Qian Hong gripped the Qinghong Sword tightly, its weight substantial yet perfectly balanced, especially the tactile feedback in her hand, which aligned flawlessly with her imagination of a peerless divine weapon. At this moment, Qian Hong's eyes were solely focused on this extraordinary sword, devoid of any distractions.
From her expression, Li Qing could foresee that for a long time to come, this Commander Qian would likely be inseparable from her sword, even during meals and sleep.
Whoosh!
Qian Hong twirled the sword, the dark blade's shadow moving so swiftly through the air that it was nearly impossible to see. Finally, she sheathed the sword decisively and cupped her fists towards Li Qing solemnly: "Master Li, I cannot express my gratitude enough. If you ever need my assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to ask."
Her words were heartfelt, devoid of any pretense.
The Qinghong Sword was destined to become renowned throughout the martial world, and even hundreds of years later, long after she had departed from this realm, her name would inevitably accompany this sword in its legacy. The first owner of the peerless divine weapon, Qinghong Sword! Whenever future generations mentioned this sword, her name would surely follow.
Just thinking about this filled Qian Hong with an inexplicable excitement, causing her to tremble all over.
"Commander Qian, there is no need for such formality. It is my honor to forge such a divine sword," Li Qing replied, cupping his fists in return.
"Hahaha, farewell, Master Li!"
With a farewell, Qian Hong sheathed her sword at her waist and left the blacksmith shop without a hint of reluctance. In that moment, the heroine of Qinghong appeared even more spirited, her gaze brimming with brilliance.
After seeing Qian Hong off, Li Qing yawned, feeling an overwhelming fatigue wash over him, both mentally and physically, as if a mountain had collapsed upon him. For an entire month, Li Qing had devoted himself entirely to the forging of that sword. The tension that had built up over such a long time now completely relaxed, and the weariness and soreness of his body surged like a tide.
"No wonder there are so few divine weapons forged from this special ore in the entire martial world. It must not only be due to the rarity of this special ore but also because the forging process consumes an immense amount of energy!"
Li Qing staggered back to his room and collapsed onto the bed, his eyelids growing heavy almost immediately.
To be honest, if it weren't for the increased lifespan rewards from forging divine weapons, which had yet to show any signs of diminishing returns, Li Qing wouldn't have been so eager to forge too many divine weapons. It was simply exhausting!
He slept for a full day and night. When he finally awoke, autumn had already arrived.
This year, the autumn in the Maple Kingdom was once again a season of great harvest. The granaries across the land were overflowing, and every commoner's face radiated with satisfied smiles.
The joy and happiness stemmed not only from the bountiful harvest but also from the peace. The borders remained tranquil, and the neighboring Liang Kingdom seemed to have forgotten about the Maple Kingdom, showing no signs of activity.
Moreover, even the bandits from Bandong Prairie had seemingly laid low this year, with not a single shadow of them in sight.
In previous years, bandits would come to plunder grain during the autumn, but this year was an exception, with not even a trace of them to be found.
What a peaceful era this was! Wasn't this a time of great peace?
Thus, in Shengtian City, the atmosphere was vibrant with song and dance, performers twirling gracefully, while scholars composed poetry in brothels, the scene full of life.
After forging the Qinghong Sword for Qian Hong, Li Qing found himself enjoying a rare moment of leisure. The tranquility extended not only to the borders but also to the martial world and the rivers and lakes, which had become remarkably calm, resembling a deep, still pool without a ripple.
Li Qing naturally relished this peaceful life. Every day, he practiced martial arts in the blacksmith shop without worrying about anyone coming to him for weapon forging, as he did not rely on this for a living.
And so, a year quietly passed. With winter's snow blanketing the city, when spring arrived and the snow melted, it heralded yet another year of abundance.
As the weather grew warmer, Li Qing, who had enjoyed nearly a year of leisure, eagerly returned to his room.
It was time to open the wine!
"A year has passed, and the Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine can finally be opened!"
Even Li Qing, who was not particularly fond of alcohol, wore an expression of anticipation at this moment.
After a year of peace and prosperity, with the nation stable and the people secure, although Li Qing had continued to diligently practice martial arts, his progress in the martial path had slowed.
His strength had indeed become more robust, but he still had not touched the threshold of internal strength, nor had he seen any signs of it.
There was no helping it; his martial talent was not top-tier. To advance into the ranks of internal strength experts, he could only rely on time to slowly hone his skills or seek external assistance!
And this large vat of Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine was the external aid Li Qing had long awaited.
"The Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine can be consumed after a year, and the longer it ages, the more potent it becomes."
"This entire vat of wine will definitely last me two to three years!"
"Moreover, this wine will subtly alter a person's constitution, comparable to some miraculous elixirs!"
In other words, starting today, Li Qing would begin drinking a cup of medicinal wine every day. Perhaps he wouldn't see immediate effects at first, but over time, his constitution would become increasingly robust.
This was not only because of Li Qing's persistence in drinking it but also because the medicinal properties of the wine would gradually strengthen, just like Li Qing's own constitution.
Gulp, gulp~
Li Qing eagerly poured himself a cup of Tiger Bone Medicinal Wine, and in an instant, the rich and intoxicating aroma of the wine mixed with hints of herbal fragrance filled the entire room.
He downed it in one go, nearly numbing his tongue.
The taste was not particularly pleasant; he could only feel one thing: it was strong!
This was indeed strong liquor! When he brewed this vat of wine, he had mixed together the three strongest liquors from the tavern, then fermented it with tiger bones and various herbs for a year. One could imagine how potent this cup of wine was.
"Hiss~"
Li Qing inhaled sharply, then began to carefully sense the changes in his body.
First, warmth spread through his stomach as the medicinal properties flowed into his body, gradually altering his constitution in subtle ways.
These changes were minor, even somewhat imperceptible, but they were indeed effective.
"Ah! One cup a day is sufficient. Drinking too much of this potent medicine at once would be counterproductive."
He couldn't imagine what would happen if an ordinary person without martial skills drank such a cup of wine; they might face some serious issues.
Without wasting the efficacy of the medicinal wine, Li Qing seized the moment to practice his martial arts.
Mighty Tiger True Intent!
Drinking Tiger Bone Wine, practicing the Mighty Tiger Fist, raising the tiger cub!
Now, Li Qing was moving further and further away from the title of "Brave Tiger."
Of course, the now over a year old Rice Bucket was no longer a small tiger; its size was now nearly indistinguishable from that of an adult tiger.
Fortunately, due to Li Qing's restraint, there had been no incidents of the fierce tiger harming anyone.
But do not think that the Rice Bucket had lost its ferocity; during this time, it had been observing and learning various techniques from Li Qing's practice of the Mighty Tiger True Intent, and its combat power was certainly not to be underestimated!
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(End of Chapter)