Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Li Guanqi’s suppressed grief echoed through the empty mountain cavern.

Without a second thought, Lu Kangnian threw an arm around Li Guanqi’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. In that moment, Lu Kangnian looked like a father comforting a son who had lost his way.

His large hand patted Li Guanqi’s back, and his voice came low and steady. “Don’t blame yourself. This was Ye Feng’s own choice. If it had been you, I know you would have made the same choice for Ye Feng.”

Lu Kangnian did not speak of right or wrong, nor did he console Li Guanqi by telling him he had done nothing wrong. He simply stated the truth. It had been Ye Feng’s decision.

The guilt in Li Guanqi’s heart had not diminished. If anything, it only strengthened his resolve to find Ye Feng as soon as possible. His desire to kill Sha had never been stronger. But he knew that, as he was now, he could not kill the man. Strength—every fear and every unknown came down to a lack of strength.

If he were Hong Zhi, he could face Sha alone and still walk away whole. If he were Long Hou, erasing Sha entirely might even be possible. Perhaps the next step of Li Guanqi’s plan would have to come early.

He stood up. Vital force flowed gently through his body, wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes. The uncertainty in his gaze gradually gave way to unwavering determination.

Li Guanqi carefully tucked Ye Feng’s life jade slip into his storage ring before asking softly, “Sect Master... how is Tang Ru?”

Lu Kangnian finally relaxed. “He’s hanging on. He walked out alive. Tang Wei and Qian Ze are both at the Purple Spirit Paradise Realm. Do you want to go?”

Li Guanqi nodded. “I’m going now.”Lu Kangnian smiled gently. “Go. Don’t worry about seeing to the seniors. I’ll handle everything here.”

Li Guanqi nodded silently, then vanished from where he stood.

Gu Changsheng was also in the Purple Spirit Paradise Realm. An emerald-green altar stood beside the medicinal pool, with the unconscious Tang Ru floating above it. Countless motes of green light drifted around him, continually sinking into his body.

The moment Tang Wei saw Li Guanqi arrive, his face lit up, and he hurried forward. He gripped Li Guanqi’s hands in both of his, thanking him over and over. “If not for you, Tang Ru wouldn’t be alive.”

Tang Wei’s eyes were red from crying. He had no idea what Li Guanqi had gone through.

Despite the horrific torture Tang Ru had endured, his divine soul remained intact, and his cultivation was undamaged. He could hardly imagine what price Li Guanqi had paid to keep Sha from harming Tang Ru.

Yet, Li Guanqi’s heart ached at the sight of Tang Ru, tortured beyond recognition. He could only press his lips together and turn away in silence.

A painful groan escaped Tang Ru. “Mmh...”

He slowly regained consciousness. Still dazed, he murmured weakly, “I... Even if I die... I won’t let you... use me against him...”

His faltering words deeply moved everyone present.

Whoosh!

Li Guanqi flashed onto the altar and took his hand, speaking softly. “It’s over. You don’t have to worry anymore. We won!”

Tang Ru’s eye sockets were still empty. His eyes had not yet grown back.

At the sound of Li Guanqi’s voice, he grew agitated. Then his mind cleared, and he felt the torrent of life force coursing through him and healing him. His expression changed. “We won…? Is Sha dead?”

Li Guanqi did not answer his question. “Rest and heal. When you’re better, we’ll become sworn brothers.”

Tang Ru could only manage a smile that looked more like a grimace, but he had never been happier.

Li Guanqi came back down from the altar and looked at Tang Wei. “Uncle Tang, I’ve found a master for Tang Ru. Is that okay?”

Tang Wei frowned slightly. “A master? Who?”

Nearby, Qian Ze also perked up his ears. He barely knew Li Guanqi and had only joined the battle to lend a hand.

Li Guanqi did not avoid the question. The master he had found for Tang Ru carried enough weight to make even Qian Ze look at the Tang family differently.

“Yu Shan.”

Tang Wei’s breath caught. His thoughts raced wildly. He had never imagined that Li Guanqi would find Tang Ru a master like Yu Shan, the most mysterious of the Seven Territories’ Eight Generals.

Li Guanqi cupped his fists and bowed deeply to Tang Wei. “I’m sorry, Uncle Tang. I’m Tang Ru’s elder brother, yet I failed to protect him.”

A mixture of emotions crossed Tang Wei’s face. He stepped forward, took Li Guanqi by the arms, and gently raised him from his bow. “Tang Ru is fortunate to have brothers like you. You have nothing to apologize for, and you haven’t failed anyone. If your places had been reversed, you would have done the same for him.”

Li Guanqi froze. He had not expected to hear those same words from two different people in a single day. But they were right... Had he been in Tang Ru’s place, he would have done the same.

Li Guanqi turned around to Qian Ze, the true owner of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion across the Six Territories. He cupped his fists and bowed respectfully. “Junior Li Guanqi thanks Senior for his righteous assistance.”

Qian Ze smiled and waved his hand dismissively, his eyes brimming with admiration for Li Guanqi. Li Guanqi had anticipated that Tang Wei might resent him for Tang Ru’s suffering, but by stepping forward to help, he had largely put those feelings to rest.

Qian Ze said, “It was nothing. The Sha organization’s crimes are beyond counting. They deserve to be destroyed. I only did my part.”

Li Guanqi smiled at that and said nothing more. Qian Ze was far more calculating than Tang Wei, with a merchant’s habit of weighing every gain and loss, which Li Guanqi found somewhat unpleasant.

Peng Luo climbed carefully onto Tang Ru’s head, plopped down over one eye socket, and grumbled, “Ugh… I was born to work myself to death. But you’re a real man, you punk. I respect that.”

As Peng Luo spoke, he pulled the leaves on his head down over Tang Ru’s left and right sockets. “Bear with it. This big brother of yours has some medicine for those eyes.”

Tang Ru gave him a knowing smile, but his expression changed a moment later. With what little strength he could muster, he cursed, “Do you... do you have to squeeze the spirit liquid out... from there?”

Peng Luo’s face went red, both fists clenched, straining his whole body. He shouted back, “This is... the best position... to push from!”

Pffft!

Tang Ru felt something fill his empty eye sockets, and a cool, refreshing sensation spread through them, bringing him incomparable relief.

Peng Luo’s face relaxed. With his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open, he mumbled, “Oh yeah~ That feels good.”

Li Guanqi turned and clasped his fists. “Uncle Gu, Uncle Tang, Senior Qian, I still have something to take care of. Contact me any time if anything comes up.”

Gu Changsheng waved a hand and said, “Go. I’m here. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Li Guanqi tossed out a violet-gold jade bottle, and with a flick of his finger, a ray of spirit light shot into Tang Ru’s forehead. “Since you’re in this state, you might as well temper your body while you’re at it.”

With that, Li Guanqi turned and vanished. Once he had gone, Tang Ru sat dazed for a moment.

Tang Wei quietly asked, “What was that?”

Tang Ru swallowed hard. “A... body cultivation technique… beyond the Heaven tier! And… a whole bottle of true dragon’s blood.”

Tang Wei was left speechless, and even Qian Ze burned with envy.

Off to the side, Gu Changsheng curled his lip and smiled smugly to himself. And this one’s the owner of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion? Country bumpkin. Never even seen the blood of a true dragon?

Li Guanqi was on his way to a small courtyard located in the rear mountains of the Daxia Sword Sect. Upon arriving, he stood at the door for a long while. He could not bring himself to knock. He simply did not know how to face the people inside.

Creak.

When Ye Qing’er opened the door, her face was etched with worry. When she saw Li Guanqi standing there, however, her eyes instantly brightened. “Dad! Dad! Big Brother Li is back!”

A flurry of clattering sounds burst from inside the courtyard, and a man’s voice and a woman’s rang out one after the other.

“You’re back? Where’s Feng’er?”

“Feng’er… Mom’s been worried sick!”