Nightwatcher

# 153. The Interrogation of Hengyuan

The next day, as he squatted under the eaves to brush his teeth and wash his face, Xu Qi'an called out in his mind "Master Shenshu?"

There was no response.

"Master, You said last night that I was similar to you. I just want to ask, did you also pick up silver every day?"

Still, No response appeared.

*He should usually be resting. After all, he's a sealed artefact... I'll try to call him again later. If he still won't respond, I can accept using my hot and tender body to warm his icy cool heart, Just a little...* Xu Qi'an secretly sighed in relief.

After donning his cool uniform and tying up his long hair, Xu Qi'an hung up the long black gold sabre on his waist, after which he jumped over the zhang high fence, going to the main hose to have breakfast.

As he put his hand over the handle of his sabre, he thought *Did Jianzheng give me this sabre back then as a sort of favor?*

*...I'm too naive; why would a Master of the first rank need to exchange favors with me? However, the sabre perfectly matches my "One Blade From Heaven and Earth". I should be thankful to the Jianzheng for that.*

Xu Qi'an stopped and suddenly stalled.

*The black gold long sabre was given to me by the Jianzheng, and "One Blade From Heaven and Earth" was sent over by the Sitianjian. The long sabre and "One Blade From Heaven and Earth" inexplicably work very well together. And, Jianzheng knows of my strange luck...* Xu Qi'an slowly shivered in the cold morning wind.

That was the moment when Xu Qi'an felt the feeling of *This World is filled with thousand-mile-deep schemes. I want to return to my sweet safe Earth.*

*Phew... one step at a time. I have to improve my power and status before I have any confidence to talk of the future.*

After gathering up his rogue emotions, Xu Qi'an went to the front hall. The sky was getting bright, and his aunt and uncle sat at the dining table, having breakfast. Lyu'e was also sitting at the dining table, holding Little Pea on her lap.

"Big Brother!" Xu Lingyin enthusiastically greeted, while she discreetly moved the meat buns and deep-fried dough sticks into the secure grasp of her arms.

*... This sibling relationship is really too plastic.* Xu Qi'an also sat down, and after serving himself a bowl of porridge, He glanced at this beautiful madam.

"Auntie you’re up early?"

Auntie, who had gotten up early, was clearly in a bad mood and didn't want to talk with her nephew very much. After stirring the rice porridge with the porcelain spoon held in her smooth white fingers, She said in a light tone:

"Lingyue isn't feeling well. I just went to check up on her."

"What's the matter?" Xu Qi'an frowned. He cared a lot about that beautiful and refined girl.

"It's a girl's personal matter..." Auntie murmured, her voice close to a whisper as if she didn't want to explain.

*Ah, its that time of the month... but, A period shouldn't be a cause for Auntie to worry. So, it’s menstrual pain?*

Famous Detective Xu Qi'an quickly came up with a conclusion.

After finishing his breakfast, Xu Qi'an said, "I'm going to visit Lingyue."

Neither uncle nor Auntie had any objections to this. An advantage of being from a military family was this. There weren't that many cumbersome rules to follow as that would be common in a scholarly family.

For example, brothers and sisters had to maintain a fixed distance from each other when talking, and they had to salute each other with different honorifics when speaking, and there was a clear limit on the time they were allowed to spend together unless a group of siblings and clan siblings were having a banquet together.

And so on ...

In a scholarly family, considering Xu Lingyue's condition, the elders would have refused the visit.

"Big bwother, big bwother... I also want to see big sister." Jumping up from Lyu'e's lap, Xu Lingyin grabbed Xu Qi'an's clothes.

Bothered by her slow speed, Xu Qi'an put her under his arm, and soon arrived at the door of Xu Lingyue's room. He knocked on the room, saying,

"Sis, you there? Auntie said that you weren't feeling well."

Xu Lingyue's weakened voice came out of the door, "I, I'm fine..."

"Can you let your elder brother in?" Xu Qi'an said, lampooning, *Do you want me to tidy up your bandages?*

"Creak..." The maid opened the room, welcoming Xu Qi'an and Little Pea to the room.

Xu Qi'an was lying on the bed. She was lying on her side while clutching her stomach with both her hands. Her delicate brows looked creased, and her pretty lively face had turned pale.

*This looks a little serious... is it really that painful...* Xu Qi'an tried to comfort her, "You’re having a period right. Have you taken any medicine?"

Stunned, Xu Lingyue's face reddened, as she shook her head, "Mom told me that it would be fine if I endured it for a while."

Her voice contained little bits of her aggrievedness.

After all, She was merely a little girl, lying on the bed enduring the pain, with only a single maid by her side.

Menstrual pain was hard to endure in this era. After all, It wasn't a disease and would heal naturally after a while. Most middle-class officials and the poor civilians didn't see the need to see a physician unless they were close to dying.

*I seem to remember that Brown Sugar Ginger Tea can cure menstrual pain. Let it be. I'll ask Chu Caiwei about it later...*

Xu Lingyin walked to the side of her sister, stretched out her fingers to straighten her sister's curled brows, and snuck a pitiful look at her brother.

"Is my sister about to die?"

Xu Lingyue "..."

"Your sister won't die." Xu Qi'an consoled her.

"What's wrong with sister, then?" Xu Lingyin asked, still fearful.

*You won't understand if I say menstrual pain. And I think you don't have any clue about periods...* Thinking for some time, Xu Qi'an stroked Xu Lingyin's head and simply explained:

"Your sister is too sensible and doesn't make trouble at all. So, She's feeling uncomfortable. Her stomach will stop hurting after she starts making trouble."

A thing like menstrual pain could stop after marriage, or even not. So, Xu Qi'an's explanation could be thought of as precise and easy to understand, which were rare qualities in this world.

Even a stupid child like Xu Lingyin understood it, and nodded, her face serious, "I'll also make a lot of trouble. So, My stomach won't hurt even a little in the future."

"Elder... Elder Brother, What were you telling her?" Xu Lingyue didn't understand what Xu Qi'an said, but she sure felt that it was weird.

"Just rest well." Pinching the little girl's face, Xu Qi'an left, carrying Little Pea along with him.

On the way to the front hall, He saw Little Pea running to the garden, grabbing a handful of soil, and hiding it in her little fist.

*What does she want to do?* Xu Qi'an was taken aback.

Second Uncle and Auntie were still having breakfast in the front hall, when the former asked him, "Is Lingyue feeling better?"

"She's still hurting..." When Xu Qi'an was about to speak, He saw Xu Lingyin climb up a stool, lean on the edge of the table using her small body, and throw the soil into a large bowl of porridge right in front of her parents."

Then, Standing on the stool, She let off a sigh of relief, relieved that she would never get a stomach ache.

Frozen, Auntie, and Uncle turned their heads slowly until they reached the toddler, "What were you doing?"

"I'm making trouble, can't you see!" Xu Lingyin proudly said, "I'll definitely make a lot of trouble in the future, not like my sister, who only makes Dad and Mom worry."

After finishing her speech, She twisted her waist, waiting for her parent's praise.

The cockroach incident resurged in Auntie's mind. And then, remembering the old and current incidents, She picked up Little Pea by her neck, putting her on top of her thigh, and spanked her trouble-making ass.

Little Pea wasn't still convinced of her mistake, and cried, trying to defend herself, "Why are you hitting me, Mom?"

Auntie continued replying to her arguments with continued palms to her butt, "How are you so proud about throwing mud into porridge?"

"Elder Brother taught me that. Elder Brother said that my stomach won't hurt as long as I kept making trouble... Ouch, Ouch..."

Furious, Aunite's brows joined each other, forming a straight line, "What did you teach her now, Xu Ningyan?"

"Today's weather looks very nice. I'll be leaving for the office right away, Second Uncle." Xu Qi'an escaped the premises, His mind filled with panic.

...

The Dungeon, Nightwatcher Office.

A temporary prisoner, Hengyuan was lucky, lucky in that he wasn't seriously tortured. He was only hit twice by the jailer when he first arrived. The reason was that even Master Tie wasn't as clean as him.

*This damn baldie couldn't be squeezed for a hint of oil or water.*

"Bang!..." The door of the cell was opened, and the jailer yelled at the burly Lu Zhisheng look-alike wearing shackles, "A Sir has come to interrogate you. Come out."

Opening his eyes, Hengyuan followed the jailer to the interrogation room.

A masculine and handsome bronze gong, holding a golden sabre in his hand, was in the dimly lighted interrogation room, gazing at him with a sharp gaze.

Hengyuan knew the Bronze Gong. He had seen the specific Bronze Gong when warm-hearted Mr. Three had helped him avoid arrest. At that time, the Bronze Gong had been standing in the eaves of a room, pressing his knife with one hand. His temperament revealed his extraordinariness.

"Master, please sit down. I have a few questions I wish to ask you about." Xu Qi'an said, examining the monk with a square face and rough features.

He had the temperament of a reckless man at first glance. But, looking deeper, you could discover that his eyes were bright and calm, and his aura was similarly deep and restrained.

After clasping his hands together, Hengyuan saluted and then sat down.

"Name?" Xu Qi'an lowered his head to sip some tea.

"Monks do not use names. Sir may call me Hengyuan."

"Age."

"Thirty."

Surprised, Xu Qi'an raised his head to glance at him. He remembered a joke:

*"How do you look so young, Uncle?"*

*"Staying up late."*

*"Then, this year, you would be..."*

*"Twenty Years."*

*Just looking at him, Hengyuan seemed to be in his forties, close to fifty. Is he pulling multiple all-nighters?* Xu Qi'an lampooned.

"You're from?"

"This monk is from Qinglong Temple."

"Your cultivation?"

"Rank Eight: Warrior Monk"

Xu Qi'an frowned, and tapped his fingers on the table, "Don't try to mess with me."

*As if an Eight Rank Warrior Monk could break into Count Pingyuan's mansion at night for a murder, easily injure two Practicing Qi Martial Artists, and walk out without any injuries?*

Hengyuan said, his tone serious, "This monk is indeed an Eighth Rank Warrior Monk."

*Eighth Rank Warrior Monk... I remember something strange about the Buddhist System. The level after Ninth Rank Sramanera is Seventh Rank Dharmacarya, skipping over Rank Eight Warrior Monk.*

*Does Buddhism actually include two systems? Since they have two systems, Why were they merged together? Additionally, What's the progression path for Warrior Monks?*

After Xu Qi'an asked about these doubts, Hengyuan shook his head, "There's no information in Qinglong Temple. This knowledge is unique to the West."

*Unique to the West! Then there are probably no relevant records in the Official archives... This is all insignificant...* Xu Qi'an said:

“Henghui has already passed away, and the bones of Princess Pingyang have also been found. His Majesty issued a decree yesterday:

“*Count Pingyuan, Minister of War Zhang Feng, and Minister of Revenue Sun Zhongming were responsible for the death of a royal. Three familial exterminations shall be their punishment.*

“You can rest easy.”

"Amituofo." Hengyuan closed his eyes to chant the Buddha's name.

"You were accidentally involved in the case, and the Nightwatchers won't hold you accountable for that. But, can you explain this thing to me?"

Xu Qi'an took out a small jade mirror from his bosom, patted it to remove the dust collecting on it, and threw it on the table.

This small jade mirror had been found in the bottom of the well. It was Fragment Six of the Earth Book that belonged to Hengyuan.

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ps: Xiaolangjun complains about his body hurting, and his writing despite the pain. What an inspiration. He staved off releasing new chapters for two days.

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