Chapter 97: 92: The Four Lieutenants

The first one to step forward to report was a tall man with a well-built body who moved with assurance and wild grace. He had a head of unruly dark brown hair that was put up in a loose bun and was held up with a hair stick that sat slightly askew. The sleeves of his uniform were pushed back and revealed his muscled forearms. The lines of his square jaw were defined, his lips quirked up in an open smile and his eyes burning with an intense sort of cheer.

Matching his features with how Wei Xiang had described one of his lieutenants before, Qinghe guessed that this must be Qian Ming.

In a low and pleasant voice, Qian Ming began his report, “As requested, I took care of the infestation of Phantom Wights in the southeast. The area has been cleared and proper reparations for the damage have been offered to the nearby residential townships. Counseling appointments have already been set up for those who had confrontations with the beasts or had a negative impact on their mental health because of this issue. End of report.”

Wei Xiang nodded once to show that he understood, then his gaze slid to the next person.

This Sentinel was relatively slimmer than Qian Ming and had distinctive light-colored hair. He was the Sentinel who had accompanied Wei Xiang before while he was pursuing Jing Rui in the Liuxingyu Ruins. He also had the rare ability to ‘taste’ spiritual energy and trace it back to its source.

Qinghe deduced from his light hair that he was Zhou Lang, the Sentinel who was in charge of cleaning up the whole imperial palace affair.

With his eyes narrowed in a squint as he recalled the information he needed, Zhou Lang spoke in a mild and cultured voice, “As you instructed, I have my men stationed in strategic points around the Valley of the Terrified Dead to monitor it from all angles. The former prince Jing Rui has not been spotted till now and there are no signs of disturbance in the barrier. However, there does seem to be an abnormal number of missing corpses in the nearby graveyards, though its connection to the valley remains uncertain. In regard to this, the demonic faction has provided a statement firmly denying their involvement with the disappearances of the bodies. End of report.”

Wei Xiang frowned, then ordered, “Utilize Kong Min’s informatical unit and see if there is any correlation between the valley and the corpses. Investigate all recent and unusual occurrences and energy disturbances around the area. Plot the distribution and give me an estimate of the time when these corpses started disappearing. Use that pattern to find which areas were affected first. It will help us determine the origin, and there might be clues left there.”

Zhou Lang nodded, “As you command, Senior Officer Wei.”

And with that, he turned around and left to dutifully implement Wei Xiang’s orders.

The two Sentinels who hadn’t yet spoken stood close together and bore slight similarities. Qinghe guessed that they were the pair of half-brothers that his lover had told him about.

The taller one was called Rue Xu and had long, straight black hair whose ends were tipped with a stark white. Rue Xu’s eyes never seemed to meet anyone’s and there was always a small frown tightening the middle of his brows, his expression seeming solemn and a little aloof. He had the rare ability to control light and was famed for his seamless illusions.

On the other hand, Rue Xu’s older half-brother, Hou Yu was a renowned fire-wielder and a reputed genius in coming up with new techniques to create and control flames of varying temperatures.

Despite being older, Hou Yu was shorter than Rue Xu and came only up to his ear. Hou Yu’s hair was slightly wavier than his brother’s and tipped with a cool, sharp red at the ends. His expression was usually calm and mature, with a hint of naïveté that didn’t seem out of place on his young-looking face. His eyes were a very light brown, almost transparent, causing his black pupils to look eerily distinct in contrast.

And from the time Qinghe had entered with Wei Xiang, those pair of eyes had been fixed on him with a queer, almost confrontational intensity.

But despite continuously being stared at like this, Qinghe never felt any hostility from that gaze, so he had decided to let it be for now.

Rue Xu was the first to speak, his eyes staying averted from Wei Xiang’s as he said, “We’ve cooperated with the Queen of the Seas Hai Liang six times this past month and managed to capture the new fleet of pirates that have been trying to amass. A total of forty-two clashes with the hostiles took place in nine different locations at the seas and two different locations on land. There were no casualties, civilian or otherwise. The details have been placed on your desk for your perusal and assessment. End of report.”

Now that his younger brother Rue Xu had finished talking, Hou Yu felt that it was his turn.

Still keeping his eyes on Qinghe, Hou Yu began, “The Cloud Castle has been spotted in the north. It is presumed that the Master of Skies is drifting towards the oceans after sixteen millennia over our land. We have cleared the path for the air folk and will keep vigilance to prevent interference until the Cloud Castle leaves the continent. End of Report.”

Putting away the surprise these words evoked, Wei Xiang gave a short nod. “Good, keep a respectful distance from the Castle’s path and make sure not to disturb them.”

Hou Yu reluctantly turned his head towards his senior officer and said a word of acknowledgment, “Understood.”

Then his gaze drifted back to lock on Qinghe again.

Seeing this, Qinghe couldn’t help but feel amused. Was he really that much more interesting than the movements of one of the Three Masters of the world?

As for who these Three Masters were, it went like this:

From the time this world was born, it was divided into three parts―the land, the oceans, and the skies.

The Master of Land was the personification of all earth. The mountains and plains, deserts and forests, he could control them and ruled over them all.

Some said that he lived in a hidden fissure deep inside the earth surrounded by rivers of magma. Others said he made his lair in the most dangerous depths of the Spirit Bewildering Forest. And yet some others spoke of how his abode was a crystal cave that lay deep in the heart of an unknown spiritual mountain. But no matter how many speculations abounded, the truth was that his location remained unknown.

The Master of Oceans, on the other hand, was the personification of all water. All the myriad ponds and lakes, seas and oceans, belonged to him and were under his command.

He resided in a lavish palace in the darkest waters beyond the reach of any humans or beasts. It was said that he was on friendly terms with the Pirate Queen Hai Liang since he found her personality curious and fascinating, and he even occasionally helped her in her quest of keeping the seas safe.

The Master of Skies, as expected, kept watch over the skies that stretched over the entire world.

She was renowned for her laziness and spent her days sleeping in her Cloud Castle, which drifted over the world as it pleased. With her power, she fashioned a new race called the air folk, whose only purpose was to ensure her comfort and do her work in her stead.

Though these Three Masters all had a preferred physical form they usually appeared in, they were genderless for the most part. The number of times any of the three showed themselves in the world could be counted on one hand without even using up all the fingers. They were extremely reclusive, to the point where not only the mortals, but even most cultivators thought their existence to be a myth.

But as the protectors of the inhabitants of this world, the Sentinels had long since kept their eyes on the Three Masters, for the fates of these mysterious beings were inexorably tied to the very world itself.

And as long as the world existed, the Three Masters would exist along with it.

That was why the movement of the Master of Skies was such a big deal to the Sentinels. And yet, Hou Yu easily put it aside and kept staring at Qinghe, puzzling him to no end.

But Hou Yu wasn’t the only one interested in the Grandmaster’s long lost son and Wei Xiang’s lover.

Now that the lieutenants’ reports had been duly given, the attention of all Sentinels also turned towards Qinghe as they peered at him curiously. Unperturbed, Qinghe also looked back at them with inquisitive eyes as he studied the people his lover worked with.

But then, when his gaze fell over two particular Sentinels at the side, Qinghe’s eyes widened imperceptibly.

Why did the lines of their faces seem familiar? Where had he seen them before?

Sensing his gaze, those two Sentinels who had been standing apart from the others at an awkward distance looked at Qinghe with guilt clearly displayed on their faces.

With puzzlement, Qinghe asked them, “Have we met before?”

The two Sentinels suddenly found themselves pinned under the intent gazes of every person in the room and gulped nervously.

One of them looked down as if unable to bear the weight of so many eyes while the other cleared his throat and answered meekly, “If you are who we think you are, then, uh, yes, we did meet before. We were also there a-at the…orphanage.”

Qinghe felt something squeezing in his chest all of a sudden, but he quickly regained control of his emotions.

Since he had decided not to wear an appearance changing talisman while meeting his beloved’s family today, he was in his original appearance that retained a noticeable similarity to his childhood self. So it was no surprise that these two people were able to recognize him. Adding on to that how his name would have become known to every Sentinel due to his association with their Grandmaster and Wei Xiang, being recognized was unavoidable.

Clearing away these thoughts, Qinghe finally responded, “I…see. So you joined the Sentinels. That’s good.”

The two Sentinels only looked even more awkward.

The one who had spoken before started talking again, “Yes, after you were taken away by that old man, the rest of us were quickly rescued from that place by the Sentinels. Because of that, the both of us admired them very much, so we wanted to join the Order. After years of training, we finally managed to officially gain the rank of an officer a couple of days ago.”

Not knowing what to say to this, Qinghe only nodded. In a way, he felt that it was ironic, since he did finally remember where he had seen these two new Sentinels before.

Back when he and Yan Lin had been bullied at the orphanage, it was these two and their gang who were at the forefront. For his past bullies to now greet him as Sentinels who upheld the law, what could it be called if not an irony?

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But all that was long ago, and what they did had been a result of the circumstances and their own youth. As children growing up in such an abusive environment, they wouldn’t have known right from wrong, so Qinghe was prepared to forgive them and put the whole matter aside without bringing it up.

However, to his surprise, one of the two Sentinels who hadn’t spoken till now finally opened his mouth and said while offering a deep bow, “We are sorry! Even if we were children, we shouldn’t have done what we did back then. We shouldn’t have beat up on you and Yan Lin. It was wrong and unnecessarily cruel. I hope you can forgive us. But if you can’t accept this apology, then I understand. We truly―”

But shaking his head, Qinghe interrupted him, “You don’t have to say anymore, I know. Please get up.”

The bowing Sentinel slowly straightened. He and his companion looked anxiously at Qinghe as if waiting for his condemnation.

The other Sentinels also looked on at this sudden dramatic turn of events with interest. How this little disciple handled this situation would tell them a lot about his personality. And since these Sentinels were all more or less trained on how to assess people, they could glean a lot from such an opportunity.

With calm eyes and a pleasant smile, Qinghe spoke, “I will not blame you for matters that have long passed and are now beyond our control. Whatever you did, it was the product of adverse circumstances and your own lack of maturity as a child. No one, except the wardens at the orphanage, is to blame for that. And now that you have taken positions among the ranks of an organization like the Order of Sentinels, you can help prevent other situations like ours from occurring. I have nothing but respect for your choice. But I do hope that you will deliver apologies with the same sincerity to Yan Lin as well. He suffered at that place far more than I did.”

The two Sentinels could only stare at Qinghe uncomprehendingly.

The Qinghe they had known at the orphanage had been a feisty little brat who was so good at fighting that it was frightening. He was scarily cold sometimes and very cunning—so much so that they had seen even the wardens occasionally shooting him fearful expressions.

As the only one who had ever managed to escape the orphanage countless times, only to be unfortunately captured again and again, Qinghe had more or less earned the admiration and respect of a lot of kids.

And yet that fiery little boy had now grown to look as distant as the stars and as placid as a pool of still water. His temperament was exceedingly calm and composed, his words gracious and reasonable. He exuded elegance and a bone-deep grace that made him seem completely unlike how he had been back at the orphanage.

This stark difference dumbfounded the two Sentinels, but they soon put aside their shock and bowed in gratitude. “Thank you for forgiving us! We will definitely do as you say.”

Qinghe’s smile remained tranquil as he nodded.

Seeing this exchange, the Sentinels’ expressions softened. They had expected this little disciple’s personality to be as bad as Wei Xiang’s, but it seemed that he was unexpectedly reasonable and forgiving, just like their own Grandmaster.

He didn’t at all seem petty or like the type of person who held deep grudges for the slightest grievances. His disposition also remained refined and polite even though he had to face people who he had all rights to hate and be angry with. Though they could sense some coldness, they could also feel traces of kindness in his words.

The Sentinels felt their caution towards him melting and their impression of this little cultivator improving drastically. Despite his young age, he had handled the situation in such a mature way.

And now that they looked at him, Qinghe’s face was also very tender and young, seeming to have barely exited his teens. In consideration of his truly young age of thirty-six, which was in stark contrast to the Sentinels’ own lives that spanned several thousands of years, the Sentinels couldn’t help the burst of brotherly affection sprouting for this young man.

Also considering how this person was their Senior Officer Wei’s beloved and their Grandmaster’s son, they finally decided to accept Qinghe as their younger brother, even beginning to feel somewhat protective towards him.

Sensing the subtle change in his fellow Sentinels’ attitudes, Wei Xiang raised a brow in amusement. If only they knew of his little lover’s true personality, they would definitely not be so quick to soften towards him or so easily dismiss him as a potential threat.

Spurred on by these new feelings of brotherhood, Qian Ming spoke up cheerfully, “Little Brother, you really are very different from our bad-tempered senior officer! Why, if someone had wronged him, he would definitely have not let them off this easily! It’s good that he has such an understanding partner to complement his terrible personality!”

Qinghe felt his mouth twitch at this strange show of cordiality while Wei Xiang only smiled wider. Well, if one of his lieutenants had the energy to bad mouth him in front of his little lover, then he better have the energy to do the extra work that was soon going to be assigned to him as well.

Oblivious to the pit he had dug for himself, Qian Ming went on, “And you are also as magnanimous as our Grandmaster, truly the qualities of his son!”

Saying so, Qian Ming unthinkingly reached out a hand to pat Qinghe’s head.

Qinghe stiffened, trying not to flinch as he attempted to mentally prepare himself to be touched by an unfamiliar person.

But before Qian Ming could get any closer, Wei Xiang swiftly shot out his hand and held his lieutenant’s wrist in an unrelenting grip.

“Don’t touch him,” Wei Xiang cautioned darkly.

Though Qian Ming felt surprised, he didn’t attempt to struggle in Wei Xiang’s hold and just frowned disapprovingly. “Now, now, Senior Officer Wei. You know just as much as I do that this sort of excessively possessive behavior is toxic in a relationship. Beast instincts or not, if you truly care for your lover, then you should nip this sort of conduct in the bud.”

Hearing this, Qinghe felt faintly startled, but then understood.

Due to the nature of their job, most Sentinels were trained in the profiling of various kinds of people, including criminals and victims. Thus, it was hardly surprising that they would know about abusive characteristics like overly possessive behavior even as they tried to stop them whenever they came across it.

However, Wei Xiang simply snorted in reply to his lieutenant’s chiding words and let go of Qian Ming’s wrist as he explained, “That wasn’t why I stopped you. Qinghe doesn’t like to be touched.”

Though that was all he said, the Sentinels all understood immediately. If one was averse to touch, then it was either due to mysophobia, or the result of some past trauma. Either way, none of them would push after understanding this.

With a chagrined look, Qian Ming rubbed the back of his head and spoke sincerely, “Ah, then I offer my apologies, Little Brother. I didn’t know.”

Carefully hiding the relief he felt at not having to be touched, Qinghe shook his head and smiled gracefully, “Please, there’s no need for such formalities. You are after all my lover’s family.”

At the side, the Hou Yu who had been intently staring at Qinghe all this time almost couldn’t help himself. This new little brother was really so adorable! His personality also seemed so soft and cute! He didn’t want to take his eyes off of this lovable-looking person for even a second!

But feeling aggrieved that he couldn’t touch him, Hou Yu hid his itchy hands in his sleeves. If he accidentally did something this new little brother didn’t like―for example, losing control over his fingers and squeezing those soft-looking cheeks―then he might get hated by this cute person, and Hou Yu couldn’t have that!

Wei Xiang looked at the intense gaze his fellow officer was shooting at his little lover and could only shake his head wryly. He could more or less guess what was going on behind that seemingly annoyed expression of his lieutenant.

At the side, the grim-faced Rue Xu lifted a hand and patted his older half-brother’s head in comfort, his eyes affectionate. He could also understand what Hou Yu was thinking about. But seeing how understanding and sensible their senior officer’s lover seemed to be in spite of his youth, he couldn’t blame his cuteness-loving older brother for showing such a reaction.

On the other hand, Qinghe only felt that the strange gaze being directed at him had intensified and felt confused. Why was this Sentinel Hou so focused on him?

Leaning down to peck his little lover on the forehead, Wei Xiang redirected Qinghe’s attention and reminded, “We should go and meet Master and decide on how to deal with Black Fang.”

Recalling the reason he came here in the first place, Qinghe nodded. “Do you know where he is now?”

“Yes, he seems to be near the holding cells. Let’s go and meet him now,” Wei Xiang said, then began heading back to the building that housed the offices while leading Qinghe along with him.

Qian Ming, Rue Xu, and Hou Yu dutifully followed behind, along with a few other bored or curious Sentinels.

After using a transportation array that was drawn onto the floor of a meticulously guarded room, the group was sent to an underground prison facility where criminals were kept in widely-spaced cells.

Here in the prison, the entire ceiling gave off a faint glow, making the corridor stretching between the prison cells seem lit by bright and evenly diffused sunlight.

When this light hit the walls just right, it reflected off of several tiny and complex sigils set into the white stone surface, setting them aglow. The floor, on the other hand, was a deep, dark black with faint wisps of gold languorously drifting through it.

Qinghe guessed all these mystical sights to be just a small and visible part of the measures taken to prevent the criminals from escaping this underground prison.

After going through the transportation array, the group of one cultivator and several Sentinels had appeared on a small raised platform at the end of the corridor. As they stepped down from it and discussed about where they should go to meet with the Grandmaster, the person in question himself rounded a corner and strode towards them.

Following behind Feng Huixin was a cheery-looking Kong Min.

“Hello, what a crowd we have here!” Kong Min exclaimed happily in welcome before his sight landed on Qinghe. “And Little Bro, you’re here too? You’re just in time! We were just thinking about new ways of extracting information from a Black Fang member we captured a while ago. Come and join us.”

Qinghe couldn’t help but feel amused. It seemed that just like how most in-laws invited their family member’s spouse to dinner, his lover’s senior brother was inviting him to take part in an interrogation.

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