Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman - Chapter 4 Mind Your Own Business

The night begrudgingly draped itself over the land.

Bang! Bang! The final set of punches, as if participating in a reluctant finale, succumbed to the howling wind. Li Guanqi reluctantly acknowledged that it was already midnight, a frown of annoyance creasing his brow.

“Has Grandpa not returned today?”

“Tsk, forget it. Maybe he went down the mountain to buy wine again,” Li Guanqi muttered as he mopped his brow.

A faint, almost mocking smile danced at the corner of his mouth as he stood up and strolled out the door. Cloaked in gray, the young man glided through the night like a self-assured ghost, his steps as delicate as a cat gracefully leaping onto a rooftop. In no time, he reached a courtyard.

A big yellow dog, lazily reclining by the gate, detected an unfamiliar scent and gradually cracked open its eyes.

Smack!

A quick palm strike landed on the big yellow dog’s face, momentarily stupefying it. It began to part its jaws, seemingly preparing to bark…

Smack! Smack!

“Quiet!”

The big yellow dog endured two more resounding slaps, its eyes welling up with the tears of indignant betrayal. Confronted with the boy’s stern glare, it thought better of raising its voice and promptly skulked away, tail tucked firmly between its legs. As it fled, it cast a backward glance at the Zhao family’s yard. Li Guanqi greeted this sight with a faint smirk, then effortlessly crouched down, scaling the mud wall—almost a foot taller than him—with practiced ease.

Inside Zhao Beichen’s abode, Li Guanqi moved at his own leisurely pace, gravitating toward the Zhao family’s woodpile. As expected, two egg nests awaited him. Li Guanqi couldn’t resist a chuckle as he gleefully confiscated seven or eight eggs, nesting them snug in his arms. For the ones that didn’t quite fit…

He gave three eggs a vigorous shake with one hand, before returning them to their original resting place, satisfaction etched across his face. Following this, he quietly ventured into the Li family’s backyard, where a variety of vegetables grew—radishes, cucumbers, eggplants, and corn. Li Guanqi took a hungrily satisfying bite from each, then took bold strides towards a well.

‘Hiss, hiss.’

Splash!

Wrinkling his nose at the smell, the young man muttered to himself, “As expected, Auntie Li’s cooking leaves a strong, lasting scent. Yep, not bad.”

‘Snort, snort!’

The young man shivered, though whether from the night’s chill or his own amusement, it was hard to say. He looked at the pigs inside the pigpen, his grin growing mischievous. “No worries, my dear swine comrades, I didn’t forget about your part in this celebration!”

As he spoke, the young man fished a package of powdered medicine, neatly wrapped in mulberry paper, from his pocket. Observing the three pigs within, he couldn’t help but jest, “Let me spice things up a bit for you fellas.”

With a sly chuckle, he poured the white powder from his palm into the pig trough. “This, my friends, is an extraordinarily potent laxative. So, enjoy your meal. Don’t let my kindness to Zhao Beichen go to waste.”

Li Guanqi continued in his work, all the while mentally predicting the sorry state of the pigpen come morning, which sent a shiver down his spine. Undoubtedly, Zhao Beichen would be left with the charming task of cleaning it up. As Li Guanqi wrapped up his chores, his ears suddenly pricked up, and he couldn’t help but let out a knowing chuckle.

“Tsk, tsk, is Old Zhao really this lively in the dead of night?”

Just as expected! When he turned around, a flickering candlelight greeted his eyes. Li Guanqi, in his silent approach to the window, couldn’t resist taking a peek. He moistened his finger, silently poked a hole through the glass, and gushed with a hint of glee.

“How magnificent…”

Afterward, the young man shook his head with a touch of regret, casting his gaze to the sky, masking his inner thoughts with a dash of mock frustration.

“Oh, dear heavens! Why must this world be so starkly black and white? What’s the point of opening my mind’s eye?”

However, before even half an incense stick could burn down, Zhao’s second son decided he couldn’t bear it any longer. The dispirited boy stealthily exited the Zhao family courtyard, muttering under his breath with a smirk.”Is this the extent of it? Seems like Zhao’s second son is struggling with the idea of having another child.”

At that precise moment, the previously mentioned big yellow dog happened to be lounging right outside his front door. The big yellow dog sensed danger, popped its eyes open, and upon spotting the same troublemaker as before, hastily retreated a few steps.

Suddenly!!

The earth trembled ever so slightly, and after a few breaths, a resounding roar emanated from the sky. The young man swiftly cast his gaze to the north, only to find there was nothing to be seen. Li Guanqi, paying little heed to the odd occurrence, sauntered back to his home. As he reclined in bed, his spirits somewhat subdued, the drowsy Li Guanqi succumbed to slumber before too long.

In the middle of the night, two figures from the village coincidentally arrived beneath the willow tree at the village entrance. The gaunt old man, puffing away on his pipe, turned his head and couldn’t resist a sardonic comment directed at his companion.

“Did he also summon you?”

Meng Jiangchu shrugged and replied to the old man, “Do you really think I could stay away from such a commotion?”

“Moreover, didn’t he send us a message from a thousand miles away?”

“Zhang Qixuan!”

The thin old man responded with a mere smile, choosing to remain silent. However, as they fixated on the incomplete chessboard, their previously relaxed expressions vanished into thin air.

“Old Meng, I strongly recommend you examine this chessboard!”

Meng Jiangchu, who happened to be Meng Wanshu’s father, rushed over to the chessboard upon hearing this. With just one glance, Meng Jiangchu’s face drained of color, and he found himself sweating profusely onto the chessboard. The old man tapped his pipe on the side of the chessboard, stood up, and whispered, “That old man probably wants to confront us tonight.”

On the chessboard, three black pieces were completely surrounded by numerous white ones, leaving only one gap! The message was clear: if they didn’t agree to Su Xuan’s demands, he would eliminate the three of them! Evidently, Lu Tiancheng hadn’t opted for compromise, triggering the recent tremors that had reverberated for miles around. As the two men silently faced each other, the space in front of them suddenly distorted ever so slightly.

Su Xuan’s figure gradually materialized from the void, his attire slightly tattered but his demeanor still aloof. Meng Jiangchu narrowed his eyes, a glint of sharpness flashing within them as he observed the black scabbard in the old man’s hand.

“Where’s that fellow Lu?”

Su Xuan gestured toward the chessboard and inquired, “Have you all taken a good look?”

Meng Jiangchu nodded, and Zhang Qixuan, his back hunched, tapped his pipe while wearing a sly smile and remarked, “Whether we’ve looked or not, what difference does it make, really?”

Su Xuan didn’t reply; instead, he slowly secured the jet-black scabbard around his waist. Immediately, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged like boiling water! As the old man clenched his palm, a handle of reddish-gold sword qi began to gradually condense. The thin old man seemed as though he were bound in place by an invisible force, unable to move! Cold sweat instantly trickled down the old man’s forehead.

Su Xuan’s right hand slowly grasped the handle of the newly formed sword, and instantly, a terrifying force shot up into the sky! The surrounding vast void underwent rapid and tumultuous changes, thunder and lightning raging!

“You old immortals are so bothersome…”

“Talking nicely with you is useless, isn’t it?”

“Do I have to personally come to the Mysterious Gate Domain to find you?”

“Are your incarnate avatars so easily discarded?”

The thin old man’s eyes were fixed on the jet-black scabbard, and suddenly, a distant name flashed in his mind. Gradually, it merged with the old man in front of him, and in this instant, his heart was filled with endless fear! Trembling all over, the old man struggled to say, “You… You are…”

Boom!!

A terrifying pressure instantly descended upon the old man, and his already hunched body knelt down in an instant. His head was firmly pressed against the ground, but there was no thought of resistance in his mind! If it was really that man, he would definitely go to the Mysterious Gate Domain to find his true self! The old man’s voice, dry, said, “Please… Your Excellency, I will leave the Great Xia immediately!”

Boom!

The sword qi within the scabbard shattered instantly, and a big grin appeared on Su Xuan’s face as he said, “Now, isn’t that better~?”

“I consider myself a man of reason, you see. I enjoy convincing people with logic, and I’m not particularly fond of resorting to force.”

Meng Jiangchu grumbled from the side, “And what about Lu Tiancheng?”

Su Xuan shrugged and muttered as he hung the scabbard back on his waist. “He’s been dealt with. There’s no helping it after all, he just wouldn’t listen to reason.”