Yet just as Li Guanqi turned to leave, the carriage driver's repeated thanks echoed behind him.
By now, the young driver was pale with fright.
His legs trembled like leaves in the wind, and with dazed eyes, he bowed and voiced his gratitude over and over.
Li Guanqi did not look back. He simply walked toward Li Nanting and led the old man further into the city.
Inside the extraordinarily luxurious carriage behind them, a stunning woman in a white dress slowly lifted the curtain.
In her arms, she cradled a plump, fair baby boy.
A trace of panic still lingered in her limpid, autumn-water eyes.
Her coiled dark hair was slightly disheveled. Still shaken, she first glanced at the great demon knocked senseless on the ground.
When she looked up toward Li Guanqi's retreating back, he happened to turn his head, and their eyes met.
Holding the curtain back with one hand and cradling the child with the other, the woman lowered her gaze and dipped into a slight curtsy, conveying her sincere gratitude through her eyes.
Li Guanqi merely gave a slight nod before departing with Li Nanting.
To him, this was nothing more than a minor episode, one he did not even take to heart.
Finding a decent restaurant-inn, Li Guanqi checked in with the old man, reserving rooms for half a month.
The suite possessed an antique charm and a sprawling layout, with separate quarters for the study, reception area, and bedchambers.
There were even two private meditation chambers inside.
Li Guanqi was quite satisfied with the accommodations and had the establishment send up some specialty dishes.
The two sat inside the room, drinking and chatting.
"Mmm! This food is quite good. A lighter taste suits me well."
"Guanqi... you did well today."
Li Nanting set down his chopsticks and took a sip of wine.
"As cultivators, we should help when we can in situations like this. We couldn't just stand by and watch that man and child die a gruesome death right before our eyes."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi sighed and gently shook his head. The old man was still kind-hearted to a fault.
Pouring Li Nanting a fresh cup of wine, Li Guanqi spoke softly.
"Master, my intervention today wasn't done on a whim."
"Before stepping in, I observed the surrounding crowd to make sure the beast's rampage wasn't an intentional ploy directed at me."
The old man was taken aback.
He had not imagined Li Guanqi would consider so many factors!
Li Guanqi intended to lay out his thought process before explaining further to the old man.
Looking at him with a solemn gaze, Li Guanqi dipped a finger in wine and drew a circle on the table.
"Traps. Whenever anything happens that could involve me in any way, the first thing I consider is whether it's a trap."
"The timing of that great demon's rampage was far too coincidental."
"However, the toddler genuinely tripped on his own, and as for the beast running wild, I caught a scent back then—it was likely triggered by a particular odor from one of the roadside shops."
"Most importantly, the mother and child in that carriage posed no threat to me."
Li Nanting was astonished by what he heard. In just a few short breaths, Li Guanqi had considered all of that!
"Wasn't that... just a demon beast running wild? Why overthink things to such an extent?"
Li Guanqi gave a wry smile, then drew another circle on the table.
"This is Xutian Palace, the largest faction I've provoked so far."
He drew another circle.
"This is the Tianhua Sword Sect, likewise a sect with True Immortal cultivators."
He drew yet another circle...
By this point, Li Nanting was already beginning to feel that his disciple's extra caution was not without reason.
"This is Zhao Chengyong, the former deputy hall master of the Tianshu Ascension Hall."
"And of course, there are likely many, many others who wish to see me dead."
"They are all lurking in the shadows, hiding where I cannot see them..."
Li Guanqi wiped away the wine stains on the table and chuckled softly.
"So... your disciple has no choice but to remain on guard."
In truth, there were still many adversaries Li Guanqi had not even mentioned.
For example, the Ran Family!
Ran Shiming was such a narrow-minded man that Li Guanqi could not afford to drop his guard against him.
Even if the other party harbored no ulterior motives, he would still factor them into his calculations on the chessboard.
Ever since ascending to the Immortal Realm, Li Guanqi had kept every single person he had crossed etched firmly in his mind.
Even... the immortals he had slain back in the Spirit Realm!
He would not let down his guard against unknown enemies in the Immortal Realm just because his aura had completely transformed after ascension.
In truth, after ascending, Li Guanqi had once considered investigating the figures behind the cultivators who had invaded the Seventh Domain, using their identities as a starting point.
In the end, after careful deliberation, he abandoned the idea.
Right now, he was hidden in the shadows; even if they wanted to search for him, it would be like looking for a needle in the ocean.
Yet if he actively sought information on those cultivators, he would likely be courting death.
Sitting across from Li Guanqi, Li Nanting took a deep breath, a complex gleam flickering in his eyes.
"It seems your master was thinking too simply after all."
"When wandering the world, it is right to be cautious."
"It looks like I'll have to pay much closer attention to such matters myself from now on. I can't act like I did back in the Mor—Guangxing Realm."
Li Guanqi smiled as he placed food onto the old man's plate, filled his cup, and raised his own.
Knock, knock, knock!
A sudden knock sounded at the door. Sweeping out his divine sense, Li Guanqi discovered a young man standing outside—none other than the carriage driver from earlier that day.
Without standing up, Li Guanqi asked in a calm voice,
"Is there something you need?"
Hearing his voice, the young man outside hastily bowed, speaking with deep gratitude.
"Ah... To thank you for your chivalrous intervention earlier today, my mistress has specially hosted a banquet at the estate, wishing to express her gratitude to you in person."
"My mistress sent me to ask if the young master would honor us with his presence."
Li Guanqi frowned in thought, then rose and opened the door. Upon seeing Li Guanqi, the young man bowed gratefully once more.
"Mm... I will not be attending. The journey was exhausting, and I would prefer to rest."
"It was a trifling matter, not worth mentioning."
"Go back and tell your mistress that I, Li, appreciate her kind intentions, but I must respectfully decline."
The young man had not expected Li Guanqi to refuse so bluntly.
A look of distress crossed his face for a moment, but Li Guanqi smiled reassuringly.
"Just tell her that. Your mistress shouldn't make things difficult for you."
The young man sighed helplessly, offering a wry smile as he cupped his fists in salute and took a step back.
"Alright then..."
"Thank you. Thank you once again for stepping in today, Young Master."
Watching the young man depart, Li Guanqi furrowed his brows. Returning inside, he immediately activated the protective formations of the two meditation chambers.
He slotted over a dozen immortal crystals into them, enough to keep the formations running for some time.
After explaining the situation to Li Nanting, Li Guanqi had him enter the Sumeru Treasure Hall, then concealed his presence and vanished from the suite.
Only after altering his appearance and casually finding another inn did he feel slightly more at ease.
Inside the somewhat cramped room, Li Nanting frowned and said in a low voice,
"That woman from today is certainly no ordinary figure. To track us down so quickly without even tailing us?"
Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and nodded, though he had no desire to get deeply involved.
"It's fine. I just have to trouble you to put up with this place for a couple of days, Master."
The old man waved his hand with a smile.
"What does a minor inconvenience like this matter? It doesn't even count as a hardship."
Chapter 1726