Chapter 1275: Farewell to Liu Xuanji

Chapter 1275: Chapter 1275: Farewell to Liu Xuanji

"It’s been reported back!" Mei Simiao saw Pei Yan’s inquiry and revealed an amused smile, whispering a few words into Pei Yan’s ear.

Upon hearing that it was pretty much as he had expected, Pei Yan also smiled broadly and said, "Such a big flaw, indeed?"

"Yes! The time was too tight for him to replace and destroy, which allowed us to catch this handle." Mei Simiao said with a smile.

"Has that news been leaked?" Pei Yan pursued further.

"As far as it goes, it shouldn’t have. When the person was taken away, that Spirit Stone was secretly ordered by me to be taken away. Lin Daozi personally delivered it to the palace for inspection, and the information was also brought out by him. Xiang Zixiong, who returned with the message, was strictly prohibited from contacting outsiders. These actions can delay the time for this flaw to get out, but I guess it won’t be concealed for long, so we need to act quickly and nail down the matter this time." Mei Simiao replied in a low voice.

"Alright! I understand! Is Elder Liu inside?" Pei Yan nodded to show his understanding, then pointed to the inside of the courtyard.

"Yes! He’s inside, kept alone in a courtyard! The old guy is really stubborn. If you don’t come, he won’t speak again. I guess he’s expecting you and has prepared a Hongmen feast for you! Go take him down!" Mei Simiao said and signaled to the people originally guarding inside the courtyard. They hesitated for a moment, but after recalling their superiors’ orders, they wisely came out and stood guard outside, leaving the entire small courtyard to Pei Yan and his companion.

Pei Yan came here to meet Liu Xuanji, not being polite, he walked into the courtyard ahead and followed Liu Xuanji’s aura to the top floor of the pavilion. As he pushed the door open and entered, Pei Yan couldn’t help but laugh out loud, "Elder Liu, it seems you still enjoy quite a high status! Even after being captured, you receive such good treatment. Oh, what a pity! If I’d known you were here, drinking alone, I wouldn’t have eaten at the station and just come here directly."

Inside the room, Liu Xuanji sat alone by the window, a tableful of sumptuous dishes in front of him. This Elder Liu held a wine cup in hand, leaning against the window frame, looking far away. Despite his high status and the lack of concrete evidence, the Embroidered Robe Envoy dared not neglect him, only restricting his freedom of movement temporarily while trying to meet his reasonable requests as much as possible.

"This room once belonged to Lu Changdi, the Cave Master of the Star-Gathering Cave in the Peach Blossom Spring. Like me, he was also responsible for guarding the Immortal Palace Villa in his sect." Liu Xuanji, unfazed by Pei Yan’s arrival and sarcasm, sipped his cup of wine and opened up slowly, as though telling a story to himself or Pei Yan.

Pei Yan, understandingly, did not interrupt, leisurely walked to the wine table and sat down. He saw Liu Xuanji raise his wine cup towards the window. Following his gaze, Pei Yan saw a sea of colorful blossoms not far away, so beautiful, with a floral fragrance wafting through the breeze.

"From here, you can enjoy an unobstructed view of the beauty of the East Flower Garden. Back then, Lu Changdi chose this relatively remote villa for this very reason. Haha! Speaking of which, although we worked together for many years, today marks only my third time here, simply because I didn’t get along with this Elder Lu’s temperament." Saying this, Liu Xuanji glanced sideways at Pei Yan and self-mockingly said, "Pei Yan, you wouldn’t think this is something I’m fabricating to distance myself from him, would you?"

"Hahahaha!" Upon hearing this, Pei Yan laughed aloud, picked up the wine pot on the table, poured himself a cup of wine, and then went to Liu Xuanji, refilling his empty cup halfway. He then chuckled and said, "Elder Liu, you’re overthinking. To be honest, you are truly not good at lying."

"Hahahahah!" Liu Xuanji, also mocked, laughed loudly, drawing the attention of the people responsible for guarding downstairs. They wondered about the content of the conversation between these apparently opposing figures that could bring such joy.

"Hehehe! You’re not wrong! Ah, once a person’s power reaches a certain level, they disdain lying—not due to arrogance, but because no person or thing is worth old me fabricating and concealing the truth for. But who knew that over time, this became a weakness, causing me to suffer a great loss."

"But a lie, in the end, is a lie, destined to be exposed one day." Listening to Liu Xuanji’s lament, Pei Yan didn’t perceive it as self-praise because Liu Xuanji indeed possessed the skill level he claimed.

"True! That depends on whether the exposer has the wisdom to see through it. Ah! I wasn’t very close to Lu Changdi back then, not because of superior insight into his pretense, but simply because I disliked his pretentious elegance. Compared to him, that Elder Feng, who was obsessed with mechanical techniques, was more in tune with me. Yet seeing this lovely view outside, revisiting a place he once lived, I now realize perhaps his life was more colorful than mine. My whole life started and revolved around sword furnaces, obsessed with the Sword Dao. Long stretches of time passed with nothing but cultivation and slaughter. The major events of life followed the clan’s arrangements—getting married, having children, extending posterity. My late wife and I respected each other but lacked affection; when my son died in battle, my anger stemmed from wasted effort rather than sorrow. As for my grandson, now two to three generations removed, I regard him merely as a remarkably talented swordsman, with minimal family attachment. Pei Yan, isn’t my life rather uninteresting!" Liu Xuanji drained his cup, sharing his day’s reflections.

Listening to Liu Xuanji’s heartfelt words, Pei Yan couldn’t help but think of Liu Xiantong, unwilling to stay in the sect, repeatedly crossing realms to the cornerstone plane to watch movies and make sworn brothers. Realizing he grew up in such an environment, Pei Yan suddenly understood Liu Xiantong’s series of absurd actions. With that, Pei Yan mused, "I don’t know if you find it dull, but that grandson you’re talking about certainly found it unbearably tedious! Elder Liu, do you regret living such a life?"

"Regret? What regrets could there be for someone with dirt already covering their neck? My life’s encounters shaped my skills. Though I missed many landscapes compared to this room’s former owner, I’ve lived a life of swift vengeance and gratitude, leaving no regrets. Speaking of the Peach Blossom Spring raid, I happened to be one responsible for capturing those from the Immortal Palace Villa. It was Feng Tianhe, Su Fengchen, and I who overpowered Lu Changdi. I can still remember the despair in his eyes as the Embroidered Robe Envoys took him away, claiming he knew nothing of Peach Blossom Spring’s collusion with the Blood Temple."