News that the troops stationed outside the city had been surrounded by bandits quickly spread throughout Black Goose City.
Of the eighteen constables the yamen had sent out, aside from Constable Chief Xu Weisai,
all the rest had been hacked to death in a flurry of blades by the bandits and thrown into the Black Rock River west of the city. One after another, fishermen were discovering and retrieving their bodies.
In an instant, Black Goose City, which had only just returned to calm waters, was once again swept by towering waves!
Compared with the earlier rumors, the bandits' blades were now practically hanging over Black Goose City's gates.
Hanging over the necks of the city's common people!
For a time, everyone in the city felt endangered.
Some wealthy households with a bit of means began spending heavily to hire martial guards, intending to leave Black Goose City and seek refuge elsewhere.
But when the more than ten corpses of the first wealthy household were laid out in neat rows before Black Goose City's gates the very next day,
the wealthy households within Black Goose City immediately abandoned any thought of fleeing elsewhere.
It was obvious that Black Goose City had already been surrounded by those bandits. Anyone who left the city would be killed first!
Under such a bloody display of power, the atmosphere in Black Goose City grew even more oppressive.
The troops outside the city were besieged, and nearly half the yamen's constables had been slain.
Black Goose City could no longer muster any force capable of intimidating the bandits.
If this continued, once the bandits saw through Black Goose City's weakness, they would likely soon storm through the gates.
At this moment, Black Goose City was like an unarmed man.
And the bandits around it were like vicious wolves lying in wait on every side.
The slightest lapse would end with him being torn to shreds.
East of the city, inside the ruined temple.
The group no longer had their former ease. Like the world outside, they had become far more subdued.
"How many more days will the food I brought last?"
After eating, Qin Zheng looked at Qi Yan and asked.
Ever since encountering that fish seller and hearing the news from him that day,
Qin Zheng had immediately sensed the danger and bought a great deal of rice, flour, and meat.
But no matter how much food there was, it could not withstand so many mouths to feed, nor could it keep up with how much he consumed through martial practice.
Qi Yan hesitated before saying, "If we keep things as they are, it will probably last about three more days."
"But Brother Qin, you're a martial artist. You can't go without meat. The rest of us don't need to eat so much."
"If we save a little, it should last five days."
Black Goose City was now in such a state of alarm that even the rustle of wind and cry of a crane startled people. The city gates and waterways had been blocked by the bandits outside, and food could not be brought in.
Thus, everyone in the city was scrambling to buy and hoard grain. Food prices had soared, and poor families could barely afford a meal.
Qin Zheng nodded at her words, then said, "No need to save. I still have food over there. I'll go bring it back shortly."
The food in the small courtyard south of the city had already been eaten up, but he had plenty of silver on him, enough to buy food.
After he spoke, Qi Yan did not object. She simply listened quietly to Qin Zheng's arrangements.
As for the other children, they had all sensibly come to understand the danger within the city.
They knew that this big brother before them was the one they could rely on now.
Therefore, whenever they ate, they would deliberately eat less and leave more for Qin Zheng.
Though they did not know the difference between strong and weak martial artists, they knew that only a full stomach gave one the strength to fight.
Qin Zheng then went to the open ground before the ruined temple and began circulating his blood and qi once more.
Without internal arts cultivation, relying solely on external arts meant progressing from without to within through a long, slow process, like grinding water through a millstone.
He could neither rush nor slacken. He had to train every day and persevere without fail.
Fortunately, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill was of exceptionally high quality. The thirteen movements' efficiency in circulating blood and qi exceeded Qin Zheng's expectations.
At this moment, he could clearly feel that with every completed movement and every circulation of blood and qi, his body grew a little stronger.
At this rate, even without internal arts, perhaps he would only need several months to advance once more into the Muscle-Refining Realm.
Half an hour later, Qin Zheng slowly finished his practice.
Unlike before, when his blood and qi surged throughout his body and white steam rose from him,
he now showed no unusual sign at all while circulating his blood and qi.
After perfecting Skin-Refining, he could control the pores across his body, locking in his vital essence so that none leaked out.
Thus, although his blood and qi surged through him like great rivers, outsiders could not detect the slightest disturbance.
"Brother Qin, have some water."
As usual, after he finished practicing, Qi Yan brought him a bowl of water.
After thanking her, Qin Zheng drained the clear water in a single gulp.
He then handed the bowl back to Qi Yan and said, "Stay in the temple and don't worry. I'll be back soon."
His reputation had already spread. In Black Goose City, no one would dare set their sights on this ruined temple anymore.
Who would provoke a ruthless man who had crushed the Canoe Gang into silence, all for a few beggar children and a woman?
No sane person would entertain such a thought.
Therefore, Qin Zheng was no longer greatly worried about the safety of those in the ruined temple.
Qi Yan nodded and added, "Be careful."
Qin Zheng slung the Ghost-Head Saber, wrapped in coarse cloth, diagonally across his back and strode toward the temple entrance.
But just as he was about to step through the ruined temple's gate, his brows furrowed slightly, and he stopped.
"What is it?"
Qi Yan asked aloud.
Qin Zheng shook his head, then slowly walked to the front of the ruined temple.
At that moment, a yamen runner appeared at the gate as well.
His gaze first swept into the ruined temple. When he spotted Qin Zheng, an ingratiating smile immediately spread across his face.
"Master Qin!"
Ever since Qin Zheng's reputation had spread, everyone who spoke to him addressed him as Master Qin.
Qin Zheng nodded and asked, "What is it?"
At such a critical juncture, someone from the yamen coming to see him could not possibly mean anything good.
Sure enough, after he said this, the yamen runner glanced at the people inside the ruined temple before loudly announcing, "Master Qin, Magistrate Gao requests your presence!"
As he spoke, he drew an invitation from his robes and respectfully offered it to Qin Zheng.
Qin Zheng's eyes narrowed slightly. He accepted the invitation and opened it.
Its contents were an invitation issued in the magistrate's name, broadly inviting martial experts within Black Goose City to gather at the yamen tonight.
This invitation was also called a Hero's Invitation.
A flicker of light moved through Qin Zheng's eyes, but his expression did not change. He nodded and said, "Tell Magistrate Gao that Qin will certainly come at the appointed time."
A smile appeared on the yamen runner's face as well.
"Then, Master Qin, this humble one will take his leave."
The yamen runner clasped his fists and bowed, then slowly withdrew.
Qin Zheng remained where he was, looking at the invitation in his hand, his eyes filled with thought.
The troops outside the city were trapped, and half the yamen's constables had been lost. Black Goose City's official strength had clearly been weakened to its lowest point.
Thus, the yamen of Black Goose City had evidently turned its attention to the several factions within the city, as well as its martial experts!
This was a powerful force that did not belong to the yamen, yet could not be underestimated!
But the bandits outside the city were all desperate outlaws. Fighting them was an extraordinarily dangerous matter, one small misstep away from death.
How many factions and how many experts would agree?
Before you continue