Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Buzz!

The river realm was a secluded domain of breathtaking scenery. A vast lake stretched for hundreds of li in every direction, surrounded by lush mountains.

The space above the lake distorted faintly, and three figures appeared out of thin air.

Swish!

“Who goes there?!”

Two middle-aged men appeared in an instant, their expressions stern. Each held an ancient, bone-white sword.

Gu Li’s eyes lit up with keen interest as he studied their faces. “Gilled jaws, faces covered in scales, and those white bone longswords… are they members of the Spiritfish race?”

This was Meng Wanshu’s first time seeing Spiritfish people as well. A hint of curiosity flickered in her eyes.

Upon hearing Gu Li’s words, the two men’s vital force fluctuations intensified, but one of them kept his eyes fixed on Li Guanqi. Though many years had passed and Li Guanqi no longer possessed his youthful appearance, the man still recognized him.

He pulled his companion back and barked something in the Spiritfish Clan’s unique language. Then he put away his longsword, all smiles, and bowed in salute. “Bass Lan Rong of the Spiritfish Clan pays his respects to Senior Li.”Li Guanqi knew that “Bass” was a title given to the Spiritfish Clan’s warriors. As he studied Lan Rong’s features, he thought of a certain purple-haired, blue-eyed young woman. After a moment’s thought, Li Guanqi asked, “Is Lan Xun a relative of yours?”

Lan Rong scratched his head sheepishly and laughed. “Lan Xun is my niece. I didn’t expect you to still remember after all these years, sir. Ah, you’ve come to see the divine dragon and the holy spirit, right?”

The corner of Li Guanqi’s mouth twitched. He could understand the Spiritfish Clan calling Nine Heavens a divine dragon, but calling Peng Luo a holy spirit? What on earth was that about?

Peng Luo was off fooling around with Ye Feng and the others. Peng Luo’s one advantage was how quickly he absorbed natural treasures and recovered from his injuries. He could stuff down a mouthful of natural treasures and bounce right back, drinking with Ye Feng and the others as he refined the power within his body.

Buzz!

The space rippled gently, and more and more Spiritfish Clan members appeared, nearly three thousand in all, leaving Li Guanqi thoroughly stunned.

“Wait… When did the Spiritfish Clan grow this large?”

He remembered that when the clan had first come seeking shelter, there had been barely a hundred of them, most of them women and children. How were there so many now, even if most of them were still young?

At that moment, a vigorous elder slowly emerged from the crowd. His aura alone made it clear he stood at the peak of the Divine Transformation Realm, just a single step away from the Illusory Refinement Realm.

Yu Bo, who had long since set aside his walking stick, was deeply grateful he had made the right decision all those years ago. The Spiritfish Clan owed its many years of peace and recovery entirely to the Daxia Sword Sect’s protection.

Visibly moved, Yu Bo stepped forward, turned to face his clan, then called out sternly, “Kneel!”

Whoosh!!

The Spiritfish Clan members dropped to their knees as one, their palms pressed flat and their foreheads touching the water’s surface. This was the highest form of respect the Spiritfish Clan could offer to their benefactors.

Still kneeling, Yu Bo spoke in a solemn voice. “I, Yu Bo, the fifty-seventh patriarch of the Spiritfish Clan, lead the entire clan in kneeling before Senior Li to express our deepest gratitude for his great kindness. Had Senior Li not generously taken us in all those years ago, we would surely have been wiped out by now. We owe our survival entirely to Senior’s grace. Today, the Spiritfish Clan wishes to forge a pact with the Daxia Sword Sect. We will never betray you. We will always stand with the Daxia Sword Sect and face whatever comes together.”

As Yu Bo finished speaking, a scroll appeared in his hands.

Before Li Guanqi could react, a wisp of blue spirit light rose from the brow of every Spiritfish Clan member and shot into the scroll. Not even the newborn infants were exempt.

Yu Bo smiled. “This is a contract scroll. From this day forward, every member of the Spiritfish Clan will automatically enter into this contract at birth. We hope Senior Li will accept it on Sect Master Lu’s behalf.”

Every word rang with sincerity. More importantly, Li Guanqi did not see a single trace of resentment on any clan member’s face.

Looking at the scroll before him, Li Guanqi thought of the time Gu Yong had shown him the soul lamps of Tu Yongsi and the others. They were placing their lives in his hands.

Li Guanqi did not refuse. Taking a deep breath, he solemnly accepted the scroll with both hands. “I, Li Guanqi, accept this on the Sect Master’s behalf. The Daxia Sword Sect will never fail an ally!”

At that, the Spiritfish Clan rose as one with a cheer. Only now did they feel truly accepted by the Daxia Sword Sect. In the past, the relationship between the two sides had been more like a transaction, each using the other.

But Li Guanqi had seen everything the Spiritfish Clan had done. Every time the Daxia Sword Sect had faced trouble, the clan sent its people into battle without hesitation, regardless of their strength.

Li Guanqi might have been blind, but his heart was not.

Meng Wanshu looked at Li Guanqi with dreamy eyes. Whenever moments like this came, he seemed to shine with a different kind of light.

Gu Li ground his teeth and muttered, “I can’t take it. I can’t take this at all…”

Even as he spoke, he produced a golden talisman from somewhere, licked it, and slapped it onto his forehead.

Li Guanqi blinked, mildly surprised. “Brother Gu, what is that talisman for? Why now, of all times…”

Gu Li rolled his eyes and pointed at the talisman on his forehead. “It’s a tier-seven Mind-Calming Talisman! I’m trying to calm my mind!”

Just then, two people stepped out from the crowd. A young woman in an elegant blue dress led forward a man with sharp eyes. He looked a little awkward, scratching his head, unsure what to say, until the purple-haired, blue-eyed woman gave his shoulder a light tug.

The man came before Li Guanqi and bowed first. “Spiritfish Clan warrior Di Cheng pays his respects to Elder Li.”

Li Guanqi smiled. The young woman at Di Cheng’s side was none other than Lan Xun, whom he had met once in passing long ago. And the man was Di Cheng, the proud, unruly youth from the days when the clan had first come seeking shelter.

Lan Xun looked at the handsome man before her, his features as flawless as carved jade, and briefly fell into a daze. She quickly composed herself and bowed. “Lan Xun pays her respects to her benefactor.”

Meng Wanshu watched it all with a faint smile, saying nothing.

Li Guanqi didn’t dare look back at her. He nodded awkwardly, then summoned two streams of sword qi to hover before the couple. “Ahem. Since you two have become Dao partners… congratulations. Consider these two streams of sword qi my wedding gift.”

Lan Xun’s eyes lit up. Di Cheng, who had long since shed every trace of the arrogance he’d once shown Li Guanqi, carefully accepted the sword qi and bowed in gratitude.

Yu Bo stood to one side, sleeves folded, smiling quietly. “Young Master Li, please come inside.”

The lake beneath their feet split down the middle, opening a hundred-zhang-wide gap. Stairs formed within the rift, water rushing down the walls on either side. At last, Li Guanqi saw the thriving home the Spiritfish Clan had built.

And… Nine Heavens, coiled deep within the palace, deeply slumbering.

In the Seventh Territory, You Ming idly fiddled with an array tray, his fingers rock-steady as they inscribed array patterns.

“This is so boring,” he muttered. “Should I go mess around with Li Guanqi? I really do want to, but after just one time, I almost got myself killed. Should I go or not? Aunt Hong seems to be in seclusion, and Brother Long isn’t around either... Or maybe I should visit Huai Zhi? Ah, never mind.”