On the square, Xu Qing looked at Yao Yunhui and Zhang Siyun who had been taken away.
He thought of what the Smoke Race on Mount Morning Glow had said about Marquis Yao sending them to stop people.
He then thought of Marquis Yao's past actions and the disappearance on the battlefield.
From the surface, it seemed that there was indeed a huge problem with Marquis Yao.
Even the Palace Master had doubts about Marquis Yao.
However, Xu Qing didn't understand why such a person would bring all the members of his race to the battlefield other than women and children and let them die in battle.
As for the women and children, why did they stay and wait for the reckoning?
Moreover, at the start of the war, the reason why the alliance army of the hundred races headed to the northern war zone was because Marquis Yao personally negotiated with them.
After these reasons were combined, this whole situation seemed to not make sense.
Xu Qing knew that he wasn't the only one who understood this.
But now… no one could say anything.
On one hand, Marquis Yao was unpopular. On the other hand, there was no evidence to prove that he didn't betray the human race.
Xu Qing remained silent.
From what he knew, the war in Fenghai County was no longer a simple battle between two races.
In reality, the moment the Palace Master died in battle and the Seventh Prince arrived, Xu Qing could already smell that there was something deeper going on.
'This Seventh Prince isn't simple. He is manipulating people's hearts!'
The captain transmitted his voice.
'He created a public target, manipulating the trend and the sentiments!' The captain narrowed his eyes and said softly.
'Now, almost the entire Fenghai County is his territory. Not only is his identity supreme, but he also has the great contribution of saving Fenghai County and is supported by countless people. In reality, if he had arrived a little earlier on the western front, perhaps the Palace Master wouldn't have died.'
'However, if the Palace Master hadn't died, this prince's halo wouldn't be so dazzling. Some of the glory would have been taken away by the Palace Master.'
'However, he came late, and the halo belongs to him alone.'
'He turned the tide and became famous throughout the world through this battle.'
'I know you've long suspected what I'm saying. Junior Brother, although you have a good relationship with Kong Xianglong, you have to remember not to be rash. This person isn't someone to be trifled with.'
'Look at how the Deputy Palace Masters, Deputy Governor, and the others have chosen to remain silent. Even Kong Xianglong is keeping quiet. There are many people who understand, and we aren't the only ones!'
'It's enough for minor characters like us to protect our friends and relatives. There are too many things that we can't meddle in at the moment.'
The captain patted Xu Qing's shoulder.
Xu Qing looked at the sky. He naturally knew about all of this long ago and had buried it in his mind for a long time.
'Eldest Senior Brother, I understand.'
'If the Palace Master didn't die and the Taboo didn't collapse, he wouldn't have arrived. Perhaps this is also the reason why the Palace Master was seeking death and made those arrangements for the army when he was alive.'
Xu Qing closed his eyes and recalled every word and arrangement the Palace Master had made when he was alive.
The rain fell for the whole day.
However, the funeral wouldn't last for so long. It only lasted for two hours.
With the departure of the Seventh Prince, the funeral was over.
Everyone dispersed dejectedly. The captain was worried about Xu Qing and reminded him many times. He had already exchanged for the Ancient Dao Seal Decree and was prepared to find a place to undo his seals.
However, this process required time.
"Junior Brother, I'm going into seclusion for about half a month. Remember not to be rash. After I come out of seclusion, we'll look at what the situation is. If it doesn't look good, we'll resign as Sword Holders."
Xu Qing nodded.
After confirming that Xu Qing wasn't agreeing half-heartedly, the captain hurriedly left.
Xu Qing was indeed not just placating the captain. He knew that his words carried little weight, and he understood that regardless of his identity or cultivation level, he was not sufficient to play a crucial role in this intricate and complex war.
However, the scenes of the Palace Master when he was alive kept appearing in his mind.
After a long time, Xu Qing sighed softly and returned to his Sword Pavilion.
Xu Qing mumbled as he looked at his surroundings.
"I miss the Seven Blood Eyes."
Xu Qing closed his eyes and silently meditated.
As the twilight faded outside, the moon rose high, and the night descended. Around midnight, a bitter voice came from outside his sword pavilion.
"Xu Qing, are you there?"
Xu Qing opened his eyes. That was Kong Xianglong's voice. He got up and pushed open the Sword Pavilion's door, and saw the drunk Kong Xianglong.
Under the moonlight, Kong Xianglong's face revealed a smile that was uglier than crying.
"Night Spirit is dead, Wang Chen is dead, and Shan He is heavily injured and recuperating in his sect. I… I can't find anyone to drink with."
"Xu Qing, can you accompany me again for a drink?"
Xu Qing didn't say anything and took a few steps back.
Kong Xianglong grinned and staggered in. After he sat down, he threw a flask to Xu Qing and took another flask to take a big gulp.
"Guess who I saw in the afternoon?" Kong Xianglong squeezed out a smile and looked at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing took the wine flask and took a sip before shaking his head.
"The Seventh Prince."
"Deputy Palace Master brought me there. The Prince knew that the Palace Master was my old man, so he commended me and even gave me a task."
"He asked me to reorganize the Prison Department. I mentioned you and he agreed to let me make my own arrangements. Haha, should I be grateful?"
Kong Xianglong spoke loudly and started laughing. However, not only was his smile ugly, but his laughter was also filled with deep emotions. In the end, he spat a mouthful of thick phlegm to the side.
"F*ck him!"
"The first batch of prisoners is the Yao family's people."
"Is he asking me to kill the people of the Yao family? Does he really think I'm stupid? Could it be that the figure who appeared in front of the old man at the last moment was also Marquis Yao?"
Kong Xianglong laughed loudly as a cold glint appeared in his eyes. He then took another big gulp.
"I went to take a look at those people from the Yao family. They are just women and children. Moreover, Zhang Siyun isn't around. I heard that he was released after Deacon Sima vouched for him."
"However, I think acting silly is also good. After killing them, I might have more opportunities to interact with the Prince and understand the truth of this war."
He lowered his head, his voice containing hysteria and gloominess.
"Xu Qing, what do you think?"
Xu Qing glanced at Kong Xianglong. After the war, everyone around the other party died. Because of this, Kong Xianglong's personality went through some changes.
With Xu Qing's understanding of Kong Xianglong and his tone right now, he could tell that the other party was really thinking of killing them.
In order to understand the truth and get close to the Seventh Prince, Kong Xianglong was willing to do things that went against his principles in the past.
Xu Qing stayed silent and spoke softly after a long while.
"If we can make a choice, I suggest not to kill them."
Kong Xianglong lifted his head and looked at Xu Qing.
"Why?"
Xu Qing didn't answer but looked into Kong Xianglong's eyes.
Under his gaze, the coldness in Kong Xianglong's eyes slowly dissipated. Finally, he became dispirited and drank the wine slowly.
Xu Qing accompanied him. Just like last night, the two of them drank silently.
After a long time, Kong Xianglong put down the wine flask and lay down. He looked at the ceiling of the Sword Pavilion and muttered.
"I miss the past. Xu Qing, do you still remember this time last year when the few of us went out together…"
Xu Qing nodded. The memories emerged in his mind. At that time, the two of them along with Night Spirit, Wang Chen, and Shan He had gone out on a mission to rescue the Sword Holder spy in the Holy Wave Race and obtained an empty wish box.
Later, they exacted revenge on the black-clothed guards of the Holy Wave Race at the border, avenging the youth, before making a hasty retreat. Eventually, they reached a plain where exhaustion overcame them, and they all collapsed on the ground.
Their relationship had deepened a lot after that incident.
"What a pity…" Kong Xianglong shook his head and picked up the wine flask again. However, it was empty, just like the wish box back then.
Xu Qing passed his flask over and Kong Xianglong sat up to take it.
"By the way, the Seventh Prince's men are leaving with the empty wish box we obtained during our mission. They said that this is evidence of Marquis Yao's conspiracy."
Xu Qing lifted his head when he heard that and recalled the empty wish box back then.
"What was originally inside? Did they have an answer later?"
"Yes, but it's top secret. I'm only qualified to know because I'm the person in charge of this mission. Moreover, this information hasn't been declassified yet… Forget it, there's nothing to hide from you."
Kong Xianglong took a sip of wine.
"Through the remnant aura in the box, they discovered that it once contained an ancient pill called the Life Calamity Pill."
As soon as Kong Xianglong spoke, Xu Qing's eyes suddenly narrowed. He grabbed Kong Xianglong's arm and stared into his eyes.
Kong Xianglong was stunned.
"What's wrong?"
"Radiant Life Calamity Pill?"
"That's right, it's that pill." Seeing Xu Qing's expression, Kong Xianglong also became serious and sobered up.
"Xu Qing, what's going on?"
Xu Qing didn't speak. He recalled the investigation jade slip given by the Palace Master and asked after a long time.
"Brother Kong, the information you mentioned that hasn't been declassified is classified document 19?"
Kong Xianglong completely sobered up when he heard Xu Qing accurately name the code of the document. His eyes gleamed as he looked at Xu Qing.
"What exactly is going on?!"
Xu Qing took out the investigation jade slip that the Palace Master had given him back then and handed it to Kong Xianglong.
As for that secret scroll, after he returned to the county capital from Mount Morning Glow, he had neglected it because he was too busy taking care of the lack of resources and troops on the battlefield.
After all, the Palace Master already knew about this secret scroll. His mission was only to confirm the matter related to morning glow. As for how to investigate, the Palace Master would arrange it.
But now, it was different.
Kong Xianglong grabbed the jade slip and quickly checked it. Gradually, his body trembled and his breathing became hurried. In the end, he grabbed the jade slip tightly and looked at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing spoke softly.
"I've investigated the morning glow. There's indeed one ray that isn't recorded."
Kong Xianglong's eyes were bloodshot as he spoke anxiously.
"That figure who appeared in front of the old man at the last moment!"
"He was the one who killed the County Governor with this pill? No wonder there were no signs of a fight when the County Governor died back then."
Xu Qing nodded.
"But what I don't understand is, even if this pill is truly powerful, how did they poison him? I am skilled in the use of poison, and I know that there are many ways to administer poison. However, given the high cultivation of the County Governor, it would be extremely difficult to poison him without his awareness."
"Especially considering that the County Governor has experienced multiple assassination attempts throughout his life, he must be cautious. Even with trusted individuals, he would not let down his guard completely. The fact that his death was sudden suggests that the poisoner employed a method of poisoning that was well-hidden and deeply concealed."
After Xu Qing finished speaking, he fell silent.
Kong Xianglong also fell silent.
A long time later, Kong Xianglong stood up and cupped his fists toward Xu Qing, bowing deeply.
"Xu Qing, you don't have to investigate this matter anymore. It's too dangerous. Let me do it!"
Xu Qing didn't speak.
Looking at Xu Qing's expression, Kong Xianglong wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he sighed softly. He knew Xu Qing's personality. The other party used silence to reject this matter.
"Then let's go together!" Kong Xianglong took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.
Xu Qing nodded.
At that moment, it was almost dawn and the wine was gone. After the conversation, Kong Xianglong had no intention of continuing to drink. He stood up and prepared to leave.
Before he left, he glanced at the place where he spat. He scratched his head and wiped it with his sleeve
"Brother Kong, this is for you. Give some to Shan He. As for Night Spirit and Wang Chen's shares… you can deal with them together." Xu Qing took out a storage bag and handed it to Kong Xianglong.
"This is?" Kong Xianglong was stunned.
"Dao fruits," Xu Qing said softly.
