Chapter 71:

Drunken Immortal Residence is a fancy restaurant west of Heyang City. Although the number of daily guests is not particularly high, everyone who comes and goes is either an official or a wealthy merchant. It is quite famous within Heyang City. On this day, the waiter was resting in the lobby when suddenly he saw two men in simple clothing, who were law enforcement officers, at the entrance. "Isn’t this Sheriff Qian? What’s happening in the neighborhood this week?" The waiter went forward, clearly puzzled. Drunken Immortal Residence is not an ordinary wealthy merchant. It is said that the owner behind the scenes has a connection with the Mayor of the city. Therefore, it is rare for law enforcement officers to visit this restaurant. The waiter subconsciously thought that there might have been a murder case in the neighborhood, and Sheriff Qian had come to inquire about the situation. "Why so suspicious… I came to drink with Captain Qiao," Sheriff Qian said impatiently. "Please follow me, the two detectives." The waiter at the tavern was slightly surprised, but quickly smiled and led Qiao Mu and the others to a corner of the main hall. This kind of tavern waiter wouldn’t do anything disrespectful. Although his expression changed quickly, Qian Qian still noticed the fleeting look of surprise. Drunken Immortal Residence… It’s indeed a place I can’t afford, so it’s no wonder others are surprised. Qian Qian sighed inwardly, but quickly smiled and ordered a few dishes and drinks. "Captain Qiao, please enjoy this specialty dish from Drunken Immortal Residence, the Three-colored Deer Meat Soup." "This Three-colored Deer Meat Soup is quite precious. The three-colored deer is a mystical creature that lives in the Qingming Mountain outside the city. It has abundant vitality and is a great nourishment for martial artists like us." Sheriff Qian chuckled generously, scooped a bowl of soup for Qiao Mu, and mumbled to himself without thinking. "It worthes one month of salary…" "What month?" Qiao Mu was about to drink his soup and casually asked. "…It’s nothing, just talking to myself, don’t mind, Captain Qiao." Qian Qian scratched his head. "You might as well explain it a little clearer." Qiao Mu put down his chopsticks and looked at Qian Qian. Although he wasn’t afraid of death, he still had a basic sense of caution in his interactions with others. Although he didn’t think Sheriff Qian would poison him, it wouldn’t hurt to be a little more cautious. "Actually, it doesn’t mean anything else." Qian Qian smiled awkwardly. "This Three-colored Deer Meat Soup is one of the signature dishes of the Drunken Immortal Residence, but it’s not cheap. Once a bowl of meat soup is served, it takes up my entire month’s salary. Please forgive me, Captain Qiao." After speaking, Qian Qian scooped a spoonful of meat soup and made a delighted expression. It turns out he was worried about the cost… Qiao Mu didn’t think much of it and took a sip of soup, finding it delicious indeed. Qian Qian continued, "Captain Qiao, this is the Drunken Immortal Residence’s Drunken Immortal Brew. It’s said that even immortals get drunk after drinking it. It’s even more precious than the Three-colored Deer Meat Soup…" "More precious? Do you mean it’s more expensive?" Qiao Mu teased. He heard Sheriff Qian muttering quietly again, saying that his half-month salary was gone. Every time a dish was served, Sheriff Qian couldn’t help muttering quietly about the cost, making Qiao Mu a little annoyed. Let’s just eat the dish, there are always people nearby chattering away. Qiao Mu then spoke, "Sheriff Qian, money is just material wealth after all. You’ve come all this way, it’s not very meaningful to keep counting it, right?" Qian Qian was taken aback for a moment, and could only smile bitterly, "I apologize… I, Qian Qian, come from a humble background, and I’m already past thirty. My vitality is declining, and indeed, I can’t compare to Captain Qiao’s astonishing background and generosity, so I can only be meticulous about these things." He realized the inappropriate nature of his words, and remained silent for the rest, only taking out two secret manuals from his pocket. The two secret manuals, one is the external martial art "Golden Bell Shield," and the other is the light skill "Shadow Step." Qian Qian introduced, "This art form called the ‘Golden Bell Shield’ is my chosen path in life. In the past, I relied on this practice to strengthen my body, develop inner strength, and achieve remarkable accomplishments. At the age of twenty-eight, I nearly attained the rank of eighth in inner strength, just shy of becoming the chief constable of Heyang Prefecture." "During my years as a constable, the ‘Golden Bell Shield’ has saved my life many times. It truly is remarkable." Qiao Mu nodded in agreement. Currently, he is practicing martial arts, including advanced techniques like the ‘Pure Yang Wuji Skill.’ While the ‘Golden Bell Shield’ is not considered top-tier, it is still valuable to have a variety of skills. "And then there’s the ‘Shadow Step’…" Qian Qian hesitated. "Actually, our ancestors were skilled thieves, and this ‘Shadow Step’ is a technique passed down through generations. It teaches us how to move silently, hiding in the shadows, and even scaling walls with ease. This technique is even more advanced than the ‘Golden Bell Shield,’ but it is quite difficult to master. I can only claim to have a basic understanding of it." Qiao Mu was slightly surprised. Currently, he has not formally practiced the art of light-footed movement. He relies solely on his strong physical abilities as a martial artist and his explosive internal strength. If he were to acquire light-footed movement and agility skills, it would certainly compensate for any weaknesses. Anyway, he is immortal and has plenty of time. Others may want more but he just needs to spend more time and die a few more times to master it. "These two secret books have helped me a lot, Sheriff Qian. Let’s forget about what happened before," said Qiao Mu seriously. Actually, these words were intentionally spoken for Qian Qian to hear. After all, Sheriff Qian didn’t offend him much, it was a small matter. If it wasn’t to put him at ease, Qiao Mu wouldn’t have come for this meal. Hearing this, Sheriff Qian felt relieved indeed. After eating and drinking enough, Qiao Mu took the two secret books and excused himself, saying he needed to study them. Sheriff Qian looked at the table full of leftover food and felt a bit regretful: "Three months worth of salary…" He took out a food container he had prepared and packed all the leftover food, including the soupy leftovers, taking them all away. Qian Qian lives in the north of the city, right beside the old Qiao Family Courtyard. Of course, now the Qiao Family Courtyard has become Xuantian Temple. There are always many pilgrims coming and going, crowded together. Qian Qian avoided the pilgrims and returned to his own courtyard. When he opened the door, he saw a cute little girl running towards him and hugging his leg. "Sweetie, don’t be naughty. Daddy brought you something delicious this time." ……….. Xuantian Temple is the main residence of Xuantian Sect, but it is not the only residence. Starting from the Qiao Family Courtyard in the center, the surrounding blocks, about half of the north of the city, are designated as the main residence of Xuantian Sect. Even the small mountain behind the Qiao Family Courtyard is included. Xuantian Temple is located at the foot of the mountain and is a temple where pilgrims can burn incense and worship. The small mountain behind it is where the disciples of Xuantian Sect live. Hoho— The intense roar shook the air, causing several Xuantian Sect disciples in their Dao robes to take several steps back, showing fear involuntarily. In front of them was a three-meter long, two-meter tall white giant tiger. This giant tiger had wings on its back, snow-white fur, and eyes that were as blue as emeralds. It was currently baring its teeth and roaring at the disciples of the sect. Each roar created a strong gust of wind, almost blowing them away. "Senior Sister Ming Yue, this Blue-eyed Flying Tiger of the Holy Maiden is really fierce. Maybe you shouldn’t go out for now?" a young disciple requested. "Yes, nurturing spiritual beasts is our duty. Senior Sister Ming Yue, you have been going out frequently recently. If the Holy Maiden comes out of seclusion and there are punishments…" "After all, our sect’s saintess is surnamed Wu." When they mentioned this Saintess, these disciples all showed a look of awe. The Xuantian Sect’s Saintess, Wu Qingxin. The surname Wu is not particularly special. Especially, there was a very skilled martial artist named Martial Saint who was second to none in the world. In her early years, Wu Qingxin was once a disciple of Martial Saint. However, she later betrayed him and sought refuge in Xuantian Sect. As a result, Xuantian Sect hailed her as their Saintess, and she began her journey on the path of immortality. "Shut up. We don’t need your opinions." Female Cultivator Ming Yue scolded impatiently and then walked slowly towards the restless Blue-eyed Flying Tiger, gently soothing it. In front of Female Cultivator Ming Yue, the Blue-eyed Flying Tiger quickly calmed down and became obedient instead of being agitated. What do these fools know… Ming Yue comforted the Blue-eyed Flying Tiger, a fierce look flashing in her eyes. This Blue-eyed Flying Tiger is the pet of the Saintess, already two meters tall and three meters long. It is actually still a young tiger, but it is already full of energy and can match a martial artist of the fifth or sixth rank. Cultivators in the Qi refining period are not yet extraordinary. If this Blue-eyed Flying Tiger really goes wild, these weak disciples nearby may not be able to handle it. Because of her merits in nurturing spiritual beasts, Female Cultivator Ming Yue has always been highly regarded by the Saintess. This is mainly because she is very good at dealing with people. "If this fierce tiger doesn’t go crazy, how can I show that I have skills? How can I achieve merit in front of the holy woman?" "Ever since the Saintess joined our Immortal Gate, she rarely goes outside and has been in seclusion to focus on her spiritual practice. It’s not a big issue." During these days, because of the Impermanent Monster case, Moon Spirit had to go out multiple times, neglecting the Blue-eyed Flying Tiger. Without her companionship, this spiritual beast became even more ferocious. "As long as we capture that impermanent monster, all of this is just a small matter…" After pacifying the giant tiger, Moon Spirit quickly took out a paper crane from her pocket, breathed gently on it, and the paper crane quickly grew larger. She hopped onto it and flew away on the wind. …………… Half a day later, in the Heyang Prefecture yamen (government office). The constables gathered together again, with Qiao Mu who had just been released from prison among them. These guards have obviously dealt with the prison guards before, and have obviously heard about what Qiao Mu did in prison before. Insulting the emperor is a crime punishable by death, and he even failed to escape from prison, yet he can still be released at the request of officials… It can only be said that this is beyond the understanding of these guards. They really can’t figure out the background and connections of this person who can be so tough. The only thing that can be certain is that this new Sheriff Qiao, is not someone they can mess with! As a result, Qiao Mu, who was released from prison again, was quickly greeted warmly by the guards, getting treated like the center of attention. Among the crowd, Chief Constable Chen alone seemed somewhat arrogant, and her gaze towards Qiao Mu became even more hostile. She looked around and suddenly asked, "Why hasn’t Sheriff Qian come?" Soon, a familiar guard answered, "Sheriff Qian got a stomachache, so he called in sick today." The crowd paused for a moment, then began whispering to each other: "Is he also a strong martial artist? How did he get a stomachache?" "Sheriff Qian is thirty-five this year? I remember he used to practice a strong external martial art when he was younger, but now that he’s in his prime, his energy and blood have declined, and he’s not as good as before." "He’s only thirty-five? Why does he look like he’s forty-five?" "Well, I heard he had a rare delicious meal, so he ate too much and got stuffed." Afterwards, the constables continued discussing the details of the case known as the "Case of Impermanent Monster." Ordinary cases don’t usually involve the assistance of the Xuantian Sect’s immortals, so the government office attached great importance to this matter and appointed Chief Constable Chen to lead the investigation. "Hasn’t the ‘Case of Impermanent Monster’ been solved yet? It seems like the Six Gates are missing me, Qiao Pifu. It’s really difficult to make any progress." Qiao Mu sighed. The policeman’s eyes twitched a little, as if he didn’t want to see this person’s face anymore. The investigation had just begun, and he was thrown into jail, without making any contribution to the case at all. Moreover, this person had just started his job, never handled a case before. With or without him, it wouldn’t make a difference, so why is he even here? So they were angry and exclaimed, "Captain Qiao is right!" "Captain Qiao has returned, it seems that the Case of the Impermanent Monster will be solved soon." While they were discussing, a white paper crane fell from the sky, and it turned out to be the Female Cultivator Ming Yue of the Xuantian Sect. Just as Female Cultivator Ming Yue was about to speak, she suddenly felt something, and took out a green lantern from her pocket. The light from this lantern had a strange blue color. As Female Cultivator Ming Yue walked towards Qiao Mu, the blue light of the lantern grew slightly. It started as a tiny flame, but by the time it reached Qiao Mu, the flame was the size of a fist. "This is actually a lucky hit." Female Cultivator Ming Yue glanced at the green lamp in her hand. "When I encountered that monster last time, I manipulated it a bit with a tracking spell… If this green lamp gets close to the monster, the flames will rise…" "There is a trace of that monster’s presence on you." "Tell me, in the past couple of days, where have you seen that monster, or have you seen someone who is about to die?" Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Qiao Mu was momentarily startled. "Could it be in the prison?" Chief Constable Chen spoke up, she was quite astute and was the first to react. "I have heard rumors of a prisoner dying in the prison recently…" Qiao Mu immediately understood as well. Speaking of someone about to die and the creature resembling a monster, it must be that strange foolish cat. Qiao Mu calmly nodded. "That’s right, just as you all thought. I committed a crime in advance in order to break the Case of Impermanent Monster. I secretly laid ambush in the prison, and I did indeed see that impermanent monster, and discovered its true form." Chief Constable Chen：…. She used to have some respect for Qiao Mu, but now she had completely lost it. "Tell me, what does the true form of that monster look like?" Chief Constable Chen asked, pursuing the question. Qiao Mu explained: "It’s a mixed-colored cat, with white, black, and yellow… " As he said this, he felt a bit confused. Was that foolish cat from a day or two ago really the killer monster in the case? And wasn’t it said before that it was a tiger-like creature? "So it was a monster cat." Female Cultivator Ming Yue suddenly spoke up. "This creature is very clever and its true form is unknown. I just found out that it’s a monster cat. Thanks to this detective."