In the end, Fu Qingjin’s gaze landed on Li Qingshan’s face, and he smiled.
Li Qingshan’s heart tensed up too. This bastard buttered him up good, but never did he think he would be the one questioned first. If he really were questioned, he would give himself away regardless of whether he answered or not.
What was he supposed to do next? Admit he had found the sumeru ring? But that would be a lie, and it would be picked up by the xiezhi’s horn. Fu Qingjin would definitely get to the bottom of this.
Or perhaps he could directly kill his way out of here, but that would be even worse. If Fu Qingjin wanted to prevent him from leaving, he would unleash the Green Ruins Illusion. Unless he transformed, he was unable to break out at all, but if he did transform, there were almost a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators here. They would not simply idle around.
Fu Qingjin had cast out an all-encompassing net. Once he reeled it in, Li Qingshan would be thrown into dire straits.
Various thoughts flickered through his head. Fortunately, Li Qingshan had already established some foundations with his ability to act, so he frowned slightly. “Don’t tell me you’re suspecting me, fellow Fu?”
“I’m not…” Before Fu Qingjin had even finished speaking, a roar of laughter erupted, as the xiezhi’s horn in his hand actually lit up.
“The xiezhi’s horn truly lives up to its reputation.” Li Qingshan smiled.
The xiezhi divine beast passed impartial judgement. It only knew right and wrong, regardless of who it was.
Fu Qingjin smiled bitterly and rubbed his nose. He said clearly, “I admire your courage and adaptability very much, so I really don’t hope it’s you. I want to question you last.”
The xiezhi’s horn did not respond, proving he was telling the truth.
“Whatever you want.” Li Qingshan said without minding at all as he eased up inside, but his feelings also became rather mixed. What would Fu Qingjin say once he exposed him?—“I didn’t think it would be you!”? How was he supposed to answer?—“Sorry, I’m a police officer!”
Stop kidding around.
He had avoided it for now, but the danger was nowhere close to being over. It had just been temporarily delayed. Li Qingshan thought long and hard. Just how was he supposed to fool the xiezhi’s horn? The ox demon? The tiger demon? The spirit turtle? None of them seemed to work.
Fu Qingjin paced around a little more and arrived before the slovenly daoist priest, Zhou Tong. He bowed deeply. “Please answer me, senior!”
Fu Qingjin had questioned Zhou Tong in the past, but as the person closest to Golden Core in all of Clear River prefecture, he had developed an unscrupulous character where he did whatever he wanted. Why would he pay any attention to Fu Qingjin?
But given the current situation, even Zhou Tong was forced to answer. He said seriously, “You’re a real fucking likable kid!”
The xiezhi’s horn lit up brightly, leading to another roar of laughter. Zhou Tong said, “It sure is useful!”
Fu Qingjin said, “Please continue, senior!”
“I feel joy from the bottom of my heart when I see you!” The xiezhi’s horn lit up once more.
“Fu Qingjin is wise and kind-hearted… The Daemon Suppression alliance is justice and righteousness… May the Sword Collection palace prosper for many generations to come…”
The xiezhi’s horn flashed constantly, and Zhou Tong resorted to cursing aloud. The people of the academy laughed a few times, but when they saw the faces of the people from sects becoming more and more warped, the laughter gradually died down.
Only Fu Qingjin continued to smile. “Senior, if you haven’t had enough, I can make some time and let senior go on for three days and three nights. However, please don’t forget that the daemon armies underground have already begun assembling. A hundred cities will be reduced to hells of blood before long.”
Zhou Tong’s cursing came to a sudden halt. No matter how uncontrollable he was, he was still a person after all. In the face of a righteous cause, even he could not act stubbornly and recklessly. He gazed at Fu Qingjin deeply. “I haven’t seen that Soaring Dragon Elder or whoever you’re talking about, let alone some Soaring Dragon sword.”
The xiezhi’s horn finally dimmed, and Fu Qingjin clasped his hands again. “Thank you, senior.” He proceeded to the next suspect.
Li Qingshan smiled gently too, but he was extremely nervous inside. I need to interrupt this meeting before he gets to me!
“They’re in a meeting in the Parlour of Clouds and Rain? Let me go take a look!” Underground, Li Qingshan’s mirror clone notified Ye Liusu before unfurling his wings of wind and flying out from underground. He rushed into the sky and accelerated, producing a few sonic booms as he shot towards Clear River city.
However, Fu Qingjin’s next few suspects suddenly began to cooperate very smoothly. Even someone like Zhou Tong had to cooperate obediently, let alone them. They were even more afraid of offending the Sword Collection palace. Even if they were reluctant to tell him where they were and what they were doing that day, all they had to say was they had never seen the Soaring Dragon sword, and it would basically be enough.
The lie-detecting property of the xiezhi’s horn made the questioning process as simple as possible.
When his mirror clone had only flown half of the distance, they had already gone through most of the suspects. Only three remained, and it would just take a few words before it reached him.
Li Qingshan clenched his fist firmly. Suddenly, a pale hand grabbed his fist. It was smooth and warm. It came from Ru Xin.
Due to the obscuring table they sat behind, his subconscious movements were hidden away from the eyes around him, but they were not hidden away from Ru Xin beside him.
Li Qingshan shivered and looked over. Ru Xin behaved like nothing had happened at all, focusing on the outcome of Fu Qingjin’s questioning like everyone else. However, there was a sliver of concern in the corner of her eye.
The stretch of structures appeared on the horizon. The Clear River prefecture was in view. Li Qingshan’s mirror clone stared at the city, but he slowed down instead. He withdrew his aura and approached silently.
It was already too late…
Fu Qingjin finished asking the second last suspect. Only Li Qingshan remained.
Li Qingshan’s suspicion increased drastically. Almost a hundred scorching gazes gathered on him.
Hua Chengzan became slightly nervous, Han Tieyi furrowed his eyebrows slightly while Liu Chuanfeng was completely dumbfounded. Everyone Li Qingshan had befriended and gotten to know in the academy over these years cast over gazes of worry, concern, and undispellable suspicion towards him.
If he interrupted the meeting right now, he would basically be giving himself away. Li Qingshan had already prepared himself for the worst. His mirror clone was for reinforcing him, just in hopes of creating a chance to kill his way out.
“I do hope my judgement is wrong.” Fu Qingjin stared at Li Qingshan. His slightly blue pupils were as clear as water.
The xiezhi’s horn glowed dimly. Li Qingshan smiled. “That’s not true at all. Ask me whatever you want!”
He appeared completely calm, but this was not an obstacle he could get past with acting anymore. The battle began.
Fu Qingjin tightened his left hand and placed the slender and curved xiezhi’s horn between them.
Vaguely, a one-horned xiezhi seemed to be crouching between them, like a solemn judge of law, ready to make its final judgement. Friends or foes, success and failure, or even life and death would depend on this verbal exchange.
Fu Qingjin’s right hand pressed against the Green Ruins sword without any attempt of hiding it.
Li Qingshan seemed extremely relaxed. He did not even stand up. He made a gesture of invitation.
Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 401-Chapter 500)
Dream Teller's books
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 1-Chapter 100)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 101-Chapter 200)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 201-Chapter 300)
- Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 301-Chapter 400)
- 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)