Two young men with calm expressions stood beside Tang Wei. Yet Li Guanqi sensed that the moment they laid eyes on him, their hearts were anything but calm.

They had to be Tang Ru’s elder brothers. One, with a gentle and scholarly countenance, had to be Tang Ru’s eldest brother, Tang Yongwen. The other, whose eyes occasionally betrayed a hint of ruthlessness, was likely Tang Yan.

Behind the three stood the Tang family elders.

Tang Wei looked at the young man before him, a faint smile on his lips. He stepped forward. “Hahaha, what has brought the Sword Sovereign here? Come, come, this way!”

The domain behind him split open into a ten-zhang gap, and the crowd parted to either side to welcome Li Guanqi in.

The white-haired elders all looked at Li Guanqi with slight fear in their eyes.

A man’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow[1]. The “Yanluo Sword” title alone was enough to make every force tremble, and Li Guanqi had come to their doorstep himself.

When Li Guanqi’s gaze swept casually over the two brothers, Tang Yongwen’s heart jolted. He had kept a gentle smile the whole time, regarding Li Guanqi with respect, careful not to stare too boldly. Yet even that calm, fleeting glance sent a chill through him. The pressure was indescribable and overwhelming.

As expected, he’s no ordinary person! That composed, effortless bearing, and those eyes!

In contrast, Tang Yan‌ looked at Li Guanqi with complete indifference, even as Li Guanqi’s gaze passed over him. He believed he would’ve already won the test to choose a successor if not for Li Guanqi’s interference. He blamed everything on Li Guanqi. Still, he wasn’t foolish enough to provoke him at a time like this.

Li Guanqi cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, “I came uninvited. I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion, Uncle Tang.”

Tang Wei was very pleased. Li Guanqi’s reputation was at its peak, and his strength was extraordinary. However, he carried himself with humility and showed Tang Wei great respect.

With a flick of his hand, Li Guanqi unleashed a streak of sword light toward the edge of the domain. That strike was the Shadow Demon Slash.

Li Guanqi smiled. “It’s my first visit, and I came without a proper gift. I’ll leave this sword technique here for the younger generation of the Tang family.”

Tang Wei’s heart trembled, and the elders behind him were even more shaken.

“This... this is at least a Heaven-tier sword technique!”

“This... this gift is truly extravagant!”

Tang Wei gazed deeply at the purple lightning sword suspended in midair, then stepped aside and extended his hand with a smile. “You’re too polite, young friend. With the bond between you and my son, there’s no need for this. Come, let’s talk inside. Standing at the entrance isn’t much of a welcome.”

Li Guanqi smiled and nodded, walking alongside Tang Wei into the domain.

As they walked by, Tang Yongwen and Tang Yan lowered their heads and stepped aside.

The Tang family’s domain was nothing short of resplendent. They were truly wealthy. The ground was paved with great slabs of spirit stone, intricately carved with luxurious patterns. Nearly all the pavilions and towers were roofed with glazed golden tiles, and every stone pillar had been carved whole from spirit veins. Furthermore, the domain teemed with formations of every kind, and bustling crowds moved among them.

Tang Wei smiled. “The Tang family rarely receives outsiders. If our hospitality falls short, I hope you’ll forgive us, young friend.”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly. “It’s already an honor to be received by Uncle Tang in person. How could I possibly complain?”

The two exchanged smiles, each with their own thoughts.

Tang Wei had been quite surprised by Li Guanqi’s visit, but as soon as he learned of it, he gathered several influential elders to receive him. The reason was simple: Li Guanqi was not someone the Tang family could afford to offend lightly. Even Tang Wei had to acknowledge that he was far weaker than Li Guanqi.

Tang Wei waved a hand. “The rest of the elders may return to their duties.”

The elders bowed to Li Guanqi before taking their leave. Li Guanqi cupped his hands in return, then followed Tang Wei to his private courtyard study.

The two sat facing each other. Tang Wei lit some sandalwood incense and brewed a pot of spirit tea. The room was exceptionally quiet. Li Guanqi sat cross-legged, unhurried, only speaking after Tang Wei handed him a cup of tea.

“What brings you here, young friend?” Tang Wei asked.

Li Guanqi chuckled softly. “Uncle Tang, you’re quite straightforward.”

Tang Wei smiled faintly, lifting his teacup. “At our level, is there any point in beating around the bush?”

Li Guanqi found Tang Wei’s words reasonable, so he spoke frankly. “I believe you’re already aware of my relationship with Tang Ru. Tang Yongwen is crafty, but he lacks the courage and sincerity necessary for business. Tang Yan is narrow-minded. He has some ruthless methods, but when it comes to business, he falls short in many areas.”

Tang Wei slowly set down his teacup, calmly looking at Li Guanqi. “I know all of this. What are you trying to say? You want to lure Tang Ru into your Guanyun Pavilion?”

His gaze seemed to see straight through Li Guanqi, sharpening subconsciously.

The Guanyun Pavilion may have moved cautiously, but to someone like Tang Wei, its existence was impossible to hide. The Hundred Treasures Pavilion had its own intelligence network as well.

Li Guanqi had no intention of hiding anything. Toying with his teacup, he said frankly, “I want Tang Ru to help me. The Guanyun Pavilion lacks nothing right now, except for someone capable of running a commercial empire. And... with me around, Tang Ru can fully pursue whatever he wants. He can make full use of his talents.”

Li Guanqi paused. Tang Wei’s expression didn’t change, clearly unmoved.

Li Guanqi continued, “Most importantly, Tang Ru’s talent for cultivation shouldn’t be wasted here. If he follows me, he’ll have far more time to cultivate, as he’ll only need to oversee the bigger picture. In Guanyun Pavilion, he won’t need to worry about anyone undermining him. His subordinates will carry out his every order.”

Tang Wei stiffened ever so slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Li Guanqi’s words had struck a chord.

Li Guanqi was right. Of Tang Wei’s three sons, only the youngest, Tang Ru, was truly capable. Or rather... only Tang Ru was qualified to inherit everything. Tang Yongwen and Tang Yan were not.

But Tang Wei also knew that many elders in the family backed Tang Yongwen and Tang Yan. That made every step Tang Ru took extremely difficult. He couldn’t even secure basic unified support, and his cultivation progress had stagnated for a long time.

1. “人的名，树的影” is a traditional Chinese proverb, often appearing in the full form as “人的名儿，树的影儿.” It metaphorically compares a person’s reputation to a tree’s shadow: just as a tree naturally casts a shadow, a person with a reputation naturally leaves an impression. The proverb highlights that when someone is well-known, others will perceive or respect them in a certain way because of that reputation, emphasizing the significance and influence of one’s name or fame. ☜