Zhou Chunfeng sighed. "Youfei is indeed a bit stubborn, but with the Thunder Light Fire Rune Seal, she can escape safely even if she’s outmatched. Besides, slaying demons is the duty of the Night Guard. I’ll have men from the Divine Capital Bureau escort her, and Zhou Henn will go to protect you."
Li Qingxian raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Xiaozhou, are you really willing to take on a fight with no chance of success?"
"I’m not."
Li Qingxian was halfway through a laugh when Zhou Henn said, "But I want to test myself against a Third Grade from the Demon Sect and see if they can stomach my curved blade and Cone Sword."
’I spoke too soon.’
After a moment of silence, Li Qingxian shook his head. "Uncle Zhou, Sister Youfei, I’m a straightforward person. This is clearly an emotional decision, made on a whim without any comprehensive strategy. I did plenty of things like this when I was a kid. Now that I’m grown up, I’ve learned from my painful experiences and decided to live differently. I absolutely will not do this kind of thing. So, this isn’t for me. If you have no other choice, you should find someone else. I think Ye Han is actually a decent guy. He’d have no problem with it. After all, he’s the son of Marquis Dingbei."
Zhou Chunfeng’s expression turned odd.
"How magnanimous of you. However, stay away from Ye Han from now on. Don’t get too close to him, you hear me?" Zhou Chunfeng said, his face stern.
"Oh? Understood." Li Qingxian instantly realized what he meant. ’Zhou Chunfeng must have discovered something seriously wrong with Ye Han, or he wouldn’t have spoken so gravely.’
"I can give you the Celestial Venerable Order." Jiangg Youfei’s voice, like her frame, was delicate and soft, yet it held a hidden resilience and stubbornness.
"That thing is thousands of years old. You’d still honor it?" Li Qingxian asked.
Zhou Chunfeng patiently explained, "The old Celestial Venerable Orders were indeed revered by all Daoist Sects; they are Treasures from over a thousand years ago. The new Daoist Sects, for the most part, don’t acknowledge them. Youfei’s Celestial Venerable Order is one of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s own—one of only three. If you present this Celestial Venerable Order, the Celestial Cloud Sect will do one thing for you, as long as it doesn’t violate the principles of the Human Race. Anything." Zhou Chunfeng added emphasis to the last word.
For some reason, Jiangg Youfei turned her head away, refusing to look at Li Qingxian.
"No matter how great the Celestial Venerable Order is, you have to be alive to use it. My name is Qingxian, and I have no grand ambitions. I just want to live a safe and stable life. This conflict between the Daoist and Demon Sects is too terrifying; I don’t dare get involved. Uncle Zhou, you rescued me from Ministry of Revenue Street. You wouldn’t just push me into a demon’s maw, right?" Li Qingxian got up, walked to the dining table, and began stacking the pastries from the surrounding plates onto the one in the center.
Zhou Chunfeng looked at Jiangg Youfei and gently shook his head.
Jiangg Youfei said, "But you just praised my peerless sense of justice."
Li Qingxian replied, "If I were a Fourth Grade grandmaster and the Demon Sect had harmed Uncle Zhou, I would definitely seek revenge just like you. But right now, I haven’t even achieved a Grade. I don’t have the strength to truss a chicken. Asking me to face a Senior Third Grade expert isn’t a question of justice, it’s a question of stupidity. I used to solve problems with my fists, and I got beaten up every day as a result. Now, I’m going to use my brain."
Li Qingxian curled his right index finger and tapped his temple lightly, then picked up the plate piled high with pastries with his left hand.
"Uncle Zhou, thanks for the pastries. I’ll bring the plate back later," Li Qingxian said as he started to walk out.
After two steps, Li Qingxian turned back to look at Jiangg Youfei. "Sister Youfei, we’re all on the same side here, so don’t mind me being blunt, but this matter requires careful planning. Look, I was almost killed, and didn’t I just have to swallow my anger and endure it? What else could I do? How about this: you help me find the mastermind who tried to have me killed and hunt them all down, one by one. If you do that, I’ll agree to your request immediately. By the way, Uncle Zhou, has our Night Guard found anything yet?"
"We have a lead. But I’ve already put the word out; they absolutely won’t dare to act so recklessly again." Zhou Chunfeng glared at Li Qingxian. ’And he calls this swallowing his anger?’
"Thank you, Uncle Zhou." Li Qingxian flashed a brilliant smile.
Zhou Chunfeng sighed. "Qingxian, I can guarantee your safety, otherwise I wouldn’t have sought you out. How about this: we’ll give you three more days. If you still don’t agree after three days, we’ll figure something else out."
"Alright. In three days, I’ll give Uncle Zhou and Youfei my final answer. Goodbye, Uncle Zhou, Uncle Xiaozhou, Sister Youfei." Li Qingxian bid farewell respectfully, like a well-read and reasonable scholar.
Watching Li Qingxian walk away, Zhou Chunfeng said, "Youfei, don’t blame him. He’s suffered a great deal, he’s still sick and hasn’t fully recovered, and he’s been targeted repeatedly. Anyone in his shoes would find it difficult to face a Third Grade from the Demon Sect."
"I don’t blame him..." Jiangg Youfei sighed softly. She turned to gaze wistfully out the window, the fire in her eyes extinguishing as the sun went down.
Li Qingxian walked slowly, holding the plate, replaying the entire situation in his mind from start to finish. In the end, he just shook his head.
’The priority right now is still to find a way to Enter Grade and cultivate my Fate Skill.’
Just as he neared the entrance to the Street Patrol Room, a surprised cry rang out.
"Bro!" A tall, sturdy, fair-skinned, and chubby figure rushed over.
Behind him, Zheng Hui and Han Anbo wore looks of exasperation.
Li Qingxian handed the plate to Yur Ping, picked out four small pastries, and walked toward Zheng Hui and Han Anbo.
"Brother Zheng, Brother Han, it’s just a little something. Have a bite. We can’t let Yur Ping hog them all," Li Qingxian said with a smile.
"Alright!" Zheng Hui and Han Anbo took the pastries from Li Qingxian and started eating.
After the two finished their pastries, they walked with Li Qingxian toward Room A9, while Yur Ping followed behind, stuffing his face.
They hadn’t gone more than a few steps when a guard came jogging up. Seeing Zheng Hui, he said, "Captain Zheng, your son is here again. He said he and his friends caught some rabbits and are going to roast them tonight. He wants you to come home."
Zheng Hui looked at Li Qingxian and the other two, troubled.
Other than on their days off, regular Night Guard were not allowed to leave after their shifts unless on important business.
Han Anbo said, "Captain Zheng, you should go back. Don’t keep your family waiting."
"Even if we went with you, the round trip would take almost two hours, and we could easily be discovered. It would be better to wait until our squad has a day off and all go to your place to eat. We could meet the ’little official’ then, too. I remember I’ve only met him twice, and we barely exchanged a few words," Li Qingxian said.
"Alright, I’ll head back first then."
"Brother Zheng, don’t forget to bring a rabbit back! Half is fine, too. We’re not picky," Yur Ping said, swallowing the pastry in his mouth and speaking with perfect clarity.
"You little brat, all you know is how to eat!" Zheng Hui scolded with a laugh, then waved his hand and turned to leave.
Watching Zheng Hui’s figure disappear out the door, Li Qingxian asked, "So, are we still eating dinner or not?"
Yur Ping mumbled through his peanut crisp, "Don’t worry. Brother Zheng’ll def’ly bring a rabbit back."
Li Qingxian pointed to the nearly empty plate. "This whole plate of pastries doesn’t count as dinner?"
"Snacks are snacks, and dinner is dinner."
"You make a surprisingly good point! You guys go shoot the breeze under the big locust tree. I’m going to the library to borrow a book and wait for Brother Zheng to come back with the rabbit."
"It’s on the way. I’ll go flip through some old case files and look at some old cases," Han Anbo said.
Li Qingxian nodded, and the two of them set off together.
"What about me?" Yur Ping asked, holding the plate with a lost expression.
"Just keep eating!" Li Qingxian and Han Anbo said in unison.
One of them looked for Fate Skill books, the other for old case files. After finding what they wanted, they returned to Room A9, each engrossing themselves in what they’d found.
After dark, Zheng Hui snuck into the room, placed an oil-paper package on the table, and whispered as he unwrapped it, "Eat up, quickly. Don’t let the animals in the other rooms smell it."
The three of them rushed over barefoot and gathered around the table.