Part 2. Prologue
Rain fell in a soft drizzle on the highest peak of the Azure Rain Sword sect. Sitting in a lotus position, so high up that a belt of wispy clouds blocked all view of the rest of the sect save for the tallest secondary peaks of the inner region, Lin Qiu let out a long breath. All around him transparent sword phantoms seemed to expand from the small raindrops that fell, dissipating shortly after.
As this happened the darkness of the rainclouds lessened while the rain itself seemed to grow lighter, as if something had been removed from the water itself. This was Lin Qiu's daily routine, subtly raising and lowering the strength of his expanded domain to practice control. Each day he would raise the concentration of Azure Sword Qi in each raindrop to be enough to split an entire mountain range.
The control came into play at this point as that terrible destructive force was allowed to flow into the surroundings and back to Lin Qiu's dantian without harming a single living thing within or around the sect. If he had a mind to the destructive force in each drop could reach the level to split an entire lesser region in half however, that presented problems of its own. For one thing, his control was simply lacking for that level of energy to be dissipated safely.
That wasn't even mentioning how quickly such a technique would drain his Qi reserves. Satisfied with the exercise for now Lin Qiu let his mind wander to less practical matters. Instantly, his thoughts turned to his newest and most promising disciple.
Thinking of the youth caused both pride and irritation in equal measure. Xing Zheng was simply brilliant, a genius of the sword that was only seen once in a thousand years. This by itself wouldn't have caught his interest however, what truly shined about the boy was his perseverance. That is what made Xing Zheng so compatible with the Azure Rain Sword style, his ability to endure and subsume himself within the endless seclusion and repetition that Lin Qiu's techniques required.
Not many people had the ability to let themselves become one with the rain and storm, most chose to be stubborn like the mountains, and either their sanity eroded away or they gave up, choosing a different path. All of this was to say that, although Xing Zheng wasn't truly remarkable in any one area, when you combined his temperament, persistence, natural talent, and sheer willpower there was simply no one better suited to learning Lin Qiu's techniques.
However, this had also made him stubborn and when the youth became adamant about something, trying to steer him from that course was like running your sword through a river. That is to say, it was a fruitless and useless endeavor that simply resulted in exasperation and heartache. Memories came unbidden to him of a recent time, merely some five centuries ago, a time that seemed like yesterday to Lin Qiu.
The Xing empire Patriarch had made a request of him, to save the life of his most promising general. At the time that general had stormed his way into the neighboring mortal empires' armies during a military campaign that had lasted for a century. In a moment of pure martial might, the Xing war machine had driven into the heart of the enemy's greatest stronghold within the contested lesser regions the conflict was taking place in.
With one fell swoop, the enemy had been defeated scoring a great victory for the mortal Xing Empire. However, the leader of that enemy army was a promising mortal prospect from a cultivation family. Many families whose ancestors had ascended to larger spirit tier empires, those empires where Qi Condensation and above cultivators warred with one another, had their mortal descends serve as the primary nobles within mortal empires.
This way their clan's ancestral territory was never in the line of fire of the big shots in the spirit empires and their descendants had an ample stage to show their talent as mortals. The leader of that enemy army had been one such descendant, a promising female general named Zhan Lan from the Zhan clan who was one of the main powers within the powerful spirit tier sect known as the 'Ice Phoenix Sorcerer's Abode'. During the battle, Zhan Lan engaged in a duel with the Xing general and she was slain by him, even after she attempted to surrender and invoke her family name to allow her to flee the battlefield!
At that point, the Zhan clan ancestors had become furious and their Nascent Soul Matriarch personally descended to demand the Xing general's head. Although the backing of the Beast Tamer Sect, a high-level spirit sect that controlled these lands, was enough to stop the Zhan from outright destroying the Xing empire it didn't stop them from demanding the life of a single mortal general. The Xing Patriarch had been at a loss and had asked Lin Qiu to negotiate on his behalf.
Since Lin Qiu's sect existed within the empire and he had good relations with the Xing Patriarch he agreed. Negotiations went smoothly until the Zhan finally gave their terms, Lin Qiu's Sect would engage in a duel of disciples with them. Their youngest generation of direct spirit realm disciples would engage and whichever younger generation proved to be most promising would win the day.
If the Azure Rain Sword Sect won then the Zhan clan would consider Zhan Lan's death the will of the heavens and drop the matter. Conversely, if the Ice Phoenix Sorcerer's Abode won then the Xing empire would hand over the general in question. This would have been fine however, the identity of the general was what had made the duel problematic.
It turned out that Xing Hai was the man who had slain Zhan Lan! Lin Qiu knew that Xing Zheng would represent him during the duel and he wracked his head over the event. His youngest disciples' cultivation had been greatly slowed by his propensity to travel the world and indulge in emotions that tied him to the mortal world. Xing Zheng's largest remaining connection to the mortal world was his brother Xing Hai and if the youth had discovered his brother was in danger not only would he fight in the duel, he would immediately leave the sect afterward to check on him.
At that time Lin Qiu had been subtly requesting that all cultivators, wandering or otherwise, avoid speaking of Xing Hai's exploits to his disciple so that his path stayed clear and unfettered. For that reason, he had made Xing Zheng enter seclusion prior to the duel so that he could not find out the purpose of it. Afterward, Xing Zheng fought magnificently and defeated the opposing cultivator in a harrowing battle.
For a while, afterward, Lin Qiu had thought that his suppression had allowed his disciple to truly embrace the neutral faction path and cut his ties to the mortal world. That illusion had been shattered just over a decade ago when Xing Zheng had been invited by a personal royal decree to return to the Xing royal palace. Knowing that he could no longer keep the boy from his brother and the mortal affairs Lin Qiu had resolved to let Xing zheng walk the path the heavens had set for him.
It had been foolish to think that he could've changed the course of the Dao in any case, perhaps that too was his lesson of attachments. In his own affection for his disciple, it seemed that he had forgotten that part of the neutral faction's philosophy was to let Fellow Daoists walk the road they wished to, even if that meant their paths would separate. For the first time in thousands of years, a drop fell to the ground beside Lin Qiu's feet that his mental technique hadn't counted. An oddity that every warrior in history had observed at one point or another, it seemed that it was a good day for rain.
Xing Zheng waited patiently as the light of the teleportation array faded from his eyes. As it did so the familiar sight of the Twisted Territories capital, the Throne of Searing Plumes, came into view. It was an enormous city, far larger than the eye could see.
All around him towering builds adorned with lavish gold, jade and jewels stretched endlessly. Even that was only the surrounding travel district and compound for this large teleportation array. Below his feet for 100 km2 stretched a circular smooth stone platform that rested at the top of an ascending pyramid of circular rings that slowly descended to the street level 300m below.
Surrounding the array structure was tall and imposing walls that housed the buildings and various functionary facilities that processed arrivals as well as provided services to those visiting the Twisted Territories Lesser Region. Seeing the sight brought back memories of the first time he had met the ruler of this lavish city, well soon-to-be ruler. Around 15 years after he became a disciple of the sect patriarch a grand tournament had been held by the sect for surrounding martial artists for those at or below the master realm.
At the time the soon-to-be Baroness of the Lu clan, Lu Li, had been traveling throughout the lesser region as part of her training to become a proper noble leader. Being the only disciple of the sect patriarch at the master realm or below, Xing Zheng had been the primary representative of the Azure Rain Sword Sect. The finals had been a grand affair with hundreds of thousands of wandering martial artists and cultivators gathering inside an arena within the inner sect basin.
There Lin Qiu had used his sword to carve a bowl-like area that stretched for 3 km2 in all directions, a fitting amount of space for master realm cultivators to fight. Xing Zheng had been stunned by the fiery-red hair and aloof looks of Lu Li as she carried a large rust-red spear that was twice her height. With ruby red eyes and a well-built and athletic figure, the soon-to-be baroness would have cut an imposing sight had she not been slightly shorter than him.
A small smile crept on his face as he remembered remarking as such to the young noblewoman, sending her into a furious tirade that ended with a hundred phantom spear points thrusting at him from all directions with fire trailing all around. The fight had been hard fought however, they were both holding back since it was a tournament. In the end, Xing Zheng's superior control and skill won the bout and in the process formed a friendship that had lasted to this day.
As his mind thought of that the light of the activating array finally finished fading, reminding him of the purpose for his visit which brought a grimace to his face. Five bitter years had passed since Xing Zheng had last been home to the sect. At that time he had been making a routine visit to see his master and had decided to wander the northern part of the lesser region before making his way west where the Azure Rain Sword Sect was located.
That was when the incident with Li Cheng occurred, prompting his wandering to be cut short. When he had arrived home his master had been fairly insistent that he stay for a few decades and teach the new generation of disciples. Lin Qiu had even offered to postpone any of his more intense periods of seclusion to personally give him pointers each day, a generous offer. At the time though, Xing Zheng's heart had still been burning with the passion to find out what had happened with his brother. Little did he know that the clan patriarch would be so closeted about the topic, simply releasing his nephew Xing Lei into his care before becoming tight-lipped about the matter.
After that Xing Zheng had spent the last five years as little more than an errand boy for the man while checking in on his nephew and Xing Hai's widowed wife, Pan An. Both of them had been in good health and he had even helped Pan An to ascend her tribulation to Qi Condensation so that she could extend her life to keep watch over Xing Lei. For the most part, his nephew had been none the wiser of what had happened, viewing the whole ordeal as a few years spent with the clan patriarch as a reward for his father's heroism.
Xing Zheng hadn't had the heart to ask the boy any further questions as his nephew truly viewed the patriarch as a kindly old grandfather. In truth he also had no idea how to feel about the patriarch, even staying close to the man for the last few years had left him still an enigma. As Xing Zheng walked down the steps his mind drifted to an event that had happened centuries ago, something he had almost forgotten about.
Swirling clouds and mountain air seemed to fill his gaze as the potent divine sense in his body allowed him to almost relive the event. Beside him stood a mountain that dwarfed any Xing Zheng had seen before or since, a monolith of stone that seemed to take up heaven and earth known simply as the 'Needle of Heaven'. They were within a desolate lesser region and the mountain was the only notable thing for hundreds of millions of kilometers.
Perhaps too large a stage for this level of duel however, one could never be too safe. Below him floated his Azure Water Sword sitting upon translucent clouds of Azure Sword Qi to act as his flying sword since Xing hadn't bothered to learn a flying movement technique at the time. Around him cultivators from both the Azure Rain Sword Sect and another prominent sect hovered, watching from a few thousand kilometers away.
Of course, they were not physically watching from that distance, more so extending their divine sense to observe the battle from afar. Narrowing his eyes, Xing Zheng's gaze focused on the man opposite him, only one kilometer away. There stood a man that seemed much the same age as himself.
Although he seemed to have no flying treasure, Xing Zheng's divine sense could see the potent Ice Qi that was forming transparent platforms that allowed the man to stay aloft. Examining him further revealed his piercing white eyes and sky-blue hair. With his thin frame and shimmering ice blue robes that seemed to flicker in and out of sight the young man initially gave off the feeling of weakness and brittle ice.
However, the energy that flowed around him spoke of raging blizzards and piercing cold.
"Junior Brother Xing Zheng, my master, speaks highly of your Azure Rain Sword sect. Is it true that your techniques can cool one's back during a hot summer's day? Truly remarkable." The youth's voice sounded high and grinding, like wind whistling against sharp ice, a sly smile on his face.
"Senior Yin Jie, my master has also spoken much of your Ice Phoenix Sorcerer's Abode. Is it true that your ice cubes can keep wine chilled even under heavenly lightning? If so, I'll need to trouble senior for some of them after this friendly duel." Xing Zheng's expression twisted into a sickly sweet smile as he bowed in an over-exaggerated motion.
Yin Jie's face twisted into a grimace and without speaking another word his hands moved to form a seal in front of his chest. As his arms moved into position phantom qi arms split off from his physical ones, while still remaining attached to his body. Each of these extra sets of arms formed different seals and by the time his hands were raised six extra pairs of hands had also formed seals.
Energy started to gather as four spell circles formed in the air which began gathering the ambient energies of heaven and earth. Wasting no time Xing Zheng had already formed sword fingers with his dominant hand while slashing out 100 times. Each of these sword phantoms lashed out, some slashing while others thrust and others still twirled into defensive forms. Instantly one of the spell circles was destroyed by ten sword phantoms while three more minor spell circles formed around each of Yin Jie's remaining original spell circles.
The power gathered spread out to these new spells and formed spears of ethereal ice that seemed to sing as they shot out. Suddenly nine spears of ice shot toward Xing Zheng which crushed most of his remaining attacks. Maneuvering his flying sword to dodge two of them he briefly jumped upward while sending out sword phantoms to both sides.
As the remaining ice spears approached Xing Zheng, the attacks he had sent out to the sides curved inward at Yin Jie. Energy exploded all around and the attacks that had already collided collapsed a large chunk from the side of the mountain causing an avalanche of rock to cascade to the ground. Using the delay in attacks Yin Jie formed a formation of new spell circles that fueled a powerful movement technique, moving 10 km2 to the right.
As this happened Xing Zheng grabbed his Azure water sword and swung the physical weapon, layering a dozen Qi phantom strikes into the sword with each swing. The ice spears shattered as he struck them, utterly crushed under the force of the attack. As they did so, hidden spell runes that lay within the spears spread out in all directions, creating an expanding field of Ice Qi that entered everything it touched.
The field started to slow the energy moving within Xing Zheng's body and he had to spend precious moments expelling the deadly energy. More attacks created shockwaves in the air as they countered Xing Zheng's sword phantoms and moved toward him at unimaginable speeds. Taking a deep breath Xing Zheng focused himself and then let loose.
Qi exploded outward from him as each phantom that appeared from his attacks created more and more phantom swords. Soon an expanding globe of swords moved away from Xing Zheng, surgically destroying the scattered spell runes to dissipate the ice field before all turning and converging on Yun Jie. This continued for hours, each of them countering and throwing attacks that slowly lowered the other's energy reserves.
Finally, in the dead of night with the full moon overhead, Yun Jie had surrounded Xing Zheng with concentrated fields of ice. All around him rotated ever-forming shards of ice and he was forced to stay in the field by constant attacks while Yun Jie was kneeling and panting on the ground below at the base of the mountain. All hope seemed lost however, Xing Zheng had one last ace up his sleeve.
His meridian inscription formation was never meant to be used without it being finished as the power amplification and energy cost reduction were theoretically what made the technique possible. However, Xing Zheng had six meridians inscribed at the time and knew the technique well, he had to if it were to be inscribed while breaking through. With a solemn expression, he had given up all pretense of attack and raised his sword in a martial salute to his opponent.
Then Xing Zheng pushed forth all of the Qi that resided in his body and executed 'An instant births 10,000 Epochs of Rain' forming formation cores from the very sword phantoms that he had been using to defend himself. Hails of tiny ice spears and shards collided with his body, strikes that would destroy small mountains drawing deep furrows of bloody frozen wounds on him. Suddenly, all of the ice had disintegrated, overwhelmed by an unstoppable power.
At that moment, millions upon millions of phantom Qi swords had blotted out the sky like a thunderstorm with more forming each perceptible moment. With the last bit of his strength, Xing Zheng swung his sword down as he fell with the rain of swords. His memories of what followed were hazy as he remembered his master caught him and the sight of Yun Jie, staring up in abject horror as a panting elder of his sect held a defensive treasure above the two.
Around them lay devastation, a circular depression carved into the side of that mountain spanning 2,000,000 km2. Of course, the exact figures came later, however, his master had been quite pleased with the results. As the memory ended Xing Zheng seemed to seamlessly be brought back to the world and noticed that he was nearing the bottom of the teleportation array platform.
Upon doing so he saw that there was a well-dressed contingent of martial artists in full ceremonial armor waiting for him.
"My lord, apologies for the humble reception. Our garrison only heard of your arrival recently and-" The leader of the unit started to speak but was quickly cut off by Xing Zheng.
"No need, Captain. This reception will do quite nicely. Can you let ancestor Lu Li know that I'm visiting? I would like to speak with her and Little Lin if they are available." Xing Zheng sighed slightly, trying to keep his irritation down at the reception.
It wasn't that he wanted to shirk protocol or cause trouble for the guards; however, it had simply become tiresome being dragged into opulent reception parades every time he visited home. This had become doubly true when it became widespread knowledge that Xing Hai was his brother and as such the common people that loved him so much had transferred that goodwill to Xing Zheng. As someone who was used to the quiet of the mountains and the seclusion of cultivation, the attention was overwhelming, to say the least.
Looking around he realized that all of the surrounding guards had frozen with stricken expressions and even some of the passersby were staring at him in abject horror. Thinking for a moment, Xing Zheng mentally slapped himself before speaking.
"Apologies, I meant Baronnes Lu Lin. You'll have to forgive me, it has been a tiring journey." Xing Zheng smiled sheepishly and thankfully everyone involved was happy to move the proceedings along.
With haste, the guard captain ushered him along and the unit swiftly made their way out of the walls that housed the travel district. Soon enough, Xing Zheng found himself growing slightly impatient with the foot traffic, and looking higher up he could see lines of movement rising well into the sky as martial artists in the Master realms used their Qi to power windsail vehicles. These varied in size widely from personal transportation to large barge-like platforms that were little more than pieces of flat material with a sail and formations inscribed on them to keep the vessels aloft.
They all had one thing in common however, they were moving faster than those navigating the crowded streets of the ground level. Looking at the guard captain, he realized that they probably didn't have a vehicle on hand for his reception, as short notice as it was, and were too embarrassed to stop and retrieve one. Thinking for a moment, a good solution came to mind, and turned to face the men.
"Good soldiers of the Yu clan, today you've done a fine service and have performed admirably even in the face of questionable odds. It seems you have some fate with this old man. I leave you with some wisdom and a gift in return for a favor. Ask the Baroness to send for me at my normal guest quarters when she has time, I shall be in the city for a month so make sure to relay that. Now, that wisdom, remember, the Dao is eternal, do not spend time thinking of what could be, only what is! I bid you good day now." Xing Zheng nodded and threw a spirit stone at each of them before handing a jade slip to the captain.
Before the slip left his hand he imparted the same message he had told them so they could either speak to the Baroness or simply deliver the slip. Feeling that he had been sufficiently vague and cryptic to live up to the reputation of an immortal Xing Zheng sent out his divine sense and used it to guide his Qi through the air while activating his movement technique. In a moment he was blurring through the sky, leaving the bewildered guards behind.
Being a frequent guest of the Lu family had its perks and with Xing Zheng having spent over a century in their service he had a special guest compound that was situated near the palace grounds and kept in good maintenance year-round. Soon, he was sitting inside a comfortable cultivation chamber located within that same humble two-story residence. For someone like him who had lived hundreds of years a month was nothing and so Xing Zheng entered a semi-conscious state to cycle his Qi while spreading out his divine sense to alert him of anyone who approached.
Three days later the divine sense of Lu Li arrived at his residence carrying a summons.
"Brother Zheng, it has been too long. I have matters to attend to currently so our meeting will have to wait. However, please make time to go see Little Lin. She was very upset that you missed her coronation and has been looking forward to seeing you." Lu Li's soft voice carried the same kindness that it had the last time they had spoken and it brought a smile to his face.
The woman had truly mellowed out after becoming a mother and Xing Zheng had to admit he preferred her current temperament to the fiery passion-filled person Lu Li had been in her youth. Gathering his sword and securing the traveling pouch that was resting in a pocket on the inside of his robe, Xing Zheng calmly made his way to the main palace of the Lu clan compound. All around motifs of billowing pillars of flame lined the walkways as the crest of a blazing phoenix adorned the flowing banners.
Within just a few minutes his speed, augmented by his cultivation, carried Xing Zheng across the enormous compound and up the main stairway that led to the main hall. There a long and wide carpet spanned the walkway leading to a giant throne. Lining the hall to either side were tall tapestries that chronicled the history of the Lu clan while small balls of flame hung in the air shifting into different shapes that depicted the scenes on the walls.
Arriving in a blur only 10 meters from the throne Xing Zheng's figure seemed to appear from nowhere startling the various guards and nobles that were gathered around and seated in less grand chairs. The various seats formed an expanding semi-circle around the main throne with each one careful to depict the glory of that clan's particular heritage while not outshining the Lu clan's displays. Slowly Xing Zheng knelt while facing the throne.
"You summoned me, Baroness?" The slight outline of a smile played on his lips.
On that throne sat a bored-looking young woman about the same height as Xing Zheng himself. She had raven black hair and dark rust-colored eyes that seemed to smolder like coals. Beside her, resting over her shoulder with the butt on the ground was a spear crafted wholly from a translucent red gemstone material. Majestic robes adorned with the crest of the Lu family combined with various depictions of flames covered her body, fitted just loosely enough to sway slightly in the wind Xing Zheng's movements had generated.
"Indeed, what do you have to say for yourself?" Lu Lin's eyes grew brighter as she stood and leveled an imperious gaze at his figure.
"Well, I-" Xing Zheng's words was cut off by the surprising sound of a girlish giggle as the charging form of the Baroness collided with him, wrapping him in an embrace.
Of course, the movements had seemed quite slow to Xing Zheng however, he played the part and acted sufficiently surprised.
"Uncle Zheng, it's been far too long!" Lu Lin said in an impetuous voice as she slowly broke away from him, her expression turning to a pout "Mother said the invitation for my coronation reached you! What kept you from the ceremony? Was it some criminal scoundrel? Tell me who it was so that my spear can show him a thing or two!"
Saying this she held her hand out, mortal mental energy pulsing outward in Xing Zheng's perception as a hairline trail of fire connected the young woman to the weapon. In an instant, the spear was in her hand and she brandished it towards the heavens menacingly. All around the gathered nobles were speechless, many of them as horrified as those at the teleportation array had been.
"My apologies Baroness Lin. The clan ancestors had need for me and personal business kept me further from attending. Accept this gift as a token of my apology" Xing Zheng's tone was overly formal, causing a frown to start creasing on Lu Lin's brow.
That expression disappeared entirely when a glowing multi-sided object appeared from within the folds of Xing Zheng's robe before being tossed to the newly crowned Baroness. Glee filled the eyes of Lu Lin as she looked at the object, it appeared to be an eighteen-sided stone with panels that shifted between different glowing colors each moment. On each of the panels appeared a different spell run and the object hummed with a small amount of Qi.
It was a formation puzzle stone, one of the more interesting oddities some cultivators used for entertainment. The stone required a great understanding of shifting formations and Qi manipulation to solve which would open the device and allow one to see the spirit stone within. At that point, it could be reassembled and the puzzle reset.
Normal formation puzzle stones had a single solution and didn't shift like the one in Lu Lin's hand. This particular puzzle stone was made by a master artisan in the Xing Royal Palace and constantly randomized the solution, simultaneously making the challenge much harder and providing an almost endless amount of combinations. For someone like Lu Lin, who had loved the things since the first time she had been able to manipulate Qi, that particular stone was like an infinite source of entertainment and wonder.
Of course, the puzzles used incredibly small amounts of Qi to allow them to run almost indefinitely. This also meant that almost anyone in the master realm or higher could simply break through the formations with brute force. Those who enjoyed such things would say that was simply missing the point.
Xing Zheng found the puzzles only mildly amusing himself however, knowing that he was going to see Lu Lin had prompted him to get in touch with an artisan who specialized in them. The project had cost a whopping 10,000 spirit stones, a decent amount when coming from Xing Zheng's personal funds, however, the smile on the young Baroness's face was worth every last one. Noticing that the court was still staring at her, Lu Lin's face reddened momentarily before her expression changed entirely as if a mask had fallen over the young woman.
"Hmph, I see. This is acceptable. Thank you, Senior Zheng." Lu Lin's voice took on an imperious tone, all hints of warmth and emotion burned away by a fiery resolve. "Now, onto official business. Recently there have been reports that an ancient demonic martial arts technique was discovered on the northern border, alongside the banks of the Flowing Grass River. In the past, you've acted as the Lu clans Judgment Executioner. As such I wish to ask that you investigate this on my behalf, temporarily reinstating your position as Judgment Executioner of the Twisted Territories of course."
Xing Zheng's attention became focused at the mention of demonic techniques, his eyes narrowing.
"Indeed, my sword is at your service Baroness, as always." Xing Zheng gave a formal bow, his tone carrying the piercing might of a heavenly sword.
"Good, then travel to the Flowing Grass Valley and see what you can uncover." Lu Lin nodded, slight hints of relief entering her voice as she spoke.
That revelation caused him to almost stumble. Memories of a sobbing boy gripping Li Cheng's robe flashed through his mind as Xing Zheng rapidly considered those words. Quickly, before the mortal's in the court could notice his reaction, he composed himself.
"It will be done. Can I leave immediately? That is at least a few months' journey even for me." Xing Zheng inquired, his eyebrow quirking upward ever so slightly in question.
"Of course." Lu Lin replied, nodding in acknowledgment before looking upward as if in thought, as Xing Zheng started to turn she spoke one last time " Oh, and Uncle Zheng? Please try to behave. Mother says that last time you visited the northern border there was a large crater left there."
Turning around to face the young Baroness a final time, Xing Zheng had a sly smile on his face.
"Don't worry Little Lin, this uncle has learned a few tricks in his time. Tell your mother I said hello, updates will come through the usual channels." With that he turned around and blurred into motion, leaving a shockwave of air behind in the hall.
Conflicting emotions ran through his mind as he considered the trip. This would have to be a delicate operation as his master had already investigated that region and found little. It didn't help that the destroyed formation had released a diffuse amount of demonic Qi all around that valley, effectively cloaking low-level demonic cultivators. Unless the culprit was in one of the spirit realms and actively released their energy it would be difficult to find them.
Thinking about it, Xing Zheng mentally made a list of items to buy in preparation for the trip. It had been a long time since he had gone undercover as a mortal, almost 700 years ago when he posed as a member of his outer sect, this would be interesting.
As this happened the darkness of the rainclouds lessened while the rain itself seemed to grow lighter, as if something had been removed from the water itself. This was Lin Qiu's daily routine, subtly raising and lowering the strength of his expanded domain to practice control. Each day he would raise the concentration of Azure Sword Qi in each raindrop to be enough to split an entire mountain range.
The control came into play at this point as that terrible destructive force was allowed to flow into the surroundings and back to Lin Qiu's dantian without harming a single living thing within or around the sect. If he had a mind to the destructive force in each drop could reach the level to split an entire lesser region in half however, that presented problems of its own. For one thing, his control was simply lacking for that level of energy to be dissipated safely.
That wasn't even mentioning how quickly such a technique would drain his Qi reserves. Satisfied with the exercise for now Lin Qiu let his mind wander to less practical matters. Instantly, his thoughts turned to his newest and most promising disciple.
Thinking of the youth caused both pride and irritation in equal measure. Xing Zheng was simply brilliant, a genius of the sword that was only seen once in a thousand years. This by itself wouldn't have caught his interest however, what truly shined about the boy was his perseverance. That is what made Xing Zheng so compatible with the Azure Rain Sword style, his ability to endure and subsume himself within the endless seclusion and repetition that Lin Qiu's techniques required.
Not many people had the ability to let themselves become one with the rain and storm, most chose to be stubborn like the mountains, and either their sanity eroded away or they gave up, choosing a different path. All of this was to say that, although Xing Zheng wasn't truly remarkable in any one area, when you combined his temperament, persistence, natural talent, and sheer willpower there was simply no one better suited to learning Lin Qiu's techniques.
However, this had also made him stubborn and when the youth became adamant about something, trying to steer him from that course was like running your sword through a river. That is to say, it was a fruitless and useless endeavor that simply resulted in exasperation and heartache. Memories came unbidden to him of a recent time, merely some five centuries ago, a time that seemed like yesterday to Lin Qiu.
The Xing empire Patriarch had made a request of him, to save the life of his most promising general. At the time that general had stormed his way into the neighboring mortal empires' armies during a military campaign that had lasted for a century. In a moment of pure martial might, the Xing war machine had driven into the heart of the enemy's greatest stronghold within the contested lesser regions the conflict was taking place in.
With one fell swoop, the enemy had been defeated scoring a great victory for the mortal Xing Empire. However, the leader of that enemy army was a promising mortal prospect from a cultivation family. Many families whose ancestors had ascended to larger spirit tier empires, those empires where Qi Condensation and above cultivators warred with one another, had their mortal descends serve as the primary nobles within mortal empires.
This way their clan's ancestral territory was never in the line of fire of the big shots in the spirit empires and their descendants had an ample stage to show their talent as mortals. The leader of that enemy army had been one such descendant, a promising female general named Zhan Lan from the Zhan clan who was one of the main powers within the powerful spirit tier sect known as the 'Ice Phoenix Sorcerer's Abode'. During the battle, Zhan Lan engaged in a duel with the Xing general and she was slain by him, even after she attempted to surrender and invoke her family name to allow her to flee the battlefield!
At that point, the Zhan clan ancestors had become furious and their Nascent Soul Matriarch personally descended to demand the Xing general's head. Although the backing of the Beast Tamer Sect, a high-level spirit sect that controlled these lands, was enough to stop the Zhan from outright destroying the Xing empire it didn't stop them from demanding the life of a single mortal general. The Xing Patriarch had been at a loss and had asked Lin Qiu to negotiate on his behalf.
Since Lin Qiu's sect existed within the empire and he had good relations with the Xing Patriarch he agreed. Negotiations went smoothly until the Zhan finally gave their terms, Lin Qiu's Sect would engage in a duel of disciples with them. Their youngest generation of direct spirit realm disciples would engage and whichever younger generation proved to be most promising would win the day.
If the Azure Rain Sword Sect won then the Zhan clan would consider Zhan Lan's death the will of the heavens and drop the matter. Conversely, if the Ice Phoenix Sorcerer's Abode won then the Xing empire would hand over the general in question. This would have been fine however, the identity of the general was what had made the duel problematic.
It turned out that Xing Hai was the man who had slain Zhan Lan! Lin Qiu knew that Xing Zheng would represent him during the duel and he wracked his head over the event. His youngest disciples' cultivation had been greatly slowed by his propensity to travel the world and indulge in emotions that tied him to the mortal world. Xing Zheng's largest remaining connection to the mortal world was his brother Xing Hai and if the youth had discovered his brother was in danger not only would he fight in the duel, he would immediately leave the sect afterward to check on him.
At that time Lin Qiu had been subtly requesting that all cultivators, wandering or otherwise, avoid speaking of Xing Hai's exploits to his disciple so that his path stayed clear and unfettered. For that reason, he had made Xing Zheng enter seclusion prior to the duel so that he could not find out the purpose of it. Afterward, Xing Zheng fought magnificently and defeated the opposing cultivator in a harrowing battle.
For a while, afterward, Lin Qiu had thought that his suppression had allowed his disciple to truly embrace the neutral faction path and cut his ties to the mortal world. That illusion had been shattered just over a decade ago when Xing Zheng had been invited by a personal royal decree to return to the Xing royal palace. Knowing that he could no longer keep the boy from his brother and the mortal affairs Lin Qiu had resolved to let Xing zheng walk the path the heavens had set for him.
It had been foolish to think that he could've changed the course of the Dao in any case, perhaps that too was his lesson of attachments. In his own affection for his disciple, it seemed that he had forgotten that part of the neutral faction's philosophy was to let Fellow Daoists walk the road they wished to, even if that meant their paths would separate. For the first time in thousands of years, a drop fell to the ground beside Lin Qiu's feet that his mental technique hadn't counted. An oddity that every warrior in history had observed at one point or another, it seemed that it was a good day for rain.
Xing Zheng waited patiently as the light of the teleportation array faded from his eyes. As it did so the familiar sight of the Twisted Territories capital, the Throne of Searing Plumes, came into view. It was an enormous city, far larger than the eye could see.
All around him towering builds adorned with lavish gold, jade and jewels stretched endlessly. Even that was only the surrounding travel district and compound for this large teleportation array. Below his feet for 100 km2 stretched a circular smooth stone platform that rested at the top of an ascending pyramid of circular rings that slowly descended to the street level 300m below.
Surrounding the array structure was tall and imposing walls that housed the buildings and various functionary facilities that processed arrivals as well as provided services to those visiting the Twisted Territories Lesser Region. Seeing the sight brought back memories of the first time he had met the ruler of this lavish city, well soon-to-be ruler. Around 15 years after he became a disciple of the sect patriarch a grand tournament had been held by the sect for surrounding martial artists for those at or below the master realm.
At the time the soon-to-be Baroness of the Lu clan, Lu Li, had been traveling throughout the lesser region as part of her training to become a proper noble leader. Being the only disciple of the sect patriarch at the master realm or below, Xing Zheng had been the primary representative of the Azure Rain Sword Sect. The finals had been a grand affair with hundreds of thousands of wandering martial artists and cultivators gathering inside an arena within the inner sect basin.
There Lin Qiu had used his sword to carve a bowl-like area that stretched for 3 km2 in all directions, a fitting amount of space for master realm cultivators to fight. Xing Zheng had been stunned by the fiery-red hair and aloof looks of Lu Li as she carried a large rust-red spear that was twice her height. With ruby red eyes and a well-built and athletic figure, the soon-to-be baroness would have cut an imposing sight had she not been slightly shorter than him.
A small smile crept on his face as he remembered remarking as such to the young noblewoman, sending her into a furious tirade that ended with a hundred phantom spear points thrusting at him from all directions with fire trailing all around. The fight had been hard fought however, they were both holding back since it was a tournament. In the end, Xing Zheng's superior control and skill won the bout and in the process formed a friendship that had lasted to this day.
As his mind thought of that the light of the activating array finally finished fading, reminding him of the purpose for his visit which brought a grimace to his face. Five bitter years had passed since Xing Zheng had last been home to the sect. At that time he had been making a routine visit to see his master and had decided to wander the northern part of the lesser region before making his way west where the Azure Rain Sword Sect was located.
That was when the incident with Li Cheng occurred, prompting his wandering to be cut short. When he had arrived home his master had been fairly insistent that he stay for a few decades and teach the new generation of disciples. Lin Qiu had even offered to postpone any of his more intense periods of seclusion to personally give him pointers each day, a generous offer. At the time though, Xing Zheng's heart had still been burning with the passion to find out what had happened with his brother. Little did he know that the clan patriarch would be so closeted about the topic, simply releasing his nephew Xing Lei into his care before becoming tight-lipped about the matter.
After that Xing Zheng had spent the last five years as little more than an errand boy for the man while checking in on his nephew and Xing Hai's widowed wife, Pan An. Both of them had been in good health and he had even helped Pan An to ascend her tribulation to Qi Condensation so that she could extend her life to keep watch over Xing Lei. For the most part, his nephew had been none the wiser of what had happened, viewing the whole ordeal as a few years spent with the clan patriarch as a reward for his father's heroism.
Xing Zheng hadn't had the heart to ask the boy any further questions as his nephew truly viewed the patriarch as a kindly old grandfather. In truth he also had no idea how to feel about the patriarch, even staying close to the man for the last few years had left him still an enigma. As Xing Zheng walked down the steps his mind drifted to an event that had happened centuries ago, something he had almost forgotten about.
Swirling clouds and mountain air seemed to fill his gaze as the potent divine sense in his body allowed him to almost relive the event. Beside him stood a mountain that dwarfed any Xing Zheng had seen before or since, a monolith of stone that seemed to take up heaven and earth known simply as the 'Needle of Heaven'. They were within a desolate lesser region and the mountain was the only notable thing for hundreds of millions of kilometers.
Perhaps too large a stage for this level of duel however, one could never be too safe. Below him floated his Azure Water Sword sitting upon translucent clouds of Azure Sword Qi to act as his flying sword since Xing hadn't bothered to learn a flying movement technique at the time. Around him cultivators from both the Azure Rain Sword Sect and another prominent sect hovered, watching from a few thousand kilometers away.
Of course, they were not physically watching from that distance, more so extending their divine sense to observe the battle from afar. Narrowing his eyes, Xing Zheng's gaze focused on the man opposite him, only one kilometer away. There stood a man that seemed much the same age as himself.
Although he seemed to have no flying treasure, Xing Zheng's divine sense could see the potent Ice Qi that was forming transparent platforms that allowed the man to stay aloft. Examining him further revealed his piercing white eyes and sky-blue hair. With his thin frame and shimmering ice blue robes that seemed to flicker in and out of sight the young man initially gave off the feeling of weakness and brittle ice.
However, the energy that flowed around him spoke of raging blizzards and piercing cold.
"Junior Brother Xing Zheng, my master, speaks highly of your Azure Rain Sword sect. Is it true that your techniques can cool one's back during a hot summer's day? Truly remarkable." The youth's voice sounded high and grinding, like wind whistling against sharp ice, a sly smile on his face.
"Senior Yin Jie, my master has also spoken much of your Ice Phoenix Sorcerer's Abode. Is it true that your ice cubes can keep wine chilled even under heavenly lightning? If so, I'll need to trouble senior for some of them after this friendly duel." Xing Zheng's expression twisted into a sickly sweet smile as he bowed in an over-exaggerated motion.
Yin Jie's face twisted into a grimace and without speaking another word his hands moved to form a seal in front of his chest. As his arms moved into position phantom qi arms split off from his physical ones, while still remaining attached to his body. Each of these extra sets of arms formed different seals and by the time his hands were raised six extra pairs of hands had also formed seals.
Energy started to gather as four spell circles formed in the air which began gathering the ambient energies of heaven and earth. Wasting no time Xing Zheng had already formed sword fingers with his dominant hand while slashing out 100 times. Each of these sword phantoms lashed out, some slashing while others thrust and others still twirled into defensive forms. Instantly one of the spell circles was destroyed by ten sword phantoms while three more minor spell circles formed around each of Yin Jie's remaining original spell circles.
The power gathered spread out to these new spells and formed spears of ethereal ice that seemed to sing as they shot out. Suddenly nine spears of ice shot toward Xing Zheng which crushed most of his remaining attacks. Maneuvering his flying sword to dodge two of them he briefly jumped upward while sending out sword phantoms to both sides.
As the remaining ice spears approached Xing Zheng, the attacks he had sent out to the sides curved inward at Yin Jie. Energy exploded all around and the attacks that had already collided collapsed a large chunk from the side of the mountain causing an avalanche of rock to cascade to the ground. Using the delay in attacks Yin Jie formed a formation of new spell circles that fueled a powerful movement technique, moving 10 km2 to the right.
As this happened Xing Zheng grabbed his Azure water sword and swung the physical weapon, layering a dozen Qi phantom strikes into the sword with each swing. The ice spears shattered as he struck them, utterly crushed under the force of the attack. As they did so, hidden spell runes that lay within the spears spread out in all directions, creating an expanding field of Ice Qi that entered everything it touched.
The field started to slow the energy moving within Xing Zheng's body and he had to spend precious moments expelling the deadly energy. More attacks created shockwaves in the air as they countered Xing Zheng's sword phantoms and moved toward him at unimaginable speeds. Taking a deep breath Xing Zheng focused himself and then let loose.
Qi exploded outward from him as each phantom that appeared from his attacks created more and more phantom swords. Soon an expanding globe of swords moved away from Xing Zheng, surgically destroying the scattered spell runes to dissipate the ice field before all turning and converging on Yun Jie. This continued for hours, each of them countering and throwing attacks that slowly lowered the other's energy reserves.
Finally, in the dead of night with the full moon overhead, Yun Jie had surrounded Xing Zheng with concentrated fields of ice. All around him rotated ever-forming shards of ice and he was forced to stay in the field by constant attacks while Yun Jie was kneeling and panting on the ground below at the base of the mountain. All hope seemed lost however, Xing Zheng had one last ace up his sleeve.
His meridian inscription formation was never meant to be used without it being finished as the power amplification and energy cost reduction were theoretically what made the technique possible. However, Xing Zheng had six meridians inscribed at the time and knew the technique well, he had to if it were to be inscribed while breaking through. With a solemn expression, he had given up all pretense of attack and raised his sword in a martial salute to his opponent.
Then Xing Zheng pushed forth all of the Qi that resided in his body and executed 'An instant births 10,000 Epochs of Rain' forming formation cores from the very sword phantoms that he had been using to defend himself. Hails of tiny ice spears and shards collided with his body, strikes that would destroy small mountains drawing deep furrows of bloody frozen wounds on him. Suddenly, all of the ice had disintegrated, overwhelmed by an unstoppable power.
At that moment, millions upon millions of phantom Qi swords had blotted out the sky like a thunderstorm with more forming each perceptible moment. With the last bit of his strength, Xing Zheng swung his sword down as he fell with the rain of swords. His memories of what followed were hazy as he remembered his master caught him and the sight of Yun Jie, staring up in abject horror as a panting elder of his sect held a defensive treasure above the two.
Around them lay devastation, a circular depression carved into the side of that mountain spanning 2,000,000 km2. Of course, the exact figures came later, however, his master had been quite pleased with the results. As the memory ended Xing Zheng seemed to seamlessly be brought back to the world and noticed that he was nearing the bottom of the teleportation array platform.
Upon doing so he saw that there was a well-dressed contingent of martial artists in full ceremonial armor waiting for him.
"My lord, apologies for the humble reception. Our garrison only heard of your arrival recently and-" The leader of the unit started to speak but was quickly cut off by Xing Zheng.
"No need, Captain. This reception will do quite nicely. Can you let ancestor Lu Li know that I'm visiting? I would like to speak with her and Little Lin if they are available." Xing Zheng sighed slightly, trying to keep his irritation down at the reception.
It wasn't that he wanted to shirk protocol or cause trouble for the guards; however, it had simply become tiresome being dragged into opulent reception parades every time he visited home. This had become doubly true when it became widespread knowledge that Xing Hai was his brother and as such the common people that loved him so much had transferred that goodwill to Xing Zheng. As someone who was used to the quiet of the mountains and the seclusion of cultivation, the attention was overwhelming, to say the least.
Looking around he realized that all of the surrounding guards had frozen with stricken expressions and even some of the passersby were staring at him in abject horror. Thinking for a moment, Xing Zheng mentally slapped himself before speaking.
"Apologies, I meant Baronnes Lu Lin. You'll have to forgive me, it has been a tiring journey." Xing Zheng smiled sheepishly and thankfully everyone involved was happy to move the proceedings along.
With haste, the guard captain ushered him along and the unit swiftly made their way out of the walls that housed the travel district. Soon enough, Xing Zheng found himself growing slightly impatient with the foot traffic, and looking higher up he could see lines of movement rising well into the sky as martial artists in the Master realms used their Qi to power windsail vehicles. These varied in size widely from personal transportation to large barge-like platforms that were little more than pieces of flat material with a sail and formations inscribed on them to keep the vessels aloft.
They all had one thing in common however, they were moving faster than those navigating the crowded streets of the ground level. Looking at the guard captain, he realized that they probably didn't have a vehicle on hand for his reception, as short notice as it was, and were too embarrassed to stop and retrieve one. Thinking for a moment, a good solution came to mind, and turned to face the men.
"Good soldiers of the Yu clan, today you've done a fine service and have performed admirably even in the face of questionable odds. It seems you have some fate with this old man. I leave you with some wisdom and a gift in return for a favor. Ask the Baroness to send for me at my normal guest quarters when she has time, I shall be in the city for a month so make sure to relay that. Now, that wisdom, remember, the Dao is eternal, do not spend time thinking of what could be, only what is! I bid you good day now." Xing Zheng nodded and threw a spirit stone at each of them before handing a jade slip to the captain.
Before the slip left his hand he imparted the same message he had told them so they could either speak to the Baroness or simply deliver the slip. Feeling that he had been sufficiently vague and cryptic to live up to the reputation of an immortal Xing Zheng sent out his divine sense and used it to guide his Qi through the air while activating his movement technique. In a moment he was blurring through the sky, leaving the bewildered guards behind.
Being a frequent guest of the Lu family had its perks and with Xing Zheng having spent over a century in their service he had a special guest compound that was situated near the palace grounds and kept in good maintenance year-round. Soon, he was sitting inside a comfortable cultivation chamber located within that same humble two-story residence. For someone like him who had lived hundreds of years a month was nothing and so Xing Zheng entered a semi-conscious state to cycle his Qi while spreading out his divine sense to alert him of anyone who approached.
Three days later the divine sense of Lu Li arrived at his residence carrying a summons.
"Brother Zheng, it has been too long. I have matters to attend to currently so our meeting will have to wait. However, please make time to go see Little Lin. She was very upset that you missed her coronation and has been looking forward to seeing you." Lu Li's soft voice carried the same kindness that it had the last time they had spoken and it brought a smile to his face.
The woman had truly mellowed out after becoming a mother and Xing Zheng had to admit he preferred her current temperament to the fiery passion-filled person Lu Li had been in her youth. Gathering his sword and securing the traveling pouch that was resting in a pocket on the inside of his robe, Xing Zheng calmly made his way to the main palace of the Lu clan compound. All around motifs of billowing pillars of flame lined the walkways as the crest of a blazing phoenix adorned the flowing banners.
Within just a few minutes his speed, augmented by his cultivation, carried Xing Zheng across the enormous compound and up the main stairway that led to the main hall. There a long and wide carpet spanned the walkway leading to a giant throne. Lining the hall to either side were tall tapestries that chronicled the history of the Lu clan while small balls of flame hung in the air shifting into different shapes that depicted the scenes on the walls.
Arriving in a blur only 10 meters from the throne Xing Zheng's figure seemed to appear from nowhere startling the various guards and nobles that were gathered around and seated in less grand chairs. The various seats formed an expanding semi-circle around the main throne with each one careful to depict the glory of that clan's particular heritage while not outshining the Lu clan's displays. Slowly Xing Zheng knelt while facing the throne.
"You summoned me, Baroness?" The slight outline of a smile played on his lips.
On that throne sat a bored-looking young woman about the same height as Xing Zheng himself. She had raven black hair and dark rust-colored eyes that seemed to smolder like coals. Beside her, resting over her shoulder with the butt on the ground was a spear crafted wholly from a translucent red gemstone material. Majestic robes adorned with the crest of the Lu family combined with various depictions of flames covered her body, fitted just loosely enough to sway slightly in the wind Xing Zheng's movements had generated.
"Indeed, what do you have to say for yourself?" Lu Lin's eyes grew brighter as she stood and leveled an imperious gaze at his figure.
"Well, I-" Xing Zheng's words was cut off by the surprising sound of a girlish giggle as the charging form of the Baroness collided with him, wrapping him in an embrace.
Of course, the movements had seemed quite slow to Xing Zheng however, he played the part and acted sufficiently surprised.
"Uncle Zheng, it's been far too long!" Lu Lin said in an impetuous voice as she slowly broke away from him, her expression turning to a pout "Mother said the invitation for my coronation reached you! What kept you from the ceremony? Was it some criminal scoundrel? Tell me who it was so that my spear can show him a thing or two!"
Saying this she held her hand out, mortal mental energy pulsing outward in Xing Zheng's perception as a hairline trail of fire connected the young woman to the weapon. In an instant, the spear was in her hand and she brandished it towards the heavens menacingly. All around the gathered nobles were speechless, many of them as horrified as those at the teleportation array had been.
"My apologies Baroness Lin. The clan ancestors had need for me and personal business kept me further from attending. Accept this gift as a token of my apology" Xing Zheng's tone was overly formal, causing a frown to start creasing on Lu Lin's brow.
That expression disappeared entirely when a glowing multi-sided object appeared from within the folds of Xing Zheng's robe before being tossed to the newly crowned Baroness. Glee filled the eyes of Lu Lin as she looked at the object, it appeared to be an eighteen-sided stone with panels that shifted between different glowing colors each moment. On each of the panels appeared a different spell run and the object hummed with a small amount of Qi.
It was a formation puzzle stone, one of the more interesting oddities some cultivators used for entertainment. The stone required a great understanding of shifting formations and Qi manipulation to solve which would open the device and allow one to see the spirit stone within. At that point, it could be reassembled and the puzzle reset.
Normal formation puzzle stones had a single solution and didn't shift like the one in Lu Lin's hand. This particular puzzle stone was made by a master artisan in the Xing Royal Palace and constantly randomized the solution, simultaneously making the challenge much harder and providing an almost endless amount of combinations. For someone like Lu Lin, who had loved the things since the first time she had been able to manipulate Qi, that particular stone was like an infinite source of entertainment and wonder.
Of course, the puzzles used incredibly small amounts of Qi to allow them to run almost indefinitely. This also meant that almost anyone in the master realm or higher could simply break through the formations with brute force. Those who enjoyed such things would say that was simply missing the point.
Xing Zheng found the puzzles only mildly amusing himself however, knowing that he was going to see Lu Lin had prompted him to get in touch with an artisan who specialized in them. The project had cost a whopping 10,000 spirit stones, a decent amount when coming from Xing Zheng's personal funds, however, the smile on the young Baroness's face was worth every last one. Noticing that the court was still staring at her, Lu Lin's face reddened momentarily before her expression changed entirely as if a mask had fallen over the young woman.
"Hmph, I see. This is acceptable. Thank you, Senior Zheng." Lu Lin's voice took on an imperious tone, all hints of warmth and emotion burned away by a fiery resolve. "Now, onto official business. Recently there have been reports that an ancient demonic martial arts technique was discovered on the northern border, alongside the banks of the Flowing Grass River. In the past, you've acted as the Lu clans Judgment Executioner. As such I wish to ask that you investigate this on my behalf, temporarily reinstating your position as Judgment Executioner of the Twisted Territories of course."
Xing Zheng's attention became focused at the mention of demonic techniques, his eyes narrowing.
"Indeed, my sword is at your service Baroness, as always." Xing Zheng gave a formal bow, his tone carrying the piercing might of a heavenly sword.
"Good, then travel to the Flowing Grass Valley and see what you can uncover." Lu Lin nodded, slight hints of relief entering her voice as she spoke.
That revelation caused him to almost stumble. Memories of a sobbing boy gripping Li Cheng's robe flashed through his mind as Xing Zheng rapidly considered those words. Quickly, before the mortal's in the court could notice his reaction, he composed himself.
"It will be done. Can I leave immediately? That is at least a few months' journey even for me." Xing Zheng inquired, his eyebrow quirking upward ever so slightly in question.
"Of course." Lu Lin replied, nodding in acknowledgment before looking upward as if in thought, as Xing Zheng started to turn she spoke one last time " Oh, and Uncle Zheng? Please try to behave. Mother says that last time you visited the northern border there was a large crater left there."
Turning around to face the young Baroness a final time, Xing Zheng had a sly smile on his face.
"Don't worry Little Lin, this uncle has learned a few tricks in his time. Tell your mother I said hello, updates will come through the usual channels." With that he turned around and blurred into motion, leaving a shockwave of air behind in the hall.
Conflicting emotions ran through his mind as he considered the trip. This would have to be a delicate operation as his master had already investigated that region and found little. It didn't help that the destroyed formation had released a diffuse amount of demonic Qi all around that valley, effectively cloaking low-level demonic cultivators. Unless the culprit was in one of the spirit realms and actively released their energy it would be difficult to find them.
Thinking about it, Xing Zheng mentally made a list of items to buy in preparation for the trip. It had been a long time since he had gone undercover as a mortal, almost 700 years ago when he posed as a member of his outer sect, this would be interesting.
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