When Feng Dai dropped to his knees, Li Qingqiu's face remained calm. He said casually, "What do you mean by that? Has the County Magistrate already uncovered the truth?"
In his view, Feng Dai and his men's actions were meaningless—merely an attempt to soothe their own guilt.
Even if Wu Baoyu had intended to assassinate the emperor, without Feng Dai's report, he would have lived a little longer.
Zhang Yuchun's decision to bring Wu Baoyu up the mountain had only changed his fate slightly. The one who truly drove Wu Baoyu to the imperial city was Feng Dai.
Of course, Feng Dai wasn't wrong. Officials catching criminals was only natural.
If there was anyone to blame, it could only be the emperor himself.
He had founded the Demonic Sect, erased Wu Baoyu's contributions, and smeared him as a villain guilty of countless crimes.
But in this world, the emperor was heaven itself—and mortals had no right to rebel against heaven.
"I followed what Senior Xiao said and investigated," Feng Dai said through clenched teeth. "The second son of the Xiao family was indeed named Xiao Ji. At fifteen, he was selected to join the Imperial Guards and served under the former Crown Prince. After the Xiao family was massacred, all records of him vanished. Nothing more was ever written. But I found out that back then, the Crown Prince did send a team of guards to infiltrate the Demonic Sect—there were just no records afterward."
Feng Dai's voice trembled as he spoke, his face full of regret.
The nine constables beside him looked equally grim. After learning of Wu Baoyu's past, they couldn't accept that such a hero had died branded as a criminal. Their morale plummeted.
They could no longer tell whether the court they served was truly righteous. Was there still justice in this world?
If even the emperor was the greatest evil—what could lowly constables like them possibly do?
Li Qingqiu stared at Feng Dai. "And just with that, you believe him?"
"After Senior Xiao died in the palace," Feng Dai said bitterly, "all records of Xiao Ji were destroyed. I even asked the Prefect, but he was confused too. Then he ordered me never to bring it up again. How could there be such a coincidence?"
His words came out between gritted teeth, his mind unable to rest.
Li Qingqiu sighed softly. "After Senior Wu came up the mountain, he barely spoke. I didn't know him well enough to judge what's true or false. I only know one thing—he's gone. We should treat it as though he never came. Regret changes nothing."
With that, he turned and began walking up the mountain path.
"Wait, Sect Master—do you really think this matter should just end like this?" Feng Dai called out anxiously.
"I'm only the Sect Master of a small sect," Li Qingqiu replied. "All I want is to protect my disciples. Wu Baoyu was never part of Qingxiao Sect. So yes—for me, it should end like this."
He didn't stop, nor did he look back.
Feng Dai's face shifted between anger and despair, but no words came.
When Li Qingqiu finally disappeared down the mountain road, the constables stepped forward to help Feng Dai up.
"Sir, this concerns imperial authority. We can't touch it—and neither can Qingxiao Sect," said the oldest among them. He had served the longest and had already grown disillusioned with such matters.
Feng Dai took a deep breath and turned toward the nine constables. His eyes had changed. His voice was steady but resolute. "Precisely because no one dares to act, I must act. I know this road means certain death—nine out of ten chances I won't live to see the end—but I won't force you to join me. Even if I die, I'll clear Senior Xiao's name and expose the truth to the world!"
He turned and strode away, his left hand gripping the hilt of his blade so tightly that veins bulged across the back of his hand.
The nine constables fell silent. None looked at the others, but before long, they all began walking after him.
High above, Xiao Ba circled in the sky. From its view, Feng Dai and his men looked tiny—like ants crawling across the earth.
…
After the New Year, Qingxiao Sect's expansion continued. Zhang Yuchun became the busiest person in the sect, often leading Huang Shan and Yu Lin down the mountain. Because of that, the two young disciples grew noticeably more mature. They now spoke and acted with a calmness that set them apart from the others.
Li Qingqiu focused only on major decisions and supervised the construction in all areas.
By late spring, both Wu Man'er and Li Sifeng broke through to the second layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm—bringing great joy to Li Qingqiu.
A cultivator at the second layer of Nurturing Essence already possessed the strength to rival top-tier martial experts—among the very best of their level.
After reaching that realm, Li Sifeng couldn't hold back his excitement. He went to Li Qingqiu and asked for permission to join Zhang Yuchun's next trip down the mountain.
Li Qingqiu hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. Though Li Sifeng was still shy of fourteen years old, his combat ability already surpassed Zhang Yuchun and the others. Besides, with Li Sifeng accompanying him, Zhang Yuchun's disciple-recruiting trip would practically advertise Qingxiao Sect's strength.
Overjoyed, Li Sifeng immediately ran to tell Zhang Yuchun. Zhang Yuchun was equally pleased—he knew well what the boy was capable of.
The next day, Zhang Yuchun set out with Li Sifeng, Huang Shan, and Yu Lin.
By midday, Li Qingqiu sat in the courtyard with over a dozen disciples, watching Yang Jueding and Wu Man'er face off.
They were sparring.
Wu Man'er had once trained under Jiang Zhaoxia, but when Jiang Zhaoxia became too busy, Yang Jueding took over his instruction.
Ever since then, Yang Jueding had poured his heart into teaching him—even more than he did with Li Sifeng. He had even passed down his improved version of the Nine Heavens Divine Palm.
The two now stood ten steps apart, each settling into position.
Wu Man'er had just turned fifteen, standing nine chi tall—nearly two meters. In the Great Li Dynasty, that was enormous. His frame was broad and solid, and even the largest robe in the sect fit him tightly.
Despite his intimidating build, he had a simple, honest face and always wore a goofy smile. He was smiling now, too.
Facing Wu Man'er, Yang Jueding couldn't bring himself to smile. Only when standing across from him did he truly feel the pressure.
"The second layer of Nurturing Essence Realm can increase strength this much?"
Yang Jueding was secretly stunned. In his eyes, Wu Man'er had no openings at all—no matter from which angle he attacked, he felt he'd be met with terrifying force.
Li Dongyue was holding Yuan Li in her arms. The nearly two-year-old child tilted his head curiously, eyes wide open.
At the edge of the courtyard, Cheng Canghai stood with keen interest.
He never doubted Yang Jueding's skill, but he was curious—just how strong had Wu Man'er become?
He had once seen Wu Man'er carry a two-thousand-catty log up the mountain with ease. That scene alone had scared him senseless.
"Man'er, I'm going to strike now."
As soon as Yang Jueding spoke, he lunged forward like an arrow. His palms whipped through the air as fast as the wind, aiming straight for Wu Man'er.
Though Wu Man'er looked bulky, he moved with surprising agility. Faced with Yang Jueding's fierce attack, he dodged with ease. His steps turned lightly, never advancing or retreating, just rotating calmly in place.
He deflected Yang Jueding's palms, then caught the man's sweeping leg with both hands, stopping it dead.
The Qingxiao Sect disciples couldn't even follow Yang Jueding's movements. To them, he seemed to sprout countless arms and legs, all blurring together.
Even if they couldn't see clearly, they could sense who held the upper hand.
"Uncle Wu is amazing!"
"Yeah, I didn't expect his technique to be this good. I thought he only had brute strength."
"The gusts from their strikes are hitting my face!"
"So this is inner energy?"
"This is nothing yet. True inner energy attacks can be devastating. They're still holding back."
The disciples whispered excitedly among themselves, not daring to blink as they watched the two exchange blows.
Qin Ye gripped his long staff tightly, eyes locked on the fight.
Ever since Wu Baoyu had taught him the Ten Thousand Armies Demon-Subduing Staff, he hadn't sparred much with the others, but everyone could see his change. His body had grown tougher, his gaze sharper, and an air of killing intent surrounded him. Most disciples no longer dared to joke around with him.
Yang Jueding's aura suddenly surged, the air around him vibrating with vital energy. His strikes grew stronger, stirring up sand and gravel.
Wu Man'er stopped defending and began counterattacking.
Their fists and legs collided again and again, the sound of flesh striking flesh echoing sharply, making the watching disciples tense up unconsciously.
Wu Man'er, now fully serious, stopped smiling. His expression was calm but cold, his immense build exuding pressure like a mountain. Even though Yang Jueding held his ground without retreating, everyone could feel he was being overpowered.
Cheng Canghai swallowed hard, his heart pounding wildly.
'Just their fists and feet carry this much force… These two have already surpassed the level of first-class martial experts!'
Qingxiao Sect didn't have many members, but it was truly a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
Li Qingqiu nodded slightly as he watched. In terms of momentum, both had surpassed Lü Taidou. Even if the Seven Peaks Alliance launched a full-scale attack now, Qingxiao Sect had enough power to hold its ground.
After a moment of shock, Yang Jueding's expression turned excited.
It had been a long time since he felt such a balanced, exhilarating fight. Despite his injuries, he felt alive.
'This is so much better than fighting that Sword Saint of the Vast Sea!'
Neither of them used the Nine Heavens Divine Palm. They relied purely on fists and kicks, and the raw energy of the fight made the disciples' blood boil.
"Stop."
Li Qingqiu's calm voice cut through the air.
Both men immediately froze mid-motion—one with his fist descending like a tiger pouncing from the mountain, the other with his palm rising from the waist like a dragon bursting from the deep.
Their expressions changed instantly. Wu Man'er returned to his usual silly grin and turned his head toward Li Qingqiu.
"We were just getting to the fun part—why stop us now?" Yang Jueding asked, tilting his head, a trace of annoyance in his tone.
The disciples all looked to Li Qingqiu, puzzled.
They had barely started!
Li Qingqiu lifted a cup of hot tea and said softly, "A guest is approaching. Don't scare him off."
A guest?
Everyone turned toward the courtyard gate, confused. No one was there.
Yang Jueding lowered his palm and was just about to complain when a voice suddenly echoed from beyond the mountain gate:
"I am Li Yang, the current Martial Champion of the court! I have come to challenge the strongest masters of every sect under heaven to exchange in martial arts! Does Qingxiao Sect have anyone bold enough to face me?"
Everyone froze in surprise.
Someone had really come?
And how had the Sect Master sensed it before anyone else?
Li Qingqiu looked at Yang Jueding and Wu Man'er and said with a smile, "You two go welcome our guest. Either of you can fight him—but don't kill him. He's the imperial Martial Champion, after all. Quite a distinguished visitor."
Yang Jueding nodded immediately and turned to leave. Wu Man'er and several other disciples followed close behind.
Soon, only Li Qingqiu, Li Dongyue, and little Yuan Li remained in the courtyard.
Li Qingqiu's smile faded. He furrowed his brows slightly, lost in thought.
The name "Li Yang"… he'd heard it before.
And sharing his surname—he must be from that family.