Yin Yang Soul Searcher

Just as Emperor Taikang returned to his study and was about to close his eyes to meditate, an old eunuch came to report: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Preceptor has sent a messenger."

"The South Gate case has been resolved so quickly?" Emperor Taikang wondered, but calmly accepted the white paper from the eunuch's hand. The old eunuch tactfully withdrew.

Emperor Taikang looked at the letter in his hand, his initial realization turning into a slow frown.

In his letter, the Imperial Advisor speculated that the formation master's purpose was likely... However, it was still unknown which faction the formation master belonged to...

As for the mastermind behind the theft of gunpowder at the South Gate, the Imperial Advisor had already made a guess in his letter. However, he still couldn't confirm who the Onmyoji was who destroyed the souls of the soldiers at the South Gate...

And then there's the Four Seasons Master who suddenly appeared; it's still uncertain whether he's colluding with Wu Yong, who guards the Leizhou border... And the Onmyoji who saved the Four Seasons Master... It's unknown whether he's the same Onmyoji from the South Gate...

"Wu Yong?" Emperor Taikang murmured the name, his face grim.

The Great Xia Dynasty appears prosperous on the surface, with a strong and well-equipped army and a peaceful and contented populace. Barbarian tribes from all directions dare not invade.

Only a few people understand that the prosperity of the Great Xia Dynasty is like a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water. It can vanish in an instant if one is not careful.

The three powerful figures who once fought alongside Emperor Gaozu to establish the empire—the Prince of Gaoyang of Yunzhou, the Prince of Yu'nan of Shangzhou, and General Wu Yong, who guarded the border of Leizhou—have evolved from initially assisting the court in stabilizing the people to now dominating their respective regions and becoming increasingly powerful and uncontrollable, gradually becoming destabilizing factors for the Great Xia Dynasty...

After reading the letter, Emperor Taikang rubbed his hands together, and the letter vanished into ashes. "The Imperial Advisor truly deserves to be called the pillar of our Great Xia. He has devoted himself wholeheartedly to our Great Xia, and even when seriously injured, he can still strategize and plan."

"If it weren't for the Imperial Advisor's help, I really wouldn't know what to do. Sigh..."

Yin Yang Hall, Zhengshan Hall.

Li Zhengshan sat in the main seat, picking up his teacup and taking a small sip. He was still pondering the Grand Preceptor's words: "Integrate the suspected mastermind into the case, guess their motives. Moyu, what do you think?"

Han Xueshan and Bai Jueming stood below the hall. Han Xueshan's mind was practically blank. Although she and Bai Jueming had experienced the same events, she couldn't understand a word they were saying...

Bai Jueming shook his head, saying with a headache, "There are too many masterminds behind this; it's hard to guess."

If he was a formation master, then why did he destroy the formation and steal the gunpowder? He could make it himself!

If they are Onmyoji from the Northern Star Region, they already possess explosives and can bring them from home. Although it's more troublesome, this would result in fewer clues. The same applies to the Western Shu region.

As for the collusion between the Four Seasons Master and the Onmyoji, Western Shu is located at the southernmost edge of Great Xia, and Northern Chen is at the northernmost edge. What are they colluding for? To launch a blitzkrieg against Great Xia?

Demons? They despise those magical artifacts; it's much faster to have low-level demon beasts self-destruct on the battlefield. The explosive power is no less than that of dynamite.

Then, Bai Jueming added, "However, one thing is certain: since the Imperial Advisor has said that, it means the mastermind behind it will make further moves. We should still be on guard..."

Li Zhengshan sighed: "Anyone who can guess what the mastermind is up to and take precautions in advance will definitely receive the full support of the Imperial Advisor."

"It is said that the deputy hall master made great contributions back then. Originally, our Yin Yang Hall did not have a deputy hall master, but the imperial advisor made an exception and promoted him to deputy hall master, cultivating him with all his might..."

"Is that so?" Bai Jueming asked with a gossipy expression. If I could guess the mastermind's motives, could I become a hall master?

Li Zhengshan picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip: "That was a long time ago, and I don't know the specifics... Only a few senior hall masters know."

"There's one more thing," Li Zhengshan said, putting down his teacup. "The Imperial Advisor has agreed to the matter concerning Jia Qingshan."

"Really?" Bai Jueming's face lit up with joy. This was truly good news! Once he arrived at the Yin-Yang Palace, he was determined to give that scoundrel a good thrashing. That bastard used him as a stepping stone!

"Did the Imperial Advisor say anything else?" Bai Jueming asked excitedly, his eyes lighting up. Had he done a great service by relaying the message?

"What else do you want the Imperial Advisor to say?" Li Zhengshan glanced at him sideways and said calmly, "Do you want to get involved? Or do you want to know the Imperial Advisor's thoughts?"

There's no need for that! What Bai Jueming didn't understand was why the Imperial Advisor would agree so easily. Could this be considered the Imperial Advisor protecting the Jia family? And why didn't the Second Emperor make any statement?

"When Jia Qingshan arrives, have him become the martial artist you recruit to protect your safety."

Bai Jueming nodded. With that tycoon as his subordinate, he probably wouldn't need to pay him a salary. A surge of secret satisfaction rose within Bai Jueming at this thought.

After saying goodbye to Brother Shan, Bai Jueming returned to his office.

Following behind him, Han Xueshan stretched her back, her body displaying an astonishingly straight posture: "What a wonderful night!"

Bai Jueming slumped back in his chair, propping his feet up on the table, deeply resonating with her words: "I feel like I'm just a troublemaker. I always seem to run into all sorts of problems."

Han Xueshan turned her head, her high ponytail swaying, and asked in great confusion, "What kind of constitution do you have?"

"It's nothing." Bai Jueming waved his hand. "If you're tired, go to the guest room to sleep. If there's nothing else, I'm not going out today; I'll just sleep until my shift ends!"

"This is what I deserve!" Bai Jueming silently added in his heart, then adjusted to a comfortable position, preparing to close his eyes and enjoy it.

Han Xueshan didn't say anything, found a chair, sat down, and began to make hand seals and close her eyes.

Bai Jueming opened his eyes and glanced at Han Xueshan, who was making hand seals with her eyes closed. Then, he felt a pang of shame as he examined the amount of soul power, about the size of a soybean, within his body.

If people who are more capable than you are working this hard, is there any point in you working hard?

I couldn't help but ask in the end, "Miss Han, you don't need to push yourself so hard, do you? Even though your cultivation level is quite high, don't you need to rest? There's no need to cultivate all the time." It made me feel guilty even when I was trying to sleep...

Without turning her head, Han Xueshan said, "I'm not cultivating. I'm meditating with my eyes closed using the method my master taught me. It can refresh my mind and quickly restore my energy."

"What method?" Bai Jueming smiled obsequiously, "Teach me too."

Han Xueshan didn't even lift her eyelids: "I won't teach you."

"If you don't want to teach, then don't teach. Why act like nobody cares?" Bai Jueming scoffed, putting his hands behind his head.

"unless..."

"Please speak," Bai Jueming said, his fawning smile returning. "I knew Miss Han wasn't such a heartless person."

Han Xueshan looked at him with disdain and said sarcastically, "You spar with me, and I'll teach you."

"Then forget it." Bai Jueming closed his eyes again. Calling it a friendly spar was pointless; their skill levels were completely different, it was just him getting beaten up... This bitch always tries to hit me whenever she gets the chance, you just wait...

"Don't rush to refuse. I said it's just a friendly spar, so I won't bully you," Han Xueshan coaxed. "I'll raise my strength to the eighth rank, making me your equal. How about that?"

How about that? You've got a really big plan! An Onmyoji with an eighth-rank physique is pretty much the same as an ordinary person, and their skills are mostly support-oriented, so you could say they don't have any combat ability at all.

Although he didn't know much about the Taoist cultivation system, the experience of almost being struck dead by his younger brother's lightning magic at the same level during his last visit to Wutai Temple had left a shadow in Bai Jueming's mind.

I've come to a clear understanding that Onmyoji players are weak in the early game! Surviving and developing your character is the key. This is why Onmyoji players need to hire dedicated warriors for protection.

Bai Jueming chuckled inwardly, then feigned deep thought and said, "How about we both completely suppress our strength and have a thoroughly enjoyable close-quarters combat?"

"That way, even if you hurt me, I can heal quickly. If I accidentally hurt you, you'll only have difficulty walking for a couple of days."

The naive Han Xueshan failed to grasp the deeper meaning in Bai Jueming's words, simply scoffing, "If all strength is sealed, what's the point of sparring? Is that still how cultivators fight?"

"And why did I have difficulty walking for two days after you injured me?" Han Xueshan's heroic face was full of confusion.

Bai Jueming's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mysterious smile: "Since you don't agree, then let's have garlic."

That smug smile again! Han Xueshan gritted her teeth, instantly enraged: "Bring it on! Who's afraid of who! If you've got the guts, beat me until I can't walk!"

After saying that, Han Xueshan pulled out two talismans from her waist and slammed them heavily on the table with a "smack": "Implant these two talismans into your body, and they will seal your cultivation for half an hour. Do you dare to come and try?!"

Bai Jueming glanced at the talismans on the table, looking rather uninterested: "It'll only add to the injuries, no fun at all."

Seeing his expression, Han Xueshan was afraid he wouldn't agree, so she added harshly, "If you can beat me, I'll not only teach you this meditation method, but I'll also forgive all the talismans and silver you owe me. I'll also give you the concealment talisman from last night, how about it?"

With such a huge bait, she was determined to teach Bai Jueming a lesson! She didn't care about a personal loss; she was determined to teach this bitch a lesson!

"Oh?" This question really hit Bai Jueming's sore spot. This was a talisman that even a fourth-rank cultivator couldn't see through. It could definitely become a way for him to save his life!

Damn, having a lineage of masters is great! You can gamble away such a valuable talisman so easily. Looking at my own impoverished state, you really can't compare people...

He quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. If they were both mortals, he might not necessarily lose to him. Even if he was weak, he was still a man, and at the same size, why should he be afraid of a woman?

"Sounds good." After thinking for a moment, Bai Jueming continued, "What if I can't beat you? I don't have that much money to give you." After saying that, Bai Jueming shrugged.

Without hesitation, Han Xueshan said, "If you can't beat me, you don't have to pay anything. In the future, when you're investigating cases, if I ask you how you analyzed them, you have to tell me exactly what happened." She no longer wanted to be a fool who could only listen without being able to analyze...

"Is it that simple? But let's make this clear first, if I can't beat you, you can't fight anymore if I tell you to stop." Just in case, Bai Jueming decided to leave himself a way out, so that even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't lose too badly.

Are you even a man? You're so long-winded. Han Xueshan nodded in agreement.

Immediately afterwards, Han Xueshan went to the door and peeked out, looking around. Zhou Dahai and the others should be resting inside, and no minor officials were near. A smile appeared on Han Xueshan's spirited face as she closed the door and locked it.

"Why lock the door?" Bai Jueming asked, somewhat puzzled. Although the room was large enough to move around freely, he would still have to pay for any damage.

Of course, we're afraid you'll run away. You're definitely going to get a beating in half an hour; not a moment less.

If others saw this, they'd think we were having an affair. It's never good for colleagues to see this kind of thing. That's how Han Xueshan explained it.

Do we have to close the windows too?

A bad feeling rose in Bai Jueming's heart. We're not doing anything shameful.

Before he could react, Han Xueshan had already implanted the talisman into his body. Then she implanted a talisman into herself as well.

Bai Jueming instantly felt that all his skills as an Onmyoji were useless, as if all his cultivation had been drained away. He had become an ordinary person completely. The talisman floated quietly before the soybean-sized amount of soul power within his body.

Bai Jueming opened his mouth as if to say something, but found that his throat felt like it was filled with phlegm, and he couldn't speak! Oh no!!!

Bai Jueming stared wide-eyed at Han Xueshan. She stood in the dim light coming through the window, her body turned to the side, showing only half of Bai Jueming's face. Her well-defined jawline looked as if it had been carefully sculpted.

The smile came suddenly, unlike the gentle beauty of an ordinary woman, but rather the sharp edge of a blade drawn from its sheath.

"That tomboy is up to no good!" Bai Jueming turned and ran towards the door.

Trying to escape? Han Xueshan was even faster, grabbing his shoulder and executing a skillful over-the-shoulder throw. She then sat on Bai Jueming, raising her fist with great satisfaction.

Bai Jueming winced in pain from the fall, but unfortunately, he couldn't make a sound. "Someone save me!!" This woman certainly lacked cultivation, but she knew combat techniques.

Also, you can't slap someone in the face!!!