These children were all of his most outstanding young disciples. Two of them came from humble origins, so he even went as far as to keep them fed and clothed for several years, just so the Proud Sword sect could gain a few more masters in the future. However, he never thought they would just end up being poached away. These disciples of the Green Vine mountain came over, flapped their gums, and took them away. It was painful.
Cultivation sects required outstanding talents as well as new blood, but with the tiny number of Qi Practitioners that existed in the world, it was impossible for them to go from household to household in search of suitable talent. Instead, they would directly come to these larger sects and gangs of the jianghu, which became an extremely convenient and effective method. Many cultivation sects even created their own gangs and schools, just to expand their influence so that it would be easier to recruit disciples.
“Our Green Vine mountain obviously won’t take advantage of you. Here’s a Qi Gathering pill. It’ll be very beneficial for when you break through to the innate realm.” Liu Fengrui left behind an embroidered box, and all that was inside the box was a pitiful Qi Gathering pill. However, he acted like he had just done Yu Shukuang a great favour.
Yu Shukuang cursed inside. Do you really think I’m an ignorant bumpkin!? With his wealth and how common Qi Gathering pills were among Qi Practitioners, even buying several dozen of them would have been a piece of cake. It brought no benefit to his future attempts at breaking through to the innate realm at all. However, he acted like he was flattered. “That’s far too precious!”
At this moment, a disciple hurried over and reported, “Lord of the manor, someone wishes to see you.”
Yu Shukuang said furiously, “Can’t you see that I’m receiving a valued guest?”
The disciple said pitifully, “But he said he’s your friend, manor lord.”
Liu Fengrui said, “If that’s the case, I’ll take my leave then.”
Yu Shukuang stood up in a hurry to see him off. He constantly nodded and bowed his head along the way, but he sighed inside. Zijian, oh Zijian, don’t disappoint your father. You need to accomplish something with your cultivation so that you can back up your father when you return.
Sending him off at the front entrance, Yu Shukuang glanced from the corner of his eye and saw a figure as robust as an ox sitting on a long bench near the entrance. He wore a great big bamboo hat that obscured his appearance, and he had a large bamboo basket beside him. It was lidded, so it was impossible to tell what it was holding.
The disciple whispered, “Manor lord, that’s him!”
Yu Shukuang was confident that he did not have a friend like that, or he definitely would have remembered such a stature. No, he should say that he had never seen someone with such a figure in his entire life before.
The figure stood up quickly and arrived before Yu Shukuang. “Great hero Yu, long time no see.”
At that moment, Yu Shukuang basically felt his vision darken slightly. However, the sincere voice sounded rather familiar. “You’re?”
Li Qingshan lifted his hat slightly. Although his stature and skin tone had changed tremendously, such that even his face had become rather strange, Yu Shukuang still managed to recognise him with a single glance. He cried out, “It’s you!”
Liu Fengrui completely ignored Yu Shukuang. He directly boarded his carriage and departed. He had never taken great hero Yu seriously the entire time.
Yu Shukuang was no longer in the mood to lose his temper over that. The Tiger Butcher had come knocking, so what good could come out of that? He became temporarily stunned.
“Let’s go in and talk!” Li Qingshan smiled. Originally, he wanted to express some good will through that, but he revealed his long, protruding teeth, which instead made him seem more vicious and up to no good. Yu Shukuang shuddered, following Li Qingshan into the manor at a complete loss. Just what had he done to deserve this?
Li Qingshan had specially selected a city that was slightly larger but without Qi Practitioners from the map, which would bring him convenience to purchase food; this was why he had chosen Salt Mountain city. However, his appetite was just too large, so if he went to buy food himself, it would be too troublesome, and it would raise attention. If he were discovered by an informant of the Hawkwolf Guard, it would be bad. As a result, he needed someone with some influence in the local area to help him handle this matter.
He could vaguely recall that Yu Shukuang had once invited him to Salt Mountain city with great enthusiasm in the restaurant in Lakeside city. As a result, he located the city on the map and came knocking.
Yu Shukuang sent away his disciples tactfully and asked, “Sir Li, what brings you to such a remote place?”
Li Qingshan said, “There are a few matters that I need to trouble you with!” He casually pulled out a wad of silver notes. “That’s around a million taels of silver. That’s the deposit.”
“Sir, I can’t accept that. As long as there’s any place I can be of use, I’ll do anything, no matter the danger or the cost,” Yu Shukuang said in a delightful manner, but what he thought was, Who would be bold enough to accept the Tiger Butcher’s money?
“Take it!” Li Qingshan said indifferently.
“Yes, sir!” Yu Shukuang immediately accepted the money as cold sweat dripped from his forehead. Who was bold enough to turn down the Tiger Butcher’s money?
Li Qingshan said, “There’s a house between the mountains to the south-east of the city. I want to buy it and stay in it for some time. That’s what the money’s for.”
“Yes! I’ll send people to handle this immediately, no, I’ll handle it myself. I guarantee you that you’ll be able to move in by tonight.” Yu Shukuang assured as he patted his chest.
“I don’t want anyone to know that I’m here, including your friends and family, with your daughter in particular. If any news of me makes it out…”
“That won’t happen. If I tell this to anyone else, I’ll let myself be smited by the hea-” Yu Shukuang immediately lifted his right hand to swear an oath.
Li Qingshan interrupted him. “Forget about the oath. It’s not like I’m relying on that either. As long as you’re willing to help me out, I won’t mistreat you. I won’t be like that person earlier who tried paying you off with a single Qi Gathering pill.”
Yu Shukuang felt both ashamed and astounded. Li Qingshan had actually managed to hear the conversation in the main hall several hundred meters away as he sat at the entrance.
Li Qingshan said, “Where’s the Qi Gathering pill?”
Yu Shukuang took out the embroidered box in a hurry and Li Qingshan took it from him. He took out the Qi Gathering pill and tossed it in his mouth. “Quality’s not too bad.”
Yu Shukuang was devastated. Qi Gathering pills were still extremely precious pills to masters of the jianghu who practised internal martial arts like him. They were worth one or two hundred thousand taels of silver elsewhere. He was clearly just stringing him along by saying he would not mistreat him.
Li Qingshan took out a new pill from his hundred treasures pouch and placed it in the box. “Do you recognise this pill?”
Yu Shukuang’s eyes widened immediately. “That’s… a Hundred Grasses pill!” Now that was much rarer and more precious than Qi Gathering pills. It was basically never sold on the market. Even if he spent two hundred thousand taels, he would not be able to get his hands on one. If he could eat one of them, his chances at breaking through to the innate realm would increase.
Li Qingshan returned the box to Yu Shukuang. “That’s a deposit as well. I hope we have a smooth cooperation.” Fear and interest have always been the absolute methods to controlling people. Li Qingshan just happened to lack neither.
An hour later, Li Qingshan obtained the deed to the house. He stood up and bid farewell. “Oh right. Don’t call me by my name in the future.”
“What should I call you then?”
Li Qingshan thought about it. “Just call me Niu’er.”
Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 101-Chapter 200)
Dream Teller's books
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 1-Chapter 100)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 201-Chapter 300)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 301-Chapter 400)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 401-Chapter 500)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 501-Chapter 600)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 601-Chapter 700)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 701-Chapter 833)