Chapter 608 – In the Parlour of Clouds and Rain (1/2)

Li Qingshan and Chu Danqing exchanged glances. They could not help but laugh aloud.

Qiu Haitang asked in confusion, “Commander, why do you laugh?”

“You’ve said everything I hate in a single breath.” Li Qingshan waved his hand and laughed loudly. “There’s no need to thank me! After all, ‘thank-yous’ mean nothing before great kindness! Since you won’t pledge yourself to me, it’s useless even if you thank me a thousand times.”

The surroundings fell silent. Just who would bring up things like “‘thank-yous’ mean nothing before great kindness” and “pledge yourself to me” again and again after doing some good? Qiu Haitang was completely taken aback. She reddened slightly and stared at Li Qingshan with a mixed gaze, thinking to herself.

Don’t tell me he’s interested in me? Yeah, so much for fancying myself as clever, I completely missed this point. If he wasn’t interested in me, why would he take on so much risk to help me? If he only stopped E Dan, then so be it, but he even went as far as to fall out with him completely. He was clearly standing up for me!

Sigh, he has offended E Dan for my sake, so he really might die to a scheme before long. Even if I do pledge myself to him, he well and truly deserves something like that, though from what Chengzan said, isn’t he already engaged to the young lady of the Han family?

Qiu Haitang thought quickly. Li Qingshan had once put everything on the line to stand up for her, refusing to let her be humiliated before everyone no matter what. Right as she contemplated how she would reply, she heard Li Qingshan continue.

“There’s no need to say anything more. All you have to do is serve up some good alcohol and good meat so that I can have a jolly session with everyone, and we’ll be in the clear. There’s alcohol tonight, so we’ll get drunk tonight. By the time you really approach your last breath and become an old granny, what’s the point even if you still remember it?!”

There was a roar of laughter. Everyone had heard how he completely fell out with a powerful Golden Core cultivator from the Dragon province for the sake of Qiu Haitang in the marquis’ estate. If they had been in his shoes, they definitely could not smile so easily even if they did not go as far as losing their appetite from worrying day and night. They secretly admired his courage.

With some hidden bitterness, she glanced at Hua Chengzan. Hua Chengzan lowered his head and cleared his throat. She smiled. “Commander- no, Qingshan, if you truly are interested, how can I hold myself back? Though, I do have to be married to you in a formal manner, under the witness of our friends and family. Only then can we become cultivation partners.”

Basically all the men present become envious. Qiu Haitang’s beauty was renowned. There was basically no one who did not know about it within the cultivation community of the fifteen hundred kilometers of the Clear River prefecture. Never had anyone managed to get close to her. As a matter of fact, some people thought that even if they had to fall out with E Dan, it was not completely unacceptable if something as great as this was on the line.

Li Qingshan shook his head firmly. “That won’t work. Qiongzhi will kill me!”

Everyone laughed aloud again. Qiu Haitang laughed too. “Then you can’t blame me for refusing to pledge myself to you.”

She felt a tinge of regret the moment she said that earlier, but when she saw how Li Qingshan turned her down without the slightest hesitation, she could not help but become slightly disappointed. Though, that was not exactly because she was interested in Li Qingshan, but purely because of her instincts as a woman.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as there’s alcohol and meat.”

Li Qingshan entered the Parlour of Clouds and Rain with everyone and glanced upwards. When Qiu Haitang mentioned how she could agree to his demands, he immediately felt a sense of hostility, but the hostility vanished as he turned her down publicly.

The Parlour of Clouds and Rain is hiding a Golden Core cultivator. I wonder who they are. Don’t tell me E Dan has come for revenge?

As a result, he raised his guard and immediately made his mirror clone hurry over so that it could provide assistance at crucial times. E Dan probably would not take action in the eye of the public. He could definitely strike when he was alone; no, he did not even have to be alone. He only had to kill all eyewitnesses. He definitely possessed the strength and cruelty to do something like that. If that happened, Li Qingshan would not be able to maintain his disguise anymore. He would be forced to show his true form and cooperate with his clone to see if he could kill E Dan on the spot!

Like in the past, the banquet was arranged on the rooftop of the Parlour of Clouds and Rain. It was possible to admire flowers and the moon and see the entire glow of the prefectural city from there.

Everyone sat down in their seats, and Li Qingshan obviously occupied the seat of honour. Qiu Haitang had arranged this banquet to thank him after all. In the past, Qiu Haitang would carry out her responsibilities as a host and go around toasting to the school leaders so that everyone would be happy, but she sat with Li Qingshan today, specially serving him and keeping him company.

Li Qingshan did not hold back, emptying his cup the moment she filled it with alcohol. Although he would not grope around, it was still extremely delightful to have a great beauty with such a mesmerizing figure and charming bearing to fill his cup and urge him to drink. He incurred everyone’s jealousy.

Sure enough, Qiu Haitang did not mention another “thank you”. She only mentioned how they first met. “Back then, I thought you were just an ignorant country bumpkin, but I never thought…”

“You never thought there would be a time when you drank with me, right?” Li Qingshan smiled as he clinked cups with her.

The unhappy experiences of the past sounded more like interesting stories now. Qiu Haitang did not do everything to please him, but she was docile and meek. It was not only because she owed Li Qingshan, but also became of his extraordinary strength. Originally, his young age was worth despising, but now, it accentuated his extraordinary talent instead.

By the time they had become familiar with one another, Qiu Haitang had become somewhat tipsy. Her plump, smooth cheeks were slightly flushed, making her even more charming. She said gently, “Be honest with me. Did you kill the West Gate Granny and the others?”

“Well that’s not something I can tell you!”

Li Qingshan laughed. Having reached this point, it did not matter even if he admitted it. As the Scarlet Hawk commander, defeating those stronger than him and killing a few Qi Practitioners who dared to oppress him in the past was nothing bad at all. Instead, it brought him glory.