Nightwatcher

# 226. Come the Warlock of Dreams

*Number Three's words were strange. Although he was far away in the capital, it felt as if the situation was urgent and happening right beside her...* Li Miaozhen's slender, delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

She actually had something to do tonight. After the turmoil of the soldiers' protest during the day, with the keen intuition of a practitioner of the Heaven Sect, she vaguely sensed the killing intent hidden beneath Inspector Zhang's smiling facade.

Therefore, she planned to visit the relay station before dusk to negotiate and see if there was any room for maneuver.

But Number Three was a netizen she valued highly—honest, brave, intelligent, and wise. He was an admirable scholar. She couldn't ignore his troubles.

Just as she thought of this, a line of text slowly appeared on the mirror surface of the jade mirror:

【The true mastermind behind the Yunzhou case is Inspector Song. Inspector Zhang has uncovered the truth and originally planned to apprehend Song Changfu with lightning speed.

【But Song Changfu sensed the danger in advance, devised a plan to confuse Inspector Zhang and the Nightwatchers, and secretly sealed the city gates. Now, Baidi City is full of murderous intent, and Inspector Zhang's team is in danger. TWO, you must quickly send troops to help.】

*The mastermind is Inspector Song?!*

Li Miaozhen felt as if she had been struck on the head with a heavy hammer and was stunned for a moment. Song Changfu was the mastermind, which meant that the Qi Clique colluding with the Church of the Warlock God was led by Song Changfu.

Song Changfu was a member of the Qi Clique?

There was no time to think about it now. If what Number Three said was true, then the turmoil in Baidi City was about to erupt, if it hadn't already.

If Inspector Zhang had an accident, the entirety of Yunzhou would slide into uncontrollable chaos. Jiang Lyuzhong was a fourth rank martial artist. Once the battle started, the common people in the city would inevitably be affected.

And this was only the beginning of the turmoil. Come spring next year, the court would definitely send a large army to attack Yunzhou. Under the flames of war, countless civilians would suffer.

Li Miaozhen stood up abruptly, grabbing the silver spear leaning against the table. But then she suddenly froze.

A series of big question marks flashed through her mind, then merged into one sentence: *How does Number Three know about this?*

*Number Three was far away in the capital. How did he know about what was happening in Yunzhou?*

*She had a vague guess, a guess that caused a great shock in her heart, no less than the shock of Song Changfu's rebellion.*

So Li Miaozhen paused, stood still, and sent a slightly trembling message:

【How do you know about this?】

After sending the message, no one responded for a long time.

Li Miaozhen's eyebrows rose, and she turned her head to the ghost girl Susu, who was sitting by the bed reading a book, and said, "Pass my order, rally the Flying Swallow Army."

Susu's elegance while reading was like that of a gentle, well-educated, and cultured young lady. That kind of grace was engraved in her bones.

If she wasn't reading "The Romantic History of X and X," it would be perfect.

"Oh!"

Susu reluctantly put down the "Little Liu Bei" in her hand and walked out, swaying her slender waist.

She was a bit depressed. The male protagonists in the book were all handsome scholars, gentle and elegant, with vast knowledge.

And if she were to restore her physical body in the future, she would have to become a concubine for that lecherous Xu Qi'an.

The gap was too wide.

Watching the ghost maid go out to mobilize the troops, Li Miaozhen, who didn't waste time, said with a stern face:

【If you don't explain, I won't send a single soldier.】

This was, of course, just a threat. Li Miaozhen now wished she could sprout wings and fly to Baidi City.

【THREE: Actually, I took on a mission from the academy and secretly came to Yunzhou.】

【TWO: Do you think I'm an idiot?】

Number Three was a student of Yunlu Academy, and it was well known that the spring examination was approaching. It was the time for scholars all over the country to leap through the dragon gate. Number Four had mentioned before that Number Three was going to take the spring examination, and Number Three had not denied it.

What could possibly make Number Three abandon his precious study time and head south? What mission from the academy was so urgent?

A student from Yunlu Academy going south yet knowing the Yunzhou case so thoroughly was too unreasonable. Unless someone leaked the information... Xu Qi'an might indeed reveal it to his cousin. If Number Three was that cousin...

There was one more way to verify if Number Three was lying, which was to ask Number One to investigate at Yunlu Academy.

But that would take too much time, and in the current situation, time was of the essence. So Number Two asked directly, hoping Number Three would tell the truth.

【THREE: Alright, I'll come clean. I am Xu Qi'an, and I am Number Three.】

*Number Three is Xu Qi'an!?*

Li Miaozhen turned into stone on the spot, her pretty oval face as stiff as a statue.

It felt as if something within her was collapsing, crumbling, and shattering.

An upright, kind-hearted scholar (×)

A despicable, shameless, and lecherous Nightwatcher (√)

The image of Number Three in her mind went through a collapse, reorganization, and a series of processes.

Upon hearing the bad news, Li Miaozhen's anger surged. She felt deceived, her feelings toyed with, treated like a fool.

To be honest, she had a good impression of Number Three. He wasn't as deep-minded as Number One, who always loved to lurk. He wasn't as seemingly gentle yet extremely proud as Number Four.

As for Numbers Five, Six, and Nine, they each had their characteristics, but in terms of overall impression, none were as good as Number Three.

But it was all a lie.

At this moment, Li Miaozhen recalled Number Three's evaluation of Xu Qi'an.

"Shameless, absolutely shameless..." She tightly gripped her silver spear, her chest heaving violently.

In modern terms, Li Miaozhen would be the protagonist of a legal drama, with the headline: "Eighteen-Year-Old Girl Deceived by Online Lover."

Wait!

Amid her anger, Li Miaozhen suddenly remembered something unpleasant:

If Number Three was Xu Qi'an, then when she earnestly sought help from the Earth Book group to analyze the case...

And the next day, proudly boasting in front of Inspector Zhang and Xu Qi'an that she had solved the case...

Thinking of this, Li Miaozhen's chest heaved even more violently, her face turning red with embarrassment, feeling the urge to draw her sword and end it all.

At that time, Xu Qi'an must have been laughing at her in his heart.

She covered her face with her hands, her voice trembling, "Bastard..."

…

Far away in the capital, Daoist Jinlian stared at the fragment of the Earth Book, waiting for a long time, but Number Three and Number Two did not continue their conversation.

"At least let me know when your private chat is over," Daoist Jinlian complained.

Xu Qi'an, that brat, always boasted without any sense of caution. Now, his identity was exposed, and he must be feeling ashamed.

But this was nothing. Daoist Jinlian had cultivated for decades and had seen all kinds of storms and waves. He wouldn't lose his composure over such a small matter.

"Hehehe..."

A few minutes later, an orange cat jumped onto the courtyard wall, cautiously peering inside, seemingly planning to sneak into the kitchen to steal food.

But then, the orange cat suddenly froze, staying still on the wall. A few seconds later, its amber eyes regained their liveliness, and it happily walked away, tail up.

Inside the house, Daoist Jinlian lay on the bed, his face serene.

...

Xu Qi'an took one last look at the jade mirror. Number Two did not ridicule, blame, or curse him but instead maintained an eerie silence.

Somewhat unexpected, yet anticipated.

"She probably remembered the boastful things she said that day. This is the benefit of us all being in the same boat," Xu Qi'an thought.

Then, he calmed his mind, focused his spirit, and called out to Monk Shenshu in his mind, "Master, Master..."

"Master, I am in a crisis and hope to get your help."

He called Monk Shenshu for a long time, but there was no response.

Xu Qi'an started to panic. The reason he dared to rush to the scene first was that he had confidence—Shenshu was his confidence.

Back then, the two had agreed that Xu Qi'an would offer his body to nurture the broken arm, and Monk Shenshu would help him in critical moments.

But now, it seemed his "cheat" had run away?

"From death comes rebirth."

In his mind, the ethereal voice of Master Shenshu came through.

*From death comes rebirth? What do you mean? Are you helping me or not?*

Xu Qi'an tried to communicate with Monk Shenshu again, but the damned monk had gone back to sleep and couldn't be awakened.

...

At the rear courtyard of the Commissioner of Civil Affairs' office.

Clanging and banging came from the Huben Guards searching for evidence. Inspector Zhang and Jiang Lyuzhong stood in the courtyard, with the Prefect of Yunzhou standing respectfully by.

Inspector Zhang smelled a faint fragrance, unlike plum blossoms, a scent he had never encountered before.

In his search, he easily found the source—a white flower that looked no different from the wildflowers by the roadside, but it emitted a rich and lingering fragrance.

"In the middle of winter, there's a flower blooming?" Inspector Zhang remarked in surprise.

The Prefect glanced at it and, not caring much, shook his head, "It must be a special variety. I don't recognize it, but Commissioner Song—well, Song the traitor—was a flower lover."

Inspector Zhang nodded slightly.

The Huben Guards found no useful evidence.

"Strange..." Inspector Zhang frowned.

The Song residence and the Commissioner of Civil Affairs' office were too clean, as if deliberately tidied up, leaving no incriminating evidence.

However, Song Changfu's actions might be concealed elsewhere. It's not surprising they couldn't find evidence.

Before long, the summoned officials gathered at the office.

...

In the main hall, Inspector Zhang stood under the eaves, hands behind his back. In the courtyard, over a dozen high-ranking officials stood in two rows, silently observing him.

"Gentlemen!"

Inspector Zhang's sharp gaze swept over the officials, his voice stern, “Song Changfu colluded with the Church of the Warlock God, embezzled military supplies, and harboured bandits. The livelihood of the people around Yunzhou has deteriorated, and unrest is frequent.

“I am here by the Emperor's decree to investigate thoroughly. After the incident, Song Changfu committed suicide to escape punishment.

"From today, this official will handle all military and political affairs in Yunzhou. Those who colluded with this traitor must immediately report to me. Their punishment will depend on the severity of their involvement."

"Sir yes sir!"

The officials bowed.

Just then, Inspector Zhang saw a group of Nightwatchers rushing into the hall, led by a Silver Gong carrying someone.

The officials looked towards the commotion.

"Why are they here?" Inspector Zhang looked at Jiang Lyuzhong beside him.

Jiang Lyuzhong shook his head.

"Inspector, we have a serious problem."

The Silver Gong, even before reaching the front, shouted urgently.

Jiang Lyuzhong squinted, recognizing the person in the Silver Gong's hand—it was the coroner from the yamen.

"What's going on?"

Inspector Zhang's gaze fell on the coroner, his expression turning grave.

The Silver Gong handed the coroner to a Bronze Gong, quickly stepped forward, and whispered in Inspector Zhang's ear.

After hearing Xu Qi'an's analysis, the Nightwatchers hurried to Commissioner Song's residence, only to find it empty, with the Inspector already gone.

Inquiring at the residence, they learned the Inspector had gone to the Commissioner of Civil Affairs' office.

The experienced Silver Gongs, remembering Xu Qi'an's analysis, reexamined Song Changfu's corpse and discovered the bloodstained face was a human skin mask.

The deceased was indeed not Song Changfu.

The Nightwatchers immediately apprehended the coroner and rushed to the Commissioner of Civil Affairs' office.

"I see!"

Inspector Zhang's expression changed from shock to seriousness, then to a calm, expressionless demeanor.

He slowly scanned the officials, looked at the coroner, and asked, "Who instructed you?"

The coroner was terrified, frequently glancing towards the back, where the Prefect of Yunzhou stood.

"Your Excellency, it was me," the Prefect said, bowing his hands, admitting calmly.

Inspector Zhang snorted coldly and, without wasting words, waved his hand, "Arrest him..."

His hand barely moved, a simple gesture, yet it felt like lifting a thousand pounds.

Immediately, he fell limply to the ground. Jiang Lyuzhong instinctively tried to support him but stumbled. The dignified Fourth Stage martial artist was dragged down by Inspector Zhang.

*Poisoned...* Jiang Lyuzhong realized.

"Inspector! Gold Gong Jiang!"

The Nightwatchers were alarmed, rushing forward.

In the courtyard, the officials were panicked. At this moment, the Prefect of Yunzhou seemed so unfamiliar to them.

"Bastard!"

A Bronze Gong drew his sword, ready to kill the Prefect.

The prefect's face was expressionless as he raised his hand to form a seal.

"Hehehe..." The coroner, who had been thrown to the ground, suddenly transformed. His muscles swelled, his eyes turned red, and a beast-like growl erupted from his throat as he charged at the Bronze Gong who had drawn his sword.

Slash!

The sword cut into the coroner's shoulder, severing his entire arm, but he seemed unfazed, crashing into the Bronze Gong's arms.

Everyone heard the sound of bones cracking.

The Bronze Gong was sent flying, his sword clattering to the ground.

The quick-witted Nightwatchers caught him, but it couldn't change the outcome. The light in the Bronze Gong's eyes dimmed rapidly as his life extinguished.

"A Warlock of Dreams!" Jiang Lyuzhong said sternly. "So you're the fourth rank Warlock of Dreams of the Church of the Warlock God. Did you kill Zhou Min?"

The prefect smiled, "Indeed!"

"Ah..." The officials quickly retreated, watching the prefect warily.

The mysterious Warlock of Dreams had been hiding among them all along? What method did he use to evade the Sitianjian's Qi-watching technique?

The coroner, now a red-eyed, feral being, picked up his severed arm and pressed it to the stump.

Scarlet, pulsing veins shimmered, blood-red threads binding the arm back together.

A Blood Puppet!

This was a secret technique controlled by Ninth Grade warlocks, capable of refining living beings into puppets and, at the cost of burning their own blood, turning them into fearless warriors with unparalleled combat strength.

Therefore, Ninth Grade warlocks were also called "Blood Spirits."

Of course, the enhancement of a puppet's combat power by a Ninth Grade Arcanist was limited and couldn't extend to reattaching limbs.

"What poisoned me?" Jiang Lyuzhong seemed unwilling to accept his fate.

“This poison is called Pine Flower White Worm. When the worms are burned, they release a colourless, odourless poison. It won't affect the body immediately but will linger for up to ten days. During this period, if the poisoned person smells a flower called the Pine Flower, their body will become weak and powerless, like a lamb to the slaughter. This is a poison from the Southern Marches’ Shaman Tribes.

"Jiang Lyuzhong, to deal with you, I spared no effort. As a high-rank martial artist, ordinary poisons are ineffective on you and easily detected. Only this combination of Shaman poison, with its gentle and lingering nature, could ensnare you." The prefect looked proud.

Inspector Zhang weakly gasped, "The flower in the rear courtyard?"

"Exactly."

"So, you deliberately led us to the rear courtyard."

"Your intelligence, Inspector, came a bit too late." The prefect sneered.

"And the poison of the white worm?"

"The candles you've been burning every day. You guarded against everything but never thought the poison would be in the candles. During your inspections, the candles in the relay stations were quietly swapped."

It was impossible to guard the relay stations at all times, especially during inspections, making it easy to switch the candles.

Inspector Zhang forced himself to ask, "Where is Song Changfu?"

"Once you're all dead, he'll take over the Yunzhou officialdom," the prefect said coldly. "After taking control of Baidi City, the bandits stored in various places will attack the prefectures and counties. By the end of the year, Yunzhou will split from the Great Feng."

At this moment, they heard the sound of loud, chaotic footsteps approaching.

"The poison will subside after two sticks of incense, but unfortunately, you won't live that long." The prefect laughed.

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