Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Naturally, Li Guanqi also sensed the youth’s aura. He felt a little puzzled. The young man looked to be in his early twenties, yet his presence was subtle and powerful enough to make Li Guanqi secretly marvel. He hadn’t expected someone so delicate-looking to harbor such terrifying strength.

A desire to fight started to grow in his heart. After so long without a real battle, he was itching to test the limits of his body.

He pushed those thoughts aside, left the hotel, and began to wander the streets.

After walking for a while, he realized that although the five peaks were connected, each city atop them had its own distinct culture. The large city at the center was the oldest, its weathered streets lined with ancient buildings that exuded a quiet, timeless charm. Meanwhile, the newer cities were filled with opulent pavilions and buildings.

Li Guanqi strolled along, happily munching on a steaming rice cake as he browsed the shops.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the crowd ahead. Curious, he looked up and extended his divine consciousness like a rising tide toward the disturbance. Not far ahead stood a massive six-story building with a plaque above its large entrance.

Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

People were heading toward it in droves.

With nothing better to do, Li Guanqi joined them. Despite the crush of bodies, others instinctively gave way whenever they got close to him, and he soon reached the front of the crowd.

Staring at the lavish building, he couldn’t help but feel speechless.“Tsk, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion really is rolling in money. Just look at this place!”

He peered into the great hall and could see everything inside.

A white-bearded old man in luxurious robes stood in the great hall, waving a document as he shouted, “I don’t care! The Hundred Treasures Pavilion borrowed this sum from me sixty years ago! Based on the interest, you now owe me ten thousand high-grade spirit stones!”

The crowd outside gaped, stunned into silence. Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones! The sheer amount was mind-boggling.

The old man swept his gaze across the crowd, clearly pleased with their reactions. Then he turned to the manager and continued, “Don’t try to talk your way out of this! You think you can skip repayment just because I’m a rogue cultivator? The debt’s written here in black and white, and the official stamp of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion is right here!”

He held the document high for all to see—a large vermilion-red stamp, the official stamp of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

The old man was clearly not someone who lacked money. His aura revealed he was in the early Golden Core Realm. But the black spot between his brows[1] betrayed his failing vitality.

Before he could continue his tirade, the plump manager’s expression darkened. As expected, the crowd erupted in anger the moment they heard the accusation about dodging payment.

“Hmph! So the Hundred Treasures Pavilion is refusing to pay back its debts?” someone shouted.

“Yeah! You think you can bully someone just because your shop’s big? He’s got proof right there!”

“I say we stop shopping here. There are plenty of other places with good stuff!”

“Right! If they’re so untrustworthy, I’m never coming back.”

Even the people who had no idea what was going on quickly joined in, fanning the uproar. The whole street grew noisy. Inside the hall, customers who’d been about to make purchases put down their goods, and some even returned what they’d just bought.

The manager’s heart sank. Seeing the situation spiral out of control, he wiped his sweat and forced a smile. “Sir, please don’t be angry. This is a serious matter, and I don’t have the authority to handle it…”

The old man’s face turned red with fury. He tucked the document into his storage pouch and barked, “Then why waste my time? Bring out whoever’s actually in charge!”

The manager’s forehead was slick with sweat. He wiped his sweat with his sleeve, then bowed and whispered, “Please calm down. Our boss isn’t in the city right now. Why don’t you come with me to a private room first? When he returns, I’ll make sure he meets with you.”

This manager was half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm, and he wouldn’t have been chosen without his strength. To minimize negative attention and stop the crowd from growing bigger, the manager tried to get the old man away from them.

But the old man only grew angrier. “What’s this? Trying to bribe me? Don’t even think about it! I may be alone today, but I speak for all your customers! Is this how the Hundred Treasures Pavilion treats its customers? If so, I’m sorely disappointed!”

His words struck a nerve with the crowd, cleverly framing himself as a victim to gain sympathy. Li Guanqi, still eating his rice cake, couldn’t help but smirk.

From the start, he’d noticed that the first two people who shouted were moving around the crowd, stirring emotions wherever they went. The old man was trying to win their hearts over.

The manager was doing well, though he was a little too anxious. Those two agitators knew exactly what they were doing, and they were good at it.

As Li Guanqi silently critiqued the unfolding scene, he suddenly realized the two troublemakers were gone. A faint trace of aura lingered for an instant, but when he tried to track it, he still couldn’t track it down.

His eyes gleamed. An expert.

Then, a slightly plump youth walked out of the hall.

The moment he appeared, the manager let out a long sigh. Even the servants of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion sighed in relief.

The crowd was still yelling emotionally, but the youth glared at them with a gaze as sharp as blades. “Enough! Silence!”

He carried a subtle regalness that seemed to press down on everyone present, momentarily suppressing their voices.

Seeing him, Li Guanqi was so surprised that he didn’t even lower the rice cake he was holding.

He knew that face.

Purple Sun Pavilion… Tang Ru?!

1. In traditional Chinese medicine, when a person’s yintang meridian (the spot between the brow / third eye) darkens, it is a sign of very poor health. It is culturally referenced as nearing the end of one’s life ☜