Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

The old man hadn’t expected to see anyone sincerely trying to sell wares, as swindlers were the norm on the port. Yet there Li Guanqi was, displaying a large assortment of goods.

The old man pointed at a red cloth and asked, “If I’m not mistaken, isn’t that a woman’s dudou?” [1]

Li Guanqi looked a little sheepish. He picked up the dudou and held it out. “Why don’t you take it?”

The old man stiffened. Although he protested that he was too embarrassed to accept it, he still tucked the red dudou away. Before doing so, he took a deep breath and felt like he was in heaven.

Li Guanqi had never underestimated the old man. Anyone who could survive for long in a place like the port clearly wasn’t simple.

The old man carefully stowed the dudou and sat beside him with a grin. “My name is Miao Rongchang. What should I call you?”

Li Guanqi lied easily. “Li Dahu. These are my younger brothers, Li Erniu and Li Sangou.”

Cao Yan made a horn gesture on his head to signify that he was Li Erniu.[2]

Meanwhile, Ye Feng tilted his head and grinned like a fool.

intrigued by the assortment of products in front of Li Guanqi, Miao Rongchang said, “Kid, you should be careful. Leaving this stuff out in the open? Someone might rob your goods.”The admiration in his eyes was plain to see.

Li Guanqi didn’t respond. He simply took out three black cloaks, one for each of them. He helped Ye Feng put his cloak on.

Ye Feng finally relaxed his face underneath the cloak. At least he did not need to keep drooling.

“Boss, can’t you leave the acting to Big Head next time…?”

Cao Yan almost burst out laughing. Without a word, he sat cross-legged and began to meditate. It had been years since he’d been able to cultivate, so he intended to savor the experience.

Miao Rongchang could tell the trio wasn’t quite ordinary, but they were mere passing strangers in a chaotic world. He knew better than to pry into their secrets.

The old man did not need to hide much. Swindlers like him left the area after their business was done, never to be found again.

As more people arrived, they began staking out their own corners to sell. When they noticed that Old Miao wasn’t in his usual spot, they laughed. “Wow! Didn’t get here early enough today, did you, Old Miao?”

“Shoo, shoo!” Miao Rongchang waved them off. “I’m letting the kid have my spot for a day.”

Li Guanqi only smiled, saying nothing. Whatever he was thinking, he kept it to himself.

He was interested in the jade pendant, but he never once glanced its way, knowing he couldn’t betray his interest.

More cloud boats began docking by the mountain port. Most followed similar routes, heading for the Eastern Territory, though the exact destinations varied.

Soon, the quiet port was bustling with cultivators arriving by air. Some rushed straight for the cloud boats, while others took their time browsing the stalls.

When Maio Rongchang saw people coming, he started shouting about pieces from thousand-year-old treasures, hundred-year-old herbs, five-hundred-year-old pills… He mentioned just about anything that would draw attention to his wares.

Li Guanqi was genuinely impressed. A heap of broken clay shards somehow sounded like priceless relics when pitched by this old man.

Many people approached his stall when they heard him, but when they inspected the items, they quickly realized something was wrong and that nothing he said was true.

The old man’s loud hawking had an unintended effect, though. It also directed attention to Li Guanqi’s nearby stall.

Three black-cloaked people sat behind the stall, neither speaking nor calling.

A range of items glimmering with spirit light lay casually on the rug. Their calm presence and faint aura quietly earned many people’s trust.

The people who had stopped at Miao Rongchang’s stall soon drifted over to Li Guanqi’s stall. As they decided what they wanted, Li Guanqi suddenly opened his eyes.

Clang!

A very ordinary pig iron sword shot out from behind him, flying quickly and pinning someone’s hand to the ground.

“Ahh!”

The situation startled the nearby cultivators. A crowd began to gather, stunned by what had just happened. Controlling flying swords wasn’t something any run-of-the-mill cultivator could pull off.

A man with shifty, rodent-like eyes screamed, clutching his bleeding hand. “Ahhh! Damn it! It hurts! Let me go! Do you have any idea who I am?!”

Li Guanqi stood up slowly, his face still hidden beneath his hood. He tossed a dagger toward the man, his voice low and deliberately hoarse. “I don’t care who you are. The rules are still the same. You can cut it off yourself, or I’ll do it for you.”

The man trembled. Panic filled his eyes. After a moment, he gritted his teeth, picked up the dagger, and sliced off the last finger on his right hand.

The man clutched his right hand, took a long look at Li Guanqi, then bowed lightly and disappeared into the crowd.

Li Guanqi had already given the man’s superiors face. Cutting off the man’s hand himself would have been considered disrespectful, even if it didn’t violate any street rules.

He wasn’t looking to cause trouble, but he had to make a point.

Li Guanqi lifted his foot and crushed the finger on the ground. He kicked it aside, then turned and said coldly, “If you want to buy, ask the price. If you don’t, move along. No bargaining.”

Li He didn’t notice Cao Yan staring at him, eyes practically sparkling. He turne,d to Ye Feng and said, “Big Brother is awesome!”

Ye Feng grinned and sent back a voice transmission. “This is nothing! You should’ve seen him take out those guys from the Purple Sun Pavilion on his own. Now that was awesome!”

Cao Yan’s eyes widened. “Wait… is he the one everyone in the Northern Territory’s been talking about?”

Ye Feng nodded. “That’s right. That’s him.”

Cao Yan murmured, “Daxia Sword Sect… Li Guanqi!”

“You’ve heard of him?!”

“Yes! This news travelled far and wide. After all, he is likely to get on this year’s Golden Core Realm Leaderboard!” Cao Yan said solemnly.

Ye Feng quickly leaned over and transmitted, “What’s the Golden Core Realm Leaderboard? Why have I never heard of it?”

Cao Yan looked at them both with surprise. Ye Feng and Li Guanqi were wandering the world, yet seemed to know so little about it.

1. 肚兜 (dudou) can be translated as a belly wrap. It is a traditional Chinese undershirt that resembles a halter top tied around the waist and the neck, therefore covering the chest and belly area. ☜

2. 牛(Niu) means cow ☜