The young man’s gaze fell on the corpse’s snow-white longsword. Li Ximing’s brows twitched violently, furrowing downward while his brow rose upward. He craned his neck back, his face blank with confusion.
He stood frozen, clutching the black jade box, then slowly bent down to grab the corpse’s collar and turned it over, studying the face. The man’s face was charred black almost to the bone, yet the remaining details of his cheeks and frame matched.
In his heart, Li Ximing thought, This must be Xijun.
He picked him up and noticed two slashes on Li Xijun’s neck. Clearly, he had been decapitated more than once.
Squinting, he heard the fire sparrow chirping rapidly, "...so he killed Guo Hongyao and Guo Hongkang to seize the spirit item... was then spotted by Guo Hongjian... fled heavily wounded and collapsed on a small island... was found by two rogue cultivators and beheaded... but he killed them right before dying..."
Li Ximing listened in a daze, his heart seething with hatred but with no one to direct it toward. Thoughts churned within him until he realized... he hated himself most of all.
He vaguely heard his aunt Li Qinghong choke out a thank you, and the fire sparrow opened its beak again, its voice resonating, "The Radiant Sky Stone is delivered. Our matters are now settled!"
The flames before him surged upward as the bird transformed into a streak of radiant fire and soared into the sky. Li Ximing remained numb and unaware. The corpse in his arms had only been held together by spellcraft. Now that the spell had faded, a burst of cold swept forth.
The chill raced from his neck to his face, and suddenly his arms felt empty. The solid weight vanished.
Clink, clatter
Red stones spilled to the ground. He reached out to grab them, but they had already tumbled down his robes and struck the floor. Looking down, he saw a full set of heart, lungs, spleen, and liver that were each crimson-red, stone-like in texture, smooth and glistening, lying on the stone tiles. A scent of pine wafted through the air as heavy snow began to fall all around.
The snow drifted down from the heavens, carrying waves of pine fragrance, settling softly upon his robes. Snow piled upon Li Ximing’s shoulders as rustling sounds filled his ears.
He thought, Of course... when he was on the brink of death, he took Earth-View Bloodstone to stay alive.
Li Ximing stared at the Bloodstone in the snow, struggling to reconcile the scattered red rocks with his dashing, elegant younger brother. Then he heard Li Qinghong’s voice beside him, "Ming’er, gather his things."
She took out a jade box and carefully picked up the organs one by one, placing them inside with crisp clinking sounds. Then she scooped two handfuls of pine-scented snow and gently sprinkled it over them, speaking softly, "I’ll take care of this—just gather the rest."
Only then did Li Ximing come to his senses. He gathered the remaining items and clutched them to his chest, soaring off the island atop Radiant Light. Glancing back, he saw snow blanketing the entire island. A cold wind rose from the forest, circled the sky three times as if reluctant to part, then drifted steadily eastward.
————
Li Ximing returned the items to his cave dwelling, then hurried back out, riding the wind to hover above the lake. He watched the snowfall until the sky began to brighten, then slowly made his way back inside.
Several items sat quietly on his desk. The most striking was the glinting Han Lin, but next to it lay the now-revealed ancient dharma artifact, the Chongming Profound Insight Screen. A pitch-black jade box rested on one side, while the dharma robes from Crimson Reef Island were piled to the other.
Li Ximing picked up the snow-white longsword and turned it over in his hands a few times before setting it aside. Then he reached for the storage pouch. Li Xijun’s storage pouch was plain white. Li Ximing, who also knew the Li Family’s secret techniques, easily broke the simple restriction Li Xijun had left in place.
His spiritual sense swept through it and found it nearly empty. There were only just a few neatly arranged spirit stones, some talismans, pills, and a handful of precious golden talismans of the Shamanic Dao, with one already used.
Aside from those, there was only a single, small jade box and nothing else.
"Is this the storage pouch of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator? He must’ve planned for this all along, and been willing to trade his life for that item! That’s why he left everything else behind!"
It felt like he’d been slapped across the face. The haze on his expression vanished, replaced by a grief so raw it surged to the surface. His eyes shut tight, as his jaw clenched.
It was a long while before he could collect himself. He coughed up two mouthfuls of blood that never touched the ground. They turned into Radiant Light midair and dissipated.
Li Ximing rested by the desk until the sun rose high. At last, he wiped his mouth and took out the sole jade box from the storage pouch. It was no bigger than a palm, ordinary in texture, and cold to the touch.
He had thought it might be a treasure plundered from Crimson Reef Island, but upon closer inspection, he realized the jade box was of Li Family make. It was a standard issue for their direct descendants, used to store dharma artifacts.
Thinking it over, Li Ximing couldn’t recall anything that Li Xijun would need to take out instead of leaving at home. He murmured, "Could it be... that he left something inside?"
Li Ximing placed the box on the table, set both hands on the edges, and gave a gentle tap. The lid popped open by itself.
He glanced inside, his pupils dilated suddenly, and he cried out, "You!"
His hands trembling, he slowly lifted the lid entirely. Inside, resting on white silk, lay a pale-blue, lapis-lantern orchid. It was a sight that was all too familiar, yet no matter how many times Li Ximing imagined the possibilities, this flower should never have appeared here!
This dharma artifact was an exquisitely crafted woman’s accessory. Each stamen glistened under sunlight, and every petal unfurled in graceful beauty. It was like a venomous scorpion, stinging him full-force in the face.
Li Ximing leaped to his feet, covering his eyes, shaking his head again and again like a drunken man as he stumbled backward three or four steps before collapsing onto the ground.
Crash!
The jade tables and stools clattered to the floor. The lapis orchid, like a vengeful ghost, fell from the desk and rolled a couple times before coming to a stop right before him.
Basking in the warm sunlight, the orchid still held the elegant charm of youth. It lay quietly on the floor, its petals glowing with golden hues and its shadow casting a blooming silhouette.
Li Ximing squinted at it, as his breathing grew hoarse. Memories flooded back; those strange little moments, Xijun’s frequent downcast eyes, and a bitter voice echoed in his ears.
You make your mess, and I’m the one who has to clean it up.
No wonder... no wonder... you... you didn’t let her go! Of course! A cautious man like you, how could you have let her go?! Xijun... you... you!
He slowly raised his head and let out a sound that was part wail, part sob, "You killed her!!"