A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Li Guanqi was stunned by the awe-inspiring atmosphere of the Great Profound Sword Sect’s plaza. They were not walking on ordinary stone tiles—the plaza was inlaid with low-grade spirit stones from the mineral veins and was a thousand zhang in radius. The sheer number of spirit stones was staggering.

The arrays below kept the spirit qi in check, and the ground was paved with intricately carved white-jade tiles. In the distance, pavilions, platforms, and towers dotted the mountain, elegant and traditional, their carved facades making for a beautiful sight.

The most magnificent part was the main pavilion at the center of the plaza, with glowing characters floating overhead.

Great Profound Pavilion.

Li Guanqi noticed the unwavering determination and sharp gazes of every disciple present. They all stood up straight, with ethereal auras and great confidence emanating from their eyes. Such attitudes stemmed from both their confidence in the sect and their own inner strength.

Everyone who saw He Yuning bowed slightly. They clearly respected him a great deal.

Li Guanqi turned to him. “Brother He, are you a music cultivator or a sword cultivator?”

He Yuning smirked with amusement. It was rare for Li Guanqi not to know something. “Take a guess.”

Li Guanqi smiled.

He Yuning and Li Guanqi flew to the back of the mountains. Flying was permitted once they’d hiked up. As they flew, Li Guanqi realized he had still underestimated the strength of this sect.

When he’d hiked up the mountain, he had entered the main array. Though the sect appeared to consist of only one mountain, he now realized the entire area—a hundred-li radius—belonged to the sect.

From the outside, it appeared much smaller. Somehow, the sect had compressed a hundred li into mere inches.

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and murmured, “Where does the array’s boundary start?”

He Yuning smiled and shook the bamboo flute in his hand. “Ten li from the base of the mountain.”

Li Guanqi nodded. If He Yuning hadn’t been with him, he likely wouldn’t even have noticed the stone steps.

Soon, He Yuning brought him to a courtyard with beautiful scenery. He Yuning grabbed a handful of fish food and tossed it into the pond. “Sit wherever you want. Make yourself at home.”

Then he stepped inside.

Li Guanqi looked around the courtyard in surprise. It was about thirty zhang wide. By his estimation, the young sect master of the Great Profound Sword Sect shouldn’t have such a simple residence. But He Yuning didn’t seem to be putting on an act.

He Yuning emerged with a jar of wine in his arms.[1] He grinned when he met Li Guanqi’s eyes. “After I returned last time, I asked my father for some wine. It’s not very strong, so I can drink some with you. If we drank the wine you gave me, you’d probably have to carry me inside after two cups.”

Li Guanqi didn’t mind. He took out a sophisticated wine jug and a set of cups.

He Yuning opened the jar’s seal, and a sweet, floral fragrance wafted out. The clear wine was a light green, like mountain springwater. When he poured it from the jar to the jug, the slightly viscous wine sparkled with dots of spirit light—clearly no ordinary wine. He filled the jug, then set out many dishes of food.

Li Guanqi smiled. “So many! When did you prepare these?”

He Yuning leaned back in his chair and sniffed the wine, imitating the elders he’d seen. He scratched his head. “I prepared them after I sobered up. I had a feeling we’d meet again soon, and I didn’t want to be caught unprepared when you wanted to drink.”

Li Guanqi poured some wine for himself and held up the cup with two hands. “Thank you for your help, Brother He. This cup is for you.”

Before he could drink, He Yuning covered the mouth of the cup with his hand. “Why are you thanking me like that? I helped you because I see you as my friend. If you’re going to be so uptight, I won’t drink with you anymore.”

“Alright, let’s just drink and forget about it,” Li Guanqi said.

With a cheerful clink, they clinked their cups and downed three in a row. A wave of warmth spread through their dantians.

This wine was not as simple as it looked. Both of them rested their hands on their knees, their faces red. Li Guanqi fared slightly better. He circulated the excess spirit qi throughout his body and soon refined it in his dantian. They put down the cups and snacked on peanuts.

Li Guanqi looked at He Yuning, falling into a daze. He didn’t understand how the young sect master of such a large faction could be so innocent—or more precisely, how he could show such innocence only in front of him. A person in his position could never live a truly peaceful life. Furthermore, Li Guanqi wasn’t confident he could beat He Yuning in a fight. That was why he’d asked whether He Yuning was a music cultivator or a sword cultivator.

He Yuning leaned in mysteriously, lowering his voice. “Brother Li, what’s the deal with your sword intent? The ancestors of the Great Profound Sword Sect left behind over thirty types of sword intent, but I’ve never seen anything like yours.”

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. I’m just curious,” he said.

He Yuning fell into thought and muttered, “Your sword intent has a dominating presence, as if you’d face anyone in the world with your sword. Plus, it has a killing intent, mixed with anger at the world’s injustice! Its killing intent surpasses other sword intents born of great killing. That’s why I don’t quite understand it.”

Li Guanqi’s eyes flashed. He Yuning’s analysis confirmed that his bamboo flute was just a disguise. For him to make such detailed observations from a hint of dispersed sword intent, he had to have outstanding talent in the sword Dao.

Li Guanqi smiled and pointed at He Yuning’s wine cup. “Three cups. Drink three cups and I’ll tell you.”

He Yuning pointed at him. “You bastard! Your heart is black!”

Then he grinned. “But I’ll drink. I’m curious. To be honest, after your battle against the Purple Sun Pavilion, I dreamed of meeting you.”

He tipped his head back and downed three cups. The fiery wine brought tears to his eyes and flushed his cheeks.

1. Wine was traditionally stored in clay jars in ancient China. The porous ceramic walls allow slow oxidation and esterification, which mellows the wine and enriches its flavor. ☜