CHAPTER 155 – THE SELFISH LI HUA

After carrying out what he had come to do, Li Guanqi turned and vanished into the snowy night. Not long after, bear-like roars echoed through the forest.

He knew he had acted too rashly, but all sense of logic shattered when he heard Yu Sui’an cry out, "Little blind boy, it hurts!”

Her childhood had been as bitter as his own, yet she now lived a happy life, cherished by everyone within the Daxia Sword Sect. They treated her like a princess. Though she occasionally caused trouble outside the sect, it was rarely her fault.

This time was no different. The first time she ventured out, someone threw away her cherished buns, but she hadn’t said a word. The second time, disciples of the Purple Sun Pavilion stopped her and even hit her. Yet when she returned to her room, she pretended nothing had happened, telling the others she’d dropped her buns.

Li Guanqi didn’t know how hard she’d cried that night, silently applying ointment to her bruises alone in bed. She didn’t want to trouble the elders. She didn’t want him to get involved. Ever since the incident at the Purple Sun Pavilion with Pang Li, she’d carried guilt for dragging him into it. That was why she kept smiling and insisted she was fine.

Her injuries were severe this time, all because she had spoken up in Li Guanqi’s defense.

Li Guanqi couldn't believe how cruel and arrogant people could be, lashing out so viciously over a little girl muttering a single sentence.

He took a deep breath. He didn’t regret what he’d done. Ever since the day that Yu Sui’an sneaked into his room to touch the sword coffin and broke a rib, something in him had changed. He’d started to see her as a little sister he wanted to protect. Perhaps it was their shared misfortune. Perhaps it was the way she always greeted him with a smile, jumping into his arms before offering him some buns.

Or maybe it was that one quiet afternoon in the spring rain, when she’d rested her head on him, fallen into a deep sleep, and murmured “little blind boy” in her sleep.

Li Guanqip trudged slowly through the blizzard, his gaze icy.

The mountain range stretched across hundreds of li. Even Nascent Soul cultivators would struggle to locate him within such treacherous terrain. And with the blizzard raging, they couldn’t use their divine consciousness to scan the area.

He soared into the sky, obscuring his aura. But the vital force within him surged with a thirst for vengeance. He scanned the landscape, searching for his remaining targets.

He’d made his decision. He wouldn’t let anyone live.

Whoosh!

Li Guanqi tracked them down using his divine consciousness, feeling the shifts in wind and snow, and following broken branches.

Sure enough, he saw two figures hurrying out of the mountains. The vast range stretched for a hundred li, and it was one of the Northern Territory's three great mountain ranges.

They'd lost their bearings after hours of traveling in the forest. It would be a long while before they found their way out.

Li Guanqi shed his gray cloak, leaving only a white inner shirt. He blended with his surroundings, making it hard to spot him in the blizzard.

Then, he used the Swimming in the Clouds technique and rushed toward the pair without a sound, moving as swiftly as a snowflake in the wind.

When he was just a zhang away, the slightly chubby youth beside Li Hua finally sensed something. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Whoosh!

He spun around—nothing but snow.

On instinct, he raised his arm and slashed his sword with all his strength.

Clang!

Thud!

With just one blow, his magical sword snapped. A glint of steel flickered at the edge of his vision. Without hesitation, he punched with his left hand, which he’d been hiding in his sleeve.

Clang!

The youth wore glowing brass knuckles on that hand.

His punch sent Li Guanqi flying several zhang back.

But the sheer force of Li Guanqi’s sword strike still shattered the youth’s fingers. Pale-faced and ignoring the pain, he immediately began to retreat with Li Hua.

Li Hua had gone white as a sheet. He might’ve died if the sword had come for him instead.

The other youth’s name was Yang Dinghai. He was an extremely skilled cultivator, and the brass knuckles were from his spirit void.

He glared at Li Guanqi, his voice brimming with killing intent. “Li Guanqi! Will you only stop once you’ve killed everyone?”

Li Guanqi frowned, making him look fiercer. “Everyone? That depends on what you did!”

Boom!

Vital force surged through Yang Dinghai’s body, slowing the snowfall around him.

Rumble rumble!

Thunderclouds gathered overhead, streaks of lightning slithering through the dark. Yang Dinghai shouted, “Don’t push me into breaking through!”

But the murderous light in Li Guanqi’s eyes did not fade. He shot forward with a sprint technique.

A storm of sword glints burst forth. Yang Dinghai had no choice but to defend with his brass knuckles. At this point, he understood Li Guanqi was intent on killing him.

He needed to kill Li Guanqi to survive.

With death pressing in, the vital force within Yang Dinghai surged. He began his breakthrough into the Golden Core Realm. His vital force condensed rapidly, and his punches grew faster.

But after only three breaths, all ten of his fingers had been broken. Li Guanqi’s strikes were simply too powerful.

Just as his vital force started to condense, he caught a glimpse of a blade streaked with strange purple lightning.

However, the path of the sword light was extremely unpredictable.

Then, he realized that it wasn’t aimed at him.

It was aimed at Li Hua.

Yang Dinghai had no time to think. He lifted his hand and tried to parry the sword.

Suddenly, something rammed sideways into him, and Yang Dinghai could only stare in horror as he fell toward the sword.

Yang Dinghai turned to look at Li Hua’s terrified eyes, and a surge of hatred rose within him.

“Li Hua! Fuck you!”

Pfft!

The skin between Yang Dinghai’s thumb and forefinger broke as he tried to stop the blade, but the sword pierced through and buried itself deep in his chest.

His eyes dimmed. The Golden Core Heavenly Tribulation that was brewing in the sky slowly dispersed.

Whoosh!

With a flick of his wrist, Li Guanqi drew the sword back with his left hand and slashed sideways.

The Emerald Wolf Sword’s scales rippled as it swung at Li Hua, packed with unstoppable force.

Just as the sword was about to pierce Li Hua’s waist, a golden light shot toward the back of Li Guanqi’s head.