Chapter 416: The Black Guard!
Xu Qing agreed to join.
The job that Kong Xianglong mentioned was actually a secret mission assigned to him by the Field Operations Office. Normally speaking, people from other departments wouldn’t be allowed to go on such secret missions. However, Kong Xianglong knew that Xu Qing needed military credits, as did his other friends. Therefore, after a lot of coaxing and pestering his superiors, he received approval to allow swordsages from other departments to help. The main reason was that he agreed to act as their guarantor.
The participants included other Field Operations Office swordsages, plus Xu Qing, Sir Mountain-River, Wang Chen, and Duskspirit.
As for the task at hand....
“It’s an extraction mission.”
It was in the middle of the night when the team met in the Field Operations Office headquarters. There were a total of seventeen swordsages present. Kong Xianglong stood in front of them, looking very serious.
“We’ll get moving first. Along the way, I’ll explain how the mission is going to work. As per standard operating procedure, all transmission jade slips need to be sealed. During the entire duration of the mission, you cannot contact anyone for any reason. The only person who can do so is the mission leader, who is me.”
With that, he waved his hand, and someone from the Field Operations Office stepped forward, clasped hands officially, then started sealing all the jade slips. It was a simple seal involving a warding spell. The Field Operations swordsage performed an incantation gesture, and the sealing marks flew out into the crowd.
Xu Qing looked around and noted that everyone seemed fine with having their jade slips sealed. At the same time, he knew it was one of the mission requirements. After the sealing was done, he checked his transmission jade slip and confirmed that it wouldn’t work. The warding spell only had that one single function, and wouldn’t do anything else.
Before coming, he had sent a message to Arch-Immortal Plumdark letting her know he was going on a mission. He had also requested time off from the Corrections Division.
After the sealing marks were all in place, Kong Xianglong waved his hand again, and the group went to the Swordsage Palace’s teleportation complex.
Before long, glittering light covered the seventeen of them, and they vanished.
When they reappeared, they were a great distance away from the county capital, near the border of Heavencloud Prefecture.
Lowering his voice, Kong Xianglong said, “In three days, we’ll reach another teleportation portal. We’ll travel covertly, so change out of your swordsage uniforms.”
Xu Qing could already tell that this was an unusual mission. It made sense considering how many military credits were being given. It was definitely going to be dangerous. He quickly changed out of his swordsage uniform.
No one spoke as they moved along through the night at top speed, with Kong Xianglong leading the way.
“Now I’ll explain the mission in detail. We’re tasked with extracting one of our agents who has been on a deep cover assignment in the Holytides for years. Their assignment is now complete, and our job is to go to meet them at the border and escort them safely back to the Swordsage Palace. They have an important intelligence report to deliver.
“You probably have some questions. Was the spy’s cover blown? Was the information uncovered by the spy somehow urgent? Why can’t the spy just sneak out? I suggest you not dwell on such questions, as they aren’t within the realm of what we need to know.”
From the way Kong Xianglong eyed Xu Qing, Sir Mountain-River, Wang Chen, and Duskspirit, it was obvious that the last statement was meant for them, the non-Field Operations Office swordsages.
Xu Qing nodded. Given how long he had worked in the Violent Crimes Division, he knew how operations like this worked. Sir Mountain-River and the others also indicated that they understood.
Lowering his voice, Kong Xianglong gave some further details to Xu Qing, Sir Mountain-River, and the others.
“All of you can rest assured that, considering this agent was willing to participate in a deep cover operation in Holytide territory, there’s absolutely no question about their loyalty. There is no chance they could betray the Swordsage Palace. Furthermore, based on my personal analysis, I believe that this agent probably has multiple exit strategies planned. In all likelihood, the person we’re going to meet is a decoy, and not the real agent.
“There are almost certainly other teams involved in this mission, all heading to different extraction points. Our superiors have probably assigned extremely powerful experts to go along on the mission. In fact, maybe one of them is on our team.”
“Big Bro Kong,” said Sir Mountain-River, “you really don’t need to go into such extreme detail.”
His eyes flickered in Xu Qing’s direction. Duskspirit frowned as she also looked at Xu Qing. The truth was that all of them were a bit hesitant about having Xu Qing along. It wasn’t that they disliked him. They just weren’t used to him. Their group had worked together for a long time, and had never asked anyone to join them. Xu Qing was the first ‘outsider’ to work with them in many years. Wang Chen was the only one who didn’t look like he cared. He just yawned as he flew along on his coffin.
Xu Qing’s expression was the same as ever, and he didn’t say anything.
Kong Xianglong smiled. “Since this is Xu Qing’s first time coming on a mission with us, I just want to make sure we don’t have any misunderstandings. So I’m explaining everything upfront.”
Duskspirit and Sir Mountain-River said nothing further.
The other Field Operations swordsages pretended not to have heard any of that. They were already familiar with Sir Mountain-River and the others, as Kong Xianglong had already brought them on missions before.
As the group sped through the night, time slipped by slowly but surely.
Xu Qing felt like he wasn’t moving very fast, yet also wasn’t moving slow. While they traveled, he reviewed the mission details, and also thought back to the lieutenant governor’s history lecture.
The Holytide people were a species that formed when Grand Duke Holytide rebelled against humankind. Considering they were outright rebels, it was no wonder that their relationship with humans was like that between fire and water. They were mortal enemies.
The Holytides were very close with the Nightshades. In fact, they had intermingled with the Nightshades so deeply over the generations that the red blood which ran through the Holytide’s veins was streaked with black. [1]
Over the years in which Holytides and humans had clashed, the Holytides had become even more ferocious than the Nightshades. It was as if the more viciously they treated humans, the more they could prove their own worth.
Of course, Sea-Sealing County was the only county in the Holytide region that wasn’t under the control of the Holytides, so they had long eyed it like tigers eying prey. If it wasn’t for the fact that they feared the human imperial capital, they would have long since swallowed up Sea-Sealing County.
That said, humankind in general, and specifically Sea-Sealing County, knew that it was only a matter of time before war broke out. Right now, the balance of power seemed very precarious, and could be broken very easily. The truth was that the situation wasn’t just like that in Sea-Sealing County. In his training, Xu Qing had learned that the other six county capitals were in similar circumstances. In fact, all of the other counties had lost prefectures to other forces.
“Tossed about by wind and rain. A great mansion teetering on the verge of collapse.” Those were the idioms the lieutenant governor had used to describe the situation.
Xu Qing was wrapped up in such thoughts for their three days of travel. At one point, Kong Xianglong asked Xu Qing what code name he would like to use on the mission. Normally speaking, they didn’t use real names when out on missions.
“Call me the Kid,” Xu Qing said softly. He planned to use that code name both on this mission and in general, going forward.
“Nice. On this mission, you can all call me Dragon Bro! Hahaha!” [2]
Soon they reached the second teleportation portal. After teleporting to another location, they traveled for a few more days before reaching Tidefall Prefecture, which was on the border between Sea-Sealing County and Holytide territory.
“We have one more teleportation,” Kong Xianglong said. “Then we’ll be right on the border.”
Everyone was more on guard than ever. After all, though they were still in Sea-Sealing County, they were also very close to where the Holytides operated. Though there was a peace treaty between the two species, ensuring that anyone in the Nascent Soul level or higher who unlawfully crossed the border would be instantly killed by taboo treasures... it was still important to be ready at all times. After all, high-level Gold Core cultivators with dangerous weapons could be very deadly.
It was currently late at night, and dark clouds covered the moon. The only illumination came from occasional bolts of lightning that snapped through the clouds. It was raining. Seventeen shadowy figures sped through the rain toward the teleportation portal. As the rain fell harder and harder, they eventually spotted a simple stone fort up ahead. Xu Qing’s eyes glittered coldly as he detected the odor of blood.
At around the same time, Sir Mountain-River, Wang Chen, and Duskspirit all noticed the same thing.
Kong Xianglong’s eyes narrowed, and he raised his right hand in a signal. Everyone dropped to the ground and crouched, looking very serious.
“They don’t have the secret signal up,” Kong Xianglong said. “Something’s gone wrong. Kid, Demongirl, Sunspirit, Riverbed. Each of you take three people. I’ll go alone. We’ll split up and approach from five directions. If you see any nonhumans, kill them on sight! If you run into anyone with more heavenly palaces than you, wait for me.” [3]
With that, he sped off toward the fort. Sir Mountain-River and the others quickly picked the swordsages they wanted on their teams. The remaining three looked at Xu Qing.
“Don’t get too close to me, Fellow Daoists,” Xu Qing said, taking out three bottles of antidote pills and passing them out. After what happened in the classroom during his initial training, Xu Qing had decided to carry around a small stockpile of antidote pills that would be effective against his ordinary poisons. Of course, his poison mixtures were so dangerous that if they were inhaled directly, not even the antidote would help very much. Therefore, keeping a good distance away from him was the safest thing.
After giving the three swordsages antidote pills, Xu Qing started moving. The three swordsages exchanged glances, then followed.
Before long, seventeen swordsages were approaching the fort from five different directions.
Xu Qing didn’t pause or slow down. He charged forth, his taboo poison core pulsing. Though he didn’t send that poison outside of him, he kept it ready for defensive purposes. And he did scatter poison powder around him.
When he reached the fort, he could already detect the sound of magical techniques nearby. Then, as he stepped inside the fort, he heard a cold snort as a shadowy figure rushed toward him in an ambush.
It was a middle-aged man in a black robe embroidered with gingko leaves. He didn’t look very different from a human, except that he had a black mark on his forehead. He pulsed with the power of five heavenly palaces, and yet, before he could even get close to Xu Qing, his face fell and his eyes went wide with astonishment. Then he coughed up a mouthful of black blood.
“What poison is this?”
It wasn’t that he was surprised by the use of poison. Rather, he was surprised at how strong the poison was. After inhaling it only once, his organs were on fire and his vision was dimming. A moment later, he couldn’t even move. Meanwhile, Xu Qing sped forward. In his hand appeared the dagger the Captain had given him as a gift, with the shroud wrapped around it to form a hilt. With that weapon in hand, Xu Qing sped past the middle-aged cultivator. The dagger removed the cultivator’s head, causing it to fly off his shoulders! [4]
Xu Qing’s expression was the same as ever as he crouched down and sped deeper into the fort. He had instantly turned from prey into predator. Sticking to the shadows, he picked up speed, keeping his dagger at the ready.
A cultivator leaped out, but before anything could happen, Xu Qing removed his head.
Not sparing the enemy a single glance, he blurred into motion, vanishing.
Another Holytide cultivator lurked in the shadows, keeping an eye out for someone to ambush. Suddenly, his expression flickered, but he was already too late to react. Xu Qing appeared behind him, his dagger flashing. The weapon slashed right through the cultivator’s neck.
Next, Xu Qing frowned as a whistling sound rose up from behind him. But then red lightning flashed, and numerous eyes opened up within his shadow. A moment later, the cultivator that had been ambushing him from behind fell, an iron skewer stabbed into his forehead.
Rumbling booms filled the fort, accompanied by the sounds of slaughter.
Meanwhile, Kong Xianglong howled furiously in the air above the castle as he fought four eight-palace Holytide cultivators. The fact that these Holytides had eight-palace battle prowess showed how incredible they were. In fact, all of them had imperial-class techniques. That said, all of them had the exact same imperial-class technique. It manifested as the pitch-black hand of a devilish monster. Combined, the four hands released stupefying might, and formed something like a spell formation. In addition, all four of the cultivators had fragments of magical treasures. They weren’t actually trying to kill Kong Xianglong, as that was too difficult of a task. Instead, they were trying to trap him. At the same time, lightning was gathering up above. That was what they hoped would kill Kong Xianglong.
Seeing all that, Xu Qing’s eyes turned even colder. However, instead of rushing to help, he turned to look into the nearby shadows.
A figure slowly walked into the open from that spot. “Interesting. You human swordsages are a bit different from the type we from the Black Guard usually face.”
The Holytides had a department similar to the Swordsage Palace. It was called the Black Guard. [5]
Meanwhile, the three swordsages from the Field Operations Office approached from behind Xu Qing. Having sensed how much poison Xu Qing had used along the way, they had been constantly consuming antidote pills.
Xu Qing had tried to retract as much poison as possible after killing each enemy, otherwise not even the antidote pills would have done much.
The three swordsages had seen all the headless Holytide corpses along the way, and could tell that each one had five-palace battle prowess. All of them were deeply shaken at how strong Xu Qing was. They had heard that the latest group of new swordsages was a bit different, and that there were several freakish hellions among them. Xu Qing was one of them, but up to this point, none of them had seen him in action. Now, Xu Qing’s terrifying nature had already struck them to the core. That said, all three of these people were extraordinary individuals, all of whom had been on many dangerous missions on their own.
“Three more, huh?” said the Holytide cultivator. He wore a black daoist robe embroidered with golden flames. In the dead of night, those flames seemed to burn like holy fire, and they pulsed with extraordinary fluctuations. Behind him, was a huge pitch-black hand from his imperial-class technique. Combined with his six heavenly palaces, he emanated nothing short of seven-palace battle prowess.
1. In Chinese, ‘Nightshade’ has the character ‘black’ in it. ☜
2. Remember, the “long” in Kong Xianglong’s name means “dragon.” ☜
3. Code names. Demongirl: Although we don’t know Duskspirit’s real name, we do know she’s from the Supreme Void Demonization Sect, and that she can demonize herself into a demon. Sunspirit: As explained in the footnote of chapter 397, Wang Chen’s given name Chen means “morning, dawn, daybreak.” So his code name is based on the “sun” element to his name. ☜
4. The Captain gave him the dagger in chapter 338. He used the shroud to make a hilt for it in 347. ☜
5. The name of the Black Guard also contains the word for “clothing,” implying that they wear black garments. This is not an unusual naming convention in Chinese culture. If you’ve seen the 2014 wuxia film Brotherhood of Blades (which is amazing, by the way), the lead characters are members of the historical Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was an elite group of imperial secret police. In the movie subtitles, I’m pretty sure they translated that department as “imperial assassins.” Anyway, the point is that, historically speaking, it’s not strange for government agencies to be named after the type of uniform/clothing they wear. That said, translators often opt for something that flows a bit better in English, and in this case, that’s what I’m doing. ☜