Having just settled a matter, Li Qingshan felt extremely at ease inside. Then he looked at Li Fengyuan and smiled. “Kid, you should go too! The Demon domain is now your dad’s territory. You can be a divine brat now!”
Under the withered bodhi tree, Li Fengyuan shook his head. “First father, I have somewhere else to go. I only stayed here because I wanted to see you again. It’s time for me to bid farewell too.”
Li Qingshan did not ask him where he was going. His attire and aura had already spelled out the path he had to walk.
“Sigh, don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”
“Originally, I did have quite a lot of things I wanted to say, but after hearing your story…” Li Fengyuan suddenly let out a sigh. He seemed to be smiling but also a little wry, even joking a little. “Li Qingshan surely is Li Qingshan!”
That left Li Qingshan a little embarrassed. He seemed to have been a little too melancholic and sentimental in the story, making a fool of himself before this kid, so he curled his finger and flicked out.
With an ouch, Li Fengyuan’s head was thrown back, having been flicked in the head. He rubbed his forehead and fumed at Li Qingshan. “You’ve already become a god, yet you still mess around like this!”
“Your father will always be your father!”
Li Qingshan smiled very complacently. Li Fengyuan glanced at the trembling mṛtyu-māra and sighed softly inside. He understood what the path that Li Qingshan walked signified much more than Ruan Yaozhu. If it were any other person, they definitely would not be able to smile.
“First father, it’s time for me to go.”
“Then go! May it all be smooth sailing, and may you never regret your choice.”
“Of course.”
Li Fengyuan brought his palms together and uttered the buddha’s name. A golden beam of holy light descended from above.
Li Qingshan grew solemn. Even the current him could only look up to the extraordinary power contained within the light.
Li Fengyuan gazed deeply at Li Qingshan. “First father, the path you walk is filled with pain and despair, but you aren’t alone!”
Bathing in the golden light, even his voice became imposing and beyond reach.
Li Qingshan seemed to realise something. By the time the light had completely dissipated, he sank into his thoughts for a little longer.
“It’s time for me to retrieve that item, but before then, let me deal with the two ‘flies’ outside first!”
Wan Jianfeng practised the Heavenly Tome of Sword Control. He was the only sword cultivator among the direct disciples, and his battle prowess was only second to Li Liehuo and Chao Tianjiao. However, if Li Qingshan wanted to kill him, it was basically no different from crushing a fly to death.
The only issue was sword cultivators were often staunch and unyielding in personality. He probably was not as worldly-wise and slick as Pi Yangqiu, so if he went too far with him, it would be slightly troublesome if he detonated his Yang Soul.
Once Wan Jianfeng’s life lamp in the Myriad sect was extinguished, the old turtle would definitely raise his guard.
However, if he only snuck out of here and spared the two of them, he would be unable to accept that.
Particularly with Shen Yushu. He had cursed him thousands of times outside already, basically calling him all the names available in the world.
Li Qingshan thought of something and looked at the three kleśa-māra and the mṛtyu-māra seated on the ground below. He could not help but smile, reaching over with his hand.
“Maheśvara, oh Maheśvara. You spent some time on my back in the past, and I’ve also practised your path of liberty. You can say that we’re on rather good terms, so let me borrow your troops today!”
……
Outside the Hundred Herbs garden, Wan Jianfeng stared coldly at Shen Yushu, while Shen Yushu was dispirited, even showing some resentment.
Just two hours ago, he had sworn to Wan Jianfeng that all he needed was a word to make Ruan Yaozhu open the Hundred Herbs garden and hand over the phoenix. However, despite calling out thousands of times outside, whether it was tactful pleading or solemn threats, basically talking until his jaw ached, he did not receive any reply.
“Yaozhu, oh Yaozhu. You don’t trust me, and you just have to trust that damned Li Qingshan. You had it coming. When you get sent into rebirth by the Myriad sect, you better not blame me for not trying to help you!”
Shen Yushu could not help but mutter uncontrollably, which Wan Jianfeng found even more contemptible. It was no wonder that Ruan Yaozhu developed no interest at all in this person even after several centuries together, instead falling in love with that Li Qingshan who had appeared out of nowhere. If he were Ruan Yaozhu, he would never want to become a cultivation partner with this bastard either.
Everyone in the Myriad sect was aware of Shen Yushu’s wild ambitions regarding Ruan Yaozhu. Afterwards, because he tried to fight for her favour against Li Qingshan, his body was destroyed in a duel. Then he was expelled from the Hundred Herbs garden before being expelled from the Myriad sect by Li Qingshan after the latter became the first senior brother. He possessed an irreconcilable grievance with Li Qingshan and even became filled with hatred towards Ruan Yaozhu.
Wan Jianfeng had devoted his life to the sword, so he never really cared about these relationships and emotions. However, considering how quickly Dai Mengfan had recalled Shen Yushu, their sisterhood sure was laughable.
However, Shen Yushu did not care about Wan Jianfeng’s opinion. As soon as he mentioned Li Qingshan, his face became viciously twisted. If it were not for Li Qingshan, he would still be the head caretaker of the Hundred Herbs garden, and he probably would have already undergone the fifth heavenly tribulation, becoming a direct disciple of the Myriad sect. By then, he would earn the right to become Ruan Yaozhu’s cultivation partner…
But all of it had been destroyed by Li Qingshan!
No one knew how he spent the past few years, nor did anyone know how he felt inside when Ren Aoyou found him.
As a result, as soon as he returned to the Myriad sect, he hurried over to the Hundred Herbs garden eagerly. Compared to persuading Ruan Yaozhu, it was better to say that he had come to show Ruan Yaozhu that he was right!
Of course, none of this was important. Even if Ruan Yaozhu handed up the phoenix now, she would not remain in charge of the Hundred Herbs garden anymore. That woman would have to pay for her foolishness.
Meanwhile, he would become the true master of the Hundred Herbs garden!
“Come in, junior brother Shen!”
At this moment, a familiar voice rang out from the Hundred Herbs garden.
“Yaozhu!” Shen Yushu blanked out from that. His feelings of love buried beneath his resentment immediately surged back up as he hurried through the door woven from vines.
“Yaozhu, I’m here. As long as you hand over the Hundred Herbs garden, I’ll definitely ask senior sister Dai to show you mercy!”
The centre of the door rippled with a deep, green haze. The Hundred Herbs garden had opened once more.
The voice then said, “You should come as well, junior brother Wan!”
Wan Jianfeng heard that and could not help but make his way towards the door too. His heart was filled with his wonderful impressions of Ruan Yaozhu. She had always been so kind-hearted and so trustworthy.
Only when he arrived right in front of the door and watched Shen Yushu vanish through it did he suddenly shiver inside and stop. Hold on, why’s she calling me junior brother!? According to the Myriad rankings, he had always been Ruan Yaozhu’s senior brother.
A large, black hand suddenly extended out from the door, scooping Wan Jianfeng inside.
Wan Jianfeng was startled, but before he could respond, the door filled his face. There was a flash, and he had already been dragged into the Hundred Herbs garden.
Only now did he see that the thing that had dragged him in here was a colossal statue that was neither man nor animal, seemingly seated there since ancient times. A pair of green eyes gazed down from above with a slight smile, and only then did it suddenly seem human.
“Junior brother Wan, you were so mighty and dignified outside!”
The voice was deep like it originated from the earth, yet also broad like the thunder in the sky. It definitely was not a voice that a human possessed, but for some reason, Wan Jianfeng immediately recognised who the voice belonged to.
“Li Qingshan!?”
