"Rewarding a horse next?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the other refugees lit up with greed. Having lost their fields and homes due to the war, they had been starving for too long to care about the laws of the Maple Kingdom that prohibited the killing of horses and cattle.
However, some refugees were fixated on the beggar boy in the crowd who knew how to enter the city. Due to Li Qing's intimidating presence, they did not dare to act recklessly.
It wasn't just Li Qing; they also wanted to enter the city, as staying outside meant certain death. If they could get inside, there might still be a chance for survival, whether through thievery, deception, or begging, they would surely obtain more food than they could in the desolate wilderness outside the city.
The beggar boy wiped the dirt off his face, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes, but it was soon replaced by determination. He knelt down and said, "I don’t want a horse; I want you to take me as your disciple. I also want to practice martial arts!"
This took Li Qing by surprise. He frowned slightly and asked, "What if I refuse?"
The beggar boy knocked his head against the ground and replied solemnly, "Then I will still tell you how to enter the city. I just hope you can keep me by your side to serve you!"
Li Qing smiled. He glanced at the surrounding refugees and chuckled, "Everyone, the bandits have done much evil. I will take one of the remaining four horses for my journey; you can fight over the other three!"
After saying this, Li Qing waved at the beggar boy in the crowd, then turned around, took the reins of a horse, and left gracefully, leaving the remaining refugees with only his back to look at.
Upon hearing this, the other refugees no longer cared about anything else and immediately began to fight over the ownership of the three horses, creating a scene of utter chaos.
The beggar boy saw Li Qing beckoning him and quickly got up, his face filled with joy as he followed.
On the official road leading to Wangyuan City, Li Qing mounted the horse. Although he was not very skilled in horsemanship, his martial prowess allowed him to tame the inferior horse.
The young beggar walked ahead, pulling the reins of the horse, resembling a servant.
"Tell me, what is your name?" Li Qing casually asked.
"Young Master, my name is Qi Kang!"
Li Qing, sitting on the horse, nodded and then asked the question he was most concerned about: "So, what method do you have to enter the city? Why don’t you go in yourself and instead mix with a group of refugees?"
Qi Kang smiled bitterly and replied, "Young Master, it’s not that I don’t want to enter the city; it’s that I don’t have the ability!"
"Wangyuan City has a secret entrance besides the city gate. Many people used to sneak in through that entrance to avoid the city entry tax!"
"Unfortunately, due to the recent outbreak of war, those who entered through that entrance have blocked it with heavy objects to prevent it from being used!"
As he spoke, Qi Kang gritted his teeth and said, "If it weren't for this, my family would have entered the city long ago and wouldn't have died in the chaos of war."
Qi Kang's tone was filled with hatred, his eyes reddening as he recalled the scene of his family’s tragic death.
The swirling yellow sand was once again swept up by the wind, obscuring the sky and dimming the light.
Ahead lay the imposing fortress of the Maple Kingdom, its mottled walls standing silently like a great mountain, exuding a heavy aura that was absolutely indestructible.
Wangyuan City occupied a strategic location, with its walls seamlessly connecting to the steep and rugged mountains. If one wished to delve deeper into the heart of the Maple Kingdom, they could only find a way through this easily defended yet hard to attack stronghold.
The towering mountains and solid walls isolated the harsh environment outside the border, and further inside lay the picturesque Maple Kingdom, with a pleasant climate and flourishing life.
As night gradually deepened, Li Qing urged Qi Kang to continue leading the way to the blocked entrance.
"Young Master, this is the place."
Under the cover of darkness, Qi Kang led Li Qing to a spot where the city wall met the mountains. This area was far from the city gate and was a blind spot for the patrolling guards, making it nearly impossible for anyone to discover them in the deep night.
The entrance Qi Kang spoke of was actually a crack, a natural fissure in the ground that allowed only one person to pass through. Contrary to what Li Qing had imagined, he had thought it would be a hole in the thick wall that could allow passage.
However, that was clearly impossible; if such a solid wall had been breached, it would have been repaired immediately.
Li Qing crouched down, examining the narrow fissure that allowed only one person to pass, confirming that it was indeed naturally formed.
"Well, it’s good, but unfortunately, the horse cannot enter the city." As he spoke, Li Qing removed the burden from the horse and squeezed himself into the crack.
Inside was pitch black, barely tall enough for a person to stand. Walking inside required bending over, which was quite laborious, but it was precisely because the crack was so small that it remained sufficiently hidden, known to very few.
As he reached the midpoint, Li Qing had to turn sideways to continue moving.
Soon, Qi Kang followed him, his slender body maneuvering easily through the crack.
"Young Master, just ahead is the area inside the city, but it’s covered by a wooden board pressed down by a heavy stone, and it’s impossible to move!" Qi Kang whispered in the darkness.
Indeed!
When Li Qing reached the end of the crack, it was difficult even for one person to fit through.
Thus, anyone coming here could only rely on their own strength to push the heavy stone slab above.
Knock, knock, knock!
Li Qing tapped on the wooden board above, producing a solid sound, confirming that it was firmly pressed down.
For an ordinary person, this wooden board was akin to a mountain, and the cramped space made it nearly impossible to exert any force, rendering it impossible to push.
Of course, this was only true for ordinary people.
The person who had placed this wooden board had never considered that a powerful cultivator would use such a crack to enter the city.
At that moment, Li Qing placed both hands on the wooden board above, tilting his head and pressing his forehead and one shoulder against it.
"Hmph!"
With a surge of external energy, Li Qing's strength suddenly increased. His slightly crouched body forcefully lifted the heavy wooden board.
When he stood up straight, the part of his body above the neck had already emerged from the ground, allowing him to see the surrounding environment clearly.
It was a relatively secluded area within Wangyuan City. Confirming that no one was around, Li Qing quickly moved the heavy wooden board to the side.
With the board removed, Li Qing leaped out of the crack.
On top of the board, several grinding stones were firmly pressed down, tightly secured with hemp ropes.
Seeing this scene, Li Qing couldn't help but twitch his mouth, thinking to himself how no wonder it was so heavy.
Qi Kang also nimbly climbed out. Looking at the situation on the wooden board, anger surged in his eyes once more.
Ignoring Qi Kang's fury, Li Qing immediately moved the board with the grinding stones back into place, firmly covering it again.
"Let’s go."
Li Qing said calmly, then turned his gaze toward the distant buildings, his heart unable to contain the excitement.
After such a long time, he had finally returned to the civilized world once more!
(End of Chapter)