Chapter 20 - 20: A Forgotten Female Disciple
With Li Qingshan’s current ability, he was practically invincible even against other cultivators of the same plane.
This Heavenly Path Sect elder was a good example. He was already at the peak of the Distant Shore Plane, yet he did not manage to catch even a glimpse of Li Qingshan’s face before being vaporized by the Great River Sword Qi that descended from the heavens.
As Li Qingshan cultivated the Immortality Method, he treated his shattered root bones as seeds and continued growing them. As a result, he gradually surpassed the ranks of ordinary cultivators.
Now, Li Qingshan, who had just reached the Distant Shore Plane, could already kill an ordinary cultivator at the peak of the Distant Shore Plane easily. Such was the difference between them.
And yet, he was barely at the Distant Shore Plane. He still had nine oceans that he needed to traverse, and he was only at the first ocean.
However, he could already stir up huge waves to smash cultivators at the ninth ocean.
This was the confidence that his root bone forest provided him.
Li Qingshan paid no heed to the Heavenly Path Sect elder who had just been vaporized. Instead, he did what he had to do since he did not want others to disturb his peaceful cultivation.
“However, the defenses of the Yuhua Sect are indeed lax. It is just like a broken net with hundreds of holes. Anyone can easily get in,” said Li Qingshan as he sighed. Just thinking about the Yuhua Sect was giving him a headache.
If people regularly snuck into Repentance Cliff, Li Qingshan would truly have a hard time.
“I hope that the Yuhua Sect can improve. This rain should wash away all the evidence. Now that they have lost a Distant Shore Plane elder, the Yuhua Sect should be on high alert,” mumbled Li Qingshan. He watched the rain gurgling off his porch. He closed his eyes and began absorbing the spiritual Qi from the rain.
The rain washed the world clean.
It also brought out spiritual Qi like a tide. The spiritual Qi of the old world reached deep underground. A bout of rain brought about new life and rejuvenated the land. At the same time, it also rejuvenated him.
He seemed to be in a vast and endless ocean, quietly swimming toward the end, toward the distant shore.
Time seemed to have stopped. Li Qingshan quietly cultivated, while all this time, the little fox was curled into a ball. She was staring at him with clear eyes.
The rain continued pouring down, washing away the blood in the Stele Forest.
No one knew that three people had just died here.
After a whole day of rain, the fresh smell of flowers and grass filled the air. Today marked another month. Little Nine should have come to visit him by now.
Li Qingshan had been waiting for her.
Little Nine would visit him each month, bringing him resources, as well as various books and manuscripts for him to pass his time.
However, she had not come today. Even after Li Qingshan had finished wiping the carvings on the steles and comprehended new techniques, he had not seen Little Nine.
“That is strange. She has always been very eager to come to visit. So why hasn’t she come yet today?” Li Qingshan said with a frown. He was beginning to get worried.
Could something have happened to her?
In an instant, someone arrived at Repentance Cliff.
Li Qingshan sensed this. However, when he used his domain to take a look, he discovered that it was not Little Nine but another woman.
He did not recognize this woman, and yet she felt somewhat familiar.
However hard he tried, he could not remember who she was. Li Qingshan had made the decision to forget everyone who wasn’t important from the memories of this original body.
He pondered for a while as he stood on the spot, completely stunned. He did not bother to go out because he could sense that the woman was already heading toward him.
She was also wearing the uniform of a disciple of the Yuhua Sect.
The female disciple walked toward Repentance Cliff. She saw the huge steles in multitudes, as far as the eyes could see. She felt a sense of loneliness and depression.
She thought, “No wonder the seniors who have been sentenced to stay on Repentance Cliff have all died of depression. This place is truly not suitable for living.”
She lamented, “It is such a pity for Li Qingshan. He could have been an astounding, admirable existence, yet he lost his mind and ruined himself.” This time around, her Junior Sister asked her to send some things over. Initially, she did not want to come. However, she wanted to see how far the person she once admired had fallen.
This female disciple was a Junior Sister of Li Qingshan. In the past, she had great admiration for him and had expressed her feelings toward him both overtly and covertly. However, Li Qingshan’s previous self had not given her any reaction.
This resulted in her mind being slightly twisted now. She wanted to meet Li Qingshan and even thank him for not seeing her as a woman.
Back then, the difference between them was too significant. One was a genius for whom everyone had high hopes. The other was a beautiful female disciple with just ordinary talent.
Naturally, she had very low self-esteem.
Now, the difference between them was still huge. One was a cripple whose cultivation and root bones had been crippled. The other was a gorgeous Yuhua Sect disciple with a bright future ahead of her.
The female disciple wanted to see Li Qingshan’s astonished and regretful expression.
As she walked along Repentance Cliff, the female disciple was in high spirits. She imagined that Li Qingshan would now be a disheveled mess. Having spent more than a year on this desolate Repentance Cliff, he should have been driven mad by now.
Once he saw her, he would definitely regret not appreciating her back then.
However, as she walked further along the cliff, the female disciple saw a utopia of birds and flowers in full bloom. There was even a small bridge and flowing water. She was struck speechless in astonishment.
She then saw a youth dressed in white robes standing in front of the flowers.
His complexion was as fair as jade, and his temperament was extraordinary. When she saw Li Qingshan, who looked like a deity, she was stunned.
“He is still that astounding genius. He has not fallen,” said the female disciple as memories filled her mind. She recalled the first time she saw Li Qingshan. Even then, he was a handsome, humble gentleman.
Li Qingshan’s temperament is even better now than before. A year on Repentance Cliff alone had not driven him mad.
“So what if he looks great? He is still a cripple,” countered the female disciple. She gave herself some words of encouragement before walking toward him.
“Senior Brother Qingshan, long time no see,” greeted the female disciple with a smile. She revealed her sweetest side as she waved at him.
She wanted to present her best side to him.
“You… who are you?” asked Li Qingshan incredulously. His response was not what she had expected.
The expression on the female disciple’s face froze.
She had always remembered Li Qingshan. She hated him and held a grudge against him, to the point of it becoming a mental illness.
And yet he had forgotten who she was?
The female disciple felt uneasy.
“I am Junior Sister Yunqing,” replied the female disciple, biting her lip.
“Repentance Cliff is off-limits. So how did you manage to get in?” asked Li
Qingshan calmly. He had no recollection of this Junior Sister Yunqing at all.
The female disciple took a deep breath. She felt defeated. Her rage was boiling within her, but she had nowhere to vent it. In a dull tone, she said, “Junior Sister Nine requested that I send you some books to pass the time.”
“Is Little Nine all right?” asked Li Qingshan out of concern.
The female disciple nodded and replied, “Junior Sister Nine is in seclusion. She is preparing to break through to the Grandmaster Plane and enter the Ascension Plane. Hence, she cannot visit you for the next two months. She asked me to inform you of this.”
“Many thanks. Where are the books?” asked Li Qingshan as he relaxed. He revealed a smile as he nodded his head in thanks.
The female disciple took out the books from her satchel and passed them to Li Qingshan.
“Repentance Cliff is a forbidden zone. I will not keep you here. Thank you for making the trip. See you, and I won’t be sending you off,” said Li Qingshan politely. He took the manuscripts and turned to enter the bamboo hut.
Of all the possible outcomes that the female disciple had imagined would happen, this was definitely not one of them.
Li Qingshan did not crazy, and he had become even more outstanding.
This made her heart itch and feel very uncomfortable. As she watched him leave, she could only comfort herself, thinking, “Even though he is even more outstanding now, he is just a cripple who cannot cultivate. The difference between us is like the clouds in the sky and the mud on the ground. There is no need for me to compare myself with him.”
The female disciple turned to leave.
And yet she was clenching her fist all the while. It was apparent that she was not calm.
Unfortunately, she had yet to regain her self-confidence before Li Qingshan..