Chapter 234 – Internal Conflic (2/2)

Li Qingshan suddenly raised his head, “Qiu Ruiliu’s hundred treasures pouch isn’t with me!”

Wu Gen said furiously, “You want to trick me?” The Python Constrictor chains tightened, and the wooden hut was completely crushed to pieces as shrapnel flew everywhere.

Li Qingshan said indifferently, “I’m telling the truth!” When he checked the hundred treasures pouches earlier, he suddenly discovered that one was missing. He had just fought earlier, so he had an idea just how many enemies there were. The only one missing happened to belong to priest Qiu.

Priest Qiu’s corpse had already vanished. Originally, he thought it had been destroyed in the explosion, but thinking about it now, even if it had been blasted to pieces in the explosion, it should not have vanished without a trace. However, there was nothing on the ground.

Li Qingshan frowned. He arrived where priest Qiu had collapsed before and stamped around. With a swing of his blade, he cut through the flooring, revealing a hole underground. Who knew where the murky hole led off to.

The formation of the wooden hut made the walls seem indestructible to others, but the formation had been cast down by priest Qiu in the first place, so he obviously knew a way out.

As it turned out, he had already prepared a path of retreat. Although he was in the direct range of the sword qi from the Cursive Sword Calligraphy, he was protected by the true qi of around two dozen people. He was injured, but he did not die on the spot.

He knew he was not Li Qingshan’s opponent, so he just collapsed on the ground and sealed off his breathing and heartbeat, playing dead.

This gamble truly came with great risk. If Li Qingshan sensed it and casually slashed him, he would not even be able to fight back.

However, the wooden hut was in chaos back then. Under the encirclement of so many Qi Practitioners, Li Qingshan was affected to a certain degree even though it was not enough to strike fear into him. And, with the explosion at the end, Li Qingshan’s sense of hearing, smell, and sight were all affected, which priest Qiu used to open the secret tunnel and flee.

Li Qingshan could not help but be surprised about the craftiness and prudence of this follower of the White Lotus cult. It was no wonder that the cult was an organisation powerful enough to clash against Gu Yanying and the Hawkwolf Guard of the entire Ruyi commandery.

Li Qingshan turned around with his ice blade, ignoring the chains in the surroundings. “If you don’t believe me, come over!”

Qian Rongzhi quickly made her way over to Li Qingshan.

Fang Enshang extended his hand. “Don’t go!” He wanted to stop Qian Rongzhi, but he was also afraid of alarming Li Qingshan by moving rashly.

The Hawkwolf guards were all nervous for Qian Rongzhi. This vicious, huge man was extraordinarily powerful. If he really decided to hurt her, Qian Rongzhi would probably be killed on the spot.

Under everyone’s gazes, Qian Rongzhi brushed past Li Qingshan and studied the hole in the hut.

Li Qingshan frowned. This woman would never take such a great risk for some official business. Had he been discovered?

Qian Rongzhi did not even glance at him. After studying it carefully, she raised her head. “He’s right. There are very fresh footprints below. Qiu Ruiliu has already fled. He should be injured. Sir, we’d better pursue him right now, or he’ll end up getting away.”

The Hawkwolf guards all sighed in relief. This conclusion matched their expectations as well. Qiu Ruiliu was extremely crafty. They had failed to capture him even after several attempts, so how could he be slain so easily by an independent cultivator?

They also felt some admiration towards Qian Rongzhi. This woman did not have a particularly strong cultivation, but she was extraordinarily brave. At the very least, none of them were bold enough to venture over.

Even Wu Gen nodded in praise. With this person supporting him, Enshang will have it much easier as a Black Hawk commander, and he will not remain so naive forever. However, little did he know that Fang Enshang’s naivety had just saved him from death, while Qian Rongzhi’s so-called bravery originated from her meticulous planning.

Even Wu Gen knew what was more urgent. He pulled back the Python Constrictor chains and flew into the hole first. He brushed past Li Qingshan and snorted coldly. “Let’s just say you were lucky!”

The Hawkwolf guards all entered the hold one by one, with Qian Rongzhi last. She glanced at Li Qingshan and smiled before disappearing into the hole as well.

A while later, the Quiet Spring valley fell quiet once again. Li Qingshan made his way down the stairs and sat down on them. He leaned on his arm as he sank into his thoughts.

This time, the internal conflict ended without being settled.

However, a larger internal conflict occurred in the depths of his mind. This was the boundary between humanity, immortals, buddhas, and demons. True conflict did not arise from the outside world, but from the inside, those unanswerable questions and those choiceless answers.

However, they had to be answered at the end of the day. He could not run away from all of his problems. He could not run away, nor did he want to run away. Even though none of the answers were the answer he wanted, he still had to make a decision. Life was not about being able to do whatever that you wanted, and it would not unfold to your tastes.

It was exactly these tough or even painful choices that allowed people to grow, to go from an ignorant child to the person they wanted to be.

Ready?

“Hehe, I’ve finally found you!”