“What?!”
The old Prefectural Governor's eyes suddenly went wide, two sharp beams shooting from their cloudy depths.
“Sword-qi?!”
“Gongsun... are you absolutely sure?”
Gongsun Bei was not surprised by Jiang Qiliang's reaction.
He said nothing more, merely waving his sleeve to lay Liu Sanxian's severed corpse across the blue bricks of the hall.
The cut was perfectly clean, the flesh and bone sliced in two by a single sword strike, and a heavy stench of blood instantly filled the air.
Jiang Qiliang stood up abruptly, the plates of his armor clanking with a crisp metallic ring.
He walked around to the front of the severed corpse. Just as he squatted down, a sharp, fierce “qi” rushed at his face, sending a slight chill between his brows, as if the sword were still there, its edge yet to be sheathed.
“Hiss...”
Jiang Qiliang took a soft breath and extended two fingers, withered like old pine branches, to lightly trace the air above the cut.
Before his fingertips could even touch the flesh, the lingering sharpness already sent a faint numbness tingling through his pads.
Jiang Qiliang's knuckles trembled slightly. He withdrew his hand and stared blankly at his fingertips, speechless for a long moment.
“The sword aura remains condensed without dispersing, and the severed corpse still breathes sharpness...”
The old Prefectural Governor finally stood up, unable to suppress the awe in his voice.
“There is no mistake... This is undoubtedly sword-qi!”
He suddenly looked up, his voice filled with astonishment:
“If this old man remembers correctly, this boy is the “Moonlight Sword” who killed the Six Cangwu Demons a few days ago, causing quite a stir throughout the city, yes?”
“Precisely!”
Gongsun Bei nodded, paused, and added,
“He is the disciple of Senior Wen Qingye of the Star-Plucking Sect.”
“That old scoundrel Wen!”
Hearing this, the old Prefectural Governor immediately laughed and cursed:
“Regardless of his other traits, that old scoundrel's luck is truly second to none.
“His own son, Wen Zheng, first comprehended sword-glow, which had already made everyone green with envy. Now his disciple has mastered sword-qi... Truly, truly... it makes one burn with jealousy!”
Gongsun Bei stood quietly to the side, a rare hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Most of the world did not know.
Jiang Qiliang and Wen Qingye shared an extremely close friendship, having known each other for nearly twenty years.
In the year Wen Zheng comprehended sword-glow, Jiang Qiliang had even specifically summoned him to the Prefectural Governor's Mansion, opened his private treasury, and personally bestowed an ancient sword upon him.
The sword was named “Zhengdao,” taking his name to symbolize his ambition.
And now, that very “Zhengdao” was accompanying Wen Zheng as he slew demons and banished evil in Guangwu Prefecture, earning him an illustrious reputation.
Jiang Qiliang suppressed the emotions in his heart, shook his head, and sighed,
“This boy first performed the great deed of disrupting the demonic path's conspiracy, and then went on to cross realms as an Anjin Rank cultivator to execute a Huajin Rank demon. With such meritorious service, he must be rewarded!”
He paused, pacing two steps in the hall with his hands behind his back. After pondering for a moment, he said,
“Gongsun...”
“What do you think of me bestowing the ‘Qingfeng’ upon him? That sword is considered a first-rate treasure among spiritual embryos, so it should be worthy of his sword-qi.”
Gongsun Bei, however, shook his head.
“Though ‘Qingfeng’ is excellent, a sword cultivator's weapon must, above all, feel right in their hand.
“I have already looked into it. Shen Xiuhan has entrusted his personal sword to the sword shop owned by Liu Huan's family, intending to forge it into a spiritual embryo. If nothing goes awry, it should be completed within these next two days.”
Jiang Qiliang's expression froze slightly, and he turned his gaze to look at Gongsun Bei.
He knew his personal guard all too well.
While he claimed to have “looked into it,” he had undoubtedly investigated Shen Xiuhan's background thoroughly from start to finish.
“You... oh, you...”
The old Prefectural Governor pointed a finger at him and sighed helplessly:
“You truly trust no one.”
Gongsun Bei's expression remained unchanged as he said flatly,
“It is always better to be cautious.
“This boy comes from a humble county, his background is clean, and he is a rare genius from an ordinary family.
“If you are interested, My Lord, you can recruit him to your side and nurture him carefully. Within three years, you will gain a loyal soldier of the Huajin Rank.”
The old Prefectural Governor waved his hand listlessly, his aging eyes showing a trace of weariness:
“Forget it, forget it...
“With only eight or nine years of lifespan remaining, this old man has no interest in such matters anymore. I only hope to bed a few more women while I still live...”
The muscles on Gongsun Bei's face twitched slightly, and he immediately held his tongue.
Jiang Qiliang see his reaction, was absolutely delighted, and his hearty laughter echoed throughout the hall.
Before long, the laughter subsided.
Stroking his grizzled beard, the old Prefectural Governor pondered for a moment before saying,
“Since he already has a sword, then... let us gift him a piece of armor.
“With a precious armor to protect his body, a genius from a humble county like him will have a bit more confidence when entering the demon sect's territory to eliminate the rogues.”
He paused, raising his cloudy eyes to look at Gongsun Bei, and smiled.
“Gongsun, you can have a try at taking revenge on the Yinsha Sect?”
Gongsun Bei nodded slightly. “I do.”
Jiang Qiliang was not surprised in the least.
He slowly walked over to his chair, sat down while supporting himself on the armrests, and sighed.
“Do as you see fit.
“I am old, and I have lived long enough. To the common people and to my martial heart, I have done my utmost. It is just that my talent ends here, unable to knock open the door to the Gangjin Rank, and I can blame no one. I have no lingering attachments now.”
He looked out toward the sky outside the hall, which was gradually brightening, his gaze suddenly becoming distant and soft.
It was as if his sight penetrated the high walls of the prefecture capital, landing somewhere extremely far away.
“My only regret is that after leaving the capital to travel far south over forty years ago, I cannot return to my homeland before I die.”
He withdrew his gaze, letting it fall on Gongsun Bei, his tone carrying a touch of the nagging and anticipation typical of the elderly.
“Gongsun, tell me about what you saw and heard during this trip back to the capital... Anything is fine, I want to hear it all.”
Gongsun Bei fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
“Very well...
“To the west, the Great Mercy Dharma Realm of the Yan State has allied with the Great Joy Dharma Realm of the Huanxi Dao. With two lineages, eight temples, and thirty-six shrines, they have gathered tens of thousands of monk soldiers to invade the borders of our Great Qi.
“The Zhenxi General and Daoist Master Qi are personally overseeing the situation. Yet, the imperial court still deems it insufficient, and has summoned the Daoist Masters of the upper sects from three provinces to gather in the imperial capital to discuss strategies to repel the enemy.
“Before this...
“Although the matter of the Sixth Prince consuming human pills has not spread among the common people, it is no longer a secret among the great noble families. This matter involves many parties, the political winds in court are delicate, and the impact has been rather negative.
“Furthermore...
“Noble Consort Liu, the mother of the Ninth Prince, Jiang Su, has recently become pregnant again. The divination of the Daoist Masters of the Directorate of Astronomy indicates that it is another son.”
The old Prefectural Governor listened quietly with a smile, his head gradually tilting to one side as he closed his eyes.
Before long,
soft snoring sounds began to drift from the chair.
Gongsun Bei spoke a few more words before his voice gradually faded.
He stood in place for a moment, looking at the elderly man sleeping soundly in the chair. He gently picked up the cloak that had slipped halfway down and draped it over Jiang Qiliang's knees.
Then, he turned around, silently closed the door, and withdrew.
...
It was the third day since Liu Sanxian, Cheng Du, Yan Xiao, Song Yanrong, and Feng Xiaobao had set off side-by-side on the road to the Yellow Springs—a path so crowded they could barely stand.
Star-Plucking Tower.
Private room.
The carved wooden window was half-open.
The afternoon sun filtered diagonally through the window lattice, falling upon the longsword in Shen Xiuhan's hand.
The blade was like a stretch of frozen autumn water, its cold light restrained and not glaring, yet a sharp, freezing aura flowed restlessly along its length.
Gazing at this “Hanlin Sword,” which clearly had not changed in shape but now possessed a completely different charm, Shen Xiuhan could not help but curl his lips upward.
Opposite him, Liu Chong smiled as he pinched his teacup, introducing:
“With the addition of purple-veined dark gold, red wutong core, Geng-gold marrow, and various other precious ores, plus three Yuan Stones, although this sword is still three feet and three inches long, it now weighs a full eighty-one catties, firmly placing it in the ranks of ‘spiritual embryos’!”
Rate on N.U.
