Li Qing's departure was not truly to travel far in the Eternal Night World. Although he had gained some self-preservation abilities after becoming an external force martial artist, he would still starve without sufficient food. After bidding farewell to the Brotherhood and temporarily leaving Obsidian City, Li Qing found a secluded deep forest and finally returned to the Maple Kingdom.
Buzz!
Traveling back and forth between the two worlds no longer posed a significant burden for Li Qing. Even with a luggage bundle on his back, he only needed to catch his breath slightly.
Maple Kingdom, frontier lands.
It was now deep autumn, and the surrounding weather was gradually turning cold. However, compared to the Eternal Night World, the temperature here could be considered warm.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept across the desert, leaving a strong scent of blood in the air. Having not seen sunlight for a long time, Li Qing couldn't help but shield his eyes with his hand. Once he gradually adapted to the surrounding light, he slowly opened his eyes.
Brutal! Bloody! Corpses strewn everywhere!
This was Li Qing's first impression of the scene before him when he opened his eyes.
"Is there a war going on?" Li Qing's expression changed slightly. He got up from the ground, surrounded by corpses clad in tattered armor, with arrows and broken weapons scattered all over the ground.
"It seems the frontier troops have withdrawn. A battle just ended here. I can't tell if I'm lucky or unlucky."
Li Qing let out a sigh of relief, his previously tense heart finally relaxing. He initially thought that upon returning, he would end up in the Wuli Army's granary. Escaping from a camp full of experts would have been quite challenging.
Now, the frontier military camp guarding the mine was gone, replaced by a battlefield where a battle had just concluded.
"I can't let my guard down. Someone might come to clean up the battlefield later, and the situation on the battlefield can change at any moment. Who knows when another fight might break out? It's better to leave as soon as possible."
Talking to himself, Li Qing quickly ran across the battlefield. As he ran, he picked up a broken flag, its surface stained with dark red blood. However, Li Qing recognized it as the flag of the Liang Kingdom.
"Just as I suspected, the bandit raids on the frontier were definitely instigated by the Liang Kingdom. The east is indeed unstable."
Having returned to a world with sunlight, Li Qing's primary desire was to find a peaceful place to develop slowly, gathering materials for brewing medicinal wine while practicing martial arts.
He was currently in the eastern region of the Maple Kingdom, a frontier area. Beyond the desert to the east lay the Liang Kingdom, which was at war with the Maple Kingdom. To the north was an endless grassland, home to various nomadic tribes.
If he wanted to practice martial arts peacefully, Li Qing's first choice would not be a war-torn area. Ideally, it would be a place with thriving commerce, abundant resources, and peace.
"Sigh, eastward is the Liang Kingdom, northward is the grassland. I can only return to Wangyuan City for now. Hopefully, the war will end soon."
With those words, Li Qing shot forward like an arrow, heading towards Wangyuan City in the distance.
After running for quite a while, when the silhouette of the thick, mottled city walls appeared on the horizon, Li Qing stopped, panting heavily.
"Phew! During wartime, entering the city has become quite a troublesome affair."
Currently, Li Qing was essentially without official identity papers. With nothing to prove his identity and possessing considerable martial skills, he could easily be mistaken for a spy.
Of course, during wartime, refugees were a common sight, though someone like Li Qing was rare. After spending a year in the Eternal Night World, where the sun never shone, Li Qing's skin had become somewhat fairer, looking much better than the previously dark-skinned blacksmith apprentice.
Moreover, he was strong and muscular, with a physique that couldn't be concealed even under clothing. Claiming to be a refugee with such an appearance would be hard to believe unless the city guards were blind.
At this moment, figuring out how to enter the city became Li Qing's most pressing issue. Wangyuan City was right in front of him, but he couldn't enter. It was a stronghold on the frontier, likely insurmountable even for an internal force expert, let alone Li Qing in his current state.
As Li Qing was lamenting, a group of refugees was being driven along the official road in front of him.
"Move faster, don't dawdle!"
"Once we reach Jinshan Stronghold, there'll be food. If you're late, you'll be skinned alive!"
"Hurry up, if you don't want to starve, move quickly!"
Behind the refugees, several bandit-like individuals on horseback were waving whips, driving the refugees forward.
The moment he saw these people, Li Qing knew their identity. They were bandits, and despite the main city being right ahead, they dared to openly abduct people to their mountain stronghold.
Only in these chaotic times could such things happen. In troubled times, human lives were as insignificant as grass. These refugees gathered daily beneath Wangyuan City's walls, and the authorities wouldn't easily let them into the city, as it would cause significant trouble.
This gave the bandits an opportunity to exploit. They abducted the refugees to their stronghold, promising food, but what would actually happen once they were on the mountain was uncertain.
Seeing these bandits, Li Qing immediately devised a plan.
"Hmph! Bold bandits, daring to abduct citizens in broad daylight!"
On the official road ahead, Li Qing stood straight, blocking the refugees and bandits.
His voice was filled with righteousness, resembling a young hero eager to uphold justice!
The bandits on horseback exchanged glances, then chuckled and asked, "May I know your name, sir? Our Jinshan Stronghold cannot bear to see so many refugees starve and freeze outside the city. Bringing them to the mountain is merely to keep them alive."
Upon hearing this, Li Qing sneered.
"Hmph! You cowardly bandits aren't worthy of knowing my name!"
Calling them cowardly bandits, even a clay Buddha would have some anger, let alone these bandits accustomed to evil deeds.
"Damn it, where did this blind brat come from, trying to play hero here? Today, I'll skin you alive!"
As expected, someone couldn't hold back, immediately swinging a whip and charging at Li Qing with a fierce gaze.
Seeing this, a mocking glint flashed in Li Qing's eyes. (End of Chapter)