Offending Master Zheng, and You Still Expect a Good Outcome?

The shopkeeper of Lin-Feng Pavilion—wasn't that the place Zhao Lie had treated him to a meal yesterday?

Had he come to congratulate him too?

Li Chengfeng raised an eyebrow. Before he could puzzle out the twists and turns hidden in this, he saw the respectable figures ahead of him come forward one after another, cupping their fists and offering congratulations.

"Grain Rice Shop wishes Young Hero Li flourishing martial fortune."

"Green Forest Dyehouse wishes Young Hero Li entry into the martial registry today and smooth progress on the martial path in days to come."

"Big Bowl Restaurant wishes Young Hero Li..."

"..."

One congratulatory voice after another rang out before the courtyard gate.

Li Chengfeng was dumbfounded at first, then immediately reacted—these people had actually not reported a single one of their own names!

"Many thanks, many thanks. Chengfeng never imagined that merely registering in the martial rolls would trouble you all to come in such force. I am ashamed, ashamed."

Li Chengfeng hurriedly cupped his fists and responded politely to each of them.

Seeing this, smiles appeared on all their faces.

"Young Hero Li, why be so modest? To enter the martial registry at such an age already makes you a dragon and phoenix among men. How could it not be worthy of us coming to offer congratulations?"

"Setting everything else aside, since it is a happy occasion, we naturally ought to come and congratulate you!"

"Young Hero Li is young and promising!"

As soon as Li Chengfeng's voice fell, these people offered another round of smiling congratulations, then came forward one after another and placed their gifts in Li Chengfeng's hands.

"Young Hero Li is diligent in martial training, so we will not delay your cultivation here. We shall take our leave now. I only hope that in days to come, Young Hero will not forget the congratulatory gift my Lingfeng Pavilion brought today!"

After some pleasantries, the shopkeeper of Lingfeng Pavilion cupped his fists to Li Chengfeng with a face full of smiles.

"Indeed, we will not disturb Young Hero's cultivation..."

Afterward, the respectable figures standing beside him also came forward one by one to say farewell, each stating which faction they belonged to. Then, under Li Chengfeng's somewhat astonished gaze, they all took their leave together.

Only after they had all gone far away did Li Chengfeng look at the small pile of gift boxes he had taken back in and finally come around to the truth.

"So these people weren't trying to befriend me. They were afraid I'd go looking for trouble with them. They gave me these things to keep me from causing problems on their territory in the future?"

When Li Chengfeng thought of this, he chuckled softly.

But then, recalling how polite all their expressions had been just now, he shook his head again.

"In the end, my strength still isn't enough. These slightly stronger forces in the city don't even have any thought of inviting me to attach myself to them."

Li Chengfeng sighed inwardly, then finally opened the gift boxes they had brought one by one out of curiosity.

After opening them all, however, he raised an eyebrow.

They were all Blood-Qi Pills!

The ones with fewer had five, the ones with more had ten. In one go, they had actually delivered more than eighty Blood-Qi Pills to him!

"Practical, at least!"

Li Chengfeng could not help raising an eyebrow, and a smile curved across his face. He felt satisfied.

No matter what damned, long-winded thoughts these forces were harboring, at least this part brought him real benefit.

As for whether their attitude was perfunctory, whether they were polite or not... did he care whether they were polite or perfunctory?

"With this, I won't have to worry about cultivation resources for over two months."

A smile appeared at the corner of Li Chengfeng's mouth. Immediately, he swallowed a Blood-Qi Pill, came into the courtyard, shook out his long spear, and began cultivating with all his might.

Seeing Li Chengfeng begin cultivating, Liu Yuniang also came out and put away the gift packaging boxes he had left in the courtyard, pondering whether she could use them as materials to make something.

"..."

While Li Chengfeng practiced martial arts, the various city bosses who had left after congratulating him had not yet dispersed.

"This man is a pity. He has no background and no teacher's inheritance. Taking him in as a guard would be decent for the time being, but of all the people he could offend, he just had to offend Master Zheng."

After they had walked some distance away, someone among the group spoke with a conflicted expression and a sigh. "Ah, if not for that, I would have extended an olive branch to him just now."

"Who says otherwise? Master Zheng is handling major affairs in Shuiyang Prefecture and won't be able to return for a while. What he most tabooes is someone causing trouble at home at a time like this."

Beside him, another person also shook his head and sighed. "Tell me, of all times, he just had to pick this moment to cut off the ear of the steward in Master Zheng's estate. How could that be allowed?"

"Li Chengfeng has already become a martial artist. Even if he injured that Zheng Estate steward, Master Zheng might not necessarily do anything to him, right?"

Among the group, the one with the most hesitant expression could not help speaking in an uncertain voice.

"Hmph! Became a martial artist? Does he think that becoming a martial artist puts him on the same level as Master Zheng?"

As soon as this person's words fell, another person beside him let out a cold snort and spoke disdainfully.

"Master Zheng is a Meridian Opening Realm martial artist, and he is not far from the Condensed Aperture Realm. Compared with a martial man who has just entered the ranks of martial artists, it is simply the difference between heaven and earth. The gap between them is even greater than the gap between martial artists and ordinary people like us!"

"Under such circumstances, Master Zheng only needs to be slightly angered and make the slightest move, and it will not be something he can contend with. Right now, there is no one in Master Zheng's residence, so he can still act arrogant for a while. Once Master Zheng returns, let's see how he ends this!"

This person sneered again and again. As soon as his words fell, another person beside him also spoke in a disdainful voice, his expression indifferent. "I think so too. A little martial man who has just entered the martial-artist level actually offended Master Zheng. There is absolutely no good end waiting for him!"

"Ah, this boy was born lowly. I'm afraid he can't even understand the intention behind our gifts. He probably truly thinks his own strength is outstanding and that we came to flatter and fawn on him, doesn't he?"

Another man spoke with a casual expression. "Little do you know, we only sent him a few things to keep him from flying into a rage and turning into a mad dog, biting wildly at our venue and affecting our business."

"Hahaha, exactly. Think about it—a mere short-term worker from the Zheng Estate, and the moment he became a martial artist, he went and injured the Zheng Estate's steward. A petty man intoxicated by success, that's all. Someone like that will be destroyed sooner or later. How could he stand on equal footing with us?"

Another man laughed heartily, a hint of mockery flashing through his eyes. "In my view, all of you are overestimating him. Never mind Master Zheng—even the guard commander in Master Zheng's estate is absolutely no weak hand. How could he possibly be a match?"

"Hahaha, indeed. The guard commander in Master Zheng's estate is a martial cultivator of the Body Tempering Realm. Once Master Zheng brings his men back, why would Master Zheng need to act personally? That guard commander alone will be enough to make him drink a whole pot."

"Ah, everyone, let's not chat too much. A martial artist who has offended Master Zheng isn't worth so much of our attention. We should go back and study how to run our businesses well."

The shopkeeper of Lin-Feng Pavilion, walking at the front, smiled and shook his head. He looked back at those people and spoke with a faint smile. "Although this man won't come to any good end, it would still be troublesome if he were bent on causing trouble. Since we've resolved this hidden danger today, why waste our breath?"

At these words, everyone immediately burst into laughter and all said it made sense. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they set the matter aside and turned to leave one after another.

"..."

By noon, in Li Chengfeng's courtyard, Li Chengfeng, who had just spent half a day cultivating diligently at home and finished digesting a Blood-Qi Pill, had just finished lunch and was practicing with his spear when he suddenly saw Zhao Lie, the gang leader of the Black River Gang, hurrying over.

"Brother Chengfeng, there is an urgent matter I must tell you."