This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

This was the creed inscribed by Xia Xuanji at the founding of the Bureau of Self-Examination, and it has always been the purpose of the bureau—

Cultivators, endowed with great power and longevity, must strive even more for the survival and welfare of the Human Race.

The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.

However, how many still hold this saying in their hearts and act upon it, remains unknown.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Qingshan stepped past the archway with Dantai Qingrun towards the first tall building inside.

Seeing the two arrive, the external affairs cultivator who was outside the tall building came forward to greet them.

After Dantai Qingrun showed the "Xiuchun" token and stated their purpose, he took the initiative to lead them inside the high building while withdrawing to inform the high-ranking cultivators of the building.

....

Half a teacup later.

"My name is Lu Jianxing, may I know how to address you both?" Lu Jianxing, the Township Supervisor of the Southern Territory Bureau, entered the hall.

"Greetings, Supervisor Lu." Dantai Qingrun responded, also introducing herself, "Xiuchun, Dantai Qingrun, and this is..."

When mentioning Lu Qingshan, Dantai Qingrun paused, then finally said, "Lu Qingshan."

She only introduced the name, not the position.

Because she herself did not know how to define Lu Qingshan's status.

Her subordinate?

Ha... Given the recent operations clearly led by Lu Qingshan, how could he resemble a subordinate...

If not a subordinate, bringing Lu Qingshan here seemed somewhat unreasonable.

So, Dantai Qingrun subtly skipped over the introduction of his status.

A clever woman.

Lu Jianxing seemed thoughtful, knowing as the Township Supervisor with intelligence reaching the heavens, he definitely recognized Lu Qingshan, a notable figure by any standard.

The reason he asked was actually to inquire about their relationship.

However, seeing Dantai Qingrun did not respond, the Supervisor did not press further but instead asked, "What brings you two here? Is there something you wish to report, or do you need me to arrange personnel to coordinate with you?"

Xiuchun holds a distinguished status, no different in rank from other positions within the Bureau.

Yet, as Supervisor Lu was a Seventh Realm Cultivator and Dantai Qingrun merely a Fifth Realm, a distinction in cultivation existed and could not be erased.

Thus, Dantai Qingrun also acted very respectfully, presenting a jade slip, "Supervisor, during these days, Lu Qingshan and I have been covertly investigating throughout the Southern Territory and conducted a strike on an earlier discovered Netherworld branch temple in the Southern Territory.

The operation was very smooth, and in addition, we obtained some valuable intelligence from those Underworld Cultivators. Combined with our previous gathering, we organized this jade slip, please have a look."

Supervisor Lu's eyebrows slightly furrowed, his heart stirred, and the jade slip instantly moved in front of him.

He projected his Divine Sense into it, and after a short while, the Supervisor's expression subtly shifted, sitting upright and proper.

The jade slip contained the locations of the fourteen state branch temples of the Netherworld in the Southern Territory!

"Is the information reliable? Could it be a trap? Underworld Cultivator's mouths are not easy to pry open, are they?" the Supervisor asked in succession.

Dantai Qingrun's eyes rippled like water, unconsciously glancing at Lu Qingshan—indeed, Underworld Cultivator's mouths were hard to pry open, so they did not interrogate at all. The information in the jade slip was entirely written by Lu Qingshan sentence by sentence right in front of her.

If it weren't for the prior example of the Crane Cry Town Netherworld branch temple, even she would certainly be a bit anxious at this moment.

But now...

"Eighty percent," Dantai Qingrun declared without hesitation, resoundingly.

"Eighty percent..." Supervisor Lu murmured.

Considering the habit of Bureau cultivators to leave some room in their statements, eighty percent could actually be equivalent to one hundred percent...

Earth-shattering!

Although the jade slip did not include the location of the Netherworld's main temple in the Southern Territory—not because Lu Qingshan was holding back, but because he didn't know it.

In his previous life, in the version where shadows from the Netherworld touched the Human Race, the Human Race ultimately triumphed, but it was not a complete victory; it only weakened the Netherworld significantly.

The location of the Netherworld's main temple in the Southern Territory was never exposed till the end of that version.

Regardless, if they could eliminate these fourteen state branch temples in one fell swoop, the Netherworld in the Southern Territory would nearly exist in name only, unable to stir up much trouble anymore.

After all, the reason the Netherworld could cause such disruptions was due to its spread of personnel and intelligence throughout various locations, not just the few "Mansion Masters" within the main temple.

"Please wait a moment." Lu Xingjian's expression turned serious as he took out a Message Transmitting Artifact and quickly informed other top-ranking members within the Tower.

This time, the wait was considerably longer.

Quite a while later.

As one by one, cultivators with profound and towering presences entered the hall, although no one deliberately exerted pressure, the invisible force of their presence still filled the entire hall.

Among them, only Lu Qingshan and Dantai Qingrun, with only Void Refining cultivation, seemed like two Huskies amid a wolf pack, yet both remained calm as usual.

A natural demeanor.

Unafraid of the strong, unbullying of the weak, this has always been the demeanor adhered to by Sword Cultivators.

"Supervisor Lu, what important matter requires calling us all here to discuss?" Jin Yichuan, the Tower Master of the Southern Territory Bureau, solemn and dignified.

"Take a look at this jade slip first." Lu Xingjian, unflustered, pushed the jade slip in front of the other esteemed cultivators.

A moment later, the already solemn atmosphere in the hall grew even heavier, and there were even a few heavy breaths heard.

"It's actually the address of the Netherworld's Fourteen States branch?!" Everyone was dumbfounded, their hearts racing.

Even though they had guessed that something significant was about to happen before coming, they were still shocked at this moment.

"Where did these pieces of information come from?" Jin Yichuan calmed his expression and quickly asked.

Lu Xingjian repeated to Jin Yichuan what Dantai Qingrun had said, including her identity and her words.

"Xiuchun..." Jin Yichuan decided in his heart.

To tell the truth, his first thought upon seeing this message was that it was a ruse.

But since the information was provided by Dantai Qingrun, that changed things.

Xiuchun, as the position in the Bureau of Self-Examination with the most detached status and extraordinary power, requires not only outstanding talent and abilities but also a strict background check, and even the experience of going through the "Bureau of Self-Examination".

Such stringent conditions and multiple screenings ensure that there are no traitors within Xiuchun.

Therefore, even for him, there was no slightest doubt concerning the Xiuchun cultivators.

With a longstanding hostility between the Bureau and the Netherworld, such intelligence, coming especially from a Xiuchun cultivator, demanded serious attention and would not be easily dismissed.

In terms of strength alone, there was no doubt that the Bureau could overwhelm the Netherworld; the difference was like that between a local tyrant and a wandering snake.

The reason the Netherworld had never been dissolved was always because it deeply understood the essence of guerilla warfare, good at submerging and remaining silent, stirring the waters only every few decades or centuries.

The forsaken of the shadows were like lingering diseases, like incurable malignant tumors.

That was all there was to it.

Now, with specific intelligence in hand, why worry about the Netherworld not being annihilated?

"We need to discuss the specific action plan," Jin Yichuan's gaze shifted back to Dantai Qingrun.

His words subtly implied dismissing Dantai Qingrun and Lu Qingshan.

Outsiders should not interfere with insider affairs; the final plan of action, the mobilization of people, the timing of action, etc., should naturally be decided by the senior leaders of the Bureau in the Southern Territory, who had been in charge for hundreds of years, unrelated to Dantai Qingrun.

"Eliminating demons and defending the Dao is what we strive for," Dantai Qingrun was a sensible person. However, before stepping back, she clasped her hands together and added, "When the Tower Master is ready to start the extermination of the Netherworld, the two of us humbly request to accompany you."

This was actually Lu Qingshan's request, but it also accorded with Dantai Qingrun's wishes.

Strategizing behind the scenes was more of a spiritual cultivator's job.

As for sword cultivators, naturally, they enjoyed charging into battle.

"Naturally, it should be so," Jin Yichuan immediately agreed, "You two go and rest for a moment; once we have made a decision, we will inform you."

Jin Yichuan did not hesitate to agree to their request.

He had no reason to refuse.

As a Xiuchun cultivator, Dantai Qingrun's right to join the Bureau's deployment was her own prerogative.

As for Lu Qingshan, being the top individual among the young generation of the Sword Sect and the strongest of the Fourth Realm, who would push away such a character willing to join the Bureau's ranks?

The Bureau did not contest for power or profit, focusing solely on the annihilation of the Netherworld; hence, the complex factional disputes of the Great Xia were irrelevant to them.

......

Upon leaving the hall, Lu Qingshan felt a surge of heroic spirit within his chest.

If this operation indeed eradicated the Netherworld's Fourteen States branch once and for all, it would be an unprecedented glorious achievement.

Of course, it was also clear that this would plunge the entire Human Race's situation into great turmoil.

From then on, the plot he knew would certainly twist and turn wildly, deviating far beyond expectation.

But... being afraid of change had never been Lu Qingshan's mindset.

On the contrary, everything he did was aimed at altering the fixed plot.

Before coming to this world, the storyline of Nine Heavens had only reached its mid-stage.

Lu Qingshan did not know whether the Human Race's storyline would end with a Great Perfection.

What he had seen with his own eyes, within a ten-year plotline in the game, was countless human casualties scattered everywhere in bones.

Any empathetic person, in a game nearly one hundred percent virtual, witnessing the tragic events of fellow "npcs" of the Human Race, would inevitably feel compassion and grief.

At the same time, one would also feel helpless and regretful about their inability to change the plot.

Let alone, now that everything had indeed become a real world, where previous "npcs" had turned into real flesh-and-blood people.

Lu Qingshan could no longer bear to watch those tragic scenes replayed.

That was also why his first thought upon arriving in this world was to rectify those regrets.

The regrets of the Human Race were the regrets of every individual.

...

Xianxia, Xianxia, without the hero, where does the "xian" (immortal) come from?

Having come to this world from the last years of Chang'an, after nearly seven years, at the end of the sixth year of Tianyuan...

He, Lu Qingshan, officially drew his sword against the Netherworld!