“Great mercy and compassion?”

Gu Qingyan took out the jade seal and opened it. Sure enough, four characters were inscribed on its surface.

What was even stranger was that when the seal was flipped over, the other side wasn’t blank—it was also engraved with four characters: “Peace and success.”

“Why are there inscriptions on both sides?”

The jade seal was pure white, with only the outlines of a bridge and two birds.

Gu Qingyan examined it back and forth. “Why does this jade look so familiar?”

He took out the Chi Tiger Seal. Placing the two seals side by side, he found that they were made of exactly the same material—as if carved from the same piece of jade.

“Sigh, looks like it’s not the Prince Huai’s seal.”

Gu Qingyan was disappointed at first, but then felt that it made sense.

The Prince Huai’s tomb gave him a skill worth 10 points just for checking in. If this had really been the Prince Huai’s seal, it would’ve been worth at least a dozen or even twenty points.

But this one, which he got for just one point at his ancestral shrine, was most likely just an ordinary jade seal.

Now that he saw both seals were made of identical material, he was even more convinced.

The Chi Tiger Seal was found on a wild grave slope and had nothing to do with Prince Huai.

Gu Qingyan didn’t stay disappointed for long. At the very least, the medicinal bath was real, and the Chi Tiger Seal could detoxify poison. Perhaps this dual-inscribed seal had its own uses.

One bore the phrase “wandering person,” the other “great mercy and compassion.” The original owner was likely a monk or ascetic.

“Is Young Master Gu home?”

A voice called from outside.

Gu Qingyan stepped out curiously and saw that his third sister had already let the visitor in.

“Brother, it’s the man from last time!”

Gu Qingyan thought it was Liu Yanchi, but to his surprise, it was Xia Liu, someone he’d only met once.

“Brother Xia? What brings you here?”

It had only been a little over a month since Xia Liu left—why had he come back so soon?

Xia Liu gave a goofy grin. “Well, it’s Mid-Autumn Festival. My lord sent me to deliver some festival gifts.”

Gu Qingyan looked outside and chuckled.

There were two carts piled full of goods.

“Brother Pei’s last delivery still isn’t finished!”

“My lord instructed me—I’m only responsible for delivering,” Xia Liu replied as he began carrying things into the house.

He then pulled out a letter from his chest. “Young Master, this time the lord also wrote a letter.”

Gu Qingyan forgot all about being polite and opened it right away. Inside was a single piece of paper, with only two words written on it:

[Don’t worry.]

Gu Qingyan couldn’t help asking, “That’s it? Are you sure nothing was left out?”

“Nope. The lord sealed it himself before handing it to me,” Xia Liu explained.

Gu Qingyan was speechless. Pei Xuan rarely spoke, almost like a robot, and even his letters were this terse.

Was this how experts behaved? Like those stoic swordsmen in novels—Ye Gucheng, Ximen Chuixue—they all had that air.

His own progress in martial arts was slow. Could it be because he talked too much?

Lost in thought, Gu Qingyan noticed that Xia Liu had already stuffed both carts’ worth of goods into the yard. It was clearly even more than last time.

“Young Master, the delivery is done. I’ll take my leave now.”

Gu Qingyan quickly called out, “Wait—why not stay at my place for a couple of days? I’d like to prepare some gifts as well.”

“The lord gave me more tasks, and I have to rush to complete them. I really can’t stay this time,” Xia Liu said apologetically.

Gu Qingyan frowned. “That urgent?”

Xia Liu seemed to remember something and grinned. “But the young master can still write a letter—there’s time for that.”

“Well, alright then.”

Gu Qingyan nodded and turned to shout, “Mom, pack a few of each mooncake flavor. If we have anything else tasty and long-lasting, pack that too.”

Madam Liu answered and rushed off with the two younger sisters to prepare the gifts.

Gu Qingyan went inside and started writing furiously. But it had only been a little over a month since last time, and nothing much had happened—he really didn’t have much to say.

Biting his pen, Gu Qingyan decided to write about his time at the county school and praised himself for studying hard.

Then he looked back at Pei Xuan’s incredibly simple note—just two characters—and figured Pei Xuan must like flattery.

Otherwise, why send just gifts last time, and gifts plus a letter this time?

Come on, who doesn’t like praise?

Gu Qingyan didn’t hesitate and went all in with compliments. He wrote about everything from poetry and prose to life philosophy, stretching it out to ten full pages—almost too much to fit in the envelope.

After sealing the thick letter, Gu Qingyan frowned.

Aside from mooncakes, they didn’t really have anything suitable as a festival gift.

Suddenly, his eyes landed on the jade seal.

The Chi Tiger Seal was still useful to him, but this newly acquired “Great Mercy and Compassion” seal wasn’t of much use.

It wouldn’t fetch much if sold, and he wasn’t that desperate for money anyway.

Might as well give it to Pei Xuan. Last time, he had passed out on the road—dangerous stuff. Carrying the seal could be a safety precaution.

After all, Pei Xuan was such a powerful backer. He might need his help again if he wanted to invoke Prince Huai’s spirit in the future. It was a worthy investment.

Having made up his mind, Gu Qingyan found a wooden box and placed the jade seal inside.

To prevent it from getting damaged, he even wrapped it in a cloth.

Outside, under the eaves, Xia Liu was drinking tea and eating mooncakes.

He had a big appetite—each palm-sized mooncake disappeared in just two bites.

Gu Wangqing brought out a large stack, and in no time, Xia Liu had polished them all off. The two young girls stared at him in astonishment.

“Are you hungry? I’ll go cook you a bowl of noodles,” Gu Wangqing offered as she headed into the kitchen.

Xia Liu scratched his head in embarrassment and called out loudly, “I’m not hungry, really! I just eat fast out of habit. No need to trouble yourself!”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’ll be ready soon,” Gu Wangqing replied from the kitchen.

When Gu Qingyan came out after finishing his letter, he saw Gu Shuyan standing at the doorway.

She waved excitedly when she saw him. “Brother, come quickly—Brother Xia Liu is amazing!”

When he went over to look, he saw several empty bowls on the table. Xia Liu was holding a large bowl of egg noodles, slurping them down heartily. He even drank up the noodle soup in one go, not leaving a drop behind.

Aunt Liu was full of praise. “This boy has such a good appetite. That’s how you build a strong body! Qingyan, you’re good in every way except you’re picky with food and don’t eat properly. That’s why you’re so skinny.”

She even admonished Gu Qingyan, “You should learn from Young Master Xia.”

By the time Xia Liu finished the last bowl of noodles, not a single dish was left untouched on the table.

“Young Master, is your letter done? I’ve got to head off now.”

Gu Qingyan nodded. “It’s finished. Brother Xia, would you like to eat a little more?”

Xia Liu patted his stomach. “I really can’t fit another bite.”

“Wow, the food at your place is amazing! I haven’t eaten this well in a long time.”

Gu Qingyan beamed. “Then when you have time, come again. Stay a few more days next time—eat your fill before you go.”

“Come to think of it, Brother Pei hasn’t tried it either. When will he finish his assignment? Will he pass through Lingchuan County again? Could he come see my mother?”

Xia Liu looked a bit slow-witted but kept his lips sealed. “I’m not sure. But the lord is concerned about you, Young Master. If he has time, he’ll definitely come back.”

“Then Brother Xia, you must come with him,” Gu Qingyan said with a smile.

Aunt Liu wrapped the leftover mooncakes in oiled paper and tucked them neatly into a bamboo basket for easy carrying.

She also brought out the pastries prepared for the Mid-Autumn Festival and pressed Xia Liu’s hand, instructing, “These won’t keep long. Eat them on the road. Whatever you do, don’t go hungry.”

She made the rough, burly man blush from ear to ear.

He slung the bundle over his back, tucked the important things inside his robe, mounted his horse, and departed.

Gu Shuyan watched him go, reluctant to see him leave. “Brother Xia Liu eats so well. Watching him made the mooncakes taste even better.”

Aunt Liu smiled wryly.

Gu Qingyan chuckled. “Then let’s keep eating.”

Xia Liu rode off, swiftly leaving Meiling Village behind. He didn’t head into town but instead took the fork in the road going south.

Suddenly, he pulled the reins and stopped, glancing back.

A group of riders was heading toward Meiling Village.

Magistrate Hong, being a civil official, didn’t know how to ride and now sat behind a soldier, his face ashen.

When they arrived, Magistrate Hong fought off the urge to vomit and said in a low voice, “My lord, Gu Qingyan lives here. He is fifteen, of clean background, and has no connection with the Taiping Sect.”

“Whether he does or not isn’t for you to decide.”

“Knock on the door,” Lu Jin ordered coldly.

Magistrate Hong, swallowing his irritation, stepped forward to knock.

Inside, Gu Qingyan heard the sound of hooves and thought Xia Liu had come back. He opened the door and asked, “Brother Xia, did you forget something?”

Before the words were fully out, a group of men shoved the door open and barged in.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Gu Qingyan’s expression darkened.

Magistrate Hong quickly stepped in and held his shoulder. “Don’t be rash.”

“This is Lord Lu Jin from the Royal City Inspectorate. He just has a few questions for you—just answer honestly.”

Gu Qingyan looked displeased. Even if they were from the Royal City Inspectorate, barging into a private residence like this was far too overbearing.

“Mother, Second Sister, Third Sister—it’s fine. Why don’t you go stay at Uncle’s place for a while?”

Not wanting to scare them, Gu Qingyan suppressed his anger.

“No, we’re not going. We’ll stay right here,” Aunt Liu said firmly.

The two sisters also stood beside him. Though they were afraid, they refused to leave.

Lu Jin scanned the courtyard and his eyes fell on the yet-to-be-packed items.

“Where did all this come from?”

“Gifts from an old friend for the New Year. I haven’t had time to sort them yet,” Gu Qingyan replied.

Lu Jin sneered, “Old friend? Search everything.”

Two subordinates immediately began searching—not just the courtyard, but the entire house.

Gu Qingyan pressed his lips tightly.

Magistrate Hong, afraid he might lose his temper, whispered, “This is the Inspectorate’s procedure. They searched the county offices too—it’s just formalities. Once they’re done, it’ll be over.”

Gu Qingyan sneered silently. What kind of procedure was this?

But the situation was beyond his control. Even Magistrate Hong couldn’t stop them. All Gu Qingyan could do was endure.

“Lord, there’s nothing here,” one of the men reported.

Lu Jin nodded and turned to Gu Qingyan. “So, you are Gu Qingyan. I’m taking you back for questioning.”

Gu Qingyan met his gaze. “I’ve already explained everything that needs explaining. What more is there to ask?”

“Watch your tone. This is the Royal City Inspectorate—how dare you question us?”

Magistrate Hong quickly interjected, “My lord, wasn’t it agreed that if there were questions, I would ask them? It’s the holiday—taking him away like this seems inappropriate…”

“Young Master Gu risked his life to help others. His actions have benefited the people—please, sir, show some leniency.”

But Lu Jin gave him no face at all. “Take him away.”

“Let go of my brother!” Gu Shuyan rushed forward, pounding her fists.

Gu Wangqing and Madam Liu blocked the way, holding firm. “Why are you taking our Yan-ge? He did a good deed and saved people—what right do you have to arrest him?”

“Stand aside, or don’t blame me for being rude,” Lu Jin barked coldly.

Gu Qingyan’s face turned grim. He didn’t understand why the Royal City Patrol had suddenly come for him.

He truly had nothing to do with the Taiping Sect.

“Mother, Second Sister, Third Sister, step aside. I’ll go with them,” Gu Qingyan said, afraid they might get hurt. “I have a clear conscience. I’m not afraid of slander.”

“Stop!”

A stern voice rang out: “The Royal City Patrol, what arrogance! Does Lord Luo know how his men are behaving—so unruly, arresting innocent citizens at will?”

Lu Jin turned to look at the speaker. His eyes fell on the man’s fine steed, and he paused slightly.

“And who are you?”

“No one worth mentioning—just a lowly soldier under Lord Pei.”

Xia Liu dismounted. When he saw the chaos inside the house, he was glad he’d come back to check.

Otherwise, Lord Pei’s dear little brother would’ve been bullied by this pack of bloodhounds.

Lu Jin snorted coldly. “This man is connected to the Taiping Sect case. I find the records unclear and intend to reopen the investigation. It’s perfectly reasonable.”

“What’s unclear? If you’re making an arrest, where’s your warrant?” Xia Liu demanded.

The two men locked in a tense standoff.

After a moment, Lu Jin gave a short laugh. “Gu Qingyan is coming with us voluntarily for questioning. Why would we need a warrant? Gu Qingyan, isn’t that right?”

Gu Qingyan frowned.

The message was clear: a threat. He could refuse, but if he did… just look at how the county magistrate had been signaling him with desperate eyes.

Just then, Xia Liu spoke again.

“Young Master Gu, now would be the perfect time to use the calling card the lord gave you.”

“Calling card?”

Lu Jin was startled.

He had assumed Gu Qingyan was merely acquainted with someone from the Pei household. But this hinted at something much deeper.

Gu Qingyan was surprised too.

Was the calling card really that useful? Could Pei Xuan truly be someone so important—even the Royal City Patrol had to respect his token?

He quickly pulled the card from his robe. “Is it this one?”

Xia Liu took it and handed it to Lu Jin.

“Since you wear the red robe, Lord Lu, you should recognize this token.”

Lu Jin glanced down—and sure enough, his expression changed dramatically.

Xia Liu continued, “My lord personally vouches for Young Master Gu. He has no connection whatsoever with the Taiping Sect. Lord Lu, you must be thorough in your investigation, of course—but you must also not wrongly accuse the innocent. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Lu Jin’s face shifted through several expressions.

More than once, Gu Qingyan thought he was about to explode.

But in the end, the official returned the calling card. “Looks like a flood nearly washed away the Dragon King’s temple—we didn’t realize we were dealing with one of our own. Had we known this was an old friend of Lord Pei, we would never have dared offend him.”

“Before we left the capital, His Highness the Crown Prince reminded us repeatedly—he said Lord Pei was stationed in Guangzhou Prefecture. If we happened to run into him, we were to convey his regards. Unfortunately, we’ve been stuck here in Lingchuan County, and missed the chance.”

“Judging by your appearance, young man, you’re heading back to Guangzhou to report in. When you do, be sure to deliver the Crown Prince’s greetings to Lord Pei.”

Xia Liu nodded. “I will carry out the Crown Prince’s orders.”

Lu Jin turned to leave with his men.

Gu Shuyan couldn’t help muttering, “They messed up our whole house. Look, the dried lychees are scattered everywhere.”

Gu Wangqing quickly pulled her younger sister back. She thought those officers were terrifying and was afraid of provoking them.

Lu Jin paused mid-step.

Magistrate Hong was sweating profusely, terrified that this official would lose his temper.

He knew all too well what the people of the Imperial City Patrol were like—difficult, with a capital D.

Gu Qingyan gave a light cough. “It’s nothing, we’ll just tidy up. We can still eat them after picking them up.”

He had already taken advantage of Pei Xuan’s name to scare off the Imperial City Patrol—it wouldn’t do to push them too far and leave them no way to save face.

Lu Jin turned around and slapped the man beside him. “Didn’t you hear? Go pick them up!”

The man didn’t utter a word and immediately turned to pick things up.

“No need, no need. We’ll do it ourselves,” Liu Mama said, visibly frightened.

Lu Jin said flatly, “My men were careless and startled the young master. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

“Of course not.”

Gu Qingyan nodded, but inwardly he was even more on guard.

The way the Imperial City Patrol had flipped their attitude was too extreme. They were like a pack of hyenas—show even a hint of weakness, and they’d pounce.

After the courtyard was cleaned up, the Imperial City Patrol finally left, taking Magistrate Hong with them.

Xia Liu let out a sigh of relief. “Good thing I had a bad feeling and came back to check.”

Gu Qingyan also relaxed; that earlier scene had truly been frightening.

“Brother Xia, thank you.”

“Why thank me? If you want to thank someone, thank the lord. The Imperial City Patrol gave face to him, not me.”

Xia Liu grinned sheepishly, then added a reminder, “Young master, if something like this happens again, don’t even hesitate—take out the name token right away.”

He hinted, “The Imperial City Patrol is known for being rough and unreasonable. If you really got taken in, you’d suffer for sure.”

Sometimes, they’d even resort to torture just to close a case.

Gu Qingyan nodded repeatedly.

He truly hadn’t remembered, and hadn’t expected Pei Xuan’s name to carry so much weight. He still didn’t know who Pei Xuan really was.

He carefully tucked the name token back into his robe and promised, “Next time, I’ll wear it on my forehead if I have to.”

“Now you’re getting it. Stick it right on your forehead, and people will know you’re one of the lord’s people. Even if they had the courage of a bear or leopard, they wouldn’t dare touch you.” Xia Liu laughed heartily.

He didn’t linger. After confirming that the Gu family was safe, he mounted his horse and rode off.

Gu Qingyan rested his hand on the name token, thoughtful.

“Mother, Second Sister, Third Sister—were you scared?”

The three of them all shook their heads. Liu Mama, however, still looked worried. “Will they come back? Qingyan, maybe you should find a place to hide for a while?”

“They left today, so they won’t be coming back.”

Gu Qingyan patted the name token with a smile. “If they do, I’ll really stick this to my forehead.”

The three finally felt somewhat reassured.

Liu Mama couldn’t help but ask, “Who exactly is Young Master Pei? That man from the Imperial City Patrol changed his attitude the moment he saw the name token.”

“I haven’t asked before. I’ll ask when I get the chance. But he’s definitely not an ordinary person.”

Gu Qingyan thought to himself: ever since he met Pei Xuan, nothing but good things had happened. He’d gotten a movable sign-in point, the Prince of Huai took possession of him, and now the name token—every one of them felt like a golden finger of fortune.

Saving Pei Xuan that day had really paid off.

—

Elsewhere, Xia Liu had quickly caught up with the men from the Imperial City Patrol.

Lu Jin and his men were walking slowly, clearly waiting for him.

“No wonder we’ve been working on this for over a month and found nothing. Turns out Lord Pei had already prepared everything,” Lu Jin said sarcastically.

Xia Liu replied seriously, “My lord is working in Guangzhou Prefecture on imperial orders. If Lord Lu doesn’t believe me, why not come with me to Guangzhou to see whether our lord is neglecting his duties?”

“Hmph. You know what I mean,” Lu Jin snorted coldly.

Xia Liu looked puzzled. “I really don’t. Please, Lord Lu, clarify.”

“You…”

Lu Jin seemed to think of something and restrained his anger. “Fine. When Lord Pei returns to the capital, he can explain everything to His Highness the Crown Prince himself.”

“Let’s go.”

At the fork in the road, the two groups went their separate ways.

Magistrate Hong wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in it, pretending he didn’t exist.

Lu Jin gave him a sidelong glance and said coolly, “You’re a smart man. You should know what to say and what not to say.”

“Understood, sir,” Magistrate Hong answered repeatedly.

Without delay, Lu Jin began organizing his men to leave Lingchuan County.

One of his subordinates asked in confusion, “My lord, after working for over a month, are we really just leaving like this?”

“That’s right, my lord. If we leave now, wouldn’t that mean the whole month’s effort was wasted?”

Lu Jin sneered, “Anywhere Pei Xuan has been, staying another month is still a waste of time.”

“Who would’ve thought he was so scheming? As soon as he noticed something unusual in Lingchuan County, he planted a pawn early on. If there was anything valuable, it’s already been taken away.”

“You mean that Gu Qingyan? Then why didn’t we just take him in and interrogate him with some force?”

Lu Jin shot him a glare. “You dare lay a hand on someone under Pei Xuan? He’ll be at your doorstep with a sword in no time.”

“What’s the rush? There’s no need for us to act. Once he returns to the capital, His Highness the Crown Prince will deal with him.”

With a string of curses, the Royal City Guards left Lingchuan County and stopped their raids altogether.

By the time the county magistrate of Hong received the news, the troops were already gone. He let out a massive sigh of relief.

During this time, the Royal City Guards had practically turned Lingchuan upside down.

---

Cough, cough.

In a guesthouse in Qingzhou Prefecture, a man leaning against the bedhead was coughing repeatedly.

After a long while, the coughing subsided. “Pei Xuan?”

“Yes. I pursued the matter and finally uncovered the connection between Gu Qingyan and Pei Xuan.”

The man’s expression was unreadable.

“I found out that it was Pei Xuan himself who escorted Gu Qingyan to Lingchuan County. Even after he left, he sent messages several times, and even gave Gu Qingyan his personal name card.”

“Yesterday, when the Royal City Guards went to search the house, they ran into someone sent by Pei Xuan. We couldn’t get a clear look at the person, but he was very skilled—our men couldn’t keep up.”

“According to Lu Jin of the Royal City Guards, the name card had a dragon pattern, so it must have been personally given by Pei Xuan.”

The man chuckled softly. “A name card with a dragon pattern, personally handed over by Pei Xuan? How interesting.”

“No wonder that Gu Qingyan was able to find the tomb of Prince Huai. It must’ve been Pei Xuan pulling strings behind the scenes.”

He let out a sinister laugh. “Should I take action and just kill him?”

The man shook his head. “What good would that do? If you’re that capable, go kill Pei Xuan.”

The subordinate fell silent at those words.

If they could kill Pei Xuan, they wouldn’t be so helplessly enraged.

The man continued, “No wonder, back in that cave, his fighting style looked so familiar. Now that I think about it, it shares the same lineage as Pei Xuan’s—almost like they were trained by the same master.”

“Trained by the same master? How could that be?”

The man narrowed his eyes. “Yes… how could that be?”

“But that’s exactly what it looks like. I lost to him—it’s not entirely unjustified.”

The subordinate lowered his head. “If not for your injuries, my lord, how could a mere brat defeat you?”

The man let out a soft scoff. “His skills are not ordinary. If you went, it’d just be a death sentence.”

Seeing the dissatisfaction in his subordinate’s eyes, the Left Protector didn’t bother to say more.

“Since we failed this time, keep searching. No matter how elusive Prince Huai’s tomb is, we’ll eventually find some trace.”

He coughed lightly again, then asked, “Any news of the Mandarin Duck Seal?”

“Still no sign,” the subordinate replied.

The Left Protector sighed. “If we could find that seal, we could pinpoint the tomb’s exact location and enter with ease—no need to go through all this trouble and risk conflict with the authorities.”

“I swear I will do everything I can to find the Mandarin Duck Seal, open the tomb, and present Prince Huai’s imperial seal to the Master.”

The Left Protector nodded, looking weary.

The subordinate quickly withdrew.

After the room quieted, a soft laugh echoed in the air.

“Pei Xuan? Interesting… truly interesting.”

“That cursed lone star, that castaway, dares ruin my plans again and again. Very well—let’s play.”

---

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyan was happily eating a mooncake.

The homemade red bean filling was dense but not too sweet—exactly the way he liked it.

He had no idea that a single name card had made Pei Xuan take the blame again and again.