in confusion and asked, "Miss Susu? Where is she?"
"She just left. I saw her downstairs, and no matter how I tried to stop her, she insisted on leaving. I asked if you had upset her," Xu Qi'an replied.
Zhu Guangxiao's expression became strange, "Did she look unusual when she left?"
Xu Qi'an "recalled," "Her face was very red, she was sweating slightly, and she was walking with a limp. Maybe she twisted her ankle."
Walking with a limp... Zhu Guangxiao's face turned ashen. "Xu Ningyan, I... I did something wrong. I have no face to return to the capital, nor to face my fiancée."
"What happened? Tell me," Xu Qi'an consoled him.
Zhu Guangxiao recounted the incident with a pale face and deep regret.
"I don't know what happened. My head got hot, and I did something beastly to Miss Susu. I clearly have a fiancée... She... she's still a virgin. What should I do?"
Despite frequently visiting the Jiaofangsi, the women there were different from good, honest women.
*Hmm, only kids want it all; adults know better. Comrade Guangxiao has a rational mind...* Xu Qi'an nodded, "You need to think carefully."
Zhu Guangxiao looked up, "You don't seem surprised at all."
*I'm not surprised. Song Tingfeng next door has the same thoughts...* Xu Qi'an sighed, "What can we do now? Maybe Susu is just a passing guest in your life."
Zhu Guangxiao looked devastated.
*...Fuck, it's so hard to hold it in, haha!* Seeing Zhu Guangxiao so distraught, Xu Qi'an almost covered his mouth to keep from laughing.
If I told them directly that Susu was a female ghost, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao would only feel embarrassed, and after a few angry curses, that would be the end of it.
But now it's different. The more remorseful they act and the more they confess to me, the more ashamed they'll be when they find out the truth later. They'd wish they could roll on the ground in shame.
This idea came to Xu Qi'an from his own occasional fear of his identity being exposed while bragging in the Earth Book chat group.
*When my identity is eventually exposed and I can't face the world, thinking about comrades Song and Zhu will make me feel much calmer... This is what brotherhood is all about.*
…
Leaving the teahouse, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were exceptionally silent.
Old Song regretted that just when he had the idea of settling down, it turned out to be nothing but a fleeting romance, leaving him deeply despondent. In his own imagination, he made Miss Susu out to be a peerless woman.
"I must find her and marry her," Song Tingfeng swore silently.
Zhu Guangxiao, on the other hand, was even more melancholy, as he now faced a choice between his childhood sweetheart and the stunning beauty that had fallen into his lap.
Returning to the post station, Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng both chose to take a bath. They didn't ask the attendants to prepare hot water and went straight to the bathhouse at the station.
*Something feels off... Why is it all in my pants...* Song Tingfeng thought as he soaked in the cold water, slowly coming to his senses.
*Miss Susu is as beautiful as a celestial maiden, but I already have a fiancée...* Zhu Guangxiao was still agonizing over his dilemma.
…..
In his room, Xu Qi'an sat at his desk. Gathering Qi in his fingers, he scraped off a corner of the "Spirit Sealing Talisman." In an instant, a gust of cold wind erupted from the mouth of the wine jug, causing the room's temperature to plummet.
A wisp of green smoke rose gracefully from the mouth of the jug, like an eel with its tail caught, struggling to free itself but unable to pull its tail out of the jug.
Helpless, the green smoke transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman, floating above the jug's mouth, looking pitifully at Xu Qi'an with tearful eyes.
"Master, what did I do wrong for you to treat me this way?"
*She looks just like a 3D projection..*. Xu Qi'an slightly raised his head, looking up at the ghost woman.
"Oh, master is peeking under my skirt," the ghost woman said shyly, pressing down her skirt and biting her lip. Her charming face exuded a seductive demeanor that was hard to resist.
*...Still trying to seduce me? Speaking of which, such a 2D waifu is indeed a blessing for otakus...* Xu Qi'an snorted, placed the jade ring on the desk, and said, "Miss Susu, keep trying!"
The jade ring emitted a flash of pure light.
The ghost woman looked at the jade ring with suspicion, "Confucian aura?"
After Xu Qi'an nodded in confirmation, she immediately dropped her seductive act and stood gracefully in mid-air, looking down at Xu Qi'an from above, her voice crisp, "Do what you will with me."
Xu Qi'an said, "Fine! I'll throw the ring into the wine jug."
Miss Susu immediately capitulated, "Master, let's discuss this."
*How sensible...* Xu Qi'an then put away the jade ring, leaned back in his chair, and asked, "Who sent you?"
Miss Susu put on a fawning expression, "My master is Li Miaozhen, the Holy Maiden of the Daoist Heaven Sect. She is nineteen years old and unmarried. She instructed me to seduce you, master, to gather information about the Zhou Min case and ensure it doesn't threaten the Commander-in-Chief Yang Chuannan."
*There are so many things to rant about, I don't even know where to start... Firstly, this female ghost really was sent by Number Two. At first, I only suspected it. But after she asked about the Zhou Min case at the teahouse, I was almost certain she was from Number Two.*
*Number Two is very efficient. She said last night she would seduce me, and today she took action immediately. As expected of a military woman... So this ghost is the "demon"?*
*Secondly, Number Two is actually the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect? Well, that makes sense. Among all the major sects, aside from the Church of the Warlock God, the only other one proficient in raising and controlling ghosts is the Daoist sect.*
He held a slight hope that this ghost was sent by the Church of the Warlock God, but life is never that convenient.
*Lastly, Number Two's ghost-raising skills are so poor. Is this really raising a ghost? This is raising a double agent. I didn't even have to use the "big stick," and she confessed everything.*
"You're quite loyal," Xu Qi'an mocked.
"Master, I died young and became a ghost. Naturally, I have to cherish my life," Susu sighed, her lively eyes turning, and she added:
"I was still a virgin when I died, you know."
And so? Because you didn't get to experience a man, you became an enchantress? Xu Qi'an asked further:
"How did the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect become the Lady Flying Swallow and come to Yunzhou to exterminate bandits?"
"The Heaven Sect cultivates the Heavenly Dao. To reach a profound realm, one must transcend emotions. To transcend the world, one must first experience it. To see through worldly affairs, my master was ordered by her teacher to travel the world."
*And she traveled so much that she became a righteous hero, renowned for her bravery and kindness?* I wonder if the elders of the Heaven Sect would be so angry they'd spit blood if they knew.
"...Pfft!" Xu Qi'an couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.
He found that Number Two was full of points of contention.
The ghost woman gave him a sulky glance. "Master, is there anything else you want to ask? If not, please release me soon."
"Was Zhou Min killed by Yang Chuannan?"
"I don't know."
"Did Number Two have any involvement in this matter?"
"That, I do know. Definitely not. I've been with my master the entire time."
Susu's words lacked evidence, but Xu Qi'an chose to believe her. From the feedback in the Earth Book chat group, Number Two was a righteous ally with a trustworthy character.
However, whether Commander-in-Chief Yang Chuannan was a good or bad person remained to be seen.
"What's Li Miaozhen's cultivation level?"
"Fifth rank."
*What does Fifth rank in the Daoist sect mean again?* Xu Qi'an nodded. "She sent you to seduce me. What was the follow-up plan? I mean, the using ‘illusions’ to deceive me bit."
Susu immediately showed a knowing expression and giggled. "Master, my physical body has long since perished, so I can't physically pleasure you. But I can possess a woman. If you fancy any lady on the street, just say the word, and I will possess her. Hehehe."
"I'm not that kind of person," Xu Qi'an said sternly. "Also, what's her relationship with Yang Chuannan?"
"Several months ago, the Commander and my master worked together to exterminate bandits. They became quite close."
Xu Qi'an, no longer a novice in the officialdom, immediately deduced the true purpose behind Yang Chuannan's bandit extermination – to meet the capital's inspection requirements.
"One last question."
"Please ask, master."
"Are you interested in following me?" Xu Qi'an asked, then added, "Whether we have physical relations or not doesn't matter. Your possession ability is quite useful."
Miss Susu, with her elegant manners, immediately struck a pose, ready for Xu Qi'an to take her as he wished. "I am willing to follow you, master. Please remove the seal."
"Excellent!" Xu Qi'an picked up the lid of the jug. "From now on, you'll stay with me. The wine jug will be your home."
"Master, please remove the seal, master... stinky man, I will drain you dry sooner or later."
As the lid was placed back on the jug, Susu's voice disappeared, and the cold aura in the room dissipated completely.
……
In the capital, at the Nightwatcher’s headquarters.
Under the warm sunshine, Wei Yuan, dressed in blue, was reading memorials at his desk. Six Gold Gongs, including Nangong Qianrou and Zhang Kaitai, stood in the room with their heads lowered, not uttering a word.
Without lifting his head, Wei Yuan said faintly, "It seems life in the capital has been too comfortable. Twelve secret reports from the northeast were intercepted by the Church of the Warlock God.
"How have you been training your subordinates? If life in the capital is too idle, the borders could use your help."
Even in a fit of rage, the grand eunuch remained calm and composed, as if nothing in the world could make him lose his cool.
The six Gold Gongs hung their heads in silence, like children who had done something wrong, not daring to argue or speak.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
Footsteps echoed from the stairs as a black-clad official hurried in, holding a letter with both hands. He stopped in front of the desk and bowed, saying, "Duke Wei, an urgent letter from Yunzhou."
The courier system in the Great Feng was well-developed. Besides the usual horses, there was a special beast called the Firefeather Beast from the southern regions. These creatures belonged to the shaman clans, were gentle by nature, and excelled at running.
They could easily cover a thousand miles in a day.
However, due to their poor reproduction rates and high costs of breeding, they were not widespread and were only used for urgent messages.
Wei Yuan used a paper knife to open the letter and read it attentively.
The letter was from Jiang Lyuzhong, informing Wei Yuan that the Inspector's team had reached the border of Yunzhou. It also mentioned that they had recently saved Zhou Min's concubine, Yang Yingying, and obtained a crucial clue.
At the end of the letter, there was an additional note:
“Xu Qi'an is currently attempting to break through to the Refining Spirit stage. His promotion is imminent. However, I discovered that he is simultaneously practicing two different visualization techniques, one provided by the headquarters. Is this something Duke Wei gave him? The other visualization technique is the Buddhist Lion's Roar, and both have been mastered to a proficient level.
“Your subordinate am puzzled. From what I remember, martial artists in the Refining Qi stage find it extremely challenging to practice even one visualization technique due to the limited strength of their primordial spirit and the mental confusion caused by practicing multiple techniques.
"I myself only managed to practice multiple techniques long after entering the Refining Spirit stage. The other Gold Gongs in the headquarters had similar experiences. So why is Xu Qi'an unique in this way, being able to practice two techniques while still in the Refining Qi stage? This is unprecedented and unbelievable. I have not made this public yet."
*Xu Qi'an is attempting to break through to the Refining Spirit stage... Xu Qi'an is practicing two visualization techniques...* Wei Yuan, who usually remained unperturbed, had his gaze suddenly freeze.
The six Gold Gongs noticed Wei Yuan's change in expression, raised their heads, and felt a chill run down their spines, sensing a major event was unfolding.
They heard Wei Yuan exhale, a sigh that was part lament, part admiration, and muttered to himself:
"Not even two months..."