On this journey to Qingzhou, Li Qing was not rushing day and night, but rather treating it more like a leisurely trip.
He passed through several cities, taking a full ten days to finally approach the border of Qingzhou.
“Master Li, ahead is Jingyang City.”
The voice of the coachman came into the carriage, reminding Li Qing that he was nearing the territory of Qingzhou.
Jingyang City was the southernmost city in Qingzhou. It was not particularly prosperous, but in the barren Qingzhou, such a city could be considered quite affluent.
Upon hearing this, Li Qing lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked ahead at the distant city.
The carriage rolled along the official road, stirring up clouds of dust behind it, and a young tiger was running wildly after the carriage.
As they were about to enter the city, to avoid the disturbances caused in several previous cities, Li Qing decided to call the food bucket back into the carriage.
He placed his finger to his lips and let out a crisp, long whistle.
“Roar!” Upon hearing the whistle, the tiger cub quickly reacted and dashed toward the carriage.
As it ran, the wind and sand swirled around.
Though still young, it already bore a hint of the ferocity of a tiger, startling the horses into a state of agitation.
The coachman struggled to control the startled horses, and only when the tiger cub leaped into the carriage did things settle down.
After so many days of travel, the tiger cub’s once-smooth coat had become quite dull, covered in a layer of dust.
Li Qing looked at it with a hint of helplessness and disdain, brushing off the dust from the cub’s body; with each pat, a large amount of dust fell away.
“Roar!” The tiger cub let out a soft growl.
“Behave yourself once we enter the city. Don’t cause any trouble like you did in those previous cities!”
At this point, Li Qing couldn’t help but recall a few days ago when they passed through a wealthy city. The tiger cub had caught the scent of donkey meat being grilled by the roadside and couldn’t resist charging out.
Li Qing, who was practicing at the time, didn’t have time to react before the cub bolted from the carriage.
The sudden appearance of the tiger shocked the entire street, leaving the vendor selling grilled meat trembling in fear, unable to move.
As a result, Li Qing had to pay several dozen taels of silver to settle the matter, fortunately avoiding a larger incident. If he had been accused of letting a tiger harm people, it would have been troublesome.
“Roar!” The tiger cub rolled over, exposing its belly in a gesture of submission.
Qingzhou, Jingyang City.
Although it could be considered quite prosperous in Qingzhou, it still paled in comparison to other cities in the Maple Kingdom.
The emptiness at the city gate was evident, with few merchant caravans passing through.
Li Qing casually tossed a few coins to the guards at the city gate, and without even a routine inspection, he smoothly entered the city.
On the streets, there were hardly any vendors, only a few shops were open.
However, these shops employed burly thugs who sat at the entrances like door gods.
Not far into the city, the sounds of fighting reached Li Qing’s ears.
“Damn it, you blind fool! Dare to steal my purse? Today, I’ll break each of your fingers!”
Hearing the commotion, Li Qing lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw two men grappling in the street, one wielding a brick and smashing it into the other’s head, causing blood to flow.
This scene left Li Qing speechless; they had just entered the city, and such a thing happened right before the guards at the gate.
Brave and fierce, the local customs were indeed rugged!
This was Li Qing’s first impression of Qingzhou.
Fortunately, even in this martial atmosphere, there was no chaos of internal strength running rampant while external strength was weak. At least his own martial cultivation at the level of external strength would be sufficient for self-preservation in this area.
“Let’s keep going. Find an inn to settle down for now, and we’ll leave tomorrow,” Li Qing said calmly from within the carriage.
After all, it was a carriage from the Sheng Tian, exuding an air of wealth. Upon entering the city, many eyes were secretly sizing up the carriage Li Qing was riding in.
Even the coachman felt quite nervous, a bit uneasy.
As they traveled further into the city center, they finally saw some signs of life; shops were open, and merchants were conducting business.
The carriage stopped beside an imposing building.
Dragon Gate Inn!
Li Qing stepped out of the carriage and, upon seeing the name of the inn, couldn’t help but pause for a moment before smiling, “Let’s see what’s so extraordinary about this Dragon Gate Inn.”
Saying this, the tiger cub also rushed out of the carriage.
Its colorful fur and the king character pattern on its forehead clearly indicated that it was indeed a tiger!
At the moment the food bucket emerged, many gazes that had been sizing up Li Qing’s carriage quickly withdrew.
Accompanied by several gasps, any improper thoughts were dispelled.
Though the newcomer was either rich or noble, it was clear that he was not to be trifled with.
To be able to raise a young tiger by his side, he was undoubtedly a formidable person, a true dragon crossing the river.
Entering the Dragon Gate Inn with the tiger cub, Li Qing could clearly feel the scrutinizing gazes sweeping over him and the food bucket.
“Roar!” The food bucket raised its head and roared, seemingly aware of the attention it was receiving.
“Guest, are you here to eat or to stay?” A smiling innkeeper approached, showing little sign of fear, clearly a person of experience.
“I need two top-quality guest rooms!”
As he spoke, Li Qing tossed two pieces of patterned silver to the innkeeper.
Upon receiving the money, the innkeeper’s smile grew even brighter as he led Li Qing upstairs.
“Guest, you’re not from Qingzhou, are you?”
Li Qing raised an eyebrow, “Why do you say that?”
The innkeeper replied honestly, “Hehe, these past few days, the Black Sha Gang and the Lei Family have been at war in Jingyang City. The news has spread throughout Qingzhou, and no one wants to enter the city at this critical moment.”
“However, rest assured, since you’re staying at our Dragon Gate Inn, you will definitely be safe. The Lei Family and the Black Sha Gang will have to give our inn some face.”
An inn has such a big face?
Li Qing nodded and said, “Sounds interesting. Tell me more about why they are at war.”
“I heard that someone from the Black Sha Gang stole an important treasure that the Lei Family was transporting. I’m not too clear on the specifics, and then the fighting broke out.”
To this, Li Qing could only say that it was truly Qingzhou; such a spectacle could be seen as soon as one entered the city.
“Alright, guest, these are the two guest rooms. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“By the way, it’s best not to go out at night unless it’s necessary, to avoid getting caught up in the chaos!”
After saying this, the innkeeper conveniently went downstairs.
(End of Chapter)