In the imperial study, Emperor Yongxing was reading a memorial presented by the cabinet, which detailed various matters about fundraising, including but not limited to how to promote donations, set standards, and conduct property audits of officials who claimed to lead frugal lives.
It was long and flowing to over a thousand words.
Reviewing memorials was no easier than reading books, as many ministers concealed “traps” in their submissions.
If the emperor did not want to be made a fool of by the civil officials, he had to be sharp enough to detect these traps within the memorials.
In this respect, no one could assist, for once seated on the throne, all the civil and military court officials became enemies.
Yongxing Emperor was urging donations for disaster relief, and at such a crucial juncture, no mistake could be allowed, so he was particularly attentive.
“Your Majesty!”
At that moment, Chief Eunuch Zhao Xuanzhen hurried into the imperial study and said in a low voice,
“The Grand Tutor has fallen ill.”
The Emperor’s gaze shifted from the memorial, and he pinched his brow before asking,
“Ill? Sigh, the Grand Tutor is getting on in years, and should not be working so hard. Go to the Imperial Pharmacy and fetch some pills to replenish his qi and invigorate his blood, and send them to him.”
Zhao Xuanzhen agreed, but did not leave. He continued,
“The Grand Tutor wishes to resign his position and no longer teach the young princes. He asks Your Majesty to seek a replacement…
“He intends to go to the Xu residence as a tutor, to instruct a Hanlin Academy scholar and Xu Xinnian’s younger sister.”
Ah? Emperor Yongxing was greatly astonished and quite at a loss.
Chief Eunuch Zhao Xuanzhen said,
“The Grand Tutor means that he must devote himself entirely to educating the child, without any distractions, and hopes Your Majesty will understand.”
Yongxing Emperor’s expression grew solemn. He leaned forward slightly, and asked in surprise,
“Is the child exceptionally gifted and intelligent, such that the Grand Tutor has become so fond of her?
“Interesting. Even in the days of Huaiqing, the Grand Tutor never treated anyone like this. Tsk, tsk. The Xu family is truly a household of talent, first Xu Qi’an, now Xu Cijiu, and to think even a little girl among them is no ordinary person.”
After he finished, he noticed Zhao Xuanzhen looked stiff and at a loss for words.
“Hmm?” Emperor Yongxing made a questioning sound.
“Your Majesty may not be aware, but the Grand Tutor was angered into illness…”
Zhao Xuanzhen softly recounted the events in the study to the Emperor.
… Emperor Yongxing did not speak for a long time, falling into deep self-reproach.
After a while, he said, “Send that girl back to the Xu residence. We shall write a memorial to appease the Grand Tutor. For now, do not let him leave the palace, and keep good watch over him.”
Zhao Xuanzhen responded, but muttered,
“We can keep him for a while, but not forever.”
Emperor Yongxing was silent for a long time, then said slowly,
“We shall issue an edict to the Xu residence, forbidding them from welcoming the Grand Tutor.”
Sending Zhao Xuanzhen away, Emperor Yongxing took a sip of ginseng tea, recalling what the chief eunuch had said, and exclaimed,
“Incredible, just incredible.
“We do not believe there is anyone in this world quite so foolish. When we have time, we shall test her personally.”
…
The carriage wheels rumbled to a halt outside the Xu residence, and Little Pea, carrying a small cloth bundle on her back, jumped down from the carriage.
The little bundle bulged, seemingly filled with things.
They were pastries and cakes she had obtained from Huaiqing.
Xu Xinnian followed her down from the carriage, expressionless as he walked into the residence.
Little Pea kept her hands behind her back, lowered her head, and raced into the house, only to trip at the doorway and fall to the ground with a thud.
“Second Brother, I fell!”
She lifted her face and looked at Xu Xinnian.
Second Brother Xu’s handsome features twitched. “And?”
She patted her bottom and stood up, protectively holding her little bundle of pastries and looking warily at Xu Xinnian.
? Xu Xinnian frowned at her.
Little Pea glanced at her second brother cautiously, then, suddenly scared, ran away.
Xu Xinnian was dazed for a moment before realising, on the way home, he had not shown Lingyin a kind face, so his foolish little sister thought he was eyeing her pastries.
The proof was that after she fell, he had not helped her up.
Entering the inner courtyard, he saw his mother and sister glaring at each other.
Auntie said angrily, “Why is she back again? Was she kicked out of the palace?”
Xu Xinnian nodded.
“You…”
Auntie’s chest heaved in anger, and she gritted her teeth, “What happened?”
Xu Xinnian replied helplessly,
“Lingyin angered the Grand Tutor into illness. Hmph, by tomorrow her name will be known throughout the officialdom and the Confucian world.
“All the scholars will soon know that our esteemed Grand Tutor, a man of vast knowledge and high reputation, was bedridden by a mere child.”
Auntie’s body swayed, many thoughts flashed through her mind, and her face went pale as she said,
“How will Lingyin ever marry in the future?”
Xu Xinnian half-laughed in exasperation and complained,
“Isn’t it all your fault, Mother? Lingyin was never one for study, but you insisted, single-mindedly wanting her to be a scholar and a talented lady.”
Auntie, overcome with grief, shifted the blame to Second Uncle,
“Look at how silly she is, it’s all from her father. If she took after me, she’d already be proficient in qin, go, calligraphy, and painting at her age.”
“I’m studying hard,” Lingyin said, eating the delicious pastries from the palace and feeling aggrieved.
Xu Xinnian pinched his brow. He worried about something else, once this got around, Lingyin would become a prize in the eyes of those wishing to make a name for themselves.
The Grand Tutor, as a scholar from the Imperial Academy, exuded resolute spirit and led the literary circle.
If even the Grand Tutor failed to enlighten a child, then whoever succeeded would win instant fame.
Before meeting Lingyin, nobody would believe they could not handle a mere child. Then, the would-be tutors would surely come in droves, and visitors would be countless.
“To become notorious for stupidity in the capital, what on earth is this…” Xu Xinnian rubbed his brow, his head aching.
…
The next morning.
Li Lingsu came to knock on the door. As the wooden latch slid open with a sound, the door was pushed wide. Peering inside, he saw Xu Qi’an standing by the window, drinking tea, while Mu Nanzhi sat at the table, holding down the little white fox, brushing its teeth with a bristle toothbrush.
“Whine, whine…”
The little white fox let out pitiful sounds, its four limbs kicking frantically from time to time.
“Don’t move. You have to brush your teeth properly, otherwise your mouth will stink,” Mu Nanzhi said.
“I’m not stinky… whimper…” the little white fox protested out of habit, as if it was used to this routine and did not struggle much.
She’s raising her as a daughter… Li Lingsu thought to himself, then said,
“Senior Xu, the waiter has prepared breakfast for us downstairs.”
His address of “Senior Xu” was not as sincere as before.
Taking the opportunity, the little white fox broke free from Mu Nanzhi and called out, “I’m hungry, I’m hungry!” while spitting out a mouthful of foam.
The group went downstairs to see Miao Youfang already sitting at the table, eating his breakfast.
Each person had a bowl of rice porridge, three meat buns, two steamed rolls, and a dish of pickles.
Shengyi County was not prosperous, resources were scarce, and the people only just managed to fill their stomachs.
There were no docks nearby, so trade was undeveloped. Even if they had the money, the inn could not offer better fare.
Everyone sat down and ate quietly with their heads lowered.
Miao Youfang asked, “Senior, where will we go next?”
“Once we find the Dragon Qi host in Jiangzhou, we’ll head to Jianzhou,” Xu Qi’an replied.
Jianzhou… Li Lingsu’s expression flickered slightly, and he quickly lowered his head to drink his porridge.
“Guests, are you here to stay or just for a meal?”
The warm voice of the inn boy caught their attention. Miao Youfang looked over, his eyes brightening.
The inn boy was greeting a fairly attractive young woman. Dressed in plain, short attire and cowhide boots, she had a slender figure.
Her features were delicate, her gaze resolute, and there was an air of cold indifference that seemed to warn off strangers.
“To stay!” the young woman said.
Watching the inn boy show her upstairs, Li Lingsu teased, “Didn’t you claim to have slept with many oiran? Is this the best you can do?”
Reluctantly withdrawing his gaze, Miao Youfang retorted, “Oiran and wandering heroines are two different things. Speaking of which, during the best month of my life, quite a few heroines tried to flirt with me.
“It was just that I heartlessly rejected them.”
By “the best month,” he meant when he was possessed by Dragon Qi.
Li Lingsu asked in surprise, “Why?”
Miao Youfang sighed, helplessly replying,
“You don’t understand. In the jianghu, women are always trouble. The prettier a woman is, the more troublesome she becomes.
“It’s not their personalities that are the problem, but beautiful heroines always bring misfortune. Sometimes, if you come across a master who likes pretty women, and they want to sleep with them, you have no way to refuse.
“You can’t expect every martial artist to have a chivalrous heart like myself.
“So, as a companion, what should you do? Stand up for her and you might get killed. Don’t stand up for her, and it’s too humiliating. So, it’s best to travel alone.”
Li Lingsu and Xu Qi’an both wore expressions of enlightenment.
Whether Sea King of the Heaven Sect or of the capital, neither had encountered such an issue.
Suddenly, a sly look crossed Miao Youfang’s face. “Brother Li, you claim to have been with countless women, including high-ranked martial artists, right? Any above sixth rank?”
Li Lingsu nodded. “Of course.”
Miao Youfang smirked. “I’ve always been curious. Sixth-rank martial artists have Bronze Skin and Iron Bones. Can your little soft stick even penetrate their flesh?”
That’s a novel angle… Even Xu Qi’an, who had never slept with a sixth-rank or higher martial artist, turned to look at Li Lingsu.
“Vulgar!” Li Lingsu was at a loss for words.
Xu Qi’an and Miao Youfang both sniggered.
Miao Youfang laughed, “Well, I’ve figured it out, too. Fish-scale armour is also resistant to sabres and spears, but a needle can still slip through the gaps.”
With that, he suddenly slumped forward onto the table, unconscious.
In Li Lingsu’s palm rested a soul, and, narrowing his eyes, he smiled, “Brother Miao, you really have quite the imagination.”
At that moment, a yellow mutt took advantage of the inn boy’s absence and slipped inside.
With a flick of his fingers, Li Lingsu pushed the soul into the dog.
“Where did this mongrel come from? Get out, get out!” the inn boy shouted as he came downstairs, waving a stick and chasing the yellow mutt out, even giving it a few whacks.
The smile on Li Lingsu’s face deepened as he threw out a meat bun. “Poor thing. Here, this lord will reward you.”
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
The yellow mutt ignored the meat bun and stood just outside the inn, barking rhythmically.
“He’s cursing you!” Xu Qi’an said.
“What’s he cursing me for?” Li Lingsu asked, smiling.
“He’s cursing that your sons will be born without arseholes, your mother is an oiran, all the women you’ve ever slept with have new lovers, and have had lots of children, all waiting to call you ‘dad’ when you get home.” Xu Qi’an said.
… Li Lingsu stared in shock, his face going stiff. “How do you know?”
“Of course I can understand animal speech,” Xu Qi’an replied with a smile, then added, “Oh, and he also just said, ‘Your bum feels amazing.’”
Li Lingsu fumed, rolling up his sleeves and getting to his feet. “I’ll skin him alive today, make dog meat stew…”
Suddenly, he felt a tap on his back, after which both his spirit and magic were completely sealed.
The Holy Son turned pale and glared at Xu Qi’an. “What are you doing?”
Xu Qi’an grinned. “It’s only fair. Go on, have a fight.”
Soon after, passers-by on the road and guests at the inn stopped to watch as a man and a dog bit and fought each other fiercely.
The crowd cheered loudly, sometimes rooting for the man, sometimes clapping for the dog.
Xu Qi’an and Mu Nanzhi finished their breakfast in high spirits.
…
Somewhere in a small city in Yuuzhou, in the morning mist, a brothel.1
Ji Xuan, under the terrified gaze of a group of patrons and prostitutes, took out a bronze cauldron and stuffed inside it a man who was covered in blood and unconscious.
He glanced at the shattered stairs and the cracked floor, tossed down a silver ingot, and left.
In the street outside the brothel, beside a stall, the one-armed White Tiger, Xu Yuanshuang and her brother, the charming Liu Hongmian, and Qihuan Danxiang wrapped in her colourful robe were having breakfast.
Ji Xuan sat down by himself and asked the stall-keeper to bring him a bowl of piping hot soy milk. He gulped down half the bowl and exhaled in satisfaction.
“The thirteenth Dragon Qi host.”
Liu Hongmian curled her lips. “Shame they’re all just scattered Dragon Qi.”
Ji Xuan smiled. “Little drops make a river. When enough scattered Dragon Qi are gathered, they attract the other Dragon Qi with greater force.
“And we have Yuanshuang to thank for her help. Without the aid of her qi-watching technique, how could we be so quick?”
Xu Yuanshuang said flatly, “You should thank the Tianjigong’s agents. Without their full efforts at gathering intelligence, you couldn’t have assembled the Dragon Qi so quickly.”
Just as Ji Xuan was about to speak, Xu Yuanshuang took a note from the pouch at her waist and said,
“Latest information: in Yuuzhou, a Dragon Qi host has been discovered, one of the nine critical strands Dragon Qi.
“The agents in Yuuzhou dared not make a move, since Dragon Qi can seek fortune and avoid danger, and they feared alerting the target.”
Ji Xuan’s eyes shone. “Yuuzhou, that’s not far from here.”
Currently the provinces of 禹州 (the one spelled Yuuzhou) and 豫州 (the one we’ll spell Yuzhou) both come up simultaneously. Years ago I didn’t bother to differentiate them but they need to be now. ↩
Comments for this chapter. You will need a GitHub account. Please follow all terms and conditions of GitHub issues and maintain etiquette in the comments. Cookies are required for this functionality.
If you want to talk with other readers about Nightwatchers (or other cultivation type books) you can join our cultivation groupreading discord server!
I also have a Kofi, which for legal reasons is definitely for supporting my digital art only (promise!): ko-fi.com/yanxin ... plus I guess server space isn't free, and I don't want to put ads/trackers... ever, so thank you if you do!