Thief Entering the Room

"You mean Blacksmith Li took pity and gave all the Black Rye Mushrooms to Old Man An?"

Inside the luxurious and grand mansion of the Yan Family, a young master dressed in fine silk robes was lounging on a chair. His complexion was a sickly pale, devoid of color, clearly a result of excessive indulgence.

This person was none other than the Yan Family's Second Young Master, Yan Gui'an, who had taken a liking to An Xuan!

Before Yan Gui'an stood Yan San, a shifty-eyed individual, bowing respectfully with his head lowered, nodding repeatedly.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes," Yan San said meekly.

The Second Young Master Yan narrowed his eyes, tapping the armrest of the chair with his pale fingers, as if contemplating something.

"I heard that the Qi Family's Three Brothers, who used to steal and swindle in the marketplace streets, were also taught a lesson by this Blacksmith Li, right?" Yan Gui'an asked.

"That's right. After that Blacksmith Li came out of the marketplace, he was ambushed by the Qi Family's Three Brothers, and he took them all down by himself," Yan San continued.

Upon hearing this, Yan Gui'an let out a cold laugh.

"Heh, I gave him a few martial arts manuals back then, and he actually managed to make something of himself?"

"Uncle Jing, what level do you think that Blacksmith Li has reached in martial arts? He must have some skills to defeat the Qi Family's Three Brothers, right?"

At this moment, a burly middle-aged man emerged from behind Yan Gui'an.

It was hard to imagine that in this world of scarce resources, someone could be so robust.

This person, Uncle Jing, had a calm expression and spoke in an unruffled tone, "Blacksmiths naturally possess more strength than ordinary people. Coupled with a few martial arts skills, it's not difficult to deal with a few street loafers who can't even get enough to eat."

"As for his martial arts level, I don't think it can be very high. For martial artists, it's difficult to make rapid progress without eating meat regularly."

Uncle Jing offered his professional opinion. He himself had mastered Outer Strength and was on the verge of breaking through to Internal Energy, so he understood this matter well.

If Li Qing hadn't transported so much grain, cured meat, and dried goods from the military camp, his martial arts would indeed likely have stagnated as Uncle Jing suggested.

"Hmm, but that Blacksmith Li's blacksmithing skills are indeed quite good. It's not wise to make an enemy of him easily." Yan Gui'an pondered for a moment, then suddenly chuckled.

"Yan San, find a way to have those people from the Righteous Gang test Blacksmith Li's martial arts. Their gang members were dealt with, they can't just endure it silently for this long, can they?"

Yan San immediately nodded repeatedly and said, "Leave it to me, Second Young Master. I will handle this matter perfectly for you."

After Yan San left, Uncle Jing spoke, "Second Young Master, if you want to deal with that Blacksmith Li, you could just let me handle it. Why go through all the trouble of using someone else as a proxy?"

However, Yan Gui'an shook his head and said with a smile, "When teaching someone a lesson, it's best not to get your own hands dirty if possible. Besides, I'm not trying to kill him."

"Let the Righteous Gang test the waters first. If he's truly just a pushover, then let those Righteous Gang members take care of him incidentally."

Hearing this, Uncle Jing said no more and closed his eyes again.

He recalled the martial arts he had given Li Qing previously: Light Silk Leg, Turtle Breath Technique, and True Intent of the Fierce Tiger.

These three martial arts were not top-tier techniques, and it wouldn't be that easy to master them. He estimated that Li Qing had at most managed to get a basic grasp of Light Silk Leg.

As for Turtle Breath Technique and True Intent of the Fierce Tiger, he didn't believe Li Qing could comprehend them so quickly.

What threat could a mere blacksmith pose?

After finishing his tidying up, Li Qing packed away the Peerless Hammer and his armor. Just as he was about to return to the Feng Kingdom, he suddenly stopped what he was doing.

Since entering the ranks of Outer Strength masters, Li Qing's senses had improved significantly. With just a thought, he could easily hear movements outside his room in the courtyard.

Just like at this very moment, on the usually silent street outside the courtyard, a soft footstep suddenly sounded.

The footsteps were slow and light, making very little noise, like a cat's. They did not sound like someone walking by normally.

"Is there a thief? How strange, someone actually wants to be a cat burglar in a blacksmith's house?"

"Or has the Yan Family made their move so quickly?"

Li Qing smiled, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He decided not to return to the Feng Kingdom just yet. Instead, he sat down on the bed as steady as a mountain, waiting for the intruder to enter.

He wanted to see what the purpose of this stealthy intruder was.

Meanwhile, in Li Qing's courtyard, a lean figure dressed in black scaled the courtyard wall and landed steadily inside.

He quietly surveyed his surroundings for a moment, confirming there was nothing unusual, then headed towards the house in the courtyard.

As he approached the house, he caught a tantalizing aroma.

Gulp~

The thief couldn't help but swallow, his mouth watering uncontrollably. It smelled so good, like meat!

"Damn it, are blacksmiths living this well now? They can afford to eat meat. No wonder the gang leader sent me here to steal."

The scent he smelled was indeed meat. It was the lingering aroma from Li Qing's recent meal, which the thief had managed to catch.

These words, of course, reached Li Qing upstairs. His eyebrows twitched slightly, feeling a bit surprised.

It wasn't the Yan Family?

This guy was sent by some gang leader? Gang leader? That must be the Righteous Gang!

With his target confirmed, Li Qing's expression immediately turned cold.

He hadn't expected that after all this time, the Righteous Gang still hadn't forgotten about him teaching the Qi Family's Three Heroes a lesson and were only now sending someone for revenge.

Being remembered and targeted for so long, anyone would feel uncomfortable.

"I didn't expect it to be the Righteous Gang, and they still dare to send someone to my door."

With a soft murmur, Li Qing got out of bed.

Having practiced the Light Silk Leg, his movements were completely silent, even quieter than a cat's.

The thief rummaging downstairs would naturally not be able to sense him.

Descending the stairs, Li Qing looked at the thief, his back to him, searching for food in the kitchen, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Damn it, where did this guy hide the meat?" the thief grumbled as he searched.

Unable to find anything, the scrawny thief was about to move on to look for something valuable elsewhere when his entire body suddenly stiffened.

His neck was clamped by a strong, powerful hand.

He clearly felt a force he couldn't resist, an absolute, immense strength that could easily decide his fate.

"I was wrong, sir. Let... let me go."

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