Chapter 102 – Investigate and Kill Him
As Li Guanqi looked at the thirty-odd people gathered around him, a dull ache spread through his chest. He had killed those black-robed assassins, but it hadn’t been enough. Sect Master Lu Kangnian noticed the sadness in his eyes and sighed.
“Everyone, return to your quarters and rest. Guanqi, come see me later. Focus on stabilizing your cultivation first. Nanting, stay with him.”
All the elders had grim expressions. Though the plaza was crowded with disciples, no one dared make a sound. Li Guanqi took out the corpse he stored in his storage ring and gently put it on the ground. Including the disciple he brought back, there were a total of eighteen corpses.
Most of the deceased had died at the hands of black-robed assassins, while the rest had fallen prey to the merciless traps in Di Kun City. The sect had suffered major losses from this expedition.
Tu Kui took Ye Feng away immediately due to the severity of his injuries. If he hadn’t crossed paths with Li Guanqi, he would’ve ended up among the dead.
Their return was shrouded in silence. Li Nanting said nothing, guiding Li Guanqi straight to his courtyard. The old man helped him realign his messy meridians and tend to his injuries. When he wiped the wounds across Li Guanqi’s back, he trembled uncontrollably but didn’t make a sound.
“Don’t push yourself so hard next time,” Li Nanting murmured at last.
“They’re my fellow disciples,” Li Guanqi replied softly. “I couldn’t just abandon them. Besides... they were the reason I had the courage to take that risk in the first place.”
Li Nanting said nothing. To him, Li Guanqi mattered more than the others—he was his disciple.
He bandaged Li Guanqi’s wounds, placed an array tray next to him, then sat behind Li Guanqi. His weathered hands pressed warmly against Li Guanqi's back, channeling vital force to clear the blocked meridians. Pity flickered in Li Nanting’s eyes at the sight of Li Guanqi’s sword scars.
Due to the side effects of the Red Cloud Pill, Li Guanqi had no strength left to stabilize his cultivation level. He fell into a deep sleep while sitting upright.
Li Nanting rested Li Guanqi’s head on his lap. Then, he took out his jade slip and said softly, “Sect Master, we’ll meet you later. The boy is too tired.”