Chapter 541: Flowers in the Eyes, Stars in the Heart (part 1)
As the cultivators from the county capital looked on with strange expressions, Third Elder Brother hurried out of the crowd, leaped up onto the dreadnaught, and kowtowed in front of Master Seventh.
“Master, it’s been years since you said it would be difficult for me to overcome the challenge of passion. Thus, I bound my hair with a hat that has the character ‘forbidden’ on it. As of today, my heart has been fully assessed. I’ve overcome the challenge of love. Therefore, I earnestly request that you let me back into your tutelage.”
Third Elder Brother’s voice was soft and reserved. After he finished speaking, he flashed a smile in Xu Qing’s direction. That said, his current demeanor, including his rather forced smile, made him seem a lot less impressive than in the past.
Meanwhile, the eight female disciples from the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society held their children as they followed Third Elder Brother. However, when they noticed the glares of the swordsages, they stopped short of boarding the dreadnaught.
“Eight? That’s it?” Master Seventh said coolly. “When you have ninety-nine, then you’ll be ready to return to me.”
Master Seventh flicked his sleeve, sending Third Elder Brother tumbling off of the dreadnaught.
Stopping in midair, Third Elder Brother sighed and, as everyone watched, once again kowtowed in the direction of the dreadnaught.
Then, Master Seventh invited the Swordsage Court grand elder, plus the patriarchs from the Church of Departure and the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society, to join him in the dreadnaught’s superstructure. There, they apprised Master Seventh of the various intelligence reports from their sects. The Swordsage Court grand elder also provided an update on the recovery work going on in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture.
Xu Qing stood by, occasionally looking at Third Elder Brother off in the distance.
Third Elder Brother remained in a kowtow. It was the same with his daoist partners.
The two sect patriarchs who were giving their reports to Master Seventh occasionally glanced at Xu Qing out of the corners of their eyes. Both of them were aware of Xu Qing’s status in Sea-Sealing County. Updated from novelbIn.(c)om
“Exalted Lieutenant Governor, as of now, the recovery and rebuilding in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture is about seventy percent complete. Everything should be done within half a month. Furthermore, the orders you gave regarding the remaining half of the experimental god body have been carried out.”
The grand elder from the Swordsage Court clasped hands and bowed, then looked at Xu Qing and smiled.
Xu Qing looked back respectfully. He had always felt a lot of admiration for this grand elder.
After another brief interchange with Master Seventh, the Swordsage Court grand elder and patriarch from the Church of Departure respectfully left.
The patriarch from the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society, who was the Junior Brother of Daoist Sima, hesitated briefly. Then he glanced at his Elder Brother. Daoist Sima looked back with no change in facial expression. Finally, the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society patriarch smiled wryly and clasped hands to Master Seventh.
“Exalted Lieutenant Governor, about Third Highness, he—”
“That’s your business,” Master Seventh said coolly. “I know I clashed with your Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society in the past, but you never told me that he committed such a grave error. It’s only natural for you to punish him.
“Members of that bloodline were considered direct descendants of the Ghost Emperor, and each generation served as leaders in the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society. However, over time, the bloodline became diluted, and eventually, those people lost their position of prominence. That said, members with strong blood would occasionally appear. Your Third Elder Brother is one such person. He has the strongest blood of the Ghost Emperor in this generation.
“Thirty years ago when Third Elder Brother was born, and they realized how strong his blood was, the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society tried to refine him into a treasure. That was when he was only a teenager. His allies managed to sneak him out, and later, he became my apprentice.
“That said, he always had a desire to get revenge for what happened. And thus, thanks to his careful planning and preparations, he managed to return to the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society.
“He doesn’t fear death. You see, he might seem human, but in reality, he isn’t a human at all. And he has an innate bloodline ability that, after death, allows him to reawaken in any descendant he chooses. That said, it’s hard for him to recover his consciousness when that happens. That’s why he spent so many licentious years out on the Forbidden Sea. At this point, I doubt even he knows how many descendants he has.
“The reason is to give all of his ancestors a chance to reawaken as well, all for the purpose of ultimately destroying the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society. He’ll likely experience an ancestral reawakening at some point, which is why he has the character ‘forbidden’ on his hat. That said, my cultivation base has its limits, so I’m not sure if the hat I created will work forever.
“In any case, the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society knows all of this. Presumably, the reason they’re keeping him under house arrest and constantly delivering daoist partners to him is that they have another way of refining that bloodline. In the final analysis, though, it’s still a betrayal. If he wasn’t my apprentice, I wouldn’t bother interfering. But he is my apprentice, so things are different.
“If the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society wants to smooth things out, they’ll have to figure out how to do so on their own. All I can say is that when an apprentice kowtows to me, they earn my protection. And if anyone dares to harm my apprentice, I’ll wipe out their entire sect or clan.”
Xu Qing was understandably shaken by all of this information. Third Elder Brother had an innate ability that was very similar to the parasitization technique of the Grueglooms. Except, it was even more nefarious.
Daoist Sima didn’t seem surprised at all by what he was hearing. As a former patriarch of the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society, he’d known such details for a long time. After a moment of thought, he clasped hands. “Lieutenant Governor, my Junior Brother is at fault in all this. I’ll make sure he provides satisfactory compensation.”
Master Seventh didn’t respond. Xu Qing also maintained silence. This was a matter that surpassed him, and there was no need for him to provide input.
***
The next day, the dreadnaught passed over the Supreme Arbiter Salvation Mountains, then followed the Everlasting Immortal Profundity River until the Eight Sect Coalition appeared.
The bells tolled twenty-one times, which was the highest level of honor, and indicated the greatest tribute that could be offered by the Eight Sect Coalition. [1]
As the bells rang, the president and patriarchs of the Eight Sect Coalition all came out to receive the guests. Sir Bloodsmelter and Plumdark were among them. Sir Bloodsmelter looked very pleased, while Plumdark’s expression was soft and gentle. The other patriarchs were all behaving similarly. Only the patriarch of the Soaring Cloud Sword Sect looked a bit desolate. The president’s expression was neutral, and he didn’t betray either happiness or anger. When he caught sight of the dreadnaught, his eyes glittered with mixed emotions. However, they faded quickly as he bowed respectfully to the dreadnaught. Everyone else bowed deeply at the waist.
The megacity was decorated with lanterns and colored banners. Countless disciples present all looked very excited, especially those from Seven Blood Eyes, who seemed exceptionally proud.
“We offer respectful greetings, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary-General Xu.”
As the coalition echoed with expressions of greeting, Sir Bloodsmelter laughed heartily.
Master Seventh shoved aside thoughts of his third apprentice. Smiling, he led Xu Qing off the dreadnaught and into the Eight Sect Coalition.
Xu Qing was moved by the sight of so many familiar faces. That was especially true when he looked at Plumdark and thought back to the lamp from Forbidden by the Immortal. Plumdark was looking at him with the same gentle smile she always had.
1. In chapter 379, Sir Bloodsmelter mentioned that the bells would never toll more than twenty-one times. As far as I’m aware, this isn’t anything related to Chinese history or culture, but rather, correlates to a twenty-one gun salute. ?