Even amidst the chaos of war at the border, Sheng Tian City remained as resplendent and prosperous as ever, as if it were two separate worlds. Here, not a trace of the looming shadows of war could be seen, as if the repeated breaches of Wangyuan City over the past few days had never occurred.
On the rippling surface of the lake, one could see the graceful dancing of merchant girls on painted pleasure boats. Inside the taverns, talented scholars and beautiful women recited poetry, played the guqin, and blew flutes, truly embodying a flourishing era.
After waiting in line for a long time at the city gate, Qi Kang, who had finally entered the city, was dazzled by the sights, eagerly turning his head to take in everything, wishing he could capture all the scenes with his eyes.
"Young Master, what shall we do next?" Qi Kang asked Li Qing, looking up at him.
Leading his horse through the bustling streets of the city, Li Qing replied calmly, "First, we need to find an inn to settle down, then you can go out and gather some information about the city, such as which renowned Martial Halls are in Sheng Tian City and which people or factions are best avoided. This will be your task moving forward."
Although Qi Kang came from a humble background, he was quite clever and well-suited for gathering information. Much of what they learned on their journey to Sheng Tian City had come from his inquiries.
"Understood, Young Master, leave it to me!" Qi Kang vowed earnestly.
Thus, Li Qing and Qi Kang arrived at a rather grand inn in the city, where they booked two upper rooms. Although he had mentally prepared himself, Li Qing was still shocked by the inn's prices, which were several times higher than those in Wangyuan City!
After paying, Li Qing couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Living in such luxury is not easy."
After checking into the inn, Li Qing, who had traveled a long distance, finally had the chance to fulfill his wish of getting a good night's sleep. He slept straight through until noon the next day, and when he awoke, Qi Kang had already gone out to gather some basic information about Sheng Tian as instructed.
With the neighboring room empty, Li Qing had no intention of continuing to lounge around; he had not forgotten the purpose of his visit to Sheng Tian.
Forge weapons! Brew wine! Train in martial arts!
"From the current situation, it seems Sheng Tian is relatively peaceful; we chose the right place," Li Qing thought with satisfaction, believing he could finally settle down and develop for a while.
With the gold and silver he had brought from the Eternal Night World, Li Qing strolled through the bustling streets of Sheng Tian. The streets were filled with various vendors calling out their wares, and children occasionally dashed across the road, adding to the lively atmosphere.
Casually inquiring about the largest herbal shop in Sheng Tian, he received a surprisingly unanimous response: it was the Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion.
After traversing several streets, Li Qing arrived at the street of the Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion, following the directions given by passersby. As soon as he stepped inside, he was greeted by a strong scent of herbs.
Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion! Claimed to be the largest herbal shop in the entire Maple Kingdom, the name itself hinted at its connection to Spring Mountain City. It was said that any herb found in Spring Mountain City could be found here, and even those not available in Spring Mountain City could be traced here.
To his surprise, upon entering, what greeted him was not a rare herb but a wanted poster. Surrounding the poster were many people, all pointing and discussing it.
"The Star Snatcher really came to Sheng Tian and stole the most precious 400-year-old mountain ginseng from the Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion!"
"This is serious! Isn't that the mountain ginseng that the prince's residence specifically requested a while back? It was actually stolen by the Star Snatcher!"
"This is going to be interesting; the prince's residence and the Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion will surely not let this go easily. Sheng Tian City might be turned upside down."
"I heard that the Prince of Honor suffered from a hidden ailment due to his pursuit of martial arts, which severely damaged his vitality. He places great importance on such precious herbs that can restore his foundation. Previously, someone exchanged a 200-year-old herb for several thousand taels of silver with the prince's residence!"
"Indeed, even the Emperor has searched for precious herbs for the Prince of Honor several times. The Star Snatcher is likely in for a tough time."
Listening to the discussions around him, Li Qing took a keen interest in the wanted poster. The Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion was offering a substantial reward for the capture of the Star Snatcher, promising not only a hefty sum for the recovery of the 400-year-old mountain ginseng but also an additional condition to be fulfilled for the one who retrieves it.
After all, it was something the prince's residence wanted, and as the brother of the current Emperor, they could not afford to take it lightly.
However, Li Qing had little interest in this matter. After glancing at the poster, he took out his list of required herbs and approached the shopkeeper to inquire about them.
"Guest, aside from tiger bones and tiger whips, we have everything else you need," the shopkeeper casually replied.
Hearing this, Li Qing felt a surge of joy in his heart. He thought to himself, as expected of Sheng Tian City, the herbs he had searched high and low for in Wangyuan City were all available here at once.
Even the five poisonous ingredients needed for the Five Poisons Vitality Wine were surprisingly in stock, which was truly a pleasant surprise!
"I'll take them all, but can you store the five poisonous items for me? I'll come back to collect them next year when I need them," Li Qing said with a serious expression.
"No problem, I can give you a receipt. Just come back whenever you need them, but we do not accept credit," the shopkeeper replied.
Upon hearing this, Li Qing pulled out a gold bar from his belongings and handed it to the shopkeeper.
"Wrap everything up for me."
With the gold bar in hand, it was more effective than anything else. The shopkeeper wasted no time and immediately had someone pack up the herbs Li Qing needed.
During the waiting period, many people entered and exited the Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion, all of them burly and robust.
"It’s true! The Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion is offering a reward for the Star Snatcher!"
"This is a job that could connect us with the prince; let’s go back and inform the hall master!"
Suddenly, the Spring Mountain Herbal Pavilion became bustling with activity, reminiscent of the excitement surrounding the imperial examination results, as many in the martial world showed interest in the wanted poster for the Star Snatcher.
Thus, the name of the Star Snatcher quickly spread throughout Sheng Tian, becoming a topic of widespread discussion.
To dare to target the prince's residence, he was undoubtedly not an ordinary person.
However, all of this had nothing to do with Li Qing. He had no interest in capturing the Star Snatcher and instead wandered around the city alone, carrying the herbs he had just purchased.
With the matter of brewing herbs settled, Li Qing next planned to open a blacksmith shop in the city to earn a bit of a living. Although the gold and silver treasures he obtained in the Eternal Night World were enough for him to live worry-free for ten lifetimes, he was not one to sit idly by; earning a little was better than nothing.
The key, of course, was that by forging weapons for others, he could also gain a significant amount of lifespan, as no one would ever complain about living longer.
"The government controls iron too strictly; opening a blacksmith shop requires various permits, which is quite troublesome."
"It would be best to take over an existing shop; that would save a lot of effort."
(End of Chapter)