We Are Both Wanderers

By the time Li Guanqi reached the Sanqing Sword Sect, the bright moon was already hanging high in the sky. Beneath the cloak of night, the Sanqing Sword Sect was exceptionally desolate, looking much like the scene before. Broken walls and crumbling ruins were strewn everywhere, along with lingering wisps of chilling demonic qi. The entire Sanqing Sword Sect had been wiped out to the last soul. With a heavy heart, Li Guanqi recorded every detail of the ruins through jade impressions before slipping away in silence. Next came Guiyuan Hall. Upon leaving, Li Guanqi pieced together the residual traces left behind at both sects. After a long while, he finally assembled the marks from both sides into a second character! "Demon!" Li Guanqi knitted his brows tightly as he sat cross-legged atop a mountain peak, murmuring under his breath. "'Demon'? What does this character represent? "The first character was *An*—peace—meaning Ye Feng is relatively safe for now, at least not in mortal danger. But this second character is clearly a message Ye Feng wanted to convey. "'Demon'... Abyss Demon? Demonic qi? Demon spirits? Or perhaps... the Purgatory Abyss?" Li Guanqi frowned deeply, unable to unravel the meaning of this second character for the time being. Depression welled in his chest. Li Guanqi took a drink from his wine flagon and looked up at the bright moon, murmuring softly, "Just what does this character mean?" Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it further. There was still one last sect left to visit. Li Guanqi glanced at the wine flagon in his hand and suddenly felt it was rather inconvenient. He decided to find a Treasure Pavilion in a city and purchase a wine gourd instead. *Whoosh!* Clad in white robes, Li Guanqi arrived at a grand city named Yongjiang City. He spent a full sixty high-grade spirit stones to buy a vermilion wine gourd. His previous gourd had been left for Li Congxin. Stepping out of the Treasure Pavilion, Li Guanqi strolled aimlessly along the bustling street. His brows were slightly knit, his mind consumed by the messages Ye Feng had left behind. He simply walked straight down the road, and everyone he encountered along the way unconsciously veered out of his path. Suddenly! An old beggar with hair and beard as white as snow blocked Li Guanqi's path. This immediately set Li Guanqi's heart on edge! His current cultivation and strength were terrifyingly formidable; ordinary mortals in this world wouldn't even be able to perceive his presence. Yet this old beggar had stepped directly in front of him, a dirty face splitting into a broad smile. Curiously, the old man's eyes were not clouded like those in their twilight years; rather, they held a touch of clarity. His clear, black-and-white irises were as pure as those of a newborn baby. Li Guanqi swept out his spiritual power, only to discover that there were no primal energy fluctuations within the old man's body, and even his sea of consciousness was completely empty. Li Guanqi frowned. *Could this old man truly be a mortal?* He looked down at the old man, who stood a head shorter than him, and asked softly, "Old sir, is there something you need from me?" The old man cast a casual glance at the withered branch in Li Guanqi's left hand, his flushed nose twitching. Tucking his hands into his sleeves, he chuckled and said, "Er... this old fellow smelled that your wine is quite fine, young friend, and was wondering if I might beg a sip." Li Guanqi smiled, only then catching the heavy smell of alcohol coming from the old man. But that stench was clearly from cheap, blended rotgut—how could it compare to the mellow fragrance of his spiritual wine? No wonder the old man had stopped him to ask for a drink. As if afraid Li Guanqi might find him presumptuous, the old man withdrew a hand from his tattered grey hemp robes. Pinching two withered fingers together, he bowed slightly and nodded. "Just a tiny bit will do, just a small cup—one cup!" Li Guanqi smiled and raised a hand to dilute most of the medicinal potency in the spiritual wine, leaving only the mellow richness of strong alcohol. "Alright. I'll share half the gourd with you. Where should I pour it?" The old man's eyes lit up. He pulled a waterskin from his chest and, without hesitation, dumped out all the water inside. Holding the waterskin in both hands, he beamed. "Right into here is fine." Li Guanqi took the waterskin and poured about half a gourd of wine into it. The moment it was handed back, the old man took an eager gulp. A look of pure enjoyment, relaxation, and indescribable satisfaction spread across his face. Seeing this, Li Guanqi couldn't help remarking, "Old sir, you do not seem like someone meant to live as a wanderer. How did you end up like this?" The little old man gave Li Guanqi a deep, searching look, then turned and walked toward a bundle of bedding by the roadside. A rich, mellow voice slowly sounded: "Then what kind of person should I be?" With that, the old man stood beside his 'bed' and looked back across the passing crowd, speaking softly: "You and I are both wanderers—only the manner of our exile differs." *Boom!* Upon hearing those words, Li Guanqi felt as though an explosion had gone off in his mind. Only now was he certain that the old man was no ordinary person! He might even be... a supreme powerhouse beyond the Mahayana realm! If the man were merely in the Mahayana realm, Li Guanqi's current strength would certainly allow him to detect at least a trace. Yet the old man appeared utterly ordinary. If things were truly as he suspected, then the old man before him was, at the very least, an expert of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm! Li Guanqi's heart quaked. This was the first time he had encountered someone who might be in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm! Seeing Li Guanqi's reaction, the old man curled his lip and shook his head. Li Guanqi walked slowly over to the old man's side, his fluctuating emotions gradually settling into calm. The gaze he turned upon the old man returned to the placid detachment he had held when they first met. Ignoring him, the old man simply fell backward and lay stretched out on the ground. Almost the instant the old man lay down, Li Guanqi gathered the hem of his white robe and sat down on the ground as well. People bustled to and fro along the street, and quite a few noticed this bizarre scene: a handsome young man in white robes and a filthy, slovenly old beggar. Sitting together in such a strange pairing, it was difficult not to attract attention. The old man propped his head on his hand as he drank, stretching lazily with utter contentment. Opening his eyes, he looked at Li Guanqi with surprise. "What are you sitting here for?" Li Guanqi smiled. "I have nowhere to go. I just sat down to have a drink with you for a bit before leaving." Hearing this, the old man sat up straight and chuckled. "This old fellow is just an ordinary mortal. Why keep me company?" Li Guanqi considered it and spoke his mind. "Nothing much. I just wanted to chat with you a little." The old man's interest was piqued. He tipped out the rest of the wine from the waterskin, held it out to Li Guanqi, and snapped playfully, "Brat, don't disperse the power inside next time. It tastes like horse piss..." Li Guanqi smiled and directly handed over the wine gourd. Only then did the old man let out a long, comfortable sigh of satisfaction. In an instant, Li Guanqi felt that although he was still in the exact same spot, the bustling clamor of the surrounding crowd vanished completely. The old man turned to Li Guanqi and said softly, "What is it you want to ask?" Li Guanqi straightened his posture and asked softly, "Why did you say we are both wanderers? And what did you mean by only the manner of our exile differing?" The old man burst into hearty laughter. "I am wandering, but I am free. You appear glorious, but are you not also a wanderer? I was exiled by the secular world, so this is the path I chose. But you—you are bound by karma, exiled by..." *Buzz!* The voice of the sword spirit suddenly rang out! "Old fellow, watch your words."