Imperial henchmen? My divine skills are all hacked versions.

Before dawn, just as the rooster in the backyard of the Inspection Department crowed its first crow, Zhou Cang, dressed in armor, emerged from the guest courtyard, stretching his shoulders.

Xu Xian emerged from behind the pillars, holding a stack of papers in his hand.

"General Zhou, may I speak to you in private?"

Zhou Cang glanced at him in surprise, then at the paper in his hand, and led him into a side room in the guest courtyard.

After closing the door, Xu Xian spread the stack of papers on the table. It was a summary of clues he had compiled after returning from the morgue last night.

After reading it, Zhou Cang put the paper down and remained silent for a long time before looking up at Xu Xian.

"Mr. Xu, this case is temporarily put on hold; there's no need to investigate it further."

Xu Xian raised an eyebrow slightly

"Did they find someone they shouldn't have investigated?"

Zhou Cang did not deny it, but simply folded the papers on the table again and pushed them back to Xu Xian.

"You killed the gray-clad man at Wu Cheng's house and found the Gu mark on his body, confirming that Wu Cheng was a Gu slave. That's enough."

"The direct culprits in the mission case are the mole Wu Cheng and the Gu Master from the Southern Region. You've already made that very clear in your report. As for who's behind the Gu Master..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "That's not something you should investigate, nor is it something I should investigate."

Xu Xian looked down at the paper on the table. "What about my status as a person awaiting punishment?"

Zhou Cang chuckled, "You brought back three survivors from the Northern Regions, solved the mission case, killed the assassins who wiped out Wu Cheng's family, and the Di Kingdom princess personally vouched for you. Your suspicions have long been cleared."

Princess of the Di Kingdom?

  

Xu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood.

If he knew anyone who was the princess of the Di Kingdom, it could only be "Yun Qi".

Zhou Cang looked at Xu Xian's expression and seemed to find his reaction amusing.

"Yesterday, Tuoba Yue, the captain of the Flying Phoenix Camp of the Di Kingdom, went to the Zhenbei Army camp with the people of the Di Kingdom delegation. She told me in front of me that you saved her life in the Northern Ice Valley. She vouched for you as a princess of the Di Kingdom. Xu Xian is not a suspect in the delegation case, but a hero in the delegation case."

"I've really gained a lot from this favor..."

Xu Xiangang chuckled softly, and the door was suddenly pushed open.

Cao Zhengde, holding an opened official document, walked up to Xu Xian and placed it on the table.

"Xu Xian, see for yourself."

Xu Xian picked up the official document. The letter was stamped with the official seal of the Inspector General, and signed "Written personally by Mo Feichang, Chief Inspector General." The content was very short:

"Xu Xian, the inspector of the Iron Gate Pass, has rendered meritorious service in the mission case. He is hereby specially transferred to the capital to serve as the chief inspector. He is to escort the survivors of the Di Kingdom mission to the capital. With this order, he may mobilize up to one hundred post station vehicles and local garrison troops for matters along the way."

"Lord Mo has reviewed your case file."

Cao Zhengde sat down beside him, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"After reading it, he sent an official document to the Ministry of Personnel, which approved it that same day."

Xu Xian glanced at Cao Zhengde, and his mind began to stir.

At that time, he hadn't yet traced Wu Cheng's whereabouts. In other words, the head of the Investigation Department had no intention of investigating further. As long as there were still survivors in the delegation... to be precise, as long as Yunshang was still alive, that was enough.

So, does Lord Mo know that the Crown Prince is involved? Xu Xian thinks he probably does.

...

Xu Xian pushed open the door to his house with the transfer order in hand. Hua Xi was squatting in the yard feeding the turtles with vegetable leaves.

"Pack your things, we're going to the capital tomorrow."

Hua Xi looked up at him and blinked: "Are there any good foods in the capital?"

"More than Iron Gate Pass."

"Where are the candied hawthorns?"

"I heard there's a time-honored brand in the eastern part of Beijing that makes sugar coating twice as thick as that in Tiemenguan."

"Let's go quickly!"

Hua Xi tucked the tortoise into her arms, stood up, and walked out. Xu Xian stared at her retreating figure as she reached the door, then paused, "Aren't you going to pack your things?"

"All packed up."

Xu Xian looked down at the turtle in her arms and suddenly felt that living a simple life was also a skill.

"I'll go tomorrow."

"oh."

Hua Xi carried the turtle back to the house, and Xu Xian sat down in the rattan chair and brought up the system panel.

Kung Fu Technique: Dragon Elephant Prajna Kung Fu (Cracked Version) Level 2

Cultivation level: Body Tempering Level 2

Current progress: 8743/10000

???

Xu Xian stared wide-eyed and looked at the number on the panel again.

8743.

It contains both whole and fractional parts, accurate to the single digit.

The second level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill requires 1000 points. It has only been a little over a month since I broke through from the first level. At 100 points per day, I should only have less than 3000 points left. But the progress bar clearly shows 8743, which is only 1257 points away from the third level.

"Tongbao?"

Xu Xian spoke in his mind, "Wasn't it supposed to be 100 a day? How come it's increased so quickly? And why are there odd amounts?"

The system coldly displayed a few lines of text:

You will receive additional points based on the intensity of the battle.

The bonus value is not fixed and is determined by the type of battle, the strength of the opponent, and the pressure the host is under.

Current additional bonus details:

Against a Meridian Opening Realm assassin, taking a single blow grants a bonus of 1983 points...

Xu Xian stared at the list of added charges and fell silent.

So this system isn't a philanthropist, but a capitalist?

It awards points based on the level of risk you take; life-or-death battles provide the highest bonus, while casual sparring yields the lowest—the meaning is clear:

If you want to increase your cultivation level, you have to fight desperately!

"So, combat is the only legitimate way to increase cultivation? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The system displayed a message: The host did not ask.

Xu Xian's eyelids twitched, and he swallowed back the words he wanted to say. He then closed the panel, turned over, and adjusted his sleeping position.

The rattan chair armrests were still a bit uncomfortable against his bones, but he had gotten used to it.

...

The next morning, Xu Xian saw the convoy of the mission, fully prepared and ready to depart, at the entrance of the post station.

Yunshang changed into a neat set of Di Kingdom casual clothes, her long hair tied back, and a short sword hanging at her waist.

Tuoba Yue was still in military attire with a curved sword, while Su Changqing had removed the bandages from his shoulder and was directing people to load the last few boxes of documents onto the carriage.

"Lord Xu, we meet again."

He called Yunshang over and asked, "Your Highness, the journey is long, you must be tired."

Tuoba Yue grinned. "It's only right, it's my duty."

Twenty cavalrymen from the Zhenbei Army were already lined up outside the post station, led by the same cavalry commander with a scar on his face.

Zhang Hu and Zhao Bao stood beside the column, leading their horses. Zhao Bao was boasting to a Zhenbei Army cavalryman about Xu Xian's exploits in the northern region.

"Let me tell you, those wolves were bigger than oxen! Brother Xu just chopped them down—one chopped them down right in the neck, and their heads almost fell off..."

Xu Xian led his horse out of the post station, sat on it, and looked down at Hua Xi, who was standing next to the horse and looking up at its back.

Hua Xi couldn't ride a horse. She stood next to the stirrups, barely reaching the horse's belly, holding a tortoise in her arms, looking up at Xu Xian.

"I can't ride a horse."

Xu Xian smiled, reached down, grabbed her arm, lifted her up, and placed her in front of him. Hua Xi nestled in his arms on the horse, her back against his chest, while the tortoise lay on her lap, its beady green eyes squinting contentedly.

Xu Xian shifted uncomfortably behind the saddle. Hua Xi looked up at him, then shifted her hips back as well, pressing herself closer to his chest.

Xu Xian had no choice but to move back.

...

The team sets off.

The journey from the Iron Gate Pass to the capital by official road takes about five days. The first day was uneventful, the second day was uneventful, the third day was uneventful, and the fourth day...

They passed through a forest called "Blue Wolf Forest".

This forest stretches across the border of two counties, with the official road winding through it for more than ten miles. Ancient trees on both sides reach for the sky, their dense canopies almost blocking out all the sunlight, making it the most classic ambush terrain within a hundred miles.