The next day, Qinghe and Wei Xiang set out to the headquarters of the Order of Sentinels.
As the son of the Sentinel Grandmaster who founded the Order, and also as the lover of Wei Xiang, who was the next leader of the Sentinels, Qinghe was now inexorably tied to the Order. As such, the Sentinels' enemies would now inevitably begin to target him as well.
And the biggest enemy the Order currently had was undoubtedly the Black Fang criminal organization.
Considering the fact that Qinghe had once destroyed a Black Fang base, and adding to that his connections to the Sentinels, it was only a matter of time before they came after him to exact their revenge. Therefore, Qinghe and Wei Xiang thought it was prudent for Qinghe to temporarily join forces with the Sentinels and help them rout out the Black Fang organization completely.
To that effect, Qinghe was now walking with Wei Xiang towards the Sentinel headquarters, choosing to go by foot rather than using the shadows to learn the route.
The headquarters was a cluster of evenly arranged buildings that was hidden within a dense and mostly unexplored jungle. Other than using the shadow realm, the only path by which one could arrive at the Order was a single, narrow, overgrown road. A well-maintained wooden bridge connected the end of this road to the gates at the entrance of the Sentinel headquarters.
Under this wooden bridge flowed a stream of clear water that seemed to surround the entire Sentinel headquarters, which was comprised of the Order's offices at the front and the Sentinel compound at the rear. Needless to say, it was inadvisable for one to cross through the stream without using the bridge, since the stream was after all the Order's first line of defense. Who knew what all traps they would have placed within it?
So Qinghe and Wei Xiang were currently traversing the bridge, with Qinghe looking around curiously.
The railings on either side of the wooden bridge were made of large overlapping semicircles of transparent formations. The strings of characters and sigils that these formations were comprised of flashed and glimmered with a warm golden light. Unless one had a Sentinel's authority token or were accompanied by someone with an authority token, these formations would automatically lock down the entire length of the bridge and stop anyone from stepping even a single foot on it.
On the other side, the buildings making up the Sentinel headquarters were surrounded by steep and smooth black walls with various invisible spiritual defenses erected over them. In the air above these walls, several large crystals hovered, ensconced in little bubbles of space that seemed removed from this world. Only something that was located in the same plane of existence as them could interfere or interact with these crystals, which meant that they were exceedingly secure and completely safe from attacks from this world. Qinghe guessed them to be components of some sort of a complex and ancient shielding formation.
At the center of the stream running below the bridge, arranged right in the middle in a line parallel to the bank, was a row of metallic golden lotuses, the blooms evenly spaced and spanning the entire length of the stream. It was easy enough to guess that they were yet another form of defense.
As Qinghe looked around, he found many other such things that protected the Sentinel headquarters. But no matter how well the Order was guarded, Qinghe couldn't help but think that the Sentinels' enemies would find other ways to harm them, for example, by using their loved ones and family.
But then again, no matter how hard he tried, Qinghe realized that he actually couldn't recall anyone ever using this sort of tactics against the Sentinels till now.
So turning to the Wei Xiang beside him, Qinghe asked, "Xiang, I'm curious about something. Why have I never heard of a case where a Sentinel's family is kidnapped or held hostage to retaliate against the Order by criminal organizations? By now, the Sentinels must certainly have enough enemies who'd want to try that, won't they?"
Slowing down his pace, Wei Xiang turned to his beloved to answer. "It's not like no one has attempted it before, but Master seemed to have long since expected it, possibly because of how something similar happened to you before, and so he took appropriate precautions beforehand. He built an underground fortress to house all family and spouses of the Sentinels and to protect them from being abducted or harmed. Do you want to know where this fortress is?" Wei Xiang asked playfully, not at all hesitating to disclose a secret of such great import that other Sentinels would brave torture and die to guard.
Qinghe shrugged and replied, "You don't have to tell me, I can already guess. If we go by geography and the availability of supplies and materials required for living, along with suitable natural conditions for a stable underground construction and the lack of other human inhabitation nearby… hmm, you would also have to create secret passageways in case of emergency evacuations since not all family members would be able to use spiritual energy to activate transportation arrays. So the only place that can meet all these criteria is…the foot of the Blue Spear Mountains?"
Wei Xiang chuckled and praised, "My little lover is so clever. Yes, it's at the base of the Blue Spear Mountains, or more accurately, under it."
Then sighing wryly, he continued, "I thought that if I ever had a lover, I'd hide them away there to keep them safe. Who would have known that I would be the one asking for your favor instead?"
After all, if Qinghe wanted, he could easily keep avoiding the people sent for him by Black Fang for a long time. It wasn't that necessary for him to cooperate with the Sentinels. But the more time it took for the Sentinels to eradicate Black Fang, the more slippery they would become.
Through Qinghe asking Jing Shui for the Golden Sun Sect's aid on behalf of the Sentinels, the fight against Black Fang was definitely proceeding faster, but it also made the criminal organization behave more reservedly, making it difficult to pin down its members.
That was why Wei Xiang had asked Qinghe to lend his assistance this time. With the help of his intelligence and accumulated connections, Wei Xiang hoped his lover could lend a hand with this situation. And Qinghe had of course agreed, clearing his schedule and throwing his work to the twins once more so that he could accompany Wei Xiang to the Sentinel headquarters.
Sighing again, Wei Xiang said, "And I asked you to help even though I know that the last stage of the Hundred-Year Tournament is less than a week away. Qinghe, if it takes more than a week, you are free to leave. Master and I will handle the rest. And because you chose to do a favor to the Order this time, I will also agree to owe you one."
Qinghe smiled amusedly. "Xiang, there's no need for all this. My favors to you are always freely given. You should know that."
Hearing this, Wei Xiang's eyes immediately glinted with wickedness. "Then if I ask you for the favor of disrobing in front of me right now, will you do it?"
His smile growing wider, Qinghe easily agreed, "If you so wish."
Saying so, he lifted a hand and lightly pulled at his collar as if to immediately begin undressing. Wei Xiang's burning gaze snapped to those slender fingers, watching them as they lightly tugged at the collar, making the fabric rise to allow a glimpse underneath.
A small slice of distinctly defined collarbones was exposed, its pale curve arching temptingly. As its warm hue was framed by the collar of the snowy white robes, the patch of revealed skin looked especially soft and tender, making one's hand itch for a touch, to caress it gently and follow the curving collarbone until it disappeared further into the robes, yearning to dip one's hand within and continue to stroke the satiny smooth skin…
Wei Xiang's gaze intensified. He really, really wanted his lover to widen his collar and remove those robes completely so that he could let his eyes feast to his heart's content on his beloved's delectable body laid bare for him.
Reading the naked want in his lover's gaze, Qinghe spoke in a teasing tone, "I can take everything off if you want me to, but only if you do not mind my skin being exposed here for all to see."
Wei Xiang immediately remembered the location, his hand shooting out to halt his beloved's fingers that were still playing with the edge of the collar. Though there was no one else around them currently, it didn't mean that no one would pass this way.
Chuckling lightly at his lover's reaction, Qinghe cocked a brow, his gaze expectant as if waiting for something.
Wei Xiang sighed helplessly, his lips tugging up in a smile. "Alright, I admit. I was at fault. I shouldn't have spoken carelessly."
Letting out a light laugh as his eyes danced with mirth, Qinghe let it go easily.
For someone as situationally aware as his Xiang to make such a mistake, Qinghe wondered just how seductive his own appearance must seem to his beloved. He felt that this sensation of being found attractive was actually not bad. Just the thought of how enthralled his lover had looked made small bubbles of happiness rise within him.
As the couple kept walking, each immersed in their own thoughts, they finally reached the end of the bridge, the entrance to the Order looming before them.
Standing in front of these ebony gates and thinking of the people he would meet beyond it, Qinghe couldn't help but feel apprehensive. After all, the Sentinels could be considered Wei Xiang's family, so in a way, Qinghe felt that he was going to visit his in-laws.
Taking a deep breath, Qinghe walked through the gates to the Order along with Wei Xiang and finally entered the headquarters.
Past the gates, an expanse of flat and smooth grey stone stretched all the way from the entrance to a black-colored building in the distance that sprawled low on the ground. On its black roofs and equally as black walls, small gold decorations could be seen, seeming understated and tasteful as it lent the dark structure an air of majestic elegance.
Qinghe and Wei Xiang soundlessly walked over to the building and entered.
Inside, it was slightly darker than outdoors and strangely hushed, an atmosphere of staidness permeating throughout.
The Sentinels walking in the halls and corridors―all of them fully uniformed and equipped―looked composed and solemn as if pondering silently upon grave issues while they strode forward in a steady and measured pace. Every line of their being was stiffened with the sense duty and uprightness, their bearing calmly confident and dignified.
Each Sentinel they met on their way stopped what they were doing to click their heels together and bow crisply with cupped hands in salute while greeting respectfully, "Senior Officer Wei."
But since Qinghe couldn't read minds, he did not know that in their hearts, all the Sentinels who saw them marveled at how this Feng Qinghe, who shockingly enough happened to be their Grandmaster's son, was also able to capture the attention of the Grandmaster's difficult-to-understand and sardonic third disciple.
Wei Xiang could more or less guess these thoughts, his mouth quirking up in a half-smirk as he nodded in return to the Sentinels' greetings and kept walking.
Passing through the building that contained the Order's offices, Wei Xiang led Qinghe to another set of simple and sturdy gates at the back, behind which laid the Sentinel compound. Not only was the compound where the Sentinels lived, but it was also the place where they usually trained and rested in between their shifts.
As Qinghe entered the compound, he looked around to see that the expressions and postures of the Sentinels here were very relaxed and casual, their clothing in comfortable disarray and their movements less crisp.
Some chatted and others sparred, the sound of teasing and laughter along with angry yells and cries echoing out constantly. The Sentinels' familiar interactions with each other in this place gave off a sense of strong brotherhood and warmth that seemed to have been kept hidden away under a veneer of strict competence while in the other building that housed the offices.
To the left, there was a small, square-shaped, open-air training arena that was barely able to handle two people sparring at once. In it, men with their upper bodies bare fought each other with brick-like weights fastened to their shoulders, arms, stomachs, and legs.
At the side, a slanted weapons rack offered all kinds of weapons to choose between, from various types of swords and knives, to clubs and maces, and even long bamboo sticks and staffs. The weapons all had their sharp edges blunted to avoid serious injury and their weights enhanced so that it would be more conducive to training.
The clashes of the heavy weapons sent out dull clangs and clacks as the dueling men glared at each other with quick and assessing eyes. Their bodies moved fluidly and their strikes brimmed with focused power even as they constantly kept trying to pinpoint any gaps in their opponents' defenses or any opening to attack.
A group of Sentinels crowded around the little arena, a few still in their uniforms while the others were in nothing but a couple of layers of disheveled black robes. Some watched silently while the rest cheered and jeered exuberantly, the atmosphere bursting with liveliness and energy.
Constant commentary on the fighting that was currently underway rang out—
"To the left! The left, you bastard! If you hit his shoulder joint from this angle, it'll pop right― Ah, damn, he missed it!"
"Isn't that set of moves from the Snake Flow technique that those mountain sages used against us the last time? Did this idiot end up learning yet another strange thing?"
"That's right, Senior Brother! Show him who he's messing with! Punch him square in the jaw― Yes, like that! Senior Brother, you look so handsome!"
"Xiao Lian, stop embarrassing him. If he loses focus and gets beat up, who will you blame?"
"Alright, alright, I'll shut it― Ah, Senior Brother, he's coming from the right! To the right! Fuck that bastard up!"
"Why do I even bother…"
As the Sentinels noisily went on in this way, a surprised voice suddenly called out, "Ah, Senior Officer Wei!"
As soon as this sentence was uttered, a sudden silence claimed the place as every head, even the fighters', swiveled in the direction of the newly arrived Wei Xiang and Qinghe.
Seeing the obvious fear and the need to flee flickering in most of the Sentinels' gazes as they landed on his lover, Qinghe didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
A brave young man cleared his throat and spoke out, "Officer Wei… are you in a bad mood right now?"
Because if he was, the Sentinels knew that Wei Xiang would either go and interrogate some of those vile and tight-lipped prisoners, or ask to spar with his fellow Sentinels and beat them into the ground until his displeasure was vented. So, just in case he truly was in a foul mood, the Sentinels stealthily prepared to make a run for it.
But to their immense relief, Wei Xiang smiled happily and shook his head. Then he said, "No, how could I be in a bad mood? I'm naturally very content to see my dear fellow Sentinel brothers having such a good time."
A few of the Sentinels shivered at this overly cheerful tone while others rubbed the goosebumps that had risen on their arms. This uncharacteristic good cheer was so creepy! As usual, their senior officer's mood was completely unpredictable!
Wei Xiang's smirk turned fuller with satisfaction at their fearful reactions while Qinghe shook his head at the side while chuckling softly. His lover's personality was really too weird.
But hearing that quiet sound of amusement, glances immediately turned towards the person beside their senior officer as several voices began whispering at once.
"Is that the…?"
"Seems like it."
"Woah, he looks better than I expected."
"Didn't expect that cantankerous Officer Wei to have the ability to get such a beauty. And he's the Grandmaster's son to boot!"
"Yes, I heard that that's who the Grandmaster has been searching for all this while."
"I wonder what type of a person he is."
"Well, since Officer Wei chose him…"
"Yeah, he's that Wei Xiang's partner after all."
"Hmm, his personality must be equally as…problematic."
"You said it."
Hearing these not-so-secret remarks, Wei Xiang's lips twitched.
These rude bastards. Just wait until they were done here and he got his lover back to his sect, then he'd come back for a very friendly sparring session and wipe the floor with those chattering faces.
Seeing how Wei Xiang's smirk had become a full-blown grin, the chatting Sentinels got an ominous premonition and abruptly decided shut up. Wei Xiang might be one of the youngest Sentinels at only fourteen thousand years, but there was no way any Sentinel would consider crossing him.
In the ensuing silence, Wei Xiang asked, "Is there anything of import that I should know?"
As if it was a signal, four Sentinels immediately stepped to the front, their backs straight and their expressions serious as they prepared to deliver their reports.
Though Qinghe didn't recognize them, from all the things his lover had spoken about his work before, he deduced these four people to be Wei Xiang's lieutenants who were under his direct command.
In a way, if it weren't for Wei Xiang's ability to competently handle the Order's affairs, Feng Huixin would not have had the time to roam about so freely in search of his son. And if not for Wei Xiang distributing some of his work between his lieutenants, he wouldn't have been able to run the entire Order of Sentinels in his master's absence all this time.
Qinghe supposed that in a way, he did feel thankful towards these people for helping his lover and his father by sharing their burdens. That was why, he hoped that the Sentinels―especially Wei Xiang's lieutenants―would be able to accept him.
As these thoughts were swimming in Qinghe's mind, the four lieutenants had already started giving their reports as asked.