Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Shenzhi turned around, only to see two clouds of blood mist hanging in the air.

His breath caught. Just two blades of sword qi, and two Divine Transformation Realm cultivators had been wiped from the face of the earth.

The bamboo forest rustled around him. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked inside.

At the entrance, he noticed the pitch-black stone stele. The faint, mysterious runes upon it told him it was no ordinary object. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed, yet he couldn’t recall why.

Gritting his teeth, he pressed onward into the bamboo forest.

He felt more uneasy the further he walked. He’d been walking for half an hour already, yet the path stretched on. Several li slipped by, and there was still nothing but a narrow trail and endless bamboo.

Finally, after a considerable time, he heard the sound of running water. A wooden hut came into view. Next to the hut sat a man, his back turned, drinking wine from a jar.

Li Shenzhi bowed deeply. “My name is Li Shenzhi. Thank you, Senior, for saving me. I’m unsure… how you know my name.”

Li Guanqi didn’t turn. He pointed to the empty chair beside him and said quietly, “Sit and drink with me.”

Li Shenzhi sensed no vital force from the man, yet something about him felt strangely familiar, as if he were someone very important to him.He gathered his courage, walked to the stream, and looked at the elder’s side profile. The feeling grew stronger.

Then he saw the elder’s clouded white eyes. Li Shenzhi’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re… Brother Li?!”

In his memory, the youth who had slain the mortal emperor on that rainy night burned with life and spirit. Without him, Li Shenzhi’s entire family would have been executed. Later, he heard countless tales of Li Guanqi’s deeds. Even after leaving the Daxia Territory and joining a sect in the Falling Sunset Territory, Li Guanqi’s name still reached his ears.

He had always been grateful to Li Guanqi. Yet he’d never imagined the spirited youth he remembered could end up like this. He said nothing. He sat, lifted a wine jar, and took a long swig.

The liquor burned his throat, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Still, he clinked jars with Li Guanqi.

They silently drank from dusk till dawn. Neither used vital force to suppress the alcohol, so they both ended up drunk.

At last, they chatted for a very long time. Li Shenzhi finally understood why he had become this way.

They fell silent. Li Shenzhi wasn’t sure how to comfort him. Life was uncertain, and no one could say whether tomorrow would come before disaster did.

At dawn, Li Shenzhi rose and clasped his fists in a bow. He turned away and spoke softly. “Regret never truly fades. If I could do it over, I wouldn’t let her step into the cultivation world.”

He lifted his gaze to the sky. “This world is too bloody, too cruel. Time shows no mercy, and everyone chases longevity at any cost. In their final years, the things people will do just to cling to life… I can’t even imagine.”

Li Shenzhi departed. He had to return to his sect.

Li Guanqi sat in his chair, a strange light flickering in his eyes. He murmured, “Yes… No one knows what tomorrow will bring.”

That was true even now. He hadn’t expected to meet Li Shenzhi again today. They had first crossed paths on a sect mission nearly ten years ago.

Sword Spirit appeared above the stream, gazing at Li Guanqi’s aged face. “What are you thinking?”

Li Guanqi drank in silence for a long time. His voice was rough. “Can Yu Sui’an be reborn into an ordinary family?”

Sword Spirit nodded. “At the start of a mortal pregnancy, before the fetus has formed the three hun and seven po, it can be done.”

Li Guanqi lowered his head. His messy hair covered most of his face. “Then… don’t let her carry any memories of this life. Let her live as a mortal, simply happy.”

With that, Li Guanqi vanished. He meandered through the void, his divine consciousness overlooking the mortal world.

A deep loneliness settled in his chest. At some point, he had begun to look down on the world instead of walking among it. He kept going until he reached a modest city, home to only a few hundred thousand people.

This place was called Lin Smoke City. The land around it was flat, lush with trees and flowers. The air was fresh, as if rain had just passed, carrying the scent of earth.

The morning market hummed with activity. Li Guanqi scanned the city with his divine consciousness, noticing dozens of women in the first bloom of pregnancy.

He appeared outside the city gates. When he walked in, the guards mistook him for a beggar.

A young man gently supported him, no disdain in his eyes. “Old sir, there’s a porridge stall run by the city lord in the south of the city. You can go there every day.”

Li Guanqi was mildly surprised. He hadn’t expected a mortal city to have charity for the poor.

He nodded silently. The young man noticed his clouded eyes and offered to guide him, but Li Guanqi declined with a smile.

Inside Lin Smoke City, peace reigned. To the north lay vast farmland and silkworm farms. Carts came and went, exiting through the west gate and entering through the east. Clearly, the city lord was a capable administrator.

Li Guanqi entered a small cloth shop. The shop boy hurried forward, glanced at the women browsing fabrics, and raised a hand to block him. He said quietly, “Old sir, if you’re hungry, go to the porridge stall. Don’t loiter here… we’re running a business.”

Quiet as his words were, they drew curious looks from the women. Li Guanqi lowered his head and turned to leave.

Behind the counter, a plain-faced but kind-eyed woman rose and looked outside.

Her name was Shao Yue. She called out, “Old sir, wait.”

Li Guanqi paused. She hurried to the backyard.

Soon, a cheerful young man emerged with a bowl. He handed it over with a smile. “Old sir, I don’t have much to give, but I made buns this morning. Please, take them.”

Li Guanqi stared at the bun, then took a bite.

He looked up at the man. His divine consciousness swept over the couple, and their lives unfolded before him. Tears welled in his eyes, and he murmured, “It’s good. She’ll like it.”

The man didn’t quite understand the second part, but he scratched his head with a hearty laugh. “Haha, is that so? Back when we ran a bun shop, ours was always the busiest.”