He inwardly thought how close that was; the poison Gongsun Qingyun administered was truly bizarre, capable of evading even his own intuition. Fortunately, if there was a next time, his instinct would surely give a warning.

He sighed, never imagining that seemingly innocuous poison could pose a mortal threat. The world's wonders were truly astonishing.

The Guan Tian Ren Shen Zhao Jing truly proved mysterious. At the critical moment, his manifested body sat upon a lotus, bathed in the moon's essence, purging impurities from within and forcing out the toxin.

Without the Guan Tian Ren Shen Zhao Jing, he would have certainly died then, ending his journey in this life alongside Gongsun Qingyun—a prospect he found utterly unbearable.

He slowly rose, stretched his arms, kicked his legs, and broke into a broad smile.

Darkness had fallen, yet he felt refreshed, the world before him exceptionally beautiful. Having narrowly escaped death gave him a deeper comprehension of this existence.

He quietly approached Gongsun Qingyun’s side. The night was pitch black, the moonlight like water, yet sliced into multiple segments by the treetops, it had mostly dissipated by the time it reached the ground, casting Gongsun Qingyun in a hazy outline where his face was indistinct.

Li Muzhan’s gaze swept over the body, and with a flick of his sleeve, five small bottles flew off Gongsun Qingyun, landing on the grass beside him, arranged in a neat row from largest to smallest.

Though Gongsun Qingyun was dead, Li Muzhan dared not approach closely. He would never again underestimate the poisons of the Gongsun family; even with his Vajra Indestructible Body protecting him, he couldn't withstand them.

His Vajra Indestructible Body cultivation had only reached the stage of skin and flesh. His outward appearance had transformed, glowing milky-white like jade, his skin and muscle as tough as leather, impervious to ordinary blades and swords.

His Vajra Indestructible Body still had several stages remaining beyond the skin and flesh: cultivating the membrane, sinews, blood, and finally the meridians, culminating in a unified Golden Body.

To achieve immunity to all poisons, he needed to reach the stage of cultivating the blood—two layers still separated him.

He looked at Gongsun Qingyun, whose eyes were wide open in death, and shook his head with a sigh. It was a pity that the man carried no martial arts manuals, only five bottles of varying sizes.

With another wave of his sleeve, the small bottles lifted, settling two zhang away. He walked to them, sat down cross-legged, formed a mudra with both hands, and closed his eyes to meditate.

Half an hour later, he opened his eyes. They were as clear as water, utterly placid, emanating a profound tranquility, as if he had merged with his surroundings.

He slowly extended his right hand toward the leftmost porcelain bottle; this one was the largest, and they decreased in size moving to the right.

This bottle was palm-sized, perfectly round, snow-white and delicate, gleaming faintly in the moonlight. The bottle was painted with a landscape scene—layered peaks suggesting imposing majesty.

His hand paused in mid-air, and he frowned, turning toward the second bottle. This one was slightly smaller, with a high neck and an oval body, snow-white and warm, resembling white jade.

His right hand sequentially reached out toward the five bottles, finally settling on a black porcelain one—precisely the one in the middle. He picked it up, pulled out the stopper, and immediately a refreshing fragrance rushed out, invigorating his spirit.

He smiled faintly, replaced the stopper, and tucked it inside his robes. Relying on intuition, he judged this bottle alone contained something beneficial; the other four were likely harmful.

With such supreme martial arts as Gongsun Qingyun possessed, he could have roamed the world freely, yet he inexplicably favored poison—truly peculiar.

He used his sword to dig a shallow pit, then recited a sutra to guide Gongsun Qingyun’s wandering soul. With a sweep of his sleeve, he laid the body to rest.

Another sweep of his sleeve sent dust flying, quickly piling into a tall mound. He then used the Dragon's Roar Sword to shape a wooden plank for a tombstone, carving six large characters onto it: "Tomb of Gongsun Qingyun."

Having finished everything, he clapped his hands, bowed once toward the stele, and turned to leave.

He also took Gongsun Qingyun’s treasured sword, hanging it at his waist. The scabbard was ancient and variegated, by no means inferior to his own Dragon’s Roar Sword.

Such a fine blade was exceedingly rare, and Li Muzhan certainly would not discard it carelessly.

He left the mountain range and used his lightness skill to return to the small town. By the time he arrived, the first hint of dawn was showing. He reached the small courtyard; the lamps inside were still lit, and Wang Shuangfeng sat in the small hall.

Wang Shuangfeng, clad in a green dress, sat perfectly still, her head slightly raised, her eyes fixed on the sky, her gaze distant and vacant—her body in the pavilion, but her spirit wandering beyond the heavens.

Li Muzhan frowned, drifted into the hall, and snorted, "Feng'er, why are you still here?!"

Wang Shuangfeng withdrew her gaze, her face lighting up with surprise, "Martial Uncle, you've returned!"

Li Muzhan nodded, "Mmm. Have you been sitting here all this time? ... Why didn't you leave first and wait for me in the south?"

Wang Shuangfeng replied, "I changed my mind halfway there. I just had a feeling you could defeat Gongsun Qingyun, Martial Uncle, so I wanted to see if you could truly come back."

"And so you waited here the whole time?" Li Muzhan huffed.

Wang Shuangfeng rose, poured a cup of tea, and offered it with both hands, "Yes. I trust my intuition; I haven't been wrong since childhood. I felt you would definitely return, Martial Uncle."

Li Muzhan accepted the tea, took a small sip, and shook his head dismissively, though inwardly he was amazed. He hadn't expected her to possess such natural, startling intuition.

He trusted his intuition due to his deep state of Zen meditation, which felt akin to supernatural insight, but looking at her, she didn't seem to practice such meditation; it could only be pure talent.

Wang Shuangfeng’s bright eyes were like water as she stared intently at Li Muzhan. As the teacup left his lips, she quickly asked, "Martial Uncle, where is Gongsun Qingyun?"

"Dead," Li Muzhan set the cup down.

Wang Shuangfeng’s eyes widened instantly, "Dead?!... Martial Uncle, you killed Gongsun Qingyun?"

Li Muzhan nodded, "It was kill or be killed; I had no choice but to kill him! ... Alas, in the Jianghu, one's actions are often beyond control. Killing him was truly unavoidable!"

"You actually killed Gongsun Qingyun, you actually killed Gongsun Qingyun!" Wang Shuangfeng murmured to herself, her beautiful face holding a strange expression, as if she couldn't quite believe it. "Martial Uncle, did you really kill Gongsun Qingyun?!"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Yes, I killed him."

"Martial Uncle, you... you..." Wang Shuangfeng suddenly surged with ecstatic joy and rushed forward, intending to kiss Li Muzhan on the cheek.

Li Muzhan quickly dodged, chuckling as he chided, "Stop fooling around!"

Wang Shuangfeng instantly blushed crimson, looking stunned, as if shocked by her own actions. Then, with a twist of her waist, she darted out and vanished in a blink.

Li Muzhan watched her retreating figure, shaking his head with a smile. It seemed Gongsun Qingyun's death had stimulated her greatly, causing such a loss of composure.

He understood this wasn't about romantic affection, but overwhelming gratitude.

Gongsun Qingyun had been a huge stone pressing down on the Wang family. He had killed Wang Yuanxin—thankfully, Li Muzhan had managed to save Wang Yuanxin before leaving. But even saved, the Wang family had no one capable of stopping Gongsun Qingyun if he sought further vengeance.

Now that Gongsun Qingyun had died by his hand, Wang Shuangfeng was naturally immensely grateful. Her earlier action was devoid of romantic intent, merely an overflow of excitement she couldn't contain.

Whether there was romantic feeling or not, Li Muzhan, possessing mind-reading capabilities, knew perfectly well. Wang Shuangfeng held him in high regard but harbored no romantic yearning.

Li Muzhan sat for a while longer, finished his tea, and returned to his room to meditate and regulate his breathing. When he awoke, it was already mid-morning. As he opened the door, Wang Shuangfeng was standing outside.

She wore a gown of deep emerald silk, her cheeks flushed, looking as vibrant as a blooming flower.

Li Muzhan beckoned her over, and they entered the small pavilion, sitting opposite each other. Li Muzhan regarded her for a moment, causing her to lower her head, unable to meet his eyes.

Li Muzhan smiled gently and said in a soft voice, "Feng'er, we must part ways now. You go ahead first, head directly to Saint Snow Peak and wait for me. I will follow later."

Wang Shuangfeng asked, puzzled, "Martial Uncle, why must we travel separately?"

Li Muzhan replied, "There is no wall impermeable to wind in the world. Although I killed Gongsun Qingyun in the wilderness, it's hard to guarantee the Gongsun family won't find out."

Wang Shuangfeng asked, "Is Martial Uncle worried about retaliation from the Gongsun family?"

Li Muzhan nodded, "If we travel separately and change our appearance slightly, we'll be harder to recognize."

Wang Shuangfeng was unconvinced, "Martial Uncle, aside from Gongsun Qingyun, the rest of the Gongsun family are not worth worrying about. Martial Uncle need not be so concerned."

Li Muzhan shook his head, "It’s always wise to exercise caution; moreover, I wish to avoid further bloodshed."

"...Fine," Wang Shuangfeng reluctantly agreed.

Wang Shuangfeng left the small courtyard first. She disguised herself as a village girl, her dark complexion hinting at underlying prettiness. Though far from her original beauty, it wasn't bad.

Li Muzhan altered his eyebrows and added a small mustache above his lip, instantly making him look twenty years older, appearing to be about forty. His dashing aura was surprisingly more attractive than before.

After Wang Shuangfeng departed, he remained one more day before setting off toward Saint Snow Peak.

Along the way, he moved with unparalleled swiftness using his lightness skill. Traveling along the main road, most people who saw him would assume they were hallucinating.

He had a persistent feeling of being followed, an intuition that began right after burying Gongsun Qingyun, which was why he sent Wang Shuangfeng ahead.

Despite his rapid travel, he couldn't shake the tail. He decided to ignore it—he traveled when he wished and stopped when he wished, curious to see just who possessed the skill to keep pace with him for so long.

As evening approached, shrouded in gloom, he halted his steps and found an abandoned temple to rest. He gathered a pile of branches and lit a fire to ward off the sharp autumn chill.

The firelight illuminated the dilapidated temple, where cobwebs hung everywhere and the Buddha statue was mutilated. Li Muzhan sat lazily by the fire, his heart exceptionally calm.

For the past five days, he had pushed himself relentlessly, stubbornly trying to outrun the person behind him, yet he hadn't succeeded; in fact, the pursuer was drawing nearer.

He could sense the killing intent approaching, and with the advancement of his Guan Tian Ren Shen Zhao Jing and the refinement of his mind-reading ability, his sensitivity to danger had sharpened.

With a crackle, the flames danced, illuminating his face. As he added more fuel, he pondered Gongsun Qingyun's martial arts, cross-referencing them with his own Cang Hai Jiu Jian (Nine Swords of the Vast Sea).

Having defeated Gongsun Qingyun with the Cang Hai Jiu Jian, he became increasingly captivated by it, often immersing himself in its mysteries—a truly exquisite experience.

He suddenly looked up and called out loudly, "Someone from the Gongsun family, show yourselves!"

A series of footsteps sounded, and more than a dozen masked figures in black silently slipped into the temple, blocking the entrance, gazing at him coldly from across the firelight.

PS: Only one update today! Starting tomorrow, it will be three updates! V