Gift of the Spirit Fish Bone Swords!

"Come on, you four follow me." With those words, Li Guanqi flashed behind them and led all four up toward the rooftop study of the White Jade Tower. Inside the rooftop study... "Wanshu, come up to the study for a moment." Meng Wanshu exited the Nirvana Pagoda and appeared in the study. Seeing the battered, wounded men, she nodded slightly, her face largely devoid of expression. Toward outsiders, Meng Wanshu had always been rather aloof, simply lacking any interest in them. The men all greeted Meng Wanshu in return. After all, she was no ordinary woman. Back when she had roamed the Northern Darkness Glacier in the Misty Immortal Domain, she had already made a fierce name for herself. Now she was the Frost Master, and her cultivation at the peak of the early Tribulation Crossing realm overwhelmingly outstripped them all. Her strength was not to be underestimated. Li Guanqi sat before the four and shot a playful glance at Xu Junlin. Xu Junlin felt goosebumps rising under his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that...?" Hearing this, Li Guanqi remarked casually, "How about Old Xu goes out for a stroll?" Xu Junlin was taken aback, then shifted his rear in his chair and crossed his arms. "Ha! You tell me to leave, and now I'm definitely staying. I want to see what you're up to." Li Guanqi chuckled. "You chose not to leave yourself. Don't blame me if your feelings get hurt in a moment." With that, Li Guanqi's gaze swept over the men before coming to rest on Ye Mohan. Li Guanqi spoke softly. "To be honest, we used to clash a lot in the past, and we even had some friction between us. "However... after experiencing so much, you've changed a great deal. "Besides, after spending so much time in the Seventh Domain, those petty squabbles have long faded away. There is no bad blood between us anymore." Ye Mohan gave a wry smile and murmured, "Indeed. Aside from life and death, what else can't one let go of? "As for me, I owe you quite a few favors." Li Guanqi waved a hand to cut Ye Mohan off, not wanting him to carry too heavy a psychological burden. Fixing the four with a sharp look, Li Guanqi said solemnly, "The four of you will undoubtedly become the future Eight Generals. But I know your talent is too exceptional; even as Eight Generals, you wouldn't normally hold the posts for long. "Yet now that the overall strength of the Seventh Domain is growing, I believe you will remain in those seats for quite a while. "Furthermore, I have a fair understanding of your character. "So I have something to give you! I hope you won't bring shame to it." At this, even Qin Wushang's curiosity was piqued. With a flick of his wrist, Li Guanqi took out three snow-white bone swords. The fluctuations from the bone swords were not powerful, yet they were exceptionally profound. Even Meng Wanshu's lovely eyes flickered upon seeing them; naturally, she recognized the bone swords of the Spirit Fish Clan. He had brought out only three... Xu Junlin stared wide-eyed at the items. "These are bone swords formed naturally inside members of the Spirit Fish Clan. They can be refined into one's body to become a born sword embryo! "In other words... as long as you integrate a bone sword, your comprehension of the Sword Dao will become even deeper." Qin Wushang's eyes turned green with envy, as did Ye Mohan's and Zhou Shiyu's. Yet none of the three reached out to take them. Qin Wushang looked up at Li Guanqi and asked in a low voice, "Are there any conditions?" Li Guanqi shook his head. "No conditions, but there is one requirement—a requirement from the Spirit Fish Clan." Taking a deep breath, Qin Wushang said solemnly, "Please, speak." Li Guanqi looked at the three and said gently, "Those who integrate the bone sword must be upright and righteous individuals. Treacherous scoundrels harboring evil thoughts may not. "That is all." Li Guanqi paused, then continued with a sigh of emotion, "The bone swords are born naturally within the bodies of the Spirit Fish great demon race. Were outsiders to discover this, the entire clan would face slaughter. "Back then, on account of the Spirit Fish Clan, I clashed repeatedly with the Mo Family. In the end, they migrated to the Great Xia Sword Sect, and only then was their safety assured. "Therefore, I ask that you all stay true to your original nature." Qin Wushang's expression grew solemn as he made a heartfelt vow. "The Qin clan accepts this favor! If the Spirit Fish Clan ever asks for aid in the future, my Qin clan will assist with all our might!" Qin Wushang reached out and accepted the bone sword, his face filled with earnest resolve. Ye Mohan spoke softly, "Should the Spirit Fish ever need help in the days to come, I, Ye Mohan, will not shirk my duty." Zhou Shiyu hesitated for a long while, still not reaching out. Li Guanqi seemed to see through Zhou Shiyu's misgivings. Looking at him, Li Guanqi smiled faintly. "Actually... there's no need for any promises. "Since I'm giving these bone swords to the three of you, it means I trust your character and integrity. "You only need to promise me to stay true to your nature and remain an upright person. That is enough. "If the Spirit Fish face peril, I will step forward as well." Zhou Shiyu drew a deep breath, rose to his feet, bowed, and declared firmly, "Shiyu will always remain so, staying... a very stubborn and unbending person!" Each of the three accepted a bone sword. Beside them, Xu Junlin swallowed hard. "Uh... is there a bone spear?" Li Guanqi shrugged and spread his hands. "No." "Then could I fuse a bone sword too? After all, it's just an embryo..." "No." "Good brother, I'm begging you... I want one too..." "There really aren't any." "I already told you to go out for a stroll. Look at you—you're turning green with envy." Meng Wanshu smiled faintly and sent a voice transmission: *Did Ye Feng's rapid progress lately have something to do with this?* Li Guanqi nodded and replied softly via voice transmission: *It had something to do with it, but mostly it's because he pushed himself harder.* Meng Wanshu pinched Li Guanqi's waist. *I didn't say anything, so why are you in such a hurry to explain?* *Where's mine?* With a solemn face, Li Guanqi replied, "Naturally, I've prepared the best one for you." Meng Wanshu seemed to think of something. "How many are left? Who do you plan to give the rest to?" Li Guanqi pondered a moment and answered in a quiet transmission: *Senior Nangong, Qin Xiao, Ye Xuan, and of course my father-in-law. *Besides them, there's also Dugu Lingxiao. *And in addition to them, I plan to give one to Kong Ming! After that, there will basically be none left.* Meng Wanshu nodded. "You can make the decisions on these matters." Xu Junlin was still yammering and pleading on the side. Li Guanqi waved his sleeve, glanced at the group, and smiled. "Hurry and refine them. "I have to head out as well." Li Guanqi planned to give away all the Spirit Fish bone swords over the course of today. He visited many people, and many made their pledges, filled with profound gratitude. Yet the last person he sought out was Kong Ming at the Mortal Sojourner tavern. The reason the man often frequented the tavern was that he had very few friends left by his side. They had all died. And those empty seats held the lingering shadows of old friends. The scabbard hanging on the wall of the Mortal Sojourner tavern was a relic left behind by a departed companion... Across the wine table, Kong Ming had no idea why Li Guanqi had come looking for him; he simply thought it was nice to mooch a jar of wine. When Li Guanqi explained his purpose and presented the bone sword, the man's eyes rimmed with red, and he repeatedly waved it away. "Why give it to me...?" "Give it to those with greater strength. It would be far more meaningful in their hands." Li Guanqi pushed the bone sword before the man and looked at him with utmost earnestness. "In my heart, giving it to you is the most right thing of all!" Feeling deeply overwhelmed by the honor, Kong Ming stared blankly at the bone sword and murmured softly, "What merit or ability do I have to deserve this...? I only gave Little Tang an elixir out of gratitude, that's all." Li Guanqi interjected, "Gifting you this sword isn't about repaying a favor. One matter has nothing to do with the other. "Brother Kong is an upright man who cares for the realm and carries righteous virtue in his heart. "That alone is more than enough. "When I give an account to the Spirit Fish Clan in the future, I can say that I gave this sword to a man like you, and they will be delighted as well." A grown man with reddened eyes, Kong Ming gently stroked the bone sword with trembling hands. "So... that's the kind of person I am..." In the end, the man accepted the bone sword, tilted his head back, and downed three bowls of wine in one go.