“As you wish, sir.” Ye Mingzhu lowered her head, and her lips curled into a smile. As long as she borrowed his power, the Spider Shadow clan could easily surpass the other clans. Everything was even simpler than she had imagined it to be.

  “Just so you know, I won’t do anything.”


  Li Qingshan destroyed Ye Mingzhu’s plan in a single sentence. She raised her head in surprise. “But, with our Spider Shadow clan alone, how are we supposed to contend with the other clans?”


  “Do you really think that I’ll just say something, and the Spider Shadow clan will automatically be in charge of the other clans? If I were to fight, what difference is there between the Spider Shadow clan and the other clans?”


  Li Qingshan’s metallic voice brought up a grim reality. He was not hoping to earn the so-called “loyalty” of Ye Mingzhi or other night roamers. If they offered no value for use at all, and he had to busy himself for everything, what was the point in becoming the commander of night roamers after all this effort? Was it supposed to be for democratic liberty so that they could live better lives?

  “I’m not too sure what to do.” Ye Mingzhu’s heart trembled. She understood that Li Qingshan was definitely not an easy target to control and use. Ye Liusu opened her mouth, but she was silenced by a glance from Ye Liubo, letting out a silent sigh.

  “Don’t worry. I will provide you with necessary support.” Li Qingshan placed the ship’s wheel in Ye Mingzhu’s hand.

  “Thank you for your bestowment, sir!”


  Ye Mingzhu’s eyes lit up slightly after hearing Li Qingshan’s explanation. Her mind got to work. With the status granted by the Spider Queen and a force under her command, she had a great chance at conquering the weaker clans. If she united them, then…


  “Now is the time for you to demonstrate yourself. I’ll give you a month. Go make your ambition come true!” Li Qingshan patted Ye Mingzhu’s shoulder with a smile.

  Ye Mingzhu took her leave. Ye Liubo wrapped her arms around Li Qingshan’s neck. “Master, if she defies your orders after obtaining power, what will you do?” This was probably the problem that worried all rulers in the world. Those who achieved great merit were harder to control. As a matter of fact, it was even possible for their roles to reverse.

  Li Qingshan’s reply was very simple. “Then I’ll switch her out with someone who does obey me.”


  This was the principle of governance among cultivators. Tricks and tactics were nothing before absolute power. Li Qingshan would be an idiot if he wasted his energy on this. He had to do all he could to free up more energy and obtain more resources. Becoming even stronger was the correct path to take.

  The objective behind this all and all of the hard work was for climbing even higher. By then, he would have completely shaken off these people already.

  The objective he had temporarily forgotten became clear once more. Li Qingshan raised his head and looked at the gloomy ceiling. His gaze pierced through the thick rock and soil, seeing the azure sky with a different pair of eyes that led to beyond the Nine Heavens.

  “Let’s go, Xiao An. Let’s return to the academy.”


  Leaving behind his clone to watch over the situation underground, Li Qingshan’s main body returned to human form. Holding Xiao An’s hand, a cloud rose up beneath their feet, lifting them up and flying them off in the direction of the academy.

  His hundred treasures pouch contained a tremendous amount of spiritual herbs offered up by Ye Mingzhu, or should he say the Spider Shadow clan. Once they subdued the other clans, this quantity would multiply. Right now, he just lacked a person to refine them into pills—Ru Xin.

  “Ru Xin is still in secluded cultivation!?”


  On Cloudwisp island within the shimmering bamboo, Li Qingshan let out a long sigh, which made Han Qiongzhi frown. “Why do you care about her so much?”


  “What’s wrong with caring about friends? Congratulations, you primary disciple of the school of Legalism.” Li Qingshan pulled Han Qiongzhi into his embrace with a smile, pressing his forehead against hers intimately. He stared at her bright, beautiful face in complete affection.

  “There's something I want to discuss with you.” Han Qiongzhi pinched him and retracted her delicate body into his embrace.

  “What’s up?”


  “I want to enter seclusion for a while.” Having reached the tenth layer, Han Qiongzhi should have devoted a lot of time to merging and achieving mastery over the twelve standard meridians and eight extraordinary meridians. Now that something big was looming over the horizon, she had to redirect her focus to cultivation again.

  “What a coincidence. I plan to too.” Li Qingshan raised his brows. He just happened to be planning to tell her about this. He needed a quiet place to tend to his wounds, and he also needed to properly focus on practising qi.

  “Together?” Han Qiongzhi’s eyes lit up. If it were possible, she would rather remain by his side constantly.

  “Then will we still have time to cultivate?” Li Qingshan pinched her waist with an evil smile. Having done it now, she became more graceful and charming.

  “I refuse to believe you won’t get tired.” Han Qiongzhi reddened, but she refused to relent.

  “Since when has it ever ended without you begging for mercy?” Li Qingshan’s smile widened, and Han Qiongzhi became even redder, but she could not help but admit to that. Tucking her hair behind her ear with her little finger, her voice became tender as she whispered into his ear, “I can find a suitable method of dual cultivation.”


  “I even have to think of cultivation when I’m doing it? That’s too troublesome.” Li Qingshan was very interested, but upon further thought, he still chose to decline. He had far too many secrets. Just absorbing spiritual qi of the world as he cultivated could lead to a lot of suspicion.

  “I think you just don’t want to be with me!” Han Qiongzhi became annoyed. It was rare of her to consider so much, but he still refused her.

  “I’ve already promised Xiao An,” Li Qingshan said helplessly.

  “If you don’t want to, then forget it. That’ll just be your bad luck!” Han Qiongzhi snorted coldly. If Li Qingshan declined, what could she do? She was not a pestering person. She would never behave like she could not even live anymore if he were not by her side.

  All Li Qingshan could do was coax her before celebrating with her alone, spending a night entangled together. The next day, he accompanied her to the seclusion dwellings in the Han family, parting with her reluctantly.

  At the bottom of Contention island, Li Qingshan and Xiao An held hands and watched the stone door close and the formations activate. They smiled at one another.

  “Does it still hurt?” Xiao An undid Li Qingshan’s clothes and placed her hand against his chest. He seemed fine on the surface, but she could feel that the hole was nowhere close to healing, so she asked in concern.

  “A little, but it’s fine.” Li Qingshan rubbed her head. Ever since that battle, his chest had never stopped hurting, but he was rather good at withstanding and hiding pain. Unfortunately, he could not fool Xiao An.

  “Let me help you,” said Xiao An. As her tiny hand stroked his chest, Li Qingshan felt the pain gradually disappear. It warmed up slightly, filled with indescribable comfort.

  Power surged out from her hand. Under the nourishment of this power, the flesh and blood in his body started to teem with vitality, and his wound began to heal faster.

  After a night and two days, Xiao An let go, and Li Qingshan had made a complete recovery. He was even tougher than before. “And I had thought it would take half a month at the very least! I really do need you around!”


  Xiao An let out a smile of exhaustion and relief. “As long as it doesn’t hurt anymore.”