A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Li Guanqi and the others soon arrived at the original sect grounds. They remembered the boundary as a thirty-li radius. Lin Dong had been patrolling along it that day. Li Guanqi sighed deeply at the thought of Lin Dong, but soon, he was stunned by what he saw.

The moment they passed the mountain gates and arrived at Heavenly Sword Peak, sunlight poured on the mountain, partially obscured by thick spirit qi. Far below, clusters of buildings stretched across the peak like beautiful palace drawings.

Vermilion red structures were scattered across the whole of Heavenly Sword Peak, their architecture simple and elegant. Every detail exuded sophistication, reflecting the long history of the Daxia Sword Sect. Looking down, they could truly feel the sect’s current wealth and strength.

A few immortal cranes flew past, letting out bright cries. Cloth bags hung from their talons, carrying letters to be sent to newly recruited disciples.

The vast plaza was smaller than before, but the signs of the previous battle were still there.

As the disciples saw Li Guanqi and the others, they immediately put down their work and bowed.

“I haven’t been away for that long, but the changes are huge...” Li Guanqi remarked.

The others merely smiled. They arrived at the main pavilion of the sect, several storeys tall. Lu Kangnian did not sit in the highest seat. Few people were qualified to enter the place in the first place.

With a sweeping gesture, he smiled. “Everyone, please have a seat. Don’t be so formal. You all must be tired from your journey. Now that you’re home, you can relax a little.”

The tables next to the chairs were filled with spirit fruits and freshly brewed spirit tea. Li Guanqi and his group sat on one side, while Lu Kangnian, Qin Xian, and the others sat on the other. They were only two chi apart, so it did not feel as formal as a meeting.

Lu Kangnian’s relaxed demeanour put Cao Yan and the others at ease. They had been afraid the sect might have many restrictions that would make them uncomfortable, but after meeting Lu Kangnian, they all sighed in relief. Xiao Chen was used to living life at his own pace. If he were constantly kept under watch, he would not be able to stand it. He’d had enough of that in the Xiao residence.

But he felt quite comfortable thus far. Subconsciously, he leaned back into the chair to rest. He had been travelling a lot recently, and he was a little tired.

Lu Kangnian burst into laughter at this. Xiao Chen wondered if relaxing too much was being disrespectful, so he hurriedly straightened up.

Lu Kangnian pressed his palms down and smiled. “Relax, friend. There are no outsiders here. Just sit however you want.”

Xiao Chen eased back into his chair with a fist salute and a smile. “Thank you, Sect Master Lu. I am indeed a little tired...”

Li Guanqi stood up, took Meng Wanshu’s hand, and led her to Li Nanting and Lu Kangnian. Gazing warmly at her, he said, “Master, this is my Dao partner, Meng Wanshu. Wanshu, this is my master, Li Nanting. The graceful lady next to him is my mistress, Shen Lan.”

Li Nanting quickly stood up. “Good, good. I knew you were a good one the moment I saw you. You brat, you’d better treat her well! Girl, if he ever bullies you, just tell me. I’ll teach him a lesson.”

Meng Wanshu nodded, blushing deeply. Shen Lan gazed at her lovingly, nodding with approval. The smile on her face remained. She was clearly satisfied with Meng Wanshu too.

Shen Lan stood. She could faintly sense the powerful ice vital force in Meng Wanshu. Going up to her, she slowly took out a sapphire-blue hairpin and gestured for Meng Wanshu to turn around. She expertly tied up Meng Wanshu’s hair.

Meng Wanshu’s graceful neck was now visible, along with a hint of her back and shoulders. The simple change in hairstyle added an extra touch of sophistication to her appearance. She felt a little shy.

She noticed that there was no vital force in the hairpin, which meant it was likely Shen Lan’s own personal possession. “Senior... Is this jade hairpin a little too valuable...”

This gained even more of Shen Lan’s approval. She merely tucked some hair behind Meng Wanshu’s ear, gazing at her with maternal love. “Just take it. It’s a regular jade hairpin from down the mountain. It’s nothing valuable. I hope you’ll be happy with Guanqi.”

Meng Wanshu blushed and nodded. She could tell Li Nanting had some underlying health problems. With a flash of light, a jade bottle appeared in her hand, and she offered it to Shen Lan.

Shen Lan was about to refuse when Meng Wanshu said, “I think Senior Li still has some hidden ailments. The spirit fluid in this jade bottle will help him heal.”

Shen Lan was stunned. Even Sun Miao, the sect’s lead alchemist, could not solve this problem. Yet this young lady had casually taken out a jade bottle and claimed it would help him heal.

Li Guanqi smiled. “Mistress, just take it... Later, you will get to know who Wanshu is.”

Shen Lan felt reluctant to refuse the gift, as she was truly concerned about Li Nanting’s health. Having recently reached the Divine Transformation Realm with the sect’s backing, she noticed Li Nanting beginning to feel anxious.

Shen Lan pulled Meng Wanshu toward the door. “You men talk. I’ll take Wanshu around the sect.”

Meng Wanshu nodded.

“Haha. Girl, I’ll take you to see Jade Teapot Peak, where Guanqi used to cultivate.”

They left the main pavilion together, arms intertwined, leaving the group of men behind.

Li Guanqi sat down next to Li Nanting. “Master, why don’t I see Sui’an?”

Li Nanting smiled. “That little girl is almost at the Nascent Soul Realm. She left the sect to train. Most of the disciples in your cohort have left the sect grounds to travel the continent. Very few remain.”

Li Guanqi nodded, feeling a mix of sadness and pride. In his memory, Yu Sui’an was still the little girl who loved running around the sect grounds. How did she grow up so fast? Nascent Soul Realm? And she’s already left the sect to train...

Lu Kangnian coughed twice and gave Li Guanqi a look. He smiled. “Guanqi, shouldn’t you introduce your two friends?”

Li Guanqi had been monitoring Meng Wanshu through his divine consciousness when he heard her voice.

”What? Drink it?” she exclaimed, her face flushing deeply.