Xu Qing emerged from the collapsed Corrections Division looking very somber. Glancing up at the ruined city above, he took to flight and made his way toward the Eight Sect Coalition’s subsidiary sect.

Along the way, he passed countless devastated buildings. The dramatic events of the previous day had clearly had a huge effect on the city. Previously, the streets had been crowded with pedestrians. Now, there were few people out and about. Those who were on the streets hurried about their business. On their faces, Xu Qing saw hesitancy, confusion, anxiety, and even terror. The unusual circumstances surrounding the governor’s death would have been enough to cause panic. But then the Corrections Division collapsed, and that made things much worse. Finally, news of the Holytide invasion was spreading, and that pushed people into a state of shock. There were even cultivators who seemed overwhelmed with fear. After all, not everyone was a swordsage. Eventually, Xu Qing stopped looking around.

He was soon at the Eight Sect Coalition’s subsidiary sect.

With Arch-Immortal Plumdark in charge, the subsidiary sect was in fairly good condition. However, the coalition forces inside were all packing for travel.

Xu Qing took in the scene and, without pausing for a moment, went to Arch-Immortal Plumdark’s residence. Arch-Immortal Plumdark was there with her friend Li Shitao. The two of them looked like they were having a very serious discussion. When Arch-Immortal Plumdark saw Xu Qing, she smiled warmly.

“Xu Qing, I was just going to go looking for you. We received an urgent summons from the sect. Our contingent can’t stay here any longer. We’re teleporting back. Forbidden by the Zombie went completely out of control. The Swordsage Palace has already issued orders to Emperor-Receiving Prefecture; all human sects are required to mobilize and deal with the situation.”

Xu Qing’s heart sank. He had been present to witness the first inklings of unrest in Forbidden by the Zombie, and he had a good idea what was probably happening there.

“The truth is that the Eight Sect Coalition and the Swordsage Court knew all along that the Holytides were behind that initial incident in Forbidden by the Zombie. They instigated the current flare-up as well. Given the circumstances, it seems they want to bog down the major sects in the other prefectures in Sea-Sealing County. We’re entering troubling times, Xu Qing. Given how close you are to the palace lord of the Swordsage Palace, you should be safe. That’s why I’m not asking you to come back with us. You’ll stay here. But… you still need to keep your guard up.”

Looking concerned, she gave three jade slips to him. “The first contains a concealment magic similar to the symbols I painted on you. The second is a long-range teleportation talisman. You can use it in the heat of the moment to escape a dangerous situation. The last one contains a slip of my divine will. It will help you absorb one deadly attack.”

Xu Qing’s heart was anything but calm as he accepted the jade slips. Then he took out some of the dao fruits he’d acquired from the Ten Entrails Tree, which were miraculous ingredients when used in equipment forging and pill concocting. Considering the plentiful resources at the disposal of the Swordsage Palace, it made more sense to give them to the Eight Sect Coalition. They would surely find a good use for them. When Arch-Immortal Plumdark saw them, her expression flickered. Instead of politely refusing them, she simply took them.

About two hours later, things were in order in the subsidiary sect. As Xu Qing watched, the Eight Sect Coalition forces left. At the last possible moment, Arch-Immortal Plumdark turned and looked at him. Their gazes met, and then the light of teleportation flared, and she disappeared along with the rest of the coalition disciples.

Li Shitao clearly had a lot on her mind. After Arch-Immortal Plumdark was gone, she nodded to Xu Qing and hurried away.

Looking at the empty teleportation portal, Xu Qing felt numb. It was actually a familiar feeling. It brought him back to the years he had spent in the slums.

I should report for duty at the Swordsage Palace. Turning, he walked in that direction. In the evening sun, his swordsage uniform shone like blood, and his shadow stretched out long behind him.

It was dark by the time he got to the Swordsage Palace. Upon arriving, he sent a message to Kong Xianglong.

Kong Xianglong flew out to meet him. When he caught sight of Xu Qing, he looked visibly surprised. He could tell that Xu Qing’s cultivation base had advanced significantly. Kong Xianglong actually felt like he was standing in the presence of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Under normal circumstances, he would have curiously inquired about the details. But considering what was happening, he wasn’t in the mood for that.

“Xu Qing,” he said, keeping his voice low, “I just got news from the outside. The taboo treasure isn’t strong enough to keep out the Holytide army. It’s only slowing them down a bit.

“Let’s go. All the other swordsages are coming back, and we’re supposed to have an assembly with the palace lord tonight to talk about our battle strategy. As of now, Xu Qing… you really are going to start working as a secretary-general.”

Xu Qing nodded calmly. He’d known all along that even though he’d been appointed as a jailer, his true post was as the palace lord’s secretary-general.

Just as Kong Xianglong had suggested, it was shortly after Xu Qing arrived at the Swordsage Palace that he received a summons from the palace lord. He made his way without delay to the Grand Hall of Swordsages deep in the Swordsage Palace. When he arrived, he saw the palace lord standing in front of a huge projected map, his expression somber and his eyes bloodshot. 𝙡𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒂𝓭.𝙘𝓸𝓶

The palace lord smelled of blood and looked completely exhausted. Clearly, he hadn’t had any rest since the dramatic events began.

There were seven or eight other swordsages with him, plus the four honor guards and the deputy palace lords. All of them had injuries of some sort, with the most seriously injured being the two deputy palace lords. They’d been hurt the previous day when they joined the palace lord in dealing with the god from the Corrections Division. There was no time now to focus on recovery. Now, they were getting new orders from the palace lord.

“Yes, sir!” said the four honor guards and two deputy palace lords. Looking somber, they left, passing Xu Qing along the way and giving him a nod.

After that, the hall was empty, and the palace lord looked away from the map and looked at Xu Qing, his expression stern.

Xu Qing clasped hands and bowed gravely. “Swordsage Xu Qing, reporting for duty.”

“Xu Qing, I want you to audit the swordsage personnel list. Determine who hasn’t come back and why. I also want you to handle the preparations for the assembly tonight. Can you do that?”

“Your orders shall be followed,” Xu Qing said.

The palace lord nodded, then turned away and paid no further heed to Xu Qing. He had many things to handle. Sea-Sealing County was dealing with internal trouble and outside aggression, and now that the governor was gone, the palace lord was responsible for everything.

Xu Qing knew his place, and quickly left the hall. Taking out his command sword, he got busy following orders. He was now the palace lord’s secretary-general, not in name only, but in reality. He had the authority to check all the swordsage records, and all swordsages would have to cooperate with his arrangements. That said, there was too much work for him to handle alone, so after mulling the matter over, he sent a message to Kong Xianglong.

Shortly thereafter, Kong Xianglong arrived along with Sir Mountain-River, Wang Chen, and Duskspirit. With their help, he began the audit of the swordsage personnel list, including details about those who had not returned.

Before long, it was only about two hours until the assembly was to start. The time and place had been set, so Xu Qing prepared the notification to be sent out.

“As per the orders of the palace lord, all swordsages will assemble an hour before midnight in Square #1 of the East Wing.”

Xu Qing’s voice echoed out from command swords far and wide. It was his first time speaking publicly with his authority as a secretary-general.

Before long, it was time for the meeting.

Square #1 in the East Wing soon filled with swordsages. There was no need to issue orders explaining how to assemble. Swordsages were a disciplined lot, and before long, all 100,000 swordsages were standing in ranks according to their cultivation base.

No one spoke. The atmosphere was somber, and it was clear that everyone had a lot on their mind. Their eyes flickered with a mix of fury and determination.

The governor was dead. The Corrections Division had collapsed. War was on the horizon. Those things didn’t make the swordsages afraid. Instead, it stoked their killing intent. Their auras combined, spreading out and causing a vortex to spin in the dome of heaven above. The four honor guards were present, as well as the deputy palace lords. And then, the palace lord appeared in front of everyone, his expression grave. He seemed threatening without being angry. Right behind him was Xu Qing.

All gazes were fixed on the stage, so of course everyone saw Xu Qing. His face remained expressionless as he came to a stop nine meters behind the palace lord.

The palace lord looked out at the crowd for a moment. Then he spoke in a grim voice that echoed out in all directions.

“Swordsages, war is here.

“The Holytides have long coveted Sea-Sealing County. But this county belongs to us humans. This isn’t the first time war has broken out. And every time it did in the past, they suffered defeat! There have been no exceptions! For nearly a thousand years, the late governor and I, as well as the other leaders in the county capital, have prepared for this moment.

“The Holytides have sent in the Redspirit Dynasty and the Moonmist Dynasty as their vanguard. They’ve already entered Sea-Sealing County. Yet I feel very confident.

“As long as everyone remains loyal and responsible, nothing unexpected will go wrong. Everything has been planned out in detail. Just like all the great martyrs of the past here in Sea-Sealing County, we’ll prove that we can defend our lands. When the winds of war blow, we will come out victorious. We will stand strong against this Holytide threat.

“We have the assistance of the Administration Palace, as well as 379 allied species including the Saintfiends. They, too, will join the fighting. As of this morning, I personally conferred with the Demi-Immortals. They have chosen to retreat into their ancestral land and seal themselves therein. They will not come out under any circumstances. Therefore, we are not in a weak position in this war.”

As the palace lord spoke, he did not get impassioned or worked up. He spoke slowly and analytically.

“However, there’s one thing all of you need to know. Today, two things happened in the distant imperial capital.

“First. Our emperor dispatched a new governor along with an army in our direction via cross-region teleportation. They should have arrived tomorrow. However, earlier this afternoon, they were ambushed by Nightshades. We have no idea if they’re alive or dead.

“Second. A Nightshade army is advancing on the imperial capital.

“Hard times are coming. For the time being, we here in Sea-Sealing County are solely responsible for defending against the enemy invasion. In all likelihood, this is going to be a prolonged war. In all likelihood, this will be a bitter fight without any backup on the horizon. Regardless, we have to deal with the situation at hand. Do not let this influence your determination to follow through with your pledge. The fact remains: there is nowhere for us to retreat to.

“Of the thirteen prefectures in our county, three have already been occupied by the Holytides. Thankfully, our taboo treasures have been fully activated, slowing their advance. That has bought us a bit of time.

“During that time, we have a few issues we need to resolve.

“Great chaos has broken out in two forbidden grounds. Forbidden by the Zombie and Forbidden by the Garment. It’s a Holytide strategy to distract and weaken our prefectural forces.

“The Corrections Division collapsed, and the prisoners escaped. That is going to cause a lot of chaos in Sea-Sealing County. As a result, we are facing internal trouble and outside aggression. That is yet another Holytide strategy.”

The 100,000 swordsages were clearly getting a bit worked up, including Xu Qing. The palace lord’s words were hammering home how much danger Sea-Sealing County was in. However, the palace lord’s voice remained calm, and was a stabilizing force. As a result, the somber and desolate resolve in the hearts of the swordsages didn’t lessen.

The palace lord stopped speaking for a moment as he looked at the crowd. Then he said, “Fear not. If heaven collapses, I will hold it up!”

1. Xu Qing saw the dramatic event in Forbidden by the Zombie in . In the subsequent aftermath in , there was a clue dropped that we now can realize was pointing to the Holytides.

2. Xu Qing was appointed as secretary-general in .

3. It’s worth noting that in contexts of war, national disaster

/conflict, etc., ‘heaven’ can metaphorically refer to the country, or sometimes the leadership of the country.

Read latest chapters at 𝑙𝘪𝓇𝑎.𝘤𝑜𝑚 Only