Coming to the Door (Seeking Collection)

Chapter 27: Coming to the Door (Seeking Collection~)

On this day, on Zhengming Street in Obsidian City.

After Li Qing blasted Wei Tian out the door, the neighbors couldn't help but worry about his situation. Some were concerned about whether they would be affected.

The Righteous Gang was a notorious force in Obsidian City, and its members had terrible reputations. Few people were willing to associate with them.

This matter naturally reached the ears of the Second Young Master Yan. Upon hearing about it, Yan Gui'an didn't react much, only shaking his head and smiling.

"It seems that blacksmith Li is just a half-baked martial artist, as Uncle Jing said. Tian Long has always liked to bully the weak."

The burly middle-aged man named Uncle Jing wasn't very concerned about the matter. His expression dimmed slightly, and he sighed:

"This era is no longer suitable for pursuing the martial path. If one can't even get enough to eat, how can they practice martial arts?"

Yan Gui'an smiled and said, "Uncle Jing, there's no need to be so sad. The family has already begun to find ways to prepare enough meat for the several enshrined martial artists. As for those few wine recipes that stimulate Blood Essence, we've also been trying to improve them in recent years, to see if we can brew Blood Essence medicinal wine suitable for this era."

Uncle Jing only took these words as comfort and didn't take them seriously.

Improving wine recipes?

Such a thing was easier said than done. Brewing wine had become quite difficult, simply because grain was so rare in this era.

Moreover, the Yan family's wine recipes were the result of countless attempts by previous generations. How could they be improved just like that?

Now, he no longer held any hope of advancing further in the martial path, only wishing to live a stable life in his next life.

Meanwhile, Li Qing was still practicing his martial arts at home. He was diligent and meticulous.

Unlike others in this world, he had enough food, so he could clearly feel his progress in practicing martial arts.

In these past few days, he felt his internal strength had grown stronger, and the moves of the Ancient Profound Hammer Technique had become more skillful.

Just as Li Qing was about to continue practicing, he suddenly heard faint sounds of commotion from a distance.

They're here!

At the entrance of Zhengming Street, a group of ruffians with unfriendly faces suddenly appeared. Leading them was a fierce man carrying a large golden-ringed saber. He looked about forty or fifty years old, with several scars on his face, a shiny bald head, and exuded a murderous aura.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wherever this group passed, households tightly shut their doors and windows, not daring to make a sound.

"Gang Leader, it's up ahead. That blacksmith is arrogant and doesn't take our Righteous Gang seriously!" Wei Tian said with a wronged expression, his portrayal very vivid.

The bald, scar-faced man leading the group was none other than the Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader of the Righteous Gang!

Tian Long grinned sinisterly and said, "Heh heh, there's actually a blacksmith in Obsidian City who dares to look down on our Righteous Gang. Today, I'll definitely teach him a lesson!"

As his voice fell, the men behind him shouted the slogan of the Righteous Gang in unison: "Rob the rich and help the poor! Righteousness reaches the heavens!"

"Rob the rich and help the poor! Righteousness reaches the heavens!"

"..."

The resounding slogans shook the entire street.

Li Qing, who was at home, naturally heard these words.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes, then put on his fine iron armor and picked up the Peerless Hammer with both hands.

In the house opposite Li Qing's courtyard, Old Man An looked worried.

"Alas, why didn't he listen to advice when he was young! He's gotten himself into big trouble now." Old Man An's tone was filled with worry, as if this calamity were about to befall him.

"Grandpa... will Uncle Li be alright?" An Xuan's face was also full of fear. Although she was a bit thin, her pitiable appearance certainly made her a beautiful prospect.

"I don't know..." Old Man An shook his head.

At this moment, the footsteps outside became chaotic. The men from the Righteous Gang had arrived.

Old Man An quietly lifted a small gap in the door and looked at the burly men outside. His worry deepened.

Bang!

Without a word, the gang leader Tian Long kicked open the door to Li Qing's courtyard.

The two heavy iron doors fell with a bang, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled, Li Qing, holding the Peerless Hammer, couldn't help but twitch his lips as he looked at his courtyard gate.

This guy is really committed to the act!

"You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Boy, how do you want to die?" Tian Long's lips curved into what he considered a ferocious arc, and then with a clang, he slammed his golden-ringed saber onto the ground.

Clang!

Accompanied by the fifty or sixty rough men standing behind him, their imposing aura was quite impressive.

"Gang Leader Tian Long, you've come looking for trouble with me time and time again, and now you talk about toasts and forfeits." Li Qing's voice suddenly rose.

"Hmph! Let me see how capable you are to dare look down on our Righteous Gang like this!"

Saying this, Tian Long raised his saber. The golden rings on the saber clashed noisily against the blade, and then he fiercely charged towards Li Qing.

Although it was an act, Li Qing actually wanted to gauge the strength of other Outer Strength masters, so he naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.

He gripped the hammer handle tightly with both hands, his face devoid of fear as he swung out a hammer blow, wanting a direct head-on confrontation!

Those who understood the situation behind Tian Long couldn't help but sneer:

"They're not afraid of death. Our Gang Leader is a master of Outer Strength, his power is immense. How could he possibly clash head-on with him?"

However, in the next moment, a crisp sound suddenly rang out.

Clang!

The Golden Silk Great Ring Saber struck the Ink Gold hammerhead of the Peerless Hammer. Two immense forces collided, and sparks even flew from the surface of the weapons.

Seeing that Li Qing had actually blocked it, the person who had spoken earlier opened their mouth even wider before they could even close it.

"This..."

Feeling Li Qing's strength at that moment, Tian Long was also slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Li Qing to have honed his Outer Strength to this extent. He didn't seem like a martial artist who had just entered the Outer Strength realm at all.

However, the stronger Li Qing's abilities were, the more likely the plan was to succeed. His mood immediately brightened.

After not having fought for many years, Tian Long's Blood Essence surged again, as if he wanted to have a good fight with Li Qing right here.

Thus, he unleashed several more slashes, each reaching its peak power.

However, all these slashes were blocked head-on by Li Qing and were ineffective.

The others, at this moment, were so shocked their eyeballs almost fell out. Their own Gang Leader seemed to be in a fierce, inseparable battle with Li Qing.

Li Qing had already grasped the approximate strength of the Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader. Seeing the expressions of the others, he knew it was time to stop.

Clang!

After blocking another slash from the Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader, he seized the confusion to whisper, "Enough. Save some strength. My abilities cannot be exposed."

Upon hearing this, Tian Long suddenly realized he had gotten a bit too carried away.

The fact that Li Qing was a master of Outer Strength absolutely could not be revealed. This was the key to executing the plan!

Immediately, he shouted, "Hahahaha, you're not bad, kid. You've got some strength. But I was only using thirty percent of my power just now. I'm going to go all out next!"

Hearing this, the people behind Tian Long finally breathed a sigh of relief.

So, their Gang Leader had just gotten excited by a worthy opponent and hadn't gone all out.

And Li Qing, hearing this, knew that the other party was going to hold back.

The next moment, Tian Long's muscles bulged, and the clothes he wore began to ripple.

He swung his saber again. This strike looked incredibly imposing, sending a shiver down one's spine.

Li Qing received this attack, which was all show and no substance, then feigned defeat, staggering back a few steps before being sent flying backward.

"Hahaha, Wei Tian, go tie this person up and bring him back to the gang!"

"When we get back, I'll have a good time torturing this fellow!"

Tian Long roared with laughter, his voice shaking the very courtyard walls.

"Yes, Gang Leader! Gang Leader truly has divine skills that cover the world, invincible under heaven!" Wei Tian eagerly took out ropes, then walked towards Li Qing with an apologetic look in his eyes.

At this point, everyone else began to praise Tian Long's martial arts, showering him with flattery, almost as if he were a reincarnation of a martial god.

"Brother Li, please bear with me... I'm sorry." Wei Tian said in a voice quieter than a mosquito's buzz.

Li Qing, however, nodded slightly, then put on a look of unwillingness.

Just as Wei Tian was tying Li Qing up like a human sausage and preparing to pack him away, a slender figure suddenly rushed out, blocking the path of the ruffians.

An Xuan spread her arms, tears still glistening in her eyes, and said with a trembling voice, "You... you let Uncle Li go. Don't take him away."

Suddenly, the Righteous Gang members, led by Tian Long, stopped in their tracks, looking at the pure-faced little girl with amusement.

In this era, they hadn't seen such clean, clear faces and eyes for a very, very long time.

"Hey, this little girl is quite pretty. It's a shame she's so thin. She'll definitely grow into a graceful beauty."

Someone leered at An Xuan with greedy eyes, like a wolf eyeing a weak lamb.

"Little Xuan, come back here!" Old Man An rushed out in a panic, grabbed An Xuan, and kept apologizing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. My granddaughter is young and ignorant. I'm truly sorry!" Old Man An said with a trembling voice.

"You say sorry, and that's it? Old man, your granddaughter looks like she hasn't eaten enough for a long time. Why don't you let her follow me?" someone provocatively said from the crowd.

At this moment, Li Qing naturally couldn't stand it any longer. He coughed and said, "Ahem, this girl is favored by the Second Young Master Yan..."

As soon as the words "Yan Family" were spoken, the members of the Righteous Gang shut their mouths, and their gazes all shifted to their bald Gang Leader.

Li Qing said this naturally to make Tian Long suppress his subordinates and make them restrain themselves.

Tian Long snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, let's go back."

At this moment, a look of struggle and hesitation appeared on Old Man An's face, and then he suddenly stepped forward.

He used his hunched figure to block the tall and sturdy Tian Long, then said in a low, subservient voice, "Gang Leader Tian Long, I wonder where little Master Li has offended you. I still have some Black Rye Mushrooms at home. I wonder if you could let him go? He's also young and doesn't understand things..."

Tian Long, however, smiled at this moment. He turned back to look at Li Qing, surprised that he had unexpectedly good standing here, with someone willing to defend him like this.

However, letting Li Qing go was impossible; this was part of the plan.

"Get lost. Our Righteous Gang robs the rich to help the poor and upholds righteousness. How could we possibly care about your meager food? If you dare to obstruct us again, I'll split you and your granddaughter in half with my saber!"

Tian Long roared ferociously, acting like a desperate outlaw.

With these words, Old Man An was so frightened that he grabbed his granddaughter and fled back into their home.

Although their retreat was somewhat clumsy, Li Qing watched it and felt a warmth surge within him.