Chapter 3 Clues and Cultivation
The cold moonlight spilled over the bluestone courtyard of the Night Watcher's Yamen, and the shadows of the pine and cypress trees stretched long, swaying slightly in the night breeze. Xu Qi'an followed Wei Ziyuan through the quiet corridor, the sound of their footsteps echoing crisply in the empty compound, breaking the dead silence of the night.
They did not return to the simple guest room where Xu Qi'an had just changed clothes and eaten. Instead, Wei Ziyuan led him to a row of small courtyards on the west side of the Yamen. Each courtyard was enclosed by a low wall, with a single house inside, and the door of the courtyard where they stopped was inlaid with a bronze plaque carved with the character "Su"—it was a place for temporary residence of the Yamen's personnel and important witnesses.
"From today on, you will stay here." Wei Ziyuan stopped at the door, her cold gaze sweeping over Xu Qi'an, her tone unwavering as she issued orders, "Someone will bring you three meals a day. You can move freely in this small courtyard, but you are not allowed to step out of the gate without permission. If you violate the rules, the Night Watchers will not show mercy, even if you are a key witness."
She paused, then added, "There is a latrine in the corner of the courtyard, and water for washing is in the earthen jar in the yard. The Yamen will not provide you with any extra supplies—you have to make do with what you have."
After saying that, Wei Ziyuan turned and left without a single backward glance, her slender figure quickly disappearing into the shadow of the corridor, like a cold moon that had drifted away.
Xu Qi'an pushed open the wooden door of the courtyard and walked in. The small courtyard was even simpler than he had imagined: a single adobe house with a thatched roof, a bluestone well in the corner, and an earthen jar filled with clear water beside it, as well as a shabby latrine surrounded by a wooden fence. Inside the house, there was only a narrow wooden bed, a worn-out wooden table, and a stool—barely enough for one person to live in.
But Xu Qi'an was already content. Compared to the damp and gloomy imperial prison, this small courtyard was like a paradise. At the very least, he had a roof over his head, warm food to eat, and no heavy iron chains binding him—this was already the best outcome he could have hoped for in his current predicament.
He closed the courtyard door and bolted it from the inside, then walked into the adobe house and sat down on the wooden bed. The bed board was hard and cold, but he did not care. His mind was once again immersed in the details of the silver treasury theft case, and at the same time, he began to sort out the other fragmented memories of the original self that he had ignored earlier—memories about cultivation.
Yes, cultivation.
This was not an ordinary ancient world. It was a world where qi and blood circulated, and mortals could cultivate to strengthen their bodies, even to the point of breaking mountains and cracking rocks, flying through the clouds and riding the mists. The original self was a constable of the Capital Prefecture, and in order to perform his duties better, he had also practiced the most basic qi and blood cultivation method of the government office—the Basic Body Refining Art.
It was a low-level cultivation method that was widely spread among the grassroots yamen runners and imperial guards of the Great Feng Dynasty. It could barely strengthen the body and improve physical fitness, but it was far from reaching the level of a true cultivator. The original self had practiced it for three years, and only managed to refine a trace of weak qi and blood, which was barely enough to deal with ordinary hooligans and thieves.
Xu Qi'an closed his eyes and recalled the cultivation method of the Basic Body Refining Art in the original's memories. It was a set of simple breathing techniques and body forging movements, which required the cultivator to adjust their breathing according to a specific rhythm, guide the heaven and earth aura into the body, and temper the muscles and bones to nourish qi and blood.
He hesitated for a moment, then decided to try it. In this dangerous world where strength was respected, having no cultivation base meant being powerless to protect himself. Even if the Basic Body Refining Art was a low-level cultivation method, it was better than nothing. At the very least, it could make his body stronger and let him have the ability to resist when facing danger.
Xu Qi'an sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, straightened his back, and began to adjust his breathing according to the rhythm of the Basic Body Refining Art. He inhaled slowly through his nose, drawing the cold night air into his lungs, then exhaled gently through his mouth, following the specific route in the cultivation method to guide the faint aura in the air into his body.
At first, he was not used to it. His breathing was messy, and he could not catch the right rhythm at all, let alone guide the aura into his body. But Xu Qi'an was a person who had experienced the hardships of modern society's overtime work and life pressure—he had an unparalleled perseverance and patience.
He did not give up. He kept adjusting his breathing, repeating the same movements over and over again, and gradually, his breathing became steady and rhythmic, and a faint, cool stream of air finally seeped into his body through his pores, flowing slowly along his meridians.
The cool stream of air was extremely weak, like a gossamer thread, and it dissipated as soon as it encountered a little resistance. But Xu Qi'an did not get discouraged. He continued to guide the aura into his body, tempering his meridians little by little, and nourishing his qi and blood.
Time passed quietly, and the moon climbed higher in the sky, casting a soft silver glow over the small courtyard. Unknowingly, an hour had passed, and Xu Qi'an finally felt a trace of warm qi and blood surging in his dantian, like a tiny flame, beating weakly but persistently.
He opened his eyes suddenly, and a faint light flashed in his eyes. He clenched his right fist and punched forward hard, and a faint wind sound came from his fist—this was the power of the refined qi and blood! Although it was still very weak, it was a world of difference compared to his original weak body.
Xu Qi'an's face showed a hint of joy. He had actually succeeded in cultivating the Basic Body Refining Art in just one hour! The original self had practiced it for three years just to refine a trace of qi and blood, but he had achieved it in such a short time—this was undoubtedly due to his modern soul and mature thinking, which made him able to understand and master the cultivation method far faster than the original self.
But the joy on his face faded quickly, and he fell into deep thought. The Basic Body Refining Art was too weak, and even if he practiced it to the extreme, he could only become a strong ordinary person, unable to compete with the real cultivators of the Night Watchers, let alone the powerful forces behind the silver treasury theft case.
If he wanted to survive in this world, to uncover the truth of the case and clear his name, he must obtain a more powerful cultivation method, and quickly improve his strength.
But how?
The Night Watcher's Yamen had top-notch cultivation methods, but they were definitely not something that an outsider like him could easily obtain. Wei Yuan and Wei Ziyuan only kept him because he was a key witness in the case, and they would never teach him the Yamen's secret cultivation methods for no reason.
As for the outside world, powerful cultivation methods were all in the hands of the imperial court, the aristocratic families, and the major sects. A commoner like him, who had no background and no power, had no way to touch them at all.
Xu Qi'an let out a long sigh, feeling a little frustrated. But he quickly adjusted his mood. He knew that anxiety was useless, and the most important thing now was to stay calm, cooperate with the Night Watchers' investigation, find out the truth of the case as soon as possible, and at the same time, look for opportunities to improve his strength.
Just then, a soft knock on the courtyard door interrupted his thoughts.
"Xu Qi'an, open the door. Master Wei has an order to summon you."
It was the rough voice of the burly Bronze Gong Night Watcher who had brought him food earlier.
Xu Qi'an's heart skipped a beat. It was already the middle of the night, and Wei Yuan suddenly summoned him—could it be that there was a new development in the case?
He did not dare to delay, quickly got up and opened the courtyard door. The burly Bronze Gong stood outside the door with a blank face, holding a lantern in his hand, the dim yellow light illuminating his rough and fierce face.
"Follow me." The Bronze Gong said in a deep voice, turning and walking forward without waiting for Xu Qi'an's response.
Xu Qi'an quickly followed him, his mind racing. He kept guessing the reason for Wei Yuan's summoning, his heart filled with anticipation and unease.
They walked through the quiet corridor again, and this time, the burly Bronze Gong did not take him to the main hall, but to a small study on the east side of the Yamen. The study was hidden among a cluster of bamboos, and the faint shadow of bamboo leaves swayed on the window paper, adding a touch of elegance to the cold Night Watcher's Yamen.
The Bronze Gong knocked on the door three times, and a warm and deep voice came from inside: "Come in."
It was Wei Yuan's voice.
The Bronze Gong pushed open the door and stepped aside, making a gesture for Xu Qi'an to enter, then stood guard at the door without entering.
Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and walked into the study.
The study was not big, but it was elegantly furnished. A sandalwood bookcase filled with ancient books lined one wall, a large wooden desk was placed in the middle of the room, and a few pots of green bamboos were placed in the corner, exuding a faint fresh fragrance. Wei Yuan was sitting behind the desk, holding a scroll in his hand, and a candle was burning on the desk, casting a warm yellow light on his handsome face, softening his originally deep and majestic aura.
"Your Excellency." Xu Qi'an clasped his fists and bowed respectfully.
Wei Yuan put down the scroll in his hand, raised his head and smiled at him, pointing to the stool in front of the desk: "Sit down."
Xu Qi'an thanked him and sat down carefully, his back straight, not daring to be the least bit negligent.
Wei Yuan poured a cup of hot tea for him and pushed it over: "Drink some tea to warm up your body. It's cold at night in the capital."
The teacup was warm, and the faint tea fragrance wafted into his nose, making Xu Qi'an's tense heart relax a little. He picked up the teacup and took a small sip, the warm tea sliding down his throat into his stomach, dispelling the coldness from his body.
After Xu Qi'an put down the teacup, Wei Yuan leaned back in his chair, stroked his chin, and looked at him with a smile: "I heard from the Bronze Gong that you were practicing the Basic Body Refining Art in the courtyard just now, and you even refined a trace of qi and blood in a short time. Not bad, not bad. You are a talented person, much better than that dull boy of the original Xu Qi'an."
Xu Qi'an's heart skipped a beat, and a trace of surprise flashed across his face. He did not expect that his cultivation in the courtyard would be discovered by the Night Watchers so quickly. It seemed that the surveillance on him in the Yamen was far stricter than he had imagined.
He did not dare to hide anything, so he stood up and cupped his fists: "Your Excellency is overpraising me. I just happened to master the breathing rhythm by chance, and it's nothing worth mentioning."
Wei Yuan waved his hand and signaled him to sit down, his eyes filled with appreciation: "There is no such thing as luck in cultivation. Being able to master the Basic Body Refining Art in an hour means you have an excellent understanding and a strong soul. These are the most precious talents for a cultivator. The original Xu Qi'an had a dull mind and a weak soul, so he could only stagnate at the initial stage of qi and blood refinement for three years."
Xu Qi'an was silent. He knew that Wei Yuan was talking about the difference between his modern soul and the original's, but he could not explain it, so he could only pretend to be modest and keep his mouth shut.
Wei Yuan did not dwell on this topic for too long. He changed the subject and his tone became a little serious: "I summoned you here tonight, mainly because we have found some new clues about the silver treasury theft case."
As soon as these words came out, Xu Qi'an's heart immediately tensed up, and he leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Wei Yuan, waiting for his next words—this was the most important thing he cared about right now.
Wei Yuan's smile faded, and he said in a deep voice: "Our people have secretly investigated the Ministry of Revenue's Silver Treasury and found that the lock of the treasury door was not pried open, and there were no traces of damage on the wall and the ground of the treasury. The only abnormal place is a small ventilation hole on the north wall of the treasury, which was enlarged a little with a sharp tool. The hole is only the size of a fist, and an adult can't get through it at all."
Xu Qi'an's eyes widened in surprise, and he blurted out: "A fist-sized ventilation hole? How is that possible? Twenty thousand taels of silver weigh several tons. Even if the ventilation hole is enlarged, how can the thieves take the silver away through such a small hole?"
Twenty thousand taels of silver, according to the weight of the Great Feng Dynasty, one tael of silver was about thirty grams, so twenty thousand taels was six hundred kilograms, nearly a ton. It was impossible to move such a heavy weight through a fist-sized hole—this was simply against common sense!
Wei Yuan nodded, his eyes deep: "This is the most bizarre part of the case. The thieves did not break into the treasury through normal means, and they could not take the silver away through the ventilation hole. It's as if the twenty thousand taels of silver vanished into thin air in the heavily guarded treasury."
He paused, then continued: "Moreover, our people also found a trace of faint demonic energy at the ventilation hole. Although it was very weak and almost dissipated, we can still confirm that it is the aura of a monster through the Yamen's special detection method."
Demonic energy? Monster?
Xu Qi'an's mind was blank for a moment, and he was completely stunned. He had known from the original's memories that there were monsters and ghosts in this world, and the Night Watchers' main duty was to suppress these evil creatures, but he never thought that the silver treasury theft case would be related to a monster!
No wonder the case was so bizarre and confusing. It turned out that the culprit was not a human thief, but a monster with extraordinary abilities!