Chapter 137 – It’s the Thought that Counts (2/2)

Qian Rongzhi said, “Rongzhi is willing to put herself through thick and thin for the sake of the Qian family.”

In the still of night, Xiao An fiddled around with the Qi Gathering pills in the centre of Li Qingshan’s hand. He raised his head as if he was asking. “Is this all that’s left?”

Li Qingshan rubbed Xiao An’s head. “Yep, and that’s with me holding back! But don’t worry, there will be a lot very soon. There’ll be a thousand of them!” He casually tossed a Qi Gathering pill into his mouth and began cultivating. He needed some time to consolidate his current cultivation.

The brilliant moon set in the horizon before rising once more, illuminating the mountain city. Lanterns that gave off a red glow filled the Qian estate, making it seem like it was on fire.

Numerous guests had gathered. Every single one of them had come to celebrate Qian Yannian’s birthday. The banquet extended out of the hall, all the way down the hill. There was a great hubbub of noise. It all seemed like a noisy, fiery river.

The entire Ancient Wind city was involved!

However, there were only around a dozen tables within the main hall of the Qian estate, reserved for special guests. The eldest grandson, Qian Xingwei, held a list of gifts as he personally received the guests outside. He declared loudly, “The Xuanzheng Master of the Skyriver sect gifts a pair of blood crystals.”

“Gong Liangbai of the Humble Maple academy gifts ten jade fragrance fruit.”

Most of these were rare treasures Li Qingshan had never even heard about. When Diao Fei and he arrived before Qian Xingwei, Li Qingshan thought about it before fishing out his final Qi Gathering pill, placing it in his hand.

Qian Xingwei was stunned. Was he gifting a single Qi Gathering pill?”

Li Qingshan said, “You should declare it.”

“S- sir Li Qingshan and Diao Fei of the Hawkwolf Guard g- gifts one Qi Gathering pill.”

The guests were surprised. They wanted to see just who was so stingy, but all they saw was Li Qingshan completely composed, while Diao Fei had buried his head deeply. The bystanders all felt embarrassed for him, but they were unable to see the mixed emotions of his face, the sweat dripping from his forehead, or hear his mumbles.

“Just like travelling thousands of kilometers to gift the feathers of a goose, it’s the thought that counts!” A grizzled old man in grey clothes came up with a smile as he mediated the situation. The aura he radiated belonged to the third layer of Qi Practitioner.

Li Qingshan said, “You must be that, that someone of the two elders of the Qian family? I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!” The only two third layer Qi Practitioners of the Qian family were known as the two elders of the Qian family. They were Qian Yannian’s foster sons, and they had come to receive guests for Qian Yannian.

The corner of the old man’s eye twitched. He repressed his fury. “That’s me. Please come this way, sir.” Last night, Qian Yannian had gathered the core members of the Qian family in a hurry to discuss his plan against Li Qingshan. He already knew about Qian Yannian’s plan. Once tonight passed, Li Qingshan was a dead man. There was obviously no reason for him to get angry over a corpse.

Li Qingshan said, “May I ask where the other elder is?” Afterwards, he saw another old man when he followed the old man in grey’s gaze. He said to Diao Fei indifferently, “Brother Diao, why don’t you go over there and get to know him?”

The old man in grey found this rather strange. Li Qingshan was actually ordering a third layer Qi Practitioner Hawkwolf guard around, and what was the purpose behind getting to know him? However, before he could think too much about it, Li Qingshan had grabbed his hand and walked towards the banquet. He asked, “Is it here?”

He threw behind Diao Fei, who stood within the flow of people. He looked around in uncertainty with his slanted eyes like a lost child. Then he looked at Li Qingshan again before finally moving his feet and making his way over to the other old man.

His mumbling became slightly louder. A female attendant walked past him and strangely heard from the mouth of this sir from the Hawkwolf Guard. “He’s far too arrogant!”

Qian Rongzhi stood beside Qian Yannian. She felt that something was off before suddenly realising something. Her expression suddenly changed.

The old man in grey accompanied Li Qingshan to his seat, but he discovered that Li Qingshan had suddenly stopped talking and was now looking at him with his deep, pitch-black eyes. He asked, “Are you all trying to kill me?”

“You sure know how to joke!” The old man laughed, but he could not laugh for much longer. He felt like Li Qingshan’s hand had turned into an iron clamp around his wrist, and it was gradually tightening, which suddenly made his expression change.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

There were three explosions that rang through the great hall, resounding through the entire estate.

Air rushed outwards as the crowd pulled away in fright. All they saw was a pitch-black person pointing at Diao Fei with difficulty in the centre of the empty area. He wanted to say something, but he was unable to say it. He gave off a charred smell.

Qian Yannian roared out furiously and in surprise, “What did you do?!”

Diao Fei had only used the time when they were talking to stick three Scarlet Fire talismans on the other elder of the Qian family. Subsequently, he ignored everyone else, including the infuriated Qian Yannian, and looked past the crowd at Li Qingshan nearby.

Originally, Diao Fei had thought about how even he would be in danger if he were within ten steps of Li Qingshan.

And just how far away was this old man in grey from him? Half a step?

And back then, Li Qingshan had only been a first layer Qi Practitioner. He had reached the second layer now.

Among the cries, Li Qingshan grabbed the old man by the throat with a single hand, lifting him up. A crazy, murderous smile filled his face.

With a crack, Li Qingshan snapped the old man’s neck and tossed him towards Qian Yannian.