Chapter 259: Reflections

Yuwen Chengqing and the others, watching the large black cat, naturally noticed its movement and immediately turned their gaze toward the deep darkness behind the cat.

Soon, they saw a handsome young man slowly stepping out from the night.

The young man radiated no martial aura whatsoever, walking toward the green brick path before the small shrine as if strolling through a courtyard.

As everyone fixed their gaze on Li Muxian, he calmly scanned them all, finally settling on the blind old man.

At that moment, the large black cat, seeing Li Muxian had finally arrived, seemed to exhale a heavy sigh and immediately turned, bounding back to his side in three quick leaps.

Previously, following Li Muxian atop the main peak of Luoshen Peak, the cat had ridden on his reputation—no matter how powerful the elders of Luoshen Peak were, none could match the cat and Li Muxian together.

Clearly, the black cat had grown arrogant on Luoshen Peak, charging about unchecked—but it never expected to suddenly encounter a terrifying expert like the blind old man, and its courage had been thoroughly shaken.

Immediately, the black cat, carrying the dark green jade tablet, looked up and meowed twice at Li Muxian, then extended its paw to point at the blind old man and the others, as if lodging a complaint.

Clearly, in the cat’s eyes, if it couldn’t handle someone, Li Muxian would step in—and he must reclaim the dignity lost just now.

Li Muxian ignored the cat, instead studying the blind old man before the small shrine, then asked with a thoughtful expression:

“Are you the master’s uncle from Luoshen Peak? I’ve heard Master Fu mention you.”

In Li Muxian’s view, among these people, only the blind old man possessed any real martial strength—and he matched the person Fu Qiwén had instructed him to find.

Facing Li Muxian’s question, the blind old man’s gray-white eyebrows twitched slightly.

Though he could not see Li Muxian’s face, the sound of his voice and the vigorous life force within his body told him this was a very young man.

Yet, just as Kongxuan and the others perceived him, in his own perception, Li Muxian was an ordinary person with no martial cultivation whatsoever.

This naturally left him deeply uncertain; his throat moved slightly, emitting a rough, grating sound like sandstone grinding against sandstone, as he asked:

“Was it you, young master, who just blocked my sword?”

At these words, Yuwen Chengqing’s gaze toward Li Muxian narrowed slightly.

Kongxuan, Yumianjiao, and Ouyang Mingqi all shifted their expressions uncertainly.

They had never seen Li Muxian before and had no idea this young man was the Great Li Eighth Prince who had single-handedly slain the Luoshen Peak master and the Four Venerables.

Nor did they believe their luck was so great that they would stumble upon the very person they had longed to meet.

Yet from Li Muxian’s mention of Fu Qiwén, they could roughly guess he was affiliated with the Great Li Tianjinwei.

At this, Li Muxian, seeing the blind old man did not answer his question but instead asked him one, furrowed his brow slightly.

The black cat beside him, sensing the tension, immediately meowed and pointed its paw at the blind old man, clearly speaking ill of him.

Seeing this, Li Muxian glanced at the cat, then let out a soft laugh and said:

“You’re quite vengeful.”

Then Li Muxian stepped forward toward the blind old man.

The black cat followed closely at his side, the man and cat stepping together into the blind old man’s sword prison.

Soon, Yuwen Chengqing and the others watched in shock: as the man and cat took one step forward, the sword qi crisscrossing like a celestial net retreated by a fraction.

The powerful sword intent, forged from killing intent, even trembled slightly, as if fleeing from the man and cat like a serpent or scorpion.

The blind old man naturally sensed all this; his withered face changed expression instantly.

At the same moment, Li Muxian’s voice drifted softly into his ear:

“Now, should you not answer my question?”

…

The blind old man sharply stepped back, as if struck by lightning; he abruptly raised his head, his dull gray eyes fixed directly on the man and cat.

Though he could not see Li Muxian or the cat, he sensed that, at that spot, an elusive, faint aura had appeared.

That aura was vast and immense, like a mountain range or oceanic abyss slowly advancing toward him.

Before it, he felt himself as insignificant as an ant—so insignificant that if that aura descended, he would be instantly crushed and erased.

Even now, the sword shadow hovering above the blind old man’s head began to tremble faintly.

The blind old man suddenly raised his head, his face filled with horror!

Instantly, he waved his hand and withdrew the sword prison enveloping Kongxuan and the others.

The next instant, his body vanished from where he stood, reappearing deep within the small shrine.

His hunched frame suddenly straightened.

The sword shadow that had floated above his head had, at some point, descended into his hand, merging with the cane he had been leaning on, transforming into a long, sharp sword radiating icy blue light.

At this moment, the blade’s edge in the blind old man’s hand was so sharp it seemed capable of cleaving open the dark heavens and earth before him.

“I am not the master’s uncle—I am merely an ordinary laborer of this peak. You’ve mistaken me for someone else!”

The blind old man spoke solemnly to Li Muxian, immediately severing any connection to the Luoshen Peak master to clarify his identity.

Simultaneously, Kongxuan, Yumianjiao, and the others felt the oppressive sword prison above them dissolve; the sword hovering over their heads vanished instantly, and each let out a heavy breath of relief, as if escaping death.

The next instant, they seemed to finally realize something, their gazes locking tightly on Li Muxian with the cat.

Earlier, they had not considered Li Muxian might be the Eighth Prince, assuming someone powerful behind him had intervened.

But now, they had witnessed Li Muxian merely walking toward the blind old man—and the old man had fled in terror into the shrine.

Only now did they realize: such youth, such terrifying power—only the legendary Eighth Prince could match this.

They could not imagine anyone else fitting this man’s identity!

Meanwhile, Yuwen Chengqing’s face was filled with shock.

With the blind old man gone, he was left alone, neither daring to follow into the ancestral hall nor to flee immediately.

If even the blind old man feared this man, he had no belief he could escape under his gaze.

At this moment, besides forcing himself to remain still and suppressing the urge to flee, his mind raced to guess Li Muxian’s identity.

Yet his knowledge was far less than Kongxuan’s group; no matter how hard he thought, he simply could not fathom who Li Muxian truly was.

At this, Li Muxian, hearing the blind old man deny his guess, raised an eyebrow and halted, the cat at his side.

Li Muxian naturally suspected the blind old man was lying; he turned his gaze to Kongxuan and the others.

He did not know these people, but he could guess that Kongxuan and the others, nearly killed by the blind old man, were likely on his side.

“Does anyone among you know the truth? Tell me—is this old man lying?”

Li Muxian looked at Kongxuan and the others and spoke suddenly.

Hearing this, Kongxuan, Yumianjiao, and Ouyang Mingqi snapped back to awareness.

Kongxuan immediately moved to answer—but the words died on his lips, for he suddenly realized he did not know the blind old man’s true identity.

At that moment, Ouyang Mingqi stepped forward first, bowing to Li Muxian:

“Your Imperial Highness, according to my knowledge, this man has no connection to the Luoshen Peak master.”

“Yet, besides the two senior uncles, the Luoshen Peak master does indeed have another uncle—but that person is elusive, appearing and vanishing without trace, and the master has rarely acknowledged his identity publicly, so very few know who he is.”

Hearing this, Li Muxian frowned slightly, glancing at the blind old man inside the shrine, then lost interest.

He turned his gaze to Ouyang Mingqi and asked:

“Do you know me?”

At these words, Ouyang Mingqi’s heart surged violently.

He had merely suspected before—but now, with Li Muxian’s identity confirmed, standing face-to-face with the legendary Great Li Eighth Prince,

seeing how young he was and how immeasurable his martial strength, it was impossible not to be awestruck and shaken!

Yet Ouyang Mingqi forced himself to remain calm and replied:

“Your Highness, you single-handedly crushed the Luoshen Peak master and the Four Venerables—your fame has spread throughout the Tianjinwei. I was fortunate enough to hear of your glory, and my admiration for you flows like an endless river.”

“To stand before you now is truly a blessing beyond three lifetimes!”

Hearing this, Li Muxian glanced at Ouyang Mingqi again.

This man spoke well—but it felt overly flattering.

Still, overall, he found it pleasing; he stroked his chin and studied Ouyang Mingqi:

“You don’t look like a Tianjinwei member. Do you know where the Luoshen Peak master’s uncle is?”

Ouyang Mingqi naturally sensed the shift in Li Muxian’s attitude, but his earlier words had been sincere.

Li Muxian’s celestial talent and terrifying martial strength were unmatched in his lifetime—he could not help but sigh in awe.

Moreover, Li Muxian had just saved their lives; no amount of praise was excessive.

“Your Highness sees clearly—I was not originally of the Great Li Tianjinwei, but served as a peak master of Luoshen Peak. Yet after witnessing your supreme divine might, I immediately abandoned darkness and joined the Great Li court.”

Ouyang Mingqi bowed deeply, his expression solemn.

As soon as he finished speaking, Kongxuan and Yumianjiao both shot him looks of extreme disbelief.

Especially Yumianjiao—she had never seen her senior brother Ouyang display such a fawning, sycophantic face.

Even before the master, she had never heard him speak like this.

Yet soon, Yumianjiao’s heart sank suddenly; she realized she had perhaps missed something.

At the same time, Kongxuan narrowed his eyes at Ouyang Mingqi, then turned his gaze back to Li Muxian.

He tried to pierce through this Eighth Prince—but no matter how he looked, the man appeared utterly ordinary, utterly unreadable.

Ouyang Mingqi naturally sensed their stares, but pretended not to notice, continuing to answer Li Muxian:

“Your Highness, according to my knowledge, the Luoshen Peak master’s uncle possesses a supernatural ability like the Four Venerables.”

“And her ability is exceptionally unique—she can appear and vanish without trace. If she chooses to flee now that Luoshen Peak’s fate is sealed, we will find it nearly impossible to locate her.”

Hearing this, Li Muxian raised an eyebrow, then quickly waved his hand:

“If we can’t find her, then forget it. It’s not essential.”

Saying this, Li Muxian did not press further on the matter; he gave Ouyang Mingqi a satisfied look and said:

“Good. Since you’ve joined the Tianjinwei, serve it well—Master Fu will not let you down.”

For Li Muxian, the Great Li Tianjinwei would one day be his own; having another Luoshen Peak peak master as a subordinate was more than welcome.

Hearing this, Ouyang Mingqi was moved to tears and immediately bowed deeply.

“Your servant will never betray Your Highness’s expectations—I shall devote my life to serving the Tianjin Guard with unwavering loyalty!”

At these words, Li Muxian nodded slightly.

Then his gaze shifted, sweeping over Sikong Xuan and Yumianjiao, and he narrowed his eyes.

“Are you two also members of the Tianjin Guard?”

Hearing this, Sikong Xuan and Yumianjiao dared not delay—they immediately declared their identities.

Especially Yumianjiao, who realized she had been a step behind Ouyang Mingqi, now seized the opportunity and quickly professed her loyalty to Li Muxian.

Sikong Xuan watched all of this with keen eyes, yet a quiet sense of regret and sorrow stirred within him.

If only he were ten or more years younger, and had met this Eighth Imperial Prince, perhaps he too could have served under him and carved out a grand, world-shaking ambition.

But his days are numbered—he has little time left; even now, professing loyalty is meaningless.

Thus, Sikong Xuan knelt before Li Muxian and trembled as he spoke:

“This old minister, a guttering candle, thanks Your Highness for saving my life. To have seen such a peerless figure as Yourself in my final years is a blessing beyond measure—I have no regrets even if I die now!”

Li Muxian naturally sensed Sikong Xuan’s condition; seeing the old man’s earnest words and genuine emotion, he reached out and patted his shoulder in comfort.

Meanwhile, Ouyang Mingqi and Yumianjiao exchanged a barely perceptible glance at Sikong Xuan, both silently thinking:

“Indeed, the old ginger is the spiciest!”

After comforting Sikong Xuan, Li Muxian suddenly felt that acquiring Ouyang Mingqi and Yumianjiao as generals was not enough for the Tianjin Guard.

His gaze shifted again, fixing on Yuwen Chengqing and the blind old man in the small hall, and he narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t you two have anything you wish to say to me?”

(End of Chapter)