Li Qiang was sent out by Heavenly Aunt in Ringed Jade Heaven and appeared directly not far from Earth. Looking at the blue planet, he was filled with emotion. After leaving Earth, he had experienced countless years and finally saw it again.
He slowly flew towards Earth. With his current level of skill, he could have landed on the ground in an instant, but he didn't want to be so reckless.
As they approached Earth, Li Qiang discovered that Earth's technology had become much more advanced. Countless satellites orbited Earth in space, and there appeared to be large structures on the moon not far away.
Li Qiang disappeared quietly. He didn't know what era it was. After wandering outside for so long, he had lost all sense of time.
Li Qiang silently flew into the atmosphere. His first impression was that Earth wasn't as polluted as he had imagined, but it was still very polluted compared to the planets he had visited.
He landed where the sun was away, and it was nighttime. He flew forward along the ground and soon saw a brightly lit city.
Li Qiang quietly landed in the bushes on a hillside, took out a set of clothes he had brought from Earth, and changed into them. Since they were stored in his bracelet, they were perfectly intact. He wore a casual brown leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers. Feeling that this outfit was fine, he began to walk down the hillside.
Below the hillside was a highway, with cars occasionally speeding by. Li Qiang had never seen those cars before; they seemed more advanced than those of his time. A container truck drove by, and Li Qiang darted onto the roof of the truck bed, sat cross-legged, and looked around with great interest at the scenery. Although it was dark all around, he had a pair of divine eyes and could see everything clearly.
Soon, Li Qiang saw the highway sign and realized that he was in a Europe country. He couldn't understand the words on the sign, but he knew it was French. He couldn't help but laugh to himself that he had come down here in a daze and hadn't paid attention to where he was.
Li Qiang thought it best not to linger in this unfamiliar place. He flashed into the air, quickly determined his direction, and instantly teleported away.
When he reappeared, he was in a sunny place.
In the clouds, he noticed a roaring sound not far away; it turned out to be a large airplane flying overhead. He suddenly realized that he couldn't just move around randomly in this area; if he happened to be in the plane's flight path, something bad would happen.
As the roar of the plane gradually faded into the distance, Li Qiang finally descended from the clouds.
He landed by a river and looked around. The river was very clear, and all around were small trees, only about the thickness of a bowl. They were obviously man-made forests. He was used to seeing large tracts of primeval forest, and seeing these small trees in his hometown made him feel emotional.
Earthlings are only slightly better off Bona People. Earth also has a large population and scarce resources, while the Bona People can migrate in space. I wonder if Earth's current technology can also migrate people to other planets? From this point of view, Earthlings are not as good as the Bona People.
Through the woods, a dirt road could be seen in the distance, and further on, large fields of farmland. It seemed to be late autumn, with withered leaves hanging sparsely from the treetops. The sky was also overcast, lacking any sense of crisp autumn air, and looked more like it was about to snow.
Li Qiang flew stealthily at low altitude, heading south along the dirt road. He soon spotted a small city. He landed in a secluded spot, straightened his clothes, and then walked along the highway into the city.
The city wasn't large, with extensive residential areas on the outskirts of the city, and the buildings were quite beautiful. Li Qiang's first impression was of the city's crowding, a feeling that intensified once he entered the city proper.
Asking passersby, he learned that this was a small city in the north. He walked into a residential area filled with buildings that were over ten stories high, and the area was bustling with people coming and going. Li Qiang suddenly felt out of place; everything in front of him was so unfamiliar, and he couldn't help but sigh. He sat down on the edge of a flower bed by the roadside, considering what he should do next.
The first thing is to find a suitable person for the Flower of Heart Reflection, but this cannot be rushed, as it will be difficult to find a suitable candidate in a short time; the second thing is to find the reincarnations of Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha, but the time is not yet right, and searching for them now will be useless; the last thing is to go home and take a look. Although more than a thousand years have passed, and he doesn't know if the original city is still there, he still wants to go back and take a look.
Li Qiang walked out of the residential area and onto the road. He stood out on the street. It was late autumn in the north, and everyone else was wearing thick clothes, but he was only wearing thin clothes. His tall and strong figure, along with his long black hair that fell over his shoulders, made him very conspicuous.
Moreover, his clothes were completely different from those of ordinary pedestrians; strictly speaking, these clothes could be considered antiques.
Li Qiang stopped a pedestrian and asked about the city he used to live in, but the person had no idea. He then asked where he could buy a map, and the person told him to look it up at the bookstore. When he arrived at the bookstore, he realized that he needed an ID card to get in.
Left with no other option, Li Qiang stealthily flew into the building. Using his memory, he located the city he had once lived in, though its name had long since changed. Knowing its location, Li Qiang immediately teleported away.
Li Qiang stared blankly at Se Lake in front of him. He hadn't expected the lake to still be there. The trees along the lake were even more lush than when he left, and the lake water was clearer and more pristine. This place was subtropical, and the trees were still a verdant expanse. He vaguely remembered a road not far away. He walked along the lake for a while and found the open space from before, which was now covered with trees.
Li Qiang couldn't help but smile as he recalled his past madness, and casually picked a branch. He sighed, turned and walked away from Se Lake, and soon found the road at https://m. hetushu. com. com.
The road was abandoned, with faint traces of asphalt pavement visible. He walked along the road toward the city.
The abandoned old road was only a short stretch. When Li Qiang reached the end of the road, he found a small hill in front of him, which seemed to have been artificially built later. He walked up the hillside and looked into the distance. He saw a huge city in the distance, and the area near the small hill seemed to be the old city.
As dusk settled, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminated the distant city, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.
Li Qiang walked down the hillside and out of the grove. He found an electronic warning sign that read "Forest Protection Area" and below it in red, "No Entry." He was surprised that people were now paying so much attention to greening.
Li Qiang stepped onto the lawn outside the woods, and before he had walked a few steps, he saw a car approaching from a distance.
It was a small car suspended off the ground, its body red and white, speeding along and blocking Li Qiang's path.
As soon as the car came to a stop, two men in uniform jumped out, one of whom shouted, "You! Stop right there!"
The two men quickly approached, and Li Qiang looked on, puzzled, not understanding what they wanted to do.
One of them pointed at the tree branch in Li Qiang's hand and shouted, "You're picking branches from the protected forest area, which is an illegal act of damaging greenery. Please show your identification and accept the punishment."
Li Qiang looked at the tree branch in his hand in disbelief and asked in surprise, "Who are you people? Are you crazy?"
Another person said, "You insulted law enforcement officers. Please come with us."
Li Qiang was both annoyed and amused. He nodded and said, "Fine, fine, let's go then. Who are you people?"
The man said aggressively, "We are police officers!" Two men stepped forward and grabbed Li Qiang. One of them took out handcuffs, handcuffed Li Qiang, and shoved him into the police car.
The two officers were both young, one looking to be in his thirties and the other only in his twenties. One of them reached into Li Qiang's pockets, but Li Qiang had nothing on him. He cursed and said, "This guy has nothing on him. Hey, what's your name? Where do you live? Tell me!"
Li Qiang couldn't help but laugh and said, "My surname is Li, and my given name is Die."
The man said, "Check the patrol network. Who is Li Die?"
Another officer cursed, "Whoever my father is, your father is whoever he is! Damn it, this kid insults you and you don't even know it!" The officer was furious and punched Li Qiang hard. Then there was a howl, and he held his fist to his mouth and kept breathing on it.
The man yelled, " Wang Yuelin, what's on this guy? Search him!"
Wang Yuelin muttered, "Old Sun, didn't you already check? Why do you need to check again?" As he spoke, he searched the place again.
Sun Ang asked anxiously, "What's on his stomach?"
Wang Yuelin said impatiently, "There's nothing there... That's strange. Aren't you usually quite good at fighting? You're complaining about your hand hurting after hitting someone. I'm impressed."
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "So you just beat people whenever you grab them?" He deliberately wanted to tease these two bewildered police officers. Picking a tree branch was illegal? That seemed absurd. He tentatively asked, "What kind of punishment would I get for picking a tree branch?"
Sun Ang said angrily, "Picking tree branches is only a fine, but since you insulted law enforcement officers, you must provide your name, address, and identification. You have nothing right now, so we need to take you to the police station to verify your identity."
Li Qiang laughed, "So that's how it is. Just because I said you were sick? I think you two really are sick, a pair of lunatics! Haha." He mocked without restraint.
The two police officers were so angry their eyes turned red; they had never seen such an arrogant person before. Sun Ang pulled out a long, thin black object and shouted, "You're too arrogant, Wang Yuelin, get out of the way!" He slammed that thing hard into Li Qiang's shoulder.
A flash of light appeared, and Li Qiang blinked, asking curiously, "Is that an electric baton? Tsk tsk, you're so ruthless."
The two police officers were terrified by Li Qiang. Sun Ang was holding a riot stun gun, which would normally knock a person unconscious immediately after being hit, but this strange man was still able to talk as if nothing had happened.
By this time, the car had entered the city. Wang Yuelin said, "Let's take him back first. This guy... we should be able to find out his information."
Sun Ang looked at Li Qiang with some fear, and shouted in a bluffing manner, "Don't move!"
Li Qiang, still grinning, said, "Okay, I won't move, haha." He also wanted to visit the police station to see how the officers were different from when he left; he had plenty of time anyway.
His first stop was the police station in his hometown. The more he thought about it, the funnier it became. He was surrounded by police officers when he left his hometown, and he was arrested by them as soon as he returned. It was really too strange.
The police station was located in the old town on the outskirts of the city, in a dilapidated seven-story building. Li Qiang was led into a temporary detention cell. After the handcuffs were removed, Sun Ang warned, "You wait here. Someone will come to interrogate you tonight." He then turned to leave.
Li Qiang stopped him and said, "Hey, remember this, you're the one who arrested me... You'd better take responsibility, haha."
Enraged, Sun Ang spat angrily and quickened his pace to leave.
Wang Yuelin came down the corridor and called out, "Old Sun, where is the suspect?"
Sun Ang said angrily, "I locked him in the detention cell and let the people inside deal with him first. Humph, this guy is too wicked."
Wang Yuelin hesitated for a moment and said, "Old Sun, this kid hasn't done anything serious. Isn't this inappropriate?"
Sun Ang scoffed, "He has no identification and won't say where he's from. Let's detain him first, and release him when he's willing to talk." He stretched and said, " Wang Yuelin, you've had a long day. How about we grab a drink after work?"
Wang Yuelin and said, "Forget it, you should go back and keep your sister-in-law company. If I go drinking with you, she'll scold me again."
Sun Ang sighed, "Go home, go home! Sigh, what a life of toil. If you won't go, I'll go by myself." The two walked out of the police station one after the other.
Li Qiang offered no resistance and obediently went inside. The detention cell was small, containing four people. Upon seeing Li Qiang enter, they all displayed strange expressions.
Li Qiang looked at these people with a grin. He knew very well who was powerful and who was respected here.
Sure enough, a burly man stared at Li Qiang for a while, then said in a menacing voice, "You think you're so great, acting all nonchalant when you see me? Where do you hang out?"
Li Qiang glanced at him and said calmly, "The places I work in are beyond your imagination. Don't mess with me, or you'll regret it."
The burly man had a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, and looked quite energetic. However, his hair was messy, as if it hadn't been washed in a long time, and it gave off a strange smell. He was wearing a black casual shirt with several holes in it. Leaning against the wall, he lazily said, "Oh, you're pretty arrogant, huh? Guys, let's teach him a lesson."
The other three men surrounded him, and one of them reached out to grab him, but Li Qiang grabbed his arm. Li Qiang said with a half-smile, "Oh, I'm thick-skinned, haha."
The burly man was furious. He walked over, grabbed Li Qiang by the collar, and said viciously, "You little brat, do you want to die? How dare you talk to me like that!" With that, he punched Li Qiang in the face.
"Bang!" The man's punch landed like hitting a steel block, and with a crisp sound, the bones in his hand cracked. Li Qiang had completely withdrawn his Divine Yi Power; if he had even a trace of Divine Yi Power protecting him, the man's condition would have been far worse than just a cracked hand. A long howl was heard, alerting the guards.
A police officer entered, holding a stun gun, and shouted, "What's going on?"
The burly man with the shattered hand bones curled up, his body trembling violently, unable to speak from the pain.
Li Qiang shrugged and said, "It's nothing, some people just like to make a few noises." He then crossed his arms and looked around as if nothing had happened.
The police officer asked, "What's wrong with you?"
The man hissed, making a hissing sound, "I... hiss... I, my hand... my hand... hiss, ouch, my hand hurts so much..."
The officer shouted, "Who did this?" The guards were responsible for the injuries in the detention cell, and his gaze swept across the faces of the men.
Li Qiang said with a serious expression, "He probably had an itchy hand and punched the wrong spot."
The burly man said fearfully, "It was... it was an accident that I bumped into the wall."
The policeman sneered, "Hmph, all of you better behave yourselves! It's nighttime now. You can go to the hospital tomorrow. Hmph, you troublemakers, you deserve it!" He then turned and left, locking the door again.
There was a row of cement seats against the wall in the detention cell. Li Qiang sat down cross-legged and pointed at the burly man, saying, "You, come here!"
The man trembled and said in a shaky voice, "What do you want? Let me tell you... I..."
Li Qiang reached out and made a grabbing motion, and the man was bound by an invisible force, stumbling and bumping into him. Li Qiang grabbed his wrist, and the man cried out in terror, "Spare me! Spare me!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "You have such a lot of nerve, why are you so ruthless when you bully people?" Then he released his wrist.
The man suddenly felt the pain in his hand disappear. Looking closely at his palm, he saw that apart from slight swelling, he felt no pain at all. He stared blankly at Li Qiang, and asked in a daze, "You... how did you do that?"
Li Qiang quipped, "You must be dreaming, haha." A golden glint flashed in Li Qiang's eyes as he asked, "What's your name? Why were you arrested?"
The man immediately went limp and collapsed to the ground, not daring to look Li Qiang in the eye. He stammered, "I, my name is Zhang... Zhang, Zhang Jinguang..." He gasped for breath and said bitterly, "I... I was arrested for fighting."
The other three people in the detention cell were also terrified, huddled in a corner, too afraid to move. Li Qiang smiled slightly and said, " Zhang Jinguang, who else is in your family?"
Zhang Jinguang finally caught his breath. He coughed, stole a glance at Li Qiang, and whispered, "I'm an orphan. I have no family, only some snobbish relatives. Sigh."
Li Qiang was silent for a moment, then asked, "Do you have a job?"
Zhang Jinguang gave Li Qiang a strange look, shook his head and said, "I usually do odd jobs, I don't have a stable job, what... what do you mean?"
Li Qiang said calmly, "Okay, you'll have a job from now on, I'll hire you."
Zhang Jinguang was stunned. He felt like he was dreaming, having been inexplicably hired by this strange young man, and he didn't even dare to refuse. From the aura Li Qiang exuded, he could tell that this man was no ordinary person. Having been out in the world for so long, he trusted his judgment.
When Zhang Jinguang woke up the next morning, he found Li Qiang sitting cross-legged. He suddenly realized that Li Qiang was someone who knew ancient kung fu, and he couldn't help but feel a deep respect for him.
Since the sudden rise of ancient martial arts a century ago, many powerful figures have emerged, all holding very high positions. He wondered anxiously: what is this strange man's purpose in hiring me?
"Bang!" A policeman opened the door and called out, " Zhang Jinguang, you four come out. You can go home after you've given your statements." Zhang Jinguang stood up, looked back at Li Qiang, and didn't know what to say.
Li Qiang opened his eyes and smiled, "Go ahead, I'll come find you."
Zhang Jinguang walked out in confusion, wondering how Li Qiang would be able to find him later.
Looking at the empty detention cell, Li Qiang smiled slightly and teleported out. He felt there was no need to stay there any longer.
As Zhang Jinguang left the police station, he kept thinking about the strange man. Suddenly, someone gently tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Hey, Zhang Jinguang."
Zhang Jinguang jumped in fright and cursed, "Who is it? Damn it, you're going to scare me to death!" He turned around and was almost scared to death. Li Qiang was looking at him with a big smile. Zhang Jinguang knew that he was the first one to leave the police station today, and he really couldn't understand why this strange man was waiting for him here.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "You're too cowardly. I've always wondered why you provoked me in the detention cell."
Zhang Jinguang sighed, "Sigh, I was blind to have messed with you. I'm scared, okay?" He couldn't help but wonder what Li Qiang was up to.
He mustered his courage and said, "Since you're hiring me, let me make one thing clear: I won't do it for too low a price. Also, I don't know anything about this. If you think it's not suitable, then don't hire me. In case you get angry... I can't beat you."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Don't worry, I just need a guide."
Zhang Jinguang stretched out his hand, then withdrew it, and said with a forced smile, "This... um, that... you, boss, ah, I'll call you boss, could you... um, prepay a little... hehe."
Li Qiang had no money at all, but he laughed and said, "Money is no problem... Are there any jewelry stores around here? Preferably the biggest ones."
Zhang Jinguang said with a wry smile, "Boss, you're not planning to rob someone, are you? That's suicide... I..."
Li Qiang slapped him across the face, laughing and scolding, "What are you talking about! Would I go and rob someone? What are you thinking?"
Zhang Jinguang scratched his head and protested, "Boss, don't hit my head, it'll make me stupid... What are you going to do at a jewelry store if you don't have money?"
Li Qiang kicked out and said, "Am I hiring you, or are you hiring me? Who says I don't have money!" He sighed inwardly, realizing that he was facing a financial crisis as soon as he arrived in the mortal world, whereas he had never had this problem when he was with the immortals.
Zhang Jinguang was at Li Qiang's mercy and muttered, "Fine, let's go. It's a long way from here to the biggest jewelry store. Do you have the money for a bus ride?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Hehe, I don't have any money on me right now. You can pay me back later."
Zhang Jinguang finally couldn't help but yell, "Hey, you're the boss, why are you making me pay? Uh, I don't have any money either." He shouted and then suddenly realized something was wrong; this boss was not someone he could afford to offend. He secretly plotted how to get rid of this powerful but penniless guy.
He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Let's walk over there. Ugh, I haven't had breakfast yet, I'm starving."
Li Qiang said, "Lead the way, here, have this." He casually took out a blue fruit, a leftover from the God-Sealing Plaque Cool Hall, a kind of celestial fruit, but the most common kind. Li Qiang guessed that mortals could probably eat it.
Zhang Jinguang took it and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh, what kind of fruit is this? I've never seen it before. It smells so good... There's only one, that's too few."
He ate it in a few bites, smacked his lips in surprise, and said, "Wow, it's really delicious! Boss, is there any more?" As soon as he finished speaking, he started shivering, and puffs of white mist rose from his body. He cried out in a strange voice, "Cold, so cold! Waaah, I'm freezing to death!" Li Qiang couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It seemed that mortals were still unable to withstand the Spiritual Qi of the immortal fruit.
He reached out and placed his hand on Zhang Jinguang's shoulder, channeling a Divine Yi Power of divine energy to dispel the chill. After a short while, Zhang Jinguang stopped shivering. He let out a long breath and huffed, "What kind of fruit is this? Are you trying to freeze me to death... Wait, something's not right..." He suddenly felt full of energy, his hunger vanished, and realized this fruit must be special. He couldn't help but ask again, "Boss, what kind of fruit is this?"
Li Qiang said calmly, "This is called the Mottled Blue Fruit, a very rare kind of divine fruit."
Zhang Jinguang laughed loudly, "Boss, don't tease me. Of course it's fresh fruit. What, dried fruit? Mottled Blue Fruit... I've never heard of it. Alright, for the sake of fresh fruit, come with me." He led Li Qiang toward the new district.
The new city is located to the east of the old city. Here, there are skyscrapers that are dozens or even hundreds of stories high. Various vehicles shuttle through the air, most of which are on tracks, and there are also a few flying cars. Huge electronic billboards are erected on the walls of the buildings. The ground floor is mostly occupied by pedestrians, with no vehicles passing through.
Zhang Jinguang seemed to be very familiar with the streets and alleys here. He quickly found the jewelry store Li Qiang wanted to go to. It was a herringbone building in the center of the new city.
Li Qiang looked up and laughed, "Wow, that's tall."
Zhang Jinguang said, "This is the tallest building in the city, with 116 floors, the famous Zhao's Building."
Li Qiang asked, " Zhao's? Is that a person's name?"
Zhang Jinguang nodded and said, "It's owned by a wealthy merchant surnamed Zhao. It's Zhao's Treasure Silver and Gold Jewelry Shop, a well-established business with nearly a century of history."
Li Qiang's heart skipped a beat. He seemed to have heard the name Zhao's Treasure Silver and Gold Jewelry Shop somewhere before. He asked, "What's the name of the Elder Da of Zhao's?"