The message was sent out.
For a long time, no one responded, and no one cheered “666”. Xu Qi An sat at the table, waiting for a while before realizing that these folks had gone offline.
How impolite… couldn’t they say something before going offline? A bunch of ill-mannered netizens. He grumbled inwardly.
Putting away the small jade mirror and locking the door, Xu Qi An blew out the candle and lay on the bed, letting his thoughts wander.
The Heaven and Earth Society was a relatively loose organization, with members communicating with each other while maintaining a level of caution.
This was understandable, as they were scattered across the land and might not even be from the Great Feng Dynasty. It was normal to keep some wariness between them.
The immediate benefit he could see was information sharing.
This was extremely important.
Isn’t this just like a chat platform? If we chat well online, maybe there’ll be a chance to meet offline in the future.
Number Two was in Yun Province, too far away. Their status shouldn’t be low, otherwise, how could they check household registries of various prefectures and counties?
Number One was also in the capital, truly someone with status and position, stronger than this impostor Xu Qi An, and the one he should be most wary of.
Number Six… he had warned me not to respond to Number Nine before, saying he was also in the capital.
Numbers One and Six were the ones I needed to pay attention to next. The other members were separated by vast distances; even if they knew my identity, it wouldn’t be a big problem due to the lack of conflicting interests.
Numbers One and Six were the kind of netizens who would say “Just you wait, I’m coming to get you” and follow through.
But on the flip side, if I could establish a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship with them, these two could help me in urgent situations since they were nearby.
The others hadn’t come online yet.
I feel like I’m playing Werewolf… Interesting, interesting…
As he thought about this, he drifted off to sleep.
…
The night was like water, the moonlight like frost.
In the howling cold wind, the lights of Lingbao Temple blazed brightly in the darkness.
Since the Sect Leader of the Human Sect had been appointed as the Imperial Preceptor, their headquarters had moved to the Imperial City. The current Emperor had built a grand Daoist temple for the Human Sect.
A luxurious sandalwood carriage stopped outside the temple. Minister Wei, wearing a green cloak, descended the small steps.
The gate-keeping Daoist boy respectfully welcomed him inside.
Passing through the courtyard, corridors, and garden, he came to a spacious meditation room.
After the Daoist boy left, Minister Wei knocked on the door with his finger.
The lattice door opened automatically, and a cool voice came from inside: “Minister Wei’s grand visit, this humble Daoist is truly honored and frightened.”
Minister Wei paid no attention to the sarcasm in the voice. He stepped over the threshold into the room, which was cool and filled with the fragrance of sandalwood incense.
A screen separated the front hall from the couch, where the graceful silhouette of a figure could be vaguely seen sitting cross-legged in meditation.
Minister Wei’s expression was cold, his tone equally so: “What happened in the Earth Sect?”
The voice of the female Imperial Preceptor was ageless, with both the clear and pleasant tones of a young girl and the soft, captivating quality of a mature woman:
“Minister Wei knows astronomy above and geography below, why ask this humble Daoist?”
Minister Wei shook his head, “Is it because I once scolded you, saying ‘Only women and petty men are difficult to nurture,’ that you harbor such resentment now?”
The figure behind the screen remained silent.
“The Night Watchman has a fragment of the Earth Book. Do you want it?”
“That belongs to the Earth Sect.”
Minister Wei nodded and turned to leave.
Outside Lingbao Temple, Yang Yan, who had been waiting by the carriage, came forward: “Adoptive father, did you find out any news?”
Minister Wei shook his head: “That female Sect Leader is unwilling to speak, but something must have happened in the Earth Sect.”
Entering the carriage, Minister Wei brought his cold hands close to the beast-head stove. When his body warmed up, he said in a deep voice:
“In recent years, natural disasters have been frequent, and man-made calamities have arisen. The fate of Great Feng doesn’t seem right. Various cultivation systems have also gradually exposed problems.
“I always feel like something is about to happen.”
Yang Yan frowned: “Isn’t the adoptive father overthinking? The other day when we went to the Astronomical Bureau, the Director said the celestial phenomena were all normal.”
Minister Wei sighed: “The words of those who peer into heavenly secrets are the least trustworthy.”
After a pause, his expression became serious and decisive: “Spare no effort to investigate the recent situation of the Earth Sect.”
Yang Yan: “The members of the Earth Sect have always been low-key, appearing and disappearing mysteriously…”
Minister Wei’s gaze suddenly became sharp: “I said, spare no effort.”
Rarely seeing his adoptive father so solemn, Yang Yan lowered his head: “Yes.”
…
In the early morning, Xu Ling’yin, wearing a thick cotton jacket and holding a dry twig, chased after a group of geese as small as her with her short legs.