Gathering

Li Dashan had also climbed up step by step from the bottom, so he naturally understood just how difficult it was for a disciple with no family wealth or backing to train all the way to the Skin Tempering Third Layer.

Li Dashan slowly nodded. "Not simple. Heaven helps those who help themselves. Very good."

Zhang Yan was stunned as well.

In truth, he did not know much about Deng Qing either.

At first, Fan Sheng often mentioned this junior brother in front of him. Later, Deng Qing handled several matters with considerable steadiness and understood the etiquette of social dealings, so Zhang Yan's impression of him gradually improved.

This time, he had included Deng Qing among the attendants partly for Fan Sheng's sake.

Only now, after hearing with his own ears how Deng Qing had gone from a poor boy so hungry he rammed his head into a pillar to the Skin Tempering Third Layer step by step, did Zhang Yan truly come to know him.

Just then, the sounds of fighting ahead died away.

Ding Yuan and the others returned. Quite a few hurriedly changed out of their bloodstained clothes, chattering away, unable to hide their excitement.

Ding Yuan in particular wore a thoroughly pleased expression.

He walked up to Li Dashan, cupped his hands, and said, "Master, the bandits have all been scattered. This disciple killed six."

The other disciples also stepped forward one after another, recounting how many they had killed and wounded, afraid that if they stayed silent, Li Dashan would not remember them.

Li Dashan nodded slightly. "Well done. Though these people may be pitiable, driven into the wilds by circumstance, once they take up weapons to rob travelers, they are bandits. But since they have already scattered and fled, there is no need to wipe them out root and branch. We will continue on our way."

Ding Yuan nodded with a smile. His gaze swept over Deng Qing, and he gave a soft snort, as if to say, you have your moments when I surpass you too.

At a quarter past noon, Li Dashan's group finally arrived at Dongting County.

Dongting County's yamen had sent a clerk and several constables to wait outside the city gates.

Li Dashan now bore the official rank of Ninth-Rank Commandant and was one of the local martial figures granted titles after the Battle of Liangshan, so Dongting County received them with considerable courtesy.

After both sides exchanged greetings, the county yamen's men led everyone into the city.

The moment he entered Dongting County, Deng Qing felt as though his eyes were not enough.

Most of the grain shops, cloth stores, and restaurants along the streets were open. Pedestrians flowed constantly through the roads, and quite a few traveling merchants speaking with out-of-town accents could be seen.

Clearly, this place had suffered less from the turmoil.

After arriving at the post station, Li Dashan told the disciples to make their own arrangements, so long as they returned before the hour of the Monkey.

Fan Sheng had rarely visited Dongting County and did not want to remain cooped up in the post station. He immediately dragged Deng Qing outside.

The two strolled through the streets. Passing a snack stall selling fried dough twists, Fan Sheng bought two large bags, and the pair ate as they walked.

Deng Qing's appetite was astonishing now. He quickly finished an entire large bag of fried dough twists, making Fan Sheng shake his head repeatedly.

When they reached a cosmetics shop, Fan Sheng stopped and picked out two boxes of rouge. He then bought some children's trinkets from a nearby sundries stall.

Deng Qing had no interest in rouge or face powder. Then he suddenly caught sight of several butcher shops across the street.

After calling out to Fan Sheng, he walked over and casually asked about the price and daily supply of offal.

The stall owner gave him a strange look but still quoted him a rough figure.

After hearing it, Deng Qing asked at two neighboring shops in succession. The answers were much the same.

Fan Sheng walked over and laughingly scolded, "You brat, you're already at the Skin Tempering Third Layer, yet you're still fixated on this bit of offal?

"What, are you really planning to make the title 'Offal Martial Saint' stick?"

Deng Qing smiled without explaining himself.

In fact, he had long since stopped hoping to replenish his vital energy and blood on a large scale through offal.

It was not that offal had become useless. On the contrary, it remained extremely cost-effective for him.

For the same amount of silver, buying offal could produce nearly seven or eight times the benefit of buying prime meat.

But the real problem now was no longer the price, but the supply.

When he had first begun eating offal, it had still been deep winter. Offal did not spoil easily then, and every butcher shop had piled up plenty of unsold stock. He could buy a great deal at once and keep it to eat slowly.

Now that the weather was gradually warming, offal could not be kept for more than a few days.

A butcher shop could only produce as much as the pigs and sheep it slaughtered each day.

With Deng Qing now eating seven meals a day and needing massive quantities at every meal, even if he bought up all the offal from one or two butcher shops, it would still be nowhere near enough.

Thus, his questions earlier had merely been prompted by a faint hope.

Now that he had asked several shops, he knew this path would not work.

Deng Qing accompanied Fan Sheng around for a while longer. Along the way, they bought plenty of food, filling his stomach seven or eight parts full.

An hour later, the two returned to the post station.

Fan Sheng returned to his room to rest, but Deng Qing did not waste any time. He sat cross-legged in his room and began circulating the Violet Palace Method.

At the hour of the Monkey, people from the county yamen came to the post station again and invited Li Dashan's group to attend a banquet.

Everyone straightened their robes and followed Li Dashan out of the post station, heading toward the martial arts grounds in the east of the city.

By the time they arrived, many carriages had already stopped outside the martial arts grounds. Constables bustled back and forth at the entrance, guiding the endless stream of guests.

The martial arts grounds had been carefully decorated and served as the venue for that night's gathering.

Once inside, the place was even more abuzz with voices. Dozens of banquet tables had been arranged around the venue.

The identities of those present that day were even more varied.

There were officials from the two counties, martial school masters, local great clans, prominent figures from merchant associations, and martial artists who had rendered meritorious service in the earlier fighting.

For a time, robes of every kind filled the venue, while blades and swords stood thick as a forest.

Some exchanged pleasantries, some took the opportunity to forge connections, and some stared coldly across the tables at old rivals.

Li Dashan had newly gained the official rank of Ninth-Rank Commandant and had also distinguished himself in the Battle of Liangshan. His seat was quite far forward, arranged near the place of honor.

Zhang Yan and Fan Sheng shared a table behind Li Dashan's.

Deng Qing, Ding Yuan, and the others did not even manage to get seats and could only stand.

Deng Qing was idly looking around when he soon spotted Li Cheng in the crowd. Li Cheng was looking at him as well and nodded toward him.

Deng Qing returned the nod. Only then did he notice that Li Cheng was surrounded by a group of extraordinary young men, and he guessed that they had to be Martial Dao Trial examinees.

Right after that, Deng Qing saw Song Que. Song Que was staring at him as well.

Song Que's entire bearing had changed drastically, like a sharp sword hidden deep within its sheath.

He swept a glance over Deng Qing's waist, his eyes gleaming brightly.

Deng Qing met his gaze for a moment, then looked away and noticed the middle-aged man seated in front of Song Que.

Deng Qing guessed that this man had to be Song Wuliang, the Golden Saber Sect's master.

Song Wuliang was around forty years old, tall and powerfully built, with exceptionally broad shoulders and back. He wore a dark-gold fitted martial outfit, and a thick-backed golden saber lay across his waist.

Simply sitting there, he radiated a weighty, oppressive presence.

As Deng Qing was studying Song Wuliang, Song Wuliang suddenly raised his wine cup and walked over.

When he reached Li Dashan, he laughed heartily. "Senior Brother Li, congratulations. You went out once and came back having earned yourself a Ninth-Rank Commandant's rank."

Li Dashan smiled. "Just luck. I heard Junior Brother Song has already accepted the next round of conscription?"

"Of course."

Song Wuliang smiled. "Senior Brother Li cannot be allowed to steal all the limelight for himself."