Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

The person Li Guanqi sought was none other than Song Zhi’ang, who now worked among the outer sect’s service ranks. With the Daxia Sword Sect’s numbers swelling, not every disciple could enter the inner sect. The selection standards had grown stricter than ever.

Smoke drifted over the mountainside dwellings of the outer sect, carrying the scent of cooked food. Li Guanqi closed his eyes for a moment to sense his surroundings, then appeared outside one of the doors.

The room was hazy with steam. A woman in a pale-blue dress with rolled-up sleeves moved gracefully, carrying trays of steaming baskets, a gentle smile on her face. A man sat by the fire, cheeks ruddy, though the white at his temples betrayed his age. The affection in his gaze as he watched her was unmistakable.

The woman was Song Zhi’ang, and the man was her father. As she set down one of the baskets, her eyes drifted toward the doorway. A young man stood there with a gentle smile.

Her bright eyes lit up. A warm, sunlike smile bloomed on her lips. She tugged down her sleeves to cover her pale arms and stepped forward with light steps, offering a polite bow. “Greetings, Immortal Master.”

Li Guanqi reached out and helped her up, smiling. “We’re old acquaintances. No need for that.”

Her father rose quickly. The youth before him looked young, but he was a true powerhouse and an elder of the Daxia Sword Sect. Their peaceful life in the sect was thanks to him. He wiped his hands and bowed deeply. “A mere mortal, Song Kangning, greets Elder Li.”

Li Guanqi chuckled. “How have you both been? Settling in well?”

Song Kangning straightened, a little flustered. “Yes, very well. Everyone here treats us with great kindness.”

Song Zhi’ang’s gaze lingered on Li Guanqi’s face, bright and unblinking. He rubbed his nose lightly. “What is it? Do I have flowers on my face?”She found the courage to tease him back, saying, “Better than flowers.”

Song Kangning coughed awkwardly, cutting in quickly. “Elder Li, I’ll leave you two to talk. I have to take these buns to the dining hall.”

Li Guanqi nodded. After Song Kangning stepped out, he said, “Shall we take a walk?”

Joy flickered in Song Zhi’ang’s heart, but her expression soon dimmed. “Maybe we should just talk here. If we’re seen walking together, people could gossip. It might reflect badly on you.”

Li Guanqi blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to be so thoughtful. A soft smile touched his lips. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not concerned about such things. I came to see how you’re doing and to ask you a few things. As for gossip, it changes nothing for me. If anything, it’ll only make things easier for you.”

Song Zhi’ang lowered her head, her voice softening as her fingers curled slightly. “Thank you.”

Li Guanqi tilted his head. “Would you like to change first?”

She nodded with a smile. “Alright, wait here a moment.”

Song Zhi’ang slipped back inside while Li Guanqi wandered idly. The disciples who spotted him were shocked, bowing quickly in response. One of them asked, “Elder Li, when will you teach in the outer sect? We’ve been working hard too!”

Li Guanqi thought for a moment, then smiled. “Very well. Spread the word and gather all disciples in the outer sect square an hour from now. I’ll give a lecture.”

The youth’s eyes went wide with delight as he bowed again and again. Word spread like wildfire throughout the outer sect. Even those away from the mountain gate rushed back in excitement.

Before long, Song Zhi’ang returned. She wore a pale-blue gown embroidered with silver butterflies, its wide sleeves light and flowing. The fitted waist shaped her figure elegantly. Her long hair was loosely gathered with a single jade hairpin. She wore no makeup, yet her beauty shone naturally. Her shy smile caught the sunlight, and a faint blush warmed her cheeks.

Li Guanqi smiled warmly at her. He felt no romantic stirrings anymore. Perhaps during his mortal-heart training, when he first saw her selling tofu, there had been a brief flutter of youth. But in retrospect, it was just a brief appreciation of her beauty.

Song Zhi’ang understood. They lived in different worlds. She was a mortal bound to a short century of life at best, while he was a cultivator who could live for millennia. In ten or twenty years, her looks would fade, while he would remain unchanged. Even so, she wanted to show him her best self, to let him see that she was well and happy.

“You look beautiful,” Li Guanqi said.

Together, they made a striking pair, drawing glances from passing disciples who whispered silently among themselves.

After a polite bow, a young woman thought to herself, They look so well-matched. Who is she? I’ve never seen her before.

Song Zhi’ang’s cheeks heated under the attention. Li Guanqi noticed. “Would you like to know what it feels like to fly?”

Her eyes lit up, excitement brimming. “Can I?”

He nodded, and she agreed at once. An invisible force wrapped around her, lifting her gently off the ground. As she rose, she instinctively clutched his arm, eyes squeezed shut in fear.

After a while, his quiet, teasing voice drifted to her ear. “If you keep your eyes closed, we’ll reach our destination before you see anything.”

She slowly opened her eyes and let out a soft gasp. The sight before her swept away all fear. Cranes soared through white clouds around them, and below lay the endless sprawl of the sect’s three thousand peaks, rivers and lakes winding between them, their surfaces shimmering like gold in the sunlight.

Song Zhi’ang stared in wonder, her heart stirred beyond words. She turned to him with a complicated gaze and a faint voice. “If only I could cultivate and live a long life like you.”

Her grip on his arm tightened.