Chapter 38: The Bureau of Heavenly Swords

Once the plane was in the sky, it flew straight south, skillfully avoiding several treacherous weather zones along the way. After six hours, it finally arrived at the Maritime Capital. Upon landing, a military bus was already waiting on the tarmac.

Chen Longshi was the first to board, choosing a seat by the window. The bus did not depart immediately—it was clear he wasn’t the only one to be picked up. Shortly after, more planes landed, and a few others trickled onboard.

Counting himself, there were nine newly graduated officers in total—fresh recruits about to join the Sky Sword Division’s Maritime Capital Branch.

The group sized each other up, each picking a separate seat, with no intention of striking up conversation.

Just then, a young man followed them onto the bus, his gaze lively as he scanned the other passengers. Without hesitation, he plopped down next to Chen Longshi. “Hey there, Chu Tianshu, from the Imperial Capital’s Xuanyuan Military Academy.”

Chen Longshi shook his hand. “Chen Longshi, Nine-Headed Bird Branch.”

“I feel like I’ve seen you before?”

Chu Tianshu scrutinized him, then nodded in recognition. “Yes, I have seen you! Your video on Starflash has millions of likes now. Everyone calls you the most handsome candidate. I was skeptical at first, but meeting you today, you really are just a bit more handsome than me.” He made a tiny gesture with his little finger.

Chen Longshi looked puzzled. “Is that so?”

The other cadets cast subtle glances their way, pricking up their ears.

“You really don’t know?” Chu Tianshu enthusiastically opened his comms band, launched an app, and searched—Chen Longshi’s name was still trending. There were two videos. The first, filmed on the day of the assessment, showed a young girl at the train station offering him food. This had happened several days ago and now boasted millions of likes. The comment section was flooded with declarations of love, and remarks like “Such a sweetheart, so handsome,” “With looks like that, what a waste if he doesn’t sell steel wool,” and “Please upload more videos of my husband.”

The second video was just as popular. It showed Chen Longshi at the award ceremony, receiving the major’s insignia from Sikong Yan herself. The video was posted by the official account of Xuanyuan Military Academy, likely by the publicity department.

“Wow, this one’s new. You’re already a major? How’s that higher than me? Wait, it says you’re the sole early graduate and top scorer in the assessments? I was top too, but I only made captain. How did you manage that?”

Chu Tianshu stared at him in disbelief.

Since none of them were in formal uniform, he’d assumed everyone was about the same rank as himself—captain at most. As the top graduate of Xuanyuan Military Academy in the Imperial Capital, his captain’s insignia was a source of pride. Yet here, on his very first day, he’d met someone who outshone him.

The others, hearing this, all turned to look at Chu Tianshu and Chen Longshi. The Imperial Capital’s Xuanyuan Military Academy was a common benchmark for other schools; its reputation for gathering the nation’s top talent was uncontested. To be first among such prodigies was no small feat. And yet, Chen Longshi had graduated as a major, a full rank above them all—this was even more unbelievable.

Chen Longshi simply said, “I suppose I was just lucky.”

Chu Tianshu’s expression grew earnest. “Major Chen Longshi, allow me to introduce myself again. Chu Tianshu, Imperial Capital, captain.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Chen Longshi nodded. “We’ll be colleagues soon enough—no need to be so formal.”

Chu Tianshu grinned, falling silent for a moment before quickly resuming his chatter. Clearly, his social skills were formidable, with a hint of compulsive talkativeness—he couldn’t stand the quiet. “I hear the Sky Sword Division is shrouded in mystery. Most people don’t even know this department exists, do they?”

A proud-looking young man in the back replied, “The Sky Sword Division is a newly established independent department, barely three years old. I hear it wields considerable privilege within the military, answering directly to the Forbidden City. As for what it actually does, there are plenty of rumors. Or do you know the truth, Chu Tianshu?”

Chu Tianshu countered, “And you are? You seem well-informed.”

“Not at all. I’m Wang Ben, top graduate of the Northern Frontier Branch, captain. Since we’ll all be colleagues, why don’t we introduce ourselves?”

“I’m Luo Tianlan, top graduate of the Jiangnan Branch, captain.”

“Yan Chihang, top of the Shudu Branch, captain.”

“Xiu Tiance, top of the Magic City Branch, captain.”

“Huyan Zhuo, top of the Tibetan West Branch, captain.”

“Lin Zhiyu, top of the Southern Capital Branch, captain.”

“Han Ying, top of the Black Dragon Branch, captain.”

…

After their introductions, an odd look passed through the group, and for a moment the bus grew silent. Yet among the accomplished, camaraderie comes easily. Chu Tianshu laughed, “We’re all firsts—every major academy has sent their best.”

Xiu Tiance corrected him, “Not quite, Chu. You missed the Maritime Capital Branch. I imagine the host is already waiting for us at the base.”

Huyan Zhuo cut in, “What I’m really curious about is how Major Chen’s rank is higher than ours. Care to enlighten us?”

Chen Longshi shook his head. “There’s no secret. I cleared the trial instance and received the final inheritance. After I finished, the trial collapsed, making it impossible to rank the other candidates’ results. So, I was the only one to graduate early.”

There was another stunned silence. If anything, this was even harder to accept. All of them outstanding—why was he the only exception? Several challenging gazes now settled on Chen Longshi, but he gazed out the window, seemingly oblivious.

Chu Tianshu said, “Looks like we’ll soon get to witness your inherited star art, Chen.”

“You will,” Chen Longshi replied with a faint smile.

“Alright then. Let’s get back on topic,” said Chu Tianshu. “Being close to the seat of power in the Imperial Capital, I have some inside information on the Sky Sword Division. In short, if martial artists handle extraordinary events, the Sky Sword Division manages the martial artists themselves. Anything beyond the reach of local authorities—new instance explorations, foreign espionage, exterminating dangerous monsters—all of that falls under their jurisdiction.”

“So we really are an assembly of elites,” Lin Zhiyu remarked with a smile.

Han Ying clenched his fists in excitement. “I was undefeated at my school. Coming here, I expect none of you will disappoint me.”

“Han, so eager for a fight? I haven’t had a good match in days. Once we arrive, I wouldn’t mind sparring with you,” Yan Chihang said in his regional accent.

“I look forward to learning from you, Yan.”

“You two battle maniacs—must you schedule a fight as soon as you meet?”

“Haha, Northeast versus Sichuan—you should have a contest of dialects first.”

“I know the Sky Sword Division’s scope is vast, but why weren’t we, the top graduates, sent to headquarters in the Imperial Capital? Why are we all assigned to the Maritime Capital branch? Is something major happening?”

“That’s likely classified. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”

“I wonder if we’ll be in the same department?”

…

The group debated animatedly all the way. To avoid seeming aloof, Chen Longshi occasionally joined in.

Before long, the bus reached its destination—a sprawling complex by the sea, bustling with traffic. Chen Longshi and the others were led by an officer into a gymnasium. Inside waited another young man, carrying a bag, who gave the newcomers a quick, sharp glance before stepping up to greet them. “Hello, everyone. I’m Hailong, a cadet from the Maritime Capital Branch of Xuanyuan Military Academy. You must be fellow recent graduates.”

Just as the group was about to reply, two officers entered—one a lieutenant colonel, the other a colonel.

“Attention!”

“Dress ranks!”

“Salute!”

…