The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 119

Chapter 7: Broken Sword

Ever since Li Xun created the “One Incense Stick” formation for the Yunlou Moon-Grabbing Chariot, he’d instill new variations every few years to test his progress in forbidden techniques. He became the only third-generation disciple in the sect allowed to tamper with the sect’s Cloud Chariot.

Not to mention the envy of the sect leader’s favor, the very Cloud Chariot itself had seen its flight speed increase by nearly 50% over the past few decades. The journey from Xinghe back to Lianxia Mountain, covering millions of miles, took only eight days.

Over the past few days, news of the Mingxin and Xingji Sword Sects resolving their conflict had spread far and wide. However, linked to this, news of the Xingji Sword Sect’s refusal to participate in the Water Mirror Conference had also spread throughout the realm.

Li Xun no longer cared to know how the various sects would respond to this unexpected development.

Having exhausted all his energy on the galaxy, he still felt exhausted despite the eight days of rest he had taken during the journey. After bidding farewell to his elders, getting off the cloud chariot, and chatting with a few familiar fellow apprentices, he returned to his residence and fell asleep, as befitted his injured status.

He slept soundly, and when Li Xun’s body functions adjusted to a perfect state, he naturally opened his eyes. A bright light, as red as blood, filled his eyes.

His heart skipped a beat, and he glanced around. When he saw the sky outside the window, he realized it was dusk, and he must have slept for more than a day. He first touched his chest; the scar there had become lighter, and it looked like it would be gone in two days.

He sighed deeply, then turned over and got out of bed, ready to wash up. Suddenly, he heard a faint voice coming from downstairs.

Li Xun was slightly startled, and tiptoed downstairs, around the living room, and to the door of the study.

This two-story bamboo building was originally Lin Ge’s residence on Zhiguan Peak. After Lin Ge’s death, Li Xun was the only disciple left, so Qingming decided to give the two-story building to Li Xun to live in.

Li Xun did not value these external things, but he was also concerned about the dignity of his teacher, so he arranged everything in the building according to the old rules, and it has not changed for decades.

At this time, two guests were pointing and writing on some stone-like objects at the ends of the long table on one side of the study. They did not even notice that Li Xun had reached the door.

Li Xun did not go in. He just watched the two people in the room, one big and one small, leaning over, writing and drawing on the table. This familiar scene, presented in the dim light, actually made him stunned.

Finally, the little guest facing the door noticed something strange, looked up, and exclaimed. At the cry, the female cultivator, whose back was to him, turned. Surprise flashed across her delicate, delicate face, then a smile.

“Junior Brother Xun, are you awake?”

Reflecting the setting sun, the woman’s gentle, peaceful gaze seemed to penetrate Li Xun’s heart, and in that instant, the beautiful woman before him seemed to radiate. Even his heart, hard as steel, felt a slight daze at this moment. After a moment’s delay, he bowed, “May Senior Sister be well.”

His gaze quickly shifted to another, a familiar, delicate girl. She was now clad in a pink silk gown, her hair styled in a three-pronged bun. She wore no jewelry, but her cheeks flushed, as if she were about to blend into the fading sunlight. Judging by her expression, could it be…

“Yingning?”

“Master!”

Perhaps because time had passed, the girl wasn’t as clingy as she had been at first. After calling “Master,” she simply stood there, bowing gracefully.

However, the shimmering light in the girl’s eyes was far more moving than any words or actions. Perhaps she couldn’t match Qi Bi’s gentleness and elegance, but the girl’s youthful beauty was dazzling in another dimension. One could imagine what kind of charm this girl would have in three to five years.

At this moment, Li Xun was actually quite moved.

Putting this ridiculous thought aside for the moment, he nodded at Yingning, walked into the room with a smile, and said, “What happened today? Why did Senior Sister Qi bring this little girl to me?”

Qi Bi gave him a reproachful look: “Junior Brother Xun!”

“Ah?”

Li Xun was stunned, and when he looked at the girl again, her face had dropped, and she seemed a little unhappy. He didn’t know what he had said wrong, so he could only look at Qi Bi with an innocent face. But he was wondering in his heart, as if Senior Sister Qi seemed to be in a much better mood recently.

It was Qi Bi who came to his rescue and said, “Junior brother, you have been away from the mountain for several months, and you may not know that Yingning has already completed the training for the opening of the mountain a few days ago, and will go to Qiyuan Hall to continue her training. But now is not the time for our sect to open the mountain and recruit disciples, and there is not a single female disciple in Qiyuan Hall. Yingning has no companion there, so I let her live here first, and I will settle her down when you come back.”

“Oh, I see.” Li Xun replied in a very unoriginal way, but he soon realized, “Qiyuan Hall? How did Yingning improve so quickly?”

Hearing some concern in his words, Yingning raised her head, looked at him happily and said, “I have laid a foundation before. My mother told me that I have good talent and may have a great opportunity in the future. So she did not let me practice their method, but found a book of authentic Xuanmen Qi-refining technique for me…”

As she spoke, she must have thought of the tragic death of her parents, and her expression dimmed again. Seeing her like this, Qi Bi quickly added, “Although Yingning’s previous cultivation was rudimentary, it was truly authentic. Now that he’s been exposed to our sect’s methods, his previously accumulated cultivation has been put back on track, without any hindrance. His foundation has been laid with great strength.”

Seeing Qi Bi finish her words so hastily, Li Xun knew what she was going to say next. He immediately changed the subject, his gaze drifting to the paper and pens on the table, and… the slate?

Seeing this familiar slate, Li Xun was deeply surprised. He walked over and took it in his hands. At a glance, he knew it must have been the work of his youth. He wondered where these two had dug it out.

Seeing him like this, Qi Bi chuckled softly, “Well? Master Lingzhu’s authentic work, unearthed after sixty years, is worth a fortune!”

Her mood truly improved…

Li Xun, convinced, smiled. “Back then, I buried these things all over Zuowang Peak. It’s a blessing you found them. Let me see. Hmm, this must have been made four years after I climbed the peak. Otherwise, I would have just smashed it. Not only would it be horrible, but it would also mislead the students, which is truly infuriating.”

As he joked, he picked up the papers next to the slate and flipped through a couple of them. He knew Qi Bi was using the patterns on the slate to teach the sect’s seven forbidden techniques, though it was still mostly playful.

He found a piece written by Yingning and glanced at it for a few seconds. His brows furrowed slightly, then smoothed back down.

What a pity!

Li Xun sighed. He had no doubt that he had reached the level of a master of forbidden techniques. He could tell at a glance that although Yingning was talented, she lacked spiritual energy in the forbidden techniques. If she was looking for a successor, this girl would definitely not pass the test.

Although he thought so, he smiled without saying anything. He glanced under the table and saw a stack of stone slabs half a person’s height, neatly arranged. He turned around and said with a smile, “Senior Sister, you have been so idle lately that it makes me jealous. I’m afraid it took you a lot of effort to find these stone slabs.”

“You guessed wrong this time!”

Qi Bi smiled brightly, pointing to the stack of stone slabs and said, “These were all brought back by your good brothers. Since they found these stone slabs, they have been going up and down Zuowang Peak, following the route you took to climb the mountain. It took them almost half a month to find so many.”

“The two of them?”

Seeing Qi Bi’s genuine joy, Li Xun’s heart tightened. He paused before asking, “Could it be Lingji and Shan Zhi?”

Unaware of Li Xun’s turmoil, Qi Bi smiled faintly, “That’s right. Seeing Ying Ning’s excitement, they always found time to practice and help us find things. Eventually, the two of them, especially Junior Brother Shan, took on so much, leaving Ying Ning and me free.”

Li Xun smiled, but he was actually watching Qi Bi’s expression, paying particular attention when she mentioned Shan Zhi.

To his relief, Qi Bi remained completely calm, even her tone remained the same when she mentioned Shan Zhi. However

, the look she gave her when she mentioned Ying Ning caught Li Xun’s attention. So that was it. Qi Bi’s eyes clearly showed that she was transferring her own shortcomings with children onto Ying Ning.

Li Xun sighed inwardly and was about to speak when a voice suddenly rang out from outside. Listening to the laughter, Li Xun and Qi Bi exchanged glances and smiled, “Is that something I can’t help but think about?”

“Is Junior Brother Xun awake?”

Lingji said as he entered the study, clutching a stack of slates. Shan Zhi followed suit.

The first thing they saw upon entering was Li Xun standing there, beaming. After a moment’s pause, they both exclaimed, “Finally awake!”

They hurriedly set down their slates and shook hands with Li Xun. Li Xun’s gaze swept over Shan Zhi’s face, revealing a glowing complexion, a stark contrast to his previous, gloomy, and dejected demeanor. Li Xun couldn’t help but praise him, “Brother, you look much better this time!”

Shan Zhi grinned, but before he could say anything, Lingji, standing beside him, sympathetically remarked, “Not only that, but Brother has made tremendous progress in his cultivation lately, and Uncle Mingsong often praises him.”

“Oh? That’s a good thing,”

Li Xun said, but a growing puzzlement grew within him. Could it be that those words last time had frightened this kid awake, helping him break through his demonic barrier? Just as he was pondering this, Shan Zhi chuckled, “This is all thanks to Junior Brother Xun for repeatedly enlightening me. Hehe, I only regret waking up too late!”

This self-deprecating tone only made it clear that he had made progress not only in his cultivation but also in his character. But Li Xun still felt something was amiss. At this moment, Shan Zhi’s gaze flickered over his shoulder to Qi Bi, and his arm, gripping Li Xun’s, unconsciously tightened.

This change certainly couldn’t be hidden from Li Xun’s eyes, but what Shan Zhi did next surprised him. The guy withdrew his gaze, then winked at Li Xun, his face full of smugness.

Li Xun immediately understood that something was wrong.

Qi Bi was already smiling and said, “You have harvested a lot today. How many places have you dug? Junior Brother Xun, come and see, when did you create these masterpieces?”

Li Xun patted Shan Zhi’s shoulder and turned around and said with a smile, “What masterpieces or small works? Let the children look at them and have fun.”

Someone on the other side smiled and said, “I heard Junior Brother Xun say that there are thousands of these stone slabs. It’s just that he is back and he has some free time. Let him dig them himself. It’s ridiculous to tire us out for no reason!”

After he finished speaking, Shan Zhi also started to make trouble, “There must be a time limit. Otherwise, it will take ten or eight years. Who can we cry to?”

Seeing them having fun, Li Xun couldn’t help but want to laugh. No matter how clumsy this boisterous scene was, at this moment, he felt a rare sense of relief.

Amidst his laughter, an idea flashed through his mind, and he simply suggested, “How about this? I’ll go pay my respects to the Grandmaster later. If there’s nothing else to say, I’ll take you to Zuowang Peak tomorrow to play. After

all, you’re just taking a quick look, unlike me who’s walked up step by step and knows the terrain intimately.” He paused, glanced at Yingning, and said, “Those stone slabs and the like are fine, but from what I understand, there are quite a few cultivation caves left behind by the sect’s predecessors on the peak. The restrictions on them are truly interesting.”

Lingji and Shanzhi applauded as he spoke, but Qibi frowned slightly.

Seeing her expression, Li Xun understood instantly and said with a smile, “Even if we don’t disturb Senior’s cave, there are still many beautiful sights along the way. It’s winter now, so while there aren’t many green leaves or flowers, the thousands of white peaks and the silver waves of snow are still very beautiful.”

The others thought he was pushing it hard, so why would they refuse? Qi Bi was the only one slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected Li Xun to see through her just because she was slightly moved by the “senior’s cave.” The latter half of his words were clearly directed at her.

How could Qi Bi refuse at this point?

Seeing that it was getting late, everyone agreed to a time, said goodbye to Li Xun, and prepared for tomorrow’s trip. Only the little girl, Yingning, stared at Li Xun eagerly, a look of bewilderment on her face.

Li Xun was stunned for a moment before realizing that the girl had been living in the small building for a few days, but now that the owner had returned, she didn’t know whether to leave or stay.

Li Xun was also troubled by this situation. Gender differences were a matter of prudence, and it was absolutely imperative not to let a girl stay overnight. But saying it out loud seemed a bit unkind.

Just as he was agonizing, Qi Bi finally reciprocated, smiling, “How about this? My master really likes Yingning’s well-behaved ways. Why don’t I take her with me and let her stay for a few nights?”

Qi Bi’s master, Mingru, was the most gentle of the sect’s second-generation immortal masters and always caring for the younger generation. Li Xun naturally agreed to this suggestion.

Regardless of Yingning’s feelings, Qi Bi led her out. However, just before stepping out, Yingning glanced back, her lovely face revealing a complex and subtle expression belying her age.

Li Xun couldn’t grasp the little girl’s thoughts for a moment, but he felt that this glance was strangely moving and quite interesting.

After a moment’s reflection, he simply shook his head and smiled, letting the matter go.

The trip to Weiming Temple to meet Qingming was quick. The sect had just resolved the Mingji issue, and aside from the Moon Queen Water Mirror Conference, there wasn’t much else going on. Qingming simply offered Li Xun some encouragement, generously showering him with praise that he’d previously hesitated to offer in front of Li Douliang.

He also informed Li Xun that he would recuperate on the mountain for a few days before attending the Water Mirror Conference. While a grand gathering of all sects was likely, Qingming wasn’t planning to attend, not even one of the First-Generation Immortal Masters, as a gesture of understanding to the Xingji Sword Sect.

Therefore, Luo Nanchuan would lead the Water Mirror Conference, with Mingji as his deputy. Three or five outstanding third-generation disciples would be selected. Since Senior Brother Wenhai would be managing sect affairs on the mountain, it was only natural that Li Xun would be the first among these third-generation disciples.

Li Xun left Weiming Temple and finally sighed. Qingming’s eager anticipation for him was palpable. According to Netherfire Yama’s theory, Qingming was now training him as the next Zhong Yin.

But how much longer could this continue?

He couldn’t help but glance back. In fact, he really didn’t want to set foot in here again unless absolutely necessary. Because once he entered, he would inevitably see the Sky-Slashing Divine Sword in front of the main hall. It had been okay before, just a little uneasy, but now…

hey, if the sword truly had a spirit, it would probably unsheathe and chop off his head in one blow.

With a sneer in his heart, he slowly walked back to the small building. Just as he was about to enter, he saw a ray of light coming out of the small building. He was slightly startled, and put his hand on the door, but he didn’t use force

immediately, because he had already sensed the breath of the person in the building. After a little hesitation, he thought that since he could sense the other person, then the other person would naturally have some sense of him. He shook his head and smiled, then pushed the door in.

In the small hall downstairs, the soft light emitted by Mingzhu spread to every corner. At the side of the hall, a figure that Li Xun was very familiar with heard the sound of the door opening, and turned around. A slight smile appeared on her pretty face with clear contours. It was Mingji who was searching for traces of the murderer in Xinghe.

At this time, she rushed back exhausted. Could it be that she had discovered something? Li Xun suppressed his uneasiness, met her eyes, then bowed slightly, performed a salute, and said with a smile: “Why did Fourth Uncle think of coming to me?”

“Why, are you not welcome?” Ming Ji replied casually, and then smiled and said: “I came to visit my savior and express my gratitude by the way.”

Li Xun’s scalp suddenly exploded. Although he quickly realized that Ming Ji was not referring to the matter of Juxingtai, the expression on his face had changed a little. He quickly turned an embarrassed face and said with a wry smile: “Fourth uncle, please don’t criticize me. I can’t help Xinghe at all.”

Mingji’s face straightened when he heard it, and shook his head: “You are wrong. The friendship between fellow disciples has always been about whether one is dedicated or not, but how can it be judged by the results? You took such a risk for me, and it is only right for me to thank you. It’s just that…”

She changed the subject and looked at Li Xun back and forth. When she saw that Li Xun was uncomfortable, she said with a smile: “I have known you for so many years, but it’s rare to see you so impulsive.

You are not Sixth uncle, and you can rush into Xinghe just like that?

” “It’s weird, you actually figured out some tricks. Fortunately, both sides pretended to be confused and covered it up. Otherwise, if old Tianyuan lost face again, who knows what he would do.”

Li Xun laughed dryly and could only nod in response. But his eyes changed slightly when Mingji finished speaking, and he knew immediately that she was thinking of that dead Yunxing.

Things in the world are indeed wonderful. If Yunxing hadn’t died, he might not have left any mark on Mingji’s heart, but now, after rescuing Mingji, Yunxing died on the way to chase the enemy. In this way, Mingji would find it difficult to forget him for a long time. Cursing in his heart

, Li Xun was thinking about how to change the subject, but he saw Mingji pick up a sword from the table on the side.

Li Xun glanced at it and was a little stunned. Isn’t this his green jade sword? Because he was too tired, he even forgot where he put the sword before going to bed, but it should be the bedroom… Did Mingji run there to get the sword?

Just when he was confused, there was a clanging sound in his ears, and the green sword light shone in the room, making Mingzhu pale in comparison. Li Xun scratched his head, wondering, “What’s Fourth-Master doing with this sword?”

Mingji’s eyes flickered toward him, then back to the sword, examining it closely. Feeling a little uneasy, Li Xun watched her expression carefully. Mingji’s long eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion evident on her face.

After a long pause, she asked, “Have you had any sword fights lately?”

Li Xun grumbled, completely baffled. But thinking back, he’d mostly been using the Hundred Ghosts or the Blood Shadow Demon Body to fight his enemies, and the chance to use this sword was rare.

The most recent time was against that damned Yunxing, and he’d used it to block a fatal attack. Of course, he couldn’t talk about it. After a brief pause, he said, “No…” He

‘d barely uttered a word when he realized Mingji wasn’t listening. Her slender fingers slowly brushed across the sword, and wherever they passed, the sword’s light flickered, a brilliant green light shone, and a faint whistle echoed. This time, even Li Xun noticed something was amiss with the Jade Sword.

As Mingji’s fingers brushed against it, the blade vibrated, its sound threadlike, though occasionally interrupted.

Furthermore, the sword’s radiance, as it emanated, couldn’t be fully contained. Given Mingji’s skill in the sword art, this was simply impossible. Li Xun felt a pang of anxiety. Could this be… a leakage of spiritual energy?

With a resounding clang, Li Xun felt a jolt. Looking again, the azure light that filled the room had completely dissipated. Mingji’s face was expressionless, neither sad nor happy. The sword in his hand had snapped in two.

Li Xun cried out, “Ah!”

Seeing his surprise, Mingji shook his head slightly, his expression clear with dissatisfaction. “This sword is so badly damaged, and you didn’t even know it?”

Hearing Mingji’s words, which sounded like a complaint, Li Xun felt the hairs on his back stand on end. Yes, he hadn’t known the Jade Sword was so damaged, but he knew exactly when and by whom it had been damaged.

Amidst the galaxy, beside the Qingcang River, Yunxing spotted the moment he escaped from his restraints and blocked the incoming sword with his jade. Even now, the thought of that sword’s might fills him with awe.

With the power of the Pojun Immortal Sword, coupled with Yunxing’s cultivation, he was undoubtedly the culprit responsible for the severe damage to the jade sword.

But could he speak of this? Li Xun remembered the jade sword as Mingji’s beloved weapon from his early days, having once dedicated it to the Cold Pond for preservation and later gifted to him. It held immense significance, yet now, it was broken, even in an inexplicable manner!

Heaven had played a terrible trick on him!

Li Xun’s mind froze for a moment. Even with his quick wits, he was overwhelmed by the suddenness of this turn of events.

Under Mingji’s penetrating gaze, he knew she wasn’t deliberately probing him, yet he still felt a surge of panic. Fortunately, against the backdrop of the shattered jade, his momentary panic didn’t seem too abrupt.

Mingji sighed softly, her gaze returning to the shattered jade sword. It was clear she was trying to maintain composure, but it wasn’t working.

Li Xun finally came to his senses, and without further ado, he offered a dejected apology to Mingji.

Mingji shook his head and said, “It’s nothing in the first place. When the green jade was made into a sword, it had flaws. You and I have always used it to compete with masters. After hundreds of years… well, maybe this is its fate. However, there is one thing I want to ask clearly. Have you been slacking off in your sword practice recently?”

“Ah?”

“It’s a pity that the sword is broken. After being damaged, the sword body can remain intact for a long time. At the crack, the crack seems smooth, but in fact there are very fine concave and convex curves. When the true energy passes through, the vibration amplitude remains the same.

“This is clearly when the two swords collided, the opponent used the “buzzing sword” technique, oscillating back and forth at a very high speed within a very small range, guiding the true energy, and forcibly breaking the green jade.”

Mingji spoke casually, almost recreating the scene in front of his eyes, and Li Xun’s back was covered with cold sweat.

But that wasn’t the end. Mingji frowned and continued, “Our sect’s various sword techniques, called sword techniques, are actually different from those of the Xingji, Tianyao, and other sword sects. They focus on using the sword to guide the qi and controlling the sword with the mind. They are truly the most advanced methods of refining

the mind and controlling the qi.” “Twenty years ago, you had already achieved a perfect and unimpeded sword and qi, no longer relying on the blade to defeat the enemy. How could you let the two swords collide and destroy the sword?”

Li Xun lowered his head, not daring to look up. What could he say? Should he tell Mingji that I was actually using the Blood Shadow Demon Body at that time, and the methods of the Mingxin Sword Sect were completely useless. In times of crisis, I simply used the green jade as a shield…

Seeing Li Xun like this, Mingji really couldn’t get angry. She knew that Li Xun was smart and knew the ins and outs of others, and never needed anyone to worry about him. Ever since she had been guiding this disciple in cultivation on behalf of the deceased Lin Ge, she had almost never been harsh with Li Xun. Today, she did it occasionally, but she herself was not used to it.

After a pause, she slowed down her tone: “You are extremely talented and determined. I don’t need to say these things. It’s just that your situation is different from other disciples. In addition to the cultivation methods of our sect, you also refer to other schools and deeply study the ways of forbidden methods.

“Even if your mutually beneficial method of practicing forbidden methods is very powerful, there is still a difference between being distracted and being single-minded…”

Li Xun saw that she misunderstood that he was distracted by studying forbidden methods, and he was relieved and nodded repeatedly. But later on, Mingji actually chuckled. Li Xun looked up in surprise. Mingji couldn’t help laughing when she saw the rare silly look on his face.

After laughing for a long while, she regained her usual calm demeanor and shook her head, saying, “Sure enough, I still can’t be a cold-faced master. It’s very boring to talk at length. And you, this disciple looks too weird… that’s all!”

Seeing that her mood had improved a lot, Li Xun was relieved a little. He was about to strike while the iron was hot and resolve this problem as soon as possible, but Mingji remembered the question just now: “By the way, who did you say you fought with?”

Li Xun’s scalp tightened, and he realized that it would not be so easy for him to get through. Fortunately, he had such a buffer time. He also thought of an excuse, scratching his head and said, “Quite a few people… But the ones I fought with were Xu Kang from the Heavenly Demon Sword Sect, and his junior brother named Luo. I met them when I was entangled with a hundred ghosts. The southwest was so chaotic!”

“Southwest?”

Mingji seemed to be thinking about something. Li Xun didn’t know if she would associate this with the reason for his “lateness”, but on the surface, the situation was not bad.

After a moment’s silence, Mingji said, “If it’s the Celestial Demon Sword Sect, then it’s correct. The ‘Buzzing Sword’

is simple, but without the cultivation of unifying body and sword, I’m afraid you won’t be able to control the sword. In this world, only the Celestial Demon and Xingji Sects specialize in the way of the sword. You’re lucky, having just learned the Celestial Demon Sword Technique, you’re now witnessing the Galaxy Restriction…”

Li Xun secretly wiped away a cold sweat. Fortunately, he was more cautious and used the Celestial Demon Sword Sect, whom he had fought in the southwest, as a scapegoat. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten through so easily.

Just as he was thinking, he saw Mingji’s eyes looking at him. Their eyes were clear and gentle, yet sharp like a sword. His heart skipped a beat, and before he could even think about it, the light that pierced his heart faded in Mingji’s smile.

She carefully put the two broken swords into the sheath, but had no intention of returning them to Li Xun. She just said, “It’s getting late. You go and have a rest. Tomorrow I will go to the sect treasury and get you a new sword. This time, don’t let it be broken again!”

Li Xun hurriedly thanked him, but his eyes were always on the broken jade sword in Mingji’s hand. At last, he asked tentatively, “Fourth uncle, why don’t you let me take this sword? When I have time, I will go to Qianfan City to find a top swordsmith to restore it…”

Before he finished speaking, Mingji tapped his shoulder with the scabbard: “You are the only one who is capable! Don’t you think my connections are not as good as yours? You don’t have to worry about the sword. I know what to do. But tomorrow, you have to practice sword with me. Otherwise, next time you meet a master, it won’t be the sword that breaks, but your neck!”

The more Mingji acted like an uncle and elder, the more friendly and unrestrained his mentality became. Li Xun understood it all. His heart warmed and he was about to agree, but he suddenly remembered the agreement he had just made with Qi Bi and others, so he had to explain to Ming Ji awkwardly.

“Then let’s put it aside for now. There’s a long way to go, right?”

The word “a long way to go” was quite strange to use here, and Ming Ji’s demeanor was also a little different from before.

But before Li Xun could think about it, Ming Ji had already waved her hand and turned to leave.

Li Xun walked her to the door and was stunned for a long time. He felt that Ming Ji was very strange tonight. There seemed to be something unsaid in her words, which was very inconsistent with her usual frank and transparent style. And this farewell seemed a little hasty… Could things get that bad?