With more than three hundred jin of iron ingots on his back, Li Qing remained steady and sure-footed. Aside from walking a little slower, the weight did not burden him much.
After taking up martial arts, not only had his physical strength grown considerably, but his five senses had become far sharper than before. His ears were keen, his eyes bright.
Even the slightest rustle of wind and grass around him could be sensed clearly.
Just as Li Qing left the bustling market with the basket of iron ingots on his back, he let out a faint sigh.
"You've followed me for so long. It's time to show yourself." Li Qing stopped, every muscle in his body tightening as he remained alert to everything around him.
The streets outside the market were far more sparsely populated. Every household had its doors tightly shut, without a trace of life.
Not long after Li Qing spoke, footsteps slowly sounded from both sides of the street.
There was more than one.
He muttered to himself, then slowly turned around and looked at the three figures emerging from either side of the street.
The clothes on all three were tattered and worn, patched in many places. One glance was enough to tell that their lives had not been easy.
The tall, skinny man among them appeared to be the leader. His face was gaunt, and his eyes carried a lingering gloom.
"Brother, the three of us haven't eaten in quite some time. How about giving us a bite to eat?" His voice was hoarse and weak. It seemed they truly had gone hungry for a long time.
Yet Li Qing did not lower his guard. If they were so weak from hunger and still dared to rob people on the road, they must have something to rely on.
Sure enough, one of the three, a very short man, spoke up:
"Big Brother, why waste words with him? Just cripple him and make him take us to get food."
The third man also spoke in a muffled voice. "Exactly. I saw it clearly in the market just now. There were at least twenty or thirty jin of Black Rye Mushrooms in his basket!"
Gulp!
After saying that, he swallowed, then pulled out a cleaver. Other than some rust on its spine, it looked rather imposing.
So he had flaunted his wealth in the market. Who would have thought that even a mere twenty jin of Black Rye Mushrooms would attract attention?
"Brother, you can see it too. The three of us really haven't eaten in a long time. How about cooperating?" The tall man also drew a long staff from his body.
In an instant, the three formed a triangular formation and half-surrounded Li Qing, looking ready to make a move at any moment.
Li Qing wanted to argue that he had already sold all his Black Rye Mushrooms, but he knew these men would never rest until they achieved their goal.
Once they had set their sights on someone, they would surely gnaw off a few chunks of fat.
Still, Li Qing felt no fear at all. On the contrary, a faint thrill even stirred within him.
He had practiced martial arts for so long, yet all he had done was train empty forms. It would not be bad to use a few sickly weaklings to test his skills.
At some unknown point, a little hot blood had begun to surge in his chest as well.
"Looks like we have no choice but to have a fight." Li Qing chuckled.
The moment his words fell, he stripped off the oversized cotton coat covering him and threw it, along with the heavy basket, to the ground.
bang!
More than three hundred jin of iron ingots hit the ground with a heavy crash.
The tall, skinny leader's expression greatly changed. He stared in horror at the now bare-chested Li Qing. The muscles on Li Qing's body were sharply defined and brimming with power!
Damn it, they had provoked a tough one!
He had never imagined that beneath Li Qing's honest, simple-looking face, once the cotton coat came off, was a body as sturdy as a bull.
But before he could think further, Li Qing, freed from his restraints, shot out like an arrow leaving the bow, incredibly fast.
Within two or three breaths, he had charged straight at the tall leader.
True Intent of the Fierce Tiger, Fierce Tiger Pounces!
Leaping high into the air, Li Qing carried a fierce momentum as he struck at the man with a palm strike.
"Seeking death!" The tall man drew his iron staff and swung it toward Li Qing.
Clang!
Li Qing shook one arm and cleanly blocked the staff strike. Then he changed his palm into a fist, launching it with a gust of force.
bang!
The man could not withstand Li Qing's full-force punch. His frail shoulder was like a brittle bamboo joint, nearly snapping, and his whole body flew backward.
"Whew!" Li Qing lightly shook his hand. The staff strike from before had only left a red mark on it and had not caused much damage.
"Big Brother!" The short man was dumbfounded. All of this had happened far too quickly. Before he could even react, his own big brother had already been knocked down.
"What are you afraid of? We have a blade!" The third bandit was a foolhardy sort. With a blade in hand, he feared nothing as he ran at Li Qing.
A blade?
Li Qing sneered inwardly, planting both feet firmly on the ground.
He took the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique as the foundation of his stance, his lower body exceptionally stable.
When the foolhardy third bandit rushed close, Li Qing lashed out with his left leg like a whip.
Light Silk Leg!
This was a martial art for training the legs. Though its movements were light and soft, it could turn the leg into a whip, and its killing power was not low.
Li Qing's left leg whipped out as if it had left an afterimage. After so long practicing Stance Training, now that he had entered the gate, the force of this kick was astonishing.
bang!
The slightly sturdier third bandit was sent flying together with his blade, without even having had time to swing it.
Li Qing withdrew his left leg and pressed his advantage without mercy, immediately pursuing him.
Another tiger fist, mighty and heavy!
The sturdy third bandit took the punch head-on, his eyes rolling white as he fainted on the spot.
Clang!
When the second bandit saw this, he did not hesitate. He threw down his rusty blade, having already decided not to resist.
The target was too tough. They had provoked someone they should never have provoked.
"We admit defeat. Kill us or carve us up as you please." The second bandit, having dropped his blade, was rather free and easy, as if ready to be slaughtered.
Li Qing was somewhat disappointed by this. He had only just begun to get into the swing of things, and it was already over. What a letdown.
"Is that all you can do? And you dared imitate others by robbing travelers?" Li Qing shook his head with a smile. Then he turned, picked up his cotton coat from the ground, and put it back on, concealing his lean, powerful muscles once more.
Watching this scene, the second bandit's mouth twitched.
That was exactly it. They had been utterly fooled by Li Qing's honest, simple face. They could never have imagined that beneath that plain cotton coat hid a fierce tiger.
"You three, pick up all the iron ingots from the ground and carry them with me!"
As he spoke, Li Qing's gaze turned slightly cold, and his aura abruptly swelled.
"We'll pick them up! We'll pick them up!"
They were only ordinary people, after all. Once Li Qing had beaten them, they immediately became as obedient as could be.