Translator: AnubisTL
World of Eternal Night.
Having spent a full two months here, Li Qing had been practicing martial arts day and night, striving to temper his physique to become even stronger.
Currently, he was simultaneously practicing four martial arts disciplines. Among them, his progress in the Ancient Mystic Hammer Art was the most advanced, followed by the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram.
As for the Turtle Breathing Art and the Light Silk Leg Technique, he was still lingering at the beginner’s stage.
The former required too much time to cultivate, while the latter was something he had only recently started practicing, making it difficult to balance both.
Despite juggling four martial arts disciplines, Li Qing was not at all worried about biting off more than he could chew. With his long lifespan, he could take his time with everything.
Boom! In the quiet courtyard, Li Qing, bare-chested, suddenly threw a punch, his blood and qi faintly surging, full of power.
Fierce Tiger Pounces on Prey!
In the next moment, Li Qing’s figure swiftly leaped up, agile yet imposing, resembling a fierce tiger descending the mountain.
"Calculating the time, it should have been about twenty days over there. I wonder how the situation at the border is," Li Qing murmured to himself.
During this period, he had stayed at home without stepping out of the courtyard even once.
Occasionally, someone would come to him for blacksmithing. To avoid arousing suspicion, he accepted all the jobs, with the payment being Dark Wheat Mushrooms.
After all, as a blacksmith, if he stayed at home all day without venturing out and still managed to survive, anyone would be suspicious of his food source.
Although his physique was much stronger than two months ago, he still hadn’t truly developed Outer Strength. He didn’t want others to start scheming against him.
Slowly retracting the stance of the Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain, Li Qing, who had now delved deeply into martial arts, had eyes that were sharp and full of vitality. His muscular lines were distinct, exuding a sense of power.
Now, he didn’t resemble the people of this world at all.
Anyone pulled from the surrounding streets would look malnourished and sallow.
None could compare to Li Qing, who had a ruddy complexion and was full of energy, not at all like someone who survived on Dark Wheat Mushrooms.
Of course, all of this was thanks to the large quantities of grain and dried meat he had transported from the military granary.
Every day, he ate and drank to his fill, practiced martial arts diligently, and ensured he had ample sleep.
"It’s time to go out and explore this Blackrock City. I can’t just stay at home forever!" Li Qing exhaled deeply, the hot breath from his body almost forming a long white snake in the cold air.
His breath was long and unbroken, his spirit full and rounded.
Although he hadn’t truly stepped into the ranks of Outer Strength experts, he felt he wasn’t far off and would eventually break through that threshold.
This gave him the confidence to venture out and explore this lawless city, unafraid of encountering any troublemakers on the streets.
This was the confidence martial arts had given him! "If anyone dares to cause trouble, I wouldn’t mind letting them taste my Fierce Tiger Fist!"
Li Qing chuckled as he spoke, draping a thick, oversized cotton coat over himself to conceal his robust muscles.
A gentleman hides his weapons and waits for the right moment to act!
Now capable of knocking an ordinary person to the ground with a single punch, Li Qing had no desire to flaunt his martial prowess.
In an unfamiliar world, learning to conceal oneself is essential for longevity.
Over the past two months, he had helped his neighbors forge numerous iron tools and repair various everyday items.
Although his lifespan hadn’t increased much, he had managed to accumulate a pile of Dark Wheat Mushrooms.
These were hard currency in Blackrock City; with enough of them, one could trade for almost anything.
Yes, anything! There was a time when the Dark Wheat Mushrooms grown outside the city yielded poorly, and the already hungry and impoverished people were so desperate that their eyes turned green with hunger. A handful of Dark Wheat Mushrooms could even trade for a person! Of course, Li Qing, who had ample food, certainly wouldn’t eat the Dark Wheat Mushrooms, nor was he interested in trading for a few people to come into his courtyard. Li Qing packed all the Dark Wheat Mushrooms he had accumulated over this period into a cloth basket, totaling a hefty twenty pounds.
"Hmm, according to my calculations, today is a good day to go out and trade!"
The weight of over twenty pounds was nothing to him; carrying it felt as light as air, quite effortless.
Perhaps it was due to the recent bountiful harvest of Dark Wheat Mushrooms, but the city was unusually crowded these days, with smiles on everyone’s faces.
Walking down the street towards the market, he saw many people carrying various items to trade.
What caught Li Qing’s eye the most were some exquisitely crafted jade artifacts. If he could take these back to his original world, their value would be immense! In this unremarkable market, one could trade for them with just a few Dark Wheat Mushrooms—it was truly unbelievable.
Thinking about the possibility of living in poverty for a while after returning, Li Qing began to scheme.
’Maybe I should trade for some? When I take them back, I can exchange them for money, and then I won’t have to worry about how to earn a living.’
Martial arts training was expensive, especially when it came to food.
If one’s nutrition was insufficient, practicing martial arts could harm the body, easily leading to chronic illnesses, and one might not live long.
If one could ensure a good diet, with plenty of meat and fish at every meal, then martial arts training would be twice as effective!
Li Qing had even heard that some martial arts schools brewed medicinal wines to sell, using secret recipes.
Drinking a bowl of such wine could significantly boost one’s vitality, greatly accelerating progress in martial arts.
Having made up his mind, Li Qing walked straight to the jade vendor’s stall and asked in a deep voice, "Old man, how much for these jade pieces?"
In this era where even food was scarce, jade artifacts were practically worthless.
The vendor was an elderly man, and his stall was doing poorly, almost completely ignored by passersby.
Finally seeing someone inquire about the price, the thin-faced old man with sunken eyes and cheeks quickly spoke up, "These are all heirlooms passed down from my ancestors, especially this jade lion—look how smooth and lustrous it is!"
He spouted a lot of exaggerated praise, all in an attempt to raise the price and get more Dark Wheat Mushrooms.
Li Qing, of course, saw through this, but he simply ignored it, wearing a faint smile as he watched the old man continue his spiel.
Seeing Li Qing’s demeanor, the old man didn’t bother to say more, apparently tired from talking.
The elderly jade seller weakly waved his hand and said, "Ten pounds of Dark Wheat Mushroom, and you can take all these jade pieces."
Ten pounds?
Even Li Qing, who wasn’t very familiar with the local market prices, knew that the old man was asking for an exorbitant amount! ’I’ve been working my ass off forging iron for others all this time, and I’ve only managed to save up about twenty pounds of Dark Wheat Mushroom. This old man dares to ask for so much!’
Without a word, Li Qing stood up, ready to browse other stalls.
But soon, the old man grabbed the hem of his clothes and said weakly, "Young man, at least make a counteroffer. You don’t seem sincere at all!"
"Business is about fate, especially when buying jade. You’re too impatient, young man. That’s not good!"
Li Qing couldn’t help but chuckle. He spoke up, "Three pounds of Dark Wheat Mushroom."
"Deal!"
The old man agreed promptly and even started packing the jade pieces for Li Qing, clearly not intending to haggle any further.
’Damn, I was too hasty’, Li Qing muttered to himself.
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(End of the Chapter)
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