Applied Immortality

Chapter 17: To the Immortal Alliance

Wang Qi woke up feeling warm and relaxed.

“How did I get here…”

His head was hazy and even a little… nauseous?

Wang Qi roused, [Nauseous? A cultivator with a tough body only ever gets nauseous from either cultivation deviation or poison, but any of those would be followed by a world of hurt.]

Wang Qi opened his eyes to see Xiang Qi in his personal space.

“Woah!” Wang Qi reeled, only now noticing he was on a bed.

“What’s with that strong reaction?” Xiang Qi pulled back and sat on a nearby chair.

Wang Qi felt his head, asking, “Where am I? How did I get here?” 

Xiang Qi looked bleak, “We found you unconscious next to Senior Brother Li’s body.

It all came back to Wang Qi. [After I copied Daoist Proscribe’s work, I blacked out from straining my mind.] He felt all over himself for the copies. [Let’s hope they weren’t found.] 

Wang Qi found his notes on his waist and breathed easily from having the awareness to cover them before blacking out. The cloth he used came from Li Ziye’s storage bag.

“Is this what you’re looking for?” A harsh voice got his attention.

Wang Qi turned to the middle-aged woman holding Li Ziye’s storage bag and Zhen Chanzi’s temporary home. Only then did Wang Qi realize he didn’t have his ring. Xiang Qi greeted, “Senior Aunt Yan,” and made the introductions to Wang Qi, “This is Senior Aunt Yan Heyi from Ingenious Valley, the Peacekeeper Overseer of this region in charge of this event.” 

Wang Qi never thought about revealing the copies and nodded, “Yes, senior.”

Yan Heyi was in no rush to return the ring, nodding to Xiang Qi, “Step out for a moment. There’s something I wish to discuss with this child.”

Xiang Qi understood the peacekeeper’s request and walked out. Yan Heyi sat in Xiang Qi’s chair, her sharp eyes falling on Wang Qi, “Xiang Qi and the elderly in the ring have told me the full story. Due to my position, I have to ask you as well.”

[Taking statements? She even questioned Xiang Qi and the old man separately.]

Wang Qi nodded, “Sure, senior. But could I ask one question first?”

Yan Heyi nodded, “Ask away.”

Wang Qi was cautious, “What happened to my home village?”

Yan Heyi showed sympathy, “You’re better off not knowing.”

Knowing what she’d say, Wang Qi still clenched his fists, “What of the bodies?”

“The other peacekeepers had buried them.” 

Wang Qi eased a breath. [I’ll remember this with the other things.]

Yan Heyi had a good impression of him for thinking of others first. She softened, “There was nothing you could do. The dead are gone and the living must go on. Don’t let it bother you.”

Wang Qi lowered his head and nodded. The action was a true reflection of his mental state, but also a means to hide anything amiss on his features or in his tone. 

Yan Heyi said, “I would like to ask you some questions. I hope you’ll be honest with me.”

“Yes.”

“First off, please recount the fight between Myriad Arts Sect disciple Li Ziye and Imperial Celestial Rift Sect disciple.”

Wang Qi gave an honest depiction of the event, merely omitting his use of Hilbert space to break the seal on him. The math was way too advanced for the ancient cultivation mathematics excuse to fly. It wouldn’t work pushing it on Zhen Chanzi.

Yan Heyi frowned, “There are two details that caught my attention. Why would the Nascent Soul go after you?”

Wang Qi answered, “The old man in the ring said the ancient legacy I had was from Ephemeral Tranquility Palace, Imperial Celestial Rift Sect’s mortal enemy. He must’ve thought I knew Ephemeral Tranquility Palace’s secrets.”

Yan Heyi continued, “Last question, Xiang Qi said you’re good with numbers, attaining Reaching Heaven right after understanding modern theories. Your talent is amazing.” 

“Senior is too kind.”

Yan Heyi shook her head, “Not at all. It’s astounding how you could’ve attained Reaching Heaven in half a day with just a bit of ancient math. Yet what I’m feeling from your spiritual power is that you’re a fully-fledged modern cultivator. How did he even notice you’ve had the Ephemeral Tranquility Palace’s inheritance?”

[Here it comes.]

Doing his best to act the oblivious and ignorant Qi Refining cultivator, he shook his head, “I do not know.”

Yan Heyi nodded, finding no discrepancy in Wang Qi’s story and demeanor, matching the knowledge an ancient Qi Refining cultivator would have. She asked for more details and then returned the ring before leaving.

With the ring on his finger, Zhen Chanzi sounded in Wang Qi’s mind once more. Yan Heyi must’ve used some secret art to block Zhen Chanzi from sending messages. The old man laughed in his head, “Ha-ha, we passed this hurdle.”

Wang Qi didn’t reply, laying back on the bed, looking pale.

[Thank god the old man and I matched stories before.] Zhen Chanzi had no clue about modern cultivation, but he was wise and old, helping him conceal the tough parts. Having gone through this pickle, the Immortal Alliance would no longer watch him.

Yan Heyi was at the door when she asked, “Why are you so pale?”

Wang Qi took a deep breath, “I feel sick to my stomach out of nowhere. It must be from cultivation deviation or my wounds.”

Yan Heyi chuckled, “Everyone’s the same after their first flying boat ride. Just bear with it.”

“Flying boat?”

Zhen Chanzi said, “Kid, you still haven’t noticed you’re on a flying magic item?”

[Why did my motion sickness quirk have to follow me in this life?]

Wang Qi’s face was over the railing and lamenting his fate when he tried flying swords in the future.

The flying ship was heading for Argent Apex, the base of Immortal Alliance. Yan Heyi was the peacekeeper overseer of this region. Li Ziye and Xiang Qi worked for her. With the emergence of ancient cultivators in her jurisdiction and Li Ziye’s death, she had to make a trip to the Immortal Alliance center. Xiang Qi became a peacekeeper as part of her sect training. As it was finished, she could return to the Immortal Alliance and report. Per regulations, rogue cultivators that stumbled upon ancient legacies needed to be introduced into the modern system, which was why she brought Wang Qi along. 

Wang Qi was on Yan Heyi’s standard Immortal Alliance flying boat, at Eminence peacekeeper’s disposal to carry Foundation Establishment and Golden Core peacemakers on distant missions. The flying boat was around twelve meters long and three meters wide, with no sails, and two conspicuous metallic wings at the rear. 

To Wang Qi, it looked like a small yacht, especially when taking into account the facilities. His room alone was furnished with stuff no passenger ship should have. It was like Immortal Alliance used a sports car for a bus.

Wang Qi didn’t have serious wounds for a cultivator, needing but a short time to heal. Due to his crippling motion sickness, he couldn’t stay in the hold for long. He rushed outside to feel the wind on his face and ease his suffering.

Zhen Chanzi sighed, “You’re looking like a walking corpse on a flying ship. Flying a sword and fighting ought to be hell for you.”

Wang Qi placed his face on the railing, taking a long breath to hide his tears, “How much further?”

Xiang Qi spoke up, “Around five days.”

Wang Qi lifted his head and saw Xiang Qi standing on the railing and looking in the distance. The way the wind blew the girl’s red clothes gave her an air of a goddess.

Wang Qi teased, “Senior Sister Xiang.”

Xiang Qi nodded and sighed. Wang Qi wasn’t very chatty in either life. Since he found no topic, he lay on the railing and looked at the scenery.

Xiang Qi asked, “Did Senior Brother Li have any final wish?” 

Wang Qi retold Li Ziye’s final words, adding at the end, “He said if someone could solve Hilbert’s 23 Problems, we should burn him a copy of them.”

Xiang Qi smiled, “He was thinking of math even when dying? That’s why Myriad Arts Sect disciples are said to have the EQ of wanting Dao as their partner.”

Wang Qi asked, “For how long did you know each other?”

Xiang Qi’s tone was frail, “Three years, you could say long-time friends. Three years ago I left the sect for my training mission to become an Immortal Alliance peacekeeper, ending up being assigned here. He, on the other hand, worked here so he could buy rare materials for refining his vital magic treasure.

“Our area was quiet most of the time. The main objective was to quell the local demons or manage the passing rogue cultivators. The daily patrol was a pain but still easy. The peacekeepers here were all Immortal Alliance disciples and we got along well.

“Only Senior Brother Li was too nice, taking everything at face value. He didn’t even react when we teased him about the girl he liked. Sometimes we talked about our future, like solving Hilbert’s 23 Problems or challenging the head of Elusive Palace.”

Xiang Qi sighed, “If only he wasn’t so nice… He wouldn’t have listened to me and instead go to Immortal Alliance’s branch. Maybe he would still be alive…” 

Wang Qi intervened, “From what I can tell, the enemy came prepared. Even if you took me to a branch, you’d still be targeted. If we fell into a trap, all of us would’ve died.”

Xiang Qi sighed, “But there’s a chance he could’ve lived. I owe him so much just because of this.”

Wang Qi probed, “Senior Sister, you’re turning into a bitter wife.” 

Xiang Qi gave a self-deprecating laughter. She wiped her eyes, “It’s not that bad. I’m just sad to see friends go.”

Wang Qi leaned his head back on the railing, “Does his family want to bury him?”

Xiang Qi shook her head, “Peacekeepers who die in the line of duty have their burial place. It’s also possible for him to be buried in Myriad Arts Sect’s cemetery. As we need to follow the rules and go to Argent Apex, we won’t be able to make it in time. You also seem to have forgotten that the Immortal Alliance’s admission test is around the corner. You’d best get ready.”