Blackwater Port, Selling Beast Spoils

At this point, the Qi had condensed into a lake, which was extremely powerful.

This level of strength is already quite remarkable. This vital energy circulates within the body, resisting external evils, enhancing spirit, and providing numerous benefits.

Suddenly inspired, Li Xian condensed his Qi and threw a punch, unleashing the Four Directions Fist Art. The more Qi he channeled, the stronger his punch became, and the more powerful it was.

He concentrated his Qi into his fist and punched the tree.

His bones were tough and his muscles strong. With this punch, the tree trunk caved in, the bark cracked open inch by inch, and the heartwood was exposed.

The snow that had accumulated on the trees was scattered all over the ground.

"His martial arts have improved again."

"Let's give this a try!"

After resting for a moment, Li Xian gathered his Qi and unleashed his fist technique again. Surprisingly, one fist split into several fists, with multiple fist shadows, as if several giant hands had grown out of thin air, which was quite mysterious.

Qi originates from martial arts.

Qi flows towards Wu Zhong.

Qi and martial arts complement each other, revealing their extraordinary nature. The Martial Dao is infinitely varied, allowing one to immerse oneself in it throughout one's life and find endless joy in it.

Village entrance.

"Grandpa, what brings you here?"

Black River Village experienced heavy snowfall last night.

There was a lot of snow on the road. Uncle Fu, old and frail, leaned on a cane and wore a thick coat. He was calling on the villagers to clear the snow and open up the road.

While they were busy, they saw Li Xian coming.

Uncle Fu couldn't hide his surprise, saying that it had been some time since he had seen Li Xian. Now that he saw him again, he felt that Li Xian had grown quite a bit taller.

He looked like a young boy.

His skin was very fair, but not effeminate; he had a refined and handsome appearance.

The villagers, being farmers, didn't really know whether it was "good-looking" or not. They just felt that the Guard looked rather pleasing to the eye, and instinctively wanted to take a few more glances.

"Uncle Fu, are you clearing the snow?" Li Xian asked with a smile.

"Yes," Uncle Fu said, pointing to the side, "There's an old ox in the village. Out of old affection, we wanted to let it live a little longer. But... but this year's harvest is really bad, and there's not much grain left."

"There's really no other way, so I have to take it to the city to buy some. Buying some rice and grain will help us last a little longer."

"That will be better when spring comes next year."

Uncle Fu looked sadly at the old ox in the village.

The old farmer and the old ox shared a deep mutual respect.

Li Xian said, "Coincidentally, I'm going that way too."

"Oh," Uncle Fu asked, "Sir, are you also going to Blackwater Port?"

"That's right." Li Xian nodded.

He had hunted tigers, deer, and leopards, and had eaten all the meat. But the skins, bones, teeth, and claws could be sold for a high price.

"That's wonderful! With you by our side, we won't be afraid of the tiger anymore!" Uncle Fu was overjoyed and extremely grateful, and said again:

"Sir, I've never met such a kind person as you."

"You tell me, after you hunted the game, you're thinking of sharing... sharing some with us? This... this..."

Li Xian shook his head and said, "It's alright, I can't finish it all, there's no use in keeping it."

At that time, the dynasty was in turmoil, Black River Village was even poorer, with land but no water, and was often ravaged by Mountain Wind Stronghold.

Every household was suffering from hunger and thirst; it was truly pitiful.

Li Xian knew he had no power to save the world, but he did have a compassionate heart. After enjoying his meal, he generously shared the remaining food with the villagers.

A few mouthfuls of deer soup and a few bites of animal meat did save some lives, preventing several people from starving or freezing to death.

But it was still a drop in the ocean. Li Xian felt a pang of regret, but had a clear conscience.

Blackwater Port is located on the upper reaches of the Blackwater River and is the territory of the Blackwater Gang.

The old ox walked slowly, one step at a time.

The villagers who accompanied the group couldn't bear to look at the old ox, and sobs could be heard from time to time.

Oxen can plow fields, are extremely intelligent, and can be companions for decades. Ordinary families only sell their oxen when they have no other choice.

"Old ox, oh old ox."

I'm so sorry.

Uncle Fu wiped away his tears.

The old ox seemed to understand, letting out a "moo," and its eyes became slightly wet.

Li Xian packed the tiger, deer, and leopard skins into a coarse cloth sack and carried it on his back.

The village chief, Uncle Fu, led the group, which included seven or eight young men. Although they were going to the city to go to the market, the journey was very dull and devoid of any joy.

Li Xian didn't know where Blackwater Town was, so he followed the group and didn't walk very fast.

On the way, I couldn't help but think:

"Blackwater Port is Blackwater Gang territory; I must be extremely careful."

"But I suppose they don't know what I look like, so it shouldn't be a problem."

It took more than an hour to walk.

As more pedestrians arrived, stalls spontaneously gathered on the patch of yellow mud, forming a small market. There were vendors selling vegetables, clothes, and even prostitutes...

Further along the road, one finds a bluestone path, and houses and pavilions rise all around... Several imposing buildings, no less impressive than anything seen in this life or the next.

"Uncle Fu, please take your leave now."

Upon arriving at the bustling city center, Li Xian bowed and took his leave.

Blackwater Port was built along the river and was very prosperous, with thriving transportation, trade, and river cargo.

The Blackwater Gang ruled the river, and the profits they made were considerable.

"Without the Blackwater Gang, the people in this area who depend on the Blackwater River for their livelihood would be living much better lives."

"How could that possibly be possible?"

"The Blackwater Gang is gone, but the Redwater Gang and the Greenwater Gang will rise next. This Blackwater River is so rich, such a huge piece of meat, it's bound to attract attention."

Li Xian messed up her hair and smeared some wall plaster on her face.

He was dressed in plain clothes when he went out, and apart from his tall stature, he didn't attract much attention.

After turning a corner, you'll see a large hall with its entrance wide open, flanked by two black lions, and a plaque that reads "Blackwater Gang".

Legend has it that these two black lions were originally from the bottom of the river. When they were pulled up, they already had the shape of a lion. After being carved by craftsmen, they became even more lifelike and showed their domineering presence.

"What an eye-catching stone lion!"

Li Xian nodded in approval and peered inside. The guards shouted, "What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

"Get lost."

"Become."

Li Xian hurried away, finding it amusing. Zheng Blood Palm come to demand someone but suffered a crushing defeat, and now Li Xian had delivered himself to their doorstep, yet Li Xian was being rudely dismissed.

The Great Martial Dynasty was crisscrossed by a dense network of rivers.

The Blackwater River was so wide that the opposite bank could not be seen; it was estimated to be several miles wide.

There were many boats on the river.

The Blackwater Gang's boats are conspicuous, being black with large black lotus flowers embroidered on their sails. Boats coming and going need to pay a toll to cross the river, and boats coming to trade need to pay an additional transaction fee.

"How domineering! Such a style!"

Li Xian looked around for a moment and suddenly spotted a large ship.

It was magnificent, like a giant sea beast. He had excellent hearing and vaguely heard cries. Looking up, he saw a sail made of human bodies.

The number of people is countless.

These people had their limbs severed and black rods inserted into them, binding them together like grasshoppers strung on a skewer.

"Brother, what have these people done to deserve this treatment?"

Li Xian asked a merchant at the port casually.

The merchant said, "Sigh, what else could I possibly do? Go against the Blackwater Gang, of course."

"There are probably around a thousand people up there. Some don't pay taxes, some owe rent, some can't repay their loans, some are disliked by the gang, and some have committed crimes or betrayed the gang."

"Look, the one at the top, that's Yang Cheng. He was one of the thirteen banner leaders, but he betrayed the gang, and look, he's been hung up there too."

Li Xian looked into the distance and recognized it in an instant.

"The Blackwater Gang is truly ruthless!"