Even though Gu Li was arrogant when it came to talisman crafting, he showed great respect toward this Judge's Brush.
Straightening his robes with a solemn expression, he formally cupped his fists, bowed, and saluted. "Junior Gu Li of the Gu clan greets Senior Ji, the Judge's Brush."
Ji Yuchuan's eyes flickered. Hastily raising a hand to support him, he smiled and said, "You and I share the same realm, so addressing each other as Daoist friends will do.
"Everyone else calls me Brother Ji, haha! If you don't mind, you can call me that too."
Gu Li laughed heartily, immediately adopting "Brother Ji."
The two then sat down and began exchanging thoughts on the Dao of inscribed talismans. Gradually, Ji Yuchuan's expression grew increasingly solemn.
Sitting cross-legged across from each other, they discussed the Dao.
Whenever the conversation grew impassioned, spittle flew as they debated, washing down their parched throats with wine.
Before they knew it, Li Guanqi's figure stepped out from the void.
His glowing complexion and invigorated demeanor drew mischievous smirks from everyone present.
Even the aura within his body had become substantially more condensed and solid.
Seeing Ji Yuchuan here as well, Li Guanqi was momentarily taken aback.
Just as Ji Yuchuan was about to rise, Gu Li scrambled to his feet and grabbed him.
"Wait, we haven't finished discussing this—"
"Urgh..."
Ji Yuchuan's fingers "accidentally" jammed into Gu Li's mouth. Rising to his feet, Ji Yuchuan smiled and said, "Pavilion Master."
Their eyes met, and Li Guanqi said softly, "Keep drinking for now. I'll be back in a bit."
With that, Li Guanqi took Ji Yuchuan and departed from the Great Xia Sword Sect.
Before long, Meng Wanshu, her cheeks flushed rosy, arrived at Yuhu Peak. Ye Feng stood up with a grin. "Sister-in-law."
Feeling a touch shy, Meng Wanshu murmured an acknowledgment and took a seat in the host's chair.
Cao Yan smiled and called her sister-in-law as well, while Xiao Chen pursed his lips, refusing to utter the words even if it killed him.
"Congratulations on breaking through," Xiao Chen offered instead.
Covering her mouth, Meng Wanshu gave a soft laugh. "Is Brother Xiao still dwelling on the past?"
Xiao Chen shrugged, suddenly switching expressions to chuckle mischievously. "Heh-heh, certainly not!
"I have Qing'er now. Right, Second Brother?"
The corners of Ye Feng's mouth twitched. His eyes gradually turned blood-red, and sword qi crisscrossed violently around his body.
Terrified, Xiao Chen shot backward, fleeing in an instant without looking back—heading straight for Ye Feng's home!
Left behind, Gu Li sat bored, taking a sip of wine. When he looked at Meng Wanshu, his eyes held far more solemnity and curiosity.
Meng Wanshu raised her wine cup and met Gu Li's gaze. Her eyes were calm once more, returning to that disdainful gaze that looked down upon the world.
Yet there was a touch more softness in her look as she said softly, "I heard about it from him. Thank you."
Gu Li raised the wine flagon in his hand and smiled. "Sister-in-law flatters me. It was merely a trivial matter, not worth mentioning."
***
Guanyun Pavilion.
Having heard that Li Guanqi was coming, Tang Ru emerged from his seclusion. The commercial operations of Guanyun Pavilion had already begun to roll out on a broad scale.
Qianqiusui was currently so busy her feet barely touched the ground, yet she reveled in every moment of it.
The Guanyun Pavilion of today was wealthy—extraordinarily wealthy.
The earlier rampage of the Abyss Demons across the Six Domains had earned Guanyun Pavilion immense goodwill.
Furthermore, the battle between the Great Xia Sword Sect and the Lu clan had boosted the morale of the clans and sects across the Six Domains. Now, major factions and clans clamored to cooperate with Guanyun Pavilion, hoping to have Guanyun Pavilion establish commercial branches in their territories.
Inside Ji Yuchuan's study, even Tang Ru was not present. Only Li Guanqi and Ji Yuchuan occupied the room.
Li Guanqi got straight to the point. "Did something happen?"
Ji Yuchuan pondered for a moment before speaking. "Pavilion Master, I do not know if I am simply being oversensitive.
"A few days ago, while you were away, Elder Gu approached me once. He wanted to borrow the Tianji Chart!!
"I refused."
Hearing this, Li Guanqi's brow furrowed slightly. He did not immediately detect anything amiss.
However, he quickly realized why Ji Yuchuan had phrased it that way.
Ji Yuchuan was afraid that overstepping his bounds might anger Li Guanqi.
Even so...
Li Guanqi's fingers tapped rhythmically on the tabletop as he fell into prolonged thought.
A glint of sharp light flashed across the depths of his eyes. "Next time, just find an excuse to decline," he murmured softly.
Understanding the implicit meaning, Ji Yuchuan did not elaborate further.
Li Guanqi rubbed the bridge of his nose and sent a soft voice transmission: "There are quite a few moles planted here. Weed some of them out as appropriate, and leave just enough that we can keep under control.
"If you encounter factions you cannot handle, remember to let me know."
Ji Yuchuan let out a soft chuckle. "The Pavilion Master might be underestimating us a bit.
"Since you have given the word, I shall set to work."
Li Guanqi smiled knowingly. Ji Yuchuan truly gave him a profound sense of reliability, no matter what task was entrusted to him.
Ji Yuchuan was always the type to anticipate three steps ahead for every step he took, surveying four directions and guarding against six contingencies.
He could lay things out clearly in just a few words, kept Li Guanqi informed whenever necessary, and never overstepped his authority.
Li Guanqi reached out and traced invisible strokes in the air above the desk. Ji Yuchuan's pupils contracted slightly, then instantly returned to normal.
His demeanor remained exceptionally calm, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Li Guanqi stood up and left. Ji Yuchuan remained seated in his chair, motionless for a long time.
Reaching out, he crushed a jade slip. In an instant, numerous black-robed assassins materialized throughout Guanyun Pavilion!!
In the blink of an eye, a thick stench of blood billowed outward.
Ji Yuchuan pushed open the door and stood atop the pavilion terrace, gazing downward. "Those who reach too far will have their hands severed," he murmured softly.
In all of Guanyun Pavilion, it seemed only Ji Yuchuan, Xi Yunhuai, and a select few showed no surprise whatsoever.
Standing beside Tang Ru, Qianqiusui watched the scene with a deathly pale face.
A woman who had just been listening to her arrange auction details moments ago was slain with a single palm strike from Tang Ru.
Hot red and white matter splattered all over her face, and Qianqiusui, still shaken to her core, looked at Tang Ru, who smiled genially with his hands tucked into his sleeves. Her mind reeled with shock!!
Not only Tang Ru...
Xi Yunhuai standing upon the elevated terrace, and Ji Yuchuan looking on with indifferent eyes—only now did she truly fathom the terrifying depth and cunning of these men!!
Among those black-clad assassins, there was a young man whose eyes shone exceptionally bright.
Had Li Guanqi been present, he would certainly have recognized him. Resting quietly within the youth's storage ring was a wooden sword.
***
After leaving Guanyun Pavilion, Li Guanqi found his mind wrestling with countless thoughts, his mood growing restless and troubled.
Deciding not to return to the Great Xia Sword Sect right away, he clasped his hands behind his back and wandered the open skies.
Along the way, Li Guanqi saw cowherds tending cattle and youths scaling mountains in search of immortality.
He saw young cultivators in the prime of life traveling together atop flying swords, and various clans setting up challenge arenas and brandishing their blades with all their might.
The ancient clans had emerged into the world; the Six Domains were plunged into unrest.
Who knew how many millennia-old clans and sects would be supplanted this time?
The Lu clan...
He had remained vigilant against them all along. However, after their departure, the Lu clan members had gone to the Zhu clan, and the Zhu clan had yet to make any move.
Still, Li Guanqi was far from convinced that the Lu clan would simply let matters rest.
Sighing, Li Guanqi sat atop a mountain summit, took a swig of wine, and turned a small purplish-black pagoda over in his hand.
"Song Zhi'ang... the human heart is truly unpredictable," he murmured softly.
"To think a once-promising person would end up like this."
After an unknown time had passed, Li Guanqi stood up and sighed. "Next time we meet, then... I'll just kill her."
Chapter 847