Conflict

In short, Shen Shuibi knew that important matters were at hand, and she didn't cry and refuse to leave.

However, this time the rabbit's anger lasted an unusually long time.

Li Qi was at a loss. He had apologized, but the problem was... how could he prevent this?

Would a normal person think of that kind of thing when they see a furry rabbit?

But Shen Shuibi is not human.

Sigh, I've been behaving too normally all the time and forgotten about species differences.

In short, Li Qi then talked to the shopkeeper and said that Old Ma should rest, and that the room fee he had prepaid for the past few days would be used as Old Ma's food expenses. The shopkeeper naturally had no reason to refuse and agreed.

After settling Lao Old Ma in, he set off with Shen Shuibi, who was sulking and pouting.

However, being a rabbit after all, although she was still angry along the way, when she actually arrived at the caravan and encountered a group of people who came up to greet her, her timid nature kicked in. She hurriedly hid behind Li Qi, tightly holding onto his clothes, using Li Qi's body as an obstacle to block her view, and her previous anger vanished.

Shen Shuibi had always given Li Qi the impression of being very gentle, and her anger was only temporary.

Although this time it really was Li Qi's own fault...

But you really can't blame him...

Who would have thought that petting a rabbit could lead to harassment?

Never mind, I'll remember that for next time.

With Shen Shuibi and some luggage, Li Qi joined the caravan.

After settling Shen Shuibi in, Li Qi immediately went to visit the caravan leader, the merchant who had invited him earlier. "We were in a bit of a rush to discuss business earlier, and I forgot to introduce myself. My Xia Li Qi, but may I ask how you are addressed?"

"My surname is Jing, and my given name is Biewen. I am a manager of the Jing Family Merchant House. You may call me by my name, Mr. Li," Jing Biewen said.

"How can I? You are an elder, how can I address you by your first name? From now on, I will call you Shopkeeper Jing." Li Qi said.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Qi couldn't wait to get to the point.

"Shopkeeper Jing, do you know where the other ninth-rank merchant in the caravan is? I will be working with him for the next few days, so I would like to pay him a visit. Do you have any advice for me, elder?" Li Qi asked politely.

"So that's what Mr. Li was after. However, that ninth-rank official wasn't recruited from outside; he's a member of the Jing family's main Martial Affairs Hall. Nevertheless, if we're going to fight side by side, it's good to get to know each other beforehand." Shopkeeper Jing nodded and said.

Then, he introduced him to Li Qi: "He is also a ninth-rank martial artist, a steward of the main family's Martial Affairs Hall, different from us branch family members..."

Shopkeeper Jing introduced the situation, Li Qi listened attentively from the side.

It turns out that this chamber of commerce belongs to a prominent Aristocratic Clan surnamed Jing.

When talking about his Lineage, Shopkeeper Jing seemed quite proud. His Lineage had a seventh-rank patriarch, several eighth-rank hall masters, and dozens of ninth-rank stewards. The Lineage members had a clear division of labor and different Cultivation Method according to different businesses, forming a considerable force in the Song Kingdom. They were considered a large Lineage in the Song Kingdom and had a hereditary earl title, known as "Earl Jingnan".

Li Qi was amazed. Apart from the ethereal Wushen Mountain and the Tang Kingdom, this was the first time he had dealt with such a powerful force.

They are indeed a powerful force; the merchants of the Song Kingdom have even expanded their business to White Snake Prefecture in the Great Deer Kingdom.

However, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Having offended the county magistrate of the Snake Tail County, he still had to speed up his escape.

After introducing his family background, he began to introduce the "Martial Affairs Hall Steward".

The Martial Affairs Hall, as the name suggests, is responsible for matters of martial arts within the Jing family. They practice martial Cultivation Method. The steward is named Jing Yan, a woman whose mother died early and whose father was strict, which led to her being withdrawn and having almost no hobbies other than practicing martial arts.

Therefore, Shopkeeper Jing suggested that if we want to build a good relationship and facilitate future cooperation, we should go under the guise of a friendly exchange, and never bring gifts, so as not to be kicked out.

After listening carefully to these words, Li Qi took his leave and promised that he would do his best in his work.

Shopkeeper Jing bowed to Li Qi and saw him off.

Li Qi returned the greeting and then walked toward the location indicated by Shopkeeper Jing.

However, halfway there, he heard Shen Shuibi's voice.

"What do you want to do?!" Shen Shuibi's panicked voice came from not far away.

Li Qi immediately abandoned all his previous plans, unhesitatingly tore off the coarse cloth from his longsword, took a step forward, and his inner energy surged! In the blink of an eye, he leaped like a tiger or leopard, and swiftly overtook the caravan members in a few moves, even scaling a wall, instantly covering dozens of meters and returning to Shen Shuibi's location.

Although he reacted quickly, the other party had already noticed it.

When!

The sound of metal clashing rang out as a long sword blocked Li Qi's attack, Mars flying from the point of impact.

Li Qi clearly felt a subtle force coming from his longsword, making it almost impossible for him to keep the hilt steady.

His heart tightened; he knew he had met a master.

This is an encounter battle; there's not much time for Li Qi to devise a sneak attack, so we have to face them head-on.

However, Li Qi knew that he was not good at head-on confrontations. He was not a true martial artist. He had only reached the ninth rank because Shen Shuibi helped him. Although he had worked very hard to cultivate, he had only been a beginner for a little over a month. Compared to those martial artists who had honed their skills since childhood, his technique was really terrible.

However, precisely because Li Qi is not a true martial artist, he has some other tricks up his sleeve.

As his opponent skillfully jolted him so hard that he almost dropped his longsword, Li Qi gritted his teeth and unleashed the Soldier's Qi within the blade!

A cold light flashed across the longsword, and white mist, like a flock of birds, like powder and dust, billowed like smoke, covered the blade. Li Qi felt his wrist, which had been sore from the shock, suddenly become much stronger!

Although it didn't actually double, at least it stabilized.

This was still their first exchange, and not even a blink of an eye had passed, but Li Qi had already devised a strategy. After igniting his Soldier's Qi, he gripped his sword with both hands and delivered a powerful cleaving blow.

The Carp Flowing Intent bursts forth, leaping over the dragon gate, unleashing double the power!

With its sharp blade and immense force, Li Qi, taking advantage of his weapon, cleaved the opponent's sword in two!

With a clang, the longsword fell to the ground.

Li Qi then took the opportunity to put his arm around Shen Shuibi, protecting her behind him, before he had time to look around.

Shen Shuibi's personality, she would never intentionally cause trouble, nor would she say such things without a reason.

So even if he had to miss this deal, he couldn't let the rabbit suffer any injustice. Thus, he abandoned his polite demeanor and made his move without hesitation.

All around, many members of the caravan stared at Li Qi in disbelief.

Good heavens! A longsword forged from refined steel was cleaved in two with a single strike?!