When Li Yingling returned to Yuelai Inn with her written summary, her master and second junior brother had yet to return.
Given her master’s temperament, he would undoubtedly set up ambushes at every key waterway—even doubling up in some places was perfectly normal.
Li Yingling estimated the task would take considerable effort, but her master and junior brother would return by evening to inquire about her progress in investigating unofficial histories.
At first, her master had shown some interest in these unofficial records.
But after a full day of hearing about the invincible exploits of Emperor Taizu of Zhao in these tales, he lost interest by the second day.
Since they weren’t back yet, she might as well use this time to prepare diagrams and annotations for her junior brother. That way, he’d have an easier time understanding her explanations without needing lengthy clarifications.
Li Yingling stepped toward the table in front of her.
The sheets of rice paper on the table swiftly arranged themselves, piecing together into a massive map.
The inkstone began grinding ink on its own.
Recalling the contents of her research, Li Yingling lightly extended her hand. Under her control, the ink flowed toward the floating rice paper map.
Unlike official histories, unofficial records were heavily biased by personal opinions—praising favored figures while vilifying those they disliked, often stripping them of their very humanity.
Thus, the truly useful information lay in the common threads among these unofficial accounts, as well as cross-referencing them with official histories to extract key details.
A map of Xuanwu Kingdom took shape on the paper. Li Yingling first marked Emperor Taizu of Zhao’s retreat timeline and route.
Next, she noted the appearance times, frequency, and varying states of the Xuanwu guardian deity.
With this, the connection between Cangzhou and Chizhou became clearer.
After Emperor Taizu’s defeat in Cangzhou, he held out for two months before the Xuanwu intervened. Many unofficial records described this Xuanwu as a mere phantom.
Even after the phantom’s appearance, Emperor Taizu remained mostly on the defensive in Cangzhou. It wasn’t until the birth of Emperor Gaozu of Zhao that a full-scale counterattack began.
At this point, the Xuanwu’s manifestations also began to change. Some unofficial accounts specifically mentioned it taking on a physical form.
However, since Emperor Taizu spent nearly the entire year on the back foot, one fact was easily overlooked—he had actually launched an attack on Chizhou and briefly captured territory not far from it.
Though he was quickly driven back, the fact remained.
Most unofficial histories that disparaged Emperor Taizu omitted this episode. Even official records erased this lone moment of glory from that period.
Clearly, Emperor Taizu seemed intent on concealing this part of history.
Only his staunchest supporters recorded the event, with some unofficial accounts even glorifying it—after all, it was his sole achievement during a time of forced submission.
If they didn’t exaggerate this, what else was there to praise?
Setting aside the wild speculations in those unofficial records, if Emperor Taizu’s ability to counterattack was tied to Chizhou, many things would make sense.
This bold hypothesis was results-driven: What linked Cangzhou and Chizhou? Why would the thief target Chizhou specifically?
By treating this as the ultimate objective, everything else fell into place.
After a while, Li Yingling gazed at the completed diagram before her and nodded in satisfaction.
Though much of it was conjecture, her master had always said: "Speculate boldly, verify meticulously."
With this, she had largely fulfilled the task he assigned.
If her deductions were correct, Emperor Taizu likely never imagined that the very thing he tried to hide would be exposed by his own admirers.
Thankfully, she had meticulously recorded even the most flattering unofficial accounts.
Li Yingling sat in her chair and poured herself a cup of tea.
She had only taken two sips when the door swung open.
Her master walked in with an arm around Li Xingtian’s shoulders, wearing a smile that didn’t bode well.
"Only you could pull this off—your experience shines. I quite like your design," he said.
Li Yingling stood and cleared her throat softly, her gaze drifting toward the route map she had drawn.
Chu Xingchen naturally noticed the massive floating diagram. After scanning it, he played along with a well-timed compliment:
"Seems your senior sister has made significant discoveries too. You’re both the future of our sect."
Though pleased, Li Yingling kept her tone neutral, as if unfazed by the praise.
"I’ve made some progress. Here, let me explain my findings and deductions!"
Two quarters of an hour later, she had finished presenting her reasoning, using her diagram and detailed narration.
She took another sip of tea and turned her expectant gaze to her master.
Chu Xingchen, mistaking her look for a desire for further praise, obliged:
"Excellent! Bold yet meticulous reasoning—very logical."
But this wasn’t empty flattery. Li Yingling’s arguments were sound.
Chu Xingchen’s certainty that the thief had to traverse Xuanwu Kingdom’s waterways was system-backed.
If the thief hadn’t needed to use those waterways—if it were just a diversion—this mission might not have triggered.
Moreover, expanding the scope beyond this region would stretch even his capabilities.
He still hadn’t determined the thief’s cultivation level. But anyone capable of stealing fortunes wouldn’t be weak.
Nascent Soul? Or even Divine Transformation?
Thus, focusing on Xuanwu Kingdom and preparing accordingly was the most pragmatic approach.
This time, Li Yingling wasn’t fishing for praise—she was asking for their next move.
"Master, what do you plan to do next?" she inquired.
Chu Xingchen thought for a moment, then turned the question back on her:
"If it were up to you, what would you do?"
Years of test-taking had taught him one thing:
When faced with a half-understood multiple-choice question, sometimes guessing was better than calculating.
And if he had to guess, he’d rather rely on someone with good luck.
Li Yingling blinked in surprise. On past outings, her master usually devised the plans while she executed them, leading to smooth resolutions.
Under his trusting gaze, she glanced again at her carefully crafted diagram.
This wasn’t just a rushed assignment—it was the product of thorough research and analysis.
She understood: her master was nurturing her decision-making skills.
After a moment’s thought, she steeled herself and answered:
"Master, I believe we should investigate Cangzhou—verify whether its waterways connect to Chizhou."
Chu Xingchen looked at Li Xingtian beside him.
"Xingtian, any objections to your senior sister’s proposal?"
"...None."
"Then we move!"
Cangzhou.
Qinghe’s right eye was thoroughly blackened as she turned pitifully to face Xie Lingyu, who had been following her.
After punching her, Xie Lingyu had sworn to stay in Cangzhou and search for opportunities together—partly to prove her innocence.
But she also warned that if Qinghe slacked off, she wouldn’t hesitate to report her to their master.
Just cut off its horn! And make it sleep at the foot of the mountain while you're at it!
Damn it!
I shouldn’t have said anything in the first place!
Of course, now that you’ve found someone special, you’ve forgotten all the good times we shared.
Faced with Qinghe’s pitiful expression, Xie Lingyu showed no mercy, her tone calm and detached:
"Don’t look at me like that. If you wanted to, those bruises on your face would’ve healed by now. No need to play the victim here."
Qinghe silently turned her head away.
Damn it!
An angry Xie Lingyu isn’t as easy to fool as before!