Chapter 484: The Madam (I)
Snow fell heavily. The sound of the words my dear rang sweetly in the air, catching Li Xuanfeng's attention as his gaze lingered on the soft, graceful figure before him. He responded politely, "Hemian, is the Daoist Master looking for me?"
Ning Hemian gave a brief nod then shook her head, saying, "Someone from the grotto heaven has arrived. The Daoist Master has already returned to Azure Pond Peak to pay his respects."
Ning Hemian had been married to him for five or six years now. Initially, Li Xuanfeng had reluctantly agreed to the marriage, but in the blink of an eye, those years had passed. They had always treated each other with mutual respect. Ning Hemian's mind was mostly on her cultivation, so their relationship was pretty harmonious.
Li Xuanfeng slung his bow over his shoulder and walked alongside her. Ning Hemian was always courteous toward him. After all, they had shared the same bed for several years. To say there were no feelings at all would be untrue, yet there was always something unresolved between them.
Li Xuanfeng harbored deep resentment toward the Azure Pond Sect. The deaths of many of his close relatives were tied to the sect. His wife and child had also perished in a deal between the Azure Pond Sect and Golden Tang Gate.
Originally, after seeing Chi Wei's death, Li Xuanfeng had thought that the Azure Pond Sect was in trouble, with an outsider Purple Mansion Realm cultivator proving too powerful for them to handle. He had secretly encouraged himself, sensing an opportunity, as Yuan Su seemed disdainful of the Chi Family and eager to act. His mind was filled with calculations.
However, a few months ago, Yuan Su had summoned him. He was informed that the Daoist Master would be leaving Yi Mountain City to pay respects to another Daoist Master named Suiguan, sent by the Azure Pond Grotto Heaven.
Another Purple Mansion Realm cultivator from Azure Pond Grotto Heaven… What is this?
The news that the grotto heaven had sent someone to the sect—a late-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, no less—left him feeling dejected. This meant that there were likely more of them in the grotto heaven. For ten consecutive days, he vented his frustrations on demons atop the city walls, pacing through the snow in silence.