Chapter 323 Tough Choices
Qin Hao, Shi Bingying and Shadow found a small inn nearby. They wanted to live in a hotel, but unfortunately, the hotels were full. The competition of the places on Hero Rankings had naturally attracted Martial Cultivators and onlookers from all over the country.
Hero City was the biggest city in Semi-Ancient Martial World. Otherwise, they could not even find a small inn.
There were only two rooms left in this inn, so Qin Hao ordered both, one for Bloody Demon King and the other for himself and two women.
Lying Shadow on the bed, Qin Hao used Spirit Qi to treat her and gave her a recovery pill. Square Livid Dragon Cauldron had provided him with some fine pills.
After the treatment, Shadow gradually recovered.
"Sister Bingying, Qin Hao, thank you." Looking at the two people, Shadow was very grateful.
Qin Hao touched her face and smiled, "You are welcome. Well, tell me, who hurt you?" Qin Hao's eyes turned cold when he asked about this.
“Qin Hao, I can't blame others. I'm took weak." Then Shadow told them about what happened before including things about Trace-Hiding Sect.
Hearing this, Qin Hao and Shi Bingying knew where Shadow came from. They finally had an overall understanding to mysterious Shadow.
"Shadow, I'm sorry to let you suffer. Don't resign yourself to those people. Listen, from now on, we three are a family." Qin Hao said softly. From left and right, he held the hands of the two women together, "I don't care about Trace-Hiding Sect and other trifles. I only know that you are my women, and no one can offend you. Whoever offended you will die." When he spoke these words, Qin Hao seemed so unswerving that no one would suspect what he had said.
"Hao." Both the women called him softly and gently leaned their heads on his shoulders one by one.
"Qin Hao, from now on, I have nothing to do with the Trace-Hiding Sect. I’m only your woman as well as the sister of the Bingying."
"Tok tok tok."
The knocking sound that suddenly sounded outside disturbed the tender atmosphere of the three people inside. It was quite an inopportune knock.
The three people had to be apart. Qin Hao opened the door and Bloody Demon King rushed in.
"Finally got you. You are here." Bloody Demon King had come back for a while and was looking for where Qin Hao lived. It took him a lot of efforts to find them.
"Shifu, how's the thing going?" Qin Hao was eager to know the situation on the Hero Arena.
Bloody Demon King took a breath and said, "Give me some water first."
"Okay." Qin Hao wanted to pour water, but Shi Bingying was quicker than him.
"Shifu, here's your water."
"Well, Little Ying is so thoughtful." Bloody Demon King took over the glass from Shi Bingying and praised, which made Shadow feel a little embarrassed. She was Qin Hao's girlfriend, so she thought she had the responsibility to take care of Qin Hao's Shifu.
"Oh, good." Bloody Demon King drank the water and wiped his mouth. He put the glass on the table and said, "We have come in time. The Hero Meeting is almost over, and people had just left. Tomorrow's battle is the final battle for the three places for entering the Ancient Martial World. Qin Hao, cheer up, tomorrow."
"Don't worry, Shifu. Tomorrow I'm sure to win." Qin Hao firmly nodded. The three places must be his.
"What's more..." Bloody Demon King wanted to say something, but he stopped to say, "Come out, I have something to talk to you. Girls, have a good rest."
Bloody Demon King pulled Qin Hao out of the room in spite of Qin Hao's protest.
"Shifu, this is your room. Let's have the talk inside." Qin Hao pushed a door next to his room.
"Better." Bloody Demon King pulled Qin Hao into the room, closed the door, and then asked him with a serious face, "Little Hao, why is the woman named Shadow here?"
Qin Hao thought it was time to tell Bloody Demon King everything, and there was nothing to hide, so he patiently narrated the details of what happened between him and Shadow.
After hearing the whole story, Bloody Demon King rolled his eyes to Qin Hao, "So lucky to have such a good affair! However, it is also a trouble."
"What trouble? It's not a trouble at all, hehe." Qin Hao grinned.
"Silly. Now there are only three places to enter the Ancient Martial World. You tell me what to do. We have four people here, so one of us must stay here." Bloody Demon King was depressed.
"Oh, that's a piece of cake." Qin Hao brushed it aside, "Shifu, they can stay in my Space Ring. I used to put Little Monster there."
Qin Hao said Little Monster used to be in his Space Ring, because now it was thrown into the Square Livid Dragon Cauldron playing happily with Little Dragon.
It was a pity that nobody but the owner could enter the Square Livid Dragon Cauldron. Spirit Beasts were allowed to enter. The restriction aimed only at the human, because only the owner had the right to know everything inside.
Otherwise, Qin Hao could let the girls enter directly. The world inside the cauldron was filled with Spirit Qi and oxygen, and the scenery was also good. It was a habitable place. Unfortunately, other people could not enter.
"Put them in your Space Ring? You are good at dreaming." Bloody Demon King stared at him.
"Hehe, Shifu, I have done that before. People can stay in my Space Ring as long as they have oxygen masks..." Before Qin Hao could finish the sentence. His face suddenly changed. Seeming to be reminded of something, he hurriedly checked the Ring with Spirit Sense and then was shocked.
There were not many things that could make Qin Hao's face change. At least Bloody Demon King had not met one yet.
"What's wrong?" Bloody Demon King was curious.
"There's no oxygen mask left." Qin Hao was extremely frustrated. In his journey, he was busy with fighting and moving and had already forgotten about the oxygen masks. The masks inside had been used up and broken by Little Monster.
There was no oxygen mask in Semi-Ancient Martial world. It was only sold in the urban world.
If he had time, Qin Hao must return to the city to buy oxygen masks. But the problem was that he had no time. Tomorrow was the last day to compete for the three places, and a round trip between here and the urban world would take him a couple of days, because there were no modern vehicles such as train and plane. People in Semi-Ancient Martial World traveled by carriages and legs.
"Well, careless are you! What do you want to do?” Bloody Demon King was even more depressed than Qin Hao.
"I, I..." Qin Hao scratched his head, but he didn't have any good idea though he had scratched his hair into a bird nest.
Knowing that Qin Hao had no idea, Bloody Demon King said his suggestion, "I think it’s better to let the Shadow stay here. When any of us is strong enough to travel through Life-or-Death Array easily, we can come out and pick her up."
"What's the stage strong enough to travel through Life-or-Death Array easily?"
"Divine Stage at least."
Qin Hao shook his head at Bloody Demon King's answer, "No, it will be too late. I'm worried about leaving Shadow here. If I am not by her side, she will be bullied by Trace-Hiding Sect."
"Then what do you do? Leaving Little Ying alone or me?" Bloody Demon King stared at Qin Hao. This was the time to test his disciple's true thought. If he chose his girlfriend instead of his Shifu, Bloody Demon King had to admit that his disciple was an ungrateful man.
After thinking for a moment, Qin Hao frowned and ground his teeth. He looked up with a firm expression, "Shifu, I decide to let you three go first."
"Um?" Bloody Demon King paused, "We leave, and you wait for another ten-year?"
"No, I’m going to break the Life-or-Death Array." Qin Hao’s tone was determined. His every word was so powerful that Bloody Demon King did not suspect that he was joking.
"Are you crazy? Is Life-or-Death Array so easy to be broken? Your Shifu, a Divine Stage master before, almost died in Life-or-Death Array, while you, a Void Stage master, want to challenge that array? What do you depend on? No, you can't!” Bloody Demon King put his foot down.
"Don't worry, Shifu. You told me one could hardly escape from Life-or-Death Array, so that means there is a chance to survive it.” Qin Hao seemed very relaxed, but this was only on the surface. Whether he considered it easy or not was his own secret.
Bloody Demon King stared at him with a bit angry, "You really want to try your luck on surviving the array?"
"Oh, Shifu, all the way along I had overcome countless dangers. I’m used to it. I really want to experience that Life-or-Death Array." Qin Hao seemed to be looking forward to that array. Looking at his expression, Bloody Demon King threw him two words, "A maniac."
However, Bloody Demon King didn't want Qin Hao to risk his life. He was so lucky to have such a gifted disciple. He didn't want to lose him.
Challenging Life-or-Death Array was not the same as other things. Void Stage masters had no chance to survive the array. For them, there was no "narrowly escape".
"Little Hao, if you have to let us go first, I will take the two girls and you come ten years later. Do not challenge the array now. It’s not a game. Considering your strength, you have no chance. Ten years is not a long period. For us Martial Cultivators, it is as short as a blink.” Bloody Demon King had no choice but to persuade Qin Hao. Waiting for the next Hero Meeting ten years later was a reluctant but safe choice.
Ten years were not long, but it was too cruel to let Qin Hao and his beloved separate for ten years and let them suffer from missing each other.
Moreover, on the Ancient Martial Continent there were countless masters. If Bloody Demon King were a Divine Stage master as before, he could definitely protect the two women. But now he was in Spirit Stage and the two women's strength was even lower than him. They were so beautiful that there must be many gangsters in that complex world would covet them or even grab them to do dirty things. Could he bear this? Could he rest assured? No, he could not.
However, if he did not agree with this suggestion, Bloody Demon King wouldn't let him go. And if the two women knew it, they would make a firmer stand against him. Maybe they would be unwilling to go with Bloody Demon King but to challenge Life-or-Death Array with him.
He himself could hardly escape from Life-or-Death Array, let alone by taking them together.
After thinking for a long time, Qin Hao once again raised his head and nodded hard, "Well, Shifu. I'll wait ten years, and please help me take care of them."
"Don't worry. They will be all right." Since Qin Hao agreed, Bloody Demon King was relieved. He was really worried that Qin Hao would not agree and determined to challenge Life-or-Death Array.
However, he didn't know that Qin Hao only made a verbal response in order to reassure them. In his mind, he had already decided to break Life-or-Death Array.
Of course, even if he had made a verbal promise, he must talk to the two women, letting them go with Bloody Demon King and do not be anxious for him.
As he expected, he made hard efforts to persuade Shi Bingying and Shadow. He took a night's time to coax them and afforded a hot sex as well as countless kisses to let them agree to go with Bloody Demon King in advance.