Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

”Take it. This is my personal jade slip. If anything happens, you can contact me directly.”

As his voice faded, Gu Yong thought, Should I leave him some defensive means? No. Su Xuan has surely given him plenty already.

If Li Guanqi had known what Gu Yong was thinking, he would have grabbed the old man’s leg and begged him to leave a few more jade slips behind. The so-called attack technique sealed within his body wasn’t meant to protect him at all.

After careful sensing, he’d realized the knife intent inside him existed solely to restrain Sword Spirit. Had she not erupted with killing intent of her own that day, that hidden knife intent would never have stirred.

Li Guanqi smiled. “Since the matter here’s settled, I’ll have to trouble Elder Gu to send me out of the Hell Rivers later. Otherwise…”

He chuckled sheepishly. After all, having provoked the Lord of the Hell Rivers region, it didn’t hurt to find a powerful backer. If Gu Yong had offered him even five percent of the spoils earlier, he would have agreed on the spot.

Gu Yong’s expression turned strangely stiff. A sharp gleam replaced the dimness in his eyes—he had already guessed something, and the truth behind all of it ran far deeper than what Li Guanqi imagined.

Gu Yong remained silent for a long time, long enough to make Li Guanqi uneasy.

Don’t tell me even this old man can’t handle the Hell King? Should I give him a bigger cut? But I’ve already agreed to it… How can I spit it out now?

Just as Li Guanqi gritted his teeth to speak, Gu Yong cut in, his voice calm. “The Hell King is dead. The Hell Rivers region is gone.”Li Guanqi froze. “Dead? Gone? What do you mean?”

Gu Yong sighed helplessly. “No deeper meaning. Just as I said, the Hell King is dead, and the Hell Rivers region no longer exists.”

He lifted an arm, and the surrounding void tore open. A rift a hundred zhang long ripped through the air as if the very world of the Heavenly Intelligence Map had turned fragile and thin.

Through the rupture, everyone stared wide-eyed.

The land beyond was shattered and bleak, yet bathed in sunlight. The ghostly mists that had lingered for countless years were completely gone.

The Hell Rivers region—the land where humans, spirits, and demons once coexisted—was now utterly barren. Not a single living thing remained. There was only the metallic stench of blood so thick it choked the breath. Thin veils of blood mist still drifted across the sky.

Li Guanqi swallowed hard. His throat dried up, and his eyes narrowed with killing intent. He didn’t know what had happened out there, but the destruction of Hell Rivers meant that within a hundred li, everything had become a dead zone.

Thousands of thoughts clashed within his mind. Even by the lowest estimates, tens of thousands—humans, spirits, and demons alike—had perished.

His expression grew cold and unreadable.

Gu Yong noticed his reaction but said nothing. He didn’t think Long Hou had done anything wrong. The fact that the damage was contained to a hundred li was already proof of restraint, surely by the command of Su Xuan.

Li Guanqi pulled out a simple jade slip, his voice trembling slightly. “Was it your order?”

The jade slip dimmed for a moment before glowing faintly again. A calm, aged voice answered.

—It was.

The tone was so serene that Gu Yong’s heart nearly stopped. His pupils shrank to pinpoints, and his hands trembled beneath his sleeves. The suspicion he had long held was finally confirmed.

Li Guanqi’s voice was laced with disbelief. “Don’t you know how many died?”

—Those within a hundred li who were not under the Hell King’s command were moved away. You think I’m some bloodthirsty old butcher?

—Brat, try not to stir up more trouble!

Li Guanqi broke into a grin. Before he could speak, the old man’s voice came again, deeper this time, filled with an unmistakable weight.

—And don’t think that having me behind you means you can swagger wherever you please. My enemies are not something you can even imagine.

The voice paused.

—So keep getting stronger. Keep climbing until you’re strong enough to come to the Seventh Territory and find me.

Li Guanqi’s eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured, “The Seventh Territory…”

Gu Yong didn’t even dare breathe too loudly.

As if Su Xuan could see everything, he spoke again, majestic and commanding.

—Little Gu, you’re there too, aren’t you?

Even across the jade slip, Gu Yong straightened his robes at once and bowed deeply, his tone trembling with respect. “Senior Su, Gu Yong is here. Please give your orders.”

Li Guanqi was dumbfounded. Just who in the world is my grandfather? Even with a jade slip between them, Gu Yong was so terrified.

—Other than what you’ve agreed upon, you are forbidden from intervening on his behalf.

The warning was clear.

Li Guanqi sighed inwardly. Great. I had finally found a powerful backer, and now I can’t even lean on him.

Gu Yong bobbed his head like a chicken pecking rice. “Rest assured, Senior. I won’t interfere!”

After a long silence, Su Xuan’s voice came again, softer this time.

—Three years from now, come find me.

Joy flickered in Gu Yong’s eyes. He bowed reverently. “Many thanks, Senior!”

With both hands, he carefully handed the jade slip back to Li Guanqi, chuckling. “You heard it yourself, young friend. Your grandfather is a much better backer, isn’t he?”

Li Guanqi shrugged helplessly. “What good is that? It’s not like I can use his name to intimidate people.”

Gu Yong winked mischievously. “Then use mine!”

Li Guanqi burst out laughing. “That’s why I say you and I are kindred spirits, Elder Gu.”

They beamed at each other, their laughter echoed through the broken sky.

After a while, Li Guanqi asked, “Elder Gu, may I ask something?”

Gu Yong waved grandly. “Treat the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion as your own home. Whatever you want to ask, just ask. The jade slip I gave you works the same as a heavenly intelligence jade pendant, except you won’t have to pay.”

Li Guanqi’s expression turned serious. “Who’s after Cao Yan?”

Gu Yong pondered briefly, then said, “Cao Yan is the son of the former Southern Heavenly King from the Black Sect Territory.”

Li Guanqi raised a brow, catching the keyword immediately. “Former?”

“That’s right. Though the current Southern Heavenly King of the Black Sect Territory also bears the surname Cao, he isn’t Cao Yan’s father.”

Li Guanqi’s tone hardened. “What? Then who is he?”

“His uncle.”

Li Guanqi’s eyes hardened, a cold light flickering within them. His voice dropped low. “He was usurped.”

Gu Yong nodded.

“And his parents?”

“Both dead.”