Chapter 118: 118
Even the hands of the third layer Qi Practitioner, Diao Fei, became covered in cold sweat . Within a range of three steps, he would not even have the time to activate a talisman against such an opponent . He felt extremely relieved that he had not fallen out with Li Qingshan . Under the guidance of an envoy, the three of them climbed the lengthy stairs, with Diao Fei and Qian Rongzhi following behind Li Qingshan instinctively . Afterwards, they crossed through a long corridor . Over a dozen Black Wolf guards parted to form a path for them . Li Qingshan clearly saw that there were both men and women among them . There were young twenty-year-olds, but there were also many middle-aged or even elderly people .
Li Qingshan studied them . Under the gloomy weather, their various faces turned into blurs in Li Qingshan’s mind . He did not try to remember them . He only silently estimated their strength . There were many third layer Qi Practitioners, with a few second and fourth layer Qi Practitioners . He did not see any fifth layer Qi Practitioners . The conclusion he reached was that he did not need to take special note of any of them .
Strength was the best calling card for Qi Practitioners . Before he knew it, Li Qingshan had also learned how to judge a person based on their strength . Only when Li Qingshan arrived before Zhuo Zhibo and Zhou Wenbin did he take special note of them . Their auras were so powerful that they could not be ignored .
Zhuo Zhibo scanned past the three of them, with his gaze pausing on Li Qingshan slightly . He smiled kindly . “Congratulations . From today onwards, you are a part of the Hawkwolf Guard . You’ve all done extremely well… In a moment, there will be a welcoming banquet . Little Ge, go take them to collect their items . ”
“Yes, commander!” answered a short but powerful Qi Practitioner . He had a bit of a baby face, but he had a mustache . Additionally, he seemed rather funny but also very likeable .
Zhou Wenbin said, “Commander Zhuo, I won’t be disturbing you any further then . I’ll take my leave . ” He did not even mention the matter of the spiritual stones, as he knew that Zhuo Zhibo would have the spiritual stones delivered to him once he returned . If he demanded for them before so many Black Wolf guards, it would be rather humiliating for Zhuo Zhibo and overbearing on Zhou Wenbin’s part .
Zhuo Zhibo urged Zhou Wenbin to stay with no sincerity at all before politely accompanying Zhou Wenbin down the stairs . Before Zhou Wenbin left, he said to the three of them, “Oh right . Don’t forget to report to the district government . ”
Although he directed that to the three of them, anyone could tell that he was specially speaking to Li Qingshan . District magistrate Zhou was very interested in him .
Under the lead of ‘little Ge’, Li Qingshan finally entered the depths of the Hawkwolf Guard . The exquisite, extravagant buildings and pavilions made it seem like a royal palace rather than a government office . The envoys they came across along the way no longer possessed any arrogance at all . Instead, they were humble and polite .
‘Little Ge’ was very good at making conversation . He introduced the names and purposes of the structures along the way, mentioning stories or anecdotes with great ease . He also constantly asked Li Qingshan how he had managed to accomplish what he currently possessed .
“It was all by chance,” Li Qingshan smiled . He had already learned that ‘little Ge’ was actually called Ge Jian, and he was actually past thirty years old already . The reason why he was so polite was directly connected to the strength Li Qingshan had displayed earlier . Although Ge Jian was cautious of him, being treated as an equal was still a comforting fact .
Ge Jian said, “There aren’t a lot of people who practise that now . The body practising methods in the library are even close to getting moldy with how seldom people view them . However, I never thought the power would be so great . Even I want to try it out now . You’ll need to teach me well when I do try . ”
He was just making conversation . Although Body Practitioners sounded like they were equals to Qi Practitioners, that was just Body Practitioners blowing their own trumpets . It was not some hidden, powerful path that people could take . It was just like the daoist ability of the Strength of Nine Oxen and Two Tigers . Most ancient cultivation methods were lost because they could no longer keep up with the times .
Compared to the powerful strength in battle, there were many disadvantages to the method of training the body . Every path was composed of the summaries of the countless lessons people before had learned . However, Li Qingshan was not a ‘person’, so he obviously had no need to follow the same path as these ‘people’ before .
Soon, they arrived at the depths of the mountain peak and entered a stone building carved out from the mountain . Ge Jian took the three of them through a series of stone doors . Every stone door was engraved with inscriptions . Even spiritual artifacts would not be able to blow them open . This was the armoury of the Hawkwolf Guard .
To the Hawkwolf Guard, there was not a single piece of gold, silver, or treasure worth protecting unless they were spiritual .
Ge Jian took out two Black Wolf uniforms for each person from the armoury first . Li Qingshan gently felt the smooth fabric . Through Ge Jian’s introductions, he learned that it was made from dark silk; it was both fire and waterproof and was tough enough to stop crossbow bolts . This was the best piece of clothing he had ever worn even with his two lives combined . However, he did not care too much about it . With his Ox Demon Forges its Hide, he had never been afraid of any crossbow bolts in the first place . If that was all the benefits the Hawkwolf Guard had to offer, it would just be disappointing . However, Diao Fei and Qian Rongzhi showed no signs of disappointment at all . They held the uniform like it was a treasure as they were distracted by their thoughts .
Qian Rongzhi’s thoughts included both resentment and joy . If she wore this uniform and returned to Ancient Wind city, those old coots would have to show some respect to her . Everyone who had once offended her, who had looked down on her, would have to pay .
Her hatred towards her family was actually dozens or even hundreds of times more intense than the feelings of someone like Li Qingshan who had cut off his family .
What Ge Jian took out next attracted all of their gazes . Even Li Qingshan showed anticipation . They were three delicately-crafted hundred treasures pouches, completely different from the ragged versions they possessed .
Ge Jian handed the three hundred treasures pouches to the three of them . “The items inside are all a welcoming gift . ”
Li Qingshan channeled his true qi into it and sensed that the space in the hundred treasures pouch was the size of a box . It was ten times larger than the ruined hundred treasures pouch he had obtained from Qian Rongming . It could easily hold a larger weapon, and he could finally store his Cursive Sword Calligraphy away .
There was a bottle of pills in the hundred treasures pouch as well . Despite its size, it held thirty Qi Gathering pills . Every single one of them was only the size of a soybean, but they were perfectly round and translucent, teeming with spiritual qi . Their effects surpassed regular Qi Gathering pills . There were also three low grade talismans .
It amazed Li Qingshan . The Hawkwolf Guard truly were wealthy, truly a government office of authority of the best of the best . The benefits that came with a position were just so good . There really was a reason why so many Qi Practitioners would risk their lives desperately to join them . To his side, Diao Fei and Qian Rongzhi also showed surprise and joy when they took their hundred treasures pouches .
However, that was not all . Ge Jian then took the three of them into the armoury, opening three stone doors . When the third stone door opened, a brilliant glow flooded out, dazzling Li Qingshan .
The large armoury room was filled with various types of weapons . Whether it be blades, spears, knives, glaives, axes, hooks, or tridents, it had them all . Light flickered in there like stars in the night sky . Every single one of them was a spiritual artifact .
“How are there so many spiritual artifacts here?” The spiritual artifacts Qian Rongzhi currently saw was more than she had seen throughout her entire life . She had grown up in Ancient Wind city, so she believed the Qian family was one of the largest clans in the world, a tremendous existence that could not be shaken . Yet, when she came to the Hawkwolf Guard, only then did she realise she had just been experiencing tunnel vision .
Ge Jian explained, “Over all these years, we’ve killed many enemies, with many Qi Practitioners among them . Since we obtained their weapons that we have no use for, we offered them up as contribution, which ended up being stored here . ”
Li Qingshan asked, “What’s contribution?”
Ge Jian explained patiently . As it turned out, Hawkwolf guards were not always busy with their duties . They just needed to deal with a few cases every month, and they would be permitted to use their other time freely . They could practise qi on the mountain or have fun outside, all depending on their preferences . They had great leisure .
Within the Hawkwolf Guard, strength was everything . No matter how hard a person worked, they could not be promoted if their strength was insufficient . As a result, in order to motivate people to work, they set up a contribution system . Whenever a case was completed, they could receive a corresponding amount of contribution, which could be exchanged for pills, talismans, or spiritual artifacts . Moreover, the Hawkwolf Guard did not pay their salaries with silver . There was no silver on the mountain at all . Instead, they would give each member ten Qi Gathering pills for their cultivation .
A great salary, great benefits, and high amounts of freedom . When I work, I even receive bonuses, and I get respected wherever I go . Apart from the fact that the commanding officer doesn’t seem to like me, it’s basically a perfect job . But even if the commanding officer does dislike me, he’ll have to live it with . Who told him to send someone to come steal my things? Serves him right . If he develops spite against me because of this, then he’d better be careful when he goes out at night, just in case he falls into the hands of daemons .
Li Qingshan smiled subconsciously, which made Qian Rongzhi and Diao Fei shiver .
Ge Jian said, “Everyone pick one as your weapon . If you don’t have confidence in your insight, I recommend that you choose a standard issue Wind-entwining blade . Be quick, because I still have to take you to your residences . ”
The three of them immediately began picking eagerly . Originally, Li Qingshan wanted to choose a heavy weapon, the heavier the better . He had already chosen a long battle-axe, but he changed his mind and directly went to the rack to the west, choosing a Wind-entwining blade . He drew the blade from its sheath; it was covered with a cloud-like pattern, shining with cold light . He could tell from a single glance that it had not been used before, brand-new . There were inscriptions on the hilt so that as long as true qi was channeled into the blade, it could unleash wind blades . It was basically a well-made low grade spiritual artifact .
Ge Jian extended his thumb at him, praising his choice . Li Qingshan replied with a smile . He was extremely satisfied with the Wind-entwining blade as well, but he did not choose it because he was unconfident in his insight . Weapons all depended on circumstances . The current him no longer needed to go trample through the Black Wind stronghold .
An overly-large or long weapon could not be stored in the hundred treasures pouch, so it was difficult to carry around and unwieldy . He had begun with the blade at the very beginning, so it was perfect for him to return to the blade now . And, he currently lacked a way to launch long-range attacks . He could not just use the Cursive Sword Calligraphy against anyone and everyone . The Wind-entwining blade was imbued with the Wind Blade technique, so it suited what he was looking for .
Diao Fei and Qian Rongzhi also chose their respective weapons . Diao Fei also chose a Wind-entwining blade, while Qian Rongzhi chose a Water-splitting barb . 1