Even though war raged at the border fortress, Shengtian City remained as splendid and prosperous as ever, as though it belonged to an entirely different world.
Not a trace of war clouds could be seen here, as if Wangyuan City had never been breached several times over the past few days.
On the rippling lake, one could see singing girls dancing gracefully aboard painted pleasure boats.
Inside the wine houses, talented scholars and beautiful ladies recited poetry, matched couplets, played zithers and flutes. It was truly an age of flourishing prosperity.
After queuing at the city gate for a long time, Qi Kang finally entered the city. His eyes were dazzled by the sights as he craned his neck in every direction, wishing he could cram every scene into his eyes.
"Young Master, what are we doing next?" Qi Kang asked Li Qing.
Leading the horses and wandering through the city streets, Li Qing said calmly, "First, find an inn and settle down. Then go gather information about the city for me—such as which renowned martial arts schools Shengtian City has, and which people or forces must not be provoked. Those will all be your tasks from now on."
Though Qi Kang came from humble origins, he was quite clever. He was especially suited to gathering information.
Throughout their journey to Shengtian City, Qi Kang had gone out and learned quite a bit of news.
"Understood, Young Master. Leave it to me!" Qi Kang declared with absolute confidence.
Thus, Li Qing brought Qi Kang to a fairly large and imposing inn in the city and booked two upper rooms.
Although he had prepared himself mentally, Li Qing was still shocked by the inn's prices. They were simply far too expensive—several times those of Wangyuan City!
After paying, Li Qing kept crying inwardly, Living in a big city is no easy matter, living in a big city is no easy matter.
After checking into the inn, Li Qing, who had traveled a long distance, was finally able to fulfill his wish of getting a proper night's sleep.
He slept straight through until noon the next day. By the time he woke, Qi Kang had already gone out as instructed to investigate some basic information about Shengtian.
The room next door was empty. Li Qing did not intend to continue idling about either; he had not forgotten why he had come to Shengtian.
Blacksmithing! Brewing wine! Practicing martial arts!
"Judging from the current situation, Shengtian should be fairly peaceful. I chose the right place." Li Qing was very satisfied, thinking that he could finally stop and develop himself properly for a while.
Carrying the gold, silver, and money he had brought out of the Eternal Night World, Li Qing wandered alone through Shengtian's bustling streets.
The roads were filled with cries of hawkers and the warmth of everyday life. From time to time, children darted through the middle of the streets, brimming with joy.
Li Qing casually asked which herbal shop was the largest in Shengtian. The answers he received were surprisingly unanimous: Quanshan Herbal Shop.
After passing through several streets in succession, Li Qing followed the directions given by passersby and arrived on the street where Quanshan Herbal Shop stood.
The moment he stepped into this place, he could clearly smell a strong medicinal fragrance.
Quanshan Herbal Shop!
It was said to be the largest herbal shop in the entire Feng Kingdom. From its name alone, one could tell that its origins were connected to Quanshan City.
It was said that every herb found in Quanshan City could be found here as well, while even herbs unavailable in Quanshan City could still be traced here.
Unexpectedly, the first thing he saw upon entering was not some precious herb, but a Wanted Poster.
Quite a few people had gathered beneath it, pointing and discussing the Wanted Poster.
"The Star-Picking Divine Thief really came to Shengtian! He even stole Quanshan Herbal Shop's most precious four-hundred-year-old wild ginseng!"
"Big trouble! Isn't that the old ginseng the Prince's Estate specifically demanded some time ago? The Star-Picking Divine Thief actually stole it!"
"Now there'll be a good show. The Prince's Estate and Quanshan Herbal Shop probably won't let this rest easily. They may turn Shengtian City upside down."
"I heard that Prince Yu injured himself while pursuing greater martial prowess in his early years, leaving behind hidden ailments that badly damaged his vital energy. He places immense importance on precious herbs that strengthen one's foundation and replenish one's essence. Before, someone even traded a two-hundred-year-old herb to the Prince's Estate for several thousand taels of silver!"
"Exactly. Even His Majesty has searched for precious herbs for Prince Yu several times. That Star-Picking Divine Thief probably won't come to a good end."
Listening to the whole story being discussed by the others, Li Qing studied the Wanted Poster with great interest.
Quanshan Herbal Shop was offering a huge reward for the capture of the Star-Picking Divine Thief. So long as someone recovered that four-hundred-year-old wild ginseng, Quanshan Herbal Shop would not only grant a generous reward, but would also agree to fulfill one additional condition for the recoverer.
After all, it was something wanted by the Prince's Estate—the younger brother of the current His Majesty. They had no choice but to take it seriously.
However, Li Qing was not particularly interested. After glancing at it twice, he took out the list of medicinal ingredients he needed and asked the shopkeeper for herbs.
"Customer, aside from tiger bones and tiger whip, we have everything else you need," the pharmacy shopkeeper said casually.
Hearing this, Li Qing was quietly delighted. As expected of Shengtian City: the medicinal ingredients he had failed to find even after searching every pharmacy in Wangyuan City could actually all be gathered here in one go.
Even the five highly poisonous things needed for Five Poisons Blood Activating Wine were available here. It was truly an unexpected delight!
"I'll take them all. But can those five poisonous things be stored here for me, so I can collect them when I need them next year?" Li Qing asked solemnly.
"No problem. I can write you a receipt, and you can come collect them whenever you need them. But we do not accept credit or promissory notes here."
As soon as those words were spoken, Li Qing pulled a gold bar from his person and handed it to the shopkeeper.
"Pack everything up for me."
The moment the gold bar appeared, it worked better than anything else. Without another word, the pharmacy shopkeeper immediately had someone pack up the medicinal ingredients Li Qing required.
While he waited, quite a few people entered Quanshan Herbal Shop one after another. Their bodies were covered in bulging muscles, and they were broad and burly in appearance.
"So it's true. Quanshan Herbal Shop is putting out a bounty on the Star-Picking Divine Thief."
"This is a job that could let us establish ties with a prince. Come on, let's go back and inform the hall master!"
All at once, people streamed in and out of Quanshan Herbal Shop. It became as lively as the day the civil service examination results were posted, all of them wandering martial artists interested in the Wanted Poster for the Star-Picking Divine Thief.
Just like that, the Star-Picking Divine Thief's name immediately resounded throughout Shengtian, carrying the air of being known by everyone.
Anyone who dared set his sights on the Prince's Estate was destined to be no simple person.
But none of this had anything to do with Li Qing. He had no interest in capturing the Star-Picking Divine Thief. Instead, he carried the medicinal ingredients he had bought and wandered through the city alone.
With the matter of the wine-brewing ingredients settled, Li Qing next planned to open a blacksmith shop in the city and earn a modest living.
Though the gold and silver treasures he had obtained in the Eternal Night World were enough to let him live free of worry for ten lifetimes, he was not the sort to sit idle and eat away at his savings. Any money he could earn was money worth earning.
Most crucially, when he forged weapons for others, he could gain quite a bit of lifespan for himself as well. After all, no one would complain that their life was too long.
"The imperial court's control over iron is too strict. Opening a blacksmith shop requires all kinds of permits. It's truly troublesome."
"It would be best if I could directly take over someone else's ready-made shop. That would save me quite a bit of effort."