After Yan San left, Li Qing stood in his courtyard and practiced his stance, dedicating the next several hours to this fundamental exercise. It was not until his body was utterly fatigued and weary that he returned to his room to rest.
When he awoke again, it was to the sound of knocking at the door. He did not dare to sleep too deeply; the door had only been knocked three times before he opened his eyes.
Upon opening the courtyard door, he saw Yan San carrying a pile of iron ingots and a stone slab inscribed with mysterious patterns.
"Hehe, Little Li Master, the Yan family has agreed to your request. They are willing to let you view a secret manual first, and once the farming tools are forged, they will send you two more copies!" Yan San said with a grin.
Clearly, the Yan family had agreed to this transaction quite readily, and he had profited considerably from it. The moment Li Qing laid eyes on the stone slab, he found it hard to look away from the mysterious patterns etched upon it.
"May I ask what kind of martial art is inscribed on this stone slab?" Li Qing asked, shifting his gaze away, his expression calm.
"The manager of the Yan family said this martial art is called Light Silk Leg, one of the signature techniques of the Light Silk Martial Arts Hall in the city. This slab was personally carved by their hall master!" Yan San explained, then handed the slab to Li Qing, adding, "Of course, the Yan family will want this slab back afterward!"
Taking the heavy slab, Li Qing examined it closely once more. There was indeed an inexplicable charm to it, and he could sense the qi within, unlike any counterfeit.
"Alright, I will accept the slab. I am a bit tired today, so you can head back first. Come for the sickle in seven days," Li Qing nodded, his expression tranquil as he spoke.
"Alright! Little Li Master, I will come back in seven days!" Yan San did not linger, and as he left, he even helped close the courtyard door for Li Qing.
Bang!
Once the door was shut, Yan San's previously fawning expression immediately shifted to one of disdain and contempt.
As he walked away, he muttered, "What a fool! Even at this time, he chooses to ignore the black rye mushrooms and practices this useless technique. Does he really think he can achieve something remarkable?"
Inside the courtyard, the perceptive Li Qing naturally heard this mocking remark.
He did not care in the slightest, even feeling a bit amused. Practicing such martial arts might indeed be a waste of time, and results would be hard to see, but he certainly did not lack time!
He intended to develop silently, and once his martial arts reached great heights, he would kick down everyone who looked down on him.
"It doesn't matter. Even if my aptitude is poor, after practicing for ten or eight years, I will surely see some results. If all else fails, I can forge a few more weapons!"
Li Qing silently vowed in his heart!
Due to his extreme fatigue, Li Qing returned to his room and fell asleep again. He had almost trained himself to wake up at specific times during his years as a blacksmith apprentice in the army, ensuring he would never oversleep.
Leaving the stone slab inscribed with Light Silk Leg in the Eternal Night World, he took some iron ingots and the Ancient Hammer Technique back to his tent.
Upon returning, he found himself panting after having already accumulated ten hours of sleep, yet he had consumed a considerable amount of energy.
He rolled out of bed, feeling an unbearable soreness throughout his body, especially in his legs, which trembled slightly even as he walked.
The aftereffects of stance training!
However, despite the fatigue, Li Qing truly felt that his physical strength had improved a bit. Standing on the ground, he felt a sense of stability, influenced by the energy release method of the stance training.
Gurgle, gurgle~
Having not eaten for nearly a day, his stomach naturally protested.
"Sigh, if it weren't for the threefold passage of time and the harsh living conditions, I would want to stay in the Eternal Night World forever."
He had considered using the Eternal Night World to avoid calamity; when the enemies came, he could slip into another world, and everything would be none of his concern. However, there was a drawback to traversing between two worlds: wherever he was before the shift, he would return to the same spot afterward!
The border area where the Wuli Army was stationed was a crucial stronghold, right next to an iron ore mine, and it was essential to keep people stationed there at all times.
If the enemies occupied this place and he returned, it would be a huge problem. He might even be captured as a spy, leading to severe punishment.
Of course, the most critical issue was that the Eternal Night World lacked food; he had no confidence in being able to sustain himself after training in martial arts there.
With a growling stomach, Li Qing stepped out of his tent, and the sky outside was just beginning to brighten.
He hurriedly took two bowls and walked briskly to the kitchen, only to find that the one on duty this morning was still the plump Wu Chong.
However, compared to last night, Wu Chong's face clearly bore a hint of worry.
"What's wrong, Wu Fatty?" Li Qing asked.
Then he noticed the pile of white steamed buns stacked like a small mountain on the stove, his eyes gleaming with hunger. He felt he could easily eat a dozen or twenty buns in one go.
"The master who taught me how to cook went to check on the food supply team yesterday afternoon. He was supposed to return last night, but he hasn't come back yet!" Wu Chong blurted out, unable to hold back his words.
Li Qing glanced around; no one else was up yet. He grabbed two buns and stuffed them into his mouth while mumbling, "Is there anyone bringing food from the injured soldiers' camp this morning?"
Wu Chong shook his head, then looked at Li Qing, who was continuously stuffing buns into his mouth, with a puzzled expression. "Are you a starving ghost reincarnated? How did you get so hungry? Didn't you get a lot of food yesterday?"
Li Qing certainly could not tell Wu Fatty about standing in stance training for a day without eating in another world.
He filled his two bowls with food, patted Wu Chong on the shoulder, and hurriedly left the kitchen.
The border area was truly on the verge of chaos. If he was not mistaken, the food supply team had likely been ambushed by horse bandits.
Last night, someone from the injured soldiers' camp had brought food, but no one had come this morning. The few severely injured individuals who returned yesterday afternoon were likely in grave danger.
However, it was surprising that they had held out for so long; they must have been martial artists, possessing some martial skills. Otherwise, if they were ordinary people, they would have perished on the spot.
The horse bandits in the border area came from nomadic tribes on the eastern grasslands, bordering both the Maple Kingdom and Liang Kingdom.
It was still early summer, far from the harsh winter, yet they were brazenly raiding food supplies and shooting soldiers, which was quite unusual.
This was a recipe for deep enmity! It seemed they were eager for the Maple Kingdom to send troops to attack and eliminate them.
But would the horse bandits easily court death? Naturally not; they were not fools, and offending the Maple Kingdom brought no benefits.
Unless the horse bandits had colluded with the Liang Kingdom.
The sharp thinking honed from modern experiences led Li Qing to consider many possibilities, but he believed that whatever he could think of, the high-ranking officials of the Wuli Army would not overlook.
Next, it would depend on the attitude of the court.
"Sigh, I just want to quietly forge iron and develop a bit; why is it so difficult?"
(End of Chapter)