Chapter 468 - 442: Eighty-One Counties, Myriad Red Dust

In the rear hall of the Luying City Magistrate’s Office, the County Magistrate slowly reached for the Flying Dragon Spear.

Peng Guanglin’s eyes were wide and bright, his gaze fixed on him in anticipation.

The County Magistrate’s hand silently closed around the spear. For a moment, he said nothing.

At first glance, the scene was unremarkable, but an indescribable tension flowed invisibly between the two men.

Peng Guanglin’s hands fidgeted at his sides as he tried to guess what the County Magistrate was feeling.

After what must have been half a quarter-hour, the County Magistrate’s hand suddenly released its grip. The Flying Dragon Spear instantly shot backward, flying of its own accord back into Peng Guanglin’s hand.

The County Magistrate, who had just been holding the spear, closed his eyes slightly and clasped his hands behind his back. Unseen by him, a glistening tear trickled from the corner of his eye.

Peng Guanglin had invited the County Magistrate to observe the True Intent left in the spear, but he never could have imagined that after doing so, the magistrate would lose his composure to the point of tears.

Peng Guanglin gripped his Flying Dragon Spear. At this moment, the Top Grade Magical Artifact emanated a sense of profound spiritual intimacy.

As for the vast, majestic, and unyieldingly sharp intent that had originally lingered within the spear, it had already dissipated.

The True Intent left behind by Lu Bell, the Celestial Pride, had been completely consumed after being observed and comprehended by the two men in succession.

Peng Guanglin couldn’t help but ask, "County Magistrate, what... what did you see?"

The County Magistrate let out a long breath before opening his eyes. "I... I saw a barren land!"

A barren land?

This was not what Peng Guanglin had seen before. He couldn’t help but say in surprise, "That’s not what this subordinate witnessed. What I saw was only vast thunder, scattering all evil, sharp and resolute, unyielding and indomitable..."

As he spoke, Peng Guanglin’s words suddenly trailed off.

Perhaps that was precisely why he had been able to comprehend the Thunder Prison-Suppression Skill. Clearly, from the same spear and the same True Intent, the County Magistrate could not have comprehended it.

As for the Luying County Magistrate, a thousand emotions surged through his chest, but at this moment, he could not express any of them to Peng Guanglin.

He couldn’t even clearly articulate what else he had seen besides the scorched earth.

But upon that scorched earth, there was also an indescribable feeling of desolation, sorrow, and bleak solitude that roamed aimlessly, throwing one’s heart and mind into turmoil.

After a moment, the County Magistrate sighed and said, "Guanglin, regarding today’s events, I am certain that Lu Celestial Pride meant no harm. Perhaps, as he said, he was offering a well-intentioned warning. However, I mobilized the nation’s fortune today to activate the City Defense Array. This matter must be reported!"

Hearing this, Peng Guanglin was first startled, then anxious. "County Magistrate, if... if this is reported, what will happen to Young Master Lu?"

The County Magistrate shook his head. "I don’t know either. However, the wording of the report can perhaps be... carefully considered."

...

Three days later, the news of the incident in Luying City had spread throughout the Great Zhou.

The first thing to change was the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List.

On that day, the rankings on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List changed once again, quietly and without fanfare. Lu Bell, originally ranked eighty-second, suddenly became fifty-first!

And all the names that had been ahead of Lu Bell, from the original fifty-first place downward, were each bumped back one rank.

When the Celestial Pride List first changed, the news didn’t actually travel very fast.

After all, this wasn’t an earth-shattering achievement like Song Zhao appearing out of nowhere at tenth place, and later jumping directly to third.

Although jumping from eighty-second to fifty-first was a huge leap, it was still more or less within the realm of normal progression.

Updates to the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List generally spread from the Capital to the State Cities, then from the State Cities to the Counties, and only finally reached the county seats. As for the countryside below the county level, it was hardly worth mentioning.

Some people lived their entire lives honestly in their own villages, tending their small plots of land. For them, life was waking up and death was closing their eyes; they didn’t concern themselves too much with the affairs of the world.

What did those shining names and spectacular deeds have to do with them?

Song Ciwan herself only heard about the change to the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List a day after leaving Luying City, upon arriving a day later in the city of County, in Yanzhe County, Yu State.

In the city, a busybody was reading from the list: "Lu Bell. Origins: mysterious. Travels with a blade on his back.

Primary Martial Technique: Life-taking Finger...

Accomplishments: Slew a veteran Cultivator possessing the combat power of a Celestial Pride; broke one county-level City Defense Array..."

Broke a county-level City Defense Array—

This feat had also been recorded by the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List!

At first, many people didn’t quite understand what this record actually meant.

In the city, Song Ciwan listened as the people looking at the list discussed it amongst themselves. "Broke a county-level City Defense Array? What’s that? What does it mean to break a county-level City Defense Array?"

The speaker was bewildered, until someone in the crowd exclaimed, "Why would anyone fight against a City Defense Array for no reason? Unless... unless..."

"Unless that person was sealed within the city and was being hunted by the Government Office! Only then would they need to break the Array!"

This speculation sent the entire crowd into an uproar!

The people looked at each other in dismay, then suddenly became wary of every Blade Master they saw with a long blade on their back.

When someone’s gaze fell upon Song Ciwan, who was standing nearby, they saw a slender, cold-looking youth dressed in black with a long blade on his back. The few people standing next to her immediately shifted away, putting some distance between them.

Of course, some began to whisper among themselves. "What are you all doing? Why are you avoiding him like the plague?"

"That person... Dressed in black, a youth, and carrying a long blade. Of course we should stay away. If you’re not scared, why are you moving away too?"

"Hey, I was already standing far away, okay? Besides, do you really think a Celestial Pride is something you can just run into on the street, common as cabbage? A young Blade Master in black? That’s not a rare sight. Three out of ten Blade Masters dress like that. Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am serious! I’m staying far away regardless! Whether it’s him or not, I’m keeping my distance... You just wait, it won’t be long before the authorities issue a wanted notice!"

"You’ve really got some nerve, guessing something like that..."

Despite these words, even more people began to move away from Song Ciwan.

Song Ciwan gave a wry smile and turned to leave.

She quickly left the city. As she passed through the gates, the Mountain and River Mirror hanging high above them seemed to tremble subtly.

Song Ciwan glanced back, her gaze seeming to pass right through the mirror in a daze, looking out upon the endless mountains and rivers of the Great Zhou, its Eighty-One Counties, the myriad lives of the mortal world, and all their meetings and partings, joys and sorrows.

She withdrew her gaze, and her figure, clad in black with a blade on her back, trudged onward across the land.

In the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, within the County Mansion.

The official sitting at the desk beneath the "Bright Mirror, Hung High" plaque suddenly put away her brush and ink. The Master who stood at her side discussing matters with her immediately grew tense and inquired, "Lord, when shall we post this wanted notice?"

The Lord replied, "There’s no hurry."

After saying these three words, a faint smile appeared on her face as she turned the question back to her Master. "Ah, Ming Che, suppose there is a person whose origins are a mystery, whose actions are a mystery, and whose combat power is a mystery.

The higher-ups say to capture him, but capturing him brings no great benefit and would very likely require you to deploy more than eighty percent of the forces at your command...

And you’re still not even certain you could succeed! How would you handle it?"