Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Having finished his task, Cao Yan explained to Li Guanqi what was happening to Wang Heyang.

Li Guanqi strode onto the stage and burst out laughing. “If we threw you into the cauldron, the only thing left would be your mouth! Out of your whole body, the hardest thing about you is that mouth[1] of yours.”

The crowd burst out laughing. Many murmured, “Who’d have thought the hardest part of Young Master Wang is his mouth?”

“Hahaha! You’ve already lost, so just admit defeat and be done with it! Don’t drag it out like a bitch!”

“Tsk. Don’t tell me the great Young Master Wang of the Cloud Pill Pavilion can’t stomach a single loss?”

The crowd’s mockery grew sharper, especially from those who had lost items to Wang Heyang in past auctions. They had never liked him, so it was no surprise they jeered at him when he was at his lowest.

Wang Heyang’s frown deepened, but he couldn’t back down. If he did, Li Guanqi would claim the Longevity Grass.

The spirit liquid inside his cauldron was beginning to condense. He knew that if it continued, it would all be over.

The heckling from the audience rattled him, but he had no choice. “Hmph! It’s not finished yet. How can you all be so sure who the winner will be?”

Li Guanqi frowned. Wang Heyang was obviously stalling, and he feared the situation might spiral out of control.Suddenly, the doors of the hall banged open. An elder in dark blue robes stormed in with a cold glare, radiating a powerful aura. From the feel of it, he was already half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm.

In an instant, he appeared on stage, glared at Wang Heyang, seized him by the collar, and turned to leave.

The fire beneath the cauldron went out, and the liquid that had been about to form pills collapsed into ash.

Many people recognized the old man.

“Hmm? Isn’t that Lu Yu, the sixth elder of the Cloud Pill Pavilion? Why is he here?”

“That’s not right… Based on his aura… Is he approaching the end of his lifespan?”

Cao Yan frowned and whispered to Li Guanqi, “Boss, what now? That bastard’s trying to skip out on paying up.”

Li Guanqi stepped forward, blocking Lu Yu’s path. A violent pressure flared from him as his black cloak split, and the Red Lotus Sword flew into his hand.

He leveled the blade at the old man, eyes narrowing. “Old man, there was a wager here. Taking him away like this… don’t you think that’s a bit out of line?”

Lu Yu was no coward. A terrifying force erupted from him, blasting everyone within thirty zhang into the air.

Half-step Nascent Soul Realm! However, people noticed the decay hidden in his aura, and realization struck. Wang Heyang had bought the Longevity Grass to extend Lu Yu’s life.

Wang Heyang stood trembling behind him, pale as paper.

Lu Yu had white hair and a long goatee. His nose was hooked like an eagle’s beak, and his small eyes glared icily.

He looked at the cloaked Li Guanqi, a treasure sword of rippling multicolored light materializing in his hand. With a swing, he sent a wave of violent flame sweeping a dozen zhang across, the fiery sword light aimed straight for Li Guanqi’s throat.

Li Guanqi showed no fear. Using the Traceless Darkness Step, he slipped past the strike. He could feel the sharp edge brush the air by his cheek.

Instead of retreating, Li Guanqi lunged like a hunting panther.

“Soul Dissolution! Blade Breaker! Thunderbolt!”

Clang!

A fierce sword cry rang out. Even before it ended, a flash of lightning and sword light cleaved through the air.

Lu Yu froze, staring at the lock of hair that had been sliced clean from beside his ear.

No one in the audience had expected things to escalate so suddenly.

Lu Yu readied himself to strike again—only for two more black-cloaked figures to close in, striking mercilessly at him.

Though he was half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm, he could not withstand the relentless coordination of the trio, striking and defending in perfect rhythm.

Within the tight confines of the hall, Lu Yu found himself overwhelmed.

And then, another presence arrived. A suffocating aura pressed down on the hall.

Click. Click. Click.

Footsteps rang out. The crowd instantly parted.

A woman with an icy face approached Lu Yu slowly. He slightly paled at the sight of her. He lowered his sword and bowed. “Greetings, Miss Qian Qiusui. I am Lu Yu, the sixth elder of the Cloud Pill Pavilion.”

But Qian Qiusui’s expression was unreadable, her gaze colder than frost.

Boom! Boom!

Lu Yu’s eyes widened with shock. A crushing force drove him to his knees, shattering the tiles beneath him.

The kneeling old man looked up at Qian Qiusui with great difficulty and said coldly, “What’s the meaning of this, Senior?”

Qian Qiusui giggled. “What’s the meaning of this? Well, you broke the rules! They were the ones who set the conditions of the bet, and I am the judge. If you drag him away, what credibility would my Yunding Auction House have left?”

Lu Yu’s face turned red. He had completely lost face as the elder of the Cloud Pill Pavilion!

Qian Qiusui stood before him. He could see her fair, slender calves, but his terror left him no room for stray thoughts.

Boom!

His head struck the floor.

Qian Qiusui didn’t even glance down. “You’re not the first to flout the rules in my Yunding Auction House, and you won’t be the last. But I promise you this: not a single one who does so will leave alive.”

Boom!

Lu Yu’s body floated as if caught by an invisible hand, then smashed into the ground again and again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

His bones had shattered, and his body no longer looked human.

At last, the unseen hand hurled his corpse out the door like a bag of trash.

The hall fell utterly silent. No one dared look at her directly. They could barely breathe.

Qian Qiusui turned to Li Guanqi and smiled. “The deal stands. Here are the items you wanted.”

She handed him the ring. “I’ll leave the rest to you youngsters. Don’t die on me, or I’ll have made a bad investment.”

1. In Mandarin, 嘴硬 or having a “hard mouth” refers to refusing to admit mistakes or defeat. It can also denote stubbornness and a refusal to submit to authority. ☜