In the pitch-black tomb, illuminated by the flickering light of a torch, a lifeless face suddenly appeared before Li Qing.
In that instant, even the usually calm Li Qing couldn't help but shiver, his hand holding the torch trembling.
This was a corpse, looking as if it had just died a few days ago, its features still relatively intact.
It was not an illusion born from fear; Li Qing clearly felt the temperature of the air around him drop significantly, giving him a sense of returning to winter.
Drip!
A sound of dripping water echoed from the depths of the tomb, starkly out of place in the stillness of the night within the dense forest.
Something was amiss!
Li Qing quickly dragged the corpse out from the entrance of the tomb and continued to extend the torch inside.
The interior was deep and dark, a gently sloping passage that only allowed one person to pass through by bending down.
As expected, this should be the tomb that was widely rumored in the Jianghu.
Li Qing pondered for a moment, ultimately deciding to retreat and return during the day to investigate further.
He turned around, and a gentle breeze blew past, causing the torchlight to flicker slightly, illuminating Li Qing's face more clearly.
In the next moment, a surprised voice rang out.
“Master!?”
Just as Li Qing was about to step away, his figure stiffened slightly, his gaze incredulously directed towards the source of the voice.
Before Li Qing could respond, another voice unexpectedly came from the depths of the tomb.
“Hmm? Xiao Qi, do you know this person?”
This voice sounded somewhat lazy, and Li Qing felt it was quite familiar, very familiar indeed.
“Qi Kang? How did you end up here? Who is the person below the tomb?”
Indeed, in this world, aside from Qi Kang, who else would call Li Qing Master?
It was utterly unexpected; Qi Kang was actually alive! One must know that many martial arts experts had perished in this valley of Xiao Cuiling, yet he had managed to survive!
What surprised Li Qing the most was that if Qi Kang hadn't spoken up, he wouldn't have even noticed his presence.
In a nearby thicket woven with vines, Qi Kang struggled to crawl out.
He was covered in dirt, his hair disheveled, looking as if he had returned to the days of being a vagrant.
However, what left the deepest impression on Li Qing was Qi Kang's eyes, which now appeared exceptionally bright and spirited!
“Master, this is a long story, it’s like this…”
At this moment, the voice from within the tomb interrupted Qi Kang again.
“Ahem, Xiao Qi, we have a distinguished guest; why not invite him in?”
The tone of the voice was very familiar, as if Li Qing had heard it somewhere before.
Li Qing squinted, recalling for a long time, and finally remembered.
“Hehe, I didn't expect the famous Star Snatcher to actually be hiding in the tomb of Xiao Cuiling. If this gets out, it might stir up a bloody storm here!”
Indeed, the person inside was the Star Snatcher. Li Qing had seen him several times in the tavern, which was why the voice sounded somewhat familiar.
Qi Kang, on the other hand, was taken aback and asked, “Master, how do you know Brother Ning is inside?”
The Star Snatcher's surname is Ning?
Li Qing raised an eyebrow slightly; it seemed that during Qi Kang's disappearance, he had quite a bit of interaction with this person. Inside the tomb, the Star Snatcher fell silent.
Li Qing also maintained his silence, focusing all his senses, alert to the sounds coming from the tomb.
The bounty on the Star Snatcher in Shengtian City was worth hundreds of thousands of taels of silver!
Even if he couldn't defeat him, simply informing the Prince's residence about the Star Snatcher's whereabouts would earn him a reward of ten thousand taels of silver, a sum that could drive ordinary people to madness!
Although Li Qing was not interested in the bounty on the Star Snatcher, he did not dare to act recklessly.
After all, the Star Snatcher would naturally assume that Li Qing intended to capture him for the bounty, and if he went in, the two might end up fighting fiercely.
In such a short time, a chain of suspicion formed between the two, and neither dared to act lightly, remaining silent.
Qi Kang sensed the tension and quickly spoke up, “Brother Ning, my Master is very indifferent to fame and fortune; he definitely won't be interested in the Prince's bounty. I assure you of this!”
“Master, Brother Ning is actually a good person.”
With Qi Kang acting as a bridge for communication, the chain of suspicion between them was quickly broken.
The Star Snatcher inside the tomb was the first to speak, “Since he is Xiao Qi's Master, then please come in and have a seat, no need for formality.”
With that invitation, Li Qing chuckled lightly and clasped his fists, saying, “I have long admired the name of the Star Snatcher; it is my fortune to meet you today.”
Seeing that the two had resolved their suspicions, Qi Kang also smiled and led Li Qing into the tomb.
The tomb was a downward sloping passage, quite dark inside, and the air was somewhat cold and damp; the further they went in, the lower the temperature became.
Soon, they reached the deepest part of the tomb, where the surrounding space suddenly opened up, revealing a natural cave.
It was not dark here, as several priceless Night Pearls were embedded in the walls, their hazy glow illuminating the interior.
At the very center of the tomb, there lay a stone coffin. To the left was a stone table, where the Star Snatcher, Ning Yuan, sat with a jade wine jug in hand, drinking alone.
“It’s you!” Ning Yuan's sword-like brows slightly raised, clearly recognizing Li Qing.
“Master, have you two met?” Qi Kang asked curiously.
Li Qing nodded and explained, “I had the fortune to see him a few times in the tavern; at that time, I didn't know he was the famous Star Snatcher. Later, his wanted poster spread throughout the entire imperial capital.”
“I didn't expect you to be the blacksmith Master that Xiao Qi often mentions. Meeting you today is even better than hearing about you!” Ning Yuan's appearance was handsome, making it hard for anyone to believe that such a refined young man was a world-renowned thief.
From the Night Pearls embedded in the walls, it was evident that this person was definitely not one to leave empty-handed.
“No wonder you knew the origins of this tomb even while at the tavern. It seems you intentionally spread false information to target the Prince's residence? I’m curious, what grievance do you have with the Prince's residence?” Li Qing casually asked.
Upon hearing this, Ning Yuan burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha! Who told you I released false information? This tomb is indeed the burial site of the martial arts genius Lin Yi from the previous dynasty!”
Upon hearing this, Li Qing's heart jolted.
It was actually true!
“However, that martial arts legacy has long been taken by me. The Prince's residence and the people from Jiulian Sect will only come here for nothing.” Ning Yuan laughed heartily and finished the fine wine in the jade jug.
“Xiao Qi, quickly go fetch more wine; we have a distinguished guest today, we should drink to our heart's content!”