The West Gate Granny originally planned on killing Li Qingshan as soon as she saw him. It did not matter whether Li Qingshan was actually related to their disappearance or not. She would put an end to the entire matter.
However, now that she saw how Xiao An was so close with him, she could not kill him anymore, just in case she ended up falling out with this dear disciple of hers. As for trash like Zhao Liangqing and Furong, if they were dead, they were dead. Their deaths were not worth her attention.
Li Qingshan was taken aback. He was unable to describe his relationship with Xiao An. Instead, he answered with a question. “And who are you? What has this got to do with you?”
“She is the West Gate Granny of the Sect of Clouds and Rain!” Hua Chenglu leapt off when the ship arrived near the shore and landed gently on the ground. She possessed a masterly set of movement techniques, so she arrived before Li Qingshan after just a few bounds.
The orthodox masters all disembarked from the ship as well. They planned to search for the pill that could allow people to directly reach the innate realm.
When Li Qingshan heard the name of the sect, he was immediately taken aback. While Zhou Wenbin had warned him already, he had never thought the Sect of Clouds and Rain would actually send such a powerful master against him. It had really taken him by surprise. As it seemed, he was not the only one who understood the principle behind a lion using its full strength to catch a rabbit. The Sect of Clouds and Rain would not actually be dumb enough to send lackeys one by one to him for him to practise on.
All Hua Chenglu saw was the Black Wolf tablet on Li Qingshan’s waist. She asked in surprise, “You’re a Hawkwolf guard? What are you doing here?” Afterwards, she looked at Xiao An beside him and praised, “What a beautiful child!”
Li Qingshan said, “I’m obviously here for a mission. You seem rather familiar.” Hua Chenglu was young, but she had arched eyebrows and vermillion lips on her apple-shaped face. She was extremely charming. He seemed to have seen something similar somewhere before.
Hua Chenglu said, “Since you’re a Hawkwolf guard, you’ve obviously met my elder brother, Chengzan. You’re carrying out a mission? Did you also hear that they would gather here?”
Only then did Li Qingshan come to a realisation. A man as handsome as Hua Chengzan was rare, so his impression of him was obviously deep.
“I was the person who gathered all these people here. There were many servants and guards among them, as well as spies from the government. You’ve blasted them all to pieces indiscriminately. Whatever, thank you for your assistance. You’ve saved me quite the trouble.” If it were not out of consideration for the innocent people on the island, he would have never bothered to kill them one by one in such a troublesome manner. All he needed to do was daemonify and unleash a Tiger Demon’s Fierce Roar, and it would all be over.
Hua Chenglu’s eyes widened. “What? You gathered all of these people here?”
The orthodox masters behind her all shivered inside. The Pill Seizing Gathering was actually a scheme of the Hawkwolf Guard. What a ruthless young man. He actually wanted to gather all of these unorthodox masters together and kill them in one fell swoop. The pills would obviously go without saying now.
The West Gate Granny paid no attention to anyone else. All she did was stare at Xiao An, and she liked her more and more. Xiao An felt unnatural, so she hid behind Li Qingshan.
The West Gate Granny suddenly circled behind Li Qingshan and grabbed Xiao An’s hand. She said to Li Qingshan, “This girly possesses tremendous fortune to be chosen by me. I want to take her as my disciple and bring her back to Clear River city. Will you allow it?”
She used her arts of charm. In a trance, Li Qingshan saw a great beauty before him, currently pleading at him in a desperate manner. He could not turn down any request of her. However, when he heard she wanted to take away Xiao An, he suddenly shuddered and yelled out, “Don’t even think about it!”
When he looked at the West Gate Granny again, she no longer possessed any beauty at all anymore. Her skin was all pitted, yet she still painted her lips vermillion. She was an old monster who plastered herself with cosmetics. She only seemed sickening.
Li Qingshan thought of Furong and thought about how this old hag actually wanted to take Xiao An to a place like the Sect of Clouds and Rain. Fury rose through his head. Killing intent immediately erupted as red light shone in his eyes. He was tempted to kill the West Gate Granny on the spot, and it was not because of any good or evil. Even if you were a kind-hearted person in your past ten lives, even if you’re a being of pure benevolence, I’ll still cut you to pieces out of pure hatred if you mention a request like that to me.
Even the thought of daemonifying and killing the old hag on the spot before silencing everyone present crossed his head. However, he gave up on that in the end. He was both reluctant to kill the innocent, and he lacked confidence in his ability to kill the West Gate Granny. He could only hold back his anger and glare at the West Gate Granny. I must kill this old hag.
Hua Chenglu shivered. She felt like the ordinary teenager had suddenly turned into a terrifying beast such that he could swallow her in a single bite. The knees of the weaker orthodox masters directly gave way as they crumpled to the ground.
The West Gate Granny was slightly taken aback. She had never thought that a second layer Qi Practitioner like him could actually break free from her arts of charm. However, she paid no attention to the killing intent that Li Qingshan gave off. The anger of the weak was not worth the attention of the powerful.
The West Gate Granny said in a sunken manner, “That’s not for you to decide. We need to ask what the child wants.” She smiled at Xiao An. “Good girl, don’t you want to go back with granny? Granny has everything.” Her bearing suddenly became extremely amiable again.
She believed that Li Qingshan possessed a heavy aura of murderousness as a Qi Practitioner, which was why he could resist her arts of charm. However, against a little girl who had never practised qi before, it would be a piece of cake.
Never did she think that Xiao An would actually shake her head emotionlessly, completely unaffected by her. Her attitude was even firmer than Li Qingshan’s. The very essence of the Path of White Bone and Great Beauty was to transform all forms and to see through all forms. It was naturally immune to arts of charm and illusions. Even if the sect master of the Sect of Clouds and Rain were present here, she would not be able to make her waver.
Hua Chenglu mocked, “West Gate hag, can’t you see that they’re not interested in you? You better just stop trying to flatter them.”
The West Gate Granny said in irritation, “Shut up, brat!” She was utterly perplexed inside. Did the Aspect of Heavenly Fragrance and Beauty come with natural immunity to charms? However, it made her even more earnest instead. She had to take this girl back to the Sect of Clouds and Rain no matter what.
Hua Chenglu was furious after the West Gate Granny scolded her in front of so many people. She came from the Hua family, and she even came from the main branch. Her father was the patriarch. She had been spoilt since young. She was the little princess of the Hua family. Even her own parents had never scolded her like that.
The West Gate Granny no longer bothered with her anymore. She changed the topic of conversation and asked Li Qingshan, “Li Qingshan, I’ve come all this way this time to ask you just where Zhao Liangqing and Furong are.”
Li Qingshan said indifferently, “The two disciples of your esteemed sect committed crimes and were exposed, so they fled in fear of punishment. How would I know where they went? But if you know where they are, you’re more than welcome to tell me. I’ll definitely bring them to justice.”
The West Gate Granny said fiercely, “Don’t play with me. How are you bold enough to claim that this entire matter has nothing to do with you? In my opinion, they fell to your hands. The Sect of Clouds and Rain will not let this matter go so easily.”
Li Qingshan said, “Zhao Liangqing is a fifth layer Qi Practitioner. I’m only at the second layer, so how am I his opponent? Don’t you even think about placing the blame on me, old granny. Though, if I do meet them again, I’ll definitely kill them. That’ll result in great merit in the Hawkwolf Guard. It’s worth several hundred points of contribution.”
The West Gate Granny and Li Qingshan bickered rapidly and furiously. As such, Hua Chenglu was unable to chime in. However, when she saw how Li Qingshan handled the West Gate Granny who was far more powerful than he was like she was no one special, even actively rebuking what she said to the point where she paled, Hua Chenglu’s anger subsided slightly. She purposefully praised him loudly, “Kid, you’re young, but you have quite the backbone.”
“Old woman, you’re completely unreasonable. This kid is only a second layer Qi Practitioner. If he comes across a fifth layer Qi Practitioner, he won’t even have the time to flee, so how is he supposed to fall to his hands? Oh right, I forgot that the disciples of the Sect of Clouds and Rain all rely on their looks to get by. They’re all weak as hell, so it’s nothing surprising if he killed him!”
Li Qingshan glanced at her. She was so young, yet she spoke like an old man, constantly calling him ‘kid’. However, seeing how she was basically on his side, he forgave her for this tiny aspect.
First, Li Qingshan had ridiculed the West Gate Granny, and now, Hua Chenglu had mocked her, so she was utterly furious. “You’re just asking to die!” Her aura was like a great tidal wave as it kicked up wind and rain. It slammed into Li Qingshan wave after wave. The orthodox masters nearby were only struck by the collateral waves, yet they felt like they were heavily injured, heaving their chests. Only when they backed to several dozen steps away did they feel better.
They all looked at the West Gate Granny in utter shock. They had already heard from Hua Chenglu that she was a ninth layer Qi Practitioner, but none of them had ever thought that a ninth layer Qi Practitioner would actually be so powerful. Just the collateral damage had caused them internal injuries. Just what kind of pressure was the kid from the Hawkwolf Guard supposed to be under then?
“Then why don’t you try it!?” Li Qingshan shielded Xiao An behind him. He crossed his arms and held his chest high as he looked down on the West Gate Granny. He was like a rock near the ocean, bombarded by the wind, rain, and water but completely unshaken.
Hua Chenglu was the closest. She felt her chest tighten as she truly sensed the difference between the second and ninth layers. She wanted to retreat, but she refused to embarrass the Hua family, so she forcefully endured it. Under the great pressure, even her vision blurred. Only her willpower remained.
Suddenly, she felt her wrist tighten, and she was pulled aside. The pressure decreased drastically, and her eyes cleared up. She looked up, but all she saw was Li Qingshan’s large, sturdy back.
As it turned out, Li Qingshan saw her little face pale, so he pulled her behind him to shield her as well. Her elder brother Hua Chengzan had treated him well, and she had constantly stood on his side as well. The reason why the West Gate Granny was afraid of attacking him was exactly because of her. Obviously, he had to keep his protective charm safe.
Hua Chenglu gasped lightly as she felt shaken up. She thought, So brother and dad have always just been coaxing me when they clashed with me. This old woman is actually so powerful. This kid is also at the second layer, so how is he so powerful? He is actually unfazed by the old woman’s aura.
Li Qingshan’s actual strength was much more than the second layer. Instead, he was a daemon equivalent to the sixth or seventh layer of Qi Practitioner. And, he had not been sheltered like Hua Chenglu. Instead, he had emerged through taking thousands of lives. Consequently, his murderousness and viciousness were extremely heavy. Regular ghosts could not even get within ten steps of him, so he obviously did not fear the West Gate Granny’s aura.
Then Hua Chenglu looked at Xiao An, who was completely fine as well. She felt even more depressed as a result. She called out from behind Li Qingshan, “Old woman, do you really plan on becoming enemies with the Hawkwolf Guard and the Hua family?”
The West Gate Granny saw how her threat was useless, so she could only pull back her aura. However, she felt utterly frustrated. If Hua Chenglu was not here, she would silence all of these orthodox masters before executing Li Qingshan. Even a powerful ninth layer Qi Practitioner like her was not bold enough to kill a Hawkwolf guard in the eye of the public.
Dream Teller’s Word
The month is finally over. I’m sitting in front of my computer and letting out a great exhale. I feel utterly tired and filled with joy.
I know I’m writing a book that’s completely different from the Chronicles of Xu Xian, or even a book that’s the exact opposite of the Chronicles of Xu Xian. One is about a gifted romantic, noble and graceful, while the other is about a fierce gallant, dyeing his blade with blood. One is about tending to his harem, while the other is about levelling up and training.
The previous book began as fan fiction and achieved success through its female characters, while this book went with the most common levelling stream. Afterwards, not a single, real female character appeared in four hundred thousand characters. There’s not a hint of romance in the plot.
Readers criticized the fighting scenes in the previous book, yet this book just happened to have a lot of fighting. Compared to calling it a risk, you might as well just say that I’ve lost my mind.
However, I need to do this. I must not be restrained to a single theme, a single style. Those good ideas in my head include countless worlds, whether they be science fiction, eastern fantasy, city, western fantasy, or apocalyptic. And, these stories require different methods to be narrated and different main characters to act out, whether they’re crazy, cruel, melancholic, or hot-blooded. You won’t see a single similar main character or story from me.
However, I’m just too weak. I must admit that I lack the ability to fulfil this dream. I lack the ability to tell so many beautiful dreams.
As a result, I wrote Legend of the Great Sage. I threw away the scenes of romance I was skilled in the most, to write scenes of battle that troubled me the most. I picked up the walking stick for levelling and training, learning how to set up and achieve climaxes, learning how to ensure constant releases.
Originally, the fixed storyline would have resulted in an epic fail, which would result in me turning around and going back to my original tropes. However, I managed to break through with the storyline with my own hard work and your support. That’s right, both were crucial. Writing webnovels has never been about a single person.
My attempts have also led to successes. My battles have become much smoother, and the plot is now planned and has gained its own rhythm. The novel aspect of this all was that I failed to even write four hundred thousand characters with my first book, Transmigratory Druid, and when I reached here with the Chronicles of Xu Xian, I was worrying about what I would write every single day. With Legend of the Great Sage right now, I have a grand, majestic world waiting to be displayed!
The results of the book so far are very good, but to me, it’s nowhere close to being enough. The first aspect is my own problem, as I still haven’t written well enough. The book has yet to reach the level of fascination I want, but I’ll turn this into a problem for you very soon.
Whether it’s training or killing people, it’s all just supplementary to the story at the end of the day. It’s impossible for Li Qingshan to eat pills and stomp enemies, levelling all the way until he meets the black ox beyond the Nine Heavens. That’s far too dry and far too boring.
I’ve been thinking hard just how to construct a cultivator’s world. I’ve also been thinking about how a cultivator’s life would be. There’ll definitely be quite a lot of these bonds of family, friendship, and love.
I purposefully set aside many things in the first four hundred thousand characters to learn many new things. However, setting aside does not mean giving up. It’s so that they can become even greater when I pick them up again. Learning is not about losing myself, but for perfecting myself.
I’m not nobody. I am Dream Teller.
A new month, a new beginning. Please believe in me. When I lack confidence, please support me, no matter how.
Let’s finish telling this dream together!
