Chapter 721 – Setting Off and Going Back (1/2)
The fierce wind kicked up waves in the pool. With a violent flap, he rushed into the air, diving into the depths of the clouds in the blink of an eye.
Fragrant Flower market became as small as a mustard seed, blurring in the endless sea of forests. He cast his gaze towards the north and whistled away.
Although he could not enter the atmospheric winds and make use of them because his strength had yet to fully recover, he travelled in a straight line and constantly flapped his wings, so he continued to speed up, leaving behind a spiral stream of air. With this innate ability, even thousands of kilometers would be nothing. It would take him a day or two at most to reach the boundary between the Mist province and the Green province. After he reached there, he would check his bearings and fly off towards the Ruyi commandery.
Li Qingshan gazed at the sky and split off a part of his focus, leaving it with his mirror clone. He lowered his head and said, “A’man, how do you plan on explaining my identity?”
Only now did Xianghua Man return to her senses. “What was that earlier?”
“Just a clone.”
Xianghua Man was shocked. “Just a clone!”
Over the past year or so, she never saw him fight or take action again. She only saw him grow with each passing day. Although she knew he was constantly growing stronger, she did not know just how strong he was becoming. The unexpected glimpse earlier allowed her to understand how powerful this child had become.
In the past when he promised he would use her for two years at most before letting her go free, she was not particularly convinced. If she were a man and had such a beautiful matriarch she could do whatever she wanted to as a servant, she would never let her go so easily. But now, she no longer had any doubts. She never bore any importance to him in the first place, which instead filled her with a faint sense of resentment and refusal to acknowledge this.
Li Qingshan said, “I’m asking you. What’re you standing there in a daze for?”
“You can just say that you’re my man!” Xianghua Man made her way over, her hips swaying from side to side before she crouched down. She embraced him and kissed him deeply as she smiled. With his daemonic characteristics hidden away, he lost some of his devilish charm, but it was replaced with some tenderness and handsomeness.
“Aren’t I your daddy?” Li Qingshan smiled, except the lust in his heart lit up again. She was dressed in some splendid attire today, with a delicate, silver tiara on her head and a colourful dress of black and blue, which highlighted her beautiful figure. She was filled with exotic charm.
“Ah! You’ve just finished harassing my daughter, and now, you’re harassing me. Yep, the White Lotus cult will publicly recruit disciples in Fragrant Flower market later. By then, all you need to do is go. I will tell A’lu to keep what happened today a secret! I’ll also write a letter. You just need to hand it to A’zi when the time comes, and she’ll give it to you. However, you have to promise me something!”
Li Qingshan said, “What?”
“Once this is all over, you have to come and visit me. You have no idea how much pain and hardships I’ve gone through to wait for you to grow up. You’re almost there, but if you just walk away now, wouldn’t you fill me with regret for the rest of my life?” Xianghua Man grumbled.
“I don’t recall you going through any pain or hardships.” Li Qingshan raised his eyebrows and smiled. They had only come across each other by chance in the first place, taking whatever they needed from one another. Although they had never actually done it, they had done plenty of other things already, so her complaint was completely without reason.
Xianghua Man nibbled on his ear and whispered a few things, which made Li Qingshan’s heart skip a beat. This really was a land of southern barbarians. They sure were uninhibited!
“Alright, we’ll see when the time comes!”
“I’ll definitely leave you satisfied when the time comes, A’yue!” Xianghua Man smiled. If the Fragrant Flower clan could draw in a backer like him, it would be far more reliable than the White Lotus cult. There were far too many followers of the White Lotus cult, and their resources were limited, but this person would always let benefits seep through between his fingers, enough for her to enjoy them to her heart’s content.
A few days later, the peaceful, or in other words, boring times Li Qingshan spent in the Fragrant Flower market came to an end.
The envoy of the White Lotus cult arranged a ceremony in the Fragrant Flower market. White lotuses bloomed, all as large as tables. The refreshing fragrance filled the surroundings, enough to dazzle and enchant everybody.
Afterwards, he began accepting disciples. He only accepted children below the age of fifteen and adult shamans with a certain foundation!
Before this occurred, news of it had already broken out, so the Fragrant Flower market that was already very prosperous and busy became packed. Everyone wanted their child to become a shaman. Joining the White Lotus cult was a shortcut to fame.
In the packed market, children lined up and made their way onto the platform one by one, having their talent tested. However, there was barely anyone that actually possessed the talent to cultivate, and the White Lotus cult’s requirements to accept disciples were extremely strict as well. If their talent was too poor, they would not want them either. It was basically a one-in-a-hundred selection.
In this place without any Academies of the Hundred Schools or sects to compete for resources, the White Lotus cult that dominated the region did indeed possess this right to be picky.
Below the platform in a pergola, Xianghua Man smiled. “The envoy sure is meticulous.”
“This is the very foundation and future of the White Lotus cult. With the holy mother looking down from above, how can I afford to mismanage this?”