Nightwatcher-Chapter 402: Revenge does not wait the night

# 402. Revenge does not wait the night

Xu Qi’an’s heart sank. He reached out, grasped his sabre leaning against the rockery, and strode toward the red-eyed girl. “Where is he?”

“He’s already been brought back to the manor.”

As Qiu Chanyi led Xu Qi’an outside, she sobbed, “Lingyun was sent back by someone. His legs were cut off. We can’t summon his soul… Senior Uncle Bailian said he must have unfinished wishes.”

Xu Qi’an’s lips curled into a cold arc.

Passing through the garden and following the stone-paved path, the two arrived at a courtyard. As they neared, the sound of sobbing reached them.

The courtyard was packed with people, the doors to the main hall wide open. Inside were Daoist Jinlian, Daoist Bailian, Chu Yuanzhen, Li Miaozhen, and the others, while the rest of the disciples stood outside.

In addition, Xu Qi’an spotted an unexpected figure—Young Master Liu of Ink Pavilion.

Xu Qi’an stepped over the threshold, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on the bed.

There lay a young man, his eyes wide open, his face deathly pale—long dead.

His legs had been severed cleanly at the knees, the cuts smooth and precise. Whoever had done it was not only powerful but wielded an exceptionally sharp weapon.

Xu Qi’an took a deep breath and kept his voice steady. “Who did this?”

Young Master Liu cupped his hands and said solemnly, “A mysterious young noble son in white robes, accompanied by two towering giants wearing conical hats. It is said that he had a confrontation with the Earth Sect’s Daoist Lanlian at Three Immortals Inn, and one of the giants struck Daoist Lanlian down with a single slap…”

The inn’s hall was a confined space, with both parties in close proximity. In such an environment, martial artists had overwhelming advantages over other systems.

However, even though Daoist Lanlian was only mid-tier among the Lotus Daoists, the attacker had to be a veteran fourth rank at the very least.

Xu Qi’an’s expression remained impassive as he nodded slightly.

Young Master Liu continued, “Afterward, that man publicly issued a bounty. He took out four enchanted weapons in one go, declaring that whoever severed one of Sir Xu’s arms would receive one enchanted weapon, two arms for two, all four limbs for four. If anyone could behead you, they would receive the entire sword box of enchanted weapons.”

Li Miaozhen sneered. “Arrogant fool.”

She seemed even angrier than Xu Qi’an himself.

Chu Yuanzhen frowned slightly, analyzing the situation rationally. “So, this white-robed noble specifically came for you, Ningyan?”

Master Hengyuan clasped his hands together and shook his head. “Amitabha. This humble monk does not think so. Sir Xu was in the capital until recently. He only arrived in Jianzhou today. News couldn’t have traveled so fast as to bring an enemy here.

“Unless that white-robed noble was already in Jianzhou. But Young Master Liu mentioned that his identity is mysterious and that he is not from Jianzhou. In that case, he must be after the lotus seeds.” ⱤᴀŊồ𝐁Ɛ𝐒

_Master Hengyuan’s intelligence is at least above the baseline—probably on par with Li Miaozhen’s…_

Daoist Jinlian looked at Xu Qi’an and asked, “Do you recognise this person?”

“I don’t.” Xu Qi’an shook his head, then smirked coldly. “But I have a good guess which faction he belongs to.”

Across all Jiuzhou, among all the major powers and systems, who could casually take out so many enchanted weapons and treat them as if they were worthless?

The Sitianjian could!

But they were not the only ones. More accurately, it had to be an Arcanist. And not just any Arcanist—it had to be a high-ranking one. Only a Rank Four Master of Formations or higher could craft enchanted weapons.

This meant that the white-robed noble had the support of a high-rank Arcanist.

*A high-rank Arcanist who is not from Sitianjian…* Xu Qi’an was very familiar with such a presence.

*My fortune is connected to the mysterious Arcanist faction; they had initially tried to capture me during the tax silver case. That white-robed young master should know about my fortune, otherwise, he wouldn’t show so much enmity towards me.*

_Is the mysterious Arcanist faction finally making a move against me?_ Xu Qi’an’s breathing quickened slightly.

But he soon dismissed the idea. Master Hengyuan was right—this was a chance encounter. The white-robed noble just happened to learn that Xu Qi’an was in Jianzhou.

Such a high-profile move didn’t fit the style of the mysterious Arcanist. It was most likely a stroke of fate that led to this confrontation.

_In that case, this might be an opportunity for me._

_Kill him, summon his soul, and uncover the truth behind everything._

The others noticed his silence but did not press him for explanations.

Young Master Liu said, “Afterward, that white-robed noble captured Lingyun, cut off his legs, and forced him to crawl back. I wasn’t there at the time, but when I heard about it, I rushed over immediately.”

At this, Young Master Liu’s face darkened in anger.

“I saw Lingyun crawling on the street, dragging two long trails of blood behind him. He was already barely conscious, yet he kept crawling forward…

“The white-robed noble followed him the entire way, holding a cup of plum wine, smiling and watching the spectacle. He forbade anyone from helping.

“Lingyun crawled all the way to the outskirts of town before he died. Only after that white-robed noble left did I dare to step forward and bring him back… I’m sorry.”

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Li Miaozhen gritted her teeth.

Daoist Bailian’s face was icy as frost. She had already heard this once, yet she still could not contain her anger.

“Daoist Jinlian, has our Heaven and Earth Society fallen so low? Are we just here for others to trample on?” she murmured bitterly. “Lingyun was a child we watched grow up.”

Daoist Jinlian looked at Xu Qi’an and said gravely, “His soul cannot be summoned, and his eyes refuse to close. Do you have any last words for him?”

Xu Qi’an stepped to the bedside and silently gazed at Lingyun. After a long pause, he murmured, “I already know.”

He reached out and gently closed Lingyun’s eyes.

A jolt ran through his body.

Daoist Jinlian consoled him, “For Daoist disciples, death is not the end. We will keep his soul safe. He will remain with us, in another form.”

Xu Qi’an remained noncommittal, then looked at the others:

“The situation is dire. The Wulin Alliance, the Earth Sect, King Huai’s spies, and now this newcomer… We don’t know his exact strength, but his two attendants are at least peak fourth rank. And he clearly has an abundance of enchanted weapons.

“Tomorrow, even with our formation’s protection, can just the few of us truly withstand this many experts?”

Everyone had already considered this question, and the conclusion was not optimistic.

They had simply been too consumed by their anger over Lingyun’s fate to bring it up.

A shadow of worry flickered through Daoist Jinlian’s eyes.

"Clear the courtyard of all disciples. I have an idea," Xu Qi’an said in a low voice.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Daoist Bailian stepped outside and dismissed the gathered disciples.

Once the doors were shut, Xu Qi’an spoke slowly, "Since our home-ground advantage is being diminished, rather than waiting for the enemy to gather tomorrow, why not take the initiative and strike first—divide and conquer."

Meeting their gazes, he declared, "We strike first. At dusk, we strike first!"

Daoist Bailian hadn’t expected him to utter such madness and immediately protested, "That’s impossible. We must guard the lotus seeds; how can we march into the town instead? Besides, the town is filled with experts now. Without the support of our formations, you wouldn’t stand a chance."

Abandoning their home-ground advantage and diving into enemy territory—this was suicide.

Xu Qi’an replied, "That man intentionally caused such a scene and humiliated Lingyun just to lure me out. He clearly knows my background and understands my temperament."

Whether it was beheading his superior, standing alone against rebels in Yunzhou, or executing two Dukes in the capital, all of these pointed to the fact that Xu Qi’an was a hot-blooded, impulsive martial artist.

The white-robed young man’s antics today—whether they stemmed from his personality or calculation—were meant to provoke him into walking into a trap.

"And yet you still plan to go?" Li Miaozhen frowned.

"I said we attack—but I never said we would fight in the town," Xu Qi’an sneered.

"What do you mean?" Chu Yuanzhen was momentarily puzzled.

Xu Qi’an didn’t answer directly but analysed, "Tomorrow, the forces in the town will launch a full-scale assault on us. We’ll have to bear the brunt of everything—the Wulin Alliance elites, the Earth Sect’s experts, King Huai’s spies, and that new bastard. Even with the formation’s support, we might not win.

"But what if we thin their numbers in advance?"

…

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Qi’an left the courtyard and saw that the Heaven and Earth Society disciples hadn’t dispersed. They were gathered outside.

Qiu Chanyi, her eyes red, stepped forward a few paces, hope written across her face. "Sir Xu… you will avenge Lingyun, won’t you?"

Xu Qi’an nodded silently.

The gathered disciples bowed deeply.

In a private residence in the town, Miss Rongrong sat atop a small wooden stool, resting her chin in her hands as she stared at the sky.

"What’s on your mind?"

A soft, sultry voice came from behind her.

Rongrong leapt to her feet, lowering her head. "Tower master."

Xiao Yuenu nodded slightly, her autumn-water eyes sweeping over Rongrong before she smiled. "Ever since returning, you’ve been asking around about that young master’s identity. Have you taken a liking to him?"

Rongrong was stunned, then smiled bitterly and shook her head.

"Seems like you have."

"No, no, it’s not that…"

Just as Rongrong was about to explain, Xiao Yuenu cut her off with a single sentence. "I mean Xu Qi’an."

Rongrong murmured like a mosquito, "It’s not like that… I just admire him, respect him. That’s why I’m worried for him."

Admiration wasn’t bound by gender.

For example, her close friend, Young Master Liu of Ink Pavilion, also deeply admired Silver Gong Xu.

Xiao Yuenu nodded. "That white-robed young master’s origins are mysterious, and his two attendants are terrifyingly strong. Even in Jianzhou, they would be considered top-tier. Though he has yet to reveal his own strength, I doubt he’s weak."

Rongrong’s expression darkened with worry. "I can feel it—many people have been tempted by those enchanted weapons. Tomorrow, Silver Gong Xu might be in great danger."

"Provoking such a powerful and wealthy enemy… danger is inevitable. But Silver Gong Xu isn’t weak either. He also has his vajra body. While he might not be able to defeat those two attendants, escaping should be no problem," Xiao Yuenu reassured her.

Surviving would be an achievement in itself.

…

At dusk, in an inn within the town.

Clad in white robes and a jade belt, Qiu Qian stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back. His two towering attendants sat at the table—one silent, the other murmuring a warning, "Young Master, this will disrupt the plan. This is not allowed."

Qiu Qian sneered. "You know my situation. Doing nothing will only make things harder for me. But if I can capture Xu Qi’an and bring him back—

"All threats and rivals will vanish. No one will be able to shake my position again."

The Left Guardian continued his persuasion. "A man blessed with great fortune will always survive disasters. Even *he* could only let fate take its course—otherwise, Xu Qi’an would have long been dead. Does it truly require your intervention?"

Qiu Qian furrowed his brows, clearly displeased. "Fortune isn’t omnipotent. If it were, why would anyone bother cultivating? Everyone would just fight over fortune instead."

He turned his head and glanced at the setting sun in the west. Clicking his tongue, he murmured, "I must have underestimated him. He didn’t take the bait… Or maybe his companions held him back."

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock at the door.

The door swung open.

Qiu Qian turned with a frown, only to see a strikingly handsome young man standing at the threshold, a sabre at his lower back. His cold gaze swept over the three of them.

Even though it was clearly a disguised face, Qiu Qian’s lips curled into a predatory grin. "Xu Qi’an."

"It’s me," Xu Qi’an nodded, confirming it outright.

"So you did come."

Qiu Qian’s grin widened. "I analysed your temperament—impulsive, domineering, intolerant of insults. I humiliated you in town, killed that Earth Sect disciple… With your personality, there was no way you’d let it go."

"I figured as much." Xu Qi’an nodded again.

"Then, have you also realised that Earth Sect’s demon Daoists and King Huai’s spies have already surrounded this inn?" Qiu Qian’s smirk was full of confidence.

"A senior once told me—every person’s personality has a weakness. Seize it, and they are yours to destroy."

Several powerful presences rapidly approached, converging on the inn.

Qiu Qian’s smirk deepened.

"You did indeed grasp my weakness."

For the first time, Xu Qi’an’s face shifted into a cold sneer. "You overconfident fool."

The moment his words fell, a white-clad figure appeared abruptly in the room.

A deep voice recited:

_"Where the seas end the heavens make shore, I stand atop the Arcanist peak!"_

The figure stomped a foot down.

A formation lit up, quickly expanding to cover the entire room.

In the next instant, everyone there vanished.