Ancient Wind city was a mountain city, situated on the outskirts of the Boundless mountains. The entire city was built against the mountain, so the roads in the city all sloped down. The Holy Church
Passing through the gloomy city gates, a wide, open road appeared before them. It slanted upwards, and at the end was a manor that seemed like a city of palaces. It occupied the entire Ancient Wind city. It was even more impressive than the Hawkwolf Guard in Jiaping city.
On the two sides of the road, the households were all decorated with lanterns and streamers, as if they were preparing for a grand celebration. However, the people on the road showed no joy at all.
The news of Qian Rongzhi's return as a Hawkwolf guard quickly reached the majestic manor. Afterwards, as if they had triggered some sort of mechanism, over a hundred men in tight uniforms surged out noisily, herding all the people on the road into the alleyways on the two sides. There was a person every ten steps, standing on the two sides of the road and looking straight ahead.
As the three of them rode past, the men mustered up their breaths and called out, "Welcome back, young miss!" Even though the sound of the hooves reached the entrance of the manor,
Qian Rongzhi held her head high and rode at the very front. Li Qingshan and Diao Fei followed behind her by half a horse's length, following beside her like they were her attendants and guards.
This was what they had discussed during the past few days. They had to respect Qian Rongzhi so that the people of the Qian family would not be wary of her. For the sake of a thousand Qi Gathering pills, they obviously had no issues with something as trivial as this. However, Li Qingshan could sense that Qian Rongzhi's current state did not seem to be an act. Instead, she really did possess some satisfaction and pride from returning triumphantly.
The main entrance of the manor stood several meters tall, and there were several dozen steps at the front, which made it seem even more grand and noble. A pair of stone lions gazed down majestically. In Li Qingshan's eyes, they seemed rather vicious.
The vermillion door swung open loudly, and a skinny old man in luxurious robes emerged. He was the leader of the Qian family, Qian Yannian. He had personally come to receive the three of them.
"Patriarch, I've fulfilled your orders and joined the Hawkwolf Guard." Qian Rongzhi dismounted and bowed gracefully. Before he could kneel, a pair of skinny hands grabbed his arm. "Didn't I say it before? Just call me grandpa. You are now an official, how can you bow to an old man like me? "
Li Qingshan and Diao Fei glanced at each other. Qian Yannian's movements were shockingly fast. He didn't have the slowness of the old man at all. Although his words were polite, his body had a threatening aura. This was the natural pressure that strong Qi Practitioners exerted on weak Qi Practitioners.
Qian Yannian said, "These two are Zhi 'er's colleagues!"
Diao Fei clasped his hands. "That's right. Under sir Zhuo's orders, we've come to accompany Rongzhi to visit our relatives and congratulate the great grandfather Qian on his hundred and thirty-second birthday."
Li Qingshan clasped his hands as well and smiled silently. He only studied the greatest target of this trip. Qian Yannian's white hair was sparse, and his face was covered in faint age spots. His nose was so soft that it drooped down like it was about to melt. His skinny body pushed against the luxurious clothes, making him seem like an old monkey wearing human clothes. It was slightly comical, yet also slightly disgusting.
If it were not for his shining eyes and his swift movements Just Now, Li Qingshan basically would have doubted whether this old man who was about to die was their greatest enemy on this trip.
First-rate masters who practised internal arts could only live for around a hundred years without any hidden injuries. A fifth layer Qi Practitioner could only live for a few more decades. At Qian Yannian's age, his cultivation had already begun to decline. Qian Rongzhi's information was indeed true.
He glanced at the hundred treasures pouch on Qian Yannian's waist and wondered whether there were several hundred Qi Condensation pills in there. However, his gaze had already passed over his shoulder and landed on the group of people behind the main entrance. More accurately, it was a group of Qi Practitioners. There were men and women, young and old, scholars and monks, but they were not from the Qian family. Moreover, they were people who had come to congratulate him. Their gazes towards him were no longer as enthusiastic. Some of them even carried contempt and coldness.
Li Qingshan remembered what Zhou Wenbin had said. They, the hawks and dogs of the empire, were very shunned by the entire cultivation world, especially those from sects and clans. Everyone liked their freedom, free from supervision and control. However, the Hawkwolf Guard just happened to be the representatives of legalism that watched over the world and upheld the law.
Qian Yannian waved his hand. "Please!"
… …
In a secret room, Qian Yannian's face no longer possessed the same valiance he displayed in front of everyone. Instead, he stared at Qian Rongzhi with bloodshot eyes. "Where's Qian Rongming?"
Qian Rongzhi said sorrowfully, "Rongming, Rongming, he's been killed by someone." "What!?"
Qian Yannian grabbed Qian Rongzhi's shoulder firmly. "Who was it? Who did it? Why are you fine? " Qian Rongming was not an adopted surname. Instead, he was the true bloodline of the Qian family. He had taken in a lot of wives and concubines, finding a suitable descendant among over a hundred descendants.
Qian Rongzhi said, "It's Li Qingshan. He's the kid who came with me today. He's the one who killed Rongming." She actually told him the entire story in detail.
All Qian Yannian could do was accept this reality. He said viciously, "If he weren't a Hawkwolf guard, I would definitely tear him to pieces." Afterwards, he used his skinny hand to touch Qian Rongzhi's tender cheek. "But fortunately, you're here." His eyes flickered with an obscene light.
Qian Rongzhi said, "Grandfather, you're willing to spare them, but they're unwilling to spare you!"
"What did you say?" Qian Yannian was surprised.
"We've come on a secret mission from the Hawkwolf Guard this time. We've come to investigate the Qian family!"
"How is that possible? I've managed Ancient Wind city like it's an iron bucket. I've never been stingy with what needs to be done. Why would the Hawkwolf Guard target me? " The silver light in Qian Yannian's eyes vanished, replaced with some panic. Small clans like them feared the Hawkwolf Guard the most. Once they were in the sights of those hawks and hounds, they would be hunted down by the falcons and eaten by the wolves.
Qian Rongzhi said, "It's still that Li Qingshan. He stole brother Rongming's hundred treasures pouch, and he became greedy. He resented me out of jealousy, so he spoke ill of the Qian family to our commander Zhuo."
Qian Yannian said, "Didn't you speak up for the Qian family? What's the point of having you around? Bitch, have you rebelled against the Qian family? "
Qian Rongzhi said, "How could I not speak up? However, Li Qingshan even has some background in Clear River city. He joined the Hawkwolf Guard without taking part in the competition. Zhuo Zhibo was afraid of offending him, so he ordered us to investigate. Rongzhi has only achieved her current glory because of the Qian family's great kindness. Without the Qian family, there would be no grandfather, and there would be no Rongzhi right now. Why would she betray the Qian family? "As she said that, she was on the verge of tears, as if she was tempted to die.
Qian Yannian recalled how obedient she had been in the past, and his expression eased up slightly. "Then what do we do now? Why don't we give him some bribes? If not, you'll have to sacrifice yourself for the Qian family. "
Qian Rongzhi said, "Grandfather, he's a ravenous wolf who eats people whole. As long as he swallows the entire Qian family, how can they be defeated with just a single bone? If you don't believe me, just watch their reactions carefully. "
Qian Yannian said, "What do we do? If I hadn't listened to you and sent you to join the Hawkwolf Guard, why would we have attracted such a disaster? "
Qian Rongzhi became vicious. "We can't let them, especially that Li Qingshan, leave Ancient Wind city alive."
Qian Yannian said, "You want me to kill Hawkwolf guards!?"
"As long as Li Qingshan remains, the Qian family will never be at peace. I'll blame their deaths on something else. Grandfather, this is all for the Qian family."
Quite a while later, Qian Rongzhi emerged from the secret room. The resplendent sunlight seemed to purge the gloom in her heart. As she emerged from the courtyard, a middle-aged man blocked her way.
"Big brother!" Qian Rongzhi bowed politely.
The middle-aged man reached out to touch her cheek. Qian Rongzhi turned her head and dodged. "Big brother, don't be like that!"
The old man was Qian Yannian's eldest grandson, Qian Xingwei. Although he did not have the talent for practising qi, he had practised internal martial arts. He was the main caretaker of the entire Qian family.
Qian Xingwei was furious. He pinched Qian Rongzhi's chin. "Stop putting on an act. Just because you've become a Hawkwolf guard doesn't mean you can act all high and mighty. As long as you're still a part of the Qian family, you have to listen to me. Don't forget about the great kindness the Qian family has shown you."
Qian Rongzhi said, "Yes, big brother. Rongzhi wouldn't dare." Suddenly, a few servants rushed over from afar. Only then did Qian Xingwei release her. He ordered, "Come to my room tonight." He watched Qian Rongzhi leave before spitting on the ground. "So what if you're a Qi Practitioner?"
He could not see the sinister smile on Qian Rongzhi's face.
Everyone had to pay the price.
… …
Night fell, and lanterns were lit up.
Everyone in the hall were important guests who had come to attend the birthday banquet. Although the birthday banquet was only tomorrow, most of them had arrived a day earlier to show their respect. Among them, the most distinguished ones were obviously the dozen or so Qi Practitioners. Li Qingshan and Diao Fei sat in the seats of honour due to their identities as Hawkwolf guards.
Qian Yannian introduced everyone. When he reached Li Qingshan, he said, "This is the young hero of the Hawkwolf Guard, Li Qingshan, sir Li!"
No matter what everyone thought, they all said things like 'I've heard a lot about him' or 'I admire him'.
"You're called Li Qingshan?" A sharp voice rang out. Li Qingshan looked in the direction of the voice and saw a scholar sitting on the ground. His hair was disheveled, and he seemed quite wild. He was also a third layer Qi Practitioner, and he currently looked over with hostility.
Li Qingshan said, "That's right. And who are you, sir?"
"This is Gong Liangbai, known as the 'Mad Scholar' of the jianghu. He comes from the Humble Maple academy." Qian Yannian introduced the two of them first. Afterwards, Gong Liangbai said, "What, do you recognise sir Li?"
In this world where even the district magistrates were powerful Qi Practitioners, places like academies were not just for studying. Just like in buddhist and daoist temples, practising martial arts and practising qi were part of the curriculum.
Gong Liangbai did not even look at Qian Yannian. He only stared at Li Qingshan. "Do you recognise Wei Dandong?"
Li Qingshan said, "I don't."
Gong Liangbai said, "But he does recognise you. If I've guessed correctly, you come from Qingyang city, right? That junior brother of mine paid a visit there a few months ago. His body has always been frail since he was young. Originally, he wanted to find a way to treat it, but he never returned. "
Suddenly, Li Qingshan recalled the sickly scholar who had come for the spiritual ginseng back in Qingyang city. He was the first first-rate master to die to his hands in front of the Wind Mountain Divine Temple. The other first-rate masters were all middle-aged men. Only he was in his twenties, so he had a rather deep impression of him.
"I think I've met him a few times!"
Gong Liangbai straightened his back subconsciously. "And then?"
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