Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi smiled and offered a quick fist salute. “Don’t worry about it, Uncle. I’ve been really busy since I got back. There’s been a mountain of things to handle. But the moment I had a breather, I figured I’d come and get a free meal off you.”

A beautiful palanquin needs many hands to lift it.[1] With that line, Li Guanqi was openly placing Ye Tianying on a high pedestal.

The Ye Family had once been nothing more than herb merchants. They had a son, Ye Feng, who joined the Daxia Sword Sect, though he hadn’t made much of a name for himself.

However, everything had changed. The Daxia Sword Sect had quietly become the strongest force in the entire Northern Territory of the Azure Cloud Continent. Everyone was desperate to join it, yet the sect hadn’t announced any recruitment since its reopening. And when it clashed with the Mo Family, one of the top factions in the Eastern Territory, it displayed terrifying strength.

As a result, the Ye Family’s status rose along with the prospering Daxia Sword Sect.

Qiongtai Mountain Residence practically glowed with pride at Li Guanqi’s arrival. He was, without question, the most famous figure on the Azure Cloud Continent in the past two years. Even without his reputation, simply arriving as a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator was enough for the entire estate to greet him with the utmost respect.

Looking at the red carpet unfurled across the ground and the rows of servant girls lined up on either side, Li Guanqi let out a helpless smile. “Uncle Ye… You really don’t need to go this far.”

Ye Tianying laughed heartily and waved. “Alright, that’s enough. Everyone, you’re dismissed.”

The servant girls bowed, offered a polite salute, and then departed.

Li Guanqi sighed in relief.Beside Ye Tianying stood Ye Feng’s mother, Su Xi. She was gentle, graceful, and elegant. She’d quietly endured neglect for years, though that had been Ye Tianying’s way of shielding their gifted son. It had led Ye Feng to misunderstand his father’s intentions.

Now that Ye Feng could fend for himself, Su Xi naturally regained her rightful place.

Li Guanqi bowed to her. “Greetings, Aunt Su. It’s been two years, yet you’re looking prettier and younger.”

She smiled beautifully, her eyes squinting. She mused, “You’ve got a sweet mouth, brat.”

The group of people standing behind Ye Tianying consisted of leaders from their various branches. None dared breathe too loudly. The youth before them had earned the nickname Bloody Butcher with every life he’d taken.

Sensing the tension, Ye Tianying turned. “Alright, you can all go. Tend to your duties.”

They bowed in relief and hurried off. They knew Li Guanqi had come out of respect for Ye Tianying and Su Xi. Lingering would be inappropriate.

Ye Tianying led Li Guanqi straight to the main pavilion.

They sat at a desk while Su Xi rose to serve them tea. Li Guanqi quickly stood up in a panic to stop her. “Aunt Su, there’s no need for that. It’s just tea. Just treat me as the same punk from two years ago.”

Su Xi gave him a mock glare. “How could I? You’re an elder of the Daxia Sword Sect now, a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator. If the Ye Family can’t even serve you a cup of tea, how would that look?”

Li Guanqi smiled bitterly. “Uncle Ye, could you help me out here? Don’t just stay quiet. If Ye Feng knew about this, he would kill me!”

At that point, Ye Tianying realized that Li Guanqi truly didn’t care for formalities and treated Ye Feng as a real brother. He waved Su Xi back to her seat. “Come sit. He doesn’t see himself as an outsider.”

Su Xi sat down again, and Li Guanqi let out a relieved breath. “I know you two must be worried about Ye Feng. You can’t reach him either, right?”

Their expressions fell slightly. If Li Guanqi hadn’t come, Ye Tianying had planned to visit him instead. In the first year or so, they’d still received occasional updates from Ye Feng. Then, over the past year, the messages had dwindled until stopping altogether. Worry had gnawed at them ever since. Su Xi had spent many sleepless nights worrying about him.

Su Xi’s composure faltered, her eyes full of fear. “Did something happen to Feng’er?”

Li Guanqi smiled softly. “Don’t worry, Aunt Su. Ye Feng’s tough. Even if something happened to me, he’d still be fine!”

Su Xi flew into a rage. “Ptui ptui ptui! Do not say such unlucky things! You two must remain well!”

Ye Tianying paused for a moment. “Is Feng’er not with you? Where is he?”

Li Guanqi paused, but he chose not to hide the truth. “He isn’t with me. He went off to train alone. As far as I know, he’s no longer in the Daxia Territory. He should be in the Taiqing Territory of the Liyang Continent.”

Ye Tianying froze. “What?! The Taiqing Territory?!”

His voice shot up in pitch. “That place is chaos! Why would he go there?!”

Li Guanqi quickly reassured him. “Uncle Ye, his life jade slip is still intact, right? He’s just out gaining experience. It’s not like the Daxia Territory is safe either. And Ye Feng is strong now. He’ll be fine.”

The couple exchanged a look, their shoulders settling a little. If the jade slip kept in the residence’s secret room had cracked, they’d have rushed to the Daxia Sword Sect long ago.

Hearing it from Li Guanqi eased them, if only slightly.

Li Guanqi also felt a quiet wave of relief. He asked casually, “How’s the family business, Uncle Ye? Must be soaring by now, right? Haha.”

Ye Tianying’s reaction caught him off guard. He shifted awkwardly, his eyes clouded. Su Xi nudged him with her elbow, but he stayed silent.

Su Xi shot him a sharp look, then turned to Li Guanqi. “You and Feng’er are close, so I won’t hide it from you. Thanks to you two, we built a business relationship with the Daxia Sword Sect and had a period of prosperity. But… about a year ago, the Crimson Blade Sect and the Ghostly Spirit Sect targeted our herb mountains. We used to have twelve, but seven have been taken from us. If this continues, the entire mountain residence will be swallowed up by them.”

Li Guanqi’s eyes narrowed, cold light flashing through them.

“The Crimson Blade Sect? The Ghostly Spirit Sect? Hmph. They must have a death wish.”

1. A Chinese saying that refers to how prosperity depends on shared effort by many parties, usually for mutual benefit. ☜