Li Qingshan beamed with joy inside. He immediately wrapped up with his cultivation and stood up. Right when he was about to go outside, he sensed another aura.
A man in armour stood on the mountain facing the Qing Xiao dwelling. He seemed to be in his thirties or forties, and he had a cultivation of the second heavenly tribulation. His eyes were large, his brows were thick, and he had a prominent nose bridge on his square face. He had quite a masculine bearing about him.
“Little junior sister, is this really his dwelling?”
“Senior brother Yue, do you think I would even mistake something like this?” Han Qiongzhi asked.
“You misunderstand me, junior sister. The Chain mountains aren’t exactly a famed mountain range teeming with spiritual qi, so they don’t seem to match his identity as a White Hawk commander, which was why I asked that. Speaking of which, it’s been so many years already. Even if you forget, there’s nothing strange about it,” said senior brother Yue.
“How can I forget? When he chose this place as his dwelling, he wasn’t even a White Hawk commander yet!” Han Qiongzhi recalled the past before saying in disappointment, “Sigh, looks like he’s not in his dwelling.”
“Junior sister, take no offence, but he should have visited you the moment he came back to the Green province. How could he make you come and find him instead?”
Despite all these years, this was the first time senior brother Yue had seen Han Qiongzhi dress so carefully. Her glowing appearance made him sigh a little inside.
“He saw Tieyi. He knew I was in seclusion,” Han Qiongzhi said, explaining.
“If it were me, I’d definitely wait at the entrance for you to emerge. Only then can I demonstrate my sincerity.” Senior brother Yue smiled.
“If you keep talking nonsense with me, you better be careful just in case I get him to beat you up!” Han Qiongzhi said in exasperation.
“Haha, I’d like that. I’ve listened to you go on and on about him for all these years. I’ve wanted to test out this ‘famed’ Li Qingshan a long time ago!” Senior brother Yue laughed aloud, eager to have a go at him.
“There’s no need to test him out. You can go and find a locust plague. If you survive, then let’s just say you’re capable.”
After all these years away from the Green province, Li Qingshan had swept up a locust plague as soon as he returned, saving the prefectural city of Clear River, making his name resound once more. Han Qiongzhi took pride in it too.
“You really are making things difficult for me, aren’t you? It’s not like I have an Asura Field. How am I supposed to deal with so many locusts?”
Senior brother Yue justified himself. He was extremely envious of Li Qingshan. Asura Fields were supreme treasures of the school of the Military. Not only did they bring great benefit to cultivation, but they had many wondrous uses too. Across the entire Green province, only the Great General King possessed one. Now, a second one had appeared.
“Cut the nonsense. If you’re afraid, then you’re afraid!”
Han Qiongzhi turned around to leave when the stone door suddenly opened. She looked back and saw the familiar figure and smile. Her heart skipped a beat. She could not say a single word.
Li Qingshan was anything but calm too. Seeing her fiery-red clothes, he thought of everything that had happened in the past and arrived before her in a single step, pulling her into his arms. He apologised. “I’ve made you wait.”
“It’s fine.” Han Qiongzhi shook her head. Her eyes immediately moistened, lifting her head to touch Li Qingshan’s cheeks as if she was trying to confirm that this was not a dream. “As long as you’ve returned safely. I’ve always been worrying that you would be killed in the south.”
。
“Don’t you know about your husband’s power? I’m the one who does the killing. Who can kill me?” Li Qingshan held his chest high. Seeing how glad and excited she was, he was filled with tender feelings.
“Stop boasting,” Han Qiongzhi said softly, which made “senior brother Yue” blink his eyes. He even began to doubt whether this still was the little junior sister he knew.
“Qiongzhi, who’s this?” Li Qingshan glanced at senior brother Yue and asked Han Qiongzhi.
“I am Yue Bing. I’ve heard about fellow Li a long time ago. I’ve specially come to see you in person.”
Yue Bing leapt down from the cliff and studied Li Qingshan. He could not sense any aura, which prevented him from discerning his cultivation, but he could instinctively feel a sense of power that was as sedated as a mountain, giving off an unshakeable feeling. He praised inside, Sure enough, he’s no ordinary person to be able to make little junior sister so smitten!
“Don’t listen to his nonsense. This is my first senior brother. Master has sent him to escort me.” Han Qiongzhi clung onto Li Qingshan’s arm and introduced gracefully.
“Fellow, you dealt a heavy blow to the Soaring Locust King the moment you returned to the Green province, which is truly admirable. However, the eyes of the Soaring Locust King are everywhere, so we need to be careful. Otherwise, I would have never come as a third wheeler.”
“Thank you then, fellow Yue.” Li Qingshan clasped his hands before asking, “Qiongzhi, you’ve taken on a master? Who might your master be?”
“The Great General King, Yue Wuyang, who also happens to be senior brother Yue’s father!” Han Qiongzhi placed particular stress towards the end.
“The Great General King!” Li Qingshan could obviously still remember the Green province’s greatest member of the school of the Military. He said to Yue Bing, “I didn’t know your background was so mighty, fellow Yue. I must apologise for failing to recognise you!”
“You flatter me. It’s to my chagrin.” Yue Bing’s face reddened slightly. He said to Han Qiongzhi, “Junior sister, your mouth is utterly merciless.”
“Who told you to ramble nonsense earlier? You’re already getting off easy by not facing a beating,” said Han Qiongzhi.
“How’s it to your chagrin?” Li Qingshan was rather perplexed. He should have felt proud of himself to have a father like that!
“Fellow, you come from simple origins, yet you’ve managed to stave off the locust plague and make a name for yourself throughout the Green province through your own abilities. I’ve been sheltered by the clan for all these years, so all I have is my cultivation. I still have to carry my father’s name wherever I go. How is it not to my chagrin?”
Yue Bing gave Li Qingshan quite a good impression, but before Li Qingshan could even say anything, a cheer of approval rang out from behind.
“Well said. I, Li Fengyuan, will achieve my own success, never by relying on my father’s name,” the little phoenix walked out of the dwelling and said in high spirits.
Yue Bing immediately sensed a powerful aura flood over. It seemed to be daemon qi, yet it was also different from daemon qi.
However, Han Qiongzhi took close notice of Li Fengyuan’s surname. She asked, “Who’s your father?”
“Li Qingshan!” the little phoenix said proudly.
“Li! Qing! Shan!” Han Qiongzhi’s face darkened and she grinded her teeth, “I can put up with you messing around outside, but you’ve even brought your son back this time. Li Qingshan, what are you trying to achieve?”
“Don’t misunderstand, Qiongzhi! There’s no blood connection! He’s a foster son, a foster son!” Li Qingshan explained in a hurry. The one with blood connection was not even born yet!
“Really?” Han Qiongzhi asked in suspicion.
“Of course. Damned brat, why don’t you show them your true form?” Li Qingshan punted the little phoenix off the cliff. With a cry, a phoenix flapped its wings and rose up, flying between the mountains and radiating with resplendent light.
“That’s… a phoenix?” Yue Bing was dumbfounded.
“Look. How am I supposed to give birth to a bird?”
“Who can be so certain? Even if he isn’t it, who knows if you have more elsewhere?” Han Qiongzhi said.
“You’re thinking too much. Even if I do have any, it’ll be with you!” Li Qingshan laughed it off. The instincts of women sure were terrifying.
Yue Bing stared straight at the little phoenix. Surely that was not the point of all this. Right before them was a legendary phoenix after all!
“Is Xiao An inside?” Han Qiongzhi looked at the stone door.
“She’s cultivating in seclusion right now. She can only come out a little later. Why don’t we go to the prefectural city and revisit some old places?” Li Qingshan suggested. It was inconvenient for anyone to see Xiao An cultivating.
“Let’s go to my home! My master wants to see you,” said Han Qiongzhi.
“The Great General King’s in the Clear River prefecture! Just to see me?”
“It seems to be related to matters regarding the Soaring Locust King. Oh right, your master’s there too.”
