Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi pushed through the crowd trying to block him and finally saw what was in the room. His mind went blank, and he nearly blacked out.

He rushed to the side of the table to look at the little girl on the brink of death. His pure white eyes blazed with furious, bloodshot rage.

He clenched his fists. His mouth fell open at the sight of Yu Sui’an’s pitiful state. A low growl escaped his throat as vital force surged uncontrollably through him. Stray arcs of lightning crackled across his skin.

Qin Xian quickly pulled him outside and warned, “Go back and try to calm down! Her life is in danger, so don’t distract us by making us worry about you too! You know how serious this is!”

Li Guanqi could feel Yu Sui’an’s life force slipping away. He stood frozen, powerless to help. All he could do was watch as others rushed around to help clean her wounds.

Yu Sui’an grimaced in agony, her face twisted in pain, but not a sound escaped her lips. She coughed violently and spat blood. Her chest was sunken. Someone had shattered all four of her limbs. Bone pierced through her skin in a sickening sight.

There was even a large purple-green bruise on her right thigh—it looked old, maybe from several days ago. Li Guanqi’s heart clenched at the sight.

That was why she flinched away when he tried to touch her leg the last two times he carried her.

Each touch to clean her wounds sent a spasm through her.

The medicinal pills they gave her couldn’t circulate properly. Li Guanqi could still sense her life force fading steadily.Most of the qi in her dantian had dispersed due to blunt trauma.

The girl fought to open her eyes. When she saw him, tears spilled down her cheeks. She sobbed and said, “Little blind boy… it hurts… it hurts so much…”

Li Guanqi’s heart twisted like a rag wrung dry. He shut his eyes in agony. The killing intent rising inside him could no longer be held back.

He asked hoarsely, “Do we know… who did this?”

Li Nanting turned toward him. “No. But you mustn’t let this affect your performance in the finals the day after tomorrow. Leave Sui’an to us. Focus on your cultivation. No matter who’s responsible, I’ll make them pay.”

Li Guanqi saw the pain in the old man’s eyes. He turned and returned to his room without a word.

Just then, Ye Feng’s jade slip flashed. He stepped away from the others and infused it with vital force. Li Guanqi’s icy voice emerged. “Do you know who did this?”

Ye Feng was silent for a moment. Then he said, “Brother Li… don’t be rash. We don’t know who the culprit is yet.”

But then, the image of Yu Sui’an’s gruesome injuries popped into Ye Feng’s mind. He hesitated, then whispered, “We all think it’s those disciples from the Purple Sun Pavilion, but we don’t have any evidence. But… the chubby guy, Tang Ru, should know something.”

He continued, “Brother Li, I suggest you hold back your anger for a while. The sect will surely investigate this matter. Whoever did this, they won’t get away with it!”

No reply came.

In the room, Qin Xian looked at Yu Sui’an gravely, then turned to Li Nanting and said, “You should keep an eye on Li Guanqi. I’m afraid he might do something reckless.”

Li Nanting was silent momentarily, then begrudgingly headed to Li Guanqi’s room. When he arrived, he saw the boy forcing himself to cultivate, eyes closed in grim focus. Li Nanting sighed and left.

Later, after sending the other disciples back to rest, Yu Sui’an’s condition finally stabilized.

But only until midnight.

At the hour of the Rat[1], her life force began to plummet. She fell into a coma, and no matter how they yelled, they could not wake her.

In the chaos, Qin Xian scooped her up and shouted, “This won’t do—we need Shen Lan now! They won’t arrive until tomorrow night at the earliest. The girl won’t make it that long. Tu Kui and I will go meet them halfway!”

Li Nanting cried anxiously, “I’m going too!”

“Don’t be foolish!” Qin Xian snapped. “If we all leave, who’ll look after the disciples? Did you see Li Guanqi? You need to keep an eye on him!”

Then, Qin Xian and Tu Kui reached out to make a tear in space. Holding Yu Sui’an tightly, they stepped into the pitch-black spatial crack.

Li Nanting stood frozen, watching them disappear. His anxiety only deepened. He paced the courtyard, chain-smoking from his pipe.

He glanced toward Li Guanqi’s room. The boy hadn’t moved. That eased him—slightly.

Inside, Li Guanqi sat in torment. On one side, he bore the hope of his sect. On the other, Yu Sui’an, the girl he saw as his own sister, lay dying.

She had been tortured all night with monstrous cruelty.

His eyes snapped open. He rubbed his face hard and rose to his feet.

The killing intent boiling within him could no longer be restrained.

He left behind a Body Double Talisman and slipped out without a sound. Inside the array in his room, the glowing talisman pulsed faintly, radiating an aura identical to his.

Outside, snow had begun to fall. Heavenly Tiger Pass was buried in a silvery blanket. A shadow darted across the knee-deep snow, leaving not even a footprint.

It was a dark, snowy night.

A perfect night—for murder.

Before long, Li Guanqi reached the Purple Sun Pavilion’s courtyard. He vaulted over the wall without making a sound. Then, as if sensing something, he looked up to a corner of the roof.

A plump youth sat there, raising a wine jar in salute.

Li Guanqi went up to him in a flash, then transmitted in a hoarse voice, “Are you going to stop me?”

The chubby youth was Tang Ru, a disciple of the Purple Sun Pavilion. However, he was currently wearing golden brocade robes instead of the Purple Sun Pavilion’s robes.

Tang Ru looked him over and replied via transmission, “I’m not going to stop you. I just want to know… is she dead?”

“She’s heavily injured. On the brink of death.”

Pain flickered in Tang Ru’s eyes. With a flash of light, a jade bottle appeared in his hand. Its thin walls showed the spirit liquid within.

“This is a hundred-year-old milk essence. It’ll keep her alive. I like that quirky little girl. You don’t need to pay me for this. As for why I’m here… I was betting you’d come.”

Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. He spotted the wounds on Tang Ru’s face and said, “Why are you doing this?”

“No big reason. I always wanted a little sister, but my parents never gave me one. I liked her, that’s all. But I couldn’t stop what they did. I even got beaten for it. Now, I’ve decided to leave that godforsaken place. So… have you made your decision?”

1. Between 11 PM and 1 AM ☜

Doge & Char’s Thoughts