Qiu Haitang immediately revealed an enchanting smile. She agreed and said, “Good idea!”
E Feng’s expression twisted. His forehead bulged with veins. “Northmoon, don’t go too far with the harassment!”
“Don’t go too far with the harassment? Are you talking about me?” Northmoon asked Qiu Haitang beside him, “Do you think I’m harassing them?”
“Of course not!”
“Then I’ll get a little more serious with the harrassing. Eat it!”
Northmoon picked up a golden sycee and tossed it out casually. The mirror clone only possessed a portion of his power, but the strength of the ox demon was still terrifying despite the reduction.
The golden sycee contorted the moment he threw it out, turning into a streak of golden light and striking a cultivator in black’s protective arcane artifact before piercing through his body.
The cultivator in black lowered his head in disbelief and gazed at the hole through his chest. He let out a high-pitched cry, which was better described as out of fear than out of pain. He was not afraid of fighting others, but the feeling where he could be casually crushed had completely sapped his courage.
The golden sycee flew off into the distance, and only then did the sharp whistle arrive. Fierce wind rushed through the rooftop, and the expressions of all the cultivators changed. A single golden sycee could become a terrifying, lethal weapon in Northmoon’s hands. He could butcher Foundation Establishment cultivators like how he butchered chickens.
“We’ll go all out on him!” E Feng bellowed out, but there was not even a hint of confidence in his voice.
“Looks like you won’t eat all of this obediently. All I can do is help you out.”
A pair of beautiful, flame wings suddenly unfurled on his back. In the eyes of the spectators, he split into five in that moment, appearing beside E Feng and each of the four cultivators in black. Each figure only launched a single strike, either a convenient pat or a gentle poke.
The five cultivators in black who had leapt up to throw their lives at him all collapsed on the ground, but they were completely unscathed. Northmoon had only suppressed their spiritual qi and bodies with the power of the spirit turtle. All of them widened their eyes, completely immobilised. Their arcane artifacts and hundred treasures pouches had been taken away during the process.
E Feng was paralysed on the ground. “It’s our misfortune to end up in your hands today. If you want to kill or cut us up, go ahead!”
Northmoon praised them. “Alright! I admire men like you. I won’t kill you, nor will I cut you up. I just want you to eat!” He lifted up the wings of flames on his back, and the pile of precious gems and metals immediately melted away, hovering in the air and fluctuating around.
With a flick of his finger, five scorching balls of liquid gold and silver surged towards the five of them. They gritted their teeth and closed their eyes, but their lips and teeth immediately melted away as boiling heat plunged right into their chests.
The pile of treasure they had used to humiliate Qiu Haitang had instead become what hastened their deaths. Although their bodies were tough, and their life force was powerful, how could they contend with this scorching, liquid metal without using spiritual qi? Their powerful bodies only prolonged the pain.
With a hiss, white smoke rose up, and before long, a burnt smell appeared. The liquid metal poured down their throats, flowing through their bodies. Li Qingshan blew out, and the liquid metal immediately cooled and solidified, turning them into five gold and silver people.
The brutal methods of daemons made the cultivators present afraid to even let out a peep of noise. However, many of them cheered inside. So much for being arrogant and looking down on us. Sure enough, only a horrible death awaits you!
Northmoon turned around and asked Qiu Haitang, “Has that calmed your anger?”
Actually, he was calming his own anger. These mongrels called me little animal, little animal endlessly. Do you know how important it is to watch your mouth now? I’ll butcher you pups and then I’ll go butcher that old dog E Dan.
Qiu Haitang was extremely touched. “I’m calm now.”
“Do you want this one dead too?” Northmoon pointed out, and granny You leapt up like the ground had scalded her. She cried out, “Spare me, sir Northmoon! Spare me!”
Qiu Haitang finally felt some reluctance. Even she had no idea whether this was the continued influence of the arts of charm. She bit her lip and shook her head gently.
“Let’s spare her!”
Granny You was overjoyed. Northmoon arrived before her in a flash and grabbed her by the neck. With a gentle squeeze, an old head sailed through the air, calling out, “I’ll take you down with me!”
She wanted to blow up her golden core, but Northmoon’s other hand had already plunged into her body and fished out the golden core. Then he collected her hundred treasures pouch and shoved her corpse into his hundred treasures pouch conveniently. He wanted to save up a little as a gift for Xiao An in the future.
As for E Feng and his four junior brothers, they could stay as performance art for E Dan to study!
Then he scolded Qiu Haitang. “You sure are long in hair and short in wit. You can spare her, but will she spare you?”
Qiu Haitang said pitifully, “Then why did you ask me?”
“I was just asking around. Let’s go!” Northmoon extended his hand towards her.
“Go?” Qiu Haitang seemed slightly lost.
“Don’t tell me you want to stay here?” Northmoon tilted his head.
“I- I- I’ll go with you!”
Qiu Haitang called out. She grabbed the hand before her, and Northmoon placed his hand around her waist, taking off into the air. She looked back, only to see the rooftop growing further away and smaller. The figures below faded away, becoming indistinct very soon. She only saw Li Qingshan waving his hand at her from afar.
The Clear River city’s sea of lanterns gradually receded into the distance. Only when they arrived in the air, where the wind whistled past her ears, did she turn around and look at the side of his face. “Where are you taking me?” Her voice was so feeble that she even surprised herself.
“You’ll know once we get there!”
“What are you going to do to me?”
“What do you want me to do to you?”
Northmoon could not help but smile. Qiu Haitang found his smile rather familiar, but the devilish aura inherent to daemons disguised it. She was unable to guess his real identity no matter what. Li Qingshan was straightforward, but Northmoon did whatever he pleased.
Qiu Haitang only felt her heart thump wildly, afraid to maintain eye contact with him. “I want to return to my dwelling and collect my things!”
“How troublesome. Where’s your dwelling?” The two of them made a sudden turn and flew off in the south-western direction.
……
Following Northmoon’s departure, everyone on the rooftop could not help but let out a sigh of relief and ease up. Northmoon had not even looked at them more than he needed to from beginning to end, but his fierce, heavy aura weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.
Everyone discussed what had happened vigorously. Hua Chengzan said to Li Qingshan through his soul sense, “I hope you can take good care of her.”
Li Qingshan directed all of his focus to the mirror clone, currently enjoying the sensation of Qiu Haitang’s soft, delicate body. When he heard that, he only smiled. He called out, “Bring the alcohol!”
Granny You had been killed, and Qiu Haitang had left. The disciples of the Sect of Clouds and Rain were fearful and uneasy, so they did not dare to disobey Li Qingshan’s order. They cleaned up the rooftop before delivering fine alcohol and delicious food. However, no one even approached the statues cast from gold and silver.
Li Qingshan raised his cup high into the air. “Everyone, the performance earlier was extremely fascinating. Let’s keep drinking!”
Most of them had already lost the mood to drink after going through what happened earlier. However, when they heard Li Qingshan, they could only raise their cups, or they would come off as being scared out of their wits by Northmoon. They thought, This commander Li sure has quite the composure!
In the commandery city of Ruyi, E Dan’s heart lurched. Something has happened to E Feng and the others! He immediately rushed over to the Parlour of Clouds and Rain in Clear River city.
On the rooftop, the banquet continued, except everyone seemed a little forced when it came to drinking and talking. Only Li Qingshan truly entered higher and higher spirits as he drank. He seemed like he was drinking alone, but the person who accompanied him earlier had not actually left his side. Instead, she had become even closer to him.
E Dan descended from above, destroying everyone’s last bit of urge to drink. He stared at Li Qingshan viciously at first before looking at the five metal people. “What happened here? Who did this?”
There was silence. No one was bold enough to answer him. Li Qingshan stood up with a jar of alcohol in his hand and said drunkenly.
“Your disciples came looking for a wife for you. Unfortunately, fellow Qiu had already given her heart away to someone else. Your disciples went a little too far, and he came knocking, committing a bit of murder along the way, and that was how they ended up!”
“Who? Tell me exactly. I’ll definitely tear him to shreds!”
E Dan’s face was beet red, like a volcano that could erupt at any time. These disciples had all been the most capable under him. Nurturing them had not been easy either. Originally, he thought carrying out a mission like this would be a piece of cake to them, but he never thought they would end up murdered.
He did not believe that Li Qingshan was capable of such a feat. Logically speaking, if E Feng and the others worked together, they would not be entirely helpless even if they faced a Golden Core cultivator.
E Dan gave off a terrifying aura that was even stronger than Northmoon’s earlier. He was like a beast in human form, currently experiencing a fit of rage. The cultivators all worried for Li Qingshan.
Li Qingshan was unfazed. He let out a belch and spat out a name, “Northmoon! He’s probably at Moon Court lake. If you want revenge, you can probably still make it if you move a little faster!”
Liu Zhangqing could not help but sigh inside, Only those with valiance and courage can remain like this!
E Dan was very confident in his strength, but he had no confidence that he could triumph over that “Northmoon”. He could only eliminate his plan of immediately rushing over for revenge. The five contorted people of gold and silver Northmoon had left behind seemed to be mocking him. He was driven crazy by anger and resentment. With a wave of his hand, the five people were reduced to powder.
Li Qingshan comforted with a chuckle. “Sir, please calm down!”
E Dan was tempted to personally butcher this gloating little animal right now, but upon recalling Si Qing’s instructions, he held back this killing intent. I’ll let a little animal like you stay complacent for a few more days.
E Dan departed angrily. Li Qingshan lifted up his jar of alcohol and emptied it. “Now that’s satisfying! I enjoyed myself very much with the banquet today. I cannot express my gratitude for your attendance. Let’s disperse for today. We’ll get drunk together another day!”
The cultivators had long since wanted to leave. When they heard that, they complied gladly, all standing up and bidding farewell. Li Qingshan returned to the Academy of the Hundred Schools with everyone else, just in case E Dan was plotting something.
Liu Zhangqing stayed behind, but it was obviously not for some company with women. The Sect of Clouds and Rain could be regarded as one of the sects with a very deep foundation in the Clear River prefecture. They had not sustained particularly large losses during the war either, so they preserved most of their strength. Now that granny You was dead and Qiu Haitang had left, it was a good opportunity to swallow this force of cultivators.
Obviously, a leaderless group of Qi Practitioners could do nothing in response. However, Liu Zhangqing refused to go too far, as he truly was rather worried what would happen if Qiu Haitang returned to become the sect master some day!
Elsewhere, Li Qingshan returned to the academy and immediately began meditating and cultivating, as he had to concentrate on his clone. When he closed and opened his eyes again, he saw Qiu Haitang’s beautiful figure as she gathered her things.
