"Can we go now?"
"I’ve already had someone prepare a covered boat. We’re just waiting for nightfall to set off quietly," Han Anbo said.
Li Qingxian smiled. "Just as I’d expect from Brother Han. You’ve handled everything perfectly."
Yur Ping said, "Brother Han is very meticulous. He’s planning to use a light disguise and pretend to be a fisherman out for some night fishing. It’s foolproof."
"Can it fool the eyes of a Middle Grade expert?" Li Qingxian asked.
Han Anbo stood up straight and said, "Back in the day, when I investigated enemy activity among officials, I never failed. I can even give you a quick disguise while I’m at it. I guarantee no one will recognize you."
"Let’s go!"
The three of them walked out of the Night Guard headquarters and boarded a carriage.
As night fell, the carriage stopped by the North Shore of the Grand Canal, and the three of them disembarked.
All three were dressed in ordinary, coarse blue clothes.
Li Qingxian had a few freckles on the wings of his nose, his eyebrows were thick, and his skin was dark, making him look like a simple country boy.
Led by Han Anbo, the three boarded a covered boat.
The boatman was a deaf man in his fifties. Han Anbo communicated with him through gestures and by mouthing his words.
Under the moonlight, the covered boat moved forward slowly. The wooden oars stirred the water with a gentle SPLASH, and shimmering ripples spread out slowly from the stern.
Han Anbo, wearing a Conical Hat and a straw raincoat, had his back to the South Shore and cast his fishing rod toward the north.
Li Qingxian and Yur Ping were inside the boat’s canopy, where they had cut a small hole facing south.
The covered boat drifted slowly onward. Pleasure boats crisscrossed the river, and the faint, tantalizing voices of patrons and courtesans drifted over the water, stirring the heart.
In the dark of night, the riverside street on the South Shore was a row of brightly lit taverns and brothels. Tiers of large red lanterns were displayed ostentatiously, their reflections turning half the river a burning red.
Li Qingxian peered through the small hole, searching slowly, and finally locked his sights on the second floor of a tavern.
It was over a hundred yards away, but with his Spiritual Eye partially open, he could clearly see two tables of people inside through the window.
One table was for the men, the other for their female companions.
Wei Yong sat in the seat of honor. The six men were in the midst of a lively banquet, their faces flushed from the wine.
Li Qingxian’s gaze swept over them. He recognized Wei Yong and Tao Zhi. He had seen two of the others before at the Disciplinary Assembly Hall, but the remaining two were strangers.
Judging by the rank patches on their official uniforms, Wei Yong was a Senior Fifth Grade, while the other five were either Sixth or Seventh Grade.
The women’s table was partially obscured by a wall, so he could only see three of them. It was clear they were eating and drinking with abandon.
’I recall now,’ Li Qingxian thought, ’that the culture in Qii Country is quite open. There’s no custom of women being confined to their homes. Even in the ancient history of Blue Star, it was only after the Beisong period that women became more conservative. The customs in many dynasties before the Beisong were very liberal.’
’In this world, women can practice Cultivation too. Back when the Human Race marched north to fight the demons, Female Cultivators were every bit as capable as their male counterparts.’
’There was even an official in the Ministry of War who was originally a man. His career was going nowhere, but after suffering a Qigong Deviation during his practice and transforming into a woman, his career prospects soared.’
Li Qingxian waited quietly for a moment. Sensing the time was right, he first looked at Tao Zhi, the Junior Seventh Grade official, and used his Qi Observation Skill.
The world before him centered on the distant Tao Zhi, from whom a white light radiated.
Tao Zhi had a fair, handsome face, now flushed crimson from the wine, which made him stand out as particularly good-looking among the group of Martial Artists.
Then, nothing happened.
There was no Twelve Longevity, no Destiny Image, no Life Mansion Vortex.
’As I thought. He’s protected by his Fate Grid and the Imperial Court.’
Li Qingxian silently recited the Spell for the "Covering Eyes" Magic.
"The sun and moon hang in the sky, let passing clouds conceal them. The mountains rise to high peaks, let flowing mists obscure them. The sea holds whales and dragons, let shimmering waves hide them..."
Within his Spirit Platform, the Magical Power of the Thunder Dragon Fire Seal surged, pouring into his eyes. It transformed into a faint mist that flashed once before vanishing.
Li Qingxian activated his Spiritual Eye Sees Dragon. This time, there was no grand vision of a coiling dragon suspended in the sky like before.
An Official Seal, perfectly square, materialized above Tao Zhi’s head.
It was Approaching Officer, one of the four auspicious signs of the Twelve Longevity.
The man was clearly riding a high wave of success.
The Official Seal was positioned rather high. Among the three phenomena of "Knocking on the Door," "Ascending the Hall," and "Securing a Post," this was "Securing a Post." The man had just been promoted to Room Leader of the Accountants in the Ministry of Revenue, a perfect match for his Qi Fortune.
Seeing the Dragon probed his Qi Fortune, but it still couldn’t reveal the Destiny Image.
Li Qingxian silently recited the incantation for the Observing Fate Skill.
Once the Observing Fate Skill was complete, Li Qingxian suddenly "saw" a pair of golden-pupiled dragon eyes appear above the Thunder Dragon Fire Seal.
The Magical Power from the Thunder Dragon Fire Seal passed through the golden-pupiled dragon eyes and entered his Life Mansion.
A cool aura flowed out from his Life Mansion and settled into his eyes.
Li Qingxian took a deep breath. Behind the Official Seal, a blue vortex materialized.
With a flash, Li Qingxian found himself in a flat courtyard.
Seeing the Dragon Enters the Life Mansion.
The courtyard and the Life Cloud were empty, save for a single stone house standing in the center of the yard.
Li Qingxian stared at the stone house, thinking, ’The Life Book says that one’s Life Mansion is determined by heaven. Whatever Life Mansion you’re born with is the one you’ll have for life; it doesn’t change. It’s not like Destiny Stars, which are divided into Celestial and Human Destiny Stars. It seems this man’s background isn’t much different from Yur Ping’s.’
Li Qingxian strode toward the stone door.
The stone door didn’t budge.
’Tao Zhi is a Junior Seventh Grade. His Grade Level is far too high for me. Even with Seeing the Dragon, this is as far as I can go. If he were just a Ninth Grade, and his Life Mansion wasn’t particularly strong, I could definitely enter it directly with Seeing the Dragon.’
Li Qingxian had expected this. He focused his will on his Life Mansion, and a swimming fish of Qi Fortune transformed into a wisp of Qi Fortune and entered the Celestial Destiny Instrument.
RUMBLE...
The rings of the Celestial Destiny Instrument began to spin. A wondrous and mighty power erupted, and the great door to Tao Zhi’s Life Mansion swung open.
Li Qingxian peered inside.
Tao Zhi was over thirty. Inside were three Life Lands: the Short-Life Land, the Cyan Life Land, and the Middle Life Land, each with a Destiny Star floating above it.
’A Three-Lands-with-Suspended-Stars Fate Grid. No wonder he could become a Seventh Grade Room Leader.’
Li Qingxian observed carefully, interpreting what he saw.
Above the Boyhood Life Land stood the Year Pillar, Moon Pillar, Day Pillar, and Hour Pillar.
Two stars were suspended there.
A Celestial Destiny Star was suspended above the Year Pillar.
Inside the Destiny Star, on a patch of sparse grass, an ordinary little yellow sheep was grazing with its head lowered.
Fate Grid: Yellow Sheep on Sparse Grass.
As the Fate Technique says:
Yellow sheep on grass, no disasters pass.
Thin sheep on dirt, a life of aimless hurt.
Strong sheep well-fed, jade and scepters ahead.
’Yellow Sheep on Sparse Grass... that’s a decent Lower Grade Fate Grid. In contrast, Yur Ping’s Lodged Green Rice is a classic inferior-grade Fate Grid. Both have a stone house, but the difference between their first Fate Grids is immense.’
A Human Destiny Star was suspended above the Moon Pillar.
Li Qingxian glanced at it, a strange expression crossing his face.
Inside the Destiny Star, a peach tree stood on a lush green lawn. One of its branches had fourteen peach blossoms.
Li Qingxian looked up at the Youth Life Land on the second step.
Within a Human Destiny Star on the Youth Life Land’s Year Pillar, the peach tree was flourishing, covered in blossoms.
There were more flowers than leaves.
’Over two hundred peach blossoms... looks like Uncle Zhou was being conservative...’ Li Qingxian couldn’t even count them all.
Looking closer, Li Qingxian’s expression darkened.
The peach blossoms were supposed to be pink, but nine of them were as black as ink, and over a dozen more were covered in black patterns.
Destiny Star: Sinful Peach Demon. A sign of great calamity.
As the Fate Technique says:
Forget last night, for new delights now call,
An old flame’s beauty can’t enthrall.
When wealth and looks are gone, the old love clings,
A blackened blossom, a bloody dagger swings.
Li Qingxian took a deep breath, controlling his emotions.
Those nine women had been intentionally murdered by Tao Zhi.
And he was heavily involved in the deaths of the dozen or so others.
’This isn’t the "Peach Blossoms Covering the Branches" Fate Grid anymore. This is the legendary "Sinful Peach Demon." He uses sinful methods to drain those women of their wealth, resources, and connections to strengthen himself, and then he kills them.’
Li Qingxian suppressed his disgust and observed the other peach blossoms. Sure enough, most of them had various patterns appearing on their surfaces.