The three flew through the air, though they did not head straight for Changfeng Villa.
Before doing that, they had to send Zhao Yang away.
The group soon arrived at the city closest to Changfeng Villa.
Following their instructions, Li Guanqi and his companions located an establishment named the Tianfeng Inn.
Carrying the unconscious Zhao Yang on his back, Li Guanqi had barely stepped across the threshold when a waiter ushered them straight into the backyard.
Only after exchanging the secret code did Li Guanqi feel at ease handing Zhao Yang over.
As it turned out, this inn was also an asset of the Great Xia Sword Sect. From this alone, it was clear that Lu Kangnian had never truly intended to simply cling to his borders and defend!
He had long laid out a massive plan, merely waiting for the right moment to let it erupt.
Once Zhao Yang was safely entrusted to their care, the three concealed their presences and flew toward Changfeng Villa.
Before long, they cautiously approached the estate, only to find that it was already deserted.
Yet one woman had stayed behind.
When the trio walked into the villa, the entire compound was already in ruins, a scene of utter chaos everywhere.
Valuables from nearly every room had been hauled away.
The immense Changfeng Villa was now reduced to a desolate, empty shell.
Just then, a woman dressed up with evident care appeared before them.
Cao Yan and Ye Feng's eyes lit up at once; her refined, scholarly elegance instantly drew their gazes.
At their side, however, Li Guanqi rubbed his nose rather awkwardly.
It had been pitch-black that night, and the circumstances had been far from ideal.
He had not even realized she was this beautiful.
Su Qiu fixed her lovely eyes upon Li Guanqi.
She looked at him for a long time, as if wanting to engrave his features into her memory.
Even Cao Yan could tell something was off. He nudged Ye Feng and sent a voice transmission:
"Second Brother, Eldest Brother and this lady... there's definitely something going on!"
Ye Feng rolled his eyes and replied irritably,
"No kidding. Boss might be blind, but I'm not."
Taking light steps, Su Qiu slowly descended the stairs and walked straight up to Li Guanqi.
Looking at the youth whose face had aged so much, she instinctively reached out, wanting to caress the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
Feeling uneasy, Li Guanqi leaned slightly back, making Ye Feng grit his teeth in frustration.
Avoided like that, Su Qiu froze for a moment, her eyes betraying a hint of disappointment as she slowly lowered her hand.
Then, offering a storage ring to Li Guanqi, she lowered her head and whispered,
"Thank you for freeing me from that sea of misery."
"I found this in the Fang family warehouse. I don't know what's inside, but please take it as a token of gratitude."
Li Guanqi showed not the slightest hesitation as he accepted the storage ring and said softly,
"My original intention was never to save you. You really don't need to thank me so much."
Su Qiu pressed her lips together, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at him with profound grievance.
His words were utterly merciless, even cuttingly cruel.
Although Li Guanqi truly had not done any of it to rescue her, she had come to view him as her savior.
Yet his current response made it abundantly clear that he wanted nothing to do with her.
To think that she, an imperial princess, had just been rejected so publicly.
No matter how broad-minded she was, she could hardly bear it.
With reddened eyes, she turned and left the villa.
Watching Su Qiu walk away, Ye Feng clicked his tongue in wonder. "Boss, sometimes I really wonder if you're even a man."
Li Guanqi looked up with a faint smile. "Oh? How so?"
Folding his arms, Ye Feng put on an all-knowing look.
"That lady clearly has something going on with you."
"And after that scene just now... it was plainly a case of the maiden offering her heart while the lad turns a blind eye!"
"Tsk, tsk. The cabbage serves itself up on a silver platter, and you won't even take a bite?"
Li Guanqi said helplessly, "You little rascal."
"Did you really think I tempered my heart in the mortal realm for nothing?"
"Whatever else may be, I can certainly keep my lower half in check."
After joking a bit, Li Guanqi gave a solemn smile and added,
"I have a word of advice for you on this sort of thing."
"Tempering your heart in the mortal realm is paid for—it doesn't matter if you indulge yourself a little."
"But with a girl like the one just now, if you have no intentions, don't go leading her on."
"A single step further is crossing the line."
"When the time comes, you'll be the one stuck with a mess you can't clean up."
At his side, Cao Yan murmured with only partial understanding, "So that's why you spoke so hurtfully, Boss?"
Li Guanqi shrugged. "I don't like her, so why should I be so nice to her?"
"I'm not trying to woo her, so why should I accept her affection?"
With that, Li Guanqi turned and walked out of the villa without looking back.
He left behind the two companions, who frowned in deep thought, muttering, "Don't get it, don't get it at all."
Once they caught up with him, Ye Feng asked with intense curiosity, "Then what kind of girl do you like, Boss?"
"Big hips to bear sons? Or the kind with a face that could topple nations?"
"Or maybe..."
As he spoke, Ye Feng gestured with his hands, a mischievous smirk on his face.
Though it had started as playful banter, Li Guanqi gave it serious thought.
Many figures flashed through his mind, including female disciples of Tianshui Peak, and even Senior Sister Gu Ran, who had treated him so well.
There was even that sword spirit, proud to the point of insolence.
If it came down to who was the most breathtaking, it was certainly the sword spirit, but she... ahem.
Suddenly, the image in his mind froze onto a single scene.
A look of nostalgia surfaced on Li Guanqi's face, and he said softly,
"I like a girl who calls me a dog."
Ye Feng and Cao Yan both froze, then frowned and muttered, "Does Boss have some bizarre fetish... actually liking being cursed at?"
Li Guanqi kicked Ye Feng in the rear and snapped irritably, "If you've got nothing to say, shut your mouth and scram into the secret realm to train."
Ye Feng and Cao Yan exchanged a glance, nodding like chicks pecking at grain.
A flash of light gleamed from the sword casket, and the two figures vanished from midair in an instant.
Li Guanqi did not choose to enter the Hundred Champions Illusion himself. To him, the gains it offered now were very small.
In terms of technique, he had virtually nothing left to improve. The primary factor limiting his strength right now was his cultivation realm!
He possessed a wealth of ability but could not unleash it. Even though his Core Formation quality surpassed a purple core and the primal energy in his body was far more condensed, facing an enemy of a higher cultivation realm still brought a sense of helplessness under sheer realm suppression.
Li Guanqi's eyes flickered, and he murmured inwardly, *My strength... my strength is still too weak...*
*If I were at the late stage of the Core Formation realm, then back when I faced Fang Yishan, I would have had a seventy percent chance of killing him myself!*
Looking down at his wrinkled hands, he could not help but sigh inwardly.
*Looks like I must do everything possible to raise my realm.*
*Three years of lifespan... and the Nascent Soul realm... that really is a heavy pressure.*
Chapter 225