Chapter 405: A Mysterious Clue

Xu Qing, mid-air and returning to the Sword Pavilion, remained vigilant and naturally noticed Qingqiu.

He guessed the reason for her presence, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. Without pausing, he sped directly towards the ground.

Qingqiu also guessed the reason at that moment, but the malevolent spirit within her mind was still screaming, making her even more irritable. She internally warned the spirit that if it continued to babble, she would ensure they both perished.

The malevolent spirit immediately fell silent.

Thus, Qingqiu and Xu Qing landed successively at the outermost Sword Pavilion area on the ground. They were separated by a thousand zhang, their gazes met again, and then both frowned before stepping into their respective Sword Pavilions.

Their Sword Pavilions were adjacent.

This could not be considered too much of a coincidence. After all, there were fifty-one newly promoted Sword Holders in total this time, and all of them were gradually building their Sword Pavilions around the same period, so proximity was natural.

The main point, of course, was that Xu Qing's personality disliked bustling places, so he hadn't built his Sword Pavilion during the first few days, only erecting it yesterday.

As for Qingqiu, she was equally reclusive, which naturally increased the likelihood of them becoming neighbors. However, to Xu Qing, this was a minor matter. Back in his Sword Pavilion, he first checked his surroundings to ensure everything was safe before sitting cross-legged and beginning to study the Emperor Sword he had comprehended.

The Emperor Sword within his Sea of Consciousness was different from when he had just successfully comprehended it. Its brilliance was no longer dazzling; instead, it exuded a sense of profoundness, having established a foundation.

It also emitted faint wisps of sword energy.

The sword energy did not scatter chaotically; instead, it enveloped the Emperor Sword like threads, forming circles, one after another. There were eleven circles in total.

Xu Qing noticed that a twelfth circle also existed, but it was only halfway complete.

Clearly, with the passage of time, it would be complete before long.

He realized this was the process of nurturing the Emperor Sword.

Xu Qing calculated the time. Estimating a day from his successful comprehension, he should be able to form over a hundred circles of sword energy daily.

The more sword energy, the greater the power of this sword.

He mentally estimated that in a year, three to four tens of thousands of circles could be formed; in ten years, three to four hundred thousand; in a hundred years... He found the prospect too distant.

Xu Qing mused that even without nurturing it for a long time, the Emperor Sword should be very potent when unleashed. As he felt the sharpness of the Emperor Sword in his Sea of Consciousness, he suddenly recalled Kong Xianglong's Imperial-level cultivation technique, which manifested as a golden dragon. That golden dragon had held the Emperor Sword in its mouth.

Xu Qing pondered this. Immediately, the totem on his back was activated, and a warmth filled the Sword Pavilion, making it brightly lit. The golden crow's figure materialized from behind him, circling and dancing around.

As burning phoenix feathers drifted down, creating a breathtaking scene, Xu Qing guided the Emperor Sword from his Sea of Consciousness, causing it to gradually rise above his head.

Once it fully appeared, the golden crow let out a joyful cry, suddenly flew over, and directly took the Emperor Sword into its mouth. Its entire body then trembled, and its form seemed to transform, imbued with the essence of sword energy.

Its tails, too, became like this, imbued with a sense of sword energy as they danced.

Their power also significantly increased.

Xu Qing mused that Imperial-level cultivation techniques could merge with each other in this way, but he felt it was more likely that the Emperor Sword itself contained certain unique properties.

Xu Qing studied it for a while, unsure of his guess. But sensing that the golden crow had become sharper and that the nurturing of the Emperor Sword was unaffected, he retracted his thoughts, took out the plain pills he had bought from the pharmacy, and continued his research.

Time flowed on, and soon heavy rain began to fall outside. Amidst the drumming sound of the rain, Xu Qing's research into the plain pills became more thorough.

He analyzed several plain pills and finally discerned the method for refining this elixir.

He noted that while the technique was very subtle, the key factor enhancing the elixir's power to dissipate heteromorphic substances was the presence of some extremely peculiar herbs within it.

Xu Qing could not identify them, which reminded him of what Lord County Governor had said about all things transforming with their environment. Clearly, these unknown herbs within were transformed by Lord County Governor using his methods.

It was flawed, not perfect. However, he was powerless to change it. To some extent, this elixir had already pioneered a new path in alchemy.

As he reflected, the sky outside grew faintly bright, yet the rain persisted, making it appear somewhat dim. It was clearly morning, but it felt like twilight.

Xu Qing looked up, closed his eyes, and meditated for a moment. Then he rose, walked out of the Sword Pavilion, and headed to the Department of Justice in the rain.

In the rain, as he approached the Department of Justice, Xu Qing recalled his two previous accidents, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

He decided that today he must uncover the secrets of Zone 132; otherwise, he would execute all the prisoners there.

In the rain, Xu Qing walked across the splashing ground, stepping through puddles, and entered the invisible barrier of the Department of Justice, stepping inside.

Although heavy rain poured outside, it could not penetrate the barrier and enter the Department of Justice. Nevertheless, there was still a pervasive sense of dampness.

With the dampness in the air, Xu Qing's expression remained calm as he descended the stairs, circling down.

Along the way, he saw a few jailers he recognized. After exchanging greetings, Xu Qing did not immediately proceed to Zone 132.

He went to the prison cells on the thirty-fifth floor, where he found Old Li, who was processing a prisoner's corpse.

Old Li was the middle-aged jailer who had guided Xu Qing and introduced him to the Department of Justice on his first day.

Upon seeing Old Li, Xu Qing clasped his hands, bowed, and stated that he had something he wished to consult him about.

Old Li was willing to befriend a newcomer like Xu Qing. He tossed the corpse he was holding into the deep pit beyond the stairs, then turned and smiled at Xu Qing.

He asked what it was.

Xu Qing pondered for a moment, then inquired about which Zone 132 wardens had not met with accidental deaths, and if any of them were still within the Department of Justice.

Old Li confirmed that there were.

Old Li recalled, then nodded.

Old Li explained that Zone 132 was sinister. He recalled Chen Boli as the last warden a hundred years ago, who served for three years before changing cells and was now on the seventy-seventh floor.

He added that since serving as warden for Zone 132, Chen Boli's personality had become strange, making him unwilling to communicate. Old Li suggested bringing something to him and asked Xu Qing if he had anything hard enough to sharpen a knife.

Xu Qing rummaged through his storage bag and found the table and chairs he had acquired from the Tranquil Spirit Venerable's cave. He considered them hard enough and nodded.

Old Li then said it would be easy and offered to take him there.

Old Li smiled and led Xu Qing to the seventy-seventh floor, where they found an old man with a pockmarked face.

This old man was squatting in a corner, with walls behind and on both sides, as if this provided him a sense of security. In the dim light, he appeared somewhat grotesque and frightening.

At that moment, he was vigorously sharpening a knife.

As the blade scraped back and forth on the whetstone, a grating sound echoed, entering one's mind and causing discomfort.

Noticing Xu Qing and Old Li's arrival, the old man looked up, casting a grim glance that conveyed a "no entry for strangers" demeanor.

Old Li introduced Xu Qing to him, explaining that Xu Qing was a newcomer and the new warden of Zone 132, and wished to consult him on something. After the introduction, Old Li offered a farewell to Xu Qing and left, seemingly unwilling to stay there for long.

The knife-sharpening old man did not speak, remaining gloomy. His gaze shifted from Old Li's retreating back to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing clasped his hands and bowed, then took out the Tranquil Spirit table and chairs from his storage bag and placed them aside.

Xu Qing stated that the items were very hard. He could sense that the old man's cultivation was not simple.

The old man glanced at the table and chairs, then raised his right hand and grabbed one. After feeling it, he rubbed his knife against it, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face.

The old man questioned if Xu Qing wanted to ask how to avoid accidental death. Xu Qing's eyes narrowed; that single question confirmed his previous judgment. He clasped his hands and bowed.

He requested the senior to enlighten him.

The old man asked if Xu Qing had already sensed the misfortune, scrutinizing him.

Xu Qing nodded.

The old man's expression shifted slightly, and he put down the knife he was holding.

He noted that Xu Qing had shown a reaction.

The old man explained that avoiding accidental death was very simple: one only needed to stay within the Department of Justice, or possess a very strong fate. He admitted he wasn't the latter, so he had never left the Department of Justice during his tenure, a piece of advice passed down by previous wardens.

The old man looked at Xu Qing as if he were looking at a dead man.

He warned Xu Qing to be careful, stating that those who typically experience ill omens of misfortune rarely live for more than a month.

Xu Qing remained silent, then slowly spoke after a long moment.

Xu Qing slowly inquired whether the inauspiciousness the senior spoke of came from the prisoners in Zone 132, and if they possessed any special characteristics. He pointed out that since this was merely the D-section of the Department of Justice, prisoners with such abilities should be confined in deeper cells.

The old man nodded, then shook his head.

The old man explained that the prisoners in Zone 132 were not inherently peculiar; instead, they became inauspicious after being confined there and successfully surviving. He judged that they had become part of the inauspiciousness itself.

He continued that the true inauspiciousness might be Zone 132 itself, or perhaps a prisoner within who had taken control. However, the Palace Lord had consistently ignored it, so he believed the former possibility was greater.

He then asked if the head from Cell 237 had requested Xu Qing to send it to the cloud beast's room.

He immediately cautioned Xu Qing not to listen to it, as someone had tried it before and it was useless.

As the old man spoke, he began to give Xu Qing detailed commentary on each of the prisoners in Zone 132.

He specified that the thirteenth prisoner, the head, did possess some abilities, though not many. He warned Xu Qing not to listen to it for too long, or he would be affected.

The last prisoner, a Danqing clan member, had twenty-two figures in its painting, all part of it. This one had been confined the longest but was also the quietest; the old man had never seen it leave during his tenure.

Just as the old man reached this point, Xu Qing's eyes suddenly narrowed. He asked the senior if the Danqing clan's painting wasn't supposed to depict twenty-three figures, representing four generations living under one roof.

The old man retorted that twenty-three was impossible, it was twenty-two, his eyes also constricting upon hearing this.

Xu Qing was silent for a moment, then nodded. He inquired about a few more details, then took out some spirit stones, placed them aside, and took his leave.

Watching Xu Qing's retreating back, the old man suddenly spoke.

The old man called out to Xu Qing, saying that all wardens assigned to Zone 132 were individuals valued by the Palace Lord; it was his test. He had heard that besides numerous secrets, a great fortune was also hidden there, but regrettably, he had never found it.

He advised Xu Qing that if he wished to avoid an accidental death, he should go to the ninth floor and register to be assigned to a different cell to guard, as every newcomer had the right to change cells once.

He further explained that after changing, Xu Qing would be safe, but his record would not be preserved on the historical list of Zone 132's wardens.

Regarding the mysteries of Zone 132, he recalled a saying from a previous warden, which he would also share. He concluded by sharing that when one believed they had discovered everything, there was actually more waiting for them.