Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Not long after Li Guanqi left, the three cultivators rushed back to their sect.

In the distance, a vast plain stretched out before Li Guanqi, two great cities rising from it. Mist curled around the surrounding mountains, where tall buildings stretched endlessly, unmistakably the grandeur of an immortal sect.

This was his first time in the Falling Sunset Territory, and he had no map. Lightning flashed beneath his feet as he headed for the nearest city, planning to visit the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion.

A massive stone stele rose from the edge of the plain, inscribed with bold characters. Yanchang Plain.

Li Guanqi descended, put away the sword coffin, and entered the city without paying a thing. Strange.Don’t the cities here charge entry fees?

Once inside, he understood. The city was packed with cultivators, and countless shops lined the streets.

He strode toward a place called the Moon-Gazing Tower.

Seated in a private room on the top floor, he listened to the soft music of bells and chimes. He drank fine spirit wine, gazing at the stage outside his window where veiled women danced.

“Humans…” Sword Spirit appeared behind him.

She knew that since Yun Chuxue’s birth, Li Guanqi had finally relaxed. The faint wisp of sword intent he’d left in the old courtyard was deeply hidden, meant to surface only as a last resort. He had left it there for his own peace of mind.His mindset was good now. He looked ahead, no longer bound by the past. Whether he was only pretending didn’t matter. At least he seemed far more carefree than before.

Sword Spirit smiled faintly and murmured, “So be it. This is good.”

Li Guanqi closed his eyes and listened to the music. A commotion soon rose from below. Someone was offering an exorbitant sum of spirit stones to hire a guard.

Li Guanqi remained indifferent, unmoved by any price. However, the other patrons in the tavern were visibly excited, hurrying out in droves.

A woman’s mocking voice cut through the air. “You fools, don’t you have mirrors? Go take a piss and look at yourself in the puddle. If you’re not at the late Divine Transformation Realm, don’t bother. I could handle the lot of you alone.”

She wore a red dress, one arm folded across her chest, the other holding a green smoking pipe. She did not hold back at all.

Her figure was striking, her chin lifted, her tone dismissive. Yet sorrow lingered in her eyes. The journey ahead would be perilous on her own.

Li Guanqi extended his divine consciousness, surprised to find a familiar face. They’d only met briefly, but they did know each other.

She was the woman behind Yunding Auction House, Qian Qiusui. He remembered her red lips and the pipe she always carried. She had once done him a decent-sized favor.

How did she end up here? And she’s looking for a guard?

Whoosh!

Qian Qiusui frowned. Finding someone with real strength here would be difficult, but time was short. She had to leave within half an hour, and this was her only option.

The men’s stares disgusted her. One cultivator at the late Divine Transformation Realm leered openly, his eyes roaming her figure, as though his recent breakthrough made him better than the rest.

He sneered. “Baby, you’re so beautiful. I’d gladly take the job, even without the money.”

Laughter erupted around them.

“Haha, if not money, then what do you want?” Qian Qiusiu said.

“Pfft… Why are you still asking? Do you not know? Hahahaha!”

Qian Qiusui drew from her pipe and exhaled, her gaze turning cold. The temperature plunged, and the crowd scattered.

She frowned at the man. Unfortunately, he was the strongest she could find. His cultivation was still unstable, but she had no other options.

His eyes burned with lust as he stared at her. He grinned, his yellowed teeth on full display. “Baby, what is your name? Wherever you want me as a guard, I will go. As for payment…”

Crash!

Before he could finish, a hand struck him, sending him tumbling through dozens of stalls and crashing into a shop.

Crash! Boom! Thud!

Blood sprayed everywhere. Not a single tooth remained. He was out cold on the ground.

Li Guanqi rubbed his hands together, smiling amiably. Something about him felt faintly eerie.

“How much money? I might consider accompanying you.”

Qian Qiusui stared at the young man, momentarily dazed. His pure white eyes stirred memories.

She smiled bitterly. The Yanluo Sword Sovereign can’t possibly be here. He’s famous across the Six Territories now.

Even if he were, her meager connection to him wouldn’t be enough to earn his help. When Cao Yan was being hunted, she hadn’t betrayed Li Guanqi’s group, but she hadn’t intervened either. The enemy was too powerful. For a small auction house, opposing them would have been suicide.

Still, the man’s aura ran so deep she couldn’t read his cultivation.

She hesitated, then spoke softly. “Three thousand high-grade spirit stones. Escort me to a place. Once I leave safely, the money is yours, whether anything happens or not.”

It was all she could offer. If this matter weren’t so complicated, she wouldn’t have come to the Yanchang Plain.

Li Guanqi curled his lips slightly but ultimately nodded. “Fine. Better than nothing.”

Qian Qiusui sighed with relief. He was stronger than that last fool, and far easier on the eyes. “I’m Qian Qiusui. May I know your name?”

Li Guanqi clasped his hands behind his back with a smile. “Li Wuji.”

She blinked. He tilted his head, smiling. “What?”

Qian Qiusui shook her head. “Nothing. I just remembered someone… someone very powerful. Let’s go. We’re heading to the Baizhang Sect.”

Li Guanqi’s eyes lit up. If he recalled correctly, the disciples who had been hunting violet ginseng earlier were from the Baizhang Sect.