Chapter 117 – Approaching Heavenly Tiger Pass
Once everyone had boarded the cloud boat, Li Guanqi was surprised to see someone he’d rather not—Gao Qiwen, the man he despised. Li Nanting gave his shoulder a silent pat.
Li Guanqi stole a glance at his master. Deep down, he knew this disheveled-looking man must carry countless stories. Yet the core sect members were unwilling to speak of them, probably out of reluctance to reopen his old wounds.
Li Guanqi noticed that Gao Qiwen had grown withdrawn after setting foot on the cloud boat and was quietly drinking wine in the corner.
Li Guanqi sat on the deck, closing his eyes. He mulled over his newly learned sprint technique and the profundity of the Purple Ripple Demon Sword Technique.
The other disciples were excitedly discussing the Tournament of a Hundred Sects, leaving Li Guanqi and his three friends to cultivate quietly.
From his corner, Gao Qiwen observed the four of them through strands of unkempt hair, his voice barely above a whisper. “They are indeed resilient. I wonder if we can decrease the death count this time... Isn’t that right, Nanting?”
Li Nanting stood beside Gao Qiwen, wearing white robes with purple lightning embroidery. “Qiwen, it has been many years. You still haven’t let that incident go?”
Gao Qiwen laughed bitterly and shook his head with a sigh. “I haven’t. I can’t. If I let it go, I would have no ambition, and I would become truly crippled. I want to see if I can finally get them back this time...”
Li Nanting gave a small smile. Looking at the youth with a sword coffin on his back, he said, “Perhaps... we stand a chance this time!”
Unexpectedly, Gao Qiwen did not make a sarcastic retort. Instead, he nodded solemnly. “He is the most impressive disciple I have seen in the last three hundred years.”