Quanshan Herbal Shop

Even though the border was in chaos, Shengtian City remained as beautiful and prosperous as ever, like two different worlds.

There wasn't a trace of war's dark clouds here, as if the repeated breaches of Wangyuan City in recent days had never happened.

On the rippling lake surface, merchant girls could be seen dancing gracefully on painted pleasure boats and grand barges.

Inside the wine houses, scholars and beauties composed poems and riddles, played the zither and flute – truly a prosperous and magnificent era.

After queuing for a long time at the city gate, Qi Kang finally entered the city. His eyes were dazzled, darting everywhere, wishing he could absorb all the sights.

"Young Master, what should we do next?" Qi Kang asked Li Qing.

Li Qing, leading his horse and wandering through the city streets, calmly replied, "First, let's find an inn to settle down. Then, you'll go out and gather some information for me about this city. For example, which are the renowned martial arts schools in Shengtian City, and which people or powers are not to be provoked. These are the tasks you'll be doing."

Although Qi Kang came from humble beginnings, he was quite sharp and very suitable for gathering information.

On their journey to Shengtian City, many pieces of information had been obtained by Qi Kang going out to scout.

"Understood, Young Master, leave it to me!" Qi Kang declared confidently.

And so, Li Qing, with Qi Kang, arrived at a sizable and impressive inn in the city and booked two superior rooms.

Despite being mentally prepared, Li Qing was still shocked by the inn's prices; they were incredibly expensive, several times higher than in Wangyuan City!

After paying, Li Qing repeatedly exclaimed in his heart, Living is not easy, living is not easy.

After checking into the inn, Li Qing, weary from the long journey, could finally get the good night's sleep he desired.

He slept straight through until noon the next day. By the time he woke up, Qi Kang had already gone out to gather basic information about Shengtian as instructed.

The adjacent room was empty. Li Qing himself had no intention of continuing to laze around; he hadn't forgotten his purpose for coming to Shengtian.

Iron forging! Wine making! Martial arts training!

"Judging from the current situation, Shengtian seems relatively peaceful. I chose the right place," Li Qing thought with great satisfaction, finally able to stop and develop for a while.

Using the gold and silver he'd brought from the Eternal Night World, Li Qing wandered through Shengtian's bustling streets on his own.

The roads were filled with various calls of vendors and the atmosphere of daily life. Occasionally, small children darted through the middle of the street, full of joy.

Li Qing casually asked about the largest herbal shop in Shengtian, and the answers he received were surprisingly consistent: Quanshan Herbal Shop.

After passing through several streets, Li Qing followed the address provided by passersby and arrived at the street where Quanshan Herbal Shop was located.

As soon as he stepped onto the street, a strong scent of herbs filled the air.

Quanshan Herbal Shop!

It was known as the largest herbal shop in the entire Feng Kingdom. From its name, one could infer that the shop's origins were related to Quanshan City.

It was said that any herbs found in Quanshan City could be found here, and even herbs not available in Quanshan City could be found here.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered, he didn't see any precious herbs but a wanted poster.

A crowd had gathered below the wanted poster, pointing and discussing it.

"The Star-Picking Divine Thief has really come to Shengtian, and even stole the most precious four-hundred-year-old ginseng from Quanshan Herbal Shop!"

"This is a major incident! Wasn't that the old ginseng the Prince's Estate specifically requested not long ago? And the Star-Picking Divine Thief stole it!"

"Now there's going to be some drama. The Prince's Estate and Quanshan Herbal Shop won't let this go easily. They'll probably turn Shengtian City upside down."

"Years ago, Prince Yu reportedly suffered hidden injuries while pursuing martial arts, severely damaging his vital energy. He highly values such precious herbs that strengthen the foundation and replenish vital energy. Someone even traded a two-hundred-year-old herb to the Prince's Estate for several thousand taels of silver!"

"Indeed, even His Majesty has searched for precious herbs for Prince Yu several times. This Star-Picking Divine Thief is likely in for a lot of trouble."

Listening to the others discuss the background of the situation, Li Qing curiously examined the wanted poster.

Quanshan Herbal Shop was offering a substantial reward for the capture of the Star-Picking Divine Thief. If the four-hundred-year-old ginseng could be recovered, Quanshan Herbal Shop would not only provide a generous reward but also fulfill one additional condition for the person who recovered it.

After all, it was something the Prince's Estate wanted. The biological brother of His Majesty could not be trifled with, and they had to take it seriously.

However, Li Qing wasn't particularly interested. After a brief glance, he took out his list of needed medicinal ingredients and asked the shopkeeper for the herbs.

"Customer, apart from Tiger Bone and Tiger Penis, we have everything else you've listed," the apothecary shopkeeper said casually.

Hearing this, Li Qing's heart lit up. As expected of Shengtian City, he thought. The ingredients I couldn't find in any pharmacy in Wangyuan City can all be gathered here at once.

Even the five poisonous ingredients needed for the Five Poisons Blood Activating Wine were available here, a pleasant surprise!

"I'll take it all. However, could I leave the five poisonous ingredients here and retrieve them next year when I need them?" Li Qing said with a solemn expression.

"No problem. I can give you a receipt, and you can pick them up whenever you need them. However, we do not accept credit or IOUs."

As soon as he said that, Li Qing pulled out a gold bar from his person and handed it to the shopkeeper.

"Wrap it all up for me."

A gold bar was more effective than anything else. Without a word, the apothecary shopkeeper immediately ordered people to pack the medicinal ingredients Li Qing needed.

While waiting, many people entered Quanshan Herbal Shop one after another. They were burly and strong, with thick muscles all over their bodies.

"It's true! Quanshan Herbal Shop is putting out a bounty on the Star-Picking Divine Thief!"

"This is an opportunity that could connect us with the Prince's Estate. Let's go back and inform the master!"

"..."

Suddenly, Quanshan Herbal Shop became bustling with people coming and going, like the announcement of imperial examination results. They were all martial artists interested in the bounty for the Star-Picking Divine Thief.

And just like that, the Star-Picking Divine Thief's reputation instantly became well-known throughout Shengtian City, to the point where it felt like everyone knew who they were.

Anyone who dared to target the Prince's Estate was bound to be no ordinary person.

However, none of this had anything to do with Li Qing. He had no interest in capturing the Star-Picking Divine Thief. Instead, he wandered through the city alone, carrying the herbs he had bought.

With the matter of the brewing ingredients settled, Li Qing's next plan was to open a blacksmith shop in the city to earn a living.

Although the vast amount of gold and treasure he had acquired in the Eternal Night World was enough for him to live without worry for ten lifetimes, he wasn't someone to live off his savings. He wanted to earn what he could, when he could.

The most crucial aspect, naturally, was that by forging weapons for others, he could also gain a considerable amount of Lifespan. After all, no one would complain about having too long a life.

"The imperial court's control over iron is too strict. Opening a blacksmith shop requires all sorts of permits and procedures, which is really troublesome."

"It would be best if I could just take over an existing shop. That way, I could save a lot of effort."