Chapter 133: Li Xunhuan

My heart! My treasure!

Li Xunhuan thought of a figure—so cold, so slender, so fragile, yet so resilient; over these two years, Lin Shiyin had shed countless tears, and Li Xunhuan's chest had dripped countless drops of blood.

"I am a heartless man."

Li Xunhuan said calmly: "What heart? What treasure?"

After speaking these words, Li Xunhuan's gaze had gradually sharpened.

Li Xunhuan, ranked third on the Weapon List, had exiled himself for two years, but whenever he reentered the Jianghu, Little Li's Flying Dagger would still reign supreme; even when Guo Songyang, ranked fourth on the Weapon List, came seeking him, Li Xunhuan could still win.

Because a master of the Gu family is a master—no matter how long he exiles himself, once he returns, he remains a master.

Li Xunhuan is, Fei is, Xie Xiaofeng is too.

Dust may obscure the cold gleam of a sword, but it cannot dull the blade's inherent sharpness (quoted from "The Lonely Master").

Under Li Xunhuan's qi pressure, if Gu Qing so much as flickered a single flaw in his qi, he would bear the brunt of that peerless slash.

Gu Qing smiled at Li Xunhuan, then suddenly leapt, darting toward Xingyunzhuang.

In that same instant, Li Xunhuan shot forward like an arrow; nearing the mountain wall, he twisted his body and scaled it like an arrow along the surface, yet made no move to strike, effortlessly leaping over the five-zhang-high wall of Xingyunzhuang.

But just as he was about to clear it—

The wall of Xingyunzhuang collapsed.

Rocks pierced the air, shooting out in all directions.

Gu Qing's figure burst through the wall from within Xingyunzhuang! His fist struck out!

Li Xunhuan had fought countless battles, but these few punches were the most perilous he had ever faced; at the very brink of death, a sliver of dagger-light appeared in his hand—this blade was meant to slash Gu Qing's wrist.

In that instant, Li Xunhuan recognized the palm force as Mo Yun's Fourteen Hands—and coincidentally, two years ago, he had clashed with Gong Sun Moyun.

Li Xunhuan's slash was preemptive, yet at the moment of contact, he realized Gu Qing's fist had changed—Mo Yun's Fourteen Hands, yet not quite, yet equally terrifying in power.

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

Gu Qing's two fists struck Li Xunhuan's chest and lower abdomen, sending him arching into the air, spitting blood; Gu Qing followed instantly, lunging forward, reaching Li Xunhuan's front, his hand like flower shadows, shifting with uncanny grace, striking multiple major acupoints on Li Xunhuan's body.

One finger snap contains sixty instants.

In the span of a finger snap, Gu Qing defeated Li Xunhuan!

Everyone in the small shop had witnessed these changes, watching as Gu Qing deceived and ambushed Li Xunhuan in one swift move.

"Despicable!"

A man with a green face snorted coldly, and in his hand appeared a long, jet-black whip.

This man was Xi Men Rou, ranked seventh on Bai Xiaosheng's Weapon List, above Zhu Ge Gang; he was known for his righteous heart, and his weapon was this jet-black whip. Now, as he unfurled it, the whip stretched into the air, whistling and coiling, reaching fully three zhang in length, wrapping toward the very spot where Gu Qing and Li Xunhuan were about to land.

Xi Men Rou was certain this whip would rescue Li Xunhuan.

But the next instant, Gu Qing seized Li Xunhuan with one hand, kicked off midair, executed a sharp reversal, and leapt back onto the mountain wall; he turned his face to Xi Men Rou and smiled, then vanished into Xingyunzhuang with a single bound.

"Damn it…"

With Li Xunhuan's fate as precedent, Xi Men Rou held his whip but did not pursue.

The Heavenly Mechanism Old Man drew in a puff of his pipe and said: "First he unsettled Li Tanhua's spirit with words, then leapt over the high wall and struck from behind—his moves concealed traps… Gu Qing's strategy was seamless. Li Tanhua lost fairly."

In that single finger snap, the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man saw everything clearly.

Xingyunzhuang was silent and hollow.

The night wind was bleak and misty; fog slowly rose.

Li Xunhuan, carried by Gu Qing, revisited the place, gazing at Xingyunzhuang's desolation and ruin, remembering its former bustle, and sighed softly.

Even now, captured by Gu Qing, Li Xunhuan remained optimistic.

"Names and fate are truly connected."

As Gu Qing walked across the small bridge of Xingyunzhuang, he suddenly said: "Your name is Li Xunhuan, and all your life's joy was in this Li Garden. Without the Li Garden, your life can only seek joy—and never find it."

"There is joy outside too."

Li Xunhuan said calmly: "I drink often, and I laugh often."

"You are not truly happy. Your laughter is merely the disguise you wear."

Gu Qing hummed a quiet tune.

Li Xunhuan's brows were bleak, yet he asked: "Your name contains the character 'qing'—what should your fate be?"

"Qing means life."

Gu Qing explained calmly: "In this Jianghu, there are many people, many masters—like waves colliding, spraying water, advancing or being submerged. No matter how the waves rise or fall, I live well."

In this conversation, Gu Qing carried Li Xunhuan as he leapt forward, arriving before a small pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, lamplight illuminated a slender figure.

That was Lin Shiyin; since Long Xiaoyun left home two years ago, she had lived quietly, and before her, Long Xiaoyun sat peacefully practicing calligraphy.

Long Xiaoyun was now thirteen or fourteen, his emotions long internalized; only after finishing this character did he suddenly pause his brush.

"Xiaoyun, what are you thinking?"

Lin Shiyin's voice was gentle.

Long Xiaoyun bit his lip and said: "I'm wondering when Father will return…"

Lin Shiyin fell silent, then said: "I didn't know when he left."

"I know."

Long Xiaoyun studied Lin Shiyin, eyes gleaming with cunning: "He fears Li Xunhuan's revenge… but Li Xunhuan never came. Why doesn't he come see Mother?"

Long Xiaoyun was probing Lin Shiyin's emotions.

Yet as soon as he spoke, a wind howled outside.

"Li Xunhuan has arrived!"

With that voice, the door opened and shut; candlelight flickered wildly, and two figures now stood in the room—one in a pale blue robe, neat and radiant; the other with disheveled hair, ragged and haggard.

Lin Shiyin and Long Xiaoyun both stared at the haggard man.

Li Xunhuan—the man Lin Shiyin longed for yet never dared mention.

"You…"

Lin Shiyin was stunned.

"I am Gu Qing."

Gu Qing bowed to Lin Shiyin—this single gesture fulfilled her deepest wish to see Li Xunhuan, earning him a sliver of good karma, and he was delighted; he patted Li Xunhuan and said: "This man I just captured—I brought him here specifically to propose."

Propose?

Hearing the word "propose," Lin Shiyin felt her heart leap.

Li Xunhuan froze, then wore a bitter smile.

Long Xiaoyun glanced between Li Xunhuan and Lin Shiyin, then at Gu Qing, silently cursing: Li Xunhuan always befriends these "righteous" fools!

Possessing the Lianhua Treasure Mirror, Long Xiaoyun saw Li Xunhuan was in terrible shape—and he knew Li Xunhuan's nature: he would never come here willingly.

This was Li Xunhuan's friend acting on his own!

"How do you propose? To whom?"

Long Xiaoyun asked coldly.

"Of course, I propose."

Gu Qing looked at Lin Shiyin and said: "Madam, I deeply admire you!"

This twist caused Li Xunhuan, Lin Shiyin, and Long Xiaoyun to all turn pale, staring at Gu Qing.

Gu Qing spread his hands: "What? Am I not a suitable match?"

Long Xiaoyun studied Gu Qing and silently cursed: Li Xunhuan always befriends such monsters!

(End of Chapter)