"I’ll go right now... Should you give me a Spirit Talisman or something?" Han Anbo cleared his throat.
Yur Ping laughed and said, "Brother Han, even you get scared sometimes?"
"Brother Han is just being prudent and cautious." Li Qingxian glanced at the Cyan Snake and said, "If this thing is mishandled, it could certainly cause a disaster."
Li Qingxian once again cut some Talisman Paper, creating three types of Fate Skill Talisman Paper.
One was a Spirit Awakening Talisman, one was a Calamity-Averting Talisman, and one was a Cleaning Talisman.
On the Yellow Paper, the runes were a bright, vivid red. Deep within the runes, a blue-white light seemed to flow.
Li Qingxian put away the Spirit Awakening Talisman and said, "This kind of Talisman is useless to you two."
He picked out two Calamity-Averting Talismans and handed one to each of them. "Calamity-Averting Talismans. They help you avoid bad luck. If you encounter any Fate Skill-related harm or accidents, like a weaker Life Acceleration Skill, or if something happens with this snake, it won’t affect you. Keep it close to your body."
The two men took them.
"This is a Cleaning Talisman. If you encounter anything unclean, keeping this on you will help you avoid it to a certain extent. Even if you get contaminated, it can be cleansed. Of course, it only works against ordinary filth," Li Qingxian said.
"These two Talismans are treasures, worth more than gold. Yur Ping, don’t take them lightly. If everyone in the Night Guard had one of these, we’d have less than half the deaths each year," Han Anbo warned.
"Doesn’t the Night Guard carry talismans when we go out on missions?" Yur Ping asked, confused.
Han Anbo picked up the Cleaning Talisman, pointed at its runes, and said, "I once heard a Sixth-Grade Taoist Practitioner say that not all Spirit Talismans are created equal. Look at these runes—the red is extremely bright, already superior to ordinary runes. Now look closer. See the fine, blue-white lines flowing beneath the red?"
"You’re right. It really is different from a normal Spirit Talisman," Yur Ping said with curiosity.
"This is a Thunder Concealment Talisman. I once saw a young Daoist holding a talisman with runes like this. A Tiger Demon didn’t take it seriously and bit off the young Daoist’s arm. The Daoist’s arm was gone, but the Tiger Demon’s entire head exploded. SPLAT."
"Terrifying..." Yur Ping touched the Spirit Talisman through his clothes.
"Once you reach a higher Grade Level, you can buy things like Gold paper, Spiritual Blood, and Spiritual Pens," Han Anbo said.
Li Qingxian asked, "These Spirit Talismans, can they be sold for money?"
"Of course they can," Yur Ping said.
Han Anbo thought for a moment, however, and said, "I suggest you discuss it with Lord Zhou. Your Spirit Talismans are extraordinary. It’s best not to draw attention to them."
"Alright."
"I’m off!" Han Anbo wrapped the Cyan Ring Snake in a blue cloth and left, carrying it.
In the afternoon, Han Anbo returned and recounted how he had dug a hole and buried the snake in an abandoned old house. He had then waited in hiding for a full half-hour, leaving only after confirming there were no issues.
"What do we do next?" Yur Ping asked.
Li Qingxian said, "Fate is never fixed. Next, we wait for the right opportunity. When it’s almost time for the government offices to close, Brother Han, take me to the path the Finance Department officials always use to leave. I want to get a look at Tao Zhi."
Han Anbo said thoughtfully, "When Fate Skills appear, destiny changes."
"You’ve followed a few too many Fate Masters," Li Qingxian remarked.
Han Anbo nodded. "I was there when the Night Guard was first established. We were desperately short on people back then. I was considered quick-witted, so I got to work under many of the lords. It’s a pity my talent was limited, and I never managed to Enter the Grades."
Yur Ping said, "It’s a shame about Brother Han. If he had managed to Enter the Grades, he’d definitely be a big name in the Night Guard."
Just as Li Qingxian was about to speak, he raised a hand to silence them, closed his eyes, and sat up straight, his mind Guarding his Spirit Platform.
In the netherworld of his mind, he saw a headless Cyan Snake with a writhing belly burrow into a luxurious mansion. It then exploded into countless smaller snakes that scattered in all directions and vanished without a trace.
’This Fate Skill truly is profound.’
Li Qingxian thought with his eyes closed. The first link of the chain was now in place. The second link would be to get Wei Yong to catch the adulterers.
However, the Destiny Image only showed Wei Yong discovering the affair two months later; it didn’t show the result.
’An ordinary person in this situation might resort to bloodshed, but Wei Yong would definitely prioritize the interests of his official position first, with personal feelings coming second. In that vision, Wei Yong watched for a long time without making a move. The chance of him resolving it on the spot is very small...’
’So, I need to escalate this, force them into a dog-eat-dog fight.’
Li Qingxian mulled it over. Using the Life Acceleration Skill was the extent of his current abilities. He would have to study for a while before he could use any other Fate Skills.
’My means of dealing with a Fifth-Grade Official like him are limited. I’ll still have to ask Uncle Zhou for help.’
Li Qingxian went to the Chunfeng Inn, but unfortunately, Zhou Chunfeng wasn’t there. He only managed to snag a plate of pastries on his way back.
As the time to close the government offices approached, Han Anbo and Li Qingxian pretended to be on an errand and went to an old warehouse outside the Finance Department. They went up to the second floor and stood in a corner, looking out.
Han Anbo pointed to a stone path between the green grass and said, "The people from the Finance Department will leave by this path. From here, we’ll have a perfect view of their backs."
The two of them chatted quietly while they waited.
Before long, the bell signaling the closing of the Night Guard’s offices rang. The two stopped talking and watched the path in silence.
「Chunfeng Inn.」
"Junior Director Yan and Disciplinary Officer Liu are coming today? Go find Li Qingxian, quickly."
"Yes, sir."
「Jinchan Residence, Finance Department.」
Wei Yong walked out of the room, holding a brocade box embroidered with a red peony. Tao Zhi followed behind him.
"There’s a family banquet today, so I won’t trouble you any further. Prepare well for tomorrow’s banquet with Lord Huang. There can be no mistakes."
"Rest assured, my lord. This subordinate guarantees it will be handled perfectly," Tao Zhi said with a slight bow.
As they neared the main gate, a Night Guard in green robes hurried over and said in a low voice, "My lord, I have an urgent matter to report." After speaking, he glanced at Tao Zhi.
But Wei Yong said, "He’s one of us, it’s fine. Is it about the Ministry of Works?"
"Junior Director Yan from the Inner Treasury Bureau and Lord Liu from the Ministry of Works are about to arrive together. They should be heading to the Chunfeng Inn," the man said.
Wei Yong froze, standing in place as he lowered his head in thought.
Tao Zhi said to the man, "Continue your surveillance. Report back to the lord if anything develops." The man acknowledged and left.
"My lord, will you be presiding over the family banquet or going to the Chunfeng Inn?" Tao Zhi asked.
Wei Yong sighed. "You know a thing or two about my family affairs. My brothers-in-law, they’re all arrogant and unruly, relying on their Capital Camp backgrounds. They all think I owe my official position entirely to their family. On top of that, today is my wife’s birthday. If I don’t go back, there’s no telling how she’ll lecture me."
"So... you’re giving up this opportunity?" Tao Zhi asked.
Wei Yong thought to himself. ’I want to rise another rank, which is why I connected with the Heir of Prince Yuann and made a move against Li Qingxian. But I botched the job repeatedly, and he’s very displeased. I urgently need to redeem myself. The Crown Prince was under house arrest for a long time and is short on cash now that he’s out. If I can get him a share of the Divine Capital Bureau’s profits this time, our relationship can be salvaged. Use Zhou Chunfeng’s money to please the Heir of Prince Yuann, get to know a favorite from the Internal Factory, and simultaneously lull Zhou Chunfeng into thinking I’m satisfied. Finally, find a chance to strike at Li Qingxian. It’s killing multiple birds with one stone.’
Wei Yong made up his mind. He looked up and said, "I can’t let a single birthday banquet get in the way of important matters. As soon as Junior Director Yan arrives, I will head straight to the Chunfeng Inn and play it by ear!"
Tao Zhi was confused. "But what about your wife’s birthday banquet?"
Wei Yong handed the brocade box to Tao Zhi.