Nightwatcher

# 323X. L

In the reception hall, Xu Qi’an sat quietly with a cup of tea poured by a servant girl, a cloth sack standing at his feet, as tall as his knee.

After a few minutes of silence, his ears picked up a faint sound of clinking scales. Moments later, he saw Chu Xianglong stride across the threshold, entering straight into the room.

“My thanks to General Chu and the Duke of Cao for your assistance.”

Xu Qi’an’s tone was hardly sincere—he didn’t even bother to stand up, taking a sip of tea as he spoke.

Chu Xianglong didn’t mind. He looked Xu Qi’an over and then cast his gaze down to the cloth sack at his feet. “Is it here?”

Xu Qi’an set down his teacup, opened the sack, and revealed a stone-carved Buddha statue with crude, amateurish craftsmanship.

Chu Xianglong’s eyes blazed with interest, staring intently at the statue. Despite its rough appearance and barely defined features, it emanated a faint sense of Buddhist aura, subtly giving away its underlying magic.

“I’ve inscribed the essence of the Vajra Body technique into the Buddha statue. Whether or not you can master it is your concern,” Xu Qi’an said.