Legend of the Great Saint

Chapter 40

The green bull said: “Do you still want to keep going? Don’t blame me for not reminding you, there’s no telling whether you’d really turn into a demon or not.”

“As long as there’s no shame when I look inside my heart and I am able to free the feelings deep inside my chest, then even if I turned into a demon I would have no complaints and no regrets.” Li Qingshan stood up and said upright and unafraid. His confused mind had been stimulated into staunchness by the green bull’s provocation.

The green bull had no choice but to once again feel a new level of respect for him. Even if a cultivator’s will were resolute, he’d still feel fear and repulsion when he heard he’d degenerate into the dao of demons and become a monster.

It was originally prepared to patiently convince him, but Li Qingshan wasn’t too much affected and was still able to keep to his own choice without any hint of indecisiveness. This was truly rare. But it was also fine like this. If he were the kind of person to be invariably confused about this kind of matters, it would also not have been worth its efforts.

The era Li Qingshan had lived in in his former world was an era where information had exploded. As a nerd, he’d absorbed day and night every kind of movies and novels as food for the mind. He came to understand the most diverse schools of thoughts, and also saw the most fearsome and grandest of scenes.

His tolerance had become stronger under the impact of every kind of information. Few people could probably compare in this era. He wouldn’t be slave to the bindings of any conventional thinking. This kind superiority and boldness was slowly manifesting a strength that couldn’t be replaced by any divine skill or treasure.

However strong the aptitude for cultivation displayed by Li Qingshan, it would still hardly enter the green bull’s eyes. But it was utterly different for the uniqueness of his nature; the green bull placed extreme value on it: “Follow me!”

A bull and a man traveled forward through twists and turns on this savage mountain where no road existed.

The green bull didn’t say where it was headed, and neither did Li Qingshan ask. After he had obtained an understanding of the Black Wind Camp’s strength from the third boss’ mouth, he’d immediately known that his present self was definitely not the Black Wind Camp’s match. He could only become stronger.

After walking for who knew how long, a noise suddenly spread over from the forest. The rumble neared following their steps forward, finally becoming like thunder.

Just like light at the end of the tunnel, the view before their eyes suddenly opened to a wide panorama. A waterfall flew down a cliff a hundred feet tall, falling into the deep pond like a jade dragon, splashing snowflake-like sprays. A great whirlpool revolved ceaselessly in the center of the deep pool, with many small whirlpools all around.

Li Qingshan stood in front of the waterfall. Although his will was unwavering, he still shook a little facing this creation of nature: “Brother bull, this is?”

“A waterfall.”

“Of course I know it’s a waterfall, why did you bring me here?”

“Of course it’s for cultivation!”

At this time, a piece of broken tree dropped down from the top of the waterfall and was swept inside the whirlpool in a flash. It violently crashed into a rock standing inside the water and broke into many wooden fragments. If a man were to be swept inside, it could only end up with a torn body and broken bones.

Li Qingshan drew in cold air: “In here?”

The green bull said: “This is the fastest shortcut if you want to cultivate the strength of one bull. To do it or not, it’s all up to you.”

Li Qingshan firmly jumped toward the deep pool as soon as its voice fell. The information he obtained from the third boss appeared in his mind while still in mid-air

The Black Wind Camp had about three hundred men with a total of seven bosses. Of course, they were six at present. Among them, five bosses were third-grade masters. The big boss was named Black Bear Xiong Xiangwu by men of the martial world. He was a genuine second-grade master, and he could comfortably beat all the other bosses put together.

Li Qingshan’s present strength was also merely at the peak of third grade. Without using stealth and ambushes, he could probably only confront two bosses. He would doubtlessly lose if he were to fight three, and would be forced to run. Don’t even mention facing the Black Wind camp master, this was a colossus he couldn’t prevail against right now.

The only good news was that great snow would seal off the mountains once winter came. If the Black Wind Camp wanted to carry out large scale operations, they’d wait at least until the beginning of spring. This was the time left to him. He had to become stronger. Only then could he block the Black Wind Camp, save the Crouching Bull Village, and complete the pledge he undertook.

All those thoughts went past in a flash. He saw the water rush closer and closer to him. Li Qingshan’s valiance manifested itself, and in a an instant he repressed down all his fear and anxiety. His mind regained its serenity and quickly adjusted the posture of his body. He took a deep breath in and hit the water with a loud crash.

The green bull kept talking at the top of the pool: “I was going to say to take things step by step, start with sitting under the waterfall.” It immediately sensed a resentful aura assaulting his way. Little An was giving it a deathly stare. The green bull was feeling faintly uncomfortable: “Little An, don’t look at me like that!”

The torrential currents battered Li Qingshan’s body. He was like a small boat inside a rainy storm, his movements not under his control. He could crash into the reefs at any moment and sink.

Li Qingshan’s decent swimming skills couldn’t be displayed a single bit at this very moment. He operated the Bull Demon Skin Refining, eliminating the pain from the torrent lashing at his skin. A black shadow pressed toward him without even leaving him the time to breath and relax.

The currents pushed him bumping toward a rock. The great tree earlier was a good forewarning. Even with the Bull Demon Skin Refining protecting his body, his bones would still be entirely broken until he died under the collision. It was too difficult trying to resist the power of nature with a human body.

“Bull Demon Hoof Stamp!” A gust of true qi sank into his dantian. Li Qingshan’s body seemed to become heavier out of nowhere and suddenly sank downward. He stamped on the hard bottom of the pond. The rocks cracked, and two deep footprints were left engraved into them.

The currents shifted once again at the bottom and pulled him toward the greatest whirlpool. He spared no effort to nail himself in place and resist the currents.

One mouthful of air was quickly exhausted, and the sensation of suffocation tightly gripped at him. In this kind of torrential momentum, it was entirely impossible to swim and break out of the water surface. He would be drawn by the current inside the whirlpool as soon as his feet left the bottom.

His consciousness dimmed very quickly, and even the deafening rumbles seemed to be coming from far away.

Suddenly, there was a coolness on his chest, and his true qi reacted by itself.

Li Qingshan’s consciousness regained its clarity. He saw Little An’s little hands pushing against his chest, anxiety filling across the whole of his face. His yin qi had aroused a reaction from the true qi.

The true qi abruptly revolved faster at this juncture between life and death. It rushed to his nose and mouth, and the feeling of suffocation vanished. Breathing was replaced with innate true qi. Li Qingshan hadn’t expected true qi to have even this kind of marvelous use. He hurriedly nodded at Little An to signify his thanks, then he clenched his teeth, loosened his feet, and allowed the currents to draw him inside the great whirlpool.

Little An hovered all around the vortex for a while, then suddenly resolved himself and returned ashore. He respectfully knelt on the ground and paid homage to the green bull.

The green bull said: “You want to help him?”

Little An nodded fiercely.

Liu Hong and Dragon Li returned to Crouching Bull Village. They appeased the villagers, then returned to Suncheer City.

The little village seemingly restored its quiet, but the feeling of restless anxiety couldn’t be rid of. The Black Wind Camp pressed upon their heads like a great mountain, and many people wanted to run away from this village.

But the pledge Li Qingshan had left behind before leaving gave hope to everyone. At the critical juncture, the village hero Dragon Li wasn’t able to protect them, and the great character from the city Liu Hong had come only after the events. There had only been Li Qingshan who stood in front of everyone and protected them with his own power.

Later, the government soldiers from the legends actually appeared. They carried away the third boss’ head as well as the heads of the several dozen mountain bandits. Suncheer City was astonished. There was actually someone who dared to offend the Black Wind Camp. Officials and criminals alike all came to know of a name – Li Qingshan.

Inside the county government offices, County Magistrate Fatty ordered the adviser: “Hurry, hurry to request commendation from the lord prefect. This official eliminated a band of bandits as soon as he came to Suncheer City. Who still dares to say that this official has no ability. Hang all those heads on the city’s gates, let the city populace know of this official’s fierceness. Also, find this Li Qingshan for me, this official has to thank him face to face for his life-saving grace. There’s also great riches and honor to give him!”

The adviser said: “My lord, to ask the lord prefect for commendation is a matter of course, but let’s just not hang the heads. That Black Wind Camp isn’t good to provoke. As to that Li Qingshan, I fear it’ll be difficult to escape from death for him.”

Correct, in many people’s eyes, Li Qingshan was already a dead man. Although they praised and admired Li Qingshan’s fierceness and martial arts, no one felt that he was a match for the Black Wind Camp. The Black Bear Xiong Xiangwu was a figure that could make children cry at night inside Suncheer City. He had already been older than Li Qingshan back when he became famous. The two of them were entirely on two different levels.

County Magistrate Fatty hesitated. It’d be too regretful if he couldn’t show off a little this great merit fallen from the sky. His small eyes spun in circle, then he violently slapped the table: “I am an official, he is a bandit, do I still have to fear him. Transmit my orders, take all the bandit heads and hang them over the city gates. Let’s see if those local country tyrants still dare not to pay the bandit repression taxes.”