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“I’ll kill you!!”

The Captain sighed, then sneered. “Turns out you can’t curse. I mean, you’re just repeating the same thing over and over. Do you need me to help you out?”

Nethersprite had devolved into complete madness.

Seeing that, the Captain cleared his throat complacently. He obviously wasn’t worried that the swordsages might kill him to appease Nethersprite. If they were the kind of people who did that, they couldn’t possibly represent the most orthodox side of humanity. To the Swordsage Court, rules were rules, and they had to be respected. What made him even more pleased was the open astonishment on the face of the middle-aged swordsage. Even his little Junior Brother was visibly surprised, which was rare.

The Captain was feeling incomparably happy at this win-win situation.

I’ll be able to brag about this to little Ah Qing for the next decade. And now the old swordsage fogies know what Chen Erniu is really capable of. This will definitely change how they treat me.

With such thoughts on his mind, he collected all the clothing back up. Of course, he was the kind of person who stuck to his word, so... he left the nose hair in front of the cage.

After organizing everything, he walked back to Xu Qing. Eyebrows dancing up and down, he said, “What do you think of your Elder Brother now?”

“Incredible!” Xu Qing replied sincerely. In fact, after a moment of thought, he gave the Captain a big thumbs-up.

The Captain laughed heartily. Then, feeling absolutely wonderful, he looked at Qing Qiu.

She rolled her eyes, all the while keeping fully on guard.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged swordsage looked at him with mixed emotions. He had to admit that this Chen Erniu had some skills, but at the same time, was worried that he might harm the reputation of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture’s Swordsage Court. After all, he was profoundly underhanded and sleazy. And when the swordsage thought about the look on Chen Erniu’s face moments ago, he had to hold back from walking over and slapping him.

Meanwhile, in a grand hall elsewhere in the Swordsage Court, several of the elders had strange expressions on their faces as they looked at an image of the prison on a screen of light. They had been watching everything play out with the Captain, including everything he said. For a short time, they were all struck speechless.

Eventually, one of the elders shook his head and said, “So sleazy.”

At the same time, Nethersprite’s distraught state was just the opening the Swordsage Court had been looking for to start a soulsearch. Xu Qing, the Captain, and Qing Qiu weren’t needed for that, so the middle-aged swordsage ushered them out. In terms of the reward for their service, the Captain got the majority.

After they were gone, the middle-aged swordsage sighed. “The disciples this time from the Eight Sect Coalition. They’re....”

He shook his head, not really sure of what word to use.

***

Once outside the Swordsage Court, Qing Qiu was the first to leave. She headed for the Church of Departure, clearly not interested in staying behind for a moment longer than necessary.

The next day, the Eight Sect Coalition packed up to leave. Before the huge flying ship left, though, something happened.

The Captain went missing. He just didn’t have the guts to go home. Obviously, he was worried about Arch-Immortal Plumdark’s fury and his Master’s rage. What was more, he never found out what Arch-Immortal Plumdark had written in her response.

However, there was a patriarch present, so the Captain’s escape attempt failed. About an hour before the flying ship was set to leave, Sir Bloodsmelter left and came back dragging the Captain with him.

The Captain looked very bored, and was sighing endlessly. After Sir Bloodsmelter threw him onto the ship, he gave the orders and the ship shot through the air back toward the Eight Sect Coalition.

The Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar grew smaller and smaller in Xu Qing’s eyes, until it eventually disappeared. He could only stare at the spot where he knew it existed, and think back to all the momentous events that had played out.

He had come as a simple disciple from the Eight Sect Coalition. Although he essentially counted as a dao child, he wasn’t necessarily very well known... But now he was a swordsage for whom an unprecedented 30,000-meter beam of light appeared. He reached the highest heights possible during the recruitment event. His status and reputation were now completely different than before. It wasn’t lost on him that all of the other coalition disciples had taken to looking at him out of the corners of their eyes.

Before, most coalition disciples had been envious of him. But now they revered him. Their gazes were different. Some of it was because of how strong he was, but more of it was because of his new status.

He was now a cultivator from one of the Five Greater Celestial Divisions, who represented the orthodoxy of humankind. He had a command sword, which proved that, as long as he was strong enough, he had the right to execute anyone but the emperor. That identity was also a protection for him. If anyone tried to kill him, they would be making themselves the enemy of the Swordsage Division.

Along with those benefits came responsibilities. Now Xu Qing wielded a sword for the sake of humankind, and was tasked with protecting all life.

Xu Qing couldn’t help but muse that the swordsage mission was so monumental that he wasn’t even sure what to do going forward.

I guess I’ll just follow my heart. Settling his thoughts, he turned to see the Captain hobbling over to him.

“Hey, little Junior Brother. You know, there’s something I really regret.”

“Running away too late?” Xu Qing asked, looking at the Captain’s legs.

Full of grief and indignation, the Captain continued, “Not that. I regret waiting so long to join the swordsages. Otherwise I would have gained enlightenment of The Emperor’s Sword a lot sooner. If I’d been powering it up this entire time, then even a Void Returning cultivator would have to treat me very politely.”

“Except,” Xu Qing reminded him, “you’d have to be at the peak of Nascent Soul and also live for 2,000 years.”

“Well I....” The Captain trailed off. He sighed. “In the Revered Ancient mainland, the peak of Nascent Soul is the end of the line for most cultivators. Most people get stuck there, unable to break through, until eventually their longevity runs out....

“In minor worlds, that level is actually considered the ultimate peak. When cultivators in minor worlds reach that level, their next step is to break out into the void to start searching for their secret troves. That wouldn’t be the issue. But living for 2,000 years. Yeesh.

“Things nowadays can’t compare to before the arrival of the god. Back then there was no mutagen, and here on the Revered Ancient mainland, they also called the Nascent Soul level the Heavenfate level. One palace created one nascent soul. One nascent soul provided six sixty-year-cycles of longevity. But now, all longevity has been cut in half. Unless you have some precious materials to work with, there’s no way someone in the peak of Nascent Soul could ever power up a sword to kill someone in Void Returning.”

Xu Qing took all the information in. This was his first time gaining a bit of understanding about the Nascent Soul level.

“Forget about all that, little Junior Brother. Say, after we’re back, why don’t you just give in to Arch-Immortal Plumdark? Close your eyes and it’ll be over before you know it. I mean, if you don’t, your Eldest Brother won’t be going to Sea-Sealing County with you. Arch-Immortal Plumdark will almost certainly slap me to death.”

Xu Qing thought about it and then took out a pouch which he handed to the Captain. “Inside that pouch is something that should help you survive the coming tribulation.”

“What’s inside?” the Captain asked, his eyes glittered as he prepared to open the pouch.

“Healing medicine,” Xu Qing replied.

The Captain glared back at him.

Xu Qing figured that since the Captain was the kind of person who liked extreme danger and was used to risking his life, he was obviously used to suffering a bit. Therefore, adding a bit more suffering on top wouldn’t do much harm. Besides, if the Captain lost body parts, he could grow them back in a matter of days. Even when he lost everything but his head, he would be back to normal within a month. Worst case scenario, he could always just take the Captain’s head with him to Sea-Sealing County. Before they even arrived, the Captain would be hale and hearty again.

The Captain sighed. Putting away the medicine, he took out an apple to eat. At least he could sell the medicine, and he was definitely running very low on funds lately. He had spent almost everything he had on getting the answers to the Grand Emperor’s questions. The mere thought that he had spent so many spirit stones to get a one-meter pillar of light was almost too much to take.

“If you don’t want to help me work things out with Arch-Immortal Plumdark, fine. But can you at least tell me how you answered the Grand Emperor’s question? I’ve thought about it a lot. Constantly, actually. Look. My hair is even starting to fall out because of it.”

The Captain blinked a few times as he looked at Xu Qing. The truth was that everything he had said before was all a smokescreen to deflect from his real question, which he had just asked. He had come to a realization recently. Back when he lay in the snow with Xu Qing, he shouldn’t have directly asked about what he wanted to know. He should have said some other random things first, for example about Heavenfate Nascent Soul, to distract Xu Qing. Only then, when the moment was right, could he ask his question and have a good chance of getting an answer.

As soon as he asked the question, something happened in a secret room in the flying ship. The ears of Sir Bloodsmelter, who was seated cross-legged in meditation, suddenly twitched. Next to him was Guru Eastnether. Both of them opened their eyes and looked in Xu Qing’s direction.

At the same time, back on the distant Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar, the swordsage grand elder also looked in the direction of the Eight Sect Coalition’s flying ship.

As all of those old-timers paid very close attention to what was happening, Xu Qing looked at the Captain’s hair.

The Captain looked back pleadingly at Xu Qing.

“I already told you, Eldest Brother,” Xu Qing replied quietly. “Back when we were laying in the snow together.”

The Captain looked stunned, and immediately thought back to that night. Sir Bloodsmelter frowned as he did the same thing, and the swordsage grand elder also looked surprised.

All of a sudden, the Captain realized something. Xu Qing hadn’t said a word. He’d just spit a few times.

“You... you spat?” the Captain asked hesitantly.

Xu Qing nodded. “I spat on the god.”

The Captain stood there in a daze. “That’s all? The mere act of spitting got you 30,000 meters?”

“I also called him a son of a bitch,” Xu Qing said, pointing up at the broken face of the god.

Sir Bloodsmelter was visibly stunned, and the swordsage grand elder had a very unusual look on his face.

Meanwhile, the Captain said, “You... you called the broken face of the god a son of a bitch?”

“There was more,” Xu Qing said, sounding very serious. “I cursed him a few different ways. Other than calling him a son of a bitch, I said that he was a rat bastard and a damned asshat. And finally, I called him a dog-fucker.”

Then Xu Qing spat over the edge of the rail.

The Captain looked at Xu Qing, his eyes glittering.

Meanwhile, back in the Swordsage Court, the swordsage grand elder thought for a moment. Then he smiled. And then that smile grew wider and wider until he started laughing. It was a carefree laughter that echoed through the Swordsage Court, causing all of the swordsages to turn their heads in surprise. As far as they could remember, the grand elder always acted very seriously. Whether it was in the court or when he lectured on plants and vegetation, he was always like that. Very rarely did he ever laugh.

As he laughed, the grand elder even used some obscene language. “A son of a bitch!”

Back on the flying ship, Sir Bloodsmelter was laughing so hard his eyes were bloodshot. He could remember days past when he would cuss. However, it had been quite some time since he stopped.

On the deck of the ship, the Captain inhaled deeply. Looking up at the broken face of the god, he yelled, “You dog-fucker!”

Then he hawked a loogie and spat over the railing. Finally he burst out laughing. Xu Qing joined him.

But high above in the dome of heaven, the broken face of the god seemed as imposing as ever, as if the people below didn’t even count as bugs.

***

Time passed. The flying ship left the northern tundra, crossed the Everlasting Immortal Profundity River, and followed the Supreme Arbiter Salvation Mountains south. One afternoon about half a month later, as the bright sun shone down, the majestic walls of the Eight Sect Coalition became visible on the southern horizon.

As they neared, the sound of bells filled the coalition.

They were welcoming bells.

Bells welcoming the arrival of swordsages!