Chapter 219: Something

Yet the middle-aged man had barely taken a step when he suddenly realized his meridians were sealed—he froze in place, utterly immobilized.

“This… what’s going on?”

Fear flashed in the middle-aged man’s eyes; apart from Li Muxian ahead, he saw no one else who could have acted.

At that moment, Li Muxian’s voice sounded beside the middle-aged man’s ear:

“Are you from the Great Li Tianjin Guard?”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man turned his gaze to Li Muxian. Meanwhile, Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng, seeing him suddenly stand frozen, both wore expressions of shock and demanded urgently:

“Vice Commander Miao, what’s wrong with you?”

The middle-aged man did not answer. He felt as if plunged into an ice cellar—someone had sealed his meridians without a sound; the attacker’s martial prowess must far surpass his own. Right now, he could only wait for death, powerless to act.

Thinking this, he looked at Li Muxian before him and said:

“I am Vice Commander of the Lanzhou Tianjin Guard. This land belongs to Luoshen Peak. I urge you, Young Master, not to act rashly—no matter how many powerful protectors you have behind you, you cannot escape Luoshen Peak’s retribution.”

Li Muxian shook his head and said:

“As an official of the Great Li court, you conspire with Luoshen Peak during wartime. Since we’ve met, don’t blame me.”

No sooner had he spoken than the middle-aged man’s open eyes instantly lost focus; his life force vanished in an instant.

At that moment, Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng behind him turned pale with horror—they clearly saw a bloodied hole, piercing clean through the Vice Commander’s skull, appearing out of nowhere.

The next instant, without hesitation, Yu Wenfeng and Zheng Zhi both surged their martial qi and immediately fled toward the hall’s exit.

Yet the moment they moved, they realized their own meridians had been sealed—they could not move a muscle.

At that moment, Li Muxian’s voice sounded beside Zheng Zhi’s ear:

“You haven’t answered my question.”

Both Yu Wenfeng and Zheng Zhi stared in terror at Li Muxian, who lounged casually against the soft chair.

“Who… who are you?”

Zheng Zhi’s voice trembled. The strongest martial cultivator among them had just been killed; they hadn’t even seen the attacker, and now their own meridians were sealed—their lives hung entirely in the other’s hands.

Zheng Zhi and the other now regretted their earlier arrogance—they had let both elders leave together, leaving them in this dire situation.

Yet they also knew their only hope now was to buy time; if the two elders returned, they might yet escape this predicament.

“No matter who you are, you must know Luoshen Peak’s standing in the martial world. If you kill us, our fathers will never let you live.”

“But if you spare us, I’ll pretend tonight never happened.”

Zheng Zhi suppressed his fear and spoke to Li Muxian, trying to stall.

Behind him, Yu Wenfeng quickly added:

“My father is Yuwen Chengqing, the Ninth Peak Lord of Luoshen Peak. I swear—if you leave us unharmed, we’ll ensure you depart Bai Lian City unscathed.”

“Besides, no battle, no friendship. I see you’re a man of distinction—perhaps we could become close friends.”

Hearing this, Li Muxian nearly laughed. The man’s words probably didn’t even convince himself.

Still, Li Muxian knew they were stalling—but he didn’t care.

At that moment, the scar-faced man, who had stood motionless the entire time, had witnessed every moment.

Though he dared not move, his face had shifted through a dozen expressions.

From the moment Zheng Zhi attacked Li Muxian, he’d thought he’d soon share Li Muxian’s fate—despair.

Then came shock at seeing Li Muxian unharmed; then utter disbelief when the powerful middle-aged man was slain in an instant.

Now, seeing Zheng Zhi and the other frozen, groveling before Li Muxian, he suddenly understood—the tide had turned.

Instantly, the scar-faced man relaxed. He moved his stiff neck for the first time, then offered Li Muxian a sheepish grin:

“Young Master, you had such power—why didn’t you say so sooner? You had me terrified!”

As he spoke, his eyes flickered toward Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng, then his smile vanished. He lowered his voice:

“Don’t trust Luoshen Peak’s words. We should flee Bai Lian City before those two old bastards return. And for safety, we could take these two as hostages.”

Li Muxian glanced at him.

This fellow had remarkable resilience—just moments ago he was panicking, now he was calmly planning escape routes.

But Li Muxian waved his hand and said:

“You go on your own. I have other business—I must stay.”

Earlier, Li Muxian had followed the Xishan Blade Sect group simply to save time on the road.

Now that they’d reached Bai Lian City, close to Bai Lian Peak, he no longer needed them.

Besides, with Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng in hand, he had no urge to travel further—he’d rather wait for Bai Lian Peak’s experts to come to him. Far simpler.

Hearing this, the scar-faced man’s expression twisted. He didn’t know what Li Muxian intended to do by staying.

But he knew—if he didn’t leave now, when the two powerful Luoshen Peak elders returned, things would grow even more unpredictable.

Thinking this, he bowed quickly:

“Young Master, take care.”

He turned to leave—but as he did, his gaze fell on Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng. He gritted his teeth, turned back, and asked:

“Can you spare me one hostage?”

“If I have a hostage, I can deter Luoshen Peak’s men. Even if I’m cornered at last, I’ll take one with me—I won’t go down empty-handed!”

Li Muxian’s eyelid twitched, but he flatly refused:

“I need both.”

Hearing this, the scar-faced man had no choice. He sighed regretfully, then picked up his bag of gold from the floor.

Finally, without further delay, he leapt out the hall’s window and fled on his own.

In an instant, the third-floor hall held only Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng, and a group of terrified courtesans too frightened to move or speak.

Li Muxian turned to Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng and asked again:

“Are you certain your fathers will come to this brothel for you?”

Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng didn’t understand Li Muxian’s intent—but survival was all that mattered now. They hurriedly replied:

“We are our fathers’ most beloved sons. Whatever your demands, as long as you spare us, they’ll agree.”

Li Muxian nodded and said:

“Then I’ll believe you—for now.”

No sooner had he spoken than two invisible qi threads pierced the skulls of Zheng Zhi and Yu Wenfeng.

(End of Chapter)