Chapter 501: Returning to the Commandery in Triumph

Time passed.

Three days flashed by.

The Seventh Imperial Prince's grand army heading for the Commandery Capital also finished gathering on the morning of this fourth day and began its journey.

Xu Qing, the Captain, and Kong Kong Xianglong were all among the crowd.

As the army marched forward, gradually moving away from the defensive line, Xu Qing looked back from within the ranks toward the northwest.

Over these two months, he had experienced many things here and had seen too much life and death.

At this moment, in the silence, there were many cultivators like him looking toward the northwest; most of these people were Sword-Holders of the Fenghai Commandery.

After a long while, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and looked toward the heaven and earth ahead, at the... four-clawed golden dragon surrounded and escorted by hundreds of black dragons.

Amidst the clouds and mist, even the tiny portion of its massive body that was visible gave one a sense of holiness, not to mention the figure sitting in the imperial carriage on its back.

Inside the imperial carriage on his person, sat a figure.

The people on the ground, including Xu Qing, were like clouds and mud compared to this noble personage located above the nine heavens, insignificant.

Xu Qing recalled a sentence his teacher had once said when he was a child in the slums.

"What is a big shot... actually, it's very simple. You look up in a crowd and can clearly see him and remember him.

Because in your eyes, whether you are willing or not, he is the only one.

And when his gaze sweeps over the crowd, he cannot see you clearly, nor can he remember you among the vast masses, then, he is a big shot.

"So, whenever you manage to make the City Lord specifically notice you and pay attention to you when he walks past us, then you brat can also be considered a big shot."

You, then you brat can also be considered a big shot."

Xu Qing remembered these words very clearly at the time. Later, when the God's remnant face opened its eyes and he snuck into the City Lord's mansion to search for cultivation techniques, he had indeed managed to make the City Lord, who had died with his eyes wide open, reflect his own figure within those dull, lifeless pupils.

At that moment, he truly succeeded in making the city lord, who had died with eyes wide open, see his own reflection within those dull, lifeless pupils.

At this moment, he glanced at the Seventh Imperial Prince in the clouds, withdrew his gaze, and continued forward with the army, expressionless.

Several hours later, the army arrived at the large-scale teleportation array that had been constructed. Amidst the successive teleportations, Xu Qing's figure, along with the comrades around him, vanished into a sea of shining light.

Together with the comrades-in-arms around him, he vanished into the sea of shining light.

When he reappeared, he was already outside the familiar Commandery Capital, from which he had been absent for two months.

Not all of the grand army could enter the Commandery Capital.

Xu Qing and the numerous soldiers could only wait for orders on the land surrounding the Commandery Capital.

Only a small number of people were qualified to follow the Seventh Imperial Prince and be teleported into the Commandery Capital.

Standing on the land of the Commandery Capital, Xu Qing looked up at the Commandery Capital above and heard the massive cheers coming from that familiar capital city.

The sound was deafening, echoing through heaven and earth.

The sky emitted auspicious seven-colored light for ten thousand zhang, and the three great palaces released brilliant radiance as a backdrop.

And inside the Commandery Capital, which Xu Qing could not see, all the houses were currently draped with colorful ribbons, and a main street leading directly from the Commandery Governor's mansion to the teleportation array had been renamed the Imperial Prince's Path.

The main street with the teleportation array was renamed Imperial Prince Road.

This street was decorated with lanterns and streamers and covered in fresh flowers, with countless members of the human race lining the sides to welcome them, the sound of cheering spreading in all directions.

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

As gongs and drums shook the heavens and the whole world celebrated, the Commandery Chancellor led a group of people within the Commandery Capital, including those from the Near-Immortal race and the Saint Demon race, as well as many ancestors of foreign races, and bowed respectfully the moment the Seventh Imperial Prince's figure appeared amidst the flashing array.

Many ancestors of foreign races bowed respectfully the moment the Seventh Imperial Prince's figure appeared amidst the flashing array.

"Greetings to the Seventh Imperial Prince!"

In the firmament, the four-clawed golden dragon spat out red clouds, its light shining and brilliant to the extreme; on the ground, the Seventh Imperial Prince walked out with a smile, facing the crowd.

For a moment, the sound reached its peak.

But all of this had nothing to do with Xu Qing.

Xu Qing stood silently in the army outside the Commandery Capital, listening to all of this.

It was not until a long time later that a dharma decree was passed into the army, ordering the Imperial Capital's army to camp on the spot and move about freely, while the Sword-Holders of the original Western War Zone finally received the order for free return.

The Sword Holders also finally waited for the order to return to freedom.

From then on, unless at specific times, they did not need to go to the battlefield.

This order came from the Commandery Chancellor and the Vice Palace Master of the Sword-Holding Palace; at their earnest request, the Imperial Prince, mindful that it was not easy for the Sword-Holders, felt moved and granted special permission.

Xu Qing left the army and went nowhere else, returning directly to his Sword Pavilion.

The moment he stepped inside, he did not even take off his armor, nor did he meditate; instead, he lay on the bed and fell asleep instantly.

He slept this sleep until the dusk of the next day.

The moment he woke up, there was already a large amount of information in his sound-transmission jade slip and command sword.

Because the battlefield did not allow the transmission of information via jade slips and they were all blocked, it was only after returning to the Commandery Capital that they could communicate with each other via jade slips.

"Xu Qing, I couldn't contact you before, and only felt relieved when I saw your Senior Brother today and knew you were fine. Old man, I'm heading back with the Wood Spirit race first. The Commandery Capital here is a bit different from what we thought before. This battle caused heavy losses for the Wood Spirit race, and I also had a narrow escape... When you have time, come back to the Wood Spirit race; Linger is about to wake up."

matter. This old man will return with the Wood Spirit race first; the Prefecture Capital here is somewhat different from what we previously imagined. This battle—the Wood Spirit

race suffered heavy casualties, and I also had a brush with death... If you have time, return to the Wood Spirit race; Linger is about to wake up.

This was the old man from Banquan Road.

"Xu Qing, come drink with me when you wake up."

This was Kong Kong Xianglong.

"Junior Brother, tell me when you wake up; I'm coming to get the Dao Fruit from you."

This was the Captain.

"Commandery Secretary Xu, you must be careful. I received information in the Commandery Capital that those foreign races you intimidated back then have united, saying you destroyed the unity of Fenghai Commandery. Although this matter was suppressed with all his might by the Commandery Chancellor, you should still be careful."

, saying you disrupted the unity of Fenghai Prefecture. Although this matter was fully suppressed by the Prefecture Chancellor, you must still be cautious."

This was Qing Qiu.

Xu Qing replied briefly to a few messages, put down the jade slip, stretched, took off the armor on his body, and with a wave of his hand, countless rain and mist gathered over his whole body, quickly washing him clean.

Countless rain and mist gathered over his entire body, quickly washing his body clean.

The reason he didn't clean up on the battlefield was that, on one hand, it was meaningless, and on the other, the thick smoke and the invasion of the aura of death meant that in such an environment, unless one was a neat freak, one would not repeat this action constantly.

attacks; in such an environment, unless one has a cleanliness obsession, one would not repeat this action at all times.

Having finished cleaning, Xu Qing changed into a new Dao robe, and the Captain, who was also completely refreshed, came over with anticipation.

"Half each." Xu Qing said calmly.

The Captain was immediately beaming.

"That's enough, haha. I can finally go exchange for the Dao Ancient Sealing Order. Little Ah Qing, let me tell you, the reason I worked so hard to gain military merit in the Commandery Capital was all for this!"

effort to ponder and obtain military merit, it is all for this!"

The Captain was satisfied, put the storage bag into his bosom, and looked at Xu Qing, smiling as he spoke.

"Little Ah Qing, do you want to go exchange for a Life Lamp? The military merit from the Dao Fruit is enough, and the battle merits have also been distributed. Look at how many battle merits you got? I got four fifth-grade battle merits and two third-grade ones!"

See how many battle merits you have taken? I have taken four fifth-rank battle merits and two third-rank ones!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing took out his command sword and checked it.

"Sword-Holder Xu Qing, upon the report of the Sword-Holding Palace and verification by the Military Discipline Department, for the Battle of Fenghai Commandery, you have been awarded one second-grade battle merit, four third-grade battle merits, seven fourth-grade battle merits, and eleven fifth-grade battle merits."

Third-rank military merit four times, fourth-rank military merit seven times, fifth-rank military merit eleven times."

Xu Qing was stunned; he hadn't expected so many.

"Haha, not bad, right? I heard this was reported by the Vice Palace Master of the Sword-Holding Palace himself, and basically everyone got some."

The Captain smiled and spoke, then looked around and whispered again.

"You went to sleep as soon as you got back, right? Let me tell you, Little Ah Qing, a lot has happened from yesterday until now. After the Seventh Imperial Prince arrived, the landscape of the Commandery Capital has already changed."

After the Imperial Prince arrived, the layout of the Prefecture Capital was no longer the same."

"The Sword-Holding Palace, the Executive Palace, and the Law-Enforcement Palace are now headed by three of his subordinate commanders acting as Palace Masters."

"Also, the Great Elders of the Sword-Holding Courts of the four states were reprimanded, including our Yinghuang State. There are many reasons, and one of them is the loss of prisoners. That woman You Jing actually went so far as to risk severe injury and even a drop in her cultivation base on the battlefield to forcibly break her shackles and escape in the chaos."

One of the items is the loss of a prisoner. That woman You Jing actually went as far as to risk severe injury and even a drop in cultivation base on the battlefield to forcibly break open

"And the Near-Immortal race and the Saint Demon race have changed their status from allies to the human race. This Seventh Imperial Prince doesn't know what methods he used, but in one day, they voluntarily became vassal races to the human race of Fenghai Commandery."

means; in one day's time, they voluntarily became a race attached to the human race of Fenghai Prefecture."

"Besides that, more than four hundred foreign races have chosen to increase their annual tribute and simultaneously hand over their military power."

"Enough talk, I'm going to exchange for some things. Right, little Ah Qing, the Commandery Assistant has already given notice that tomorrow a commandery funeral will be held to mourn..."

"... the Commandery Governor, the three fallen Palace Masters, and all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives."

Xu Qing watched the Captain walk away. He stood outside the Sword Pavilion, looking at his surroundings; the familiar Commandery Capital now felt vaguely...

... somewhat strange.

Everything was different now.

Xu Qing suddenly missed the Seven Blood Eyes, and he missed his Master.

After a long while, he bought a few jugs of wine in the Commandery Capital and went to Kong Kong Xianglong's Sword Pavilion.

Kong Kong Xianglong was drinking alone. Upon seeing Xu Qing, he bared his teeth, wanting to smile, but he couldn't. In the end, he...

... picked up the wine jug and drained it in one gulp.

Xu Qing silently kept him company, drinking with Kong Kong Xianglong; neither of them spoke.

Until the night passed and a faint light appeared in the sky outside, Xu Qing spoke softly.

"Brother Kong, the commandery funeral is about to begin."

Kong Kong Xianglong silently raised his head. After a long time, he spoke in a low voice.

"Xu Qing, wait for me outside for a moment."

Xu Qing nodded and walked out of the Sword Pavilion.

It didn't take long. When the door of the Sword Pavilion opened and Kong Kong Xianglong walked out, the stubble was gone from his face, and his body...

... no longer smelled of alcohol.

That neat white Sword-Wielder robe made him seem, for a fleeting moment, as if he had returned to the time before the war.

"The old man never let me call him Grandfather, and I couldn't be bothered to call him that anyway. From the time I was small until now, I've always lived alone..."

"... anyway," Kong Kong Xianglong said softly.

"But... that old man was a stern person. If his spirit in heaven saw me so drunk earlier..."

"... he would probably be wearing that stiff, scolding face again. Even though he can't lecture me anymore, I should still let him be a bit happier."

"Don't you think so, Xu Qing?" Kong Kong Xianglong looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing nodded gently.

Kong Kong Xianglong took a deep breath and walked forward.

Xu Qing went with him. The two left the Sword Pavilion. Amidst the echoing tolling of bells throughout the Commandery Capital, and as the entire city became...

... permeated with solemnity, they arrived inside the Commandery Capital, arriving... directly in front of the statue of the Ancient Emperor Xuanyou Emperor.

At this moment, hundreds of thousands of cultivators were already standing there.

The Jiangong, the Enforcement Palace, the Law Palace, and the Commandery Office cultivators were all present.

There were even more figures arriving rapidly from all directions; among them, some had missing limbs, some had unhealed wounds, some had...

... bloodshot eyes, and others were filled with suppressed grief and indignation.

They were all battle-hardened cultivators who had survived the Western War Zone.

On the ground, the Imperial Capital's army marched out and bowed their heads in silent mourning.

Within the capital city, every household instinctively walked out; men and women, young and old, silently looked toward the statue of the Ancient Emperor Xuanyou Emperor.

At this moment, on the northwestern front, all the cultivators and Sword-Wielders from the various prefectures of Fenghai Commandery who had not returned set everything aside...

... and faced the direction of the Commandery Capital, their expressions filled with infinite sorrow.

The human sects that had served in the Western War Zone and returned to their respective prefectures also rang their sect bells at this moment, echoing through every prefecture...

... echoing in all directions, echoing between heaven and earth.

The entire commandery, mourning together.

The entire prefecture, mourning together.