The Nine Cauldrons Book 9: Return of Qing Shan - Chapter 11 High Priestess of Snowy Lotus Cult

Book 9 Chapter 11 High Priestess of Snowy Lotus Cult
“Heavenly God Palace?” Teng Qingshan was astonished.
“How did the Heavenly God Palace find me? They even know that I am Huhe?” This really shocked Teng Qingshan. When he had ventured through the Great Prairie in the northern areas with the name ‘Huhe,’ he had acquired the position of ‘Foreign Dignitary’ on the God of Heaven Mountain. However, when he and Little Jun returned to the Land of the Nine Prefectures, they had not disclosed their return to the public. Therefore, only a few people were aware of their return.
A million possibilities instantly flashed through Teng Qingshan’s mind as he laughed and responded, “Haha, the Heavenly God Palace is powerful indeed. I didn’t expect you guys to find me so quickly.”
“Lord Huhe, we have been searching for you for over three years.” The grim-looking man in black cupped his hands and said, “May I know if the Goddess is here?”
“You came to find Li Jun?” Asked Teng Qingshan with a frown
“I came to find both the Goddess and Lord Huhe,” answered the man in black, Cao Yan. Suddenly, his facial expression changed.
He saw an enormous creature emerge slightly from the ground. A triangular head with two thin and long antennas came into view and two massive cold, gleaming, gold-colored bladelike legs stretched out… The Six Legged Bladelike Chi’s head popped out of deep pit and evidently affrighted Cao Yan.
The Six Legged Bladelike Chi flicked a cold glare at Cao Yao.
“What a powerful demonic beast!” Cao Yan was astonished. He too held what was considered a high rank within the Heavenly God Palace, however, when he saw the Six Legged Bladelike Chi, he felt an intense pressure. “As expected of Huhe, the figure called ‘Demon Arada’ and the one that defeated the First Godly General. He is indeed incredibly powerful. Not only is he powerful, even his demonic beast is terrifyingly strong!”
Teng Qingshan’s status immediately became much higher in Cao Yan’s eyes.
……
Just when Cao Yan was feeling slightly afraid, suddenly—
“Who is it?” A shout came from afar and a figure in white drifted over.
Teng Qingshan turned to look and a smile crept onto his face. The figure approaching was Li Jun.
Li Jun was stupefied as she stared at the collapsed big tree and the messy training field. She ran towards Teng Qingshan and looked quizzically at the man in black, Cao Yan.
“Cao Yan is pleased to meet the Goddess.” The man in black said.
“You are Commander Cao?” Li Jun walked beside Teng Qingshan. She stared at Cao Yan, both surprised and happy. “Commander Cao, why are you here? How did you know I was here?”
When Teng Qingshan saw Li Jun’s expression, he smiled and asked, “Little Jun, do you know him?”
“Yes. When I was learning the Language of Beasts from Martial Uncle, Commander Cao visited Martial Uncle. I met him on that occasion.” Li Jun grinned and looked back at Cao Yan. “Commander Cao looks the same as when I first met you. You did not change at all.”
“Goddess, you have changed a lot.” Commander Cao shook his head as he said with a smile, “The Goddess of our Heavenly God Palace had actually gotten married within a few years. If this news spread out, many young men of the Heavenly God Palace will most likely be disappointed.
Li Jun responded with a grin while Teng Qingshan remained quiet as he watched from the side.
“Commander Cao.” Li Jun smiled and asked, “Why did you come?”
“The results of our investigation showed that the Goddess had appeared. Your marriage really shocked many people of the Heavenly God Palace! Even the High Priestess came personally.” Commander Cao looked at Li Jun and said, “Goddess, no matter what, you should have told the High Priestess before you got married. You know how the High Priestess feels about you.”
Hearing this, Teng Qingshan was confused. “The High Priestess?”
“Little Jun, who is the High Priestess?” asked Teng Qingshan.
“The teacher that looked after me in the past.” Li Jun answered.
Teng Qingshan knew that Li Jun’s teacher was a lady that cared deeply about Li Jun and treated Li Jun as though she were her daughter.
“When I married Big Brother Huhe, we were on an isolated island. We couldn’t notify teacher, and so we decided to do the deed first and report later.” Li Jun giggled as she said.
“Unruly.” Commander Cao shook his head and said.
To a great sect, the status of a great master in the languages of beast was extremely high. Because Li Jun showed great talent, the Heavenly God Palace trained Li Jun to be the number one great master of the languages of beast. How could the Heavenly God Palace allow Li Jun, the great master of the languages of beast, to marry an outsider? However, Li Jun acted beforehand, enraging many people of the Heavenly God Palace.
“Is teacher mad?” Li Jun asked hesitantly.
“Of course she’s mad.” Cao Yan shook his head and replied. “After the battle at the Heavenly Rock Island, the Foreign Dignitary Lord Huhe sailed away while the Goddess suddenly disappeared! While we were on the God of Heaven Mountain, we were already aware that you and Lord Huhe were close. At that time, we already guessed that…you left with Lord Huhe. Based on the situation now, our assumptions during that time were right!”
“Goddess, the High Priestess had already arrived in Yangzhou.” Cao Yan said, “It would be best if you meet the High Priestess first before you explain anything.”
“Teacher is in Yangzhou?” Li Jun raised her brows as she said.
“Lord Huhe.” Cao Yan stared at Teng Qingshan. “The High Priestess also commanded me to ask you to accompany the Goddess. The High Priestess wants to meet you too.”
“Meet me?” Teng Qingshan stared at Li Jun and asked, “Little Jun, do you want to go?”
“Yes.”
Li Jun nodded. A hint of desire flickered in her eyes. “I owe Teacher a great favor. I haven’t met him for over three years. I want to meet teacher too.”
Teng Qingshan nodded and replied, “I will accompany you.” Teng Qingshan couldn’t care less about the summon of the High Priestess. He himself was not someone that could be called to come and go. Moreover—Teng Qingshan was the ‘Foreign Dignitary.’ The Foreign Dignitary and the Heavenly God Palace supported each other mutually. It was not a superior-subordinate relationship.
However, since Li Jun decided to go, Teng Qingshan needed to go as well.
In addition, the High Priestess was Li Jun’s teacher. Li Jun had lost her parents, therefore, her teacher was almost like her mother.
“Goddess, Lord Huhe, when do you guys plan to leave?” Cao Yan asked.
“Where in Yangzhou is teacher now?” Li Jun hastily asked.
Cao Yan smiled and answered, “She is in Liushi City, located within the borders of Nanxing County.
“Eh?” Li Jun was shocked.
“How about this.” Teng Qingshan suggested. “It’s already night time. Let’s go to Liushi City tomorrow morning. Commander Cao, you should stay at my place for tonight.”
When Teng Qingshan conveyed his suggestion, both Li Jun and Cao Yan agreed.
……
During the night.
Teng Qingshan, half-naked, sat and leaned on the bed while Li Jun, dressed in thin undergarments, laid in his arms.
“I just feel excited when I think about the meeting with teacher tomorrow. I just don’t know if she will be mad because of my sudden marriage.” Li Jun smiled and looked up at Teng Qingshan. “Qingshan, do you think teacher will be displeased? Do you think she will scold me?”
Teng Qingshan smiled and said, “She might reprimand you. However, I think your teacher will still be very happy since she is meeting her disciple.”
“Yes.” Li Jun nodded.
“Little Jun, your teacher is the High Priestess? Of which cult?” Teng Qingshan asked. Although Teng Qingshan knew that Li Jun had a teacher, he didn’t know the details.
Li Jun smiled helplessly as she answered, “I only know that my teacher is the high Priestess of the Snowy Lotus Cult. I don’t know much about the internals of the Snowy Lotus Cult. In the past, teacher taught me for several months. Then, I proceeded to learn the Languages of Beasts from Martial Uncle. After that, I went to the God of Heaven Mountain. I have never been in charge of the internals of the Snowy Lotus Cult.”
“Snowy Lotus Cult?” Teng Qingshan thought to himself as he responded to Li Jun with a nod.
“Yes. It’s late. Let’s sleep. We still have to go to Liushi City tomorrow morning.” Teng Qingshan laughed as he scratch Li Jun’s nose softly.
Li Jun sniffed and cast a displeased glance at Teng Qingshan. “Yea, I am sleeping.” She said, and hid beneath the blankets.
The next morning, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun left instructions for the ‘Six Legged Bladelike Chi, asking it to stay quietly in the inner court , only leave the Li Residence by moving underground, and not to cause any trouble. With this, Teng Qingshan, Li Jun, and Cao Yan left the Nanxing County City and headed towards Liushi City, which was around two hundred Li away.
Cao Yan, Teng Qingshan, and Li Jun rode the top-notch war horses for the two hundred Li distance and arrived at Liushi City at midday.
“We have arrived at Liushi City.” Cao Yan smiled as he looked in front.
“Liushi City!” Li Jun also smiled. She turned and said as she looked at Teng Qingshan, “Big Brother Huhe…” At this moment, Li Jun was surprised as she noticed the stern expression on Teng Qingshan’s face.
“What’s wrong?” Li Jun asked softly.
Teng Qingshan looked at Liushi City. He was stunned, because—
Teng Qingshan could distinctly sense in his domain a powerful aura within Liushi City—the aura of an Emptiness Realm Expert! The Aura of the Emptiness Realm Expert which he sensed in his domain was as radiant as the sun amidst the millions of stars. It was a presence that could be noticed with ease.
“Liushi City is a small city. Yet, there are Emptiness Realm Experts here?” Teng Qingshan was shocked as he thought to himself, “Perhaps…it’s Little Jun’s teacher?”
Teng Qingshan couldn’t help making such a conjecture.
The aura that he had sensed was the aura of lightning, an accumulation of many thunderbolts.
“Big Brother Huhe? Big Brother Huhe?” Li Jun shouted.
“I am fine.” Teng Qingshan grinned as he responded.
Seeing this, Li Jun just felt slightly confused, but Teng Qingshan had already calmed himself. He pondered and said to himself, “The aura of this unknown Emptiness Realm Expert is purely made of thunderbolts. This Emptiness Realm Expert must have only cultivated the Dao of Thunderbolts, which meant that he or she only controlled twenty to thirty percent of the Power of the Heavens and Earth.”
“Let’s go.” Teng Qingshan said with a smile and galloped away.
……
Teng Qingshan, Li Jun, and Cao Yan entered Liushi City. Under Cao Yan’s lead, they soon arrived before a mansion.
“This Emptiness Realm Expert really might be Li Jun’s teacher.” Teng Qingshan thought to himself, feeling secretly shocked.
He could distinctly sense that…the aura of the Emptiness Realm Expert was located in the mansion ahead.
“Let’s go in.” Cao Yan smiled and leapt off the war horse.
Teng Qingshan and Li Jun also leapt off their war horses. The guards of the mansion immediately came and led the horses away. It was obvious that the guards knew Cao Yan… Cao Yan then led Teng Qingshan and Li Ju into the mansion.
After a while.
“Goddess, the High Priestess is in the garden.” said Cao Yan.
“Teacher.” Li Jun stared at the quiet and spacious garden before her eyes. She felt both slightly excited and agitated.
“High Priestess, Goddess and Foreign Dignitary Huhe have arrived.” Cao Yan announced. His voice transmitted into the garden.
“Little Jun, come in quickly.” A sweet-sounding voice of a lady sounded within the garden.
“It’s teacher.” Li Jun’s eyes flickered with excitement as she stared at Teng Qingshan. Teng Qingshan grinned and held Li Jun’s hand, and the two headed into the garden together. The arrangement of the garden was very beautiful, and the bamboo trees susurrated with the wind.
Teng Qingshan looked and saw a woman wearing a long blue cloak standing several dozen Zhang away.
A godly hawk, the size of a house, stood beside the woman.
“The Emptiness Realm Expert…is this Godly Hawk?” Teng Qingshan was astonished. Li Jun’s teacher was not an Emptiness Realm Expert at all!