Misgivings

"Li Xian?"

Yan Kaigui and Liu Yanran froze on the spot.

Daoist Xuantie and Feng Juanyun, meanwhile, rapidly racked their brains, wondering just who this Li Xian was.

Yan Lian had reached Viscera Great Accomplishment and was no weakling.

Anyone capable of killing him, even without having undergone Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing, was probably not far from it.

There were only so many such figures in all of Jiangzhou. He could not possibly be some nameless nobody.

But...

They went through every expert at the Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing stage they could think of, yet still could not recall such a person.

"Impossible!"

While the two were thinking, Liu Yanran declared emphatically, "How could Li Xian possibly have killed Yan Lian? That's absolutely impossible!"

"Yan Lian's corpse is still lying outside the Canglang Sword Sect's gates. Over a hundred people saw it with their own eyes. How could it be false?"

Yan Ruxue gave a soft snort. "The one who killed Yan Lian was Li Xian! Even Liu Feng, who served Cao Zhi, died at his hands!"

"You mean Liu Feng and Yan Lian joined forces and still couldn't defeat this Li Xian? Instead, he killed them both?"

Feng Juanyun could not help asking.

If this news was true...

Killing two Viscera martial masters while fighting one against two meant he unquestionably possessed combat strength at the Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing stage.

"Wait, Li Xian?"

Daoist Xuantie, who always stayed by Yan Kaigui's side, seemed to recall something then. He looked at Yan Kaigui in surprise. "The one you and Miss Liu chose to...?"

"From what Ruxue says, it's him. But how is that possible? It was two months ago, wasn't it? I met him once. He was clearly a frail scholar who knew nothing of martial arts."

He raised his head and looked at Yan Ruxue. "How could a scholar with no knowledge of martial arts kill Yan Lian, a seasoned, cautious martial master at Viscera Great Accomplishment?"

"Shen Hong, get in here! You tell them!"

Yan Ruxue shouted straight outside.

Soon, Shen Hong hurried in, her face pale and her arm still not reattached. She hastily recounted everything that had just happened outside the Canglang Sword Sect's mountain gates.

Afterward, she added with a trace of fear, "Li Xian really is nothing like he used to be. Not only is his strength extraordinary, but his speech and bearing are so different that he seems like another person entirely. His martial prowess is in no way inferior to that of a Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing martial master."

"It's... actually true?"

Liu Yanran looked dazed. Though she still found it unbelievable, the facts before her seemed to leave her no choice but to believe.

"Didn't Li Xian move into the Marquis's Residence? You knew nothing about this?"

Yan Kaigui turned his gaze to Liu Yanran.

"I... I've rarely gone back to the Marquis's Residence these past two months. I could count the times I've seen him on one hand..."

Liu Yanran rolled her eyes at him.

Wasn't the very reason she had done so to show Yan Kaigui that nothing was going on, lest a rift develop between them?

Yan Kaigui also felt that his tone had been a little harsh.

But naturally, he could not admit it in front of outsiders.

"Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing!"

He murmured those words.

As one of both Lijiang's Four Great Talents and the Lijiang Three Heroes, Yan Kaigui excelled in scholarly and martial pursuits alike, and had begun Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing a year ago.

However, even with the aid of Blood Spirit Powder, it had only been a year. He was still a little short of minor accomplishment in Blood Exchange.

If he could not do it, Li Xian...

Certainly could not either.

"He must have happened upon some natural treasure and consumed it, or practiced a demonic art that grants rapid progress! Otherwise, no one could undergo Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing in so little time! Even Internal Organ Refinement would be impossible!"

Yan Kaigui spoke with absolute certainty.

"Aren't you all missing the point?"

Yan Ruxue cut in impatiently. "Li Xian killed someone from our Prince Yue's Residence. If we don't retaliate, where will we put our faces from now on?"

She turned her gaze straight to Daoist Black Iron. "Sect Leader Black Iron, dealing with Li Xian would be well within your abilities, wouldn't you say?"

"That may be true, but only by knowing both ourselves and our enemy can we fight a hundred battles without defeat. We had best first establish exactly what has changed about Li Xian."

Daoist Xuantie did not give a direct answer.

An expert who had undergone Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing...

He could not afford to take one lightly.

Besides...

Yan Kaigui, the prince's heir who could marry an Immortal Seedling, had yet to speak. Yan Ruxue, a somewhat favored commandery princess, was not important enough to order him about.

"Just tell me whether you can deal with Li Xian now!"

Yan Ruxue was growing irritated.

Daoist Xuantie ignored her and turned his gaze to Yan Kaigui instead.

Yan Kaigui pondered briefly.

"Li Xian..."

Though Li Xian was called one of Lijiang's Four Great Talents, that was entirely because his teacher, Zhou Liachen, had built up his reputation. Someone so powerless and without influence ordinarily did not merit so much as a glance from him.

Raised in fine silks and on exquisite food, handsome, and accomplished in both scholarly and martial pursuits, he had been extremely popular at Pinewind Academy, with countless admirers.

Yan Shui Rou, who had attended Pinewind Academy with him, had been one of them.

Back then, she had come from an ordinary family and had plain looks. He had not even known she existed. In contrast, Liu Yanran, with whom he already shared mutual affection...

In looks, talent, and family background, she was a suitable choice for his principal wife in every respect.

Unfortunately, after Yan Shui Rou was chosen as an "Immortal Seedling," she had offered a "Dragon Gate Token" as her dowry to join him in marriage. With that, even if he refused, Prince Yue's Residence would inevitably agree.

Besides...

He himself was filled with longing for that world.

After much entanglement, he had no choice but to break up with Liu Yanran and marry Yan Shui Rou.

To demonstrate that there was no longer anything between them, he had even persuaded Liu Yanran to marry beneath her station and wed Li Xian.

Afterward, Yan Shui Rou had been taken to the royal capital by those who selected the "Immortal Seedlings," and Prince Yue's Residence had obtained the Dragon Gate Token.

With the Dragon Gate Token in hand and Yan Shui Rou no longer in the way, Yan Kaigui and Liu Yanran had naturally gotten back together.

As for Li Xian...

He did not matter.

Had they not been concerned about the slightest chance of this reaching Yan Shui Rou's ears, they would have dealt with him long ago.

But now...

Letting Li Xian continue causing trouble would probably not be a good thing.

Although the Dragon Gate Token had already been promised to Prince Yue's Residence, weren't there still several months before Leaping Over the Dragon Gate?

A Dragon Gate Token that had been bestowed but had yet to take effect could be stripped away merely because its giver took a momentary dislike to something.

So...

"Li Xian must be disposed of."

Yan Kaigui said gravely, "And it must be done without a soul knowing. We cannot cause too much of a stir."

He turned his gaze to Daoist Xuantie. "I'm sorry to trouble you with this, Daoist."

Only after hearing Yan Kaigui make the request did Daoist Xuantie smile. "Since you have asked, Young Lord, I shall naturally do everything in my power. However, to be safe, please have Luo Teng bring men to assist me, so that nothing can go wrong."

He was quite cautious.

"Luo Teng..."

Yan Kaigui pondered a moment, then nodded. "Li Xian's strength is strange. We do need to proceed cautiously."

At that moment, Shen Hong seemed to recall something. After a brief hesitation, she said, "Young Lord, from what I observed, Li Xian's entire body turned red when he attacked. His blood and qi seemed to steam from him, as though he had been set alight. Those characteristics... remind me of an art that has been spread everywhere recently..."

"Hmm!? His entire body turned red, with blood and qi steaming from him?"

Daoist Xuantie instantly realized something. "The Blood Jade Art!?"

"He practiced that demonic art?"

Feng Juanyun was also somewhat surprised.

Because of the Xu Family's extermination and Xu Yu Niang's pleas for help all over Canglang Mountain, word of the Blood Jade Art had spread like wildfire until everyone knew of it.

He himself had a copy of the Blood Jade Art.

In fact, over two months earlier, when the Xu Family was exterminated, she had already taken the Blood Jade Art to numerous respected martial figures, hoping they would step forward to uphold justice. The Blood Jade Art had begun circulating then.

It simply had not been like now, when practically every martial artist of any strength on Canglang Mountain had a copy.

"If it's the Blood Jade Art, that would explain why he could kill Yan Lian and Liu Feng."

Feng Juanyun sighed with feeling. "This demonic art boils and burns the blood, producing astonishing explosive power in combat. Even against two opponents who have also reached Internal Organ Refinement, fighting one against two is no great difficulty."

Yan Kaigui also knew of this art.

He likewise understood its benefits and drawbacks.

He frowned. "So desperate for quick results! He'd shorten his own life just to tear a bite out of us? Has he gone mad?"

Beside him, Liu Yanran seemed to think of something.

Li Xian had begun practicing martial arts two months ago...

One night two months ago, Yan Kaigui had sent a carriage to pick her up for a secret rendezvous. Li Xian seemed to have happened to see it, and had chased after them all the way...

In the end, she had told Yan Lian to kick him into the river.

Could that blow have driven him to practice a demonic art, regardless of the cost, to take revenge on her and Yan Kaigui?

How could a man be so petty?

What a turnoff!

"A mud-legged peasant trying to defy heaven and change his fate naturally has to seize every opportunity like a lapdog. Why would he care whether an art is demonic or wicked? He should count himself lucky to have any art to practice at all."

Yan Ruxue sneered, then turned to Daoist Xuantie. "All right, we've established what he's capable of. When will you act? Take me along when you do! I must see him crippled and kneeling before me, sobbing and begging for mercy with my own eyes!"

"Now," Daoist Xuantie said calmly.

Having learned that Li Xian had not undergone Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing, but had killed Yan Lian and Liu Feng through the power of the Blood Jade Demonic Art, he now knew where things stood.

The Iron Sword Sect's leader immediately instructed Chen Yu, "Go, find out where Li Xian is, then keep watch. The moment he leaves the Canglang Sword Sect will be the moment he dies!"

Chen Yu nodded, rose, and left.

But...

She returned in less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, bringing bad news.

"Zhou Juechen?"

Daoist Xuantie frowned. "Li Xian has gotten involved with him? What connection do they have?"

"What happened?"

Yan Kaigui asked.

Daoist Xuantie promptly relayed what Chen Yu had just learned: Zhou Juechen of the Dragon Spring Martial Arts Hall was closely connected to Li Xian.

"Zhou Juechen of the Zhou Family?"

Something occurred to Yan Kaigui. "Master Zhou of Pinewind Academy is also a member of the Zhou Family... and he's Li Xian's teacher... could it be..."

"There's that connection as well?"

At this, Daoist Xuantie's expression immediately grew solemn. "This makes things troublesome. Zhou Juechen is no easy opponent. He is exceptionally gifted and underwent Blood Exchange and Marrow Washing early on. Now he has even reached perfection in Blood Exchange. If he had grasped the mysteries of Primordial Unity, he might already have entered the Leakless Realm directly. If he intervenes... even I would have little confidence against him."

"The Zhou Family..."

Yan Kaigui also found this thorny.

Killing a mere Li Xian had actually become this troublesome!?

The Zhou Family was one of Lijiang City's prominent clans.

Although it could not match Prince Yue's Residence in scale, if Prince Yue's Residence wanted to deal with it...

It would still take considerable effort.

However...

The Zhou Family had extensive holdings and a large household.

He did not believe the Zhou Family would dare risk abandoning its century-old foundations and offend them for Li Xian, who practiced a demonic art.

The young heir immediately looked at Daoist Xuantie. "Sorry to trouble you, Daoist, but please invite Master Zhou here for me. I'll have a proper talk with him."

(End of chapter)