Li Kuanglan shook his head, as if speaking to Qian Ye and also to himself, “You’re still too weak now, and you’ve been heavily injured. It’s no fun to kill you in this state. In a year or two, you’ll make for a good opponent. Here, take this, and work hard on your cultivation. I’ll come looking for you again in a year. If you’re still not my match then, it would be better for you to just die under the Hanyue Longsha!”
As he spoke, Li Kuanglan flicked his finger, and an object the size of a finger flew towards Qian Ye. Qian Ye caught it with one hand and examined it, feeling a jolt of surprise.
It was a tube carved from a single piece of jade, adorned with a masterful engraving of a phoenix perched on a paulownia tree. Below the engraving were four ancient characters: Mirror Water Cleansing Life.
Legend had it that Mirror Water was so light that even a feather couldn’t float on it, yet it was the purest and cleanest substance, capable of purifying all filth and grime in the world. Of course, the contents of the tube couldn’t be the fabled Mirror Water, but in the hearts of people, it was no different.
The liquid named after Mirror Water in the tube was one of the Empire’s holy medicines, renowned for its miraculous effects of regenerating flesh from bone and restoring the foundations of martial arts. Due to the special requirements in its production process, it was said that only the innate abilities of the Jing Tang Li lineage could produce it, and even the Imperial House could not replicate it. As such, it was not only a secret medicine unique to the Li family but also extremely rare, with only a handful of doses produced each year.
Qian Ye turned the tube over and indeed saw a familiar family crest at the bottom. In his Andu space, there was a defensive weapon in the form of a belt, which bore the same crest. The original owner of the belt was Li Xu, who, along with the blood race, had attacked Ningyuan Group’s merchant convoy.
Thinking of the young man in blue who had introduced himself as Li Kuanglan before attacking, Qian Ye frowned. Could this person who could produce such an invaluable item be a direct descendant of the Jing Tang Lis?
Li Kuanglan watched Qian Ye’s actions, and suddenly said, “I heard you have a life-saving bond with Song Zining?”
Qian Ye, who was just thinking about the attack on Song Zining’s bait convoy, felt a sudden sense of alertness when Li Kuanglan mentioned his friend’s name. He looked up at Li Kuanglan, his expression cold and stern.
Li Kuanglan seemed to find Qian Ye’s reaction interesting, “I met him just before coming here. He’s only at level eleven, and his combat power seems to be even weaker than yours. Yet, he dared to lead a thousand-man mixed force deep into enemy territory on a major battlefield, and even managed to break through to near the Imperial defense lines before being surrounded.”
Qian Ye’s face had grown extremely cold by now. From their brief encounter, he sensed something about the character of this young man in blue. It was likely that Li Kuanglan had watched Song Zining’s desperate battle from the sidelines. And was the Jing Tang Li family’s involvement in the robbery of the Ningyuan Group’s convoy just a coincidence?
Li Kuanglan suddenly laughed, “Now you truly have killing intent! You should know, this place is no different from the Iron Curtain. No matter who you kill, there’s no need for any cleanup. When I first encountered Song Zining, he was already at the end of his strength and pursued by the blood baron of the Spurk clan. I clearly came to rescue him, but he remained on high alert against me from beginning to end.”
Hearing this, Qian Ye’s expression relaxed slightly, though he was even more puzzled about Li Kuanglan’s intentions.
If Li Kuanglan had malicious intent, Qian Ye was already on the brink of death, and with the strength Li Kuanglan had shown in slaying Count Pas, a full-power attack would have killed Qian Ye. Instead, he presented such a valuable healing potion. If there was no malice, why did Li Kuanglan keep circling the conversation around Song Zining, especially considering the Jing Tang Li family’s previous shady behavior? What deeper meaning was there?
Qian Ye exhaled softly, not wanting to continue the meaningless conversation with Li Kuanglan. He raised the Mirror Water and asked directly, “Why?” The small jade tube, though light, was immensely valuable, far more so than the entire Blackstream City.
Li Kuanglan smiled, “I told Song Zining that I would come to kill you, but I’ve changed my mind now.”
Qian Ye frowned and asked again, “Why?”
Though the two ‘why’s’ had different meanings, Li Kuanglan, seemingly ignoring the nuances, continued, “On my path to the heavens of swordsmanship, I need a few people who can accompany me for a while, serving as the whetstone for my sword. Even if the Mirror Water is rare, it must be used on the right person. Rather than let it be collected by some waste, it might as well prepare a few whetstones for me. And you, happen to be one of the qualified ones.”
Qian Ye’s expression returned to calm, “But it’s still too valuable.”
Li Kuanglan’s smile grew more enigmatic, “Aside from that, there are two other reasons. One, someone told me before I left that this tube would be of great use to me here, and now I feel it’s the time they mentioned. The second, since you know the value of the Mirror Water, you should also understand that this is equivalent to saving your life. So, you owe me a favor. If you die by my hand in the future, it will be considered as repaying the favor.”
Qian Ye stared at Li Kuanglan for a moment, then put away the Mirror Water and said, “Fine.”
Li Kuanglan was slightly surprised by Qian Ye’s straightforwardness, and his interest deepened, “Both you and Song Zining are very different from the legends outside!”
Qian Ye lowered his gaze and remained silent.
Seeing Qian Ye’s silence, Li Kuanglan didn’t press further, “Step aside, I’m moving forward.”
Qian Ye stood firm and pointed to a side path to the right of where Li Kuanglan had come from, “Take a different path.”
“But this path is the shortest, and I don’t like detours,” Li Kuanglan’s gaze turned cold.
“Still, take a different path, this one is inconvenient.”
“If I kill you now, there’ll be no need to change paths, right?”
“Yes.” Qian Ye’s hand rested on the hilt of his Dong Yue sword, as steady as when they first met.
Li Kuanglan and Qian Ye locked eyes for a long while before Li Kuanglan slowly said, “There must be something behind this path, right?”
Qian Ye’s expression remained unchanged, standing still.
Li Kuanglan fixed his gaze on Qian Ye, as if trying to see through him to the secrets hidden in the depths of the passage. Suddenly, he smiled, with a hint of cunning, “Or, is there a person there?”
This question came unexpectedly. Although Qian Ye knew that by the time Li Kuanglan arrived, he and Count Pas of the Pas clan had already finished discussing Nighteye, his pupils couldn’t help but waver slightly, a change that didn’t escape the keen eyes of Li Kuanglan, who was nearly a master of the sword.
A confident smile spread across his lips as he extended two fingers, “So, this makes two favors, right?”
Qian Ye gritted his teeth but nodded slowly.
Li Kuanglan threw back his head and laughed, turning to choose a different path and walking away. Even as he moved farther, his laughter echoed in the passage.
After Li Kuanglan left, Qian Ye suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, as if on the verge of collapse. The earlier confrontation seemed easy, but it was fraught with danger. Li Kuanglan’s strength was overwhelming, and Qian Ye’s only recourse was his Original Gun. But Li Kuanglan’s movements were as swift as lightning, and whether the gun could hit was uncertain.
Qian Ye took out the Mirror Water and felt its weight. Regardless of Li Kuanglan’s true intentions, the item was invaluable. At least for now, Qian Ye didn’t think his two favors were enough to repay the Mirror Water.
Qian Ye examined the intricate carvings on the jade tube, then opened the cap and swallowed the liquid inside. Instantly, it felt like a refreshing rain, and there was even a soft hum in his ears. His body filled with a gentle rain, and his skin seemed to open up, basking in the cleansing shower from the void.
The nearly depleted Dawn Tide rose steadily, flowing gently like a great river in the spring rain. The skin, nourished by the dew, seemed like the earth after a harsh winter, with every cell renewing and reviving.
This mystical moment seemed to last for a while, yet it was also fleeting. When Qian Ye opened his eyes again, his injuries were mostly healed, and even the stubborn black titanium within his body had been completely eliminated. Only the wound on his Blood Core remained.
The “Mirror Water Cleansing Dust” indeed had miraculous effects, and Li Kuanglan’s two favors were truly enormous.
Qian Ye shook his head, stood up, and picked up his Dong Yue sword, returning to the hall where Nighteye lay sleeping. He crouched beside her, silently gazing at her, as if etching her perfect face into his heart.
After a moment, Qian Ye pulled down the collar of her dress and poked a small hole in her Blood Core with a burst of origin power. The pure Dawn Origin and her blood qi ignited a golden flame, shooting several meters high, but the wound was sealed instantly.
Nighteye’s brows furrowed tightly, clearly in pain from the forced sealing of her Blood Core, but she did not awaken. Before the source blood could fully repair her Blood Core, nothing could rouse her.
Qian Ye sensed the condition within Nighteye. As he had expected, the drop of source blood wasn’t enough to fully restore her Blood Core. Although Nighteye had survived, without the external energy of a Blood Pool, it was uncertain whether she could regain her current strength, and she might even stagnate permanently.
Qian Ye gently traced the contours of her face, his mood surprisingly calm. Though Nighteye was asleep, he felt as if he could sense her emotions. The dark shadows in her brows, even in sleep, were not just from the pain of the wound.
She was proud, originally carrying the hopes of many, but those hopes were suddenly extinguished. If she could only live a short, mediocre life, Qian Ye knew she would never accept it and would end her own life.
Qian Ye’s Blood Core throbbed powerfully, and a new drop of source blood formed in the center. This time, from the depths of memory, a long river of blood appeared, and something like a bird touched the water, then the newly formed source blood appeared on Qian Ye’s fingertip.
He dropped it into the wound on Nighteye’s chest, where a thread of dark gold flame erupted and then faded, sealing the wound with an amber-like substance. Nighteye’s breathing grew more rapid, her body temperature rising sharply, as if a fire raged within her. Her skin flushed red, and she writhed uneasily, suddenly opening her mouth and letting out a loud cry.
With the cry, a jet of blood spurted out! Then Qian Ye heard a low, powerful sound, like an ancient war drum.
It was the sound of her Blood Core pulsating!
Hearing the pulsations and sensing the rapidly rising blood qi, Qian Ye’s eyes flashed with surprise. The effect of the source blood was unexpectedly good, and her Blood Core was repairing itself at an astonishing rate.
Qian Ye stepped out of the small semi-enclosed stone room and found a spot in the hall, sitting down with his Dong Yue sword, quietly waiting. The following time passed lightly, and though there were occasional sounds of battles nearby, it remained peaceful here, with no unexpected visitors.
When another day and night cycle passed, Qian Ye heard Nighteye’s breathing become calm, and her Blood Core’s pulsations gradually slowed. Sensing something, he stood up and walked to the stone room, but did not enter, instead looking inside. His True Vision told him that Nighteye’s injuries were nearly healed, and she could wake up at any moment.
Qian Ye calmly turned and walked back to pick up his Dong Yue sword, slowly leaving the cave hall. As he departed, he did not look back.
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