The school leaders remained behind to discuss, while the disciples all left the Hua estate.
Li Qingshan and Han Qiongzhi traveled together on a cloud. Han Qiongzhi’s brows were firmly furrowed, while Li Qingshan seemed to be in thought, but he maintained a faint smile the entire time.
“Qiongzhi, cheer up. This isn’t worth it for a person as sh*tty as him.” Li Qingshan could not help but try and comfort her.
“What would you know?”
“I know he takes advantage of people and abandons his friends.”
“Shancheng just wanted to comfort her. Even if he was planning that, what’s wrong with it? It’s not like they’re children, so how can you call that taking advantage of her? You’re just angry that he looked down on you.” Han Qiongzhi had never liked how gorgeously dressed Qiu Haitang was and how she always got what she wanted. And, after hearing Qiu Haitang’s “story”, she even found that while Jiang Shancheng was quite a bad presence, his behaviour still made him a man in the very end. He did not deserve to be spoken ill of like this.
“So you’re saying that I should be happy he looks down on me? Then it looks like your wish has come true. I am indeed rather happy right now.”
“I’m not joking around with you. No matter what the two of you had going on between each other, he’s already dead. I hope you can respect him a little. Do you know how ugly you are right now?”
“I’m not kidding with you either. I only respect those who respect me. I’ve never been someone who goes out of my way to please others.” Li Qingshan smiled with ease.
“Y- you’re beyond reason!” Han Qiongzhi leapt off the cloud in anger and flew away, disappearing into the rain and leaving Li Qingshan alone, sighing gently to himself. “I’m not exactly beyond reason.”
It was not like he was actually eighteen years old. He knew what he should have done earlier, brushing past the matter without caring. Throughout all the time they spent together, they did not actually go without the slightest conflict at all. However, he was a man, so he obviously would not bicker and argue with a woman.
However, Li Qingshan had been constantly considering something seriously, which was telling her everything. Tonight, the humans and daemons were on the brink of war, so this urge of his became very intense. At the same time, he understood it would not be that simple. When the time really arrived, he required her absolute acceptance. If he handled it badly, the consequences would be unthinkable. It was even possible for his lover to become his enemy.
As a result, he said what he said just then, but the end result was not positive. If she could not even accept his flaws, how could she accept the fact that he was a daemon? If she could not even accept his criticism of Jiang Shancheng, how was she supposed to accept the fact that he had personally killed Jiang Shancheng?
Li Qingshan smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Perhaps he was asking for too much in the first place!
He had already considered this possibility. Han Qiongzhi had her own standpoint and principles. They would not change so easily over a single word of “love”. If it were Han Qiongzhi, it might have been slightly more possible. Whatever, even his friends and lover probably had their own small “secrets”. He could not ask for too much!
On the Lake of Dragons and Snakes, the autumn rain kicked up countless ripples. Li Qingshan sat with his legs crossed, slowly absorbing the spiritual qi of the world and recovering his daemon qi. After quite a while, he stood up, and all of his daemon qi was drained once again.
His original body returned to Cloudwisp island, while his clone flew towards the Parlour of Clouds and Rain. He still had a lot of items in Qiu Haitang’s possession. However, no matter what, he still felt rather depressed. As a result, he could not help himself but vent the moment he saw Qiu Haitang.
“What’s wrong?” Qiu Haitang was very surprised and even slightly happy.
“It’s got nothing to do with you. Where are my things?” Li Qingshan entered her room and looked around before returning his gaze to Qiu Haitang. The silken, silver-white sleep dress was as thin as cicada’s wings, flowing down her body like water and making her seem graceful.
Qiu Haitang’s eyes rippled, and she opened her mouth slightly, but she could not even say anything before Li Qingshan interrupted her.
“Let me tell you, I’m in quite a bad mood right now. If you threaten me again, I’ll strip you naked and hang you outside.” Li Qingshan pushed her aside and sat down on the deck chair by himself.
Qiu Haitang hesitated before taking out two hundred treasures pouches. She was no longer a girl who had lost her will to live anymore. Just stripping her naked was something she could never accept. The guy before her really was capable of something like that.
Li Qingshan accepted the two hundred treasures pouches and inspected them before shoving them into his clothes. Out of the two hundred treasures pouches, one was in perfect shape, obviously from Jiang Shancheng, while the other was slightly damaged, having come from the Green Vine Elder.
The moment the Duality Formation of Disintegration vanished, Li Qingshan flew down as quickly as he could, snatching the Green Vine Elder’s hundred treasures pouch from his waist. He used the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell to protect himself for a split second before vanishing in the explosion.
However, that was already enough to throw the hundred treasures pouch out. Hundred treasures pouches had always been rather light items, and they were extremely tough. As long as they were not directly targeted, they could not be destroyed so easily. However, if it had not been his mirror clone, Li Qingshan would probably have never been bold enough to take such a risk. It was exactly because he possessed a clone that he was bold enough to ask for it back from Qiu Haitang.
“For a smooth cooperation.” Li Qingshan cheered up drastically, patting Qiu Haitang before preparing to leave.
“There’s something I want to tell you. I used the method you told me to test him again…” Qiu Haitang grabbed him by the wrist and began speaking by herself.
“That’s very good!” After listening to it all, Li Qingshan sighed slightly. Little Hua is really stubborn, isn’t he? So much for helping him so much. But since destiny forbids it, ending it soon is not necessarily a bad thing.
“Thank you for listening to me so much. I’d like to pay you back, so if there’s something that perplexes you, I might be able to resolve it for you.” Qiu Haitang placed her hand on her chest and smiled slightly, both noble and reserved.
“Hah, don’t worry about it.”
“If it’s understanding the thoughts of a woman, I believe there are few who surpass me.”
Li Qingshan stopped in front of the window and turned around. “Fine!” He hid all of the details, only telling her that he had a great secret he wanted to share with his lover, but after testing her, he found it unlikely for her to accept it. “What do you think I should do? Oi, I’m asking you a question!” He waved his hand around in front of her.
“You don’t need to do anything at all.”
Only then did Qiu Haitang return to her senses. She never thought he would have such delicate thoughts despite how unruly he was. His feelings for that woman had even touched her slightly, and his distressed behaviour actually made her pity him. If you can obtain someone’s heart, what kind of secret can’t you accept?
“Can you even call that a recommendation? At least tell me how I should repair my relationship with her!”
“If I’ve guessed correctly, she’ll come looking for you very soon.”
“What?”
“Her standpoint isn’t as firm as you believe it to be. Unlike stubborn men, women will always take a step back, again and again, for who they love. I hope you can treat her well, without letting her down.”
Qiu Haitang was extremely serious, suddenly seeming extremely mature, almost melancholic. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the master of the Sect of Clouds and Rain, was she really lacking in perseverance? However, only she understood that no matter how many steps she took back, all she would be left with was a wall against her back, unable to take any steps anymore back.
On the Cloudwisp island, within the shimmering bamboo forest, Li Qingshan sat below the porch. Suddenly, he felt a familiar aura pass through the rainy night.
“If this secret will damage your relationship, it will only cause her pain. You have the responsibility to protect this secret forever. That’s also a form of love,” said Qiu Haitang in a distant manner. She had once hoped he would accept her, even if he feigned his love for her.
Li Qingshan raised his head and saw a familiar figure passing through the forest, throwing herself into his arms. Her voice was hoarse as she said, “You bastard. Why didn’t you chase after me? Do you know how sad I was?”
“Qiongzhi?”
She was soaking, and her cheeks were moist, perhaps from the rain or from tears. She was so delicate that Li Qingshan basically doubted whether he had mistaken her for someone else. Qiu Haitang had been right. She was not as firm or adamant as he thought. Just like how she could easily influence his mood, he could hurt her heart just as easily. This was the cost of being in love.
Li Qingshan lowered his head and kissed her.
“I understand. Thank you for your suggestion. I will cherish my relationship with her.” Li Qingshan stepped on the window sill and looked back at Qiu Haitang with a smile before leaping off and unfurling his wings, vanishing into the rainy night.
The night rain pattered against the bamboo forest. It was a particularly dreary sound.
The two of them embraced each other firmly, each finding the other like a scorching fire. Li Qingshan touched her body fearlessly. Unable to put up with the obstruction of her clothes, he directly tore apart her dress with a rip, exposing her perfectly-round, snow-white legs.
“Ah!” Han Qiongzhi cried out before stifling her voice. “Let’s go inside.”
“Here will do!” Li Qinshan pressed his forehead against hers, his gaze gentle yet ruthless. It was not like there was anyone else on the island. It was just them.
Han Qiongzhi was powerless to resist. In the blink of an eye, she had been stripped naked like a shorn sheep, no longer clad in anything. The autumn wind was slightly chilly, and she shivered. Cold and heat had ceased to affect her a long time ago, but she was still embarrassed as she was below the porch, despite knowing there was no one else on the island. However, she was unable to think too much about it before long, as she was soon taken away by pleasure.
After who knew how long, the rain stopped, and the clouds dispersed. Han Qiongzhi had almost forgotten how she had ended up in the room. All she saw was Li Qingshan staring at the dark ceiling in a daze. She shifted to her side and placed her hand on his chest. “Are you still angry?”
“I’m not.” Li Qingshan looked over and gave her a toothy grin.
“Actually, I wasn’t angry because of Shancheng, but for your sake. You aren’t so stingy normally.” Han Qiongzhi drew circles on his chest with her finger.
“I understand. I understand it all. However, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been so stingy.” Li Qingshan grabbed her hand.
The two of them smiled at each other. Han Qiongzhi rested her head on his chest. “You’re not allowed to make me so angry again, okay?”
“That’s not something I can promise.”
“I’ve already given you so much freedom, yet you can’t even agree to something so small!” Han Qiongzhi dug her chin into his chest in irritation.
“I’m clearly the one who’s working my ass off. You just lie on your back comfortably and enjoy yourself.” Li Qingshan sniggered, but when he saw how she was about to become irritated again, he added, “Fine, fine, fine. I promise you. If I make you run off from anger again, I’ll definitely chase after you.”
“What kind of promise is that?! Sigh, that’s just my luck. I’ve fallen in love with a man like you. If you don’t chase after me, all I can do is return by myself obediently. I really am making myself suffer!”
“That doesn’t sound like something first young miss Han would say.” Li Qingshan’s heart softened, and he stroked her hair gently.
……
In the Parlour of Clouds and Rain, Qiu Haitang pondered for a moment before smiling and standing up, closing the window. There was a flash of green on a distant building, but when she looked over properly, there was nothing there.
