If You Say I Am, Then I Am!

Seeing this, Sun Zhen hesitated no longer and slapped a golden seal talisman onto his body. The talisman instantly burned away, and a surge of formidable primal energy poured into him. A sharp glint flashed in Sun Zhen's eyes as he executed a Soul Release with his longsword in the blink of an eye! Gripping the hilt with both hands, he chose not to retreat before the raging waves of lightning. Even knowing that meeting this punch head-on would likely leave him gravely injured, he still stepped forward without looking back. A ponderous, imposing sword intent erupted outward! It was a sword intent born of the Sword Heart Realm just the same, yet his was incomparably heavy. Stamping forward, he drew his sword hands slightly back before slashing out a dazzlingly condensed, hundred-zhang sword light! "Green Mountain: Earth-Splitting Slash!" *Rumble!* The fist force collided with the sword light. In mere breath's time, an ear-splitting roar thundered across the surroundings. Countless onlookers clutched their ears in agony, circulating primal energy to seal their five senses. Even so, many disciples of Baizhang Prison collapsed to the ground, ears bleeding, their eyes rolling back as they fainted on the spot. Watching the destroyed hall and shattered peak, Wei Qian dared not breathe a word. Through the dust of the explosion, two figures shot backward out of the haze! Li Guanqi's left hand had nearly been sliced open by the strike, blood dripping from the wound. Sun Zhen, on the other hand, was coughing up blood, half of his shoulder and chest caved in. Half his body was scorched black, crackling with terrifying lightning, his torn flesh presenting a gruesome sight. Fixing his gaze on Li Guanqi, Sun Zhen gasped in awe. "You're really... absurdly strong! How could the mortal Six Domains produce a rogue cultivator like you?" Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. He could not tell if the man was genuinely in the dark or only pretending. Probing with a voice transmission, Li Guanqi said, "There are bound to be people stronger than me. I've heard that Li Guanqi from the Great Xia Domain is terrifyingly powerful, and he's blind like me." Sun Zhen chuckled in amusement. "Hahahaha! True enough, you're both blind. But that fellow... compared to him, you're still far off. Well... maybe not that far off." Li Guanqi's eyes narrowed further. So Sun Zhen knew of him! Yet judging by his reaction, it seemed he had no idea what had happened with the ancient Liu clan. Glancing around, Li Guanqi decided this was hardly the time to press the issue. Flickering over to Qianqiusui's side, he smiled. "Is everything settled?" Sensing Li Guanqi's gaze, Wei Qian hastily bowed with clasped hands. "Senior, it was all a misunderstanding... I was the one who misread Senior Sun's wishes. It was entirely my fault! I have already offered my formal apologies and amends to Fellow Daoist Qian." Not wishing to provoke Wei Qian further, Qianqiusui smiled and nodded. "Indeed. Sect Master Wei has recognized his mistake. Since it was merely a misunderstanding, let us let it rest." Li Guanqi gave a brief nod, not sparing Wei Qian another glance. Turning back to Sun Zhen, who was busy purging the lightning from his body, Li Guanqi said with a smile, "Care to find a place for a drink?" Sun Zhen's eyes lit up at once. Over the past two years in hiding at Baizhang Prison, he had rarely had the chance to drink. The moment he heard the offer, he readily agreed. "Sounds great! Let's go! I know a fine place." Naturally, Qianqiusui followed them down the mountain. The place Sun Zhen mentioned was not far away—just down at Yanchangping, beneath the mountain of Baizhang Prison! When the three arrived in the town and came to a stop, Qianqiusui looked up at the plaque before her, and the corners of her mouth twitched. *Wangyue Tower!* Indeed... it was the very pleasure house Li Guanqi had headed straight for when he first arrived, and the front door where Qianqiusui had been openly seeking guards earlier. Qianqiusui had never imagined she would end up walking into a place of flowers and willows alongside them. With his hands clasped behind his back and his robes in tatters, Sun Zhen puffed out his chest smugly. "Brother Li, what do you think of this place?" Li Guanqi looked at the plaque, breathing in the wafts of perfume drifting out. Closing his eyes, he praised, "Great minds think alike! I had no idea Brother Sun was also a master at tempering the heart in the mortal realm!" Sun Zhen was momentarily startled by the phrase, but then nodded solemnly. "Well said!" With that, the two exchanged a grin and strode proudly into Wangyue Tower with their heads held high. The madam at the entrance recognized Li Guanqi as the guest who had taken the top-floor private room earlier and immediately beamed with warmth. But when the still-charming woman glanced past him at Qianqiusui trailing behind, a peculiar smile crept onto her face. Sweeping her eyes over the two men, she said, "Young masters, are you unsatisfied with the maidens of our Wangyue Tower...? Why did you bring one of your own?" Li Guanqi let out an awkward cough. Just as he opened his mouth to explain, the madam fluttered her fan and cast him a knowing glance. "Oh, no need to explain, young master. I understand, I understand completely. It's quite all right; it's not as though we haven't had such a precedent before." Without waiting for Li Guanqi to get another word in, she turned toward the interior and called out, "Girls! Bring seven over!" Beside them, Sun Zhen could not hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, clutching his stomach, completely ignoring Qianqiusui's darkening expression. Qianqiusui tilted her head up proudly and curled her lip, offering no explanation either. Surrounded by a flock of women, the two men were escorted upstairs. Yet once there, Li Guanqi merely instructed the women to play music and dance, which earned him an admiring thumbs-up from Sun Zhen. "Brother Li, your attainments run deep!" Li Guanqi brought out a wine jar and handed it over, saying matter-of-factly, "Naturally. To indulge in other things would be beneath us." Qianqiusui's suspended heart finally settled back into place. Thank goodness it was not what she had dreaded... Otherwise, she truly would not have known where to hide herself. Noticing an unoccupied guqin nearby, Qianqiusui walked over and sat down. Under the surprised gazes of the gathered women, her slender, jade-like fingers pressed gently against the strings, coaxing out melodic, drifting music. Sun Zhen chuckled. Changing into a clean set of green robes, he sat down across from Li Guanqi. Raising their cups, the two tapped them together and tossed them back in one gulp. The searing liquor flowed down their throats like liquid fire. Sun Zhen squeezed his eyes shut, breathing out a pair of heavy gasps. "Whoa! Good heavens, what a fiery brew!" Li Guanqi offered a faint smile. "If you're going to drink, why bother with anything less?" Both men harbored their own thoughts. Sun Zhen picked up the jar to refill Li Guanqi's cup, remarking in a soft voice, "Brother Li, tell me... where do you suppose the Yanluo Sword Venerable, who shook the Six Domains and eight directions a year ago, is right now?" Li Guanqi drained his cup and smiled back without answering right away. "What do you think?" Sun Zhen kept his head lowered as he poured. "I think Brother Li is him." Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Li Guanqi looked into his eyes and gave a soft chuckle. "If you say I am, then I am. If you say I'm not, then I'm not." Sun Zhen's wrist jerked, the wine nearly sloshing over the rim.