His entire body ached, from bone to muscle; even the Adamantine Body skill, even the protective aura, could not dispel this pain that had sunk deep into his marrow.

He took a deep breath, turned his head to survey his surroundings. With his Eye of the Void, he perceived nothing of the town—it was clearly over ten li away now.

Though he had driven back Li Tianlei, he felt no sense of accomplishment. It was entirely due to the Great Bright King Scripture. Back when his martial arts were ordinary, unleashing the scripture could throw Canghai Mountain into chaos; now that he had cultivated to this level, still needing the scripture to deal with Li Tianlei was hardly a source of joy.

He had always felt that employing the Great Bright King Scripture was akin to cheating, and furthermore, it brought endless future troubles; each use made him colder inside.

His heart was currently utterly desolate, “Nothing stirs the mind”—he felt the urge to slip away and leave it all behind.

Thankfully, his reason remained intact. Fan Peiyao was still in the town. If he didn't show up, she would wait endlessly, perhaps even believing Li Tianlei had killed him.

Without the Great Bright King Scripture, facing Li Tianlei, he could defend himself sufficiently, but he could not win, and critically, he could not deploy the Nine Swords of Canghai.

The Mountain-Severing Saber Technique had only one move; while devastating against ordinary masters, it was insufficient against a top-tier expert like Li Tianlei.

He walked back while pondering: ultimately, moves were extremely important. Inner force cultivation fundamentally altered a person’s quality, making them stronger and faster.

But moves were like a person’s weapon; even with great strength, one was helpless unarmed against a blade. Yet, if the person was too weak, even holding a sword offered limited threat. Thus, cultivating both inner force and martial forms simultaneously was the true path—one could not be lacking.

Now, his inner force cultivation was deep enough, even superior to Li Tianlei’s, but his techniques were not refined enough; facing the opponent, he felt constrained, without any real chance of victory.

He thought it over and over: he must focus on cultivating saber techniques, mastering the entire Mountain-Severing Saber Technique was the key. Its power was immense and certainly no inferior to Lei Jian Peak’s sword arts.

He thought as he walked, his pace swift. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the small town.

Fan Peiyao sat by a table, gazing at the street scene outside the window. A human-shaped hole was punched through the wall behind her, and the night breeze drifted through.

She was the sole occupant of the tavern; the couple from earlier had long since fled in terror. She smiled and shook her head, recalling how she had awakened the two earlier, finding it amusing.

As for Li Muzhan, she felt no worry.

She smiled, shaking her head, and sipped from her teacup. “Running for so long, and yet showing no sign of fatigue. Mingkong’s Great Brightness is truly interesting.”

It seemed she had worried for nothing. She hadn't realized his martial arts were so potent, that he could actually break through the inescapable net woven by Lei Jian Peak.

As she lowered her gaze with a smile, a cough suddenly sounded nearby.

She looked up, and her beautiful face immediately changed expression. There sat Li Tianlei across from her, pale-faced, glaring coldly, his eyes piercing and intimidating.

She glanced around quickly, not seeing Li Muzhan, and her heart sank uncontrollably.

Could it be that he had killed Master Mingkong?

Logically, even if Master Mingkong couldn't win, escaping shouldn't have been difficult. Did Sect Master Li perhaps use some secret technique to ambush the Master?

Anxiety building, she cupped her hands and asked in a deep voice, "Sect Master Li, where is Master Mingkong?"

"He—" Li Tianlei shook his head and let out a soft snort.

Fan Peiyao’s bright eyes fixed intently on him, not missing the slightest fluctuation in his expression.

Seeing his demeanor, her heart eased slightly; the Master hadn't lost. But why was only he here, with no sign of the Master?

Li Tianlei said coldly, "He is likely recuperating somewhere." Fan Peiyao furrowed her elegant brows and stated coolly, "Sect Master Li, what brings you here?"

"To take you back," Li Tianlei replied.

Fan Peiyao, sharp as ice, immediately understood his intent: he meant to capture her. She sneered, "Must you kill me, Sect Master Li?"

Li Tianlei shook his head, "I won't kill you."

"Then you intend to use me as bait?" Fan Peiyao sneered again.

Li Tianlei's expression remained unchanged as he said blandly, "Precisely."

Fan Peiyao laughed coldly and shook her head, "Your esteemed righteous sect resorts to such despicable tactics. It chills the bone!"

Li Tianlei remained impassive, "As long as it kills him, the method matters not."

"This is the true face of your righteous sects!" Fan Peiyao mocked, turning her head away.

Li Tianlei said, "You are waiting for him, aren't you?" He sighed internally, "Give up. He used a secret technique; he should be seeking a place to recover his qi now and cannot come."

Fan Peiyao turned back to look at the scenery downstairs outside the window, ignoring him.

Li Tianlei rose and sat opposite Fan Peiyao. "Miss Fan, tell me the truth. Why exactly did Baishan harbor enmity with Monk Mingkong?"

Fan Peiyao snorted and remained silent.

Li Tianlei shook his head, "Baishan is the once-in-a-century genius of my Lei Jian Peak. In another ten years, he will surely dominate the martial world, unstoppable. Alas..." Fan Peiyao turned, her gaze half-mocking, half-meaningful, "Sect Master Li, Brother Feng’s martial arts are high, but dominating the world, heh!"

Li Tianlei stated, "Baishan is currently cultivating the Art of the Thunder Sword. With his talent, he has a chance to master it. Once achieved, there will be no equal in this age."

"Such arrogance," Fan Peiyao pouted, her face full of disdain.

Li Tianlei smiled and paid it no mind, saying gravely, "Waiter, bring wine!"

A young waiter downstairs quickly responded, bringing a jar of wine and a silver cup, then carefully retreated. As he left the floor, he stole a glance at the human-shaped hole.

Li Tianlei also glanced over, brushed away some yellow mud, and the aroma of the wine immediately wafted out. He filled the silver cup and took a small sip, saying lightly, "Your friend killed Baishan out of jealousy, perhaps?" He shook his head, "His formidable external refinement techniques are indeed exquisite."

Fan Peiyao laughed coldly, "Jealousy? How laughable!" It was Brother Feng who was jealous and provoked him repeatedly, trying to kill the Master, forcing the Master to retaliate!" The dead deserve respect; though she disliked Feng Baishan, he was already gone, and she did not change her address, always calling him Brother Feng.

Li Tianlei frowned, looked at her for a long time, and then stated gravely, "Was it due to romantic affections?"

Fan Peiyao shook her head, "The two had prior grievances, seemingly within the territory of Western Zhao."

"So, it has nothing to do with you?" Li Tianlei asked.

Fan Peiyao replied, "Brother Feng had wanted to kill the Master for a long time. Because of me, the two met again, and when conversation failed, his desire to kill became even more urgent."

Li Tianlei chuckled and shook his head coldly, "Good for nothing brat."

To provoke someone one cannot afford to offend over a woman—such an action was utterly foolish. Baishan was well-behaved on the mountain, but the moment he descended, he became a different person—lustful, perverse, and arrogant. Sigh... perhaps my discipline was too strict!

He sighed inwardly and snorted coldly, "Dying over a mere quarrel over a woman—how glorious."

Fan Peiyao remained silent, turning to look out the window.

Li Tianlei silently drank his wine, saying nothing. Fan Peiyao was also silent, watching the street scene downstairs outside the window. The lively clamor outside drifted in, making the interior of the room seem even quieter.

After a while, Li Tianlei finished the jar of wine and ate a few bites of food, then stood up. "Let's go."

"I won't go with you," Fan Peiyao turned back, her expression obstinate.

She suddenly leaped up, like a young swallow darting through the forest, and swiftly slipped out the window, dropping down.

Li Tianlei’s figure flashed, appearing mid-air. His right palm shot toward Fan Peiyao's back; his movement was light, seemingly slow, but the palm was instantly upon her.

"Chiii—" A sharp, cold whistle sounded.

Li Tianlei felt a piercing chill shoot in from the side. Unflustered in the face of danger, he struck Fan Peiyao’s back, using the momentum to deflect himself, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Fan Peiyao felt a searing pain in her back, as if struck by a giant hammer. She spat a jet of blood skyward, and her vision swam into blackness. The cold energy invaded, feeling like falling into an icy cellar.

She sighed internally, knowing she couldn't survive being struck by that palm.

"Alas," she let out a long sigh in mid-air, the sound dissipating near her lips.

She suddenly felt warmth spread through her back, a surge of heat flowing in, driving away the coldness and nourishing her severely aching internal organs. A familiar aura washed over her face.

She turned and smiled, seeing Li Muzhan. His brow was tightly furrowed, his face sunk like still water.

He glanced at the retreating Li Tianlei, and his ten fingers shot out simultaneously. Streams of finger force surged forth like massive dragons plunging forward, aimed directly at Li Tianlei.

Li Tianlei’s movement technique was like lightning; he cut a circular arc, veering south, narrowly evading the finger strikes. He landed on the roof, vanished into the shadows beneath the wall.

Li Muzhan grunted hatefully, reached out, and as Fan Peiyao was about to hit the ground, he caught her, then floated away like a wisp of smoke, leaving the town and arriving in a nearby stretch of woods.

The moonlight was thin and hazy, the surrounding light like gauze.

Li Muzhan flicked his sleeve, and grass and leaves scattered, quickly forming a thick cushion upon which he gently laid her. Li Muzhan had employed the Crane-Taming Oil-Adding Technique.

Under this technique, Fan Peiyao’s injuries quickly stabilized; she was no longer in grave danger.

Li Muzhan sighed. Li Tianlei’s palm strike had clearly been restrained, not using full power—otherwise, Fan Peiyao’s viscera would have been reduced to a pulp.

This strike was most likely intended to pin down Li Muzhan, preventing him from giving chase.

He grasped the logic in an instant: this Li Tianlei was too quick-witted, and probably relied on experience.

An hour later, Fan Peiyao slowly woke up. Seeing Li Muzhan watching her with concern, she smiled faintly, "Master, you are burdened by me again." Li Muzhan waved his hand, "Peiyao, please stop saying such things."

Fan Peiyao smiled and nodded, "What about Sect Master Li?"

"He fled," Li Muzhan grunted, shaking his head. "This Sect Master Li is truly a character!"

Li Muzhan felt Li Tianlei to be profound and unfathomable, his methods a mixture of orthodox and unorthodox; while unscrupulous, he still retained a sliver of grace, not losing the air of a grandmaster.

Fan Peiyao said, "It's best he left; he is too dangerous."

Li Muzhan smiled. He had not expected Li Tianlei to act this way—to rush back to deal with Fan Peiyao, and upon seeing him unharmed, to withdraw immediately.

Judging by Li Tianlei’s appearance, he should be upright and imposing, dignified and steady, yet his actions were cunning and unpredictable—a truly difficult person to deal with. (To be continued)