Li Qingshan said, "I've only reached the sixth layer recently too."
Meeting an old friend in a foreign land was supposed to be an extremely joyous matter. Li Long opened his mouth, but he had no idea how to refer to Li Qingshan. The cowherd teenager who looked down on everyone in the past could already stand up to their sect master. Their statuses were worlds apart, so directly referring to him by his name would be disrespectful.
"Err, this is the main sect master of our Iron Fist, Tie Zhan." He even carried a local accent that Li Qingshan was familiar with when he spoke.
Li Qingshan's mind returned to the past as well. The destitution of the Crouching Ox village, the danger of Qingyang city, and the main sect master of the Iron Fist, one of the four great organisations of Qingyang city, was standing right before him right now. However, a sixth layer Qi Practitioner was nothing in his eyes anymore. He had no intention of befriending him, nor did he want to offend him, so he treated him casually.
"So it's school master Tie. My apologies."
Tie Zhan said, "The Crouching Ox village really is a place blessed with great people. When I saw Li Long, I already believed him to be a rare talent, but only when I saw brother Qingshan did I realise that there's always someone better out there. The news of you winning the second bet in the restaurant two days ago has already spread through the entire prefecture. It's just a pity that I wasn't able to witness it in person. "
No matter how great the Iron Fist was, they could stand on equal footing just because they were both sixth layer Qi Practitioners. Coupled with the fact that Li Qingshan was relatively young and had a limitless future ahead of him, Tie Zhan still had to be polite and befriend him properly.
"Do the disciples of your esteemed sect also need to take part in the entrance examination?" Li Qingshan looked at Li Long.
Li Long's face darkened, and he lowered his head. Let alone the fact that the Iron Fist would not agree to it, even if they did, where would he get the spiritual stones to pay for the entrance examination? That was a total of a hundred spiritual stones. His outstanding performance in the Iron Fist would earn him a few spiritual stones from time to time, but it was not even enough to buy various pills, so how was he supposed to save it up? If he really did manage to save them up, who knew how old he would be. He would miss the optimal period for cultivation, and if he fell behind, he would always fall behind.
"It's my son. I'll have to trouble you to take care of me in the future. "Tie Zhan changed the topic and looked around." Where's that kid? Didn't I tell you to call him? "
How could the Iron Fist be willing to spend a huge sum of money to send the disciples they had painstakingly nurtured to the Hundred Schools of Thought? Once they broadened their horizons and improved their cultivation, who would be willing to return to Iron Fist? They were afraid that if they did come back, they would come back to take back the foundation of Iron Fist.
"The Young Master said he had something to do," Yan Song said awkwardly.
"Hurry up and call him over!"
Li Qingshan pondered for a moment. He knew what was going on and started muttering to himself.
After a while, Yan Song brought over a young man with a square face and wide ears, who looked somewhat similar to Tie Zhan. He said impatiently, "What's the matter? I'm busy!" He was busy chatting with a few beautiful female cultivators. How could she be in the mood to see a man?
"Unfilial son, why aren't you bowing to Big Brother Li?"
"Which Big Brother Li? Don't tell me it's that kid, Li Long!" The young man laughed. Seeing that no one responded, he came to Tie Zhan's side. When he saw Li Qingshan, he was shocked. "You're Li Qingshan!"
The night before, he was also playing upstairs. He had a deep impression of the person in front of him. He immediately became respectful. "Little brother greets big brother. I hope that big brother can take care of me in the future. If there's anything you need my help with, I won't refuse." He completely ignored the fact that Li Qingshan was younger than him and called himself little brother. He was extremely humble.
Tie Zhan nodded his head in satisfaction. Although this kid didn't do his proper work, he was still able to do his best. Although this kid didn't do proper work, he didn't follow him to see the world in vain.
Li Qingshan said, "Young Master is obviously a smart and wise person. Your future is limitless. But when it comes to the Hundred Schools of Thought, there's a shortage of people to serve him. Why don't you let Li Long be his study companion? You don't need to spend anything. I'll pay for his school fees first. What does Sect Master think? "
"There's no need to bury one's bones in mulberry fields. Life is full of green mountains." Since he had decided not to return to his hometown, the Li Long in front of him was probably the last fellow countryman he would see in this life. The hundred spirit stones to enter the school were nothing to him. It was just a slight effort, so why would he be stingy?
Li Long was overjoyed when he heard this. He looked at Li Qingshan gratefully and then looked at Tie Zhan nervously.
Tie Zhan hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright then. Brothers are benevolent and want to take care of fellow countrymen. This is Li Long's good fortune, as well as our Iron Fist's good fortune. I'm more than happy, so how could I not agree? If it weren't for the fact that Iron Fist has been having some difficulties in circulating spirit stones recently, there wouldn't be a need for you to spend so much money." Seeing that this Li Qingshan was also a person who cherished old friendships, Tie Zhan decided to make that rascal be more polite to Li Long in the future.
"Thank you very much, Sect Master." Li Qingshan took out a hundred spirit stones from his hundred treasures pouch and gave them to Li Long.
The Iron Fist's Young Sect Master hooked his arm around Li Long's neck and said, "Ah Long, you've struck it rich!" Without waiting for Tie Zhan's reminder, he had already become more polite.
Li Long knew that this was all because of the young man in front of him. He said gratefully, "Qingshan, I will definitely return these spirit stones to you." He understood very well that in the Hundred Schools of Thought, there would be all kinds of missions that would give the disciples the opportunity to earn spirit stones. These hundred spirit stones were not impossible to earn, but the most difficult part was this threshold. Once crossed, there would be unlimited opportunities.
Li Qingshan said, "If you want to return it, then return two hundred!"
Li Long was startled. The Young Sect Master muttered in his heart, "Is this still a loan shark? I really couldn't tell. Sure enough, when fellow countrymen meet, they would stab each other in the back."
However, he heard Li Qingshan continue, "Wait until the day you don't put these hundred spirit stones in your eyes."
"En!" Li Long nodded his head heavily.
Ye Dachuan said, "This is really a cause for celebration. You two will be fellow students in the future!"
Li Qingshan smiled. Since they were from the same hometown, this was all he could do for them. What happened next would depend on their cultivation.
At this moment, several large ships cleaved through the waves above the mist.
There was an uproar on the sandy shoal. Everyone could not help but stop talking and raise their heads. The one that stood out the most was the giant lumberman, Wood Kui.
Hua Chenglu and Yu Zijian stood nearby. They were also surrounded by a group of young men and women. They did not pay too much attention to Li Qingshan, who they had only met a few times, nor did they come looking for him.
Instead, Qian Rongzhi constantly scanned through the crowd. She stood with a group of disciplinary disciples from the school of Legalism. She had already heard about the battle between Li Qingshan and Wei Zhongyuan. Li Qingshan had even said that he had some confidence in killing Wei Zhongyuan.
In the eyes of the disciples of legalism, this was a joke of overestimating himself. He was just being stubborn. However, she did not believe that. She believed that Li Qingshan had complete confidence in killing Wei Zhongyuan. What mattered was how to get Li Qingshan to hand Wei Zhongyuan to her alive.
Han Qiongzhi was still furious right now, but when she noticed Qian Rongzhi's gaze, she became slightly angered again. "Rongzhi, you've known this kid for quite some time. Has this kid always been so boastful?"
Qian Rongzhi said, "Senior sister Han, I don't have much contact with him. Unless he has a supreme grade talisman, it's impossible for him to be the opponent of a tenth layer Qi Practitioner. "
An idea flashed through Han Qiongzhi's mind. She murmured, "Is that so?" A supreme grade talisman was equivalent to a strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If he really did have one, then he really did have a chance. Of course, it was just a tiny chance.
"Come with me!" She immediately lost her patience. Pulling Qian Rongzhi with her, she forcefully made her way through the crowd and arrived before Li Qingshan. She grabbed him by the shoulder. "Speak. Do you have a supreme grade talisman?"
"Ma 'am Han!" Tie Zhan was surprised. First young miss Han was extremely renowned in the Clear River prefecture. Her fiery personality had caused many people to suffer in the past. He never thought Li Qingshan would actually be familiar with her.
"Weirdo," Little Ann, who had been standing to one side quietly the entire time, muttered silently.
That's right! Qian Rongzhi shot a glance at Little Ann, and Little Ann smiled resplendently as if they had reached a tacit understanding.
Even Li Qingshan found Han Qiongzhi's personality to be rather strange. He said, "Come closer."
Han Qiongzhi extended her head in a hurry. All she heard was Li Qingshan whisper into her ear, "I have a few."
Han Qiongzhi was surprised. "Come closer too!"
Li Qingshan shook his head helplessly. He whispered into her ear, "Is that true?"
"It's up to you whether you believe me or not."
Han Qiongzhi smiled. "Looks like I've really gotten in your way. Alright, I forgive you. It was my fault for chasing you off the shuttle earlier, but it was out of good intentions. You still need to thank me. We're even now."
"Up to you."
Han Qiongzhi untangled the knot in her heart. She felt much better. Only when she saw the strange gazes in the surroundings did she realise that the two of them were whispering in each other's ears in broad daylight Just Now was rather ambiguous. She bellowed, "What are you looking at? Piss off!"
Then she shot a glance at Li Qingshan. If you don't want anyone to hear, you can just communicate secretly. Why do you have to do that? You're clearly up to no good.
With a snort, she stomped off. Qian Rongzhi nodded at Little Ann and followed. She would have plenty of time to plan when she arrived at the Bai Clan. She was lucky that Wei Zhongyuan didn't die.
Li Qingshan and Little Ann looked at each other. What a weirdo.
At this time, the ship sailed to the side of the lake. One of the ships lowered its plank. On it, a female instructor with high cheekbones and a mean face shouted, "All children, come here."
Li Qingshan cupped his hands and bade farewell. He called out to Ye Dachuan and held Little Ann's hand as they squeezed into the ship.
The children around them were noisy, but none of them cried. Under the guidance of their respective leaders, they boarded the ship one by one in an orderly manner. To be recommended, the commoner children not only had to have the talent of a Qi Practitioner, but also had to have a good temperament.
"Go on, I'll see you later. If there's anything, use this."
When Little Ann was about to board the ship, Li Qingshan squatted down and touched Little Ann's head. He handed a jade thumb ring to Little Ann, threaded it with a thread, and put it around her neck. Then, he shook his thumb, showing the other jade thumb ring on it.
This pair of jade thumb rings was also an interesting Totem that Li Qingshan found in the thousands of hundred treasure pouches. The two were a pair, and had the ability to transmit sound.
Seeing Little Ann line up with the other children and board the ship, Li Qingshan let out a light sigh. His mood was like a parent sending their child to school.
In a moment, the surroundings became empty. The ship retracted its plank and once again —
Then, he disappeared into the smoke.
Only when the lake was no longer in sight did Little Ann retract her gaze.
The children couldn't help but be filled with excitement. For many of them, it was their first time on such a big ship. If it wasn't for the stern gaze of the female instructor at the bow of the ship, they wouldn't have been able to stop themselves from running around and laughing.
"Hey, what's your name?"
An eleven or twelve year old fat boy arrogantly asked Little Ann. He was dressed in silk and satin, and there was a group of "little brothers" beside him. They all came from the same place. This fat boy's family was rich, and he was tall and fat, so he became the leader of the children.
Little Ann didn't answer.
"This thumb ring is not bad, let me see!" The fat boy saw the thumb ring hanging in front of Little Ann's chest and immediately stretched out his fat hand to take it. Since he was young, he had always wanted something like this.
Little Ann took a step back and stuffed the thumb ring into her clothes, and the fat boy grabbed nothing but air.
"You dare not listen to me." The chubby boy glared at her and actually gave off some malice. He directly grabbed Xiao An's hair. At home, even the maidservants were afraid of this move of his. Every time, he would only let go after they cried and begged him.
Hmph, I'll pull out a strand of your hair. Let's see if you still dare to look down on him.
Little Ann punched out, but suddenly remembered that this was not the enemy he wanted to kill, so he retracted most of his strength.
With a peng, the fat boy immediately flew out and knocked into the group of little brothers behind him. He burst into tears, and the children he knocked into also started crying.
"Don't cry! What happened? "The female instructor immediately walked over.
"She hit me." The fat boy covered his face. A few of his teeth had fallen out.
The female instructor frowned and said, "Did you hit him?"
Little Ann remained silent. Other than with Li Qingshan, she didn't have much to say to others. Turning everyone on the ship into flames was more in line with her intentions.
The fat boy said with grievance, "I don't know what happened to her, but she just hit me. My teeth have all fallen out. "
The female instructor was annoyed. She pointed her finger at Little Ann's forehead, "Tell me, why did you hit her?"
Little Ann suddenly raised his head. His exquisite face was embedded with a pair of black pearl-like eyes.
The female instructor looked at the pitch black eyes, and for some reason, her heart trembled. Her finger couldn't go any further. Could it be that this child had some powerful background? She immediately shook her head. Children from aristocratic families would basically train their Qi from a young age. Once they had a certain level of foundation, they would then enter the Hundred Clans. Only children chosen from commoners would be on this ship.
Thus, she became even more annoyed, "You even want to hit me?" She raised her hand and was about to hit him when she suddenly remembered that today was the day of the academy examinations. Perhaps the clan heads were watching.
She put down her hand. Her eyes turned, "Don't move." She then said to the fat boy, "Get up, she hit you. Hit her back. "
The fat boy wiped his tears and stood up. After receiving the instructor's approval, his face was in pain, but his heart was filled with pride. If it was an ordinary child, he probably wouldn't have been able to do it. He used all his strength to hit her, but before he could be happy, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He flew out again and fainted on the ground. Luckily this time, his lackeys were tactful enough to avoid being hit again.
However, two of them cried even louder, "Someone's dead! Someone's dead! "
The female instructor had been paying attention to Little Ann, preventing her from dodging. However, Little Ann's flying kick was fast and stealthy. She couldn't react in time. She couldn't help but be furious and scolded, "A little bastard with no manners like you wants to train your Qi? I don't think there's a chance. Once we reach the shore, I'll send you home …"
She fiercely returned to the bow of the ship. Of course, she didn't have the authority to turn the ship around. However, when she arrived at the Hundred Schools of Thought, she had plenty of ways to deal with disobedient children.
In a quiet room at the Hundred Schools of Thought.
The curtains in the room were drawn, making it gloomy. Over a dozen figures could be vaguely seen, sitting in various seats.
The various school leaders had gathered together. The aura they gave off without saying anything was enough to make any Qi Practitioner shiver in fear. Their wills determined everything within the fifteen hundred kilometers of the Clear River prefecture.
In the centre of the room was a large jade disc. The disc was engraved with exquisite inscriptions. The name of the disc was the Watermirror disc. It was a wondrous treasure that could perceive a range of fifty kilometers.
The true test had already begun a long time ago. Everyone's performance was witnessed by the various school leaders.
At this moment, the water in the Watermirror disc rippled, and a clear image appeared.
What it reflected right now was the ship.
No matter how the female instructor cursed and threatened him, Little Ann remained calm and emotionless the entire time. He treated the threatening female instructor like air.
"This is the child that Qiu Haitang wants? It's indeed different. " A man in scholarly attire with a square scarf on his head said. His appearance was delicate, and he only seemed to be in his thirties, but he was actually already eighty years old. He was Ye Dachuan's brother-in-law, the prefect of the Clear River prefecture and the leader of the school of Confucianism, Liu Changqing. What happened in the building the night before could naturally not be hidden from his eyes and ears.
"This little girl is unperturbed by love and humiliation. This kind of temperament is rare." A bald monk holding prayer beads nodded and said.
"Changqing, who picked this guide? His temperament is harsh and impatient, and he doesn't distinguish between right and wrong. Once these children enter the Hundred Clans, they will have a bad impression of him, "said a thin old man who wore a high official hat and was dressed in hemp garments.
"If her temperament is too gentle, how can she control such a hairy child? Moreover, she can only blame herself for not explaining herself. Otherwise, the instructor wouldn't have misunderstood that it was her fault. Who can she blame for suffering a bit? As for that little fatty, he'll be expelled from the academy immediately. He already knows how to take advantage of others and distort the truth at such a young age. What if he practises qi? "The Scarlet Hawk commander, the leader of the school of Legalism, Wang Pushi, said in a hurry.
Liu Changqing said, "If that's the case, then let's go with that!" Outside the curtains, figures immediately stood up and left. Many instructors waited outside, ensuring that their orders could be carried out at any time.
"Let's take a look at the person who brought her here!" The image on the Watermirror disc changed, revealing Li Qingshan. He was currently queuing up to board the ship with the others.
Li Qingshan suddenly sensed something. He looked around. It seemed like someone was watching him?
Someone urged him from behind, "Hurry up!"
Li Qingshan made his way over and arrived before a smiling instructor. He took out a hundred spiritual stones he had prepared beforehand. The instructor stowed the spiritual stones into his hundred treasures pouch and called out, "Another one!"
It seemed like he was doing business. However, Li Qingshan had estimated that the Hundred Schools of Thought's income from opening this time would probably approach a hundred thousand spiritual stones.
And, this was just the beginning. The Hundred Schools of Thought's fee was very special. The first year was a hundred spiritual stones, and if their cultivation did not increase by a single level in the second year, the number of spiritual stones they had to pay would double, becoming two hundred.
Through the simple mathematical knowledge from his past life, Li Qingshan knew that if it increased a few more times, it would be beyond what any Qi Practitioner could afford. As a result, entering the Hundred Schools of Thought was easy. With so many schools, there would always be one that would be willing to take them in. However, staying in the Hundred Schools of Thought was very difficult. It was not easy to increase one's cultivation, and they would instead suffer a little.
PS: The update did not go as smoothly as you imagined. Perhaps you've experienced this feeling before. The more you want to do something well, the more afraid you are of not doing it well, which makes you feel like it's difficult. It just so happens that this plot is the most difficult transitional chapter to write, so I've really gone through a lot of trouble.
Don't think that when I'm not updating, I'm indulging in debauchery, drinking, whoring, and gambling. I don't know how other authors are, but when I can't write, it's more painful than constipation. I can't calm down no matter what I do. As a man without a car, a house, or a woman, other than writing, I don't seem to have anything else to do. I also want to write more and earn more money! Fortunately, I've almost gotten through the most difficult process. The next update should be able to slowly stabilize.
Originally, I didn't want to explain so much. Explaining is to cover up, and covering up is to tell a story. Suddenly, I remembered that this is my profession, so I'll explain!
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
