Chapter 080 - Lingering Attachments - Part 2
In a flash, absolute stillness replaced violent motion. Li Yuan had displayed a mastery of Spring Awakening at about the Intermediate level. He didn’t reveal anything more, but even so, Senior Li’s eyes gleamed.
The old man, broad-shouldered and clearly aging, abruptly clapped his hands. “Come on out!” he shouted.
At once, a man in plain gray clothing came running from a distance. He was tall and solidly built, his appearance unremarkable, and he looked only a few years older than Li Yuan. Yet streaks of silver were already visible in his hair, and his scruffy chin gave him a rough, disheveled look.
He darted a quick, excited glance at Li Yuan but said nothing.
Li Yuan noticed that the man’s combat power floated at 80~90, with it being at 210~220 in peak condition. Strange, he would definitely remember an expert at this level. But he’d never seen him before, which meant this man usually hid himself well.
“Fetch the Horse Butcher!” Senior Li ordered.
The gray-clad man gave a respectful nod, then hurried off.
Watching him go, Li Yuan wondered who he was; obviously not someone from the inner ranks of the Blood Blade Sect he’d seen before.
Senior Li spoke again. “He had his tongue cut out. He’s mute. And...he’s my junior brother, Zhou Shuangrui. He once practiced the Spirit-Release Technique and progressed extremely quickly. He was already at peak eighth rank by the age of 12, far more gifted than I ever was.
“Then we ran into some trouble together, and he was badly hurt. Since then, he hasn’t managed to break into seventh rank. He can’t advance any further, and so he can’t complete the life chronicle portion of the Spirit-Release Technique. He’s stayed with me, passing as a simple servant.”
“12 years old, and already at peak eighth rank? But unable to reach the seventh...” Li Yuan couldn’t help smiling wryly. Clearly, even Senior Li didn’t realize this junior brother had actually been at the seventh rank before being injured and forced to drop back down.
He mulled over that for a moment, then asked, “Master, who attacked you both?”