Immortal Refiner

On a moonless and windy night.

Li Qing, who was staying at the Dragon Gate Inn, sat cross-legged in his room, maintaining a fixed posture, motionless, while simultaneously practicing the Golden Body Technique and the Turtle Breathing Art.

Over time, the Inner Force cultivated through the Turtle Breathing Art had grown increasingly profound.

Suddenly, the sound of clashing weapons began to rise from the streets outside the window.

Accompanied by shouts of battle and screams, it was as if a hellish scene had unfolded.

Without much thought, it was clear that the Black Demon Gang and the Lei Family had once again clashed tonight, and the conflict was intense.

Awakened by the commotion, Li Qing slowly ended his practice stance and stood up.

”Qingzhou truly lives up to its reputation. Where else could one witness such excitement?”

With that, Li Qing pushed open the window and leaned against the wall to watch this rare spectacle.

The Dragon Gate Inn was an imposing structure, with high floors, and Li Qing resided in a superior room, offering a broad view that easily allowed him to see the scenes unfolding several streets away.

Both the Lei Family and the Black Demon Gang were undoubtedly top-tier forces in the city. When they clashed, the scale was incomparable to mere street brawls.

Two entire streets were filled with people, and the moonlight reflected off the sharp edges of their weapons, casting cold, glinting rays.

”Kill! Wipe out these scum of the Black Demon Gang!”

”Damn it, tonight we must slaughter the Lei Family!”

”...”

The battle continued unabated, growing fiercer by the moment. Severed limbs and broken bodies were commonplace, and even Li Qing, watching from his room, caught a faint whiff of blood in the air.

It was evident how intense this clash was, comparable to a small-scale war!

Although Li Qing was curious about the treasure the two factions were fighting over, he had no intention of getting involved.

In such a brutal scene, even an External Strength Expert couldn’t guarantee absolute safety.

Despite his confidence in his martial skills, Li Qing had no interest in joining the fray.

”To risk one’s life for a treasure of unknown origin and unclear value is truly unwise!”

There was no need to get involved; it was better to just watch the show.

No matter how precious that treasure might be, could it compare to his over a hundred years of lifespan, the magical weapons he could forge with some effort, or the entire World of Eternal Night waiting to be explored? Even if he didn’t die, what if he lost an arm or a leg? Who would take care of the tiger cub then? ”Sigh, no one in this world would treat you as well as I do!”

Li Qing casually sighed, but soon noticed Fan Tong sprawled on the floor, sound asleep, and couldn’t help but curse under his breath, ”That blockhead!”

The clash between the two factions lasted until the early hours of the morning before finally coming to an end. No one would bother to count the casualties, for in Jingyang City, or perhaps in all of Qingzhou, human life was cheap.

Although Li Qing chose to stay out of the conflict and not vie for the so-called treasure, others who prided themselves on their martial skills might not think as clearly. For instance, many of the martial heroes staying at the Dragon Gate Inn also got involved in the dispute, and it was uncertain how many of them would return unscathed.

As the skirmish came to an end, the officials finally emerged to clean up the mess, tidying the battlefield for the two factions.

Watching the constables reduced to janitors, Li Qing almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.

”Ah, Qingzhou truly has a simple and honest folk culture!”

Li Qing chuckled, closed the window, and lay down on the bed.

But before he could close his eyes for a rest, a piercing scream echoed through the city!

”Sun Qi!!! I won’t let you go, ahhhhh! I swear I’ll never rest until you’re dead!”

This was a roar infused with Inner Force, carrying far and wide. Even Li Qing in the inn could hear it clearly, a testament to the depth of the Inner Force!

The other guests in the Dragon Gate Inn naturally heard this extremely resentful roar as well.

”Wow, the thickness of this Inner Force, it must have taken at least twenty or thirty years of accumulation to be this profound.”

”Sun Qi? Isn’t that the name of the Number One Sword of Qingzhou?” ”Hiss~ judging by the voice, it seems like the Black Demon Gang Leader’s roar. What did Sun Qi do to the Black Demon Gang?”

”Curious, could it be that even the Number One Sword of Qingzhou has set his sights on that treasure? Or did the Lei Family hire someone with a hefty sum?”

”Let’s go and see! What exactly happened?”

”...”

Guests from other rooms in the inn began to whisper among themselves.

Only Li Qing covered his eyes with his hand, yawned, and drifted off into sleep.

To live long, one must suppress curiosity and avoid meddling in others’ affairs.

After ten or eight years, with the passage of time, all secrets will come to light! As the night faded, the summer sun rose early, and soon the crowing of a rooster awakened the city.

”Roar!”

Fan Tong’s roar also woke Li Qing from his deep sleep.

He stretched, feeling refreshed and full of energy.

This is the benefit of martial arts. Since he started practicing, he has felt this way every morning upon waking.

”Let’s go, replenish our supplies, and then head straight to Chongning.” Li Qing patted Fan Tong’s tiger head, did a carp flip out of bed, and moved with remarkable agility.

Just as he stepped out of his room, he bumped into the shop assistant, who reeked of medicine, having just returned from delivering medicine to other rooms.

”Oh? Did the guest rest well last night?” The shop assistant immediately put on a professional smile upon seeing Li Qing.

Li Qing was in a good mood. He casually tossed a piece of silver to the shop assistant and said, ”Slept very soundly in the latter half of the night, though it was a bit noisy in the first half. By the way, what’s with the smell of medicine on you?”

The shop assistant, pleasantly surprised by the silver, turned into an encyclopedia, ready to answer any question.

”Guest, you’re too kind. I just delivered medicine to guests in other rooms.”

”Ah, I warned every guest upon check-in not to go out at night unless absolutely necessary and not to get involved in the affairs of the Lei Family and the Black Demon Gang. And now, this morning, several never returned, and those who did came back either severely injured or missing limbs!”

By the end, the shop assistant’s voice had lowered to a whisper.

”Guest, you seem like someone who listens to advice. Isn’t it nice to stay peacefully in the inn?”

Li Qing smiled and said, ”Haha, although I’m also very tempted by that treasure, I value my life more. What could be more important than one’s own life?”

”You have a clear perspective, sir!” The shop assistant gave a thumbs up.

Changing the subject, Li Qing asked, ”Last night, in the latter half of the night, I was awakened by a loud roar. It seemed to call out the name of someone called Sun Qi. I remember Sun Qi is the Number One Sword of Qingzhou. Who was shouting, and what happened?”

The shop assistant smiled and said, ”Sir, you’ve asked the right person. Just now, I overheard other guests talking about this matter.”

”It’s said that after the Black Demon Gang clashed with the Lei Family last night, the Black Demon Gang Leader returned home to find his entire family brutally killed by Sun Qi’s sword. That mysterious treasure was also taken by Sun Qi!”

”Can you believe it? The Black Demon Gang Leader actually hid the treasure in his own home, not in the gang’s headquarters!”

”They say that calamity shouldn’t affect one’s family, but this Sun Qi is ruthless!”

Hearing this, Li Qing felt a slight chill in his heart. He waved his hand and said, ”Alright, I have nothing else. You can go about your business.”

”Sure thing, sir! Let me know if you need anything!” The shop assistant left with a smile.

Calamity shouldn’t affect one’s family? Once blinded by greed, what wouldn’t one do? So-called rules of the martial world are all nonsense.

”Coachman, prepare the carriage. We’re leaving immediately!”

(End of the Chapter)

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