Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi drank his wine quietly and chatted with Li Nanting. After some time, he rose and said, “Master, I’d like to visit the sect graveyard.”

Li Nanting froze for a moment, then tapped his pipe lightly against the doorstep.

“Go ahead. Since you’re back… you should pay your respects.”

His voice carried a trace of sorrow. His eyes subconsciously drifted toward the rocking chair by the stone table.

Yu Sui’an rested her chin in one hand, watching Li Guanqi in silence. Tilting her head in thought, she slowly stood up.

Li Guanqi couldn’t help but smile. “Do you want to come with me?”

She nodded silently.

He didn’t stop her, thinking she should tag along anyway. Taking her by the hand, he led her into the air. He’d almost forgotten that she had reached the early Golden Core Realm already and was a proper cultivator in her own right.

Along the way, many disciples bowed and greeted him. “Greetings, Senior Brother Li.”

Li Guanqi nodded and smiled in response to each greeting.Before long, the two arrived at the graveyard behind Heavenly Sword Peak. He stood before the entrance, slowly closed his eyes, and swept his body clean with a gentle surge of vital force. When he opened them again, he realized that Yu Sui’an had done the same and even changed into pure white robes.

Her joyful smile had faded, replaced by a serious look.

Yu Sui’an moved silently and skillfully through the sect graveyard. Her eyes were red, and she was visibly fighting back tears.

Li Guanqi followed silently until they stopped before a tombstone.

A faint light flickered in Yu Sui’an’s hand, and an incense stick appeared. She lit it and placed it before the grave, then replaced the wilted flowers with fresh ones. Taking out a handkerchief, she wiped the dust from the tombstone and bowed deeply.

Li Guanqi watched silently. Her actions seemed natural and practiced, as if she had repeated them countless times.

Noticing his gaze, Yu Sui’an lowered her head and murmured, “This is Senior Brother Wang Lin from Heavenly Earth Peak. He was sixteen and had been a member of the sect for three years. While he was chubby, he never stole my buns. He was the kindest…”

Then she walked to the next tombstone. Her voice trembled, but she went on, “This is Senior Sister Ling Lan of Heavenly Water Peak. She was fourteen and used to play with me all the time…”

Her voice cracked. “But when I woke up, everyone was gone.”

Sobbing, she continued, “They’re all gone… and it’s all… all because of me…”

Yu Sui’an’s sobs grew louder, as if she had been suppressing her grief for the past two years. Every word was laced with guilt.

From the shadows, Li Nanting watched on with a torn expression.

After waking up, Yu Sui’an started cleaning the graves every day. There were thousands of tombstones, yet at barely six years of age, she insisted on tending to each one herself.

They had tried to stop her again and again, and each time she promised she wouldn’t return. But she always did. The sea of tombstones had become a knot[1] in her heart.

Li Guanqi hurried to her side, gently saying, “It’s not your fault. Everyone has something they’re willing to die protecting. For me, it’s you and the sect. For them, it was the same. I believe none of them regretted their choice in the end.”

He pulled her into his arms and patted her back gently.

He knew his words alone couldn’t untie the knot in her heart. Perhaps only by leaving the sect, witnessing the struggles of others, and meeting all kinds of people—both good and bad—would she slowly learn to let go.

Only by walking among the living could she ease the weight of the dead.

Li Guanqi followed her as she lit incense[2] and bowed to more tombstones.

The sect’s graveyard felt like a prison trapping her heart. But how could he claim it was any different for him?

He gave a small smile. “I think these guys must be getting tired of seeing you every day.”

“Pfft~”

Yu Sui’an snorted at his words, clearly not having expected them. She frowned, put her hands on her hips, and declared, “No way! They love itwhen I visit!”

Li Guanqi fell silent as he stopped before Lin Dong’s tombstone. He stared for a long moment, then sat beside it.

“Miss me?” he asked quietly.

He brushed the stone clean with his hand. No answer came.

He gave a self-deprecating laugh and took out a jug of high-grade spirit wine. He poured two cups, then placed one before the grave and clinked his cup against it.

Clink…

He downed it in one go.

His lips curved into a smirk at the sight of wine and food laid before the tombstone. It seemed Zhong Lin still visited often, though Li Guanqi couldn’t tell who else had come.

Watching the sunset, Li Guanqi murmured, “The sect still has me… Don’t worry.”

He called Yu Sui’an over, and then they left the graveyard together.

Though her heart still ached, Li Guanqi’s words had planted a seed. Perhaps the guilt and pain would never fade completely, but they could become the bedrock of her strength.

Li Guanqi smiled as he held her hand. He believed she would one day move forward and grow stronger.

As they walked out of the graveyard, Lu Kangnian, who had been watching from the void, looked at them with a mix of emotions.

The Daxia Sword Sect was blessed to have someone like Li Guanqi. Without him... Lu Kangnian couldn’t help but wonder how long it would have taken for the sect to rise anew, or how long he himself could have held on.

He looked at the three thousand peaks of the sect, his eyes filling with resolve.

From this day onward, I want the Daxia Sword Sect to be feared by all. No one will dare to bully us again.

He made this resolution only because he knew the Daxia Sword Sect was capable of it.

He vanished with a single step.

The plaza at the Heavenly Sword Peak had long been packed with a crowd of disciples. The shattered ground had never been repaired—it remained as it was, a silent monument to those who’d once stood there.

Yu Sui’an let go of his hand and flew to the front of the plaza. Li Guanqi, in the robes of Heavenly Lightning Peak, stood tall and straight as a blade.

The female disciples all screamed when they saw his handsome face, while the male disciples threw their arms up in the air and cheered.

“Senior Brother Li! You’re so handsome!”

“Ahhh! Senior Brother Li! You’re the reason that I joined the Daxia Sword Sect!”

“It’s been two years. I finally get to see him!”

“Ahhh! Senior Brother Li! I love you! My family is loaded, by the way!”

“Hey, hey! Li Jiaomei, you shameless thing! Senior Brother Li, marry me!”

1. In Chinese, a “heart knot” (心结) refers to a burden one cannot let go of, often caused by guilt or trauma. When a person finally moves past it, the knot is said to be “undone.” ☜

2. In Chinese tradition, incense (also called joss sticks) is burned when honoring the dead. The smoke serves as an offering to the spirits of the departed. ☜