In the height of summer, the vast Bandong Grassland resembled a green ocean, with the fierce wind sweeping across, creating ripples in the dense grasslands. On this expansive grassland, many nomadic tribes like the Tuwa tribe lived, relying on herding cattle and sheep for survival.
To the south of the grassland lay two kingdoms, one being the Liang Kingdom and the other the Maple Kingdom. Every autumn, bandit horsemen from the grassland would raid southward for grain, but last year, unexpectedly, they ceased their activities. Did these bandits, who always had a voracious appetite for grain, suddenly develop a conscience and abandon their plundering?
The answer, of course, was no!
The north wind swept the land, bending the white grass. Amidst the green ocean, a large group of cavalry suddenly appeared on the grassland. Ahead of them was a nomadic tribe that had just settled here. The leader of this large cavalry group was a one-eyed man with a fierce and sinister appearance, his remaining eye filled with a savage and brutal gleam.
"Leader Tuwa Har, ahead is the camp of the Mulan tribe," said a strategist-like figure riding forward. Indeed, the leader was Tuwa Har, a former bandit leader who had attacked the Wuli Army. Initially, he commanded a cavalry force of just over five thousand, but now his forces had expanded to over thirty thousand, a formidable force capable of crushing anything in their path.
"Just like before, persuade them to surrender first. It's a pity to waste the lives of fellow grassland people," Tuwa Har said, squinting his one eye. After more than a year of battles on the grassland, he had nearly unified most of the southern tribes of the Bandong Grassland. The remaining tribes were no longer a threat. He had lost his eye in these battles. However, Tuwa Har did not regret it; compared to his grand and ambitious plans, losing an eye was insignificant.
"The food in the camps is running low. Should we head south this year?" Upon hearing the strategist's suggestion, Tuwa Har grinned and shook his head. "No, we won't head south this year. If food runs out, slaughter all the cattle and sheep."
"Aren't there a few tribes ahead of us? Once we integrate them, slaughter their cattle and sheep too, and distribute the meat to everyone." The wise strategist naturally understood the implications of these words. Slaughtering all the cattle and sheep meant there would be no new calves or lambs born next year, cutting off any retreat!
Tuwa Har was a madman, a madman with grand ambitions. Having integrated so many tribes, his forces had expanded to over thirty thousand, an unprecedentedly powerful force on the grassland. With such a formidable cavalry, Tuwa Har's intentions were self-evident.
In the capital of the Maple Kingdom, Shengtian, as autumn approached, the maple trees lining the streets began to turn red. This year, the bandit horsemen from the grassland showed no signs of raiding southward, not even a shadow of them was seen. With peace, the capital grew increasingly prosperous, bustling with merchant caravans, and its poetry and songs became famous throughout the world.
In such a peaceful era, Li Qing continued to diligently practice martial arts. With the aid of Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine, his martial path had accelerated. "Hoo!" In the blacksmith shop, Li Qing stretched his limbs, then touched his skin, a smile growing on his lips. "The first layer of the Golden Body Technique! It's done!" With the help of the medicinal wine, which originally required three years to master, he had achieved it in just about a year and a half.
At twenty years old, Li Qing's external strength had reached its peak. Moreover, his internal energy had grown even more robust. Now, it was no exaggeration to say that he could easily handle five or six martial artists at the external strength level alone. "Internal energy, what exactly is internal energy?" Li Qing squinted his eyes, once again pondering this question that had troubled him for a long time. He had reached the pinnacle of external strength, but now faced a bottleneck, especially since he possessed several remarkable martial arts, yet was unusually unsure of how to proceed.
Feeling somewhat frustrated, Li Qing drank a cup of Tiger Bone Wine. The spicy and potent medicinal wine coursed through his body, making him feel warm all over. With the completion of the first layer of the Golden Body Technique, his physical body had become extraordinarily strong.
Crack!
With a slight exertion of his hand, the cup shattered completely, and as he opened his hand, a pile of powder slipped through his palm and fingers. All of this was achieved solely through his brute strength!
Yet, there wasn't a single mark on his palm, still intact, showing the evident effects of the first layer of the Golden Body Technique.
"It's time to seek advice from others. Relying solely on my own blind exploration might take forever!" With these words, Li Qing stood up, his figure disappearing from the room in a flash.
In the capital, Xiliu Street, even at night, the street remained brightly lit, even more bustling than during the day. This was because the street was lined with brothels and taverns. Standing at the street's entrance, one could clearly see the girls adorned with flowers on the buildings on both sides, singing and dancing.
"Hehe, look, the hero Zhang Lai from Feiyun Martial Hall is drunk again!" "Young Master Zhang, when will you come to Lichun Pavilion for a drink with me?" "Young Master Zhang, the girls at Jin Feng Lou have been waiting for you so eagerly!" "..."
On the street, Zhang Lai, so drunk he could barely walk straight, had a flushed face but still wore a wanton smile. "Hahaha, Sister Rong, next time for sure, next time for sure. Today, I have urgent matters at the Martial Hall!" With that, he staggered out of the brightly lit street, heading into the dark alley.
On this street, drunkards were a common sight. Every morning when the sun rose, there were always a few drunkards lying around like dead pigs. This showed how well-maintained the order on Xiliu Street was, not for any other reason but because it was the shared territory of the city's three major Martial Halls.
Thus, Zhang Lai, swaying and stumbling, gradually left the brightly lit Xiliu Street, moving further into the dark alley. However, as his figure completely disappeared into the darkness, a slender figure followed him from a corner of the alley. Almost in an instant, the drunken Zhang Lai seemed to sense something, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
Hmm? Turning around, a hand like an eagle's claw pierced through his throat. "Uh..." Bang! Without even a chance to scream, Zhang Lai fell straight into the darkness. Blood gushed from his throat like a spring, quickly staining the ground with a strong scent of blood.
The slender young man crouched down, placing his hand on Zhang Lai's abdomen, like a seasoned hunter, calm and composed.