Li Qing's departure was naturally not because he truly intended to travel far through the Eternal Night World. Although becoming an Outer Strength martial artist had given him a certain ability to protect himself, without sufficient food, he would still starve to death outside.
After bidding farewell to the Righteous Gang and temporarily leaving Obsidian City, Li Qing found a secluded, remote forest in the mountains and, after so long, traveled back to the Feng Kingdom.
Buzz!
Traveling back and forth between the two worlds no longer placed much burden on Li Qing. Even with a bundle slung over his back, it merely made him take a couple more breaths.
Feng Kingdom, border fortress region.
It was now late autumn, and the weather around him had gradually begun to turn cold.
But compared to the Eternal Night World, the temperature here could already be called warm.
Rustle!
A gust of sand swept across the desert, and the air still carried a thick stench of blood.
Having gone too long without seeing sunlight, Li Qing could not help raising a hand to shield his eyes. Only after gradually adjusting to the surrounding light did he slowly open them.
Grim! Bloody! Corpses littered the ground!
That was Li Qing's first impression of the scene before him after opening his eyes.
"Is there a war going on?" Li Qing's expression changed slightly. He climbed up from the ground, surrounded by corpses clad in tattered armor. Arrows were stuck everywhere in the earth, along with broken weapons.
"Looks like the Border Army outside the pass has withdrawn. A battle just ended here. I really don't know whether this is good luck or bad luck."
Li Qing let out a long breath, and the heart he had been holding in his throat finally settled.
He had originally thought that this time, he would return inside the Wu Li Army's granary. Escaping from a military camp full of hidden masters would have been quite difficult.
Now, the Border Army camp guarding the mine was gone, replaced by a battlefield—a battlefield where a battle had only just ended.
"I can't let my guard down. Someone might come to clean up the battlefield later. And on a battlefield, circumstances changed by the moment. Who knows when fighting might break out again? It's better to leave as soon as possible."
Muttering to himself, Li Qing began sprinting across the battlefield.
As he ran, he picked up a broken flag. The cloth was stained with dark-red blood, yet Li Qing still recognized it. It belonged to Liang Kingdom.
"Just as I expected, the bandits harassing the border fortress earlier must have received Liang Kingdom's orders. Things really aren't peaceful in the east."
Having returned to a world with sunlight, what Li Qing wanted most now was naturally to find a peaceful, tranquil place where he could slowly grow stronger—gathering materials for brewing medicinal wine while forging iron and practicing martial arts.
He was currently in the eastern reaches of the Feng Kingdom. This was the border fortress region. Continuing east across the desert would bring him to Liang Kingdom, which was currently at war with the Feng Kingdom. Going north, meanwhile, would lead to an endless grassland inhabited by various steppe tribes.
If he wanted to practice martial arts in peace, Li Qing certainly would not choose a place caught in war. The best place would be somewhere with flourishing trade, abundant resources, and peace.
"Ah, Liang Kingdom lies to the east, and the grasslands lie to the north. I can only return to Wangyuan City first. I hope this war ends soon."
As the words fell, Li Qing shot forward like an arrow, rushing toward distant Wangyuan City.
He ran for quite some time. When the mottled, heavy outline of the distant city walls appeared ahead on the land, Li Qing stopped, panting heavily.
"Whew! In these troubled times, entering the city has become quite a troublesome matter."
Li Qing could now be considered an unregistered person. He had nothing to prove his identity, and he possessed considerable martial skill. It was entirely possible that he would be mistaken for a spy.
Of course, refugees were a common sight during wartime. It was simply that ones like Li Qing were not often seen.
After spending a year in the Eternal Night World without seeing the sun for so long, Li Qing's skin had become somewhat fair. At the very least, he looked far better than the dark-skinned blacksmith's apprentice he had once been.
Besides that, he was strong and sturdy. Even the clothes draped over him could not conceal his muscles.
If he forcibly claimed to be a refugee with this appearance, no city guard would believe him unless they were blind.
At that moment, how to enter the city became Li Qing's most pressing problem.
Wangyuan City was right before his eyes, yet he could not enter. This was a formidable pass taking charge of the border fortress; even Internal Energy masters would likely find it difficult to cross, much less Li Qing as he was now.
Just as Li Qing gazed at the ocean and sighed in despair, a group of refugees was driven along the official road before him.
"Move faster! Stop fucking dawdling!"
"Once you reach our Golden Mountain Stockade, you'll have food to eat! If you arrive late, we'll skin you alive!"
"Hurry up! If you don't want to starve to death, move your hands and feet quicker!"
Behind the refugees, several men dressed like mountain bandits rode on horseback, waving whips as they drove the refugees onward.
The instant Li Qing saw them, he knew who they were.
They were bandits. And with the main city right ahead, they actually dared to openly abduct people and drag them back to their stockade.
Only in times like these could such a thing happen. In troubled times, human lives were worth less than grass. These refugees gathered beneath Wangyuan City's walls every day, and the authorities certainly would not easily allow them into the city. Otherwise, no small amount of chaos would arise.
That gave these bandits an opening. They seized these refugees and brought them to the stockade to work like oxen and horses. They claimed they would provide food, but what would really happen after they reached the mountain was hard to say.
The instant Li Qing saw these bandits, a plan settled in his heart.
"Hmph! You brazen bandits dare abduct commoners in broad daylight!"
Ahead on the official road, Li Qing stood alone, ramrod straight, blocking both the refugees and the bandits.
His tone brimmed with righteous indignation, making him look exactly like a young hero fresh from the world, ready to uphold justice!
The mounted bandits behind the refugees exchanged glances, then smiled. One of them asked, "May we ask your name, sir? Our Golden Mountain Stockade cannot bear to watch so many refugees starve or freeze to death outside the city. We are bringing them up the mountain only so that they may live."
Upon hearing these words, Li Qing gave a disdainful snort.
"Hmph! You cowardly bandits are not worthy of knowing my name!"
They were called cowardly bandits with every other word. Even a clay Buddha had three parts anger, much less these bandits who had long been accustomed to evil deeds.
"Fuck, where did this blind little kid come from? You still want to imitate others and play the righteous hero here? Today, I'll skin you alive!"
Sure enough, someone immediately could not endure it any longer. He cracked his horsewhip, his gaze vicious as he charged out toward Li Qing.
Seeing this scene, a trace of mockery flashed through Li Qing's eyes.