Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

The white-haired old man smiled. “How could anyone fly as fast as a cloud boat? Yu’er, are you sure?”

He was a powerful figure with many servants, yet when it came to his grandson, even he was helpless. Just then, he glimpsed a black-cloaked figure streaking through the air a hundred zhang away, moving slightly faster than the cloud boat. The wind peeled back the cloak just enough to reveal half a young man’s face.

Li Guanqi glanced back at the old man on the cloud boat. His brow furrowed slightly, then he accelerated, leaving the boat far behind.

The old man narrowed his eyes and murmured, “Hehe… Since when did such a remarkable young man appear in the Eastern Territory?”

His white Daoist robes shimmered faintly, and the embroidered mark on his chest revealed his rank as a tier-four alchemist. Crowds of people often surrounded him, eager to curry favor because of his lofty status.

But he ignored the sycophants and withdrew to the finest chamber in the cloud boat, still very intrigued by the youth he had just glimpsed.

Li Guanqi, of course, knew nothing of this. He pressed forward at full speed. He had even sent Ye Feng a message, but no reply came. Ye Feng seemed determined to part ways. With Li Guanqi, he felt like a pampered junior of some wealthy clan.

Though neither Ye Feng nor Cao Yan said it aloud, Li Guanqi was like their elder brother, constantly worrying over them and protecting them. He was the strongest of the three, which was why Ye Feng called him Boss. But Ye Feng knew the title was hollow and that he couldn’t keep living under that shelter.

By dusk, the silhouette of a great city appeared on the horizon.

“Nanze City. Finally.”The city sat amid sprawling swamps, its air damp year-round. The swamps brimmed with resources, and many local products attracted cultivators from afar.

Even though the sun was about to set, numerous cloud boats kept going to and from the city.

Li Guanqi registered at the gate under a false name and paid three low-grade spirit stones as an entry fee. A guard tossed him an identity jade token with practiced indifference and rattled off the usual rules: no flying or killing.

Li Guanqi took the jade slip, then asked around for the best brothel in the city. He had money now, so why not stay somewhere first-rate?

Sword Spirit was baffled. This wasn’t the man she remembered from the Hell Mountains. Back then, even when his entrails spilled from a wound, he clenched his teeth and soaked in a natural pool rather than waste his pills. He took them only in the end when the pain became unbearable. She had even thought he might try to endure without them.

He was a money-grubbing miser. But now, he was looking for the best brothel in the city.

Unable to hold back, she asked, “You were so thrifty in the mountains. Why splurge on the best now?”

Li Guanqi stood before a nine-storey building, the Fragrance Hotel. The women standing at the door and the balcony above smiled and waved at him with their handkerchiefs. He looked up at them and couldn’t help but smile.

Then, he replied, “I refused the pills even when I was heavily injured. But here in the city? I want the best. That’s called saving when I can, and spending when I should.”

With that, he strode confidently toward the women at the brothel.

Sword Spirit rolled her eyes inside the sword box. Sometimes she truly couldn’t understand him.

He booked a top-class room and asked the attendant to prepare a hot bath. Then he walked away from the women and rushed upstairs to his room.

Steam rose from the wooden tub that awaited him. He stripped down quickly, sank into the water, and let out a long sigh.

Reaching for the tray beside him, he bit into some fruit and washed it down with wine. His fatigue vanished immediately.

He looked down at the gruesome wounds across his whole body and sighed. “No wonder people choose to take it easy. Not working hard… is too damn comfortable.”

But he wasn’t the type to settle into comfort. His life brimmed with danger, and yet he welcomed the uncertain road ahead.

Mealtime arrived for the guests, and the performances hadn’t begun.

After bathing, Li Guanqi changed into plain white robes and walked out of the building, though not before enjoying the attention of the women along the way.

Leaving the building, he wandered the main street, savoring the rare taste of life amongst civilization. Before long, he reached the bustling city center, far livelier and more developed than the outskirts. The streets swarmed with cultivators, including several at the Golden Core Realm.

Before him loomed a brightly lit building. It had an eye-catching plaque with glittery words—Treasure Pavilion.

His storage pouch was crammed with demonic beast carcasses and other materials he couldn’t use. He was running out of storage space, and this was his chance to sell them off.

The moment he stepped into the Treasure Pavilion, he attracted many looks.

He was too handsome.

His handsome face and plain white robes that complemented his frame made him very attractive. The consecutive battles had made him much more muscular. He had even grown taller by almost five finger-widths, and the previous childishness in his features was gone.

With the sword box slung across his back, Li Guanqi frowned at the attention.

Many young female cultivators covered their mouths and giggled.

Some of the older people praised him. “That youth in white has refined features and a sophisticated air. He must be a successful person.”

Soon, a slightly plump manager jogged over and bowed. “How may I help you, Sir?”

Li Guanqi spoke to him through voice transmission. “I would like to sell a few demonic beast carcasses. Do you guys accept them?”

The man beamed. “Of course, of course. I’ll have someone appraise them right away.”

Without regard for discretion, he turned and called out, “Xiao Yue! Attend this guest. Take him to the backroom and tally his demonic beast carcasses.”

Li Guanqi frowned and transmitted, “I doubt your underling can handle it. I need you to do it yourself.”

A flicker of annoyance crossed the manager’s eyes, but he forced a smile. “Don’t worry, sir. My staff are well-trained. They’ll manage.”

Li Guanqi’s irritation showed. “I’ve got sixteen peak tier-three demonic beasts, and seven early tier-four. Are you sure one worker can manage that?”

Sweat broke out on the manager’s forehead before he’d even processed the entire sentence. He bowed deeply, hands pressed to his thighs. “Forgive me, sir! I was wrong! Please, this way.”

Li Guanqi nodded and followed him up to the third floor.

Soon after, a young man in light-blue robes embroidered with dragons and clouds swaggered in, a girl clinging to his arm. When he saw that the usual sycophantic manager wasn’t there to greet him, his face darkened.

He instantly became annoyed, and the girl next to him mused, “Wow, I can’t believe there’d be a day where Nanze City’s great Young Master Zheng would be left waiting~”