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After asking around, Xu Qing learned that the first ten levels were set aside for swordsages guilty of rules violations. In the end, Kong Xianglong was being treated like a guest.

Currently, Kong Xianglong sat in the middle of his cell, looking piteously at Xu Qing. “It’s too bad this happened so suddenly,” he said, licking his lips, “otherwise I would have brought along some alcohol....”

Obviously he was really in the mood to drink.

Xu Qing looked around to confirm that Kong Xianglong was the only one in the cell block, then took out a jug of alcohol from his bag of holding and passed it through the bars.

Kong Xianglong’s eyes lit up. He quickly guzzled some alcohol, then burped. Finally, he laughed heartily. “Simply amazing! Normally speaking, drinking isn’t this good. But go for a bit of time without drinking, and then you start to miss it. Come on, Xu Qing, drink with me.” He hoisted up the jug in a toast to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing performed an incantation gesture, closing and locking the door to D-003. Then he took out another jug of alcohol and drank with Kong Xianglong.

Kong Xianglong looked even happier. They drank together for a time, and Xu Qing even took out a few apples for Kong Xianglong to eat.

However, after taking a bite of one of the apples, Kong Xianglong said they didn’t have any flavor. After that, he stuck to drinking.

Xu Qing thought the apples were fine, so he ate and drank at the same time. The more Kong Xianglong drank, the more he talked. Soon, he was chattering endlessly.

“I’ve spent time in all the cell blocks on Level 1. Sometimes I get lucky and nobody catches me when I go off protocol. But occasionally I get unlucky and somebody reports me. This time I got really unlucky thanks to running into the palace lord.” Upon mentioning the palace lord, Kong Xianglong sighed heavily. “By the way, Xu Qing, what have you been up to lately? It looks like your cultivation base is on the verge of a breakthrough. Why haven’t you taken the next step? Once you break through, the two of us can go on some missions together and get some military credits.”

Xu Qing thought about it. Considering that Kong Xianglong also had imperial-class techniques, as well as ten heavenly palaces, it made sense to ask him for help. So Xu Qing gave a quick overview of what he was thinking regarding his fifth heavenly palace, then asked for advice.

“Well, I definitely have relevant experience,” Kong Xianglong said. “Using an imperial-class technique for your heavenly palace is different from using ordinary techniques. There’s always a special ritual involved, plus you need to have a dharma protector. Back when I did it, I purchased my imperial-class technique with military credits, and I also paid for one of the honor guards to be my dharma protector. Hmm. You know, this is all kind of abstract, isn’t it? How about I just show you?”

With that, he waved his hand, causing his body to turn transparent and reveal his ten heavenly palaces.

Beneath the life mist, he had six. Above the life mist, he had four. Of the four on top, three were made from life lamps, and glittered dazzlingly. They all had strange, unique appearances, and all of them emanated astonishing fluctuations. The other six heavenly palaces were also extraordinary, especially two of them, which seemed particularly unique. One of them had a golden dragon coiled around it, which emanated dazzling golden light. When Xu Qing looked at it, the dragon suddenly lifted its head and focused its gaze on him.

Xu Qing’s golden crow materialized behind him, then glided through the air in D-003, looking at the golden dragon.

The crow and the dragon seemed drawn to each other because of their energies, and were closely studying each other.

Kong Xianglong’s other unique palace was a sword palace. It looked very similar to the halls in the Swordsage Palace, and it emanated an incisive, sword-like energy.

Looking at it caused Xu Qing’s mind to spin. He had merely been asking for some advice, only to have Kong Xianglong directly show him all of his heavenly palaces. Most people considered their heavenly palaces to be their biggest secrets, and generally wouldn’t reveal them except to people they deeply trusted. Yet Kong Xianglong didn’t seem to have any such misgivings.

“What are you staring like that for? You’re not the only one who’s seen them. I showed them to little River and little Chen as well. See those there? Those are my two heavenly palaces made with imperial-class techniques.” Kong Xianglong made some adjustments so that those two palaces became even clearer. “You probably gained enlightenment of The Emperor’s Sword, right? I sensed the energy fluctuations earlier. Once you get that technique to the second stage, you can use it to make a sword palace.”

Having personally seen Kong Xianglong’s heavenly palaces, Xu Qing felt moved. Looking very serious, he stood and bowed deeply to Kong Xianglong. “Many thanks, Big Bro Kong.”

“Thanks aren’t necessary between bros,” Kong Xianglong said. His heavenly palaces disappeared, and he took another long swig of alcohol. “Once you use that imperial-class technique for your fifth heavenly palace, I’ll check and see if there are any missions we can go on. If so, I’ll give you a shout. We actually have lots of missions like that in the Field Operations Office. Little River and little Chen asked me to help them find missions as well. Both of them need a lot of military credits so they can buy legacies.”

Xu Qing offered sincere thanks again. He and Kong Xianglong drank for a bit more until Xu Qing’s shift was over. Then, instead of going back to his sword pavilion, he went to the south part of the city to look for osmanthus cakes.

Tonight he planned to return to the subsidiary sect and visit Arch-Immortal Plumdark. His fifth heavenly palace was already materialized, so now all he had to do was insert Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits into it, and he would have his fifth imperial-class heavenly palace.

My life essence bluegreen dragon... will have to get pushed off again. I’ll use it next time!

Xu Qing took a moment to cast his gaze inward and look at the bluegreen dragon swirling amidst his dharma apertures. The dragon looked up at him.

“Next time. Promise!” Arriving in the south of the city, he found a shop that sold osmanthus cakes.

***

Around the time Xu Qing left the Corrections Division, down on Level 89, the palace lord’s eyes opened and he looked up. Frowning, he snorted coldly.

Then the huge eye behind the palace lord opened, and a deep voice echoed out. “A jailer and an inmate drinking together in the cell block? Downright outrageous! When those two were drinking, you were just pretending not to notice? They finished already; one left, and the other’s asleep. Only now do you open your eyes and snort? Who are you doing that for, me?”

The eye’s pupil burned like fire, and caused winds to whip around the palace lord.

The palace lord didn’t seem to care that the spirit automaton was being snippy with him. Eyes cold, he said, “The two of them agreed to go on a mission together.... I want you to send a message to the Yao Clan in my name.”

“Same content as last time? Do you have a death wish, Yao Yunhui?” The voice rumbled like bells in the wind.

“No, ten words this time,” the palace lord replied coldly. “Xu Qing is my personal secretary-general. Don’t you forget it.”

“Isn’t it a violation of your own personal rules to send a dharmic decree twice for the same swordsage? Is it because Xu Qing has no more misfortune on him? Wait, hold on a second. The misfortune actually left him quite a while ago. Let me think. It was actually the second time he went to D-132 that it vanished.

“Weird. The misfortune left, just like that? It’s been about a month since Xu Qing’s second visit to D-132. So what happened? Sadly, I don’t have the authority to see what went on. Aiya. So annoying! As a spirit automaton, I just don’t have the authority to look into D-132!” The rumbling voice in the wind sounded disappointed.

“Yao Yunhui won’t understand if I don’t spell it out to her,” the palace lord said coolly, ignoring the spirit automaton’s pontificating about Xu Qing, the misfortune, and D-132. “Swordsages can die at the hands of enemies. Endings like that can be considered honorable. But they can’t die at the hands of vile simpletons. That would be a disgrace. I simply cannot let such a thing happen to any of my swordsages.”

The rumbling wind ceased momentarily. Then the voice boomed, “Does that include Zhang Siyun? According to the secret report from the Swordsage Court in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, he’s been parasitized by a god. Even the emperor himself wanted to talk with the divine likeness of the Grand Emperor to get details. There are some people who are very interested in this Zhang Siyun.”

The palace lord was quiet for a long moment. Then he shook his head. “As long as he’s a swordsage, I won’t allow him to be used as bait. And I’ll figure out a way to deal with that god inside him.”

“What about Chen Erniu?” asked the voice, suddenly more intense than before. “I refuse to believe you don’t see what’s going on with him. And if I’m not mistaken, I actually saw him in his previous life. Except I can’t remember the details. Weird. Why can’t I remember the details?”

The voice in the wind sounded more and more irritated as it talked, until it unleashed a howl. In response, a howl echoed back from the very depths of the Corrections Division, a response that seemed to overlap with the spirit automaton’s voice. “I can’t remember. Can’t remember. I’ve forgotten.... Who am I? I need to think this through to figure out who I am. I’m....”

The palace lord’s expression was the same as ever as he slowly lifted his right hand and pushed out. That movement caused all one hundred and seventy-seven levels of the Corrections Division to tremble. Brilliant light then converged in the middle of each level, right above the center of the prison depths. The light turned into a hundred and seventy-seven magical symbols that slowly dropped down.

Rumbling sounds echoed out, and then the howling from below grew weaker until it faded away. Back on Level 89, the howl was no more, and the eye behind the palace lord started to close. Just before it did, a blank look appeared in the eye, and it spoke in a faint voice.

“Who am I...?”

“You’re the spirit automaton of the Corrections Division!” the palace lord replied.

A look of understanding flashed within the eye. “That’s right. I remember now. I’m a spirit automaton. The spirit automaton of the Corrections Division. My mission is to keep control of all the inmates.”

The eye closed.

The palace lord looked at the closed eye and frowned.

Hē’s been coming to his senses more frequently in recent years....

If anyone could see the palace lord’s thoughts, and noticed him use the word hē, they would be absolutely shocked.

That was the form of address for gods.

As it turned out, that eye absolutely was not just the spirit automaton of the Corrections Division. The eye thought it was a spirit automaton. But the truth was that hē was the main reason why the palace lord of the Swordsage Palace always remained on duty in the Corrections Division. Hē was actually a clone of the god of unknown origins that slept in Forbidden by the Immortal!

Continuing to look at the closed eye, the palace lord thought back to the words from earlier.

Hē recognizes Chen Erniu. That’s problematic. But the Grand Emperor endorsed him, and let him become a swordsage. And that means he’s a swordsage. Since he’s a swordsage, he’s my subordinate. And my subordinates die in blazes of glory. Not at the hands of despicable villains!

That was the palace lord’s personal rule.