A Bustling City Deep in the Mountains
Yu Shukuang was overjoyed. He clasped his hands deeply. "I'll do anything you ask of me!" As long as Yu Zijian was safe, he was willing to do anything.
Li Qingshan said, "Extend your hand!"
Yu Shukuang extended his hand in doubt. A pill that glistened like jade landed in his hand. Was it not the Innate pill that he had been dreaming about? He was both surprised and overjoyed. He clasped his hands deeply again. "Thank you for your generous gift, Niu Juxia. May I ask what you want me to prepare?"
Li Qingshan said, "Ingest the Innate pill first and see if you can reach the innate realm and produce a sliver of true qi. We'll talk about anything else after that."
Yu Shukuang immediately ingested the Innate pill and sat down to meditate, refining the Innate pill.
If ordinary people ingested the Innate pill, they might not even be able to practise qi. However, it was almost guaranteed for a first-rate master like him. The effects of the pill penetrated every inch of his body, fusing with his profound inner force. Gradually, a wondrous change occurred.
The clumsy and heavy inner force gradually became nimble, as if it had broken free from the restraints of his body, extending outwards endlessly. A great sense of joy welled up in his heart. However, Yu Shukuang knew that this was the most important moment. He guarded his mind tightly to prevent himself from suffering from qi deviation.
Li Qingshan sat to one side and took out the buddhist scriptures that Little Ann usually read from his hundred treasures pouch. A while later, he felt his head spin. What emptiness? Namo? Namo? He had no idea at all. He had no idea just how her little head had grown to be so engrossed in something so boring.
A while later, Yu Shukuang shuddered. Li Qingshan turned around and smiled. "How's it?"
Yu Shukuang's body relaxed. He was exhausted, but he was unable to hide the joy on his face. "This is equivalent to giving you a new life …"
Li Qingshan interrupted him. "Let's skip the pleasantries. I've already said that if you work for me, I won't mistreat you. I have the Innate Method of Practising Qi here. I can pass it on to you as well. With your profound inner force, reaching the second layer shouldn't be a problem. "
Yu Shukuang's mind was basically overwhelmed by the joy, but he was still experienced after all. He composed himself very soon and erased his joy. He knew that this great kindness could no longer be repaid with just a few words of thanks. He only waited quietly for Li Qingshan's orders.
Li Qingshan passed on the Innate Method of Practising Qi to him before tossing an empty hundred treasures pouch to Yu Shukuang. "What I want you to do is, what I want you to do is fill this hundred treasures pouch with various types of alcohol, meat, and food before handing it to me.
You have less than two months to do this, and I want you to keep a low profile. "
Yu Shukuang was mildly surprised. The mission that Li Qingshan had given him was just too simple. However, when he followed Li Qingshan's instructions and channeled his true qi into the hundred treasures pouch, he finally became stern.
The hundred treasures pouch that Li Qingshan had given him originally belonged to Grandma Dongmen. The space inside was extremely vast, enough to rival several large warehouses. Filling it up would not be too easy, and he had to do it within two months. Just slaughtering livestock near Salt Mountain city would not be enough. If he brought it over from other places, he probably would not be able to make it in time, and it would create too great of a disturbance.
However, Li Qingshan did not want to attract too much attention, which was why he helped Yu Shukuang become a Qi Practitioner. Then, he would use his extremely vast reputation to complete this task, which would save Li Qingshan a lot of trouble.
Yu Shukuang nodded. "I definitely won't let you down!" Although this mission was rather troublesome, it was not exactly dangerous. Collecting alcohol and meat would be a hundred times easier than finding Innate pills.
Li Qingshan explained a few more details. After all, the tastes of daemons were not completely the same as humans. As a matter of fact, many of them did not like cooked food. They preferred fresh, bloody food.
Yu Shukuang committed everything to memory. Li Qingshan thought about how he had nothing else to tell him, so he picked up the bamboo basket, put on his bamboo hat, and made his way out. Suddenly, he stopped and said, "The path of cultivation is boundless. I wonder how much of the swordsman of the past still remains?"
With that, he strode away, leaving Yu Shukuang standing where he was in a daze. He subconsciously touched the beard on his face. He had grown it when he swore he would never take a wife again. His gaze gradually became determined. Suddenly, he drew his sword, and it flashed past his face.
At this moment, the gentle young man who often delivered food to Li Qingshan came in to greet him. "Master, Niu Juxia …" However, he was stunned by Yu Shukuang's appearance.
It was a handsome face. Although it had been sharpened by the passage of time, leaving behind many fine wrinkles, it added a sense of vicissitudes of charm. Seeing his disciple's shocked expression, he laughed a few times. "Go get some wine for my farewell!"
His mood had never been so clear before, as if he had returned to his youth when he was a wandering swordsman who could ignore life and death. However, he was no longer young. He was no longer carefree and unrestrained. There was something called responsibility on him now. As a father, if he could not even protect his daughter, what was the point of living?
Li Qingshan had already arrived outside the manor. He glanced back and smiled. Those who could become first-rate masters, regardless of whether they were good or bad, all they had was willpower. Yu Shukuang was one of the best among them, which was why he could establish the Proud Sword manor.
He needed a few people he could use to help him deal with some matters in the human world. People like that did not need to be too powerful, but they could not be too weak either. Perhaps they could only help him gather some food right now, but they would definitely benefit him even more in the future.
He unfurled the mental map of the Green province and slid the tip of his finger across it. With a thought, the image flickered. In the end, his finger stopped on a small, twisted mountain. The words' Green Vine mountain 'were written on the side.
The twisting strokes turned into mountains that rose and fell, towering and precipitous. Snow-white clouds and mist floated between the mountains, giving it a sense of otherworldliness out of nowhere.
What was even more wondrous was that within the encirclement of ice and snow-capped mountains, only this mountain remained lush with vegetation. It was verdant, like a verdant pearl on the white snow.
Li Qingshan stood on the snow-capped mountain in the distance and gazed at this. He sighed in amazement at the wonders of the world. Although the formations of the Green Vine mountain played some role, what truly made the mountain evergreen was the spiritual vein underground.
Not only was this place close to Jiaping city, but it was even close to his hometown, Qingyang city. It sat on one of the branches of the Boundless mountains.
Of course, "close" was only in terms of Li Qingshan's current strength. Just the treacherous mountain path alone was enough to cut off the possibility of mortals reaching this place. Even if they managed to reach this place out of luck, there were many mysteries hidden within the mist. Not only would ordinary people not be able to climb up the mountain, but they probably would not even be able to see the mountain.
Li Qingshan could see it, but he hesitated over how he should enter it.
Was Yu Zijian somewhere on the mountain, currently suffering?
Li Qingshan stood on the top of the mountain and pondered with a frown. With a stomp, true qi erupted from the bottom of his foot, kicking up a layer of snow. He had already leapt off the cliff. He had already locked onto a lone pine tree that grew horizontally. Using it as a foothold, he had already arrived on the mountain to the side. He wanted to circle around the back of the Green Vine mountain and see if there was a gap in the mountain that allowed him to enter.
By now, the sky had already darkened. Winter nights had always been extremely long, so the darkness was beneficial to Li Qingshan's movements. It would be even better if there was some wind and snow.
Perhaps the heavens really were doing what he wanted. Before long, snow began to fall.
Li Qingshan concealed his aura, but when he arrived behind the mountain, he was slightly taken aback.
A tiny village sat in the valley, glowing with warm, flickering light. Was there actually a village built beside a place where cultivators cultivated?
However, Li Qingshan came from a village. Regular villages, or even small cities, should have been shrouded in darkness at this time, just to save some oil and candles. The town was packed with people. People flowed to and fro. It was extremely lively. It was extremely unusual for there to be such a peaceful place in the midst of the cold mountains.
When Li Qingshan approached a little closer, he became even more surprised, as there was not a single ordinary person walking about in the town. They were all cultivators.
Li Qingshan had never seen so many cultivators gathered together in his life. Although most of them were at the second, third, and fourth layer, they were still cultivators after all.
Were they all Qi Practitioners from the Green Vine mountain?
Li Qingshan immediately shook his head. There were probably several hundred Qi Practitioners here. The Green Vine mountain definitely did not have that many Qi Practitioners, and the people on the streets all wore different attires. Their clothes all carried different emblems. They did not come from the same sect.
And, at a closer glance, many Qi Practitioners were like peddlers, setting up carpets on the side of the street and calling for customers loudly. They did not possess the dignity of Qi Practitioners at all.
Li Qingshan's curiosity immediately rose to an uncontrollable level. He knocked the bamboo basket on his back. "What do you think? Do you want to take a look?"
The bamboo basket seemed simple, but there was a thick blanket inside. Little Ann sat in there leisurely, leaning against a silk pillow as she read a buddhist scripture that Li Qingshan found boring with great interest.
"Let's go take a look!" Her reply was very concise. How could she not understand what Li Qingshan was feeling right now?
Li Qingshan emerged from the dark corner and made his way towards the village. However, he remained vigilant at all times. He had been scammed by far too many Qi Practitioners in the past. He had claimed the lives of many Qi Practitioners as well, so he was even more vigilant towards his own kind than towards the underground daemons.
When he set foot in the village, everything was just as peaceful as before. Everyone was doing what they were doing. There were far fewer people who paid attention to his unusually large stature than in the regular streets.
Li Qingshan's huge stature still attracted a lot of attention.
"Sir, do you want to take a look at the fine golden silk used to sew robes? It's only three spiritual stones for a tael!"
Li Qingshan declined with a smile. He turned around and saw a young second layer Qi Practitioner calling out loudly from outside a house, "A fifth layer Qi Practitioner will be explaining the essence of the Innate Method of Practising Qi. It'll only cost a spiritual stone. A spiritual stone will save you three years! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I won't wait for more! "
Li Qingshan instinctively pricked up his ears. The small house was surrounded by formations. No matter how good his hearing was, he would definitely not be able to hear what the people inside were saying. Two first layer Qi Practitioners were discussing at the door whether they should go in or not.
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