Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Upon returning, Li Guanqi found Chen Xiaotian still frowning, mulling over his advice. A look of confusion was evident in his eyes.

It was understandable. Chen Xiaotian was only seven, roughly the same age Li Guanqi had been when tragedy struck. Back then, he’d been forced to beg for food every day and had grown accustomed to the harsh realities of the world.

Li Guanqi shook his head. I was far more mature at that age.

From the corner of his eye, Chen Xiaotian spotted him and instantly perked up, his head shooting up with delight.

Li Guanqi raised an eyebrow. “What? Thought I’d left?”

Chen Xiaotian shook his head shyly.

The boy’s mother would probably return soon. Li Guanqi decided to remove the tumor on Chen Xiaotian’s neck and observe for a few days.

“Come. Lie down.”

Chen Xiaotian immediately guessed what he was going to do. He was a little nervous, but he still lay down obediently. Chen Xiaotian gripped his shirt tightly with both hands, eyes shut.

“You don’t need to be so nervous. Relax. Just close your eyes and take a nap. When you wake up, you’ll be well again,” Li Guanqi said gently.As he spoke, he gently injected a wisp of vital force into Chen Xiaotian, numbing him and sending him into a deep sleep.

Chen Xiaotian had a beautiful dream where he and his mother no longer had to worry about life. In this dream, he never worried about food, and he traveled the world with the wooden sword Li Guanqi had given him.

As he dreamed, the corners of his lips curved up, baring his little canine teeth.

Li Guanqi wrapped Chen Xiaotian in divine consciousness and examined the tumor. He raised two fingers and touched them together in a sword finger gesture[1]. Lightning flashed, and his hand struck down.

The tumor, as big as Chen Xiaotian’s head, fell immediately. Before hitting the ground, it burst into flames and vanished.

Only a patch of black, singed skin remained on Chen Xiaotian’s neck.

Li Guanqi asked Peng Luo for a small chunk of his flesh, crushed it into a milky-white liquid, and dripped it onto Chen Xiaotian’s neck. Within a few breaths, all that remained was a burn scar.

Li Guanqi could have healed the scar to perfection, but he wanted this boy to remember his younger self and innocence.

Furthermore, while that wooden sword could be considered a precious treasure, it was also a deadly safeguard. Li Guanqi had sealed Xu Jinglan’s aura inside it. If Chen Xiaotian ventured over a thousand li away from her while she was still alive, the sword would turn on him.

The seal would only unlock after Xu Jinglan died of old age. It could take decades, but cultivators could cultivate anytime they wanted. Life itself was an act of cultivation.

He refused to let his act of kindness turn Chen Xiaotian into an unfilial son. If that happened, he would rather kill him.

Creak—

Xu Jinglan, covered in snow, hurried back carrying an armful of items. Before entering, she peeked her head inside. When she saw the flickering flame in the house and the white-robed figure beside it, she sighed in relief.

She pushed the door open and bowed quickly. “I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting, Immortal Master.”

The snow caked on her knees hadn’t even melted yet, a testament to how anxious she’d been.

Li Guanqi smiled and waved her off. “I’m looking forward to trying your food.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but caught sight of her son’s neck. The tumor was gone. Her mouth fell open, but no sound escaped. Tears spilled down her cheeks once more.

No one would ever know how much stress she had endured over the years. There were many times she had considered ending it all. But she could never bring herself to leave her ill son behind.

If Li Guanqi hadn’t appeared, she would have killed herself after her son died.

His arrival had been a ray of light in suffocating darkness, illuminating both her world and her son’s.

Holding back tears, she turned and quickly wiped her eyes. Her voice came out choked, but she forced a smile. “Please have a seat. I’ll be done soon.”

She busied herself in the kitchen.

Li Guanqi suddenly brought a small wooden stool to the stove. She panicked, reaching out to pull him away—but she quickly retracted her hands, afraid of dirtying his robes.

“Immortal Master, you may just wait inside! How could I let you do such tiring work? You’re embarrassing me…”

Li Guanqi smiled. “Don’t worry about me. These things used to be my responsibility too. Back then, I was only a little taller than this stove.”

Something shifted in her expression. She looked at him with a mix of emotions. Though still intimidated, she didn’t refuse.

Li Guanqi broke the firewood and used his heavenly flame to light the stove.

Warm firelight flickered across their faces. He watched the woman expertly wash the rice and vegetables, then slice them with practiced ease.

This scene left him in a daze.

The fire warmed his face. He even retracted his divine consciousness and closed his heart’s eye. His world was now a silent, black void, yet the fear that had plagued him was gone.

It felt like twelve years ago, sitting quietly on a little stool, helping his mother add firewood to heat the wok.

He listened to the crackling fire and the rhythmic knock of her knife against the chopping board. Even the faint smoke rising from the stove made everything feel exactly like a scene from his childhood.

The woman turned and saw him by the fire. She gave a knowing smile, though her eyes moistened.

Ever since the incident with Cang Lu, Li Guanqi had become less inclined to help people out of casual kindness.

But this time… it was genuine.

Unbeknownst to him, the Mount Meru Immortal Runes on his body were fading rapidly. The seal on his Empty Spirit Physique was weakening.

With the shift in his mental state, his mind grew clear, as if something lodged deep in his heart was gradually disappearing.

The dishes were ready, fragrant and steaming.

However, the house had no table.

Li Guanqi retrieved a table from his storage ring and arranged the dishes on it.

Li Guanqi gently touched Chen Xiaotian’s forehead. The boy stirred awake. Seeing the food on the table, including meat, he rubbed his eyes and muttered, “I guess I’m still dreaming... Since when did our family get to eat mushroom chicken stew?”

The woman snorted. Her own complexion had improved significantly.

“Silly brat. You still haven’t woken up yet? Come eat.”

As she spoke, her voice trembled.

She didn’t know that Li Guanqi had quietly cured her ailments as well.

1. The two-finger sword gesture, known as jiàn zhǐ (剑指) or “sword finger,” is a Chinese gesture where the index and middle fingers are extended together, with the thumb holding the ring and pinky fingers down. It symbolizes holding a sword and is used in martial arts, traditional dance, and spiritual practices. Symbolically, it represents balance, control, and power, while its practical uses include balancing the body, protecting the wrist, and striking pressure points. ☜

Doge & Char’s Thoughts

Image of the sword finger gesture.