Seven days later, the dreadnaught arrived at South Phoenix. From a distance, Xu Qing spotted the old Seven Blood Eyes, where he had started out years ago. A lot had changed since then. It was still just as bustling and noisy, and there were Seventh Peak ships going in and out of the port. The original seven peaks had been taken to Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, but the peaks that had replaced them looked exactly the same, except without the huge eyes.

The arrival of the dreadnaught caused a stir. Countless people looked up as it flew overhead. Unfortunately, Xu Qing’s messages to Second Elder Sister had not been answered. When Master Seventh saw him off, he’d mentioned that she was in seclusion trying to reach a breakthrough. Because of that, Xu Qing didn’t stay in Seven Blood Eyes for long. Soon, the dreadnaught shot out of the city and headed toward the eastern part of South Phoenix.

To the Xu Qing of the past, South Phoenix had been massive. In fact, it was so big that getting around it required using teleportation portals. But after everything he had experienced, he now realized why Master Seventh had described ‘the continent of South Phoenix’ as an island. Compared to the massive Revered Ancient mainland, it really was just a little island.

Given the speed the dreadnaught was capable of, it only took half a day before Xu Qing reached the old scavenger basecamp.

It was just as dirty and chaotic as before. Xu Qing didn’t see many familiar faces. Scavengers, who walked a fine line between life and death, rarely had very long lifespans, unless they got really lucky.

Xu Qing looked down to take everything in. Then he went down to walk the streets of the now-unfamiliar camp. He passed scavenger after scavenger. He walked past the buildings made from logs and mud. Any mortals who saw him wouldn’t even remember seeing him. That was a function of his D-132 nascent soul. It wasn’t as easy to create amnesia effects in cultivators. But such effects worked easily in a scavenger basecamp.

Xu Qing walked along silently, heading in a specific direction. He wasn’t aiming to visit his old residence. Instead, he went to that one particular street that he had left soaked in blood all those years ago.

There had been a general store on that street back then. The store was still there, although there was a different proprietor.

Across the street from that shop, a person in a black robe sat cross-legged under the eaves of a building. She seemed skinny, and though her facial features weren’t visible, she had an evil ghost scythe slung over her shoulders. She was none other than Qing Qiu. There were a few scavenger corpses nearby. Clearly, they were foolish idiots who had provoked her. Not everyone in the world could think clearly.

Perhaps because of Qing Qiu’s presence, the street was very quiet. The proprietors of all the shops sat inside trembling and not saying a word. She had obviously been here for some time. Maybe it was because she had come looking for certain information, or because she’d been unable to believe everything she saw back in the county capital.

Thus, she had come here to wait. In reality, it was possible that not even she knew what she was waiting for. And she kept waiting until this very day, when she heard footsteps approaching on the little street.

Xu Qing walked up until he was standing next to her.

She kept looking straight ahead. She didn’t turn her head. Her hand tightened on her evil ghost scythe, and then it relaxed. She didn’t say anything.

Xu Qing followed her gaze and realized she was looking at the general store. He could almost see the scrawny, dirty little girl with the scar, busy at work there.

Seven years had passed. Seven years ago, the two of them had met by chance. Both had experienced the opening of the eyes of the broken face of the god. Both had survived. Seven years later, they were here again.

Xu Qing didn’t say anything. 𝘪𝑎.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Qing Qiu sat there quietly until her shoulders started trembling.

Finally, he whispered, “It was here that you gave me a piece of candy. You said that when I felt down, I just had to eat it, and I’d feel better. I think I have an idea what you’re feeling right now. However, I want to let you know that I ate that piece of candy you gave me, and it eased the grief in my heart.” He took out something wrapped in a piece of oil paper and put it on the ground in front of her. “That’s a piece of candy I bought for you in Seven Blood Eyes.”

With that, he turned to leave. However, after only walking about ten paces, he stopped and looked back. Voice somber, he said, “Also, remember to submit your report to the Secretariat Division when you get back.”

“Yes, sir!” Qing Qiu replied instinctively. Only after the words left her mouth did she bow her head. Her hands tightened on her scythe.

The faintest of smiles appeared on Xu Qing’s mouth. Without another word, he left.

***

After he was gone, the wind picked up, sending dead leaves swirling through the street. It rustled the oil paper, and stirred Qing Qiu’s heart and mind. Back when she saw Xu Qing’s nascent souls on that altar, she had felt shaken to the core. The shocking scene was something she almost couldn’t believe was real.

For years, she had struggled and fought in the hopes of being able to go back to South Phoenix and look for one specific person. It was hard to believe that the very person she had been hoping to find had actually been by her side for two years.

Not only that, but he was so amazing and powerful. She, who could never admit her own weaknesses, now had to acknowledge that she had fallen behind. It left her feeling dazed. Confused. All of her hard work, all of her bitter struggles, had been in the hopes of going back and keeping safe that one person who was the most important person in her life.

Years ago, he had stood in front of her and exchanged bamboo slips to keep her safe. She had struggled to return that favor. It was her goal. Her dream. But now she realized that the person she wanted to keep safe didn’t need her at all.

Then she thought about everything that happened in the county capital. She thought about the Ten Entrails Tree. And she realized that, all along, he had been keeping her safe. And thus, she had come back to this scavenger basecamp, filled with too many mixed emotions. As she sorted out those emotions, she started to hope that she would once again run into her Big Bro Kid. And she had.

“Damnation!”

Qing Qiu gritted her teeth as she thought back to how she had instinctively responded to Xu Qing’s final command. Fuming, she reached out to grab the candy in the oil paper. However, as soon as her fingers closed around it, they became incomparably gentle, as if she were holding a precious treasure.

She carefully opened the paper to reveal a gleaming piece of rock candy. She didn’t eat it. She just looked at it. And underneath her mask, she smiled.

When the evil ghost scythe noticed that, it started talking excitedly.

“Ah Qiu, you have to seize this opportunity. It’s a gift from a heavenly dao! Going forward, make sure to always do exactly as the exalted Xu Qing says. If he asks you to do something, you do it! Don’t even think about refusing.

“And that way… we’ll eventually have the chance to end things in mutual destruction with a Void Returning expert! Or even… a god!! That could actually happen!

“Heavens! If we could actually end things in mutual destruction with a god, then it would be the greatest glory imaginable!!”

The evil ghost scythe was so excited it was shivering, and its eyes glowed bright red. .

For once, Qing Qiu didn’t tell the scythe to shut up. In fact, a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes.

***

Xu Qing had left the scavenger basecamp and was walking through the forbidden region toward Sergeant Thunder’s grave.

Ling’er hadn’t said anything the entire time. There were some things she wanted to say, but she could sense that Xu Qing’s mood had dipped once inside the forbidden region. She gently rubbed her head against his cheek.

Inside, she was thinking, That girl must have been one of Big Bro Xu Qing’s friends from back in the day. She seemed to be in a really bad mood, but once she saw that candy, she felt better. What’s the deal with that candy, anyway? Maybe I should buy some. Then if Big Bro Xu Qing doesn’t feel good, I can take it out and give it to him.

As Ling’er was thinking that she had just learned something very useful, Xu Qing arrived at Sergeant Thunder’s grave.

The weeds had grown in, but the gravestone was the same as before. He sat down in front of it. He looked at the big tree, then the gravestone. It was already dusk, and mist was starting to build up in the area. He didn’t care about that. He took out two jugs of alcohol, one of which he placed down in front of the grave. The other, he raised in a toast.

“Sergeant Thunder, a few days ago I did something really momentous….”

Smiling, Xu Qing drank and told the story. He talked about the county capital, the swordsages, the war, and Palace Lord Kong.

“Eldest Brother said I’ve grown up. I guess he’s right. It’s been seven years…. Sergeant Thunder, you once told me that when enough time passes, you forget things. You said that you’d waited for long enough, and that you didn’t want to wait any longer. But how come, when I close my eyes sometimes, I just find myself wishing I could eat one of the dishes you’re so good at cooking…?”

After Peerless City vanished from existence, he had drifted about, homeless, encountering all sorts of bitterness. Eventually, he met the one person who had given him a home, and some warmth. He would never forget that.

He took a drink. Then another. Evening turned into night. The mist turned into a fog.

“I miss you, Sergeant Thunder….”

Finally, Xu Qing sighed, kowtowed to the grave, and then got to his feet. Step by step, he walked deeper into the forbidden region.

This was where he’d acquired the shadow. His plan was to bring the shadow back, have it absorb the mutagen of this forbidden region, and see if that could help it to achieve a breakthrough.

After Xu Qing entered the forbidden region, the shadow started getting excited. As Xu Qing got deeper inside, that excitement grew. The shadow began to emit fluctuations of hope, and it spread out from Xu Qing’s feet.

Wherever it went, the trees would rock back and forth before turning into coffins with countless eyes on them. As a result of the shadow, the fog grew thicker. And pulses of greed began to float through it, as though there were malicious eyes in its depths, looking at Xu Qing and his shadow with avarice. Rustling sounds could be heard, as if entities in the depths were whispering quietly.

Xu Qing eyed the surrounding fog, his eyes shining coldly. He kept walking. Eventually, he reached the temple complex from years before. As he passed it and entered the true depths of the forbidden region, the fog got even thicker. Eventually, he heard the Singing.

This was his second time hearing the Singing in this forbidden region. Legend had it that if you heard it and survived, the forbidden region would give you a gift. The second time you heard it, you would see the person you most wanted to see. As the Singing echoed out, everything turned colder. A frigid coldness filled the area.

Xu Qing stopped walking and looked out into the fog. He heard… footsteps.

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