The sun blazed high overhead. On the official road, a carriage sped along.
The driver was a man in his early fifties, dressed in plain cloth. He had a strong build. Though strands of white showed in his hair, he still looked like he was in his prime.
He stared straight ahead, wiped sweat from his brow, then asked, "Young master, in this kind of heat, do we really have to rush straight to Seven Peaks Town?"
Li Qingqiu sat inside the carriage, meditating with his eyes closed. The bumpy ride made cultivation impossible. All he could do was conserve energy and vital energy as best he could.
Seven Peaks Town was a well-known place near the Seven Peaks Alliance. Many escort agencies and official convoys stopped there.
Once he reached Seven Peaks Town, finding the Alliance would be much easier.
This was the route Yang Jueding had told him to take.
After eliminating Yue Zhenchuan and the others, Li Qingqiu didn't need to move so urgently anymore. He just wanted to go early and return early so his juniors wouldn't worry.
"I promised my family I'd be there. If I'm late, they'll get anxious," Li Qingqiu replied.
"Right, makes sense. You do look real young—way younger than my son. If my boy were out alone like this, I'd be worried sick too. And now the world's in chaos again. The provincial governments can't keep the local tyrants in check, the people are scattered, and bandits and outlaws are all over. Truth is, I didn't even want to take this job—but my wife's sick, and I need the money..."
The driver rambled on. Li Qingqiu replied here and there.
It had already been two days since he left Qingxiao Sect, but the Seven Peaks Alliance was still far off.
He didn't find the driver annoying. Sometimes, he'd even ask about current events to get a feel for what was going on in Guzhou these days.
Now that he cultivated immortality, the heat didn't bother him. The Supreme Purity and Primordial Harmony Sutra circulated in his body, keeping him cool and calm. It barely drained any vital energy—just one of the technique's built-in perks.
In a blink, one hour passed.
The driver had gone quiet. His throat was parched, and he just wanted to get to the next relay station.
Suddenly—
He yanked the reins and shouted, "Why're you blocking the road? You trying to get trampled?!"
"Uncle, could you give me a ride?"
"Huh? A woman? Why are you dressed like that?"
"I can pay. Uncle, would you let me join you?"
"Where you headed?"
"Seven Peaks Town."
"Oh?"
The driver grunted in surprise, then leaned back and asked in a low voice, "Young master, there's a girl ahead also heading to Seven Peaks Town. Should we let her on? If we do, I'll cut your fare by thirty percent."
Li Qingqiu couldn't be bothered with the little scheme. "Let her on. Let's just keep moving."
"Got it. Hop in, miss. And don't forget to thank this young master—he paid for the whole carriage."
"Thank you!"
Footsteps sounded. Then the curtain to the carriage lifted. A woman in black stepped inside, wearing a conical hat and carrying a travel bundle. She sat by the window and cupped her fists toward Li Qingqiu.
"Sorry to intrude. Thank you for your generosity, young master."
As she spoke, her hand stayed gripped on her sword's scabbard.
Li Qingqiu glanced at her and gave a slight nod before closing his eyes again.
The woman didn't speak further.
With her aboard, the driver suddenly found his energy again and started chatting constantly. She replied a few times, then fell silent. His endless chatter got nowhere, and the mood turned awkward.
The rest of the journey passed in silence.
At the next relay stop, she and Li Qingqiu each sat at separate tables. Only when they hit the road again did they both return to the carriage.
That routine continued until five days later, when they finally arrived at Seven Peaks Town. Li Qingqiu handed over the silver he'd prepared and walked into the town.
The town sat at the foot of the great mountain. Many carriages were parked near the town marker. Most travelers were armed, clearly people from the jianghu.
Li Qingqiu wasted no time. He stopped the first person he saw and asked, "Brother, how do I get to the Seven Peaks Alliance?"
The man was short and stocky, with a bamboo basket on his back—likely a local. He gave Li Qingqiu a quick look and said, "Seven Peaks Alliance? You see those mountains back there? All of that belongs to the Alliance. You're already here."
Li Qingqiu kept his tone calm. "Where exactly is their base? I want to pay a visit."
"You want to visit the Seven Peaks Alliance? Forget it, they'll break your legs. Don't ask me—I don't know!"
The man turned and left. Li Qingqiu kept asking around, but got the same reaction from everyone.
Just hearing the name Seven Peaks Alliance made people nervous. No one dared reveal their location.
Li Qingqiu hadn't expected their reputation to be so fierce. Looked like he'd have to use more direct methods.
Just as he was picking a target, the woman in black walked up and said, "You're asking about the Seven Peaks Alliance like this? You'll get yourself in trouble. I happen to be heading there. What business do you have?"
Li Qingqiu turned. They stood less than five paces apart. She looked up, revealing a cold and striking face beneath her hat.
This was the first time Li Qingqiu got a proper look at her face. She was beautiful, with eyes carrying the chill of a seasoned martial artist.
The woman in black was tall—roughly the same height as Li Qingqiu. Even though he was still growing, he already stood about 1.75 meters tall.
"My master sent me to deliver a message. He was caught up with something else and couldn't come himself," Li Qingqiu replied calmly. There was nothing in his expression she could read.
"We start climbing now. If we keep moving, we'll reach by dawn. Are you up for it?" she asked.
Li Qingqiu looked scholarly, clean-cut. Though a sword hung at his waist, she couldn't sense any threat from him.
"Then I'll trouble you to lead the way," he said with a smile and nodded.
She said no more and brushed past him. He turned and followed her.
They crossed the main street of Seven Peaks Town. It was surprisingly large and bustling. Li Qingqiu even saw a martial arts contest for marriage.
'Qingxiao Sect could recruit disciples here in the future,' he thought.
Leaving town behind, they entered the forest and began climbing.
They didn't take any proper path. It reminded Li Qingqiu of the Taikun Mountains—no trail, just wild grass everywhere.
Night fell. The forest turned pitch-black, visibility nearly gone. The woman lit a torch she'd brought and picked up her pace once more.
Li Qingqiu didn't need the light, but he still kept close behind her.
Several hours passed.
They reached a high slope. Ahead, the mountains stretched on endlessly. The mist made them seem eerie in the night, like ancient demons watching them from above.
She stopped and said, "At dawn, you'll be able to see the mountain gate of the Seven Peaks Alliance."
Li Qingqiu nodded and asked, "Thank you, miss. May I ask your relationship to the Seven Peaks Alliance?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"If you'd rather not say, that's fine too."
He turned his gaze to the shadowy ridges and spoke softly.
If she didn't want to answer, that was her choice. He didn't care—even if it meant becoming enemies.
She tilted her head and looked at him, then asked curiously, "Aren't you the least bit curious why we haven't run into any members of the Seven Peaks Alliance?"
"We've been taking the wild path. Of course there's no one around," he replied casually.
He could already tell she wasn't ordinary, but he didn't feel like digging further.
She fell silent for a moment.
Then suddenly drew her sword.
The blade hissed out of the scabbard and stopped right in front of his throat.
"Tell me—who is your master, and what's his relationship to the Seven Peaks Alliance?" she said coldly.
Li Qingqiu gave her a sidelong glance. Without warning, he raised his right hand and flicked the blade with his middle finger.
The sword flew out of her hand.
It all happened so fast she didn't even react. She stumbled back two steps as the sword landed behind her, blade buried in the ground, quivering.
She stared at him, stunned. She hadn't expected his martial skills to be this strong.
That flick just now carried a force she couldn't even hope to resist.
"That story I told you was a lie. And your offense just now cancels out any goodwill for guiding me. Head down the mountain," he said flatly.
Then he turned and walked down the slope.
Wait till dawn?
He had no patience for that.
Seeing him head up instead, she blurted out, "Who are you? What are you trying to do?"
"A sworn enemy of the Seven Peaks Alliance. I'm here to kill," Li Qingqiu said without turning back.
His words left her shaken.
Kill?
This man planned to take on the Seven Peaks Alliance alone?
Before she could gather her thoughts, she watched as Li Qingqiu leapt into the thick mountain fog like a diving wild goose and vanished.
…
The mountain that housed the Seven Peaks Alliance was tall. Just the climb took Li Qingqiu some time.
He arrived at the mountain gate and stared up at it—three zhang tall. It was grand. Compared to this, Qingxiao Sect's gate was laughable.
Two disciples stood slumped against the pillars, dozing off. They hadn't heard his footsteps at all.
Li Qingqiu stepped up to one of them and drew his sword in a flash.
One slash—throat cut. Blood splattered onto the stone pillar.
The other disciple woke to the noise. Blinking groggily, he saw Li Qingqiu and the corpse of his fellow disciple. His eyes widened. Just as he opened his mouth, Li Qingqiu darted forward.
His left hand covered the man's mouth. His right hand pressed the Tianhong Sword against the man's neck.
"If you don't want to die, cooperate. Blink if you understand," Li Qingqiu said coldly.
The man blinked fast, terrified Li Qingqiu might slip and cut him.
Li Qingqiu hauled him up. "You're going to walk ahead. Lead me to your Alliance Master's residence. Try anything funny, and my sword will move faster."
He gave the man a push. The disciple staggered forward, barely keeping his balance—especially with the sharp pressure now poking into his back. Cold sweat poured down his spine.
He started leading the way.
They didn't encounter anyone else on the road—it was already well past midnight.
The paths in the Seven Peaks Alliance were wide. Martial arenas lay in open courtyards, and every corner exuded the aura of a powerful sect.
After walking for about one incense stick's time, they reached the residence of the First Alliance Master.
The trembling disciple pointed to a building. In one swift motion, Li Qingqiu struck the man on the back of the neck and knocked him out.
Then he raised his sword and walked toward the building.