Wei Yingjie understood why Qian Rongzhi had not killed him. She wanted to use this method to forcefully steal the true qi he had cultivated after so much difficulty. He no longer cared about the pain as he desperately gathered his true qi.
Qian Rongzhi said, “If you dare to use your true qi, I’ll cut off your arms and your legs. I’ll turn you into a quadruple amputee. If you don’t believe me, you’re more than welcome to try it.”
Wei Yingjie panicked inside and immediately became afraid to use his true qi. Crushed bones could be healed with medicine, but if his arms or legs were cut off, he would truly become a cripple. A great future still awaited him, along with many beautiful women. If he became a cripple, he would much rather be dead.
“That’s clever of you!” Qian Rongzhi praised. She made her way over, grabbed a handful of Pills of Passion, and shoved them into Wei Yingjie’s mouth. Wei Yingjie struggled and shook his head desperately. The Pills of Passion were an extremely powerful aphrodisiac, in order to make women lose themselves for the sake of harvesting from them. Just two days ago, he had forced Qian Rongzhi to eat two. Even one was far more than what he could endure, so how could he eat so many?
Qian Rongzhi smiled. “Weren’t you so happy when you fed me them two days ago?” Her face suddenly coldened. “Eat it! If you don’t, I’ll cut off your limbs.”
Wei Yingjie hesitated slightly before producing a howl. Qian Rongzhi cut off one of his fingers and showed it to him.
Wei Yingjie experienced pain, anger, and hatred. However, he was forced to oblige now that he was under the mercy of others. He ate all of the Pills of Passion reluctantly. Very soon, a raging flame of lust exploded in his crotch. His gaze towards Qian Rongzhi gradually became replaced with desire.
Qian Rongzhi smiled and ate a Pill of Calming.
Quite a while later, Qian Rongzhi put her clothes back on. She was brimming with energy, as if she had just drunk some nourishing soup. Her eyes were filled with vigour, and the true qi in her body had basically doubled. She only stopped when she could not withstand it any longer.
However, the additional form of different true qi was not particularly harmonious with her own. Fortunately, both of them practised the Method of Clouds and Rain, so it was not a particularly big problem. Moreover, the Sect of Clouds and Rain produced Pills of Spring Breeze and Rain to address this exact issue. She consumed one of those pills before meditating on the spot, purifying her true qi.
Wei Yingjie heaved heavily. He was haggard and extremely frail. Even if he wanted to release his true qi in resistance, he was powerless now. He recovered most of his clarity and begged, “Please spare me!”
No, I have to find a way to escape, or I’ll be sucked dry by this woman. He moved a finger quietly. No matter how horrible of a shape he was in, he had gradually adapted to the pain from his crushed joints. As long as he could endure this agony and channel true qi into his limbs, he should be able to move around. By then, this woman would not be his opponent with her cultivation at the third layer.
“An idiot like you sure has a lot of true qi. However, I can go slowly. I have plenty of time!” Qian Rongzhi picked up the Water-splitting barb with a smile and made her way over to Wei Yingjie.
“W- what are you trying to do?”
Qian Rongzhi said, “It’s too dangerous! I better cut them off!” There was a splash of blood, and a howl resounded through the underground palace.
……
Under the starry skies, Li Qingshan left Jiaping silently with Xiao An, like they had never returned to there in the first place. He believed that Qian Rongzhi would behave like she knew nothing either. Everything that happened in Jiaping city would only erupt after a delayed period of time.
He made his way to the back of the Hawkwolf Guard and dove into the raging Clear river that flowed southward. Afterwards, he crossed it and arrived below the cliff on the other side. After quite the effort, he finally found the cave recorded on the map.
Li Qingshan dove in head first. Only after swimming for a whole hour did he emerge in a cave.
What he needed to avoid right now was not just the Sect of Clouds and Rain, but the Hawkwolf Guard as well. If the Hawkwolf Guard discovered him, they would definitely take him back for interrogation, and the Sect of Clouds and Rain would learn about it too. He heavily doubted whether the Hawkwolf Guard could protect him, or should he say, Xiao An, from a great group of Qi Practitioners under the determination of an entire sect. The gaze of the Hawkwolf Guard spanned the world. If he wanted to run around on the surface, he would be discovered sooner or later.
He would not be particularly well-hidden in the wilderness either given the various things cultivators were capable of. As a result, he decided to go to the Zombie Daoist’s dwelling. It possessed all the facilities he required, and it was extremely well-hidden. It would be enough for him to cultivate peacefully for a while so that he could break through to the second layer of the Ox Demon’s Fist of Great Strength.
Underground was not like the flat stretch of land on the surface. Instead, it was extremely twisted. As one moved through the maze-like tunnels, even someone with a particularly good sense of direction would become lost if they did not have a map.
It was said that dark, narrow caves could make people claustrophobic, but Li Qingshan found it alright. Anyone who possessed a great piece of wealth would be in a good mood. He also had Xiao An as company, so he did not feel lonely at all.
Instead, he felt a wondrous sensation of relief in the dark depths of the earth, like a beast returning to the wilderness. He no longer needed to deal with humans under various guises and appearances. Right now, he possessed absolute freedom. From a certain perspective, he really did become more and more like a daemon.
Li Qingshan strode forward, while Xiao An sat on a huge skull that had transformed from a Skull Prayer Bead, studying the underground mental map from the Zombie Daoist with her head lowered. Whenever they encountered a fork, she would indicate which way to go. Li Qingshan did not have the patience to study the map.
This continued until they reached the Zombie Daoist’s dwelling. Li Qingshan was in no hurry to immediately begin cultivating. Instead, he lit a fire and began cooking. There was quite a lot of food across the hundred treasure pouches he had obtained, so he cooked up a feast very soon.
Li Qingshan smiled. “Let’s celebrate!”
The two of them brought their cups together in the pitch-black darkness, producing a clink.
Li Qingshan told Xiao An, “I might take some time with cultivation this time. Don’t run around outside, alright?”
Xiao An nodded obediently.
Li Qingshan rubbed her head. He thought about how she either spent all day fighting and killing with him, or hiding and fleeing with him. This was not the lifestyle that a child should experience. However, just where in this world did no conflict exist? Even if he went to the legendary Academy of the Hundred Schools, would it really be different?
He activated a mechanism, and a great, stone door fell down, sealing off the cultivation room completely.
In the absolute darkness and silence, Li Qingshan took out a bottle of Qi Gathering pills. He would protect her. He had never doubted this fact, no matter when.
Raising his head, he directly tipped the entire bottle into his mouth. Li Qingshan closed his eyes and converted the medicine into true qi according to the methods detailed by the Innate Method of Practising Qi.
After who knows how long, he digested all of the pills. He stood up and daemonified, beginning to practise the Ox Demon’s Fist of Great Strength. The medicinal effects then turned into daemon qi.
This repeated constantly. As he moved and paused, Li Qingshan comprehended the path of humans and daemons, constantly becoming stronger.
Time passed day by day, while the pills were consumed bottle by bottle.
The disappearance of the two commanders and seven elite Black Wolf guards of Jiaping city finally caused a disturbance that reached Clear River city.
