The treasure at Jinling's Dagong Workshop was easy to find, and unlike other treasures that might never see the light of day, it was very likely to be discovered by someone from the story.
To keep anyone else from getting there first, Song Qingshu decided to make a trip to Jinling at once. That was why he had casually talked Mu Wanqing into going to Jiangnan earlier. Perhaps they would have a chance to meet again soon.
"Cool breezes bear tidings, autumn moon knows no bounds; yet my longing for beauty makes each day feel like a year..." Thinking of Zhou Botong and Qiu Qianren fighting all the way as they chased each other across thousands of miles, Song Qingshu, whose lightness skill had only recently taken shape, was suddenly seized by the urge. The journey from Mount Hua to Jinling spanned several thousand li, yet he neither rode a horse nor took a carriage, relying solely on his two legs and his lightness skill.
At first, he sprinted at full speed using Treading Sand Without Trace, but after only a few dozen li, he was exhausted. He was secretly shocked. His internal energy was already quite abundant and enduring; if he traveled using ordinary lightness skills, though not nearly as fast, he could sustain it for a hundred or even eighty li without issue. Yet when he used Treading Sand Without Trace, he could not keep it up for long. It seemed Wei Yixiao was likely only suited for short bursts of speed.
After running for several days, Song Qingshu suddenly gained an insight. He began paying attention to the efficiency with which he used his inner breath, and after deliberately refining his approach, the limit of a single full-speed sprint exceeded one hundred li.
Afterward, Song Qingshu continued improving. After running for a stretch with Treading Sand Without Trace, he would often spend the time it took to burn an incense stick using ordinary lightness skills instead, taking the opportunity to regulate his breath and restore his internal energy. Once he felt ready, he would resume using Treading Sand Without Trace. In this way, the distance he could sustain each time grew longer and longer.
After many days of pushing his lightness skill to its limit, Song Qingshu's internal energy also improved greatly, even faster than it normally did through cultivation. Feeling the true qi surging within him, Song Qingshu knew he had reached his limit. Once he resolved the problem of Divine Illumination True Qi and Nine Yin True Qi coexisting, they would blend together like water and milk, allowing his internal energy to endlessly renew itself and never run dry.
Five or six days later, the travel-worn Song Qingshu finally arrived beneath the walls of Jinling City. He secretly let out a breath. "Two thousand li, and it took me five or six days. That's far slower than trains in my previous life." What he did not know was how terrifying his speed was in this era. The fastest means of transmitting information in this world was the land courier system. Even when an entire nation's resources were committed—couriers riding the finest horses, ringing bells by day and carrying torches by night, taking no responsibility for anyone trampled to death, changing horses at every station and riders every few stations, traveling through wind and rain without rest, day and night—the fastest urgent dispatches could travel no more than five hundred li a day. Yet Song Qingshu had managed nearly four hundred li a day on nothing but his own two legs...
"If I can balance the yin and yang true qi within me and maintain Treading Sand Without Trace at its maximum speed at all times, I might not be much slower than airplanes from my previous life." Song Qingshu dragged his weary legs into the city, calculating to himself. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Everything about ancient times is fine, except travel is just too slow. Horses and carriages are slow enough to make a person cough up blood.
He found lodging at an inn in the city and discreetly asked the waiter where Dagong Workshop was located. After a hearty meal and a thorough wash, he waited until the dead of night before slipping out of the inn. He kept to secluded, dark paths and soon arrived at Dagong Workshop.
"Why has this place been abandoned?" A thread of unease rose in Song Qingshu's heart. He quickly leaped into the courtyard and headed for the woodshed where the treasure was supposed to be.
Since he knew what he was looking for, he quickly found the entrance to the cellar beneath a pile of firewood. Pulling aside the wooden board, he circulated his strength throughout his body and jumped down, secretly on guard.
By the light of his fire starter, Song Qingshu found the entire room completely empty. Thinking there might be a hidden chamber, he searched everywhere. After discovering that all four walls were solid, he sat on the ground in dejection. Only then did he notice numerous marks left by wooden crates on the floor. It was obvious that heavy objects had been stored in crates there for a long time.
"Who moved this treasure?" Song Qingshu finally gave up hope and returned to the inn, filled with doubts.
The next day, he went to the inn's main hall, ordered several dishes, and carefully listened to the conversations around him. All sorts of people passed through this place, and inns had always been among the fastest places for information to spread. Perhaps he might hear something useful from the drinkers' chatter.
Sure enough, before long, he noticed one table engaged in loud conversation.
"I heard Yuan Chengzhi's Golden Snake Camp has been making quite a stir in Shandong lately. Even the Manchu Qing emperor can do nothing about him."
"Hero Yuan has truly brought glory to us Han Chinese. Now that Han lands north of the Yangtze River have fallen, it is rare indeed to have such a righteous army bravely resisting the Qing."
"Didn't the Manchu Qing Dynasty just send envoys to form an alliance with our Great Song? Won't Yuan Chengzhi's actions affect relations between the two nations?"
"Yuan Chengzhi is a remnant of the Great Ming, not a subject of our Great Song. How could he affect diplomatic relations between the two states? Speaking of this alliance, it makes my blood boil. The Manchu Qing and the Jin Dynasty share the same roots, and the Jin Dynasty bears a deep blood feud with our Great Song. I truly cannot understand why His Majesty would ally with the Manchu Qing."
"Brother, that is where you are mistaken. The Mongol Empire is powerful now and shows every sign of sweeping the world. We have been fighting fiercely with the Mongols around Sichuan and Xiangyang, while the Manchu Qing has also fought the Mongols for years. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Naturally, His Majesty must seize this opportunity to form an alliance and resist the Mongols together."
"Hmph, I still can't accept it. I wonder when we Han Chinese will reclaim our former lands. The current Sage Emperor only knows how to defend cities. I, on the other hand, think Yuan Chengzhi has the bearing of a true ruler. Perhaps the hope of the Han Chinese will fall upon him."
"Shh! Those are words that could get your head chopped off..." The speaker deliberately lowered his voice, then suddenly asked curiously, "What makes you say that?"
"Yuan Chengzhi has led the Golden Snake Camp in repelling repeated encirclements by Qing troops, showing his strategic talent. His prestige in the Shandong martial world is probably unmatched, proving his reputation and personal charm. Last time, he used a clever scheme to seize the treasure in Dagong Workshop, showing his intelligence as well. He nearly drove Jinling's prefect mad with rage, hahaha..."
Hearing this, Song Qingshu's heart turned cold. The treasure at Dagong Workshop had already been taken by Yuan Chengzhi! That made sense. The Golden Snake Camp's military expenses were enormous. For it to build such momentum in Shandong in so short a time, it definitely needed military funds...
Song Qingshu was deeply disappointed and no longer had any interest in listening. He tossed down several pieces of silver and walked out listlessly.
"Am I destined not to be the protagonist of this world?" Song Qingshu wandered aimlessly through the streets. His plans had met setbacks at every turn. He could not obtain the treasure here, and by that reasoning, perhaps other treasures would also slip from his grasp for one absurd reason or another. The more he thought about it, the more despondent he became...
"Out of the way! Out of the way!" Accompanied by the crisp ringing of bells, two fine horses came galloping up from behind.
Ordinarily, Song Qingshu might have stopped to teach the riders a lesson for galloping through a busy street. But he was utterly dispirited now and had no desire to play the chivalrous hero. With a shift of his feet, he narrowly avoided the two racing horses.
Unfortunately, the person ahead of him was not so fortunate. "Ouch! Which damned bastard dared run into your grandpa?" Hearing that overbearing voice, Song Qingshu thought, A dandy has met a bully. This should be entertaining. He immediately looked up with interest.
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