: Is there too many nine clans?

An hour later, Xu Xian brought Hua Xi to the east gate of the city.

People were coming and going at the city gate, carrying loads, driving donkeys, and carrying children, all crowded together.

Xu Xian spotted Mo Feichang immediately. The figure in the gray cloth robe was standing under the city gate, hands behind his back, staring blankly at a pancake stall on the street.

Ouyang Ruiming stood beside him, his expression indifferent, his gaze fixed on the clouds in the distance.

Yang Xu arrived first and was squatting on a stone block at the city gate, wiping his knife. When he saw Xu Xian coming over, he slung the knife over his shoulder and stood up.

Once everyone had arrived, Mo Changfei turned and left.

Xu Xian led the horse behind, Yang Xu and Ouyang rode side by side, and Hua Xi sat on the horse's back holding a tortoise. The group left the city gate and headed north along the official road.

After riding for about half an hour, Yang Xu stared at Mo Feichang's back for a while, then suddenly leaned close to Xu Xian and whispered something in a low voice.

"Tsk... Mr. Xu, don't you think the adult seems a bit taller? Did he go through a second growth spurt? Last time at the headquarters, I could look him in the eye when he spoke to me, but today I feel like I have to tilt my head back a little?"

Xu Xian rolled her eyes at him. "It's good enough if you haven't shrunk at this age, let alone grown taller. I haven't noticed you've grown any taller. Are you confused? Why don't you ask an adult to stop and measure you?"

Yang Xu quickly waved his hand and said awkwardly, "Tsk...maybe. I didn't sleep well last night and my eyes are blurry. Don't tell the adults."

After walking a few more steps, Yang Xu approached again.

"Why doesn't the lord go first? With his stamina, he could get to the capital in half a day. Why ride a horse? It's too slow for him to sway along with us."

Xu Xian looked at him speechlessly, "What if we get ambushed on the road after you leave alone, sir? Last time, the three of us plus ten Black Cavalry Guards were cornered by the Butcher in the Sima Mansion and almost all of us were wiped out."

"The butcher could have easily killed us all by himself. He's following us to show those hiding in the shadows."

Yang Xu suddenly realized, "Tsk...you're so smart. I knew the adults didn't like riding horses, so why were they willing to ride with us today?"

Xu Xian ignored him and whispered a few words to Hua Xi in his arms.

After listening, Hua Xi nodded her little head seriously.

...

After walking for most of the day, the sun gradually began to set in the west.

A long, narrow lake appeared on the left side of the official road. The lake water was emerald green, and large fish would occasionally leap out of the water to breathe, their silvery-white scales gleaming in the sunlight.

Hua Xi sat up straight on the horse, her eyes wide open, and grabbed Xu Xian's sleeve, shaking it forcefully.

"Brother, look! What a beautiful fish! It would be so delicious grilled, especially with some spices!"

Xu Xian felt a wetness on the back of his hand. Looking down, he saw that the little girl's drool had dripped onto his hand.

He raised his hand and rubbed the back of his hand against Hua Xi's chest, but Hua Xi was completely unaware.

  

Yang Xu suddenly narrowed his eyes and pointed ahead with the hilt of his knife. "Tsk... there's someone sharpening a knife over there."

Xu looked up.

A broad-shouldered figure was squatting on a flat bluestone by the lake, sharpening a pig-slaughtering knife, the blade moving back and forth on the whetstone.

The man was extremely focused, working meticulously, as if he were sculpting a work of art.

Xu Xian narrowed his eyes slightly, watched the burly man sharpening his knife for a while, then spurred his horse to catch up with Mo Feichang, who was walking ahead, and laughed.

"Sir, may I take another look at those three forms?"

Mo Feichang didn't even turn his head. "No need. I have already examined it carefully, and it is indeed true. I will hand it over to His Majesty when I return."

Xu Xian responded with a "yes," and then said,

"By the way, sir, has anything been settled regarding my promotion to centurion? You promised me that before I left the capital."

Mo turned to look at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Don't worry, I'll promote you when we get back. I'm not one to go back on my word."

Yang Xu stared wide-eyed at him, muttering under his breath, "He's already been promoted to centurion? If he continues for another two years, will I have to call him 'sir'?"

Xu Xian grinned and suddenly drew his sword.

The eight-sided sword drew a dark blue arc, piercing straight at Mo Chang's back.

He used all his strength in this sword strike, without testing or holding back, channeling all his blood and energy into the blade, stabbing without warning.

The sword tip stopped a foot behind Mo Feichang.

It wasn't that Xu stopped, it was that he couldn't stab it in anymore.

A layer of pale golden light appeared on Mo Chang's body, firmly blocking the sword tip, a protective shield of the Golden Body Realm.

Yang Xu froze, the long sword slipped off his shoulder, and he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Are you crazy, Xu Xian! That's the Chief Justice! Are you trying to rebel?!"

Ouyang Ruiming also suddenly turned his head to look at Xu Xian, as if asking, "Are you sick?"

Hua Xi sat on the horse's back, holding the tortoise, her two short legs swinging back and forth, seemingly unaware of how dangerous the scene before her was.

Xu Xian exerted force in his hand, and the blade bent slightly, but the tip of the sword remained completely still.

He drew his sword, turned around, took a step back, and held the eight-sided sword horizontally in front of him.

Mo Feichang turned around and looked at Xu Xian, a smile slowly appearing on his lips.

He sighed.

"This is the most difficult problem to solve with disguise. I can replicate Mo Feichang's appearance, figure, voice, and walking posture, but I cannot replicate his memories..."

"I don't know what private agreements he made with you, what he promised you, or even what you usually call him. Just ask me any question and I'll be exposed."

Xu Xian narrowed his eyes slightly. "How dare you! You actually impersonate a second-rank official of the imperial court. Do you think you have too many relatives and want the court to deal with your entire extended family?"

Mo chuckled, raised his hand and rubbed his face, then peeled off a mask as thin as a cicada's wing from his chin and put it in his pocket.

Beneath the mask was the face of a man in his thirties, with delicate features and an elegant demeanor, looking like a schoolteacher, not at all like a madman who dared to impersonate the head of the Inspection Department.

He put the mask into his sleeve.

"I hate wearing this thing, it's sticky and uncomfortable against my face... If the court wants to deal with me, someone needs to know it's me and they need to arrest me. If you die here, who will know?"

Yang Xu stared at the unfamiliar face, his pupils shrinking sharply.

He finally realized what was happening and drew his sword in defense.

"You are not the Chief Justice! Where did this petty scoundrel come from, daring to impersonate an official of the imperial court!"

Despite shouting those words, his horse kept retreating, and as it retreated, he gestured to Xu Xian to keep going.

Golden Body Realm.

He is four major realms higher than Xu Xian's Body Tempering Realm and three major realms higher than his Meridian Opening Realm.

Even in Kyoto, masters of this caliber are extremely rare; having hundreds or thousands of them wouldn't make a difference.

Ouyang Ruiming, standing to the side, stared at the fake Mo Feichang's face, frozen in place, and stammered out two words, "Master!"

Xu raised an eyebrow, turned to look at her, and asked, "Your master?"

Ouyang glanced at him but did not answer.

Jia Mo looked at Ouyang Ruiming with a hint of regret in his eyes.

"Ruiming, you shouldn't have come to Qingzhou without permission. His Highness is very disappointed. If you had stayed in the capital, nothing would have happened. Now that things have turned out like this... it's very difficult for your teacher to handle."

Ouyang Ruiming lowered his head and clenched the hem of his clothes with both hands.

Just then, the man sharpening his knife by the lake stood up.

He wiped the water off the butcher knife on his pants, turned around, and revealed an iron mask covering his face, with only his eyes showing. He was none other than the killer butcher from Hao Zai Lai!

He escaped from Wang Yanni's clutches at the Sima residence last time, and now he's back.

He slung the butcher knife over his shoulder, his voice coming from behind the iron mask, muffled and echoing.

"Xu Xiaoqi, we meet again. Last time at the Sima residence, I let you live by sheer luck. This time, it won't be the same. I can't let your reputation be ruined."

Footsteps could be heard behind Xu Xian.

He looked back and saw Wang Yanni walking over from the other side of the official road, her long sword already drawn, the tip dragging on the ground.

His face was pale, his eyes were slightly red, and his hand holding the knife was trembling slightly.

Yang Xu turned around and his body trembled.

"Commander Wang! You bastard, it really was you who did this!"

Wang Yanni stopped and stood five steps away from Xu Xian.

He looked at Xu Xian, then at Yang Xu.

"I'm sorry, Xu Xiaoqi, Commander Yang, I was the one who tipped you off when you were investigating the case in Qingzhou. I always tipped you off. I sent someone to notify them in advance before you went to the mine, and I also sent someone to notify them in advance before you went to the Sima Mansion."

"I let the butcher into the city; he arrived the day after you came to Qingzhou."

Xu Xian nodded. "I know. During the ambush in the dense forest, you were the only one who knew we were going to the mine. During the incident at the Sima Mansion, besides a few of us, only you and ten Black Cavalry Guards knew the operation plan."

"I've suspected you for a long time. But after we came back from the Sima residence that day, I stopped believing you."

Wang Yanni gritted her teeth, tightening her grip on the knife even further.

"My daughter has been unable to walk since birth. I carried her on my back for ten years, traveling all over the counties and prefectures of Jing Kingdom to seek medical treatment. All the doctors said they couldn't cure her. His Highness sent this pharmacist, saying he could cure her, on the condition that I work for His Highness..."

"First, I pressured her to inspect, then I made her communicate with the authorities, and there were other things too. I did them all. Today, she was finally able to stand up and walk while holding onto the wall."

His voice choked for a moment, "I'm sorry, I have a daughter to raise."

Mr. Xu nodded. "Everyone has their own difficulties. I understand."

Jia Mo stood to the side, his hands behind his back.

"Commander Wang, we all stood with you to oversee the battle, and we defeated them."