Li Muzhan knew that Mei Daoling had used a secret technique, and such techniques always stimulated potential, meaning they couldn't last. If he just held out for a while, Mei Daoling would collapse without a fight. The only real concern was whether Mei Daoling would try to escape.
Li Muzhan dodged while marveling at the potency of the secret art. It had doubled Mei Daoling’s sword speed, far surpassing his own. Judging by the naked eye, an attack would be unavoidable, but he relied on intuition to predict and thus narrowly avoided destruction.
As he evaded, Li Muzhan taunted him, “You killed your beloved for this single sword style? A pity its power isn't quite unrivaled under heaven. Was it worth it?”
He smiled, shaking his head with an expression of regret.
Mei Daoling suddenly halted, raising his sword and roaring, “Who exactly are you?!”
Li Muzhan looked upon him with pity. “I cannot stand your actions. Beneath such a noble appearance lies the heart of a jackal. What a waste of a man!”
Mei Daoling’s gaze turned cold as ice, and he said gravely, “You are a disciple of the Ten Thousand Saints Sect!”
Li Muzhan laughed, shaking his head. “A disciple of the Ten Thousand Saints Sect?” “Just because your beloved was one?” “Did you ever consider that if the Ten Thousand Saints Sect truly wanted you dead, they wouldn’t have let you live this long?”
“Then who in the blazes are you?!” Mei Daoling’s eyes flickered.
He was certain Li Muzhan was no disciple of the Ten Thousand Saints Sect. He had dealt with their members before; one knew instantly upon meeting one.
Li Muzhan smiled. “I am merely a man from the wilderness.”
“Li, what is your objective?” Mei Daoling sneered, lifting his sword.
Li Muzhan shook his head. “Mei Daoling, are you truly so cold-blooded and heartless? Do you dream of your slain beloved every night?”
“Indeed,” Mei Daoling sneered back. “I dream of her every night, but her death is not my fault. The blame lies solely with the Ten Thousand Saints Sect!”
Li Muzhan chuckled. “That sounds rather interesting.”
Mei Daoling scoffed. “Aren’t you just trying to stall for time? I refuse to grant you that wish. If you can withstand this next strike, I won’t kill you!”
Li Muzhan raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled. “Bring it on!”
Mei Daoling took a deep breath, slowly raising his long sword. But Li Muzhan instantly flickered, suddenly appearing behind him, a cold gleam flashing and vanishing in an instant.
Mei Daoling’s movement stalled. He slowly looked down at his chest. A section of a bright, flawless sword tip glittered under the sunlight, mocking his naiveté.
“You… you…” Mei Daoling twisted his head to glare at Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan sighed and shook his head. “I only intended to kill you, not perish together!”
Through his innate spiritual connection, he knew the power of Mei Daoling’s move was designed for mutual destruction—it was a secret art known only to the women of the Ten Thousand Saints Sect: “Heaven and Earth Return to Origin.”
Li Muzhan’s sword pierced Mei Daoling’s heart. No matter his deep cultivation or the power of the secret art, once the heart was shattered… everything dissolved into nothingness.
Li Muzhan drew his sword, wiped it clean, and sighed. “Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. You can finally rest.”
He stepped toward Mei Daoling, then suddenly moved away. Mei Daoling’s hand twitched, and his sword shot out like a meteor. Li Muzhan just barely managed to avoid it.
Mei Daoling’s eyes snapped wide open, bright killing intent blazing forth… He glared at Li Muzhan with undying resentment, but the light slowly faded until it vanished entirely. Li Muzhan could feel the life force leaving the man’s body.
He sighed again and walked back to Mei Daoling’s side. He used his sword point to lift the man’s outer garment, and a jade pendant fell out. He bent down, picked it up, and examined it. It was perfectly round, like a mirror, smooth and fine—a top-grade mutton-fat white jade that seemed to hold water within.
He slipped the pendant into his robes. According to Yi Xiaoru, this was the mark of a Ten Thousand Saints Sect disciple.
He then searched Mei Daoling’s body and found two thin booklets, which gave him pause. He quickly opened them: one was the Soul-Extinguishing Palm, the other the Flying Heaven Edict—the former a palm technique, the latter a secret method for stimulating potential.
Li Muzhan examined the small booklets closely. They were clearly written by Mei Daoling himself. The script was strong yet carried a trace of casual elegance; judging a man by his writing, his disposition was indeed exceptional.
Li Muzhan glanced through them and shook his head. This Mei Daoling was insidious. The booklets contained traps. Anyone who actually believed they had found genuine manuals and practiced them would be inviting suicide.
It explained why he could withstand his sword intent earlier. The Soul-Extinguishing Palm involved some illusionary arts and a superficial application of mental focus.
Although superficial, it was still potent. Clearly, the creator of this palm technique was a person of supreme talent. They did not fully grasp the nuances of the spirit and soul, but relying on astonishing martial talent, the palm technique's power was immense. It involved the application of mental energy, and without a countermeasure, only those with overwhelmingly strong spirits would remain unaffected.
In Li Muzhan’s estimation, the people in this world possessed weak spirits, seemingly lacking avenues for true cultivation. Martial artists reigned supreme, but there were no Buddhist sects, and while Taoist sects existed, they lacked true Qi cultivators.
All methods that transcended mere martial arts and moved toward the true Way of Martialism were absent, hence the general weakness of the spirit. Those rare few who possessed strong spirits were ignorant and missed the opportunity.
Though the manuals were trapped, Li Muzhan gained a great deal. He now had a clear path forward; he could use this line of thought to create his own palm technique, sword art, or fist style.
His knowledge of martial arts was vast, but creating a true martial art was never easy. The key was not the knowledge itself, but the concept—a truth universal across all endeavors. Creativity was paramount.
The most valuable aspect of the Soul-Extinguishing Palm was its original concept. Unfortunately, its founder lacked clarity regarding spiritual power and had only a shallow understanding. Despite its strength, Li Muzhan was unsatisfied with the technique.
He tucked the two small booklets into his robes, searched the body thoroughly one last time, confiscated all the silver notes, dug a pit, and buried Mei Daoling. He paid no mind to the dozen or so members of the Jing family, then turned and drifted away.
He entered a small city and had just settled into a window seat at an inn when a handsome young man suddenly appeared opposite him. Clad in azure silk robes, with a face like powdered snow and lips stained crimson, he was unspeakably dashing and handsome.
He fanned himself and smiled at Li Muzhan. “My good sir, shall we share a table?”
Li Muzhan sized him up briefly. “I prefer solitude. Quiet.”
The handsome youth laughed lightly. “Being alone is dreadfully dull. Come now, this round is on me! Waiter, four more of your specialty dishes!”
His voice was rough, as if his throat had been smoked.
Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. “Miss Yi, your disguise is far too clumsy, full of holes!”
Yi Xiaoru laughed radiantly. “I only guard against gentlemen, not scoundrels.”
She placed her fan on the table, gracefully picked up the wine ewer, and personally refilled Li Muzhan’s cup before filling her own. Then she set the ewer down, raised her glass, and smiled. “Young Master Li, you’ve worked hard. A toast to you!”
She finished her drink in one gulp. Li Muzhan raised his own and downed it, then smiled. “Miss Yi, you didn’t poison the wine, did you?”
Yi Xiaoru glanced at him. “I belong to the Hidden Sect, not the Poison Sect!”
Li Muzhan’s brow twitched. He hadn’t known that. It seemed the Ten Thousand Saints Sect harbored a Poison Branch; he needed to be careful. Poisons struck invisibly and were impossible to guard against entirely.
The waiter was swift, soon bringing four steaming dishes that filled the air with rich aroma. Li Muzhan’s appetite immediately awakened, and ignoring Yi Xiaoru for a moment, he picked up his bamboo chopsticks and began to eat heartily.
The food at Longshan Sect was tasty, but the flavor was too mild for his palate. He hadn’t eaten much there and already felt starved—he had chosen this particular inn because he smelled the exquisite fragrance rising from it. His sense of smell was far superior to ordinary people, almost like a dog’s nose; one whiff told him the cuisine here suited his taste.
Yi Xiaoru also picked up her chopsticks, eating pieces intermittently and refilling his cup. The surrounding patrons watched with visible envy; gourmet food and a beautiful companion—this was the height of enjoyment.
Li Muzhan ate and drank without reservation until he was full. He slowly put down his chopsticks, took a light sip of wine, set the cup aside, and pulled three items from his robes.
A jade pendant and two thin booklets, he slowly slid them across the table toward her.
Yi Xiaoru stared intently at the perfectly round mutton-fat jade pendant, not blinking. Li Muzhan asked, “Miss Yi, is this the item?”
Yi Xiaoru slowly reached out, her slender white fingers trembling as they touched the white jade. She turned it over to examine it, then looked up at Li Muzhan. “It is!”
Li Muzhan showed a slight smile. “Good. I have not failed my mission.”
“Senior Sister…” Yi Xiaoru’s red lips trembled as she whispered softly.
Li Muzhan could hear the longing and pain in that single soft address, like blood squeezed from the heart, deeply stirring his emotions.
Li Muzhan said gently, “Miss Yi, the dead cannot be brought back to life. As her junior sister, what you have done is more than enough.”
“Is he truly dead?” Yi Xiaoru took a deep breath, carefully placing the jade pendant against her chest. She looked up at Li Muzhan. “How did he die?”
Li Muzhan said, “One sword stroke. Did you wish to torture him first?”
“No need,” Yi Xiaoru shook her head. She picked up the two thin booklets and said coldly, “For these, he could actually do it!” “He is not human! Senior Sister was so gentle, so beautiful! Any man would find it unbearable to harm her!”
Li Muzhan sighed. “He was consumed by inner demons.”
Yi Xiaoru sneered coldly. “He got off too lightly!”
Li Muzhan asked, “I sensed he lived in great pain, constantly thinking of your Senior Sister… What do you plan to do now?”
Yi Xiaoru touched the manuals, quickly regaining her composure. The ripples in her bright eyes receded, replaced by clarity as she looked at him calmly. “Young Master Li, you didn’t consider keeping these manuals for yourself?”
Li Muzhan smiled. “I crossed paths with the man surnamed Mei and learned a bit about him—outwardly righteous, inwardly wicked, with a cunning heart. Practicing his secret manuals is suicide!”
Yi Xiaoru froze, then looked down, flipping through the two booklets. She shook her head and sighed. “No wonder Senior Sister suffered a loss; this man was too vicious, too treacherous!”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Was I wrong?”
Yi Xiaoru sighed. “It’s fortunate you didn’t practice them, otherwise I couldn’t have saved you either!”
Li Muzhan asked, “Did he really tamper with them?”
Yi Xiaoru wore an expression of lingering fear. “He was proficient in both these supreme arts. The tampering was done without a trace. If you hadn’t warned me, I might have overlooked it!”
Li Muzhan smiled. “It’s not dangerous if one only practices briefly, right?”
Yi Xiaoru sighed heavily. “Practicing briefly isn’t dangerous, but once one reaches a certain stage, they will inevitably suffer a backlash and die from inner deviation! … You didn’t actually try practicing them, did you?”
Li Muzhan shook his head and chuckled. “No. I couldn’t trust the man surnamed Mei. Still, your sect’s two martial arts are truly supreme skills. What a pity!”
Yi Xiaoru gave him a sidelong glance. “What, you desire our sect’s supreme techniques too?”
Li Muzhan smiled. “For any martial artist, the supreme arts of your sect represent an immense temptation, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Be honest,” Yi Xiaoru nodded. “However, our supreme arts cannot be lightly passed on. That wish of yours cannot be realized.”
Li Muzhan shook his head. “Where in this world is there such good fortune, where every wish is instantly granted?” “What do you intend to do?”
“Destroy them!” Yi Xiaoru huffed.
Li Muzhan shook his head. “I suggest you take them back instead. It can serve as proof of his demise. Your sect won’t let him go, will they?”
Yi Xiaoru replied, “This was a sect mission, but sadly, no one could complete it. He stayed near the Heart-Cleansing Cliff of Longshan Sect, and no one could get close!”
Li Muzhan smiled. “What’s the reward for the mission?”
“One supreme technique,” Yi Xiaoru said.
Li Muzhan shook his head and laughed. “Your sect is a bit stingy!”
Yi Xiaoru shook her head. “Even without the mission, I would have taken action! Besides, the power of this supreme technique is astonishing; it cannot be underestimated.”
Li Muzhan nodded. “That’s good to hear! Miss Yi, I’ve eaten my fill and drunk my due. It’s time for us to part ways!”
Yi Xiaoru frowned. “You’re going back?”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Where else would I go if not back?”
Yi Xiaoru asked, “What are your thoughts on resolving the conflict between your faction and Longshan Sect?”
Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head. “It needs to be delayed for a while. Acting now might backfire tremendously!”
“Mm, that’s true,” Yi Xiaoru nodded gently. “Longshan Sect is stubborn as a mule; you have to stroke their fur the right way, not force it…”
Li Muzhan laughed aloud. “That comparison is excellent!” “Miss Yi, if I need to find you later, how do I do that?”
“Why would you need to find me?!” Yi Xiaoru looked at him with a sly smile.
Li Muzhan explained, “You have keen eyes and ears. I’ve done you a great favor, and in the future, I might need your help! It’s only fair to return the favor.”
Yi Xiaoru chuckled softly. “If your Palace Master knew you were associating with me, he might expel you from the palace!”
Li Muzhan laughed. “You vastly underestimate the Palace Master’s magnanimity!”
Yi Xiaoru sighed mournfully. “Associating with the Demonic Sect is against the rules for major, established factions. No one can break that rule!”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Every rule has room for interpretation through finesse…” Oh, don’t distract me, tell me quickly how to find you!”
“Sigh…” Yi Xiaoru sighed helplessly and pulled out a circular jade pendant from her own robes, nearly identical in appearance and size to the one she had just collected—both were perfectly round mutton-fat white jade.
Li Muzhan took it and examined it. “How do I find you with this thing?”
“Take this to Qingmei Town, to the inn where you were just sitting,” Yi Xiaoru instructed.
Li Muzhan was taken aback, then smiled. “You really are quite capable!”
“Naturally!” Yi Xiaoru smiled. “Show this when you are there, and I will naturally come to find you!”
Li Muzhan nodded, placing the jade pendant in his robes. “Very well, then, we shall meet again!”
Yi Xiaoru watched him secure the pendant, then sighed and shook her head. “Young Master Li, let me offer you a word of advice: don’t seek me out casually, lest you invite trouble!”
Li Muzhan smiled. “Colluding with the Demonic Sect. I understand.”
“It’s good that you understand the gravity of the situation,” Yi Xiaoru nodded. “Farewell!”
With that, she picked up her fan, turned, and departed with grace. Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled faintly.