Martial Peak
chapter-2997

Chapter 2997, The Righteous Li Jiao

[I am an Emperor Realm Master and a Palace Master. I should be living a life like this instead of living a precarious life wagging my tail like a dog at others.] Li Jiao secretly vowed in his heart, [Even if somebody presses a knife to my throat, I will never do such thankless things again.]

The two beauties in his arms were delicate and tender. Moreover, their exposed skin glowed like the most exquisite porcelain. He stroked and played with them, satisfying some of his primal desires. He stroked them so much that they were panting breathlessly and protesting coquettishly. Even so, their reaction only made him laugh loudly in delight.

Thinking back to the miserable situation he had been in previously and comparing it with the comfort he had now, Li Jiao became slightly melancholic for an instant, secretly feeling sorry for himself.

All of a sudden, he lifted his head and looked out. A smile appeared on his face as he stood up and smilingly said, “You came, Brother Hua. Please forgive me for not coming to greet you.”

A well-dressed Hua Xing strode inside. When the young girls, who were singing and dancing gracefully in the main hall, saw him, they hurriedly bowed their heads in greeting and called out to him, “Pavilion Master.”

Hua Xing acknowledged their greeting and indicated for them to be at ease. Only then did they dare to continue performing. Perhaps it was due to the Pavilion Master’s presence, but these girls seemed to put in more effort and became more enchanting when they performed. The looks in their eyes revealed that they were clearly expecting something.

“Brother Li, I’m sorry for bothering you!” He cupped his fists and smiled.

When Li Jiao heard those words, he laughed in response, “What are you saying, Brother Hua? I should be the one saying that! This is Wind and Cloud Pavilion after all. You are the Master here! Come, come! Have a seat!”

While speaking, he invited Hua Xing to sit in the higher position.

The time Li Jiao and Hua Xing had known each other was not just a year or two; it had been hundreds of years by now. Back when Hua Xing had been wholeheartedly pursuing the Martial Dao, he had travelled to all four Territories in the Star Boundary. When he arrived in the Northern Territory, there had been some friction between him and Li Jiao. Despite exchanging blows, it did not create enmity between them though, and instead, a kind of respect was fostered, eventually becoming a friendship.

Later, they even explored a Sealed World together. Thus, they had a pretty close relationship between them. It was just that since Hua Xing returned to the Western Territory and assumed command of Wind and Cloud Pavilion, the two of them had not kept in contact.

After escaping from the Revolving World, Li Jiao arrived in the Western Territory; however, the place he landed was a little different from where Yang Kai, Zhu Qing, and Zhu Lie had landed. It was a little closer to Wind and Cloud Pavilion; therefore, he decided to come visit his old friend.

Even though they had not met for hundreds of years, Hua Xing had not forgotten about Li Jiao and welcomed him warmly, allowing Li Jiao to live on one of the mountain peaks while sending some beauties over to serve him. Thus, Li Jiao fooled around all day, indulging in his vices and living carefreely.

In any case, Li Jiao had been frustrated for long enough. Life had not been easy for him ever since he lost his bet against Yang Kai at High Heaven Palace.

First, his Sect had encountered a financial crisis, which caused many Elders within Fire Dragon Palace to become resentful. However, they did not dare to say a word against him. Then, before he could resolve that issue, Yang Kai had dragged him to the Frozen Earth. What happened later was so unbearable that just thinking about it filled Li Jiao with the urge to cry.

[I am the Palace Master of Fire Dragon Palace! I am a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master! I can be considered a Master among Masters throughout Star Boundary! As long as a Great Emperor does not come forward, a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master can be said to be the strongest! Who would dare to act disrespectfully and discourteously towards a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master? But, after staying with monsters like Yang Kai and his companions, I can no longer feel the slightest sense of superiority.]

Two Pureblood members of the Dragon Race had been Li Jiao’s most recent travel companions. Any Great Dragon above the Eighth-Order only needed to slightly release their Dragon Pressure to force him to bow in fear, hence he had no choice but to serve them cautiously. Even Yang Kai had the blood of a Dragon in him. Li Jiao was not fooled by the fact that he was only a First-Order Emperor and knew that if it came down to a fight, he was certain he wouldn’t be able to take more than three blows from Yang Kai.

Those three… Were like Great Seniors of the Sect, while he was just a lowly disciple. Any one of them could order him around and he couldn’t even utter a single complaint or muster any kind of resistance. The aura and confidence he had as a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was all but washed away being in their presence. It is too humiliating! Just thinking about it threatened to bring tears to his eyes!

For that reason, Li Jiao had no intention of looking for Yang Kai and the others the moment he got away from them. He relished the freedom he suddenly obtained, and if possible, he never wanted to meet them ever again.

After coming to Wind and Cloud Pavilion as a guest, Hua Xing had been so welcoming that Li Jiao finally regained some of his confidence. [I am a Dragonborn. I am a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. I am a Master!]

These days, Li Jiao lived a life of indulgence and the resentment accumulated in his heart gradually dissipated as a result. It felt as if living in Wind and Cloud Pavilion was more comfortable than living in his own home, Fire Dragon Palace. Although Fire Dragon Palace belonged to him, he had to deal with a massive debt that would saddle him for decades once he returned. It felt like knives were slowly shaving off pieces of his heart at the thought of those Elders that loved passing the blame around.

[How can Fire Dragon Palace compare to Wind and Cloud Pavilion in terms of freedom and leisure? If possible, I’d stay here for several dozen years before going back. I’m sure Hua Xing wouldn’t mind. It would be as if Wind and Cloud Pavilion had gained another Master among their ranks. Hua Xing would probably like that very much.]

Therefore, Li Jiao had been overjoyed at the sight of Hua Xing’s arrival and was wondering about how he was going to let Hua Xing know that he wanted to stay here for a while.

“Are you comfortable living here, Brother Li?” Hua Xing asked with a look of concern.

Li Jiao laughed and pointed to the graceful young ladies around him, “How can I not be comfortable with such hospitality from Brother Hua? Wind and Cloud Pavilion is a beautiful place indeed, much better than Fire Dragon Palace.”

Hua Xing hurriedly waved his hands dismissively, “Brother Li, you are being absurd. I believe the Western Territory is the most barren and desolate land in Star Boundary. No matter how great Wind and Cloud Pavilion is, how can it compare to Fire Dragon Palace? Brother Li, don’t forget, I’ve been to your Fire Dragon Palace before. I know what it’s like there.”

Those words were so pleasant on the ears; they even contained a trace of flattery in them. It had been a while since Li Jiao heard these kinds of words. Thus, those words immediately brought a smile to his face and a sense of relief to him. [This world is filled with ordinary people. Existences like those three monsters are a rarity.]

“Brother Hua, you don’t need to put yourself down. It’s precisely because Wind and Cloud Pavilion is located in the Western Territory that it is very impressive for it to achieve such a size and scale. It shows how great you are at managing the Sect, Brother Hua. On this point, I should be asking for advice instead.”

“You praise me too much; I don’t dare to accept such high acclaim. Besides, I’ve lost interest in overseeing Wind and Cloud Pavilion. If I ever go to the Northern Territory one day, I hope you can welcome me too, Brother Li. I will be eternally grateful.” Hua Xing looked sorrowful and disappointed.

Li Jiao was surprised, “Welcoming you is not a problem. You and I have been friends for hundreds of years, so it’s only natural that I welcome you with open arms if you ever come to the Northern Territory. It’s just that… What do you mean by that, Brother Hua? In my opinion, Wind and Cloud Pavilion is at the height of its prosperity. If you manage the Sect for another three to five hundred years, I’m sure it will become one of the strongest in the Star Boundary, so why are you sighing so heavily, Brother Hua? Could it be that you encountered some kind of problem?”

Upon hearing that, Hua Xing smiled bitterly as he picked up his wine glass with a depressed look and finished its contents in a single gulp before saying, dispirited, “I shouldn’t air my dirty laundry in public. It’s fine; don’t mention it.”

Li Jiao’s expression darkened as he angrily said, “You shouldn’t say that, Brother Hua. We have been friends for hundreds of years, so what do you mean by airing dirty laundry in public? If you’ve really run into some kind of trouble… Why don’t you talk to me about it? If I can help, I won’t just stand by idly.”

A light flashed in Hua Xing’s eyes, but it was well hidden, while on his face he smiled bitterly and said, “I appreciate your kind offer, Brother Li. It’s just that… This is the Sect’s affairs after all…”

Li Jiao stood up with a sullen expression, “In other words, you are treating me like an outsider! Fine! Since you don’t consider me a friend, I won’t disturb you anymore. Until next time; goodbye, Brother Hua!”

After saying that, he strode outside with large strides as if he was truly about to leave.

In response, Hua Xing quickly stood up and grabbed Li Jiao’s sleeve, “Calm down, Brother Li; calm down. I was wrong, alright?”

Li Jiao looked back at Hua Xing. He was only acting like he was leaving, so he naturally went with the flow and remained, earnestly saying, “Brother Hua, we faced life and death together back then. We might not have seen each other for a hundred years, but our friendship has not diminished in any way. If you are in trouble, I’m willing to lend a hand.”

Hua Xing looked touched and gratefully replied, “You are righteous indeed, Brother Li! I was being too petty!” After ‘struggling’ for a moment, Hua Xing resolutely said, “Good, it’s not like you’re an outsider, Brother Li. It’s not shameful to tell you this. Let’s sit down and talk.”

Li Jiao returned to his seat and personally poured a glass of wine for Hua Xing before he waited quietly.

Hua Xing opened his mouth and sighed again, downing the contents of his glass before saying sadly, “Brother Li, I’ll be honest with you. Wind and Cloud Pavilion… Was kicked in the face recently. Our reputation has taken a huge blow because of that.”

“What happened?” Li Jiao frowned. Although he had been acting as a guest here recently, he had done nothing more than spend time drinking and having fun. He had not been paying attention to anything outside, and the girls serving him would never speak about this to him either. Thus, he had been somewhat isolated from news of the outside world.

“Who is it that dares to be so reckless?!” He shouted, slamming his fist down on the table in a rage while he muttered to himself in his heart, [Hua Xing’s cultivation is comparable to mine. I might be stronger than most Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters because of the Dragon blood in me, but the difference is negligible even if I am slightly stronger than Hua Xing. Hua Xing looks like he has encountered a strong enemy. I wonder just who Wind and Cloud Pavilion offended to make him look so helpless.]

Li Jiao secretly regretted his bold words just now and felt he really should have taken the opportunity to leave. [That’s just great. I don’t think I’ll be able to get out of this easily now.]

While Li Jiao was now on edge, he heard Hua Xing saying, “It’s a little girl who doesn’t know her limits! She even killed my son!”

As Hua Xing spoke, the corners of his eyes became wet at a timely moment. He grabbed the wine bottle on the table directly and took a large swig as if trying to drown his sorrows away.

“A little girl…” Li Jiao felt cold sweat forming on his forehead as a face that absolutely terrified him involuntarily appeared in his mind. Hesitantly, he asked, “What does the little girl look like? Does she have… Red hair?”

He was extremely frightened. If the person who killed the Young Pavilion Master of Wind and Cloud Pavilion turned out to be Zhu Qing, then Li Jiao had to leave immediately even if he had to cut all ties with Hua Xing. Even if he was friends with Hua Xing, the depths of that friendship were something they both understood very well. Offending a member of the Dragon Clan for the sake of some casual friendship? And, a Ninth-Order Dragon at that?! Li Jiao wasn’t insane!