Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

A few moments later, Li Guanqi and Ye Feng hovered in the skies above the southern part of the city. Before them stood three cultivators at the Golden Core Realm, standing midair.

The person on the left was a man in black. He’d been watching Li Guanqi and Ye Feng from the start. He removed his cloak to reveal a narrow, monkey-like face, with pointed ears, bulging cheeks, and a pair of shifty, mouse-like eyes that flicked constantly between Li Guanqi and Ye Feng. His black robes were lined with gold embroidery.

The man in the middle was Yu Kai, a muscular man with a long scar on his face. His aura was the strongest of the three, exerting an oppressive pressure on his surroundings.

On the right was Luan Ying, curvaceous and veiled in a light veil that covered her face.

The two sides stood five zhang apart. Li Guanqi folded his arms and offered a polite bow, his gaze lingering deliberately on the veiled woman. On the other hand, Ye Feng‌ stood with his hand gripping the sheath of his sword.

Yu Kai shot a glare at the mousy man beside him, then turned to Li Guanqi with a smile. “You don’t look familiar, friend. Let me introduce myself. I am Yu Kai, chief of the Dark Blood Association. There might’ve been a bit of a misunderstanding earlier. Why don’t you come to my place so we can talk things through?”

Li Guanqi shook his head. “Chief Yu, was it? I don’t believe there’s been any misunderstanding. There’s nothing to discuss.”

Yu Kai’s smile froze. He hadn’t expected to be brushed off so bluntly. His expression darkened, and his smile turned cold. “Oh? Is that so?”

Li Guanqi turned his gaze toward the city gates. “You’ve had your eyes on us from the moment we entered the city, haven’t you? First, you arranged for a beautiful lady to serve us and give us Blood-Boosting Pills. Then, you had your people sneak into our room to spy on us.”

Yu Kai narrowed his eyes, thoughts spinning. Which major clan are they from…? Or are they long-time rogue cultivators? But they look too young!As Yu Kai’s mind raced, his eyes wandered in all directions, which Li Guanqi caught on. “If it were that easy to spot my clan’s bodyguards, they’d be completely useless.”

Yu Kai’s chest tightened.

They’re definitely members of a rich family!

The moment the thought hit, his demeanor flipped. Bowing slightly, he forced a laugh. “Oh, hahaha! Please forgive my rudeness. May I ask which clan you two gentlemen are from? Is it the Myriad Winds Clan?

Ye Feng was inwardly shocked. He hadn’t expected a single comment from Li Guanqi to shake them so badly. Still, he kept a calm front, betraying no reaction.

Li Guanqi smiled. “Don’t start feeling the doorframe. I’m handing you the doormat.”

Yu Kai froze, then broke into a cold sweat. He understood the meaning: Li Guanqi was calling him out for fishing for clues, and telling him he wasn’t about to provide any.

The mousy man next to Yu Kai squinted at Li Guanqi, but when he turned and met Yu Kai’s eyes, he quickly changed into a bright smile and nodded.

Li Guanqi continued to speak nonchalantly. “Chief Yu, are you planning to set up shop in Lingchang City?”

By setting up shop, he meant using Lingchang City as his gang’s base.

Yu Kai nodded stiffly. “Yes.”

“And what business might you be running?” Li Guanqi asked, still smiling. “A thrift shop? Or herb-picking?”

By thrift shop, he meant robbery, and by herb-picking, he meant murder.

Before Yu Kai could speak, the other man said coldly, “Friend, isn’t this a little too much? Let’s go our separate ways and agree not to meddle in each other’s affairs. Don’t get yourself mixed up in this.”

It was a rude thing to say, but Yu Kai did not stop him.

Li Guanqi turned to glance at him, narrowing his eyes.

The sword coffin behind him creaked open.

A crimson blade flew out, hovering above his shoulder and pointing at the man. Purple lightning crackled along the edge, and a faint but deadly pressure spread outward. Li Guanqi tilted his head, eyes locked on the man, and spoke softly without moving his lips much.

“Would you believe me if I said I could pierce your cocoon?”

By cocoon, he meant heart.

Yu Kai’s face drained of color in an instant. A flying sword! And the aura it exuded... its sharpness indicated that Li Guanqi was already developing sword intent.

These two are not as simple as they seem!

All trace of arrogance vanished from Yu Kai’s face. He hastily tried to smooth things over and reprimanded his underling with a frown, as if he were mad. “Wei San, how could you say such things! Be more polite to our brother here!”

The blind youth standing in front of him was likely the bodyguard of the youth in luxurious robes beside him. He seemed fluent in street slang and was probably a loyal servant raised by some major clan since childhood.

Yu Kai had only just arrived in Lingchang City. The last thing he wanted was to clash with some powerful faction he couldn’t identify. He immediately dismissed any thoughts of recruiting or manipulating them. He now firmly believed the real bodyguards must be hiding somewhere—or perhaps they were close by, but he simply couldn’t sense them.

Yu Kai gave a fist salute in all four directions, then smiled and nodded at Ye Feng.

Ye Feng ignored him. Seeing this, Yu Kai waved at the other two people behind him, even more relieved that he had not attacked them. I was right! I am so smart! People from major factions are not the same as peasants after all.

The mousy man turned to look at Li Guanqi and smiled. “Please don’t be mad, Brother. I spoke without thinking.”

Whoosh!

A storage pouch appeared in Yu Kai’s hand, and he tossed it at Li Guanqi with a small smile. “Just a small gift. Treat it as an apology from me.”

Li Guanqi pocketed the pouch without even glancing inside. He stowed the Red Lotus Sword and smiled warmly, as if none of it had ever been serious.

As Li Guanqi turned to leave, he glanced down and coincidentally spotted a thin, bony youth below. Someone had thrown him out of the back door of a mansion, reminiscent of that snowy night years ago.

Li Guanqi trembled, his gaze fixed on the youth’s deathly pale face as the Blood-Boosting Pills he’d gotten flashed in his mind.

Suddenly, he understood.