A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Ning Xiu launched an attack without waiting for a response. She couldn’t risk him revealing her secret, no matter how he’d found out.

Boom!

Terrifying flames burst forth, and a blazing dragon shot up into the sky.

Her aura pressed down on everything around her. Gripping her sword with both hands, she charged straight at Li Guanqi.

Boom!

Her speed was so great that the space around her warped, and cracks spiderwebbed across the ground in her wake.

Li Guanqi remained calm in the face of the towering flames. The plain sword in his hand suddenly rang with a piercing cry.

Clang!

A flash of lightning tore across the sky, lancing through the flames. The fire vanished the instant the lightning struck.

Hiss!

A thin cut opened on Ning Xiu’s fair cheek. As blood trickled down, her eyes filled with disbelief. His strength was unbelievable. She could sense only the aura of a mid Nascent Soul Realm cultivator from him, yet it felt as if her life hung entirely in his grasp.

Immediately after, Li Guanqi broke through the flames and appeared before her. His face was only a finger’s width away—close enough that she could feel his breath.

Boom!

She tried to lift her sword, but his hands seized her thin wrists like iron clamps. He slammed her back against the stone wall, restraining her with ease.

The closeness made Ning Xiu’s face flush. Flustered and furious, she shouted, “What are you doing? Let me go!”

Before she even finished speaking, she drove her knee up toward his crotch. He raised his left leg to block, then pinned her right leg against the wall with his weight.

Now, three of her limbs were pressed against the wall. Ning Xiu felt even more violated.

Ning Xiu, her cheeks burning, realized there was no escaping. She could only turn away, avoiding his gaze.

Li Guanqi pressed his lips together. Ning Xiu was strikingly beautiful, with clear eyes like spring water, a tall nose, red lips, and white teeth. Their position was a little inappropriate, but he couldn’t afford to release her yet.

He tapped her forehead lightly and smiled. “Big Sister, please don’t be mad. If it weren’t for that flicker in your eyes when you came downstairs, I’d never have guessed you were from the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion.”

Ning Xiu’s eyes widened. He had deduced her identity from just a fleeting glance.

Seeing that she didn’t deny it, he smiled again. “The Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion really does have eyes everywhere. But there’s one thing I’d like to know...”

Ning Xiu turned her head to look at him, unsure what he was about to ask.

Seeing the anger in her eyes, he awkwardly let her leg down, though he was reluctant to release the warmth of her touch. “I’ll let your leg down, but you’d better not kick me.”

She glared at him but stayed still.

It was so soft...

Fortunately, his expression didn’t change. If she had known what he was thinking, she would’ve cut him without hesitation.

“I want to know why the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion included my Hell Mountains battle on my record.”

Ning Xiu frowned slightly, then met his eyes and shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Li Guanqi clicked his tongue and released her. Then he tossed his heavenly intelligence jade pendant to her. “I never enjoyed dealing with your people. Even this little pendant is full of your little tricks.”

Her expression stiffened. She knew very well what the pendant’s true purpose was. She caught it, ran her fingers over its surface, and watched as it glowed brilliantly before dimming again.

With a conflicted look, she said, “The Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion bears you no ill will. The pendant won’t expose your location anymore. If you still find it useful, keep it. As for why that information appeared on the leaderboard, I really don’t know. Many parties track it, so when the rankings update, old events tend to resurface.”

Li Guanqi snorted. He didn’t buy her explanation, but the pendant’s utility was undeniable. He grabbed it and brushed a hand across his face. His features shifted back into his disguise.

Pulling down his bamboo hat, he turned and walked deeper into Inferno Valley without looking back.

Ning Xiu watched him go, still a little shaken. Her cheeks were still flushed, burning to the touch. The sheer masculinity and power he exuded had made her swoon. When she closed her eyes, she could only replay the moment she was pinned beneath him.

After some hesitation, she decided not to report his presence. She wasn’t sure what he was after, but she guessed it had to do with fire essence.

When she returned to the guesthouse, she was still in a daze. The other tenants stared, curious and afraid. Everyone in town had seen the flames, even from dozens of li away.

Catching their looks, Ning Xiu drew her sword and barked, “Get the hell out! I’m closed for the day! Get your asses to the other guesthouse!”

Li Guanqi had no idea what was going on, though he wouldn’t have cared if he did.

He moved slowly through Inferno Valley. The air was thick and oppressive like a cauldron. Despite his protective vital force, each breath seared his throat like swallowing fire.

He recalled the map stored in the jade pendant. A fire symbol had been marked there. He wasn’t sure if it represented the heat or something else, but either way, he had a feeling the pendant was more complicated than it appeared.

After checking the direction, he tore open a spatial rift and stepped through it toward the marked location.