Entering The City

"A horse as a reward?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the other refugees lit up. Having lost their land and homes due to the war, they had been starving for too long, and no longer cared about the Feng Kingdom's law prohibiting the slaughter of horses and cattle.

However, some refugees stared intently at the beggar child in the crowd who knew how to enter the city. Due to Li Qing's deterrence, they didn't dare to do anything yet.

Let alone Li Qing, they also wanted to enter the city. Outside the city, they were destined for a dead end.

If they could enter the city, there might be a glimmer of hope. Whether through stealing, robbing, cheating, or begging, they could always get more food than they could outside in the desolate wilderness.

The beggar child wiped the black dirt from his face, a flicker of indecision flashing in his eyes, which was eventually replaced by determination.

He directly knelt down and said, "I don't want a horse. I want you to take me as your disciple. I want to practice martial arts too!"

This surprised Li Qing somewhat. He frowned slightly and asked, "And what if I refuse?"

The beggar child kowtowed, his voice deep, "Then I will still tell you how to enter the city, but I hope you can take me with you and let me serve by your side!"

Li Qing smiled. He glanced at the surrounding refugees and chuckled, "Everyone, the bandits have committed many evils. I will take one of the remaining four horses to travel, and you can decide among yourselves how to divide the other three!"

After speaking, Li Qing beckoned to the beggar child in the crowd and then turned around, leading a horse by the reins, and left with a flourish, leaving only his back to the remaining refugees.

Upon hearing this, the other refugees no longer cared about anything else and immediately began fighting over the ownership of the three horses, throwing the scene into utter chaos.

The beggar child saw Li Qing's gesture and quickly stood up, following him with a look of joy.

On the official road leading to Wangyuan City, Li Qing mounted the horse. Although he wasn't very skilled at horsemanship, he could still tame this inferior horse with his martial prowess.

The little beggar walked ahead, holding the horse's reins, looking very much like a servant.

"Tell me, what's your name?" Li Qing asked casually.

"Young master, my name is Qi Kang!"

Li Qing, sitting on the horse, nodded and then asked the question that concerned him most, "Tell me, how can you enter the city? Why didn't you go in yourself, but instead mingled with the refugees?"

Qi Kang gave a bitter smile, "Young master, it's not that I don't want to enter the city, but I don't have the ability!"

"Besides the city gate, Wangyuan City actually has a secret entrance. Many people used to sneak in through that passage to avoid the entrance tax!"

"Unfortunately, with the recent outbreak of war, those who had already entered the city through this passage, to prevent it from being exploited, actually blocked it from the inside with heavy objects!"

Speaking of this, Qi Kang gritted his teeth, "If it weren't for this, my family would have entered the city long ago and wouldn't have died in the war."

Qi Kang's tone was filled with hatred. His eyes were red, and he saw the scene of his family's tragic death again.

The sky was once again obscured by swirling yellow sand whipped up by the wind, and the light suddenly dimmed.

Ahead lay the majestic city of the Feng Kingdom's border. The mottled city walls stood silently, exuding a heavy aura like a mountain, a truly impregnable defense.

Wangyuan City occupied a strategic position, with its city walls directly connected to steep and rugged mountains. To penetrate the heartland of the Feng Kingdom, one could only find a way through this easily defensible and difficult-to-attack great pass.

The towering, continuous mountain range and the sturdy, heavy city walls isolated the harsh environment outside the border. Further inside was a scenic Feng Kingdom with a pleasant climate and thriving life.

As dusk deepened, Li Qing finally let Qi Kang lead the way again, heading towards the blocked entrance.

"Young master, this is it."

Taking advantage of the cover of night, Qi Kang led Li Qing to a spot where the city wall connected with the mountain range. It was far from the city gate, a blind spot for the city guards' patrols. Coupled with the deep darkness of night, no one would possibly discover them.

The entrance Qi Kang spoke of was actually a crack, a fissure that had naturally split open from the ground, large enough for only one person to pass through.

This was different from what Li Qing had imagined. He had thought it was an opening in the thick city wall that people could pass through.

However, it was easy to realize that such a possibility was unlikely. If such a solid city wall had an opening, it would have been repaired immediately.

Li Qing squatted down and looked at the ground fissure, which could only accommodate one person, confirming that it was naturally formed.

"Hmm, not bad. It's a pity the horses can't be brought into the city." As he spoke, Li Qing took the luggage and bundles from the horse's back and squeezed into the fissure alone.

It was dark inside, and not even tall enough for a person. Walking inside required bending over, which was strenuous. However, precisely because the crack was small, it was sufficiently hidden, and very few people knew about it.

In the middle section, Li Qing had to walk sideways to continue.

Soon, Qi Kang behind him also followed. His body was thin, and he moved with ease within the fissure.

"Young master, it's the area inside the city further ahead, but it's covered by a wooden board with a stone on top, and it's impossible to move!" Qi Kang said softly in the darkness.

Just as expected!

Li Qing reached the end of the fissure. Here, it was even difficult to accommodate one person.

Therefore, people who came here could only push the stone slab covering the top with their own strength.

Thump thump thump!

Li Qing knocked on the wooden board above with his hand, producing a solid sound. It was indeed firmly pressed down.

For ordinary people, this wooden board was like an insurmountable mountain, and it was difficult to exert force in the narrow space, making it impossible to push.

Of course, this was only for ordinary people.

The person who placed this wooden board had not considered that a powerful martial artist might use this fissure to enter the city.

At this moment, Li Qing placed his hands on the wooden board above, tilting his head and pressing his head and one shoulder against it.

"Hmph!"

Activating his Outer Strength, Li Qing's power surged. He slightly crouched, and with sheer force, lifted the heavy wooden board.

By the time he straightened up, the part of his body above the neck had already emerged from the ground, allowing him to clearly see his surroundings.

It was a relatively secluded spot within Wangyuan City. Confirming he was alone, Li Qing quickly moved the heavy wooden plank to the ground beside him.

With the obstruction removed, Li Qing leaped out of the crevice.

Several millstones were tightly pressed onto the wooden plank, secured with hemp ropes.

Seeing this, Li Qing couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth, thinking, No wonder it was so heavy.

Qi Kang also scrambled out agilely. He looked at the scene on the wooden plank, and anger welled up in his eyes once more.

Ignoring Qi Kang's anger, Li Qing immediately moved the wooden plank with the millstones back into place, covering the opening tightly again.

"Let's go," Li Qing said calmly. His gaze then fell upon the distant cluster of buildings, and his heart couldn't help but stir with excitement.

After such a long time, he had finally returned to the normal civilized world!