Translator: AnubisTL
Time flies when one is immersed in martial arts training, and before long, Shengtian City was blanketed in winter, with heavy snow falling like goose feathers.
During this period, the entire imperial city was stirred up by the commotion caused by the Star-Stealing Divine Thief.
Under the push from the Prince's residence, all the major martial arts schools in the city, as well as several underground gangs, had mobilized. Even some ordinary citizens joined in, all in an effort to find the thief who had stolen the Prince's four-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng.
However, the outcome was naturally predictable. Without even a clear description of the thief's appearance, how could they easily capture such a bold and audacious divine thief?
Meanwhile, Li Qing was not idle either. He exchanged all the exquisite jade he had brought from the World of Eternal Night for silver.
Then, he took over a blacksmith shop on a street in the outer city, spending a considerable amount of silver. Fortunately, all the necessary procedures were complete, so he didn't have to trouble himself with a trip to the government office.
Thus, Li Qing became the owner of the blacksmith shop, spending his days forging iron for others and occasionally selling some of the weapons he crafted.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Inside the blacksmith shop Li Qing had taken over, he hammered away at a dark red iron block with a serious and focused expression. His movements were meticulous, as if he were treating it like a piece of art.
Outside the shop, due to the high temperature of the forge, there was no snow accumulation in front of Li Qing's blacksmith shop. Instead, it was warm and dry.
Qi Kang sat leaning against the doorpost, his gaze wandering aimlessly at the snowy scene outside.
Clang! With Li Qing's final hammer strike, a kitchen knife began to take shape.
Qi Kang spoke up at the right moment, "Master, don't forget the banquet invitation from Green Mountain Martial Arts School tonight. The old master there has just had a child in his later years and has been overjoyed these past few days."
Li Qing put away his stance of the Ancient Mystic Hammer Art and immersed the kitchen knife in water. The high temperature caused sparks to fly on the water's surface, and a cloud of steam violently rose.
After the kitchen knife had cooled down, Li Qing let out a soft sigh and said to Qi Kang, "Go and sharpen this kitchen knife, then deliver it to Widow Wang's house."
After taking over the blacksmith shop, Qi Kang naturally became Li Qing's apprentice. However, what Li Qing taught him was not martial arts, but only the craft of blacksmithing and forging.
Having gained a long lifespan, Li Qing finally understood why the Patriarch Bodhi had forbidden Sun Wukong from claiming to be his disciple.
It was out of fear that the disciple might cause trouble outside, and if they provoked some powerful figure, the master would not be able to escape either.
Therefore, Li Qing only taught the craft of blacksmithing and did not pass on any martial arts knowledge.
In the evening, as night fell.
Li Qing led Qi Kang to the only martial arts school on the street, Green Mountain Martial Arts School.
The elderly master of the school indeed had some skills, being a master who had developed Outer Strength.
However, in Shengtian City, this was not particularly noteworthy. The truly renowned martial arts schools were the three major schools of Shengtian City: Raging Wind School, Flying Cloud School, and Golden Armor School! The masters of these three schools were all Inner Strength experts, their martial prowess not to be underestimated, and they had many Outer Strength experts under their names, far surpassing what Green Mountain Martial Arts School could compare to.
In addition, there was a powerful underground force in the city that could not be underestimated—the Nine Lotus Sect! This sect's influence spanned nearly half of Maple Country and had ambiguous ties with the imperial court, allowing it to take root even in Shengtian City.
All this information was gathered by Qi Kang alone.
It must be said that Qi Kang's abilities were quite impressive. Whether it was collecting information for Li Qing or assisting in the blacksmith's shop, he performed everything flawlessly, to the point where Li Qing felt somewhat embarrassed and began to wonder if he should give him a raise.
Of course, the ever-diligent Qi Kang never mentioned anything about a raise. His greatest wish was for Li Qing to teach him martial arts. As they walked through the streets, the two finally arrived at the entrance of the Green Mountain Martial Arts School.
At a glance, they could see the school's owner, who had become a father late in life, standing at the door to greet guests, his face beaming with joy.
"Hahaha, Master Li, please come in and take a seat," Xu Qingshan, the school's owner, said with a cupped fist, exuding the demeanor of a seasoned martial artist.
Seeing this, Li Qing casually took out a gift, offering congratulations as he handed the money to Xu Qingshan.
"Congratulations, Master Xu!" Li Qing said with a smile.
Xu Qingshan accepted the gift, feeling the weight of the money, and his smile grew even wider. However, he politely declined, saying, "Hahaha, Master Li, you're too kind. Please, come in and sit down."
In Shengtian City, doing business not only required paying taxes to the government but also secretly handing over protection fees to these martial arts schools. Whenever there were troublesome matters that the authorities didn't want to deal with, one could usually turn to these schools for help.
After paying the protection fees, it was rare for local thugs to cause trouble, allowing businesses to operate in peace.
The underground forces of Shengtian City were essentially monopolized by the three major martial arts schools and the Nine Lotus Sect. Even smaller schools like the Green Mountain Martial Arts School had no choice but to collect fees, as opening a school here required the approval of the three major schools, and they had to pay a share of their earnings periodically.
Even the government turned a blind eye to such practices, maintaining a tacit approval.
For example, the Green Mountain Martial Arts School was under the jurisdiction of the Flying Cloud School. Every year, a large portion of the fees collected from various merchants in the area had to be handed over to the Flying Cloud School.
By now, the division of territories had long reached a balance. Half of the vast Shengtian City belonged to the Nine Lotus Sect, while the other half was controlled by the three major martial arts schools.
It is said that long ago, before the territories were clearly divided, the three major schools and the Nine Lotus Sect often clashed, with fierce battles occurring outside the city every night.
Even the Inner Strength experts from these major forces frequently crossed paths.
However, in the end, with the intervention and mediation of the imperial court, such conflicts gradually subsided, leading to the current arrangement.
As the saying goes, "Shengtian's rice is expensive, and living here is not easy." Naturally, there were many reasons behind this.
The martial arts schools collected fees from the merchants, who, in turn, had no choice but to raise the prices of their goods, passing the cost onto the common people.
Such is the nature of the martial world.
When Qi Kang first learned about these inside stories, he was like an angry youth, secretly cursing the incompetence of the court and the greed of these martial arts schools and sects countless times.
Naturally, he also developed a hatred for places like the Green Mountain Martial Arts School, wishing he could master martial arts and become a peerless expert to wipe out all these schools and sects that exploited the common people.
Regarding this, Li Qing just smiled and didn't tell Qi Kang that the actions of the three major martial arts schools and the Nine Lotus Sect were most likely sanctioned by the court.
He thought it was fine for Qi Kang to vent his frustrations in private, but at least he should put on a facade and be a bit more restrained in public.
(End of the Chapter)
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