The Wind Is Rising

What kind of person is the Great Elder of the Fire Pit? Everyone in the Fire Pit knows that he is someone who will always try to take advantage of any opportunity.

Just like before, Huotang and the Qing family's First Branch completed a deal, agreeing to kill Qing Huai in the Forbidden Zone No. 002.

The Third Elder led the team there, and upon returning to the hearth, informed the Great Elder that someone had killed Qing Huai.

The Great Elder's first reaction was: Isn't that great?

Therefore, since there are Forbidden Item at this time, we naturally cannot miss them.

After obtaining the Forbidden Item and finishing the fight, he took Qin Yiyi back to the fire pit.

The knights shouldn't even think about taking advantage of their fire pit!

"Old barbarian, I'll give it to you even if you don't ask," Li Shutong said with a smile. "Little Yiyi, go and choose for yourself. When you see Qing Chen, just say it's a gift from me."

Qin Yiyi's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Uncle!"

The Great Elder stroked his beard with satisfaction.

In fact, aside from one important matter that cannot be discussed, Li Shutong's trip to the territories of Northern Kamio and Kashima was primarily to find an environment that could stimulate Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao, thus helping them successfully "transcend their tribulation."

Generally speaking, true B-Class refers to Awakened and Cultivators, not Gene Warriors...

Therefore, Shindai's body-snatching career hasn't been particularly smooth over the years, after all, true B-Class characters aren't exactly common.

Both Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao, the two knights "messengers," are Awakened who have remained at the B-Class for over ten years, eight of which were spent in Prison No. 18.

Other Awakened are constantly searching for their limits and trying to break through them.

Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao were willing to stay with him in prison. The five years after Awakened One breaks through a level is the best time to break through again. If they miss it, it will be very difficult to break through again.

Therefore, they have already missed the best time to break through.

For Li Shutong, this was also a kind of debt he owed.

So he made this his top priority, but it hasn't worked yet.

Another thing is to look for Forbidden Item.

Because Li Shutong was very clear about one thing: Qing Chen was capable of enabling the Time Walker to complete the eight Life and Death Trial in the Outer World. Although the upper limit was only A-level, he was still a true knight, and all of them were his disciples and grand-disciples.

The reason why Li Shutong told the old guys in Forbidden Zone No. 002 that Qing Chen was the future of the Knights was because of this factor.

It is foreseeable that the Knight Organization will grow rapidly under Qing Chen's command. As his advisor, wouldn't it be embarrassing if he didn't offer some gifts when meeting his grand-disciple?

What gift could possibly match his demigod status? It seems only Forbidden Item are possible.

At this time, Li Shutong was unaware that Qing Chen had already taken in another little girl who had changed her job from "Onmyoji" to "Onmyoji Knight".

Otherwise, he might try to capture a bunch of little girls given by shikigami to use as toys.

Perhaps... this is what is known as the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

Li Shutong asked Li Ke, "Does your master have any other disciples? I've had almost no contact with the outside world lately, can you tell me?"

Li Ke glanced around, indicating that there were still outsiders present.

Li Shutong waved his hand. "Don't be afraid, just speak."

The only people here are Qin Yiyi, the Great Elder, Crow, Li Ke, and Li Yunjing.

The Tribunal of Taboos is the most secretive; they never reveal the secrets they know, lest they become embroiled in conflict.

As for the hearth, Li Shutong was confident that as long as he was alive, the Great Elder would not go out and say anything reckless.

As for Li Yunjing, he's one of our own.

Li Ke thought for a moment and said, "Currently, according to the knightly lineage, there is only one senior brother. If we follow the Zhunti Method, then there are many more. Brother Li Shu and the others have all become disciples of our master... and there is also Qing Yi, the Shadow Candidate of the Qing clan, more than twenty people in total."

Li Shutong was stunned. So many?!

It's one thing if the others aren't knights, but how come Qing Chen found two disciples that I couldn't find in over ten years?

It's only been a few months. If it were a few more years, wouldn't the Knight Organization really regain its former glory?

Let's go back to the era of gang fights!

In that case, how many Forbidden Item would I need to find? No, I'll have to go back to Kashima and scavenge for Forbidden Item among the locals.

At this moment, it wasn't just Li Shutong who realized the future of the Knights.

The first to react was actually the Great Elder. His first thought upon hearing that Qing Chen had begun to recruit disciples was, "Oh no, these scoundrels are going to start multiplying!"

The hearth is going to suffer again!

One knight can take him as a guide. If a group of knights climb the holy mountain together, will he still have a good life by the hearth?

The Great Elder said, "If I didn't hate the Divine Era even more, I would have reported you to the Divine Era and made them send Group Army to surround and annihilate you, so you wouldn't be able to save that brat Qing Chen!"

The cave gradually fell silent. A great battle was about to begin. After this short rest, they would have to endure a trek of four hundred kilometers.

There's no telling how much danger might occur along the way.

Li Shutong stood up and said to Li Ke, "Come here for a moment."

Li Ke held the Forbidden Item he had just received in his arms, then walked out of the cave.

Li Shutong said, "I heard that you went to Forbidden Zone No. 002 with your grandfather and your master? Tell me the story."

The demigod stood in the cold wind, lost in thought.

Li Ke said, "Master said that Grandpa's greatest wish before he died was to become a knight and see the sunrise from the Green Mountain Cliff. So Master carried Grandpa up the Green Mountain Cliff."

Li Shutong recalled that the old man rarely returned to the Banshan Manor when he was young, so the father and son rarely saw each other.

He always felt that as long as he returned to the Banshan Manor, that person would be waiting for him at home, so he didn't give the other person much time.

At that time, he thought that his father would always be waiting for him in that place.

But it wasn't until the other person left that he realized how quickly time had passed.

Even if I go back to the Banshan Manor now, I won't be able to see the people I want to see.

"Your grandfather should have had no regrets when he passed away. I want to thank your master for that," Li Shutong said calmly.

Li Ke said in a low voice, "Master said that you and Grandpa have done a lot for him, and it's time for him to do something for you."

The boy I watched grow up has now grown up.

But the more this was the case, the more Li Shutong felt that the Divine Era deserved to die.

His only disciple was captured and taken to a hellish place like A02 Base, becoming the second Qing Mu.

"Master, did you come here specifically to save Master?" Li Ke asked.

Li Shutong smiled and said, "Your master has a special status, so I didn't want too many people to know that he was my disciple in the past. But now it's different; the whole world has to know that he has a powerful master."

Li Shutong looked at the pitch-black night.

Just like he said.

But you must understand, my friend, we cannot deal with the darkness with gentleness; we must deal with fire.

In the darkness of night, at the military base of the Northern Group Army belonging to the Age of Gods, a colossal vessel slowly ascended into the air— the Eight Branches Ship Aerial Fortress.

It broke away from the front-line combat formation and, driven by its internal nuclear reactor, gradually accelerated towards the far north.

On the side of the Aerial Fortress, 512 engines spewed out liquid-like blue flames, and 128 anti-gravity devices hummed.

A swarm of thousands of combat drones also entered escort mode the moment they took off, ready to fight at any time.

Humans have a tendency to worship giants, so when such a "monster" takes to the sky, soldiers at military bases, looking at the Aerial Fortress, can't help but marvel at their own insignificance and the wonder of technology.

Further north, a mechanized Field Division belonging to the Age of Gods also slowly set off.

Modern high-performance infantry fighting vehicles, carrying numb-looking soldiers, rush to battlefields of unknown location.

In City No. 23.

Kamishiro Yunluo, dressed in a white hunting robe, sat calmly in the dimly lit council hall.

The ten board members sat on the high judge's platform, their faces untouched by light or shadow, making it seem as if they were all sitting in darkness.

Someone asked, "Kamishiro Yunluo, when you were in the Outer World, did you collude with external Time Walker to harm the warriors of the Kamishiro Family?"

Kamishiro Yunluo's voice was firm and resolute. "No."

"Kamishiro Yunluo, when the Mysterious Affairs Department encountered external enemies, did you do your utmost?"

"No."

The trial paused abruptly at this point.

"Why?" asked Kamishiro Seisho.

Kamishiro Yunluo looked up at the dark platform. "There are too many self-righteous people, too many arrogant people. Kamishiro Unichi acted on his own and was eager to make a name for himself. Kamishiro Yunwu, Yunjue, and Yunye wanted to compete for the Benimaru of the Crimson Leaf Hunt, and as a result, they lost their lives. I think they are the ones who should be put on trial... if they were still alive."

"Insolence!" someone said from the darkness.

Kamishiro Seisho: "You can leave now. Let Kamishiro Yunxiu come in."

Kamishiro Yunluo frowned. "In this battle, Kamishiro Yunxiu is also suspected of conserving his strength."

"Go out, we have our own plans."

Ten minutes later, the Kamishiro Yunxiu, dressed in a black suit, slowly sat down in the dock.

From the darkness, someone asked, "This time, the Mysterious Affairs Department of the Outer World suffered a major blow. Do you think the responsibility lies with Kamishiro Yunluo? As far as I know, he was someone who didn't lift a finger from beginning to end."

Kamishiro Yunxiu declared loudly, "I believe the family must severely punish Kamishiro Yunluo. He acted without authorization and was arrogant in the Outer World, incapable of shouldering the family's responsibilities there! He is suspected of shirking his duties in this battle in the Outer World!"

"Alright, you can go now."

Once the council chamber was completely quiet, everything fell silent.

Someone said, "The two have always been at odds. With Kamishiro Yunxiu's advancement to A-rank, there is no one in the Outer World to restrain him. Kamishiro Yunluo cannot be touched."

I second that.

I second that.

I second that.

"Abstain".

"I second that..."

Power is balance.

This is the art of imperial rule.

Unfortunately, none of the ten board members were emperors.

"What do you think of the person who can intimidate shikigami?" asked Kamishiro Seisho.

"Perhaps they are descendants of the Genji Clan," someone responded.

The Genji Clan were a taboo among the Kamishiro Family. They altered all history, attempting to erase that period of subservience. So they tampered with the ship that was sailing west, letting it explode and sink at sea.

Once, the Gods had suspected that the formation of the Forbidden Sea and the existence of the Giant Whale at the bottom of the sea were due to the fact that it had swallowed the head of the Genji Clan family.

For nearly a thousand years, the Age of Gods believed that the Genji Clan had been completely destroyed.

Even now, that terrifying sense of oppression has returned.

That is something that can shake the foundations of the divine age.

"Kill?"

"Don't kill them!"

Why?

"The number of shikigami hasn't increased for many years. Finding him is the hope for the future of our clan."

I second that.

I second that.

"I second that..."

In City 22.

Deep within the Takamanohara Manor of the Age of Gods.

A samurai hurried along the desolate black pebble path; the vast Takamanohara manor was filled with an eerie atmosphere.

The closer one gets to the sacred bridge, the more terrifying it becomes, as if one is being watched by a hundred ghosts.

It's alright during the day, but if you pass by here at night, even a samurai from the Kamishiro Family who practices the Kishare Gomen will feel their hair stand on end.

The samurai knelt before a house. "Ancestor, the patriarch says you may depart now."

An old, hoarse voice came from inside the house. "Understood."

A 2021 year-end summary will follow later; you can read it or not.