It is worth mentioning that Deng Qing also took a long trip during his arduous cultivation.
Two months ago, he made a special trip to Huai'an Prefecture, found the Little Liang River, and met Old Man Sun and his grandson.
This time when he visited, he brought a bag of copper coins for Old Man Sun and his grandson.
It weighed about twenty pounds, and when it was placed on Old Man Sun's table, it almost caused the old wooden table to fall apart.
When Old Man Sun opened the bag, his eyes widened in astonishment.
For the grandfather and grandson, spending silver was a distant dream; only these copper coins were real.
Deng Qing knew exactly what was safer for the grandfather and grandson.
That's why he didn't hesitate to carry over twenty pounds of copper coins and walk hundreds of miles to deliver them.
That day, he helped Old Man Sun dig several holes and hid the copper coins in various places, instructing them to share them and not arouse suspicion.
After having a bowl of fish soup at Old Man Sun's house, Deng Qing followed the river and searched all the way down.
Just as he had expected, after his body recovered, his Blood Control Art remained extremely effective at finding traces of his own blood.
During the battle in the Underground Palace, his blood was stained on his Desolate Iron Sword and Waist Pouch.
These bloodstains, whether soaked for a long time or exposed to the sun, are no longer visible to the naked eye, but the Blood Control Art can still detect the residual scent within them.
Following his senses, Deng Qing found the Desolate Iron Sword and two Waist Pouch in a river bend in about half a day, and several more Waist Pouch on another sandy area.
Deng Qing was naturally overjoyed to have so many treasures recovered.
After all, the four three-petaled Qi Petal inside are extremely precious.
Of course, upon closer inspection, there were also things that made his heart ache.
The substitute doll had been soaking in the water for too long and had lost its spirit. Several Dust-Evolving Pearl were also damaged and could no longer be used.
There were also a few Medicinal Pills that were unusable because they had been soaked in water.
Fortunately, most of the items were intact.
Since returning from Huai'an Prefecture, Deng Qing has been cultivating continuously until now.
As Deng Qing was deep in thought, Fan Sheng's voice came from behind him, "Junior brother, good news!"
Fan Sheng walked in with an account book tucked under his arm and an abacus in his hand, his face beaming with joy.
Deng Qing laughed and said, "Did you find money?"
"It's even better than finding money on the street!"
Fan Sheng opened the ledger and handed it to him, "Two more shops have been added in Fertile Water County, and the sales channels in Wuyi County have also been expanded."
I just calculated it carefully. Based on the current shipment volume, after deducting all expenses, a net profit of seven or eight hundred taels per month should not be a problem.
At this point, he couldn't help but pat the ledger.
It turned out that what Fan Sheng was referring to was the soap business.
Deng Qing had already tinkered with this thing when he first transmigrated, and he was already familiar with how to make it.
Unfortunately, the world is too chaotic to tolerate such fancy tricks.
Therefore, the late emperor could only have passed away before completing his great undertaking.
Now that he had the skills and the influence of the Celebration Hall, Deng Qing picked up the business again.
At first, Fan Sheng was a little guilty.
A device that can lather your hands and face is being sold at a price he can't understand; he feels like they're treating people like fools.
As a result, the goods were delivered to various shops, and people actually bought them.
Especially those high-priced items that were scented and packaged in small wooden boxes sold out even faster than ordinary goods.
Fan Sheng was finally relieved, and from then on, he devoted himself entirely to it.
"Alright, you go practice your skills, I have to get back to work."
Fan Sheng left in a hurry, "Oh, by the way, tonight we're having stewed meat, half a pig, let's have a drink, you two brothers."
Watching Fan Sheng's hurried departure, Deng Qing felt quite gratified, thinking to himself, " Celebration Hall has finally found a way to make money. Even after I'm gone, it should be able to survive."
This was, after all, where he started his business, and naturally he didn't want to see the Celebration Hall signboard fall down.
Unfortunately, no matter how nice this place is, it's no longer a place to stay for long.
Judging from the resources that Elder Wu had helped raise over the past few months, Deng Qing felt that the high-level resources he could obtain were rapidly running out.
Deng Qing could understand that the more top-tier the resource, the more it was blocked by the higher-ups.
He was content that he had managed to break through to the Bone Tempering Fourth Layer here.
But if the path of spiritual practice is to continue forward, one can only go to other places.
This foreign land, without hesitation, can only be the Qingzhou Martial Dao Lower Court.
It didn't matter that Deng Qing's application to become Sword Examiner failed; he felt that he was no longer the same person he used to be.
Firstly, it has the backing of Jian Ruyu.
Secondly, he got involved with the Xiao Family of Maoling.
Thirdly, he is now a man with a distinguished record of achievements.
Making a breakthrough shouldn't be too difficult.
Thinking about seeing Jian Ruyu, Deng Qing felt it was necessary to visit his own grave.
It wasn't to see how luxurious his tombstone was, but rather to see the words engraved on it by Jian Ruyu.
When we meet, he'll have something to say when he expresses his gratitude.
He immediately left the city and headed west, where there was a Gezi Mountain, a well-known local cemetery.
From a great distance, Deng Qing could see his own tombstone.
The monument was tall and stood on a three-tiered stone platform, with a stone tortoise lying beneath it, its broad back supporting the entire monument.
The top of the stele is carved with cloud patterns, giving it a solemn appearance when viewed from a distance.
Deng Qing walked closer, looked up, and muttered to himself, "They're really willing to invest."
When Fan Sheng first told him that the Imperial Court had built him a large tomb, he didn't think much of it.
Standing here now, I realize that the word "big" is truly no exaggeration.
However, these were minor details; Deng Qing's main focus was on the inscription on the stele.
Deng Qing couldn't discern the quality of the writing, but the continuous strokes, like a broken sword on a vast river, conveyed a palpable sense of sorrow.
Deng Qing gently stroked the words and read softly, " Deng Qing, a native of Changle, Yanshan Prefecture. Rising from humble beginnings, he was brave and resolute. During the Liangshan campaign, he resolutely resisted the rebels, helped stabilize the Wasteland Veins, and protected his comrades. He risked his life for the cause, and his merits were renowned on the frontier. This inscription is to commemorate his achievements and forever remind future generations of his glory."
Deng Qing's gaze continued downwards; there were several lines of smaller characters below, recording the Imperial Court's bestowal of honors upon him:
His rank was promoted to the Principal Sixth Rank, and Purple and Azure Grand Master.
He was appointed as Military Selection Aide.
Deng Qing read those words over and over again.
" Purple and Azure Grand Master, Military Selection Aide —what are these? They all sound quite intimidating."
Deng Qing murmured, actually harboring resentment towards the Imperial Court.
In his view, the Imperial Court was just making empty promises.
Back in the Underground Palace, when the Celebration Hall lineage was fighting Huang Changhe to the death, Deng Qing specifically asked Tang Xingyao whether what they had done counted as merit, and whether the Imperial Court would recognize it.
Tang Xingyao agreed so readily.
Looking back now, the Imperial Court was cunning and treacherous.
After much searching, they all attributed the credit to the tombstone of this "dead man."
As far as he knew, Zhang Yan and his other senior Senior Brother had not received any Imperial Court rewards.
The resources they brought back from Liangshan were all earned at great personal risk.
Despite their injuries, they simply went their separate ways and began to recuperate on their own after returning home.
The Imperial Court may have forgotten the contributions of its Senior Brother, but Deng Qing has not.
After his soap business improved, he instructed Fan Sheng to regularly send money to Zhang Yan and his other senior Senior Brother.
The amount doesn't need to be too eye-catching; it just needs to make their lives a little easier.
Deng Qing snapped out of his thoughts, read the inscription again from beginning to end, and then turned to leave.
They had only walked a mile or so when a voice suddenly called out from above, "Is that Brother Deng? Brother Deng!"
Deng Qing was taken aback and looked up at the sky in the direction of the sound. Apart from a few cotton-like clouds, there was only a black dot that was rapidly growing larger.
He stared intently, and the black dot grew larger and larger, revealing the outline of a large bird.
The large bird had a thick, long neck covered in bluish-gray feathers. When its wings were spread, it looked like a small house lying across the sky.
Its long feathers spread out in the wind, and with just one flap of its wings, it stirred up a gale and swept a large distance closer to this side.
Even more strangely, it had a large wicker basket on its back, inside which stood a person; the rim of the basket reached the person's waist.
The man leaned forward and waved downwards, "Brother Deng! It really is you!"
Deng Qing opened his eyes wide, "Brother Xiao?"
The large bird flew closer, flapping its wings repeatedly, and hovered above Deng Qing's head.
A strong wind rushed in, making Deng Qing's clothes flutter wildly.
Suddenly, a thick rope dangled from the basket, its end still about ten feet off the ground.
The man flipped over the basket, climbed down the rope, and when he was still two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) above the ground, he released the rope and jumped down.
If it wasn't Xiao Jinglin, then who was it?
Deng Qing was overjoyed and was about to greet him when Xiao Jinglin rushed over and hugged him tightly.
"Brother Deng! I knew you wouldn't die so easily!"
Xiao Jinglin patted Deng Qing hard on the back twice.
Deng Qing laughed and pushed him away, "Just talk, why are you getting handsy? I have no interest in men."
Xiao Jinglin laughed and whistled. The large bird flapped its wings a few times and landed on a slope not far away.
Suddenly, Xiao Jinglin took half a step back, straightened his clothes, and solemnly bowed to Deng Qing.
Deng Qing quickly reached out to support him, "Brother Xiao, what are you doing?"
Xiao Jinglin straightened up. "I dare not express my gratitude. I know everything about the final battle of Liangshan's 'Nailing the Wasteland Veins'."
If it weren't for Brother Deng's tireless efforts on my behalf, I wouldn't have achieved that great feat, let alone enjoy the glory I have today.
After my father learned that I had received Brother Deng's letter, he specifically instructed me to convey his thanks to Brother Deng when I saw him.
Deng Qing waved his hand, "You flatter me. I risked my life to get this done."
Xiao Jinglin said, "Let's not stand on ceremony. The essence of a gentleman's friendship lies in mutual understanding."
Deng Qing nodded and pointed at the large bird, "What kind of bird is this?"
" The Cloud-Carrying Vulture, a mythical beast."
Xiao Jinglin said, "Don't let its enormous size fool you, it's very docile, has an excellent memory, and its carrying capacity is unparalleled, making it perfect for long journeys."
Deng Qing nodded. "Brother Xiao, where did you come from?"
Xiao Jinglin said, " Qingzhou Martial Dao Lower Court."
Deng Qing's eyes lit up. "That's perfect timing! I was just thinking of going to the Martial Dao Lower Court, but I haven't had a chance to set off yet."
Xiao Jinglin smiled. "I'm here to pick you up."
Deng Qing was taken aback. "Could it be such a coincidence?"
"What a coincidence! I came all this way specifically for you. I was just on my way to the Celebration Hall when I saw you from afar."
Xiao Jinglin laughed and said, "The letter you sent me took a month or so to reach me. When I opened it and saw that you were still alive, I went to find my father right away."
After I finished speaking, he was very happy and said that he could finally repay the favor.
We live too far apart, and it's too inconvenient for us to keep in touch. So, I didn't reply to you. I discussed it with my father, and we decided to get things sorted out first, and then I'll tell you, so as not to take up your time."
Deng Qing became interested. "What has Brother Xiao done for me?"
Xiao Jinglin pointed to the tombstone behind Deng Qing, "This is naturally your reward."
Brother Deng made great contributions at Liangshan. Previously, the Imperial Court only thought that Brother Deng had died a heroic death for his country, so he was rewarded according to the standards for those who died for their country.
Now that Brother Deng is still alive, the Imperial Court cannot simply bestow a reward without actually delivering it.
Deng Qing said, "I know my own merits, but they don't deserve this much credit."
The Imperial Court only bestowed such a high reward upon me because I am dead.
"Now, it seems very difficult to implement these rewards."
Deng Qing knew that his main contribution—stabilizing the Wasteland Veins —had been assigned to Xiao Jinglin.
Although Tang Xingyao and other parties involved knew what had happened, the matter could not be changed at the Imperial Court level.
Therefore, at most, his achievement was that he joined forces with Li Dashan to kill Huang Changhe.
This achievement is absolutely not worthy of such a high reward.
It was only given to the dead that it was given to Garn.
He had never considered going to the Imperial Court to get things settled.
But judging from Xiao Jinglin's words, he is helping to handle this matter.
Xiao Jinglin cupped his hands and said, "It is precisely because I, Xiao, stole Brother Deng's merit in the Meridian Nailing Technique that Brother Deng's fame has not been revealed. I am extremely ashamed."
Deng Qing waved his hand, "Brother Xiao, if you bring this up again, it means you don't consider me a friend. I'll turn around and leave."
We've fought side-by-side through thick and thin, why are you being so polite?
Don't overdo it. The credit for fixing the Wasteland Veins is not something someone like me, from a humble background, can claim.
Alright, stop beating around the bush and just tell me what you've managed to get for me.
Xiao Jinglin said, "Brother Deng is right. The Imperial Court only granted a posthumous title. Now that you have come back from the dead, it is obviously impossible to fully implement it."
My father mobilized his resources and pulled some strings, but of the two rewards, only one was actually granted.