Chapter 234: The Disciple Master

The carriage sped past the long-vanished gate of Bailian City; in the night, an intense stench of blood clung to the surrounding walls, yet the carriage did not pause, as if utterly indifferent.

After entering the city, the carriage passed through the shattered blue-brick Changjie street, crossed several alleys, and finally halted before Baixiang Pavilion.

Li Muxian, seated atop the pavilion’s roof ridge, looked down and raised an eyebrow.

On this newly arrived carriage, he spotted two familiar faces.

Sitting where the driver should have been were an old man and a little girl.

These two were precisely the cloth-clad elder and Lin Xuner, who had planned to sneak to Bailian Peak for revenge.

On the way, they encountered the Disciple Master of Luoshen Peak, who came to Bailian City; after a confrontation, they were captured. Even though the cloth-clad elder, a Tianren expert, fought desperately to escape, he could not get away.

At this moment, the Disciple Master of Luoshen Peak used his folding fan to lift the carriage curtain and looked up toward Li Muxian atop Baixiang Pavilion.

Seeing that Li Muxian was indeed as young as the messenger had described, his expression shifted slightly, and he asked calmly:

“Was it you who defeated our Luoshen Peak’s Peak Master just now?”

Hearing this, Li Muxian said nothing, merely gestured with a finger toward the ravine in the street beside Baixiang Pavilion.

His attention was fixed on the cloth-clad elder and Lin Xuner; he studied them for a moment and noticed both looked terribly pale—especially Lin Xuner, whose small face twisted with anger and fury, as if filled with unbearable regret.

Meanwhile, the young man glanced at the pile of corpses in the street’s deep ditch, his gaze lingering briefly on the body of Zheng Yunfeng.

Then he lifted his head to look at Li Muxian atop the pavilion, his expression unreadable, and said:

“Are you an official of the Great Li Court? Yet I’ve never heard of any such young expert emerging from the Great Li Court.”

In response to the young man’s question, Li Muxian withdrew his gaze, glanced at him, and said:

“There’s much you haven’t heard of—but your courage is considerable.”

Saying this, Li Muxian raised an eyebrow and added:

“Since you didn’t immediately shout for bloodshed, I’ll give you a suggestion: bring more people. Best to summon every top fighter from Luoshen Peak. Otherwise…”

He paused, thinking, unsure what else to say.

For even if the other truly summoned every Luoshen Peak member, the outcome would be the same—no “otherwise,” no “surprise.”

The young man stared at Li Muxian atop Baixiang Pavilion, squinting slightly, and said:

“Thank you for the warning, but you’re mistaken on one point: I came to Bailian City not because I’m bold, but because I’m confident enough.”

Hearing this, Li Muxian blinked slightly, studied the young man below for a moment, saw nothing unusual, then nodded and said:

“Glad you’re pleased.”

The young man clearly sensed Li Muxian’s condescension, yet he seemed unconcerned; he turned to glance at the cloth-clad elder and Lin Xuner on the carriage and said slowly:

“On my way to Bailian City, I encountered these two. They’re not from Luoshen Peak and harbor ill intent—I originally planned to kill them on the spot.”

“But they claimed to have a deep connection with you, so I brought them along.”

Saying this, the young man looked casually at Li Muxian and asked:

“What do you think I should do with them? Or do you believe they’re valuable enough to serve as leverage in my hands?”

At these words, the cloth-clad elder and Lin Xuner both looked up at Li Muxian atop the pavilion, their eyes filled with urgency and pleading.

Earlier, when the Disciple Master of Luoshen Peak had threatened to kill them, they had been desperate.

They carried blood feuds of their own; they had just glimpsed hope of revenge, only to have it snatched away mid-journey.

At that moment, death was their only fate, so in desperation, they lied—claiming ties to Li Muxian, the expert who had just slain the Bailian Peak Master—to buy temporary survival.

Now, facing their gaze, Li Muxian stroked his chin, ignored the young man’s question, and asked instead:

“I’m curious—how exactly did they claim to be connected to me?”

Hearing this, the young man seemed unconcerned and replied coolly:

“They said you’re both agents of the Great Li Court, sent here to Bailian Peak on a secret mission ordered by the Great Li Emperor—but only you know the mission’s details.”

At this, Li Muxian chuckled, glanced at the cloth-clad elder and Lin Xuner, and suddenly said:

“You know quite a lot. I should’ve killed you both to silence you!”

At these words, the cloth-clad elder and Lin Xuner froze, then exchanged glances.

At this moment, the grandfather and granddaughter clearly saw shock in each other’s eyes:

There really is a secret mission?

Did we actually guess right?

The Disciple Master of Luoshen Peak frowned in thought, stared at Li Muxian atop the pavilion, then narrowed his eyes and nodded:

“So you intend to protect them.”

Saying this, the young man’s lips curled into a faint, teasing smile:

“Then if you answer me three questions, I’ll spare their lives.”

Hearing this, the cloth-clad elder and Lin Xuner immediately perked up, turning their eyes once more to Li Muxian.

But Li Muxian waved his hand toward the young man below:

“Don’t make this complicated. I suggest you just attack directly.”

Hearing this, the young man slowly shook his head, about to speak—

But the next instant, he suddenly sensed danger; his surrounding heavenly qi surged violently, and his body grew ethereal and insubstantial.

The cloth-clad elder and Lin Xuner both felt it and turned to stare at the young man.

Then they saw a bloodied hole, piercing clean through his right chest.

Yet the young man showed no sign of serious injury; faint crimson light emerged from the wound, and surrounding flesh and membranes slowly writhed, the hole healing visibly before their eyes.

At this, the Disciple Master of Luoshen Peak glanced at the wound on his chest, then looked up at Li Muxian atop the pavilion and said:

“Just now, you intended to pierce through my skull, just as you did to Zheng Feng?”

“I admit your strike was undetectable and too swift to block.”

Here, the young man suddenly grinned slyly and said:

“But let me be clear: no matter how you strike, you cannot kill me.”

(End of Chapter)