All Heavens and Worlds Starting from the Night Watchman

Chapter 008: Your Parents Are Absent, and You Still Dare to Say You Are Not the Protagonist?

Lin Qiye and Xu Qian arrived at the remote courtyard where Xu Qian used to live. As they pushed the door open, it immediately collapsed.

Seeing this, the two of them exchanged glances. No words were needed.

“This living condition is way too harsh.”

“This is still much better than a doghouse.”

“That’s true.”

“By the way, Ning Yan, I think the lost tax silver case isn’t simple. If I am the protagonist, then someone will definitely target you.”

“You have a system; you are the protagonist.”

“Don’t interrupt me. I am making a reasonable deduction. Think about it, the two of us relied on the Directorate of Celestial Observers just to refine a small amount of sodium.”

“But the mastermind behind the scenes was able to refine such a large amount of sodium, which means they also have the ability to produce metallic sodium. Their strength must be at least among the top three in the Directorate of Celestial Observers.”

Hearing Lin Qiye’s words, Xu Qian suddenly understood. Indeed, refining such a large amount of metallic sodium required an unfathomable level of skill. But what was their real motive?

“Lin Qiye, do you have any bold guesses?”

“If you are the protagonist, then you will inevitably be targeted. That is the price of being the main character, which means there is a bigger scheme behind the lost tax silver case.”

“I keep telling you, I don’t have a system. I am not the protagonist.”

“This is just a hypothesis. Based on this logic, I think your identity is not simple.”

“Don’t forget, your parents are absent. And you still dare to say you are not the protagonist? This is a classic trope in novels. The mastermind might be after something you possess.”

“Their goal is not to kill you but to lure you out of the capital. After all, with the tax silver lost, you would surely be exiled.”

“Lin Qiye, your theory is quite absurd… but I have to admit, it does make some sense.”

Xu Qian could not deny that Lin Qiye’s reasoning was logical. He wasn’t just making random guesses—his analysis was well-founded.

Although Xu Qian had been implicated in the case, his crime was not severe enough for a death sentence. At most, he would be exiled to the Southern Frontier.

Could it be that he really possessed something valuable that had drawn unwanted attention, prompting someone to orchestrate this plan to drive him out of the capital?

“In many stories, the protagonist doesn’t always have a system but instead possesses a unique talent. I think you are just incredibly lucky. Could that be your special ability?”

“I… have no words to refute that. You make too much sense.”

“So, our next step should be to join a faction and work hard to improve our cultivation. No matter how powerful the mastermind is, one thing is certain—they wouldn’t dare act recklessly in the capital.”

“Jingzhao Prefecture, the Directorate of Celestial Observers, or the Night Watchers—which do you think is the best choice?”

“The Night Watchers have special privileges to monitor all officials. They are like a sword hanging over the heads of bureaucrats. I think our first choice should be the Night Watchers, followed by the Directorate of Celestial Observers.”

“As expected of my brother in both past and present lives. We think alike.”

Both of them agreed that the Night Watchers were the better choice, as their authority would instill fear in others.

The Directorate of Celestial Observers commanded respect as well, but people only showed them superficial deference. Without real power, they could be ignored.

But the Night Watchers were different. If they wanted to target someone, there was almost no way to escape.

As they continued their conversation, they tidied up the room. The environment was truly in poor condition.

Xu Qian was puzzled—although he had little memory of his past, he always recalled his family at crucial moments.

“I finally got promoted to manager, and now I’m stuck here. That cheap old Zhu is getting such a bargain.”

“I still have six hundred thousand in my bank account for a house down payment. The most tragic thing in life isn’t losing money while being alive—it’s dying while the money remains…”

“Just one more season, and I could’ve reached the highest rank.”

“I haven’t even watched the final season of Attack on Titan… The national football team hasn’t won a championship—ugh, forget that one.”

“Damn, I forgot to delete the 120GB of… ‘wife’ data on my hard drive…”

“Xu Qian, did you just say 120GB? That’s nothing. Everyone here has at least 2TB!”

“You’ve been hiding your true self all along! Had I known earlier…”

“Let’s not talk about this. Survival is our priority now. This world isn’t just inhabited by demons—there are also various cultivation systems, including warriors (considered the unluckiest), sorcerers, Confucian scholars, Buddhist monks, Taoists, witches, and Gu masters.”

“Six hundred years ago, the founding emperor of Great Feng established the nation, and the first chief of the Directorate of Celestial Observers categorized these systems into different ranks.”

“You belong to the ninth-rank Refined Essence Realm in the unfortunate warrior system. Your second uncle, Xu Pingzhi, is at the peak of the eighth-rank Qi Refinement Realm.”

“The Directorate of Celestial Observers is unique to Great Feng, and they operate with high prestige. The inventions of sixth-rank Alchemists have become integral to daily life.”

“As for the sorcery system: the ninth rank is Healer, the eighth rank is Qi Observer, the seventh rank is Feng Shui Master, and the sixth rank is Alchemist…”

The two of them conversed for a long time until a maid arrived to summon them for dinner.

When they entered the dining hall, they saw a little girl crying. Xu Qian asked gently, “What’s wrong?”

The little girl sobbed, “Mother lied to me! She said that if we made it home, she would take me to Guiyue Tower.”

Guiyue Tower was the most prestigious restaurant in the capital, catering only to high-ranking officials and nobles. Ordinary people couldn’t even dream of stepping inside.

Despite her poor memory, the little girl never forgot about Guiyue Tower, likely because she had been there once before.

Glancing at his drinking second uncle and his distressed aunt, Xu Qian realized that this little girl was their weak spot.

“Enough talking. Let’s eat.”

“Auntie, I might be staying at your house from now on. How about I pay thirty taels of silver per month?”

“That’s great!”

Seeing Lin Qiye take out silver, Li Ru’s headache instantly vanished—money truly healed all ailments.

“Young Master Lin, where do you want to stay?”

“I’ll share a room with Ning Yan.”

“Wouldn’t that be too much of a squeeze?”

“Not at all. I’d hate to trouble you more.”

“It’s fine. We’re family now.”

“Since Auntie said so, let me pay two months in advance. Is one hundred taels enough?”

“That’s more than enough!”

Watching Lin Qiye hand over a hundred-tael banknote, Li Ru was overjoyed. Making money had never been this easy.

Xu Qian, on the other hand, was speechless. Was this a joke? That was his money! And this guy was using it to win over his family?!

Lin Qiye shot him a look—We’re brothers. Your family is my family.

And so, everyone enjoyed a pleasant meal—Xu Qian and Lin Qiye’s first proper meal since arriving in this world.