Translator: AnubisTL
A horse as a reward?
At these words, the eyes of the other refugees gleamed with greed. Having lost their fields and homes due to the war, they had been starving for too long to care about Maple Country's laws prohibiting the slaughter of horses and cattle.
However, some refugees were also fixated on the beggar boy in the crowd who knew how to enter the city. Intimidated by Li Qing's presence, they dared not act rashly.
Not just Li Qing, but they too wanted to enter the city. Staying outside the city walls was a certain death sentence.
If they could get inside, there might be a chance of survival. Whether through theft, robbery, deception, or begging, they could surely obtain more food than in the desolate outskirts.
The beggar boy wiped the black grime from his face, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, which was soon replaced by determination.
He knelt down and said, "I don't want a horse. I want you to take me as your disciple. I also want to learn martial arts!"
This surprised Li Qing slightly. He frowned and asked, "What if I refuse?"
The beggar boy kowtowed and said solemnly, "I will still tell you how to enter the city. I only hope that you will take me with you and let me serve by your side!"
Li Qing laughed. He glanced at the surrounding refugees and said lightly, "Everyone, the bandits have committed many atrocities. I will take one of the remaining four horses for travel. You can divide the other three among yourselves!"
With that, Li Qing beckoned to the beggar boy in the crowd, then turned around, took the reins of a horse, and left gracefully, leaving only his back to the remaining refugees.
Hearing this, the other refugees could no longer care about anything else and immediately began fighting over the ownership of the three horses, creating a chaotic scene.
Seeing Li Qing's gesture, the beggar boy quickly stood up and followed with a face full of joy.
On the official road to Wangyuan City, Li Qing mounted the horse. Although he wasn't skilled in horsemanship, his martial prowess allowed him to tame this inferior horse.
The little beggar boy walked ahead, pulling the horse's reins, looking very much like a servant.
"Tell me, what's your name?" Li Qing asked casually.
"Young master, my name is Qi Kang!"
Li Qing, sitting on the horse, nodded and then asked the question he was most concerned about: "So, how do you plan to enter the city? Why didn't you go in yourself and instead stayed among the refugees?"
Qi Kang smiled bitterly and said, "Young master, it's not that I didn't want to enter the city, but I didn't have the ability!"
"Besides the main gate, Wangyuan City actually has a hidden entrance. Many people used to sneak into the city through that entrance to avoid the entry tax!"
"Unfortunately, with the recent outbreak of war, those who had already entered the city through this entrance blocked it from the inside with heavy objects to prevent it from being used!"
At this point, Qi Kang gritted his teeth and said, "If it weren't for that, my family would have entered the city long ago and wouldn't have died in the war."
Qi Kang's tone was filled with hatred, his eyes red as he once again saw the scene of his family's tragic death.
The yellow sand in the sky was once again swept up by the wind, blotting out the sun, and the light dimmed instantly.
Ahead lay the majestic border city of Maple Country. The mottled city walls stood quietly, exuding a heavy aura like a mountain, an absolutely impregnable defense.
Wangyuan City occupied a strategic natural stronghold, its walls seamlessly connecting with the steep and rugged mountain range. To penetrate deep into Maple Country, one had to find a way through this formidable fortress, easy to defend but hard to attack.
The towering, continuous mountain range and the solid, thick city walls isolated the harsh environment outside the border. Further in, one would find the scenic beauty of Maple Country, with its pleasant climate and thriving flora.
As the sky gradually darkened, Li Qing instructed Qi Kang to continue leading the way to the sealed entrance.
"Young master, this is the place."
Under the cover of night, Qi Kang led Li Qing to a spot where the city wall connected with the mountain range. Far from the city gates, it was a blind spot for the patrolling city guards, and with the deep night, it was virtually impossible for anyone to notice.
The entrance Qi Kang mentioned was actually a crack, a naturally formed fissure in the ground, just wide enough for one person to pass through. Contrary to Li Qing's imagination, he had thought it would be an opening in the thick city wall allowing passage.
However, such a thought was clearly impossible. If such a solid wall were breached, it would undoubtedly be repaired immediately.
Li Qing crouched down, examining the ground fissure that allowed only one person to pass, confirming it was naturally formed.
"Hmm, not bad. Unfortunately, we can't bring the horses in," Li Qing said as he took the luggage and bags from the horse and squeezed into the crack alone.
Inside, it was pitch black and not even tall enough for a person to stand upright. Walking inside required bending over, which was quite strenuous. However, it was precisely because the crack was so small that it remained hidden, known to very few.
By the middle section, Li Qing had to turn sideways to continue moving forward.
Soon, Qi Kang followed behind. Being thin and weak, he navigated the crack with ease.
"Young master, ahead is the city's territory, but it's covered by a wooden board weighed down by a stone, impossible to push open!" Qi Kang whispered in the darkness.
Just as expected!
Li Qing reached the end of the crack, where even accommodating one person seemed difficult.
So, anyone who came here had to rely on their own strength to push open the stone slab above.
Thud, thud, thud! Li Qing knocked on the wooden board above, producing a solid sound, confirming it was firmly pressed down.
For an ordinary person, this wooden board was like a mountain, and the narrow space made it difficult to exert force, rendering it impossible to push open.
Of course, this was only for ordinary people.
Whoever placed this wooden board never considered that a powerful martial artist might use such a crack to enter the city.
At that moment, Li Qing pressed his hands against the wooden board above, tilting his head and pressing his head and one shoulder against the board.
"Hmph!"
With a surge of Outer Strength, Li Qing's power suddenly increased dramatically. His slightly crouched body now forcefully lifted the heavy wooden board.
As he stood up straight, his head and shoulders emerged above the ground, allowing him to survey the surroundings clearly.
It was a relatively quiet spot in Wangyuan City. After ensuring that no one was around, Li Qing quickly moved the heavy wooden plank to the ground beside him.
With the plank out of the way, Li Qing leaped out of the gap.
On the plank, several millstones were tightly pressed down and firmly secured with hemp ropes.
Seeing this, Li Qing couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself, "No wonder it was so heavy."
Qi Kang also climbed out swiftly. Looking at the scene on the plank, his eyes once again filled with anger.
Ignoring Qi Kang's anger, Li Qing immediately moved the plank with the millstones back into place, firmly covering the gap once more.
"Let's go."
Li Qing said calmly, then turned his gaze toward the distant buildings, unable to suppress the excitement in his heart.
After such a long time, he had finally returned to the normal civilized world!
(End of the Chapter)
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