Translator: AnubisTL
In the last few peaceful days before the storm, Li Qing devoted all his attention to practicing the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram.
The army never lacked food, and with the extra meals provided by Fatty Wu, he could eat to his heart’s content every day.
During this time, Fatty Wu even remarked in amazement that Li Qing seemed to have the appetite of a starving ghost, as he was eating even more than Fatty Wu himself.
To this, Li Qing could only smile wryly. He couldn’t very well tell Fatty Wu that he was practicing martial arts, and with the time flow in the World of Eternal Night being three times faster, it was only natural that he would get hungry more quickly.
However, the increase in his appetite also meant that he was making rapid progress, and his brute strength had grown significantly.
Now, Li Qing had already touched the threshold of the Tiger Form in the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram, and it wouldn’t be long before he fully mastered it.
As the saying goes, "The wind howls before the storm." On a scorching afternoon, just after Li Qing had finished his physical training and was drenched in sweat, he faintly heard movement outside his tent, as if footsteps were approaching.
Alert, Li Qing quickly put away his martial stance and draped the usual forging cloth over his shoulders, pretending he had just finished his work.
With the intense heat from the furnace nearby, his sweat-soaked appearance didn’t seem fake at all.
"Is Er Niu here?" A muffled voice called from outside the tent.
Li Qing, who usually didn’t interact much with others in the camp, didn’t recognize the voice. Nevertheless, he quickly got up and went outside to lift the tent flap.
Standing outside was a man clad in armor, with a small mustache on his upper lip. His demeanor and appearance didn’t quite match the heroic image of the armor he wore.
"You are... Officer Li Gui? What can I do for you, sir?" Li Qing recognized the man from his face.
Li Gui was an officer in charge of the army’s granary. Although they shared the same surname, Li Qing rarely had any dealings with him.
"That’s right, it’s me. I want to know, did you personally forge that long halberd for Centurion Chen Meng?" Li Gui asked.
Li Qing put on an innocent expression and blinked, replying, "Yes, I did forge it. Is there a problem, Officer Li?"
Seeing Li Qing admit to it, Li Gui laughed heartily, "Hahaha, excellent! It seems you’ve truly inherited some of Master Gu’s skills!"
Then, lowering his voice, he continued, "The reason I came to you is that I want you to forge a Mountain-Splitting Axe for me. It needs to be heavy, preferably over two hundred pounds!"
At this, Li Qing’s expression changed slightly. He hesitated and said, "Officer Li, I remember that the armor you’re wearing now was forged by my master at the beginning of the year, wasn’t it?"
In the army, whether you were a Centurion or a Commander, you couldn’t forge weapons without limits.
There were restrictions in place, as the amount of iron ore that could be mined each year was limited.
For someone like Officer Li Gui, who had already had a suit of armor forged at the beginning of the year, requesting over two hundred pounds of iron ore to forge a personalized weapon like the Mountain-Splitting Axe would definitely be against the rules.
The Wu Li Army was a martial army, different from other armies that used standard-issue weapons. Many of its officers were highly skilled martial artists, so it was only natural that they couldn’t be expected to use ordinary standard-issue weapons.
Blacksmiths like Li Qing, who traveled with the army, were there to meet the needs of these highly skilled martial artists.
Li Gui nodded with a light chuckle and said, "That’s true, but recently, a new batch of iron ore was mined from the pit and smelted into iron ingots, which were then sent over, right?"
"I’ve got about a hundred pounds of iron ingots on hand. You should have some extra in your shop, Er Niu. Could you be flexible and help me make up the difference? Consider it an advance on next year’s quota."
His tone was amiable, carrying a sense of familiarity that made one feel at ease.
However, Li Qing was no simpleton. Beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead.
In Maple Country, the unauthorized use of salt and iron was a grave offense.
This Lieutenant Li was openly admitting to having a hundred pounds of iron ingots and asking him to help make up the rest to forge a Mountain-Splitting Axe weighing over two hundred pounds. If word got out, it would be a capital crime!
"Lieutenant Li, this doesn’t seem appropriate..."
Li Gui’s smile didn’t fade. Instead, he patted Li Qing on the shoulder and said, "Hahaha, Er Niu, you need to learn to be flexible. In these times, you can’t afford to be so rigid!"
"It’s just a shortfall of less than a hundred pounds of iron ingots. No one will notice. If it really comes to it, you can just blame it on your deceased master, right?"
As he spoke, Li Gui pulled out a handful of silver fragments from his pocket, which at first glance amounted to five or six taels.
"Take this. You’ve been in the Frontier Army for so long; it must have been tough. When you get the chance, treat yourself in Wangyuan City."
Accepting bribes would only add to his crimes. Li Qing took the silver fragments and silently added this thought in his mind.
Ah, forget it.
He sighed inwardly and ultimately didn’t refuse.
"Hahaha, good. I’ll send the iron ingots over later." Seeing that Li Qing didn’t refuse, Li Gui’s smile grew even more satisfied.
As he watched the lieutenant leave the tent, the simple and honest expression on Li Qing’s face quickly faded, replaced by a calm and composed demeanor.
He wasn’t too worried about the shortfall of iron ingots. Generally, the Frontier Army rarely checked such matters.
Even if there were a sudden inspection, he could ensure his shop was spotless, with no room for error.
In the World of Eternal Night, obtaining iron ore was relatively easy. Over the years, just by making farming tools for the Yan Family, he had saved quite a few iron ingots.
Moreover, the Frontier Army was about to go to war. He calculated that, regardless of the outcome, he would use this opportunity to leave the Frontier Army.
With silver in hand, everything would be more convenient.
At worst, he could find a place to live in seclusion, take advantage of the triple time flow in the World of Eternal Night, and train his martial arts until he was invincible. By then, who could stand against him? Of course, all of this depended on having enough food to survive.
Since he started practicing martial arts, his appetite had grown to the point where even he was startled, wondering if he could support himself after leaving the military.
"Speaking of which, I should forge a weapon for myself," Li Qing muttered.
The weapon used for combat in the Ancient Mystic Hammer Art couldn’t be a blacksmith’s hammer. He needed to forge one specifically suited to him.
"Ah, peaceful days are coming to an end," Li Qing shook his head and said.
The officer in charge of the granary, Li, suddenly decided to forge a weapon, which was clearly not without purpose.
It was evident that this astute individual had also noticed the signs of impending conflict at the border and was seeking to secure more chances of survival for himself.
However, Li Qing was genuinely surprised by the man’s martial prowess. He could wield a Mountain-Splitting Axe weighing over two hundred pounds, which was heavier than the weapons used by many Centurions.
As the saying goes, "Scholarship thrives in poverty, while martial arts flourish in wealth." To make progress in martial arts, one must inevitably consume well.
This Officer Li had clearly been embezzling quite a bit of resources in his daily life.
TL/N: Hey guys, if your enjoying the story so far, please add it to your reading list and give it a rating.
(End of the Chapter)
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