Starforce Warriors

What were spiritual roots? What was talent? Different people and different sects all had their own standards and interpretations.

For example, among the one hundred and nine masters back then, one hundred and eight had once praised Li Xiaofei's innate talent and spiritual roots. Only one thought he was a piece of crap. But when Li Xiaofei asked those one hundred and eight masters what exactly was so good about his spiritual roots, the answers they gave were all different.

However, the first time Li Xiaofei laid eyes on Ishihara Masami, a single word emerged in his heart.

Spiritual roots.

This girl had extraordinary spiritual roots. The mysterious and profound 'aura' seemed as if it was about to burst forth from the top of her head, exuding a brilliance unlike anything Li Xiaofei had ever seen.

A Jiepeng native, and yet, her talent was shockingly outstanding. Li Xiaofei was genuinely surprised. However, he quickly withdrew his gaze and turned to Kojirō, saying, "Do you know about Eden? Have you ever heard of Angrus?"

Kojirō shook his head. Then, as if recalling something, he quickly nodded and said, "We received intelligence related to the exchange conference and are aware that Takano Kumagawa is connected to Eden, but I swear upon the honor of the Sword Sect, we truly do not know anything more related to this."

Li Xiaofei could tell that this old man, already nearing the end of his life, was not lying.

"I want everything on Takano Kumagawa. All the information, including every movement he's made over the years," said Li Xiaofei.

Kojirō immediately went to carry out the order. He didn't dare show the slightest trace of defiance in front of this man.

Meanwhile, Ishihara Masami curiously examined Li Xiaofei. Kojirō's behavior made the young girl extremely intrigued. Since her status had previously been insufficient, she hadn't known anything about what had happened at the exchange conference in Jinshi City.

Jiepeng's crushing defeat had been unacceptable to the higher-ups in the government and as a result, all information related to the exchange had been blocked domestically.

Ishihara Masami was simply curious.

Why would someone of Kojirō-sensei's status, position, and strength treat a chubby, fair-skinned man with such courtesy? No. It wasn't just courtesy. It was reverence. It was fear.

A short while later, a detailed file was delivered to the gates of the Sword Mound cemetery and personally handed to Li Xiaofei by Kojirō himself. Li Xiaofei leisurely stood where he was and carefully read through it.

The Sword Sect maintained relatively strict control over its disciples. This was especially true for those who bore swords as slaves or those raised with the intention of becoming sword-bearer slaves. They were all monitored closely.

Their movements and most of their words and actions were recorded thoroughly to ensure their loyalty to the Sword Sect and their masters. Takano Kumagawa, as the sword-bearer slave of the sect leader Oniba Henzō, was naturally one of the subjects of intense surveillance.

After reading through the numerous details recorded in the file, several seemingly minor matters eventually caught Li Xiaofei's attention.

First of all, Takano Kumagawa was an orphan, with no parents or relatives. However, he had a lover whom he was extremely close to. Just a year ago, this lover had died in a car accident.

According to the Sword Sect's understanding, the death of this lover had dealt a heavy blow to Takano Kumagawa. It had affected him so much that he specifically requested a leave of absence from Oniba Henzō to go out and ease his mind.

By the traditions of the Sword Sect, a sword-bearer was not permitted to leave their master. Yet, Oniba Henzō had still granted Takano Kumagawa's request.

In the six months that followed, Takano Kumagawa traveled to the Yiggs Union, the Bayer Federation, and Europe. He eventually returned to Jiepeng and entered seclusion for a full three months in a small fishing village in Hokkaido.

This journey was the most unorthodox episode in Takano Kumagawa's life since becoming a sword-bearer slave. He had spent every other year by the Sword Saint Oniba Henzō's side, fulfilling the duties of a sword-bearer with dedication and loyalty.

After reading the document, a few suspicions began to take shape in Li Xiaofei's mind.

"Starting today, the Sword Sect is to be sealed off for ten years. No disciples are allowed to take a single step beyond Silent Lake." Li Xiaofei looked at Kojirō and asked, "Can you do that?"

"This..." Kojirō was clearly reluctant. "We can promise never to target Great Xia and not to set foot in Great Xia. After all, the Sword Sect is the state religion of Jiepeng. We—"

"Hmm?" A chill flickered in Li Xiaofei's eyes.

"We can do it..." In that instant, all of Kojirō's hopes and hesitations were extinguished as he quickly responded.

The killing intent that had flashed through Li Xiaofei's eyes made him feel as though he had seen the Grandmother of Death herself walking out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Li Xiaofei turned and left. His first step took him out of the Sword Mound cemetery. His second allowed him to vanish entirely from Silent Lake. The air within the Sword Mound cemetery instantly grew lighter, as though an oppressive weight had lifted.

A breeze swept through, and only then did Kojirō and Kitagawa Keiko realize their backs had been drenched in cold sweat. No matter how many times they had read the intelligence reports, nothing could compare to facing the Great Xia's God of Death in person. It was so clear and so terrifying.

That overwhelming aura and suffocating pressure had driven even the strongest within the Sword Sect into a state of despair. Only Ishihara Masami seemed unaffected. She stared in the direction of the Sword Mound cemetery's entrance, her eyes deep and unreadable. No one knew what she was thinking.

But one thing was certain, she would never forget the day's matters for the rest of her life. For the first time, she saw Kojirō and her master, Kitagawa Keiko, compromise out of fear. This planted within her mind a seed of thought that had never existed before.

***

Li Xiaofei arrived in Tokyo where he investigated Takano Kumagawa's former lover and discovered that the poor woman had no special identity. She had merely been a washed-up underground idol. She had been in the darkest stage of her life when she met Takano Kumagawa.

It was only with Takano Kumagawa's help that she managed to catch her breath amidst the debt collection threats from the Yamaguchi-gumi. The two then developed feelings for each other and went on to live together in a stable relationship for eleven years.

Then, just a year ago, the woman suddenly died in a car accident. She was killed instantly. Li Xiaofei checked the hospital records and confirmed that the woman had already been cremated and buried.

However, he unexpectedly discovered something that even the Sword Sect hadn't known. Takano Kumagawa had a son. The child had been born to him by that very woman.

After the car accident that claimed the woman's life, Takano Kumagawa had gone off to wander the mountains and rivers, seeking solace in nature. Meanwhile, their son had mysteriously vanished.

"There's something off about this," muttered Li Xiaofei.

In his mind, he recalled the places Takano Kumagawa had visited after losing his lover. It didn't seem like he had been on vacation.

Could he have been investigating something?

With that in mind, Li Xiaofei began retracing Takano Kumagawa's steps. Takano Kumagawa had traveled across continents and nations, requiring passports, flights, and considerable time.

But for Li Xiaofei, it took only a thought. In just three days, he completed the entire investigation. And he truly uncovered some unexpected information.

There had been killings in every place Takano Kumagawa had passed through. And those killed were all powerhouses from various global superpowers. In addition, he had met with numerous leaders of major local factions and organizations. The troubling part was that every single one of those prominent figures he had visited... was now either dead or in utter turmoil.