<h4>Chapter 477: The Deste Wind Blows, the Waters of Yi are Cold</h4>
Silence reigned in the hall. Everyone present, including the lieutenant governor, Marquis Yao, and the pce lords from the Administration Pce and Justice Pce, were all privy to various war reports. But none of them had aprehensive understanding of the situation like the Swordsage Pce did. After all, the pce lord from the Swordsage Pce was temporarily serving as the governor. Therefore, it was only natural that the Swordsage Pce would have the mostplete information during this period of conflict.
“Did you all hear that?” the pce lord said, his face expressionless. “Lieutenant Governor, it’s not that I don’t want to use less severe methods to get cooperation from the nonhuman experts. It’s just that we don’t have time.”
The lieutenant governor didn’t say anything in response.
“Marquis Yao, why has a full seventy percent of the allied army not even budged? They’re demandingpensation? What outrageous gall!” The pce lord’s voice was as cold as a winter wind. “Over four hundred groups have refused to dispatch their experts. If a rebellion breaks out in Sea-Sealing County right now, what do you think will happen as a result? Have you put <i>any</i> thought into that, Marquis Yao?
“Both fronts are facing impending crises. Given the current state of Sea-Sealing County, I’m shocked the lot of you are sitting around moaning and whining about things. If I don’t kill a few nonhumans to stabilize things, then my surname isn''t Kong!”
The pce lord’s voice was so icy the entire hall seemed to get colder.
“And what happens if the nonhumans join forces to resist?” Marquis Yao said, his expression steely as he looked at the pce lord.
“Then,” the pce lord replied, enunciating each word one at a time, “we kill them.”
“What if they betray us on the battlefield? You’re just going to kill them all?”
Ignoring Marquis Yao, the pce lord said, “Xu Qing, notify the four honor guards to continue ughtering any species that defies us. I’m curious to see who refuses toply when they see that.”
Xu Qing nodded and made a notation.
“You’re as obstinate and self-opinionated as ever, Kong Liangxiu,” Marquis Yao said. “If you do things like this, but don’t keep absolute control over Sea-Sealing County, then when the timees, those nonhumans....” He trailed off. [1]
The pce lord looked at him coldly. “If Sea-Sealing County ends up being destroyed, then why would I possibly care about what the nonhumans get up to?”
Marquis Yao gave the pce lord a hard look, then flicked his sleeve and stalked off.
“When will the allied nonhumans mobilize, Yao Tianyan?” the pce lord called after him.
“In a day,” came the reply from outside the hall. It was followed by a cold harrumph.
The lieutenant governor sighed. Standing, he sped hands to the pce lord of the Swordsage Pce, then left. The other two pce lords did the same, showing no facial expression the entire time.
After that, the hall was quiet. Only Xu Qing and the pce lord were there.
Seeing that no more orders were forting, Xu Qing sped hands and said, “I’ll take my leave now, Pce Lord.”
***
Once the pce lord was alone, he took out a jade slip and slowly rubbed its surface. Looking in the direction of Yao Mansion, he frowned.
<i>Was it him?</i>
***
Marquis Yao looked increasingly furious as he returned to his mansion. Once inside, he made his way to a secret chamber. At that point, the fury evaporated, and was reced by a deeply somber expression.
<i>It probably wasn’t Kong Liangxiu. But then... who assassinated the governor...?</i>
***
Ten days passed.
During that time, Xu Qing essentially had no opportunities to rest. His days were spent dealing with more and more reports. That was especially true after the main armies reached the western and northern fronts, and actually began fighting the Holytide forces.
Reports came in nonstop.
Marquis Yao followed through on his words. It was impossible to say how he did it, but in only a single day, he mobilized the allied nonhumans. Then he left for the northern front, taking virtually all the Yao n cultivators with him. The marquis never made a public appearance before leaving.
However, Xu Qing noticed the pce lord staring off in the direction of Yao Mansion on more than one asion.
The forceful actions of the four honor guards, joined by the two deputy pce lords, intimidated the majority of the nonhumans. Their top experts basically had no choice but toply with the Swordsage Pce’s dharmic decree, and were assigned to armies in the various prefectures. Because of that, there were no Spirit Trove or Void Returning experts in Sea-Sealing County, save for in the armies.
The escaped prisoners were also handled.
The Swordsage Pce employed a dra that initially focused on the prisoners with the highest cultivation base. Although some of the weaker prisoners managed to escape, the majority were captured or killed.
Soon enough, the swordsages that had been dispatched started returning. On the tenth day, they were all back.
Around that time, the situation on the two main fronts grew critical. The reportsing through Xu Qing became increasingly desperate. Casualties were shocking, and they only mounted as the days went by. By the evening of the tenth day, both the western front and the northern front sent messages saying they needed emergency assistance.
Sea-Sealing County’s taboo treasure was fully activated. It was already on the verge of copse, and couldn’t be used for very much longer. Once it fell, the Holytides would sweep through Sea-Sealing County like a sh flood.
Sadly, no backup army from the imperial capital ever showed up. What was more, Xu Qing knew through the war reports that the distant imperial capital, as well as other counties, were in simr circumstances. The Nightshades... were on the warpath. All of their subordinate species were also on the attack. Every single territory controlled by humankind was being threatened.
When Xu Qing delivered those reports to the pce lord, it was obvious that he was already aware of the situation. When Xu Qing found him, he was putting on a suit of armor. It was pitch ck and contained over a hundred sections, each of which emanated terrifying might. When the pce lord spotted Xu Qing, his face remained as somber as ever as he waved him over.
“Come, help me with my armor.”
Xu Qing approached and started helping the pce lord strap the armor on. The pce lord looked off at the sunset, and he suddenly smiled.
“Thest time I put on my armor, it was my oldest son who helped me. That was many years ago.”
Xu Qing looked at the pce lord, who suddenly seemed a lot older than he had before, and thought back to what Ghost Hand had mentioned about him having two sons that died in service. [2]
“My oldest son killed himself,” the pce lord said quietly. “I sent him on an infiltration mission into Holytide territory. He aplished the mission, but was discovered in the process. Rather than putting me in the position of deciding his fate, he took his own life.”
Xu Qing strapped another section of armor onto the pce lord.
“My second son was very outgoing. Perhaps too outgoing. He was sentimental and honorable, but at the same time, was a bit of adies’ man. Those two sides to his personality made it easy for people to plot against him. Eventually, he fell victim to such plots, and died. There’s something that no one knows, though. I actually have a grandson. And my grandson... is amazing.”
The pce lord smiled again. Today was the first day Xu Qing ever saw him smile.
It was only a few days before that Xu Qing came to realize that the pce lord’s surname was Kong. After learning that, he’d started to specte about the grandson that had just been mentioned.[3]
After Xu Qing put thest piece of armor onto the pce lord, the smile disappeared from his face. His expression was somber once again, making him seem like his usual rigid and inflexible self. Taking his helmet, he said, “Xu Qing, send orders to the Administration Pce and the Justice Pce. Tell the two pce lords to go to the northern front. They absolutely <i>must</i> hold the line! As for me, I’m going to take all 100,000 swordsages to the western front. I want to see how strong those Holytide codgers have gotten.”
“Yes, sir,” Xu Qing said somberly. “When do we leave, Pce Lord? I need to prepare a few things.”
“You’re not going to battle. I’ve already arranged for a body double to rece you.” Pce Lord Kong turned around and looked at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing was stunned as he looked back. The pce lord’s ck armor emitted a strong baleful aura, as well as the faint sound of countless wild beasts howling. What was more, countless vicious souls were visible on the armor.
“I have a different assignment for you,” Pce Lord Kong continued. “I’m sending you on a top secret mission. You’ll leave immediately for Daybreak Prefecture. There’s something I need you to investigate. You’ll start in the local Swordsage Court, and then follow any leads as necessary!”
He handed a jade slip to Xu Qing. It was the very same jade slip he had been fiddling with a few days before in the grand hall.
Xu Qing took it, his expression grave.
Pce Lord Kong turned to look once again at the sunset. A long moment passed.
“Only half a month ago, it was underneath this very same sky... that the governor perished. Xu Qing, if I die, I want you to give that jade slip to the new governor, whoever it is. It contains all the clues I’ve gathered so far regarding the governor’s death. In the meantime, feel free to study it yourself....”
Xu Qing hid his surprise as he looked at Pce Lord Kong.
The pce lord’s eyes were still focused on the sunset. “There are too many things about the governor’s death that don’t add up. It’s not as simple as a mere Holytide assassination. The governor was half a step into the Smoldering God level. How could he perish, just like that? He didn’t even fight back! If I didn’t know the governor so well, I would think he died that way on purpose!
“But in the end, the governor is indeed dead. And the circumstances around his death... are very suspicious. Unfortunately, <i>time and tide wait for no man</i>, and I have no time to continue the investigation.
“I don’t know who the emperor dispatched to Sea-Sealing County to rece the old governor, but whoever it is, deliver the jade slip to them. The reason I’m entrusting you with this is that I don’t trust anyone else. My grandson is too impulsive, so this kind of responsibility doesn’t suit him.
“Yao Tianyan, the lieutenant governor, and pce lords of the Justice Pce and Administration Pce... are all potential suspects. The death of the governor and the copse of the Corrections Division were definitely the work of an insider. In fact, I’m sure some people consider me to be the biggest suspect!
“Whoever the traitor is, their cover is perfect. If we can’t uncover their true identity, Sea-Sealing County is going to bepletely destabilized.... Xu Qing, the reason I’m confident you’re not a traitor is that 30,000-meter pir of light.”
Xu Qing struggled to breathe steadily as the ramifications of the pce lord’s words hit him.
“I’m also giving you amand medallion that will give you ess to any Swordsage Pce facility in Sea-Sealing County, even restricted facilities. Normally you’d need to spend battle credits to get something like that, but not now. The medallion will ensure that the spell formations don’t react to you. That will let you conduct your investigation secretly.
“What’s more, themand medallion contains the authority to call on the full killing power of the county’s taboo treasure. That should keep you safe while you carry out the investigation.”
Pce Lord Kong handed a bluemand medallion to Xu Qing. Then he turned to leave. Stopping at the door with his back to Xu Qing, he said, “Xu Qing, do you remember what I said to you when we met for the first time in the Corrections Division, a year ago?”
“I remember!”
“Repeat it for me.”
Raising his voice, Xu Qing said, “Every swordsage is a sharp sword wielded for humankind as a whole. They should be ready to sacrifice their lives at any moment, all for humanity’s sake.”
Hearing that, Pce Lord Kongughed heartily and put on his helmet. As he walked away, he said, “I am a swordsage too!”
1. Kong Liangxiu: Kong is listed #99 on the top 100 surnames list. Liang means “bright, clear, resonant” and Xiu means “decorate, embellish, repair” as well as “cultivate, cultivation.” Kong has a long O sound, so it does NOT sound like ‘kong’ from King Kong. Liang sort of rhymes with the English word “song”, except it starts with a sort of Y sound after the L. Xiu starts out with a sound between SH and S, and sort of rhymes with “no.” Long also has a long O sound. It rhymes with the first syble “kong” but does not sound like the English word “long.” To hear it pronounced by google, <u>go here</u> and click the “listen” button. When I asked Madam Deathde about his name, she gave me a long analysis of the meaning of the two different characters, which basically epasses the information I gave above. Then she ended by saying, “he sounds like a nerd.” ?
2. Ghost Hand mentioned the pce lord’s sons in<u> chapter 436</u>. ?
3. It’s interesting to go back and read some of the interactions between Kong Liangxiu and his grandson, now that we know the details of their rtionship. There’s nothing mind-blowing there. I just thought it was more touching now that we know why he always went so hard on his grandson. Such chapters include <u>chapter 411</u>, <u>421</u>, <u>427</u>. There is also a very interestingment toward the end of <u>chapter 417</u> that rtes to their rtionship. ?