Ten-Day Covenant

Langya Xing stood by the side of the long pavilion, his white robes fluttering without any wind.

His slender fingers gently stroked the Jade Pendant at his waist, which was the Langya-patterned pendant worn only by direct descendants of the Langya Family.

The sun stretched his shadow long, almost touching Mu Bai, whose face was pale as death.

"Mu Bai."

Langya Xing's voice was very soft, yet it seemed to ring directly in Mu Bai's mind.

"I'm curious, what gave you the guts to repeatedly ruin my Langya Family's affairs?"

Mu Bai pressed against his ribs, where a wound from prolonged running had begun to ooze blood, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He hadn't expected the Langya Family to arrive so quickly, nor had he expected that the one who came would be the very Young Master Xing spoken of by those two Houtian grandmasters!

Yet at this moment, it was utterly impossible for him to be the opponent of the person before him.

After all, the fierce battle two days ago had cost him a heavy price; although he had successfully defeated Master Dehua, he himself had suffered severe internal injuries.

"If the Langya Family wants revenge, just come and get it." Mu Bai forced a breath of True Qi to suppress his churning blood, though he hadn't expected that the deaths of two watchdogs would require the master to make a personal trip.

The air around the pavilion suddenly froze.

A flash of surprise crossed Langya Xing's eyes, which instantly turned into a cold smile.

He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upward, and True Qi gradually released outward.

If any bystanders were present at this moment, they would be astonished to see what looked like a lifelike pure lotus slowly blooming.

Mu Bai naturally saw the anomaly of his opponent's technique with absolute clarity.

Moreover, with each petal the lotus unfolded, Mu Bai felt as though another heavy boulder had been pressed upon his chest.

Pure Lotus Heart Sutra! This was precisely one of the three foundational techniques of the Langya Family, rumored to be an absolute powerhouse among Innate experts when cultivated to the grand completion!

A single thought of a blooming flower could suppress a radius of a hundred zhang.

And Mu Bai, facing the lotus head-on, already felt his breathing grow difficult as his already severe injuries began to worsen.

Mu Bai bit the tip of his tongue, the sharp pain momentarily freeing him from the pressure of the pure lotus.

His right hand formed a sword finger, and seven wisps of Sword Qi burst from his fingertips, interweaving into a net before him.

This was his fourth sword, the one he relied upon to defeat Master Dehua—"Clouds Roll, Clouds Unfurl." This strand of Sword Qi contained nearly all of his True Qi.

Clearly, faced with a life-or-death crisis, Mu Bai intended to fight to the bitter end.

"Interesting."

Langya Xing nodded slightly, and the phantom of the pure lotus blossomed with three more petals.

Mu Bai let out a muffled groan as a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but his Sword Qi grew even more solid, with faint azure light revolving around it.

Yet just as their momentum was about to reach its peak, Langya Xing unexpectedly withdrew his hand.

The pure lotus phantom scattered like a bubble, as though it had never existed at all.

Caught off guard, Mu Bai's Sword Qi violently oscillated from losing its target of confrontation, nearly suffering a backlash against himself.

"You..." Mu Bai forcefully swallowed the blood rising to his throat, staring warily at the other man.

Langya Xing retrieved a mutton-fat jade bottle from his sleeve and casually tossed it toward Mu Bai. "Eat it."

The jade bottle carved a graceful arc through the air.

Mu Bai did not reach out to catch it, letting it land three chi before his feet.

The bottle stopper loosened slightly from the impact, and a wisp of faint fragrance drifted out. Just a single breath of it made Mu Bai feel the congestion in his chest ease considerably.

"Nine Revolutions Heavenly Pill?" Mu Bai stared in disbelief at the jade bottle on the ground.

This was the legendary miraculous medicine for healing, an unequaled divine pill said to preserve a person's life as long as they had a single breath left.

Langya Xing stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes carrying a condescending scrutiny. "Ten days from now, at the midnight hour, I will still wait for you right here."

He paused. "The current you is not worthy of dying by my hands."

Mu Bai stared at Langya Xing for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

He bent down to pick up the jade bottle, unhesitatingly poured out the golden pill the size of a longan fruit inside, and swallowed it in a single gulp.

As the pill entered his abdomen, it instantly transformed into a warm current that surged toward his limbs and bones.

Mu Bai could clearly feel his fractured meridians rapidly reconnecting, his damaged internal organs wrapped in a thin golden film as they began to mend.

The injuries that originally required two months of quiet recuperation could, at this speed, probably heal completely in five or six days.

"Many thanks for the medicinal gift." Mu Bai cupped his fists, though his eyes held not a shred of gratitude. "However, ten days from now, victory remains undetermined."

Langya Xing turned away noncommittally, his white robes shimmering with a golden luster in the sunlight. "Don't get me wrong, I simply saw prey and felt a fondness for it. An eighteen-year-old Houtian grandmaster can be considered a peerless genius even in the cultivation world."

"Yet you ruined my grand undertaking, so you must pay with your life."

With those words, he took a single step, and his body was already ten zhang away.

Mu Bai watched Langya Xing's receding back, his brow deeply furrowed.

He had originally thought Langya Xing came to avenge those two Houtian grandmasters, but the other's demeanor was entirely unalike.

To Langya Xing, those two men seemed merely like inconsequential attendants.

The Langya Family... Mu Bai murmured softly, feeling a sudden surge of intense curiosity toward this secluded lineage for the very first time.

He needed to investigate as quickly as possible just what major undertaking of theirs he had actually opposed.

When the sun reached its zenith, Mu Bai finally dragged his considerably recovered body back to the Carefree Prince's Estate.

The estate guards caught sight of him and hurriedly saluted, "Young Master!"

Mu Bai asked, "Has the nephew of Assistant Minister Liu Yi returned yet?"

The guard hastily replied, "He has been back for a short while now and is currently resting at the banquet."

Mu Bai's heart chilled inwardly, not expecting Langya Xing's movements to be so swift.

Just now he had only experienced Langya Xing's martial arts, yet he hadn't imagined the other's speed would surpass his by this much. Based on this alone, this Langya Xing likely possessed cultivation even superior to Master Dehua!

He straightened his blood-stained clothes, trying his best to make himself look somewhat less disheveled, and then walked toward the direction of the banquet hall.

At this moment, the banquet hall was brightly lit, and the sound of strings and flutes could be heard from afar.

The moment Mu Bai stepped into the hall, he saw Liu Yi drinking and making merry with the Carefree Prince, the two chatting and laughing away like old friends of many years.

Langya Xing sat off to one side, a faint smile on his face as he calmly sipped the teacup in his hand.

Simultaneously, Mu Bai sharply noticed that upon seeing him enter, the eyes of Liu Yi—who was conversing with Mu Rongyi—flashed with a strange glint.

"Bai'er is back!" The Carefree Prince greeted him warmly. "Quickly take your seat, we've been waiting just for you."

Mu Bai saluted his father, then looked toward Langya Xing.

Their gazes met. Langya Xing's eyes were like water, seemingly entirely like an ordinary person who knew no martial arts.

Meanwhile, Mu Bai's eyes were like torches, appearing as though streams of towering Sword Qi were continuously shooting forth.

"I have long heard of Young Master Mu's great name, and seeing you today, it truly lives up to its reputation."

Liu Yi raised his cup in gesture, a smile on his lips as though he weren't the very person who had believed Mu Bai was bound to die just moments ago.

Mu Bai accepted the wine cup handed over by a maidservant, responding with an identical smile, "Lord Liu flatters me too much. Compared to Lord Liu's nephew, this humble one is merely so-so."

Hearing his words, a sharp glint flashed across the eyes of Mu Rongyi off to the side.

Liu Yi let out a hearty laugh as well, and ceased bringing up topics like youthful heroes.

Amidst the banquet, cups and goblets were exchanged, and both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Liu Yi spoke with extraordinary eloquence, ranging from tall tales across various lands to local sceneries. Having led troops on campaigns for many years, he naturally possessed exhaustive knowledge of the landscapes everywhere, prompting endless praises from everyone seated.

Yet Mu Bai noticed that whenever the conversation drew close to certain sensitive domains, Liu Yi would impeccably interject to divert the direction.

After three rounds of drinks, Liu Yi suddenly shifted the topic. "Your Highness, there is a matter this official is uncertain whether I ought to speak of or not."

Mu Rongyi's smile stiffened slightly before he laughed. "Lord Liu, what is there that cannot be spoken of in my Carefree Prince's Estate? Speak freely without worry."

Mu Bai's grip on his cup tightened slightly; he knew the real show was about to begin.