The man wore a deep navy robe, carrying a heavy scent of blood.
With sword-like brows and starry eyes, his expression was resolute, and a long scar ran across the left side of his forehead.
Within his bloodshot eyes lingered an unyielding, chilling murderous edge.
Though similar in age to Li Guanqi, his hands were covered in thick calluses, and the backs of his hands bore several crisscrossing scars.
The youth noticed Li Guanqi's gaze, turned his head toward him, and smiled faintly.
He then raised the cup in his hand and drained it in a single gulp.
Li Guanqi was somewhat startled; he had not expected the other party to detect his gaze.
He promptly picked up his own cup, stood up, and drank it down as a modest gesture of apology.
Although Li Guanqi noticed a flicker of puzzlement in the other's eyes, he did not dwell on it.
Upon the raised platform in the grand hall, a woman in a pink dress stepped gracefully forward, her face veiled in sheer gauze.
Someone set up a guqin for her. A pair of jade-like hands swept across the strings, and the melodious notes rang throughout the tavern under the amplification of a sound-magnifying array.
The clamor of the crowd subsided into hushed whispers.
As the zither notes entered his ears, Li Guanqi felt as though he had been transported to a secluded earthly paradise.
A bubbling spring tinkled beside his ears, accompanied by the gentle calls of birds and beasts.
Across a verdant grassland, a cool breeze brushed his face.
When the piece came to an end, the lingering notes resonated, leaving the listeners craving more.
Li Guanqi took out a silver ingot and said with a chuckle, "Give this to that lady downstairs for me, as a tip."
The woman beside him accepted the silver ingot with a beaming smile and then headed downstairs.
Before long, the woman who had just played the zither on stage unexpectedly arrived before Li Guanqi's table alongside Qinghe.
Before the two had even drawn near, Li Guanqi caught a faint scent of sweet osmanthus.
The pink-gowned woman glided forward and curtsied slightly before Li Guanqi's table.
In an ethereal voice, she murmured softly, "Thank you for the generous reward, young master. My name is Xiangyue. I would be honored to play a private piece for you."
Li Guanqi smiled faintly and said gently, "Then my thanks to Lady Xiangyue."
Just then, a waiter brought up the woman's guqin.
When she turned around, Xiangyue finally noticed the person seated near Li Guanqi.
The woman froze for a moment, then hurriedly bowed to the youth.
In a very deep voice, the youth said, "Do what you came to do. Pay no mind to me."
Li Guanqi took all of this in. Probing slightly with his divine sense, he found nothing unusual about the youth.
Yet judging by the vitality of his blood and qi, even if he was not a cultivator, he was certainly a skilled martial artist of the mortal realm.
Just as the woman touched the strings, however, a sharp whoosh suddenly tore through the air!
Bang!!
Li Guanqi surged to his feet, drawing his sword to strike against the incoming dagger!
With a crack, the dagger shattered, but its sharp fragments embedded themselves deeply into the guqin.
The strings snapped, and a shallow scratch of blood appeared across Xiangyue's face.
A rather harsh, sneering voice suddenly rang out on the second floor:
"Hmph! And here I wondered what great figure it was!
"To think you turned down an invitation from our young master just to come play for someone here!
"Does your Drunken Flower Pavilion have a death wish? Even a lowly brothel girl dares to disobey my young master's orders!"
Li Guanqi's face gradually darkened.
A cultivator at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, yet he dared lay hands on a defenseless woman!
If he had not intercepted that strike just now, the woman before him would have undoubtedly died!
Li Guanqi sheathed his sword and mocked in a cold voice, "These days, even acting as someone else's dog makes a man feel a rank higher than everyone else. That truly opens my damn eyes."
The man was barely six and a half chi tall, with a long face, triangular eyes, and an indescribably wretched appearance.
Yet he had mimicked others by wearing a white brocade robe, which only made him look utterly ridiculous.
The second floor of the Drunken Flower Pavilion fell dead silent!
Those who could afford the second floor had some money and were relatively well-traveled.
Originally, the crowd had harbored thoughts of enjoying a good spectacle.
Yet the moment they got a clear look at the man standing on the third-floor staircase, they immediately lowered their heads!
A glint of murderous intent flashed in the man's eyes. He licked his lips and swept his gaze over the room.
He barked with a chilling sneer, "What the hell are you looking at?! Look again and I'll gouge your damn eyes out!"
The man then narrowed his eyes, following the voice to look at Li Guanqi.
"Tsk, even blind men visit brothels these days?
"What's the matter? Here just to listen to tunes? Hahahahaha!
"You've got some guts. Don't recognize me, Shu San, do you?"
Before his words had faded, two more figures appeared beside the short, gaunt man.
Li Guanqi gave a contemptuous scoff, not even bothering to reply.
"Just three in Qi Refinement, yet so arrogant? Whose young master puts on such massive airs?
"Could it be a cultivation clan?"
Li Guanqi murmured inwardly.
The burly man who had just come down frowned slightly and said in a heavy voice,
"Shu San, what's taking so long? The young master is still waiting!"
The moment Xiangyue heard the 'young master' they spoke of, her delicate body began to tremble slightly.
It was as if she had heard of something utterly terrifying.
Looking at the three lackeys, Li Guanqi scoffed. He sat right back down and propped his feet up on the table.
He asked softly, "Do you have any spare strings?"
Flustered, Xiangyue nodded, then drew a string from her sleeve and handed it to him.
Li Guanqi could not help laughing. "Why give it to me? I don't know how to play the zither.
"String it, and keep playing!"
Seeing Li Guanqi's attitude, the three men sneered and drew the long sabers from their waists.
"Brat, you don't look like a local. I advise you to keep your nose out of other people's business."
Li Guanqi was so infuriated that he laughed. "Fucking hell, you take all the high ground, making it seem like I'm the one bullying you.
"Get this straight: you're the ones who came to my table to snatch someone!"
Having said that, Li Guanqi pondered for a moment, then stood with his sword in hand and shrugged. "Why am I even trying to reason with you?"
At this moment, the brothel's madam rushed into the scene, crying, "Oh my, honored guests! Please don't brandish weapons and spoil the harmony!
"Young master... please take a step back. I'll have all the prettiest girls in our establishment come over right away, all right?"
She then turned toward the men from the third floor, bowing with clasped hands. "My lords, I will send Xiangyue right over to play for Young Master Zhang immediately! Along with Xizi, Luhua, and Tianxiang to keep you company!
"Please grant me some face, won't you?
"My humble shop has only just opened... surely your lordships can be magnanimous?"
Smack!
The man named Shu San slapped the madam across the face, knocking her to the floor.
He spat in her face, planted a foot viciously on her, and said coldly, "Grant you face? What face do you have?
"Brothers! Cripple this blind bastard for me!"
The moment his voice fell, a chilling, murderous zither chord suddenly rang out!
Clang! Clang, clang!!
The three men strode toward Li Guanqi!
Yet just as they passed by that youth, the youth suddenly erupted!
With soaring murderous intent in his eyes, he swung a razor-sharp blade furiously toward Shu San!
Even Li Guanqi had not anticipated this. Meanwhile, the other two continued lunging toward Li Guanqi.
The onlookers only saw the white-robed figure move like the wind, elusive and fleeting.
Immediately after, great sprays of blood mist erupted from the limbs of the two attackers!
Two breaths!
"Aaagh!!!"
Agonized howls erupted behind Li Guanqi as the tendons of their wrists and ankles were all severed!
Standing with sword in hand, Li Guanqi looked at the youth, who was in grave peril, and asked softly, "Need a hand?"
The other hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Shing!!
Three strikes!
With all four limbs crippled, Shu San was hoisted into the air by his hair with a single hand by Li Guanqi.
Shu San knew they had kicked an iron plate this time, yet he still glared viciously at Li Guanqi.
He snarled, "You're a dead man! Do you know whose man I am?! I am—"
Crack!!
Li Guanqi formed his left fingers into a blade and drove them savagely into Shu San's throat!
Shu San's eyes widened, filled with disbelief even in his dying moments that the other party dared kill him!
Normally, wasn't one supposed to wait for him to declare his backing...?
Li Guanqi tossed the corpse aside and muttered, "How can you be blinder than me? Can't even read the situation?"
Chapter 56