Kong Xianglong worked in the field office and was in charge of catching criminals.
He had brought in a criminal today. When Xu Qing saw him, he was chatting happily with a few familiar Pawns on the ninth floor. Beside him was a dying Two Faces Race's clansman.
The cultivation base of this Two-Faced Race member was extraordinary. Despite his heavy injuries, the fluctuations of his Golden Core Seven Palaces were still very intense, indicating that he was an extraordinary person in his race. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to have seven Heavenly Palaces.
However, he was in a miserable state now. His body was covered in wounds as if he had been severely beaten up. Moreover, he had lost a leg, and from the looks of it, it seemed to have been torn off forcibly.
Kong Xianglong was also injured but he didn't seem to mind it. When he caught sight of Xu Qing, his eyes lit up and he flashed a smile.
"Xu Qing!"
"Brother Kong."
Xu Qing returned the greeting. The surrounding Pawns also smiled and greeted Xu Qing. During this period of time, Xu Qing had been stationed in Area D132 for a while now and had successfully guarded it without changing his post, which had become a topic of discussion among the Pawns.
This was especially so when he went out every day and returned unscathed. This earned him even more admiration.
Upon seeing Kong Xianglong, Xu Qing also smiled. His gaze then landed on the wounds on the other party's body.
"It's nothing, just small injuries. Xu Qing, you became a Pawn? Haha, as I expected."
Kong Xianglong swept his gaze across the dark fire patterns on Xu Qing's Daoist robe and also noticed the expressions of the surrounding Pawns. He didn't seem too surprised that Xu Qing had become a pawn.
"Actually, when I heard that you went to become the Palace Master's edict bearer, I guessed…"
"What did you guess?" Before Kong Xianglong could finish speaking, a cold and dignified voice rang out from the steps of the ninth floor.
As the voice echoed, the cold figure of the Palace Master appeared. His every step emitted a pressure.
All the Pawns instantly became serious and bowed in unison.
"Greetings, Palace Master."
Xu Qing also bowed. Kong Xianglong's body trembled and he hurriedly lowered his head to greet him.
Xu Qing noticed that Kong Xianglong seemed to be extremely afraid. In fact, his forehead was covered in sweat.
The pressure from the Palace Master was huge. As he got closer, an oppressive feeling filled the entire ninth floor.
While the surroundings were silent, the Palace Master's figure walked in front of everyone.
He glanced at the Two Faces Race criminal lying on the ground. After that, his gaze landed on Kong Xianglong and he spoke coldly.
"With your cultivation, you could clearly capture and suppress this cultivator alive with a single strike. Why did you use two strikes, are you becoming complacent because the outside world is praising you as the heaven's chosen of this generation? You didn't learn anything else but you learned pride very quickly."
After saying that, he looked at Xu Qing with the same coldness.
"And you, what are you doing here instead of going back to cultivate? Are you being complacent just by suppressing D132? Besides, did you really suppress them? If you have the ability, go and suppress D1 to advance to Area C!"
Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. The Palace Master's words caused him to fall into deep thought.
As for the Palace Master's temper, Xu Qing already knew it. During this period of time, as he gradually got familiar with the other Pawns, he had heard people talking about how strict this generation's Sword Holding Palace's Palace Master was with others.
Coupled with the first time they met and the other party's scolding, Xu Qing knew that there was no point in saying anything at this moment.
Kong Xianglong lowered his head and didn't speak.
"Why aren't you saying anything? I'm asking you!" The Palace Master's gaze swept past Xu Qing and landed on Kong Xianglong.
Kong Xianglong hesitated and spoke in a low voice.
"At that time, the Two Faces Race cultivator had a few quasi-human maidservants nearby. They were pitiful people. I was afraid that the might of my attacks would be too great and injure the innocent, so…"
Quasi-human wasn't a race. They were born from the mating of human and nonhuman. Their fates were sometimes even more miserable.
The Palace Master fell silent and spoke after a long time.
"Even so, how could you be injured against just a Golden Core with seven palaces? What private matters have you been up to?!"
Sweat broke out on Kong Xianglong's forehead, but he had no choice but to speak up.
"He still has some accomplices. They ran away. Although they weren't on the wanted list, I saw the heartless things they did, so I chased after them and killed them all. After that, I encountered a tough opponent and also killed him, which caused my injuries."
The Palace Master coldly glanced at Kong Xianglong and turned to walk toward the steps. However, a cold voice echoed.
"It's excusable, but you didn't abide by the rules of the Sword Holder and caused additional trouble. You will be punished with seven days of imprisonment. Take him away!"
With that, the Palace Master left.
Xu Qing looked at Kong Xianglong sympathetically.
He felt that the Palace Master was too old-fashioned and unreasonable.
Kong Xianglong sighed and glanced at Xu Qing as he smiled bitterly.
"If I had known this would happen, I would have left after sending him off. I was a step too late. How unlucky."
As he spoke, the Pawns at the side walked over solemnly. After restraining the Two Faces Race prisoner on the ground, they walked in front of Kong Xianglong.
Kong Xianglong resigned himself to fate and lifted his hands. He was then shackled and brought away.
Before he left, he even turned his head and waved at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing silently watched this scene. He only left the Prison Department and returned to the Sword Pavilion after Kong Xianglong's figure disappeared.
After sitting down cross-legged, Xu Qing looked at the dark night outside. The scene of Kong Xianglong being reprimanded and sent to prison appeared in his mind.
Through this matter, he could clearly sense that the Sword Holding Palace Master was a strict follower of rules and regulations. Just like how he reprimanded him, even a heaven's chosen like Kong Xianglong was treated the same.
"Such a Sword Holding Palace…" Xu Qing's gaze looked at the night.
He suddenly felt that it was quite good. The rules here were even simpler. Although everything depended on strength, contributions and rules were equally important.
