Chapter 78 - White Hawk Commander
Chapter 78 - White Hawk Commander
Li Qingshan could only follow him. Turning him down right now would just be inviting humiliation. Before absolute strength, no one could say ‘no’. However, in the meantime, he rapidly thought about everything he had seen and heard just now. What are second layer Qi Practitioners about? Wasn’t it supposed to be the innate realm? The people I’m about to see are also important figures of the Hawkwolf Guard, but why do they want to see me? Is it for the spiritual ginseng as well?
His mind was filled with questions that could not be answered. The strength of the government had exceeded his imaginations as well. He would be better off saying that the powerful had created the government and ruled over the world than saying that the government had used wealth and glory to recruit powerful people to serve them. With great power comes great responsibility was just a twisted concept of American movies. The reality was that with great power comes great authority.
As he thought, the three of them made their way out of the city. Hua Chengzan was at the very front, advancing as if he were almost floating. He moved faster and faster, passing by without leaving a single trace.
Feng Zhang utilised all of his true qi and worked hard to follow behind him. Although he was nowhere near as graceful as Hua Chengzan, his movements did seem similar.
On the other hand, Li Qingshan was nowhere near as elegant as any of them, leaping and bounding about. He would cross several dozen steps with a single step, moving like a wild beast rushing along the ground, utilising every single bone and muscle in his body. He possessed a form of primal, coarse extravagance, but he actually managed to keep up with them.
Among the three of them, Hua Chengzan and Feng Zhang used their qi, while Li Qingshan used his strength. A difference between them immediately appeared.
Feng Zhang thought, If this kid flees with his full strength, I really might not be able to keep up with him. It looks like he isn’t as simple as regular first-rate masters. Once I see commander Wang, I’ll rat him out and get his martial arts crippled first. Let’s see then.
Hua Chengzan’s insight was much greater than that. He also secretly evaluated Li Qingshan. A first layer Qi Practitioner. His true qi is still very weak, so it must be due to the effects of the spiritual ginseng. He’s also practising some sort of method that focuses on the body, so his vitality is very powerful.
Feng Zhang mustered up his courage and asked, “Commander Hua, may I ask why you’ve come here with commander Wang? Just what crucial matter requires both commanders to be mobilised?”
Hua Chengzan glanced past the two of them with a smile. “Boss Gu has come. As for the details, even I don’t know.”
All Li Qingshan saw was Feng Zhang becoming dazed for quite a long moment before suddenly returning to his senses. His expression changed drastically, and all of his true qi immediately stirred wildly. He staggered and almost fell over before regaining his footing after quite some difficulty and catching up again with his head lowered.
Li Qingshan became even more curious. Who was this ‘boss Gu’? Hua Chengzan had said someone wanted to see him earlier and not ‘old Wang’ wanted to see him. Was it perhaps this ‘boss Gu’?
Outside Qingyang city in a silver world of ice and snow, a rectangular dining table had somehow been set up beneath a lone pine tree. It was a small table made from narra wood. On the table were a few delicately-crafted drinking vessels. On the side was a small, red-clay stove that heated a small tripod.
Two people sat before each other, savouring alcohol and admiring the snow. They were so refined and graceful that they seemed like they were from out of this world.
One of them was the Wang Pushi who possessed paramount authority over the law in the Clear River prefecture. He was actually in his eighties already, but due to practising qi, he only seemed to be in his forties. His face that was renowned for being stern was currently overflowing with smiles like it was springtime.
A hawk had delivered a message, summoning him from over a thousand kilometers away from the prosperous Clear River city to this tiny, remote, backwater city of Qingyang. However, he was not mad at all. Instead, he felt honored.
“Old Wang, your cultivation has improved again. Before long, the Clear Water prefecture won’t be enough to contain you.”
Not everyone could call Wang Pushi by this nickname. Even when vice commander Hua Chengzan called him old Wang, he would receive glares. However, he felt even more honor when the person before him called him that. He bowed his head. “I am willing to serve sir as a wolf.”
“Originally, I wanted little Hua to take over your position, but he’s just.”
“Little Hua is far too much of a disappointment. He has let down sir’s expectations. Oh, they’re here.”
“Big boss Gu, I’ve brought the people!” Hua Chengzan smiled before making his way over and reaching towards the tripod. “Old Wang, is the wine ready yet?”
Wang Pushi knocked away Hua Chengzan’s hand and glared at him. “Don’t call me that. Sit down obediently. The wine needs to be cooked for forty-five minutes. Only then will it be flavourful enough.”
Hua Chengzan inhaled through his nose, sitting down with crossed legs as he covered his hand. “Old Wang, you’re far too heavy-handed.” He said to ‘boss Gu’, “Do you know how he harasses me usually?”
With his awakened eyes, Li Qingshan spotted the two people below the lone pine tree from afar. If Hua Chengzan’s spiritual qi was like flowing water, then Wang Pushi’s would be like frozen ice. It was heavy and consolidated. Every move of his could invoke the energy in the surroundings. It was filled with an indescribable profoundness.
However, when Li Qingshan arrived below the pine tree, all of his attention became focused on the ‘boss Gu’. No matter how profound or wondrous Wang Pushi was, he was unable to shift his gaze.
Her set of pure-white clothes were large and graceful, gently laying on the table as if they were a part of the white world.
With her alluring appearance, she looked at Li Qingshan with a faint smile; she was as elegant and as beautiful as snow, yet she also hid startling talent and ability.
Originally, Li Qingshan did not believe in love at first sight. He originally believed he would never experience this so-called breathtaking feeling ever again, as he had steeled himself in his previous life under the barrage of countless beauties from the internet.
But now, he believed in love at first sight, and he believed in the existence of happiness that his previous life could not provide. His heartbeat sped up, basically unable to keep himself in check.
He had once sworn after drinking that he would ‘sleep with the most beautiful woman’. Originally, that was just a joke he made after getting drunk, but now a strong desire bloomed within him. He wanted to take her as his wife!
However, Feng Zhang’s reaction was the exact opposite to his. He only took a glance before lowering his head. It was as if the person in front of him was not a great beauty, but a dreadful monster.
Hua Chengzan glanced past Feng Zhang with contempt before looking at Li Qingshan with a smile. However, there was a smear of sorrow in his eyes. Only the most arrogant, the proudest of people would be bold enough to look directly into her eyes before being immersed by them and losing control over themselves.
‘Boss Gu’ coughed gently and wrinkled her nose. “How many days has it been since you showered?”
The voice was as pleasant as the gurgling of a mountain spring, but her words immediately dumbfounded Li Qingshan. A certain image of perfection collapsed in his mind. He was very tempted to scream out, “You can’t say something like that!” In his mind, even if she could not make flowers bloom, her words filled with sweetness, like in the fairytales, at least it should have been much more poetic or aesthetic in nature.
Hua Chengzan could not help but burst out in laughter.
“I…” Li Qingshan was momentarily left at a loss as for how to answer. Although he spent everyday training, that did not necessarily mean he smelled! However, all thanks to that, he managed to recover from his state of infatuation.
Only now did Li Qingshan notice that a small, silver hawk hung from her waist. It was exactly the same as the one on Wang Pushi’s waist in terms of design. Under the reflection of the snow, a white hawk could vaguely be seen stretching its wings on her white clothes. Every single feather was meticulously embroidered, just like real plumage.
She was a White Hawk commander.