Qinghe County, Li Mansion.
“Sss… Ow.”
“Lady, did you prick your finger?”
Old Li hurriedly approached his wife, gently taking the embroidered mandarin ducks quilt from her hands and sucking on her bloody fingertip.
“Ever since a while ago, I’ve been feeling increasingly restless.” Gu Xueqin massaged her forehead and took a deep breath.
“Is it because you’ve been too busy recently?”
“It’s not because of busyness.”
“Then it’s not like there’s something else…”
Li Dalong immediately became serious. Only after his wife gave him a harsh glare did he clear his throat and put on a proper face.
“Are you worried about our son?”
“Mhmm. The Imperial Capital is so big, with so much intrigue, and the Celestial Trial is so dangerous. I don’t know if he’s eating well, sleeping well, or how things are going with Little Ice Girl…”
Seeing his wife’s genuine worry, Li Dalong was at a loss for what to do. As a county official, he had no idea what was happening in the Imperial Capital, let alone if there was anything he could do, so he could only try to console her and suggest they go out to clear their minds.
As soon as they hit the streets, they spotted a group from the Hengyun Sword City.
Being the deputy county magistrate, Li knew these swordsmen were highly ranked figures within the sword city, all dressed in elder robes. Particularly, the white-haired young man had a jade-embroidered sleeve, signifying the sixth realm.
“Gentlemen, please stop for a moment!” Li Dalong hurriedly approached and bowed.
The white-haired youth glanced over Li Dalong with a sense of familiarity:
“Are you related to Young Hero Li?”
“Li Mo is my son, I wish to seek guidance from you gentlemen.”
“Do you wish to inquire about Young Hero Li’s current situation?”
The young man sighed, “He has been severely wounded, his life hanging by a thread, and we are here to guard him.”
With that, the other elders from Sword City also nodded slightly.
Li Dalong froze, his ears echoing as if thunder was rumbling overhead, the heavens almost collapsing. The man who was usually as robust as a dragon or tiger nearly lost his balance.
But he couldn’t fall. For Gu Xueqin had already lost her footing, almost fainting, her face pale as paper, her gaze scattered.
The two of them were waiting for their son and his fiancée, Little Ice Girl, to return home in splendor.
The quilt embroidered with the frolicking mandarin ducks was already made…
“Don’t worry too much, the entire Qingyuan Sect is putting all its efforts into his recovery. I do not know what exactly they have in reserve, but they must have confidence in their methods, otherwise, they wouldn’t have invited us.”
The silver-haired Elder Xu offered some reassurance:
“The young hero is righteous, and those blessed by fate will naturally have divine protection. He’ll be fine.”
“Yes, yes, he’ll be fine!”
Li Dalong clung to these words like a lifeline, unsure if he was encouraging himself or someone else.
“Elders, is it convenient for us to come along?” Gu Xueqin refused her husband’s support and barely stood upright.
“There is no inconvenience at all.”
Elder Xu, who was merely passing through Qinghe County wondering if he should send word to the Li family, waved his hand and produced a cloud-boat from his storage item.
“Please.”
The cloud-boat ascended, and for the first time, the couple experienced the sensation of ascending into the celestial realms, with the vast earth beneath them. Beside them, streams of sword lights that ordinary people would scream were immortal swordsmen.
But neither had any appreciation for the scenery, their gazes fixed on the horizon as if their hearts had already flown there.
The cloud-boat was incredibly fast.
In just half a day, they could already see the outline of Qingyuan Sect’s territory.
It was the height of summer, the sea of forests rustling with waves of vitality, but for some strange reason, no cicadas could be heard. It was as if the cicadas had been frightened into silence by something unknown.
The once-ruined Qunyu Peak was now refurbished with temporary lodgings, bustling with people—or at least, not all humans.
Seeing the couple’s perplexed expressions, Elder Xu smiled and offered an explanation:
“Young Hero Li’s prestige now rivals that of our Hengyun Sword City; all these are here to protect him.”
“From the common peddlers and foot soldiers to the seventh realm experts, and the esteemed King of the South Border—even the demon clans from the Southern Wilderness have arrived.”
“Do not think lightly of Qingyuan Sect as it is still just a county-level force. If Young Hero Li called out, even the state governor would tremble.”
Li Dalong and Gu Xueqin exchanged glances, feeling both pride and shame. The news of their son leading the Qianlong List didn’t resonate much upon first hearing, but now they realized just how far he had gone in their absence.
Once landed, Li Dalong first thanked Elder Xu and went to seek out his teacher. Master Xue Jing was renowned for his medical skills, so he must know the details regarding their son’s condition.
…
The main hall.
Upon entering, what they saw was a grand hall filled with either transformed mighty demons, demon kings, or famous warriors renowned across the jianghu, their auras as deep and oppressive as dark, bottomless pits. They were a full house of villains.
“Eh, is this gathering actually illegal?” asked the leader of the Giant Whale Clan.
Mambo thought about it for a moment before nodding. “According to the grand laws of Yu, it probably counts…”
“What illegal gathering? We’re here as honored guests for Young Hero Li’s breakthrough ceremony.”
A middle-aged man resembling Murong Xiao standing beside Wu Qing said.
Murong Feng, in his younger days, was keen on righteous chivalry and thus had some understanding of the legal code. For instance, a sparring match and a duel were essentially the same thing, yet one could land you in jail while the other carried no consequences.
“What methods does Qingyuan Sect have hidden up their sleeves to change the forces of heaven and earth? I wonder what their confidence level is.”
Wu Qing frowned deeply.
Nearby, a few elders from Hengyun Sword City entered the hall, greeting everyone briefly and exchanging pleasantries. Speaking of prestige, those wielding the Horizontal Cloud Sword… well, the sword with the hammer marks, did not fall short.
“I just arrived from the Imperial Capital, where the Tian Shan Sword Academy has crowned the top rank in swordsmanship for this generation,” one of the elders remarked.
“Oh?” The other elders perked up their ears. It’s well-known that out of all the martial practitioners, swordsmen took the most pride in their reputation, and if anything, those from the Hengyun Sword City took pride above all.
Every year, the announcement of the top ranked swordsmen was met with immense interest from the city members, since they were once the swordsmen’s holy land, the judges of the highest ranks.
If the Tian Shan Sword Academy didn’t choose well, then of course, they’d be quick to criticize.
“This year’s competition has been quite fierce; the contenders are all unmatched masters across the land.”
“Could it be Ying Bing? I heard even the leader of the academy felt outclassed by her.”
“How about the lady from Penglai, Dantai? Her artistry of sword courage and lute spirit has reportedly become more refined.”
“Or the King of Seals from the North? Despite his low key nature, he’s the sole inheritor of a secluded sect…”
“Our Elder Xu may not be at a high enough level yet…”
“Holy cr*p, the Liqueen Sword Hero?!”
The other sword city elders leaned back in surprise, as memories of that certain youth arose in their minds. The one who transformed the Horizontal Cloud Sword Marks into a hammer shape.
Splash—
Glancing back, the elder who had just been serenely sipping tea somehow missed his chair and toppled underneath the table, burning hot tea spilling down his pant legs.
