Chapter 811: The Same Mother

Chapter 811: The Same Mother

“Get it done a bit more quickly?” the Captain said doubtfully. He looked at Xu Qing, then rubbed his chin. Instinctively producing another peach, he took a few bites. “Little Ah Qing, did you happen to make a friend in the Star Emperor Preeminence Sect while I was away? Which girl is it? Is she good-looking? Is she hot? Could it be... that this girl is the one that left the smell of pollen on you?

“You know, I have to offer you some constructive criticism. Don’t ever forget that you’re the Junior Brother, and I’m the Eldest Brother!” Sounding very serious, the Captain continued, “Therefore, in the future, please allow me to handle things like this!”

Xu Qing looked at the Captain and considered explaining, then decided he didn’t feel like it. Therefore, he sat down, closed his eyes, and paid no further attention.

Seeing Xu Qing react in that way caused the Captain to blink a few times. Then he sat down across from Xu Qing.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” he asked casually. “It’s all good! Whether or not your idea works doesn’t matter. I’ll remember your good intentions either way. I’m just looking out for your best interests, that’s all, little Ah Qing!”

Xu Qing’s eyes remained closed.

The Captain cleared his throat. Then, trying to look even more mysterious than before, he lowered his voice again. “Little Ah Qing, do you want to know the background of the Firemoon Darkheavens’ Great Hunt, and how it relates to god domains?”

Xu Qing opened his eyes and looked at the Captain.

Seemingly very pleased with himself, the Captain kept munching on his peach while he said, “As you know, the Firemoon Darkheaven people are very powerful, right? That said, they’ve never been able to match what humankind did in the past, in other words, conquer all species in Revered Ancient.

“There are four reasons for that.

“First among them is that there are actually four other species in Revered Ancient who are just as powerful as the Firemoon Darkheavens. Among those five great species, the Firemoons only rank third.

“Second among the reasons relates to the customs and lifestyle of the Firemoon Darkheavens. They actually have a relatively small population compared to the vast amount of land they control. Therefore, they wander a lot, establishing colonies and enslaving other species to wage war for them.

“Third relates to their three gods of sun, moon, and star. Each one of those gods has an individual temple that influences the mortal world. Because of that, the Firemoons aren’t truly united. They have three factions that are constantly contending with each other. They do have something called God Mountain, where the three gods’ temples are headquartered. Surrounding God Mountain is a god region that is considered supreme among the Firemoon Darkheavens. In other words, they have three main camps that exist in a tenuous balance, with the God Mountain in the middle.

“The fourth reason is that although the Firemoon Darkheavens have three gods, when it comes to overall strength and power, they don’t quite match up to other big species. Over the countless years, they’ve maintained a hunting tradition that they use to train members of their species like venomous bugs in a jar. That’s the main way they make their species so formidable, and also raise up powerful experts.

“Every sixty-year-cycle, they have a big hunting holiday. For a long time now, they’ve felt that weaker species aren’t good prey to hunt. So years ago, they set the final hunting ground as a god domain.

“And then, once every five sixty-year-cycles, they have their Great Hunt, when their three gods act together to open the entrance to the god domain. Then, the members of their species can enter the god domain and hunt the living beings inside.”

The Captain looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing considered the information. It was his first time hearing any of this, and it gave him a much better idea of how formidable the Firemoon Darkheaven people were. Then he thought about how humankind compared.

The Captain finished his peach and took out another.

“So now you know how their hunts correlate to god domains, right? By the way, I heard that every time the Great Hunt happens, the person who comes out on top of the various rounds of hunting will be conferred a special title by the God Mountain. And that title is darkheaven general!”

Xu Qing’s pupils constricted.

The Captain’s eyes glittered with dreamy longing. “In one of my lives, I participated in the Great Hunt. Sadly, something unexpected happened, otherwise I would have been named as a darkheaven general!”

“Even people who aren’t Firemoon Darkheavens can win the title?” Xu Qing asked.

The Captain nodded. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Firemoon Darkheaven or one of their subsidiary species. In fact, you can even be an outsider from distant lands. As long as you meet the qualifications and attend the Great Hunt, you have a chance. That said, from ancient times until now, only cultivators who are actually from the Firemoons have become the darkheaven generals. My current plan is to turn the Great Hunt into my chance to get into the god domain....”

“There’s no way!” the Captain replied. “Even an elder from their headquarters couldn’t get all those jade slips. He must rank higher than an elder!”

“It doesn’t matter. You got what you want. You just need to return them in seven days.” Xu Qing stood and walked out, feeling wonderful the entire time.

The Captain held the bag of holding as he watched Xu Qing leave. He really was at a loss for words. Finally, feeling more depressed than ever, he started looking for the missing words in the jade slips. As of now, there wasn’t any point in going back to the Star Emperor Preeminence Sect.

This kind of thing can’t keep happening. As the Eldest Brother, it’s too much of a loss of face....

His eyes gleamed with determination, and yet, he actually wasn’t sure what specifically to do.

What a headache. In the past, it was all about cultivation base, so as long as I worked hard to undo my seals, I could always regain my dignity as the Eldest Brother. But what do I do now...?

As the Captain continued to search for the missing letters, he tried to come up with ideas. In the end, he ground his teeth.

This really can’t keep happening! I guess I have no choice but to tap into the identity of my past-past-past-past-life!

***

Seven days had passed.

During that time, the investigation of the God-Merging School continued. On a daily basis, students from that school of thought were taken away. Groups and organizations throughout the imperial capital were paying very close attention to what was happening.

The death of Seventh Prince came about because he was found guilty and executed by The Emperor’s Sword. Therefore, he received no funeral. He was even stricken from the imperial records, and was not interred in the imperial mausoleum.

The historians were only allowed to mention something about him in passing.

“In the year 2936 of the Dark War calendar, Seventh Prince was found guilty of heinous crimes and was executed by The Emperor’s Sword.”

That was the end of the matter. The incense stick on the rainbow bridge that represented Seventh Prince collapsed into ash. Now there weren’t twelve incense sticks. There were eleven.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing’s name spread both inside and outside the imperial capital.

***

In the aftermath of Seventh Prince’s execution, Fifth Prince was summoned back to the capital. He had been away for many years as he followed the number-one heavenly king around the border regions. But now he had an assignment in the capital.

As news of the matter spread, discussions raged. That was especially true considering the death of Seventh Prince. Rumors went wild.

And that was because Seventh Prince and Fifth Prince had the same mother.

Days passed. One morning, bells tolled....

Outside the east gate of the capital, an ancient spell formation flared to life, sending dazzling light in all directions as an entire army teleported in. From a distance, it was possible to see war banners flapping.

Leading the army was a man mounted on a mutant two-headed black dragon. He wore a black suit of armor and stared at the capital with cold eyes. His long hair flowed freely behind him, and he pulsed with a baleful aura. Clearly, he had killed a lot of people. The army he led stood in ranks behind him, not making a single sound.

“I’m back,” the black-armored man said softly.