Chapter 277 – Meeting Acquaintances Again (2/2)
At the end of the day, it still depended on the individual’s abilities. The banner of the Hawkwolf Guard was quite useful, but it was not an all-powerful protective charm.
Wei Zhongyuan snorted coldly. He stowed the Three Yang sword away and flew away in the wind. Before he left, he said to Li Qingshan, “You got lucky today. This won’t just end like this. You better clean your neck and wait for death!”
Li Qingshan said impatiently, “You’d better fuck off!” It was difficult to say who actually got lucky today. All Wei Zhongyuan knew was how to throw threats around.
“You!” Wei Zhongyuan’s face turned bright red. He glanced at Han Qiongzhi before storming off.
Han Qiongzhi shook her head. If she had not learnt that he actually came from a small mountain hamlet from Hua Chengzan, she definitely would have believed that he had some powerful background. However, at least that was better than being a coward. She smiled. “You can get on. The entrance examination is about to start, so you’d better hurry up!”
Li Qingshan boarded the flying shuttle with Xiao An. He lowered his head and sank into his thoughts. Whenever he went through a battle, he would always reflect on it, with this battle in particular since Wei Zhongyuan was an enemy he would definitely face again in the future. He wanted to think through the entire battle properly.
After travelling a few kilometers, the flying shuttle suddenly stopped. Han Qiongzhi said with a sunken face, “Get off!”
Li Qingshan asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Han Qiongzhi said, “Don’t you feel like you’ve forgotten something?”
“What have I forgotten?”
Han Qiongzhi gritted her teeth. “A thank you! If it weren’t for me, you would have lost your life there today.” So much for rushing over here and saving him. She did not even receive a single “thank you” from him. Perhaps regular people would just grumble inside, but she did not have the personality to keep it all repressed.
Li Qingshan smiled understandingly. “Alright then. Thank you. Though, if you hadn’t come, I had some confidence in making him remain there forever.”
The disciples of legalism were unconvinced. They all seemed like they wanted to mock him. That was a tenth layer Qi Practitioner on par with Hua Chengzan, yet he was actually boasting that he had a chance to defeat someone like that. He sure was overestimating himself.
Although Li Qingshan was raidating with valiance when he charged at Wei Zhongyuan earlier, it was more like charging towards his own destruction. He was overconfident in his abilities.
Han Qiongzhi said, “I don’t believe it.”
“Then thank you.” Li Qingshan shrugged and leapt off the shuttle, riding off on a cloud instead. If someone helped him, even if it was just the tiniest bit, he would remember it. However, what other people believed in was not for him to decide, nor did he care either. Was he supposed to pull out a few supreme grade talismans or the Cursive Sword Calligraphy to justify himself?
Han Qiongzhi was surprised. Originally, she had been waiting for Li Qingshan to thank her and cheer her up, and she would then forgive him for his rudeness. However, she never thought he would be so straightforward. She ground her teeth. “Alright you, Li Qingshan!”
The flying shuttle shot past the cloud. Han Qiongzhi maintained a cold expression, suppressing the urge to glance at Li Qingshan.
Xiao An said softly, “What a weirdo.”
Rarely did Xiao An ever comment on someone. Li Qingshan smiled and pinched her cheeks. “Let’s not stoop to the same level as her.”
At this moment, expansive, mist-covered waters appeared on the horizon. Under the sunlight, the ripples and waves glistened.
Li Qingshan smiled. He was finally here.
Yes. The Academy of the Hundred Schools was located in this great marshland.
The name of the lake was Dragons and Snakes, originating from the classics of confucianism. “Dragons and snakes were produced within the deep mountains and marshes.” It implied that those who set afoot in this lake might rise from mediocrity, transforming from a snake into a dragon and setting foot upon the endless path of cultivation.
This was the beginning.
Beside the lake on a large, sandy shoal stood thousands of people. They formed small groups, either whispering to one another or engaging in lively conversations. Qi Practitioners were converging from all directions. Li Qingshan descended on the cloud, but he failed to attract much attention at all.
The disciples of legalism in black maintained order in the surroundings. Hua Chengzan stood on a tall sentry post, conversing with a few stronger Qi Practitioners who had accompanied their own disciples. When he saw Li Qingshan arrive, he relaxed and nodded slightly, expressing how he was currently busy. He pointed towards a corner of the sandy shoal.
Li Qingshan looked over to where Hua Chengzan was pointing at. He saw a few hundred children standing there, separated from the Qi Practitioners.
There were two types of disciples that the Academy of the Hundred Schools accepted. One was regular Qi Practitioners. They might have come from smaller clans, or they might have been independent cultivators. As long as they were not too old and were willing to pay the school fees, basically all of them were allowed to study in the academy. The academy truly accepted everyone, both good and bad.
The other type was similar to what regular sects accepted. They would choose talented but foundationless children from various places. These children would not directly enter the Academy of the Hundred Schools, nor did they have to pay any school fees. Instead, they needed to practise the Innate Method of Practising Qi for a while. If they managed to condense qi successfully, they could choose among the schools after establishing a foundation. If they failed, then they would be sent back to their hometowns.
Li Qingshan held Xiao An’s hand and made his way over.
“Qingshan, you’ve finally arrived.” A fatty called out and pushed his way over.
Li Qingshan looked at him. He was Ye Dachuan. It was impossible for these children to make their way over by themselves, nor was it possible for Zhou Wenbin to escort them in person. Ye Dachuan would never miss this great opportunity to return to Clear River city either.
“Sir Ye, long time no see.”
“Were you the person on the cloud earlier? My god, I don’t even recognise you anymore! You’ve made it!” Ye Dachuan came up and wanted to pat Li Qingshan’s shoulder, but he was afraid to. He sized up Li Qingshan and clicked his tongue in wonder. No one would have thought that there would be a day when a farmer kid from Qingyang city would actually be able to ride clouds and fly around.
“I’ve heard plenty of stories about you in the past few months. What kind of friend are you supposed to be? You’ve made it so you’ve forgotten about your old friends now.”
Li Qingshan smiled. “How can I forget about what sir Ye did for me to get promoted? Do I need to register her name?”
“There’s no need. I’ve already registered her name. She’s called Xiao An, right? A ship will come to receive her in a while. Oh right, the other two are here too. Just wait here, I’ll call them over.”
The other two? Before he could ask about that, Ye Dachuan had already vanished into the crowd. A while later, he returned with a group of people.
The leader of the group was a majestic-looking middle-aged man with a large face and mouth. He clasped his hands at Li Qingshan. “You must be young hero Li! I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!” He was clearly a sixth layer Qi Practitioner, but he gave off vibes of the jianghu as he spoke.
Li Qingshan asked, “You’re?” He glanced around, and just as expected, there were two familiar people, one old and one young, among the group. They were the same two people who had walked out of Qingyang city with him back then, protector Yan Song of the Iron Fist school and Li Long, who had been known as one of the Two Talents of the Crouching Ox.
Yan Song remained at the second layer, while Li Long had already gone from being a third-rate master to a second layer Qi Practitioner. He did not waste the past year. When they saw Li Qingshan, they all found him to be rather unfamiliar. It had been less than half a year, yet Li Qingshan seemed to have become a completely different person. His gaze was calm as he gave off a certain weight. He did not lose out in bearing at all when compared to their school master Tie.