Li Long gazed at the three True Spirit pills, and his heart stirred violently. The value of True Spirit pills to Qi Practitioners went without saying. With these three True Spirit pills, he would definitely be able to establish a foundation successfully and thus inherit the position of the leader of the school of Agriculture. However, he sucked in a breath and did not accept it.
“Benefits do not come without merit.”
“You helped me kill an enemy. That’s the merit. Stop being so fussy! If I tell you to take it, just take it!” Li Qingshan shoved the True Spirit pills into Li Long’s hand.
“I will take good care of this child.”
Li Qingshan smiled. “That’s your problem.”
Li Long clasped his hands and took his leave. Arriving outside the Parlour of Clouds and Rain, he crouched down and said to Pebble, “From today onwards, you’ll be called Li Xiaoyao. It’s a very good name.”
“I don’t want to! It’s not like he knows me, so why can he change my name?”
“Sigh, you’re still young, but you’ll understand certain things in the future. Oh right, don’t mention your relationship with him to anyone in the future.”
“He doesn’t know me. I don’t know him either! Uncle Li, you’ve been nice to me, so I’ll listen to you. If you want me to be called Li Xiaoyao, then I’ll be called Li Xiaoyao!”
“You’ll have to call me master instead in the future.” Li Long rubbed his head with a smile. “C’mon, let’s go grab some food and then give you a shower.”
“Yes, master!”
The two figures, one big and one small, merged with the flow of people. “Xiaoyao, do you like agriculture?”
“What’s agriculture?”
“It’s farmwork.”
“I don’t like it!”
“Alright, then what do you like?”
“I like taking the ox out to graze, but Old Yellow is dead, so he can’t graze anymore. I also like to play around with swords, but my sword is gone too. I can’t play around with it anymore.”
“I better buy you a sword then!”
……
In the warming house, Li Qinghshan stood around for a little longer and sighed gently. Although he had never lacked resolve, he was not heartless. The gentle sound of steps rang out from behind, and a warm, soft body pressed against his back, wrapping around his waist. “You’re already done talking, so why are you still here?”
Li Qingshan asked, “Linglong, do you think it was a blessing or a curse that you got to know me?”
“It’s obviously a huge blessing! If it weren’t for you, sir, I’d still be a regular disciple. Perhaps I might even be forced into prostitution.”
A year ago, Li Qingshan formally took over the Parlour of Clouds and Rain in order to give the Cloudwisp association another source of wealth. All of the disciples of the Sect of Clouds and Rain presented themselves to him. He obviously had no time to manage the Parlour of Clouds and Rain, so he needed someone else for that.
As a result, he picked someone from all the disciples, who happened to be Linglong. Her cultivation was nothing special, only a sixth layer Qi Practitioner back then. The reason why he picked her was actually relatively simple. When the other female disciples stood with their heads held and did all that they could to demonstrate their charm, only she lowered her head bashfully under his gaze. That moment of charm was rather enchanting.
Linglong could still clearly remember what had happened back then. He had asked with a smile, “What’s your name?”
“Linglong.”
“From today onwards, you are the master of the Sect of Clouds and Rain.”
“Huh!?”
As a result, her fate changed in an overwhelming manner, and the greatest change was she now had a man. From the moment he chose her as the sect master, she had already become his in everyone’s eyes. Even she believed that too.
She was the sect master with the lowest cultivation in the Sect of Clouds and Rain’s history, but no one dared to defy her. Her senior brothers and sister who had been so proud in the past all became docile. Even powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators would treat her politely in the Parlour of Clouds and Rain. With her Aspect of Exquisite and Smooth Beauty, she became accustomed to this new identity very soon, keeping the Sect of Clouds and Rain in perfect order.
Li Qingshan pulled her over and pinched her cheek. He smiled. “Isn’t it no different right now?”
“I’m most willing, so how is it no different?”
“Let’s hope you don’t regret it in the future!”
Li Qingshan’s words made Linglong stiffen up, but she soon brushed it aside. Li Qingshan was as prominent as the midday sun right now. Let alone the Clear River prefecture, he was even renowned throughout the Ruyi commandery. He also had one of the three great sects of the Green province, the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga, as his backing. Just who could still do anything to him?”
“I’ll never regret it.”
“C’mon, let’s go back. Let’s take a look at how young master Hua is going with his drinking and if he’s happy or not.” Li Qingshan smiled and said no more.
As soon as they returned upstairs, Hua Chengzan pulled him aside. “Where’d you go? Don’t tell me you went off to have some fun in secret? C’mon, drink!”
Li Qingshan accepted the cup of alcohol he passed over and gazed at his handsome, flawless and smiling face. He asked suddenly, “Is it effective?”
Hua Chengzan was taken aback. A hint of sadness appeared in his smile. “It doesn’t seem to be!”
Over the past year, Hua Chengzan had truly changed a lot. He had gone from the infatuated romantic of the past to an obscene playboy who regularly slept at brothels drunk.
“It’s useless, and yet you still keep drinking!”
To Li Qingshan, Hua Chengzan was basically behaving like a little girl who did not have her feelings reciprocated, drowning himself in alcohol and sinking into depravity willingly. Li Qingshan had no problem with drinking and sleeping with women, but he was confident that when Hua Chengzan sobered up and saw the unfamiliar woman beside him, he would feel none of the joy that a regular man would experience. He might even feel pain from sullying himself.
“What else am I supposed to do?” Hua Chengzan smiled drunkenly. When he decided to let go, he felt relief at the very beginning, but even heavier pain and conflict soon followed. His heart lacked the sword of wisdom; he was unable to sever his feelings of love!
Smack!
A clear slap landed on Hua Chengzan’s face. In that moment, the entire floor fell silent. Everyone ogled at Li Qingshan blankly. They never expected him to suddenly slap his good friend across the face.
“Big brother Li!” Hua Chengzan exclaimed. Han Tieyi stood up. His face changed too. Since young, Hua Chengzan had never experienced such humiliation.
Li Qingshan said, “It’s time to wake up, brother. Weren’t I turned down as well?”
Hua Chengzan was irritated at first before smiling self-deprecatingly and rubbing the handprint on his face. “I’m different from you. You surpass me in almost everything, but you have absolutely no idea what love is. I might not be able to obtain her, but I cannot stop loving her!”
Smack!
Li Qingshan said nothing at all, delivering another slap across his face. “You’re making me sick saying something like that in front of all these people. These are slaps filled with friendship. You better comprehend it properly. Heh, I’ve wanted to do this since a long time ago!”
Han Tieyi yelled, “Qingshan, stop!”
Li Qingshan grabbed Hua Chengzan and rushed into the air, turning into a tiny, black speck in the blink of an eye.
“Where are you taking me?” Hua Chengzan asked in alarm. The wind whistled by furiously. They left Clear River city behind, where it rapidly shrank and grew distant.
“To treat your problem!”
A while later, a marsh appeared on the horizon, glistening under the glow of the moon. Hua Chengzan squinted his eyes. “The Lake of Dragons and Snakes!”
“Let’s sober up first!”
Li Qingshan suddenly descended and pressed Hua Chengzan into the water, making waves surge and leaving behind a streak on the surface of the water. He entered the Academy of the Hundred Schools like this, arriving on the school of Medicine’s Benevolence island.
Hua Chengzan was lifted up by him helplessly. “Why are you bringing me here?” Was the school of Medicine supposed to be able to treat his illness of the heart?
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Li Qingshan knocked on a door, and it opened. Ru Xin walked out in her white clothes. During the past year, she had practised the Heavenly Tome of Cloud Furnace arduously, which made her skin glossy like white jade. Combined with her dark eyes, they seemed like dabs of paint. She looked at the drenched Hua Chengzan first before saying to Li Qingshan with an extremely disdainful tone, “You’re finally going to lay your hands on men!”
“Wrong, I don’t like men, so can you help me out?” Li Qingshan said as Hua Chengzan trembled in fear inside. He had no idea why Li Qingshan had brought him to see Ru Xin. He was extremely clever, but Li Qingshan’s actions could not be interpreted with normal logic. After all, he was a daemon who did whatever he wanted.
“What is it?”
Li Qingshan smiled. “Castrate him!”
“No! Li Qingshan, you’re crazy!” Hua Chengzan began to put up a violent struggle, but he stood no chance against Li Qingshan’s divine strength. He could not even mobilise a sliver of spiritual qi.
“It’s just a woman. I’d like to see how you keep loving her once you’re a eunuch! If you don’t want to become a eunuch, it’s not a problem either. Don’t worry, school leader Ru is highly accomplished in medicine. Turning you into a woman is also possible.”
Ru Xin smiled. “I can give it a try! With fellow Hua’s appearance, you’ll definitely be absolutely alluring if you become a woman.”
“I don’t want to become a woman!”
Li Qingshan said, “Then eunuch it is!”
“Not that either!”
Ru Xin said, “A hermaphrodite works too!”
“I don’t want to become anything. Qingshan, calm down. This is my matter. It’s got nothing to do with you!” With the rapid exchange between them, Hua Chengzan completely sobered up out of fright. Before the water on him had even dried, he became covered in another layer of cold sweat.
“I just can’t put up with how wimpy you are. We’re already here. Do you really think you still have a choice?”
Li Qingshan laughed mischievously and carried Hua Chengzan into the room, casually tossing him on the ground. He said to Ru Xin, “How’s the refinement of your Water of Oblivion going?”
“Through my re-refinement, the effects are quite good, but I’ve never had a suitable guinea pig to try it on. After all, it targets cultivators.” Ru Xin put on a distressed face.
Hua Chengzan sensed how all the restraints on his body had been removed. He scrambled for the door the moment he climbed to his feet, but when he heard that, he stopped again. “Water of Oblivion?”
Ru Xin smiled. “A form of medicine that can make people forget about certain things. Is fellow Hua interested in trying it?”
Over the past year, she was either cultivating or refining medicine. Chu Tian, or Lin Xuan right now, had requested her to refine more potent Water of Recollection so that he could recall even more memories from his past life.
Among the Myriad Heavenly Tomes, the Heavenly Tome of Cloud Furnace had always been the one that specialised in alchemy the most, and Ru Xin could be regarded as a genius in this aspect. Combined with Lin Xuan’s assistance to improve the formula, the effects of the Water of Recollection was becoming even more potent. At the same time, she also refined some powerful Water of Oblivion that was the exact opposite to the Water of Recollection.
Hua Chengzan gazed at Li Qingshan standing in the doorway and smiled bitterly. “Looks like I have no other choice!”
Li Qingshan said, “Castration is always an option!”
Hua Chengzan looked back and asked Ru Xin, “Is the Water of Oblivion… truly effective?”
“I’ll need your active cooperation. If you reject the medicinal effects mentally and insist on remembering it, then the effects will be much worse!” Ru Xin took out a bottle of faint, purple liquid and shook it around gently in her hand.
Li Qingshan realised something. He glanced at her and frowned. “If you’re supposed to remember it, then remember it. What’re you doing by trying to forget about it?”
Although Ru Xin still refused to confess everything, Li Qingshan knew she held a great grudge inside. She refused to bring it up definitely because her enemy was extremely powerful, where there would be danger even with Northmoon’s strength. As such, she refused to let him become involved. However, Li Qingshan had made up his mind a long time ago. No matter when she wanted to return to the Mist province, he would accompany her and help her bring this matter to an end.
“Do I need a wretched daemon like you to stick your nose into this?” Ru Xin rolled her eyes at him.
“I’ll do exactly that. I’ll stick my nose into it. What can you do about it?”
“You…” How could Hua Chengzan still not understand that Ru Xin clearly knew Northmoon?
“Cut the bullsh*t. Are you going to drink it or not?”
Hua Chengzan gritted his teeth. “I’ll drink i!”
He was willing to drink it all so that he could let go of his obsessions, so that he could forget about her.
