# 218. Bravo, Number Two!
Was the same dream just a coincidence?
Xu Qi'an thought about the Church of the Warlock God. The warlocks the ability to enter dreams, so invading the dreams of Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng was standard practice.
This was a very simple inference.
What Xu Qi'an couldn't understand was why the Church of the Warlock God would forcefully question the whereabouts of Liang Youping in the dream.
*Isn't Liang Youping a member of the Qi Clique? Isn't the Qi Clique colluding with the Church of the Warlock God? Shouldn't they be on the same side?*
"What's wrong with you?"
Song Tingfeng noticed that his colleague's expression was off and asked with concern.
"Old thousand-layer cake..." Xu Qi'an muttered.
"What do you mean, are you craving a cake?" Zhu Guangxiao waited for his response, ready to call the innkeeper to prepare a midnight snack if Xu Ningyan said yes.
Xu Qi'an didn't answer. Instead, he left the room and knocked on the door of a neighbouring Silver Gong's room.
"Silver Gong Zhao, did you sleep well last night?" Xu Qi'an asked.
The Silver Gong named Zhao looked at him unhappily and replied, "It was good until you disturbed me."
"Did you have a dream?"
"...How did you know?" Silver Gong Zhao was taken aback.
Xu Qi'an's expression immediately turned serious, and he asked urgently, "What did you dream about?"
"I dreamed about the girls from Jiaofangsi. Sigh, we've been in Yunzhou for so long without even touching a woman's hand. It's unbearable..."
"Sorry for the disturbance. Goodbye!"
He then knocked on the doors of the Bronze Gong and the Huben Guards, questioning a dozen people, but found that none of them had dreamed. Only Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng had been interrogated in their dreams at the entire station.
How pitiful, not only did they get PTSD from Susu, but they were also imprisoned and interrogated in their dreams.
All the bad luck seemed to fall on them... Xu Qi'an looked at his two colleagues with renewed pity.
"Your gaze is making me very uncomfortable. If you keep looking at me like that, we can't be brothers," Song Tingfeng said sternly.
"We're father and son, to begin with."
After Xu Qi'an said this and saw Song Tingfeng raising a stool to hit him, he quickly apologized, "I was wrong, I was wrong. You go aside, I need to think."
"What happened?" Zhu Guangxiao asked.
"Let me sort out my thoughts," Xu Qi'an waved his hand.
*Only Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng were interrogated in their dreams, and they were asked about Liang Youping's whereabouts... It was obvious that the reason was because we had been to the black market and obtained the ledger from Liang Youping... As for why I wasn't interrogated, the reason is simple: I was burning the midnight oil cultivating!*
*No, no, my mind is getting more and more muddled. I can't bear this alone, I need to get Inspector Zhang and Jiang Lyuzhong to share the burden...* Xu Qi'an immediately went out to find Inspector Zhang.
As he passed by the room where Yang Chuannan was held, he coincidentally saw Li Miaozhen coming out with Jiang Lyuzhong and the beautiful female ghost Susu following behind them.
She had just "visited" Yang Chuannan.
"Is General Li leaving?" Xu Qi'an approached them.
Li Miaozhen nodded. Despite the case being perplexing, the inspector had promised to do his utmost to uncover the truth, leaving a glimmer of hope for Yang Chuannan.
She had come to the station this time to seek that glimmer of hope, to make the relationship with Yang Chuannan worth it.
Including allowing the Flying Swallow Army to enter the city, it was a form of pressure, a bargaining chip, not a real intent to fight to the death.
"Heh, I'm afraid you can't leave!" Xu Qi'an teased.
Li Miaozhen was stunned, squinting her eyes at him.
Susu scolded coquettishly, "Master, this guy wants to harm you. Let Susu teach him a lesson."
Saying that, she prepared to spray Xu Qi'an with "salty soda," but before she could, Li Miaozhen blocked her.
"You're just looking for an excuse to take revenge." Li Miaozhen glanced at her and then turned to Xu Qi'an, "What's the matter?"
"Don't be in a hurry to leave. The second half has just begun. I just got some new clues," Xu Qi'an said, pinching his forehead.
Jiang Lyuzhong raised an eyebrow in surprise, "What did you remember?"
The three of them entered Inspector Zhang's room together. Inspector Zhang, who was nearly fifty, was already a bit of a fossil. However, due to the presence of arcanists from Sitianjian, the life expectancy of the literati in this world was relatively high, allowing them to enjoy life up to the point they finally get some sort of cancer, just like in Xu Qi’an’s previous life.
Inspector Zhang was about to sleep but had to reluctantly get up and dress again.
He then instructed his attendant to open the door.
"It's late at night, can't whatever it is wait until tomorrow?" Inspector Zhang pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm just an ordinary person, not as energetic as you martial artists."
Li Miaozhen instinctively refuted, "I'm not a martial artist."
Xu Qi'an and Jiang Lyuzhong gave her a cold side glance.
Inspector Zhang waved his hand impatiently, "Say what you want, then get lost."
Scholars were very particular about health. Staying up late was simply a waste of life.
Li Miaozhen and Jiang Lyuzhong both looked at Xu Qi'an.
*Here we go again,* thought Inspector Zhang, helplessly looking at Xu Qi'an.
"There's something I think you all should know."
Under the gaze of the three, Xu Qi'an slowly began to speak, describing the interrogation of Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao in their dreams.
"Indeed, it's the method of the Church of the Warlock God," Jiang Lyuzhong confirmed.
Li Miaozhen nodded in agreement and then looked at Xu Qi'an, "The reason you weren't interrogated is that you were pushing to refine your spirit and didn't sleep?"
"Mhm."
"The Church of the Warlock God is also looking for Liang Youping?" Inspector Zhang struggled to process this information and was momentarily confused, "Isn't Liang Youping a member of the Qi Clique?"
The Qi Clique and the Church of the Warlock God were supposed to be in cahoots.
Li Miaozhen stared at the candlelight flickering like a tiny bean on the candlestick, lost in thought for a moment. "Could it be that we were wrong? Liang Youping isn't a member of the Qi Clique, and giving us the ledger wasn't a ploy to frame Lord Yang?"
Jiang Lyuzhong felt a headache coming on. If that were the case, the situation would become extremely complicated.
"The information that Liang Youping is a member of the Qi Clique came from you, not from our speculation," Xu Qi'an glanced at her and continued, "Moreover, if Liang Youping isn't a member of the Qi Clique, then a lot of things wouldn't make sense. I personally lean towards the idea that he is indeed a member of the Qi Clique. Our previous inference was correct."
"Then how do you explain the Church of the Warlock God looking for him?" Li Miaozhen frowned.
*... This girl's intelligence is about average... Although not foolish, she isn't particularly smart either... If only Huaiqing were here, my burden would be much lighter... Even Number Four would do; Number Four is good at making connections...*
The four of them discussed for a while but didn't gain any new insights. Inspector Zhang was feeling tired, and since he had to visit the Commandery tomorrow, he did not want to stay up late. Jiang Lyuzhong and Li Miaozhen weren't adept at reasoning, and Xu Qi'an's mind was about to split.
They had no choice but to postpone the discussion for another day.
"Inspector, I'll stay here tonight," Li Miaozhen requested.
Inspector Zhang agreed readily. The station was their headquarters, with Gold and Silver Gongs stationed, so he wasn't worried about Li Miaozhen doing anything reckless.
Li Miaozhen gave Xu Qi'an a deep look.
...
Returning to his room, Xu Qi'an found Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao still there, both sitting cross-legged in meditation.
"Why haven't you two left?"
"Waiting for your news."
"No news, get out, go back to your rooms to cultivate. Remember not to sleep tonight."
After driving away his two colleagues, Xu Qi'an carried a wooden basin downstairs and took a cold bath in the bathhouse, feeling instantly refreshed.
He reached for the towel, only to find it missing.
"Are you looking for this?" A coquettish voice came from behind, and a hand extended, revealing a white, delicate arm from a wide sleeve.
"Miss Susu, men and women should not touch hands in passing," Xu Qi'an didn't take the towel nor did he turn around, feeling somewhat annoyed.
It wasn't because he felt shy about a woman watching him bathe, but rather because one could see and touch this paper figure, but certainly couldn’t lay it (the action of laying down). But the paper figure had no sense of propriety and always appeared at times like this.
"Men and women should not touch hands in passing?"
Susu, in a white dress, moved to the edge of the tub, looked down at the clear water in the dim moonlight, and said sharply, "This lady wouldn't even look at a bean sprout."
Xu Qi'an threw the towel into the water to serve as a screen, blocking the ghost's invasive gaze. He said calmly, "Miss Susu, have you ever heard a saying?"
Susu tilted her head to look at him.
"Nuts do not grow in cold climates."
"Nuts do not grow in cold climates?" Susu didn't understand what he meant by that.
*... Playing word games in this world is a kind of loneliness in and of itself, cold places... Yeah, puns should be punishable by imprisonment...* Xu Qi'an lost interest in teasing the ghost and said impatiently, "Do you have something to say? I've been soaking in cold water for a while now and might catch a cold."
"Can a Refining Qi martial artist catch a cold?" Susu chuckled and sat boldly on the edge of the tub, her eyes bright.
"Was what you said earlier true? Were you not lying to me?"
Xu Qi'an knew what she was referring to and immediately made a big promise, "Of course, a man's word is his bond. Are you eloping with me?"
"What do you mean by eloping? That sounds awful." Susu's voice was soft, and she gave him a sideways glance, bargaining, "I can help you with three things in exchange for a body. How about it?"
What can a weak ghost like you help me with? Just trying to freeload off me, woman!
Xu Qi'an refused outright, "No."
"Please, won't you reconsider?"
"Even if you use your charm on me, I won't fall for it."
"Heh, you'd better look at this before you say that."
"... Alright, but I don't want you to do three things; just one. Once you have a new body, be my concubine for a few years."
This was nonsense since Song Qing didn't have the technology to create a body. Talking about it was purely to trick her into returning to the capital with him.
"I'm still a virgin," Susu said shyly.
"Yes, and every time you switch to a new paper body, you're a virgin again," Xu Qi'an retorted.
“I'm talking about when I was still alive,” she sighed, sitting on the edge of the bathtub, looking down at the stunning reflection of her face in the water.
“When I was alive, I was the precious daughter of a wealthy family. When I was eighteen, father arranged a marriage for me. My future husband was a scholar, handsome and polite. I was eagerly waiting to get married in my boudoir.
“But who would have thought that in the spring of the following year, my father got involved in a major case and was beheaded by the damned Emperor. The women of our family were supposed to be sent to the Jiaofangsi, but my mother couldn't bear the humiliation and made a pot of chicken soup mixed with arsenic for us...
“I remember I had a younger brother who was away studying at the time and escaped the disaster. After I died, my soul lingered in the mass grave for several days. Just as I was about to dissipate, I encountered a master from the Heaven Sect who said I was an exceptionally rare spirit and took me in.
"I stayed in the Heaven Sect for more than twenty years, watching my master grow from a crying baby to a young adult..."
Xu Qi'an was initially listening with great interest, but suddenly a critical point dawned on him, and his voice became sharp, "What? You've been dead for more than twenty years!"
Susu puffed out her chest and said, "By age, I could be your mother."
"Mummy!"
"... You have no shame," Susu was a bit embarrassed. She had been a virgin when she died, and although she often seduced men at her unscrupulous master's behest after becoming a ghost, it was all just flirtation since a ghost has no physical body.
The mileage didn't count.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I have two wishes. One is to see my brother again, in a flesh-and-blood body, just like back then. The second is to uncover the truth behind my father's involvement in that case."
In the tub, the cold water rippled, reflecting the moonlight onto her face.
Xu Qi'an felt a long-lost stirring, a feeling every man has when he sees an extraordinary beauty—more accurately, a rush of hormones.
"What's the deal, was your father wronged? Then come with me, I'll help you investigate. Is there anyone better at solving cases than me?" Xu Qi'an thought this ghost woman was blind.
"I don't remember," Susu shook her head, "I can't recall anything from that time. I don't even remember why I died."
"Well, it has been over twenty years."
Susu shook her head again, "My master's master once invited a high-ranking warlock to divine my fate, but he couldn’t divine anything. The warlock said it was related to the Sitianjian."
The amount of information in that sentence was staggering, leaving Xu Qi'an stunned for a long time.
*Li Miaozhen's master knew people from the Church of the Warlock God? Hmm, not necessarily. Practitioners of the warlock system might not be members of the Church; they could be independent... The sixth rank in the warlock system excels at divination, hence sixth-rank warlocks were called Masters of Divination... How does a mere female ghost get entangled with the Sitianjian?*
*Wait, if Masters of Divination are good at divination, why couldn't they locate Liang Youping? Instead, they entered Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao's dreams?*
"Hey!"
Susu puffed out her cheeks angrily, "I'm talking to you."
Xu Qi'an frowned, "I'm listening."
Susu pouted, "Anyway, that's how it is. If you can create a living body for me, I'll be your concubine. If I'm in a good mood, I'll even bear you a big, healthy son."
"Buy one, get one free, thanks," Xu Qi'an rolled his eyes.
...
Finally getting rid of Susu, Xu Qi'an felt a small pang of guilt for deceiving the ghost. After all, he had given her false hope.
However, he decided to make it up to her by investigating her case after returning to the capital, as much as he could.
"A man with a soft heart ends up losing out," Xu Qi'an sat cross-legged on the bed, intending to alleviate his fatigue through meditation and breathing exercises, pulling himself back from the brink of sudden death.
But just then, a sudden sense of anxiety almost caused him to die on the spot.
"Damn..." Xu Qi'an cursed, groping under his pillow for the small jade mirror.
【TWO: Apologies for disturbing everyone so late, I've encountered some difficulties in Yunzhou and need your help.】
*... Number Two might not be a brilliant girl, but she knows how to use her resources well... In the Earth Book Group Chat, except for Number Five, the others are all quite smart. Even Master Hengyuan, who bears deep grievances, is actually a clever person... If it weren't for my identity — students of the Cloud Deer Academy could hardly know about the Yunzhou case — I would have asked for help from the Heaven and Earth Society through the fragments long ago...* Xu Qi'an could only say: Bravo, Number Two!