As Li Zimei’s soft voice echoed, Xu Xiaohui’s eyes involuntarily widened as she looked at Xu Qing.
She couldn’t be blamed for not recognizing him. In her memory, Xu Qing was covered in dirt.
But now, the person standing at the entrance of the private room had a slender and tall figure. His long black hair casually draped over his shoulders, revealing an indescribable elegance. This was especially so for that face that was enough to cause one to be mesmerized.
He was peerlessly handsome.
He had a face that looked like it had been sculpted. Under his sword-like brows was a pair of slender cold eyes that were dark and deep. The radiance that emitted inadvertently from him and the spirit energy on his body made one not dare to underestimate him.
“Yes.” Xu Qing nodded.
Xu Xiaohui’s pretty face was slightly red. She picked up the wine glass and drank it to conceal the fluctuations in her heart.
At the side, Zhou Qingpeng laughed and went forward to welcome him.
“Junior Brother Xu Qing, take a seat.”
Looking at them, Xu Qing politely cupped his fists and sat at the side. His gaze also swept past the three of them. Compared to the coldness and cruelty contained in the sect, these three disciples who entered the sect in the same batch as him clearly still had some warmth in them.
However, it was also obvious that the environment of the sect had changed them. For example, although Zhou Qingpeng looked radiant, Xu Qing could still see the fatigue hidden in his expression.
In particular, there was a hint of vicissitudes on his body. This was the growth he had gained after experiencing some things.
As for Xu Xiaohui, Xu Qing couldn’t describe the changes in her. He only felt that she seemed more and more like the woman in the feather tent at the scavenger campsite.
Only Li Zimei didn’t change much. It was just that amidst her feeling of self-consciousness and inferiority, there was more vigilance and caution in her gaze. It was as though to her, anyone who appeared in the surroundings made her wary.
Time slowly passed. As everyone conversed, although Xu Qing was mostly silent, the atmosphere in the room still became lively. After all, to them, the time they had spent in the sect was still too short.
However, most of the liveliness came from Zhou Qingpeng and Xu Xiaohui chatting and laughing. Like Xu Qing, Li Zimei remained silent. Occasionally, she would look at Xu Qing with an expression that clearly showed her feelings of inferiority.
Very soon, Zhou Qingpeng, who had drunk a few more cups, sighed with emotion.
“Actually, before I entered the sect, I more or less knew some things about the sect. However, only after I entered did I understand that hearing it was different from personally experiencing it. In the Seven Blood Eyes… it’s too difficult to live a good life. If we are just a little careless, we might die.”
“You guys should have a similar realization… Junior Brother Xu Qing, may I know which department you went to work in? I am in the Coast Guard Department. Xiaohui is also very capable. She managed to exchange for a magic boat in such a short period of time and was arranged to work in the Dispatch Department.”
When Xu Xiaohui heard this, her smile was a little complicated as she nodded.
“I’m at the Homicide Department,” Xu Qing said softly. He was not used to the atmosphere here. He felt it was a contrast to the coldness and cruelty of the people outside.
“The Homicide Department?” Xu Xiaohui’s eyes lit up again.
At the side, Li Zimei’s eyes revealed a bit of envy. Compared to Xu Xiaohui, although she was no longer dressed like a dirty scavenger, she was still very ordinary. Hence, she lowered her head even more.
To her, out of the four people from the same batch, three of them already had a magic boat. Only she was still ordinary. This made her feel a lot of pressure sitting here.
“Junior Brother Xu Qing, you actually went to the Homicide Department. A few days ago, your Homicide Department made a big move. Thousands of Night Dove members’ heads were hung on the city wall. Everyone has been discussing it these few days. Oh right, regarding that operation of yours, with your strength of qi and blood turning into shadows during the entrance test, did you also participate in it?”
When Zhou Qingpeng heard where Xu Qing was working, his expression changed slightly. He had seen Xu Qing before and sensed the spiritual energy fluctuations from his body. And now, he sensed that Xu Qing seemed to have grown stronger. Hence, he probed further.
“However, such a large-scale mission is very risky. Junior Brother Xu Qing, although your body refinement isn’t bad, spells are the sharpest after all. As newcomers who have just entered the sect, the most important thing is to work hard to survive and cultivate. There will be plenty of opportunities for us to display our abilities in the future.”
Xu Qing glanced at Zhou Qingpeng and could tell that the other party was probing him. In reality, he felt that these three people from the same batch all had good natures and didn’t have many bad intentions. This was also another reason why he was willing to come here other than his desire for Ghost Desire.
He nodded and didn’t speak.
“The Seventh Peak’s Homicide Department is the same as our Coast Guard Department. There are many ferocious people there. Oh right, Junior Brother Xu Qing, I heard that there was an extraordinary character in your operation this time around.”
“I heard that this powerful person is in the Black Division of your Homicide Department. I don’t know his name, but I heard that this person actually killed the enemy leader who was in the Perfected Qi Condensation Realm. He’s the only one in this operation who isn’t at the captain level and killed the enemy leader. I think this is only possible if he has raised his Sea Transformation Art to the peak proficiency. It’s said that he might be promoted because of this.”
Zhou Qingpeng sighed with emotion and admiration. This was not a probe, but true envy.
From what he knew, this matter couldn’t possibly have anything to do with Xu Qing. Although Xu Qing’s body refinement was very strong and his qi and blood transformed into shadows, after cultivating the Sea Transformation Art, Zhou Qingpeng had already realized how sharp the Sea Transformation Art’s spells were. It would be easy to kill a body refinement expert, especially for a place like the Homicide Department where there were many experts.
Even though he had sensed that Xu Qing’s spirit energy fluctuations were very strong when he was at the medical shop, he still didn’t associate it with the fact that Xu Qing was able to stand out among the experts in the Homicide Department and kill an enemy leader at the Perfected Qi Condensation Realm.