Traveling Together, Bandits on the Road

Li Qing had just escaped from Qingshi County. He did not know if he would be wanted by the authorities, so changing his name was the most convenient course of action.

"As for what we should do, my suggestion is to get on the road and leave this place immediately."

"Who knows if a second monster will appear here?"

Hearing these words, everyone felt a slight chill in their hearts. They couldn't help but step back a few paces, staring at the monster that had completely dissolved into a pool of foul blood.

Wang Kuohai's expression shifted, and he hurriedly said, "Mr. Qin is right."

He then changed the subject, "Mr. Qin, I wonder if you would be willing to join us?"

"The mountains are high and the road is long; it would be quite inconvenient for you to travel alone. With so many of us on the road, we can look out for one another."

Li Qing looked at Wang Kuohai, instantly grasping what the man was thinking.

Clearly, having seen him deal with the monster, Wang wanted to recruit a free bodyguard.

A thought stirred in his mind, I don't have a carriage, so I can borrow a seat and stop relying on my own two legs. I haven't walked far, and my legs are already feeling like jelly.

Besides, I can rely on them for meals.

Thinking this, he gave a slight nod. "Very well. But could I take a carriage? I'd rather not walk anymore."

Li Qing casually set a small condition, observing Wang Kuohai closely.

Wang Kuohai laughed heartily and said, "A small matter."

He turned to the Escort Guards behind him and ordered, "Clear out a carriage for Mr. Qin."

"Yes, Chief!"

With a thunderous shout, the Escort Guards immediately began clearing out one of the carriages.

They had three carriages in total, all of them loaded with cargo.

At this moment, Li Qing walked over to the spot where the monster had died, a trace of curiosity in his eyes.

In the pool of black liquid lay a strange, transparent stone about the size of a thumb. It was perfectly round and looked quite peculiar.

After a moment's thought, he picked up a tree branch from the side and fished the transparent, round stone out of the liquid.

He rolled it in the dirt twice, then tore off a piece of rag from his clothes to pick up the bead and wipe it clean.

Wang Kuohai, watching from the side, did not ask any questions; he simply directed the Escort Guards to pack up the carriages and bury the bodies of their fallen brothers.

However, the glances he stole from time to time clearly showed he was very interested.

Li Qing looked at the now-clean round stone in the rag and reached out to pick it up.

The moment his fingers touched the raw stone, the Jade Tablet in his mind trembled slightly.

A multicolored radiance flowed out from the stone, traveling up his arm and straight into the Jade Tablet.

Immediately after, the Jade Tablet emitted a wondrous glow, and a stream of pure, flawless essence surged out, instantly merging with Li Qing's blood essence.

His blood essence circulated continuously, absorbing and refining this pure essence.

Li Qing's body gave a slight shiver; he felt his essence had increased by at least twofold.

The concentration of his essence now covered one-fifth of his entire bloodline.

He pondered to himself, If the essence can cover my entire bloodline, does that mean Foundation Establishment is successful?

The Essence Blood Art only contained the method of cultivation; it provided no description of the realms.

Li Qing did not know what the cultivation levels of this world were; he was purely crossing the river by feeling the stones.

Perhaps in the future, I can use these monsters to increase my cultivation speed.

Aside from modifying the contents of books, the Jade Tablet seems capable of extracting the power from these stones and converting it into essence to nourish me.

Lost in thought, Li Qing felt his "gold finger" was quite powerful, as it possessed the ability to both optimize techniques and extract power simultaneously.

The stone in his hand had already turned into powder, having lost all its power.

Wang Kuohai, standing nearby, keenly noticed the change in the stone, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

An Escort Guard walked over. "Chief, the carriage has been completely cleared out."

"The bodies of the three men from Huang Mountain have been buried nearby. We will find someone to collect them after we return."

Wang Kuohai nodded and walked toward Li Qing with a solemn expression.

"Mr. Qin, please board the carriage!"

Creak, creak, creak.

The carriage moved laboriously along the mountain road, the wheels grinding against the gravel and emitting a constant friction.

By now, they were over ten miles away from the inn, and a new mountain peak had appeared ten miles ahead.

That was Qingfeng Mountain, the next unavoidable path on their journey. After passing it, there was still Baili Mountain.

Beyond that, the road would be smooth sailing all the way to Jade City in Huanglong Prefecture.

Inside the carriage, Li Qing felt drowsy. Riding on such uneven terrain, the constant jolting of the carriage made his whole body sway.

Although the essence within him flowed continuously, a heavy drowsiness continued to shroud him.

Just as they were passing through a narrow stretch of woods and Li Qing felt himself drifting off to sleep, the carriage suddenly jolted to a halt, the immense inertia nearly sending him tumbling off.

"What happened?" The sleepy-eyed Li Qing instantly snapped awake.

A group of men had emerged from the forest and surrounded them, numbering at least twenty, each one looking utterly vicious and filled with baleful intent.

Leading them was a giant of a man, eight feet tall, gripping a blade of tempered steel, his entire body radiating an aura of murderous ferocity.

A lackey leaped forward and shouted at the men of the escort agency.

"I planted these mountains and I opened these woods; if you wish to pass this way, leave behind your toll."

Wang Kuohai looked at the twenty bandits, his expression turning slightly solemn.

"My good heroes, I am Wang Kuohai, Chief Escort of the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency in Jade City."

"I have a modicum of reputation in the martial arts circles of the North Continent. Here is some silver; I hope you heroes will let us pass."

With that, he tossed a money bag from his hand toward the eight-foot giant.

The bag flew as fast as a thunderbolt, seemingly imbued with no small amount of force.

The giant waved his left hand and caught the bag in an instant, a cold sneer appearing on his face.

He gave it a slight toss. "This pittance? Are you trying to send off a beggar?"

"I want everything you have. If you're sensible, get lost."

"If you aren't, then leave your lives behind."

Wang Kuohai's expression turned cold. He had used a special technique in that throw, yet the opponent had caught it with such ease; the man's kung fu was not inferior to his own.

He took a deep breath. "My good man, walking the path of the martial arts is all about rules and righteousness."

"The tea money has already been offered. If you truly want to see blood, I fear you won't be able to stomach the cost."

At this moment, the twelve Escort Guards of the agency had quickly gathered around, drawing the sharp blades at their waists.

To eat the rice of an escort agency is to lick blood from the edge of a blade; they could not retreat.

Wang Kuohai took the lead, and the other Escort Guards formed a defensive formation centered around him, watching the bandits opposite them with vigilance.

The giant looked at the well-organized escorts, a hint of gravity appearing on his face.

With a thunderous roar, he shouted, "Lads, follow me!"

The nineteen bandits charged forward, clamoring as they came.

"Kill them!"

"Plunder them..."

"Clang, clang, clang..."

"Ding... clang."

As the short weapons clashed, a cacophony of metallic ringing filled the air.

The eight-foot giant lunged forward, his tempered steel blade transforming into a swimming dragon as he dove straight for Wang Kuohai.

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