Chapter 161 – Forcing Back the West Gate Granny (2/2)

Hua Chenglu glanced at him before ordering people to prepare some tea and snacks for guests in an extremely old-fashioned manner.

Great hero Yu shut up in a hurry and smiled apologetically. “Let’s drink tea. Tea is no different.”

If a grown man behaved like Hua Chenglu, Li Qingshan might have found it perfectly normal, but she was only thirteen or fourteen. She still had a hint of childishness to her, making her look like a child trying to act like an adult. It was rather funny.

And, there was no need for any orders at all. She just had to wave her banner, and a few mechanical puppets would emerge from beneath the cabin, clinking and clanking, delivering her tea and snacks. It made her actions seem even more childish instead.

This was the first time Li Qingshan had seen puppets like this, so he became extremely curious. He was amazed by the wonders of this world once again. These puppets seemed to be made out of wood. A face was carved on their heads, and their joints were clearly defined on their arms and feet. They were extremely nimble as well, without any stiffness in their actions. It was possible to imagine them moving as swiftly as the wind when the need arose.

Xiao An’s gaze became even more fixed than him. Only when the puppets walked away did she withdraw her gaze reluctantly.

Li Qingshan thought of something and took note of that.

Hua Chenglu sipped some tea and asked sternly, “Just how did you offend that old hag?”

As a result, Li Qingshan told her the entire story regarding the Parlour of Clouds and Rain, but he hid the fact that Zhuo Zhibo was trying to screw him over. Hua Chengzan would definitely be much more familiar with Zhuo Zhibo than himself. Lodging a complaint over the heads of his superiors would never end up well, let alone through a young girl like Hua Chenglu.

When Hua Chenglu heard about how the Parlour of Clouds and Rain had been forcing people into prostitution, she became bright red from fury. However, when she heard how Li Qingshan had killed the procuress and executed a search warrant against them, she praised, “You’ve done well. The Hawkwolf Guard needs good men who defy brutal suppression like you. I really haven’t saved the wrong person.”

Li Qingshan grinned, but he forced back his smile and said sternly too, “That’s my responsibility!”

Hua Chenglu asked out of curiosity, “What other missions have you undertaken before?”

“I’ve only just joined the Hawkwolf Guard recently, so I haven’t undertaken many missions.” Then Li Qingshan told her about his mission in Ancient Wind city and his plan with the Island of Cherishing Flowers this time.

Hua Chenglu was utterly engrossed by it all. She would chime in from time to time. She led an extravagant life, yet for some reason, she had such a great thirst for blood. When she heard about the destruction of an entire clan, she became overwhelmed by excitement, forcing Li Qingshan to go into much detail.

In the end, she said in quite some pity, “It’s just a pity that my big brother won’t let me join the Hawkwolf Guard so soon. Otherwise, I’ll be able to carry out missions together with you, Qingshan.”

Li Qingshan thought, With the Hua family’s strength, you can literally eat pills whenever you want, so why would you have to busy yourself with these missions? If I were you, I would eat my way to Daemon General before leaving the clan.

However, he said, “That is because commander Hua cares for you. Only when you’re powerful can you carry out missions. I believe there’ll be a day when you become a Hawkwolf guard who even surpasses me.”

Hua Chenglu said, “Exactly. That’s basically what my big brother said to me.”

Li Qingshan thought, So your elder brother coaxes you like this too!

If the entire scene was presented as a new report, it would have been, “The leader of our country, Hua Chenglu, received Li Qingshan in a cordial manner and engaged in a deep conversation, affirming and supporting Li Qingshan’s job. Our leader has also encouraged him to continue with his hard work so that he can strive for the better.”

The orthodox martial arts practitioners watched all of this unfold as bystanders. They felt rather mixed inside. After all, aside from Xiao An, the two of them were the youngest out of everyone present. Most of them were first-rate masters and were only a step away from the first layer of Qi Practitioner, but it was this exact obstacle before the innate realm that separated their statuses.

Yet, they just had to admit that no matter how many times they heard of Li Qingshan’s actions, they felt astounded. Then they thought of the unorthodox masters who prided themselves in making it onto the blacklist and called them idiots inside. Afterwards, they made up their minds to never make it onto the blacklist no matter what. Otherwise, who knows when they would be cut down in one fell swoop from attending a gathering.

After what happened on the Island of Cherishing Flowers, the orthodox martial arts society within several hundred kilometers of Jiaping city experienced great prosperity. The ethos of the jianghu became extremely positive as well. Young and great heroes emerged one after another, every single one of them following the law, respecting the old, and cherishing the young. Even if they became involved in some dirty deeds, they would do it secretly and with great care. They would never do it openly. Li Qingshan had truly done well.

In just a short while, the ship arrived on the shore and everyone disembarked. Hua Chenglu extended her hand and waved it. The huge ship rapidly shrank before landing in her hand. Then she stowed it away in her hundred treasures pouch. She lamented, “The lake is too small. We can’t go speeding around.”

Li Qingshan and Xiao An’s eyes lit up once more with this sight.

Before they could set off, the orthodox masters had already prepared a celebration banquet in the Lake Viewing restaurant of Lakeside city.

Li Qingshan sighed gently. I have to continue this act. She helped me so much this time, so I need to make her happy at the very least.

And, while he could not see, hear, or smell her, Li Qingshan could clearly sense that the West Gate Granny was still close. The ambiguous sense of hostility and killing intent enveloped him constantly. He was afraid that the West Gate Granny would immediately come for his life as soon as he left Hua Chenglu’s side.