Li Shenzhi looked back, only to see two clouds of blood mist burst in midair.
His breath caught. It had been just two sword strikes...
And two Soul Formation Realm cultivators had simply vanished from heaven and earth.
The rustle of the bamboo grove reached his ears. After hesitating for a moment, he set foot inside.
He had also noticed the pitch-black stone tablet at the entrance, and the faint, mysterious runes visible upon it told him it was certainly no ordinary object.
The more he looked at it, the more familiar it felt, yet he still could not place it.
Gritting his teeth, he began making his way into the depths of the bamboo grove.
As he ventured deeper, a growing sense of unease settled over him, for he had been walking for an entire incense stick of time.
He had already traveled several li, yet before him lay only the winding path beneath his feet and the endless sea of bamboo.
Finally, after walking for a long while more, the babble of a stream reached his ears, and a wooden cabin appeared before him.
Beside the cabin, a figure sat on a chair with his back turned, drinking wine.
Li Shenzhi stopped where he was, bowed deeply, and said in a grave voice, "Junior Li Shenzhi offers his gratitude to Senior for saving my life. May I ask... how did Senior know my name?"
Without looking back, Li Guanqi pointed at an empty chair beside him and said softly, "Drink with me."
Li Shenzhi could not sense the slightest ripple of primal energy from him.
He only felt an inexplicable familiarity radiating from the man, as though this person were deeply important to him.
Plucking up his courage, he slowly walked to the edge of the creek. Seeing the old man's profile, that sense of familiarity grew even stronger.
Until... he saw that pair of aged, clouded, milky-white eyes.
His eyes went wide, and he gasped in disbelief, "It's you!... Brother Li?"
In his memories, the youth who had slaughtered through that rainy night and defied the mortal emperor had been so spirited and full of life.
Had it not been for him back then, his entire family would likely have been executed to the last person.
Later, he had heard countless tales of his deeds.
Even after leaving the Great Xia Domain and joining a sect in the Luoxia Domain, Li Guanqi's renown had still reached his ears!
Toward this savior, he harbored gratitude from the bottom of his heart.
Yet he had never imagined that the once-spirited youth could have become what he was today.
Li Shenzhi did not speak. He simply sat down, lifted the wine jar before him, and tilted his head back to gulp down mouthfuls of the fiery liquor.
"Haaah..."
He raised his wine jar and clinked it against Li Guanqi's. Neither of them spoke a word.
They drank like that from dusk until dawn.
Neither of them used primal energy, drinking until both were thoroughly drunk.
By the end, both had poured their hearts out, and Li Shenzhi finally learned why he had been reduced to this state.
Silence.
He did not know what to say to comfort or console him.
Life was full of so many uncertainties and unknowns.
No one ever knew which would come first: tomorrow or mishap.
In the early morning, Li Shenzhi slowly rose to his feet and cupped his fists in salute to Li Guanqi.
Straightening up, he turned his back to Li Guanqi and said softly, "Unwillingness and regret will always be there. If it were possible, I think it might be better never to let that girl step into the cultivation world."
Li Shenzhi slowly looked up at the sky and murmured, "This cultivation world is too bloody, too cruel. Everyone resorts to any means necessary in pursuit of the Great Dao of immortality. Time is merciless. When their lifespan nears its end, nothing those people do is surprising."
Li Shenzhi left; he still had to return to his sect and report.
Li Guanqi sat on his chair, an unreadable light flickering in his eyes as he murmured softly, "Indeed. No one knows what tomorrow will bring."
Just like his encounter with Li Shenzhi today—they had first met on a mission when he had just joined the sect.
Who could have guessed that nearly ten years would pass before they saw each other again?
The sword spirit's figure slowly manifested above the stream. She turned to look at the aged Li Guanqi and asked softly, "What are your thoughts?"
Li Guanqi took a drink, falling silent for a long time.
In a raspy voice, he asked, "Can Sui'an be reincarnated into an ordinary household?"
The sword spirit gave a gentle nod and whispered, "In the early stages of a mortal pregnancy, before the fetus has developed the three ethereal and seven corporeal souls, it can be done."
Li Guanqi kept his head lowered, disheveled hair obscuring most of his face.
"Then... let her not carry the memories of this life. Let her just be a mortal and live a happy life."
As he spoke, Li Guanqi's figure vanished from the spot.
He walked aimlessly through the void, his formidable divine sense sweeping over the mortal earth below.
An inexplicable loneliness welled up within him.
He did not know when it had begun, but like all the others, he had started looking down upon the mortal realm rather than walking among it.
Li Guanqi kept walking until he finally arrived at a city of modest size, home to a few hundred thousand people.
Linyan City.
The terrain surrounding the city was flat, filled with abundant trees and flora. Perhaps because rain had recently fallen, the air was crisp and smelled of fresh earth.
The morning market in the city bustled with vibrant life. With a gentle sweep of his divine sense, Li Guanqi observed every recently pregnant woman in the city—several dozen in all.
Flitting down outside the city gates, he approached the entrance, where the guard took one look at his appearance and assumed he was a beggar from somewhere.
There was no disgust in the young man's eyes; he merely supported his arm and said gently, "Old sir, the city lord's estate sets up a porridge shed in the south of the city every day. You may go there whenever you need."
Li Guanqi was slightly surprised; he had not expected a mortal city to have such compassion for its people.
He nodded silently. Seeing his clouded, milky-white eyes, the young man offered to help him further, but Li Guanqi smiled and declined.
Inside Linyan City, peaceful serenity reigned everywhere. Outside the north gate stretched vast fields of farmland and designated sericulture plots.
Carriages came and went, departing through the west gate and entering through the east.
It was evident that the lord of Linyan City was a capable administrator.
Li Guanqi came to a small fabric shop. Seeing him, the shop clerk hurried over.
Glancing back at the female patrons still picking out cloth, the clerk reached out to stop him and murmured, "Old sir, if you're hungry, head over to the porridge shed. Please don't loiter inside the shop... We still have a business to run here."
His voice was quiet, but it still drew odd looks from the women in the shop.
Li Guanqi kept his head bowed without saying a word, turning to leave.
Behind the counter, an ordinary-looking woman with gentle features slowly stood up and looked toward the doorway.
The woman, named Shao Yue, hurried over and called out, "Old sir, wait!"
Li Guanqi paused slightly, and the woman hurried toward the back courtyard.
Before long, a young man with a slight upturn to his lips emerged from the back courtyard, carrying a bowl in his hands.
The young man held it out with a gentle smile. "Old sir, we don't have much to offer, but here are some steamed buns I made myself this morning. Take them."
Li Guanqi stared blankly at the steamed bun in his hand, then brought it to his mouth and took a bite.
Li Guanqi looked up at the man, his divine sense casually brushing over him and the woman.
Their entire pasts were laid bare before him. Li Guanqi's eyes brimmed with tears as he murmured, "It tastes good. She will like it."
The man scratched his head and chuckled heartily. "Haha, right? Back when I ran a steamed bun shop, mine had the best business in town."
Yet the man had no idea what the old man had meant by his final words.
Chapter 645