Chapter 102: Chaotic Situation

Lu Qing's sudden strike was something that Xiao Tian never saw coming.

He had never even imagined that Lu Qing would suddenly try to take his life here.

However, the chilling killing intent in Lu Qing's strike was undeniable.

Xiao Tian had no doubt that if he hadn't dodged, Lu Qing truly would have cleaved him in two!

Unbidden, his mind flashed back to Lu Qing's murderous rampage in Kuaihuo Village.

A powerful fear instantly engulfed Xiao Tian.

In that life-or-death moment, he didn't have time to think; he could only rely on instinct and desperately try to escape.

In that split second, he subconsciously unleashed all his power.

He channeled all his mental focus and willpower into his legs, striving to move with even a fraction more strength, to make his speed just a bit faster, and to evade Lu Qing's deadly blow.

In that moment of intense focus, Xiao Tian felt like there was an additional source of power within him that he could tap into.

Without hesitation, he channeled it into his legs.

Boom!

With Xiao Tian giving it his all, he finally managed to move backward just as Lu Qing's battle blade was about to strike, crashing into the fence behind him and tumbling into the vegetable patch.

Lu Qing's strike missed, but he didn't pursue. Instead, he sheathed his blade and looked at Xiao Tian on the ground with a smile.

"Not bad. Your reaction was quite impressive."

"Young Master Lu, why are you doing this? Have I wronged you in some way?" Xiao Tian asked, his voice trembling as he lay on the ground.

He couldn't understand why Lu Qing would suddenly turn on him like this.

"You haven't wronged me. Now, sense the qi and blood within your body. Do you feel any difference from before?" Lu Qing asked with a smile.

"The qi and blood within my body?"

Xiao Tian was taken aback and immediately began to sense his own body.

After that powerful burst, Xiao Tian had exerted all his strength, and now he felt his body go soft, his leg muscles strained and sore.

However, Xiao Tian had no time to dwell on that as he made a startling discovery—the qi and blood within him were incredibly lively, and most importantly, he could command them at will, connecting and dispersing them as he pleased.

At that moment, Xiao Tian finally understood what had happened.

He had finally grasped the secret of qi and blood connection and entered the long-awaited Qi and Blood Realm!

"Thank you, Young Master Lu, for your great kindness!"

Xiao Tian got up and kowtowed to Lu Qing.

Heavens knew how much effort he had put in over the years to reach the Qi and Blood Realm.

But for some unknown reason, he had always fallen just short of taking that crucial last step.

Even earlier, after consuming the Blood and Qi Restoration Pill, he had thought that he would surely break through immediately.

Yet, even after half the pill's effects had worn off, he still hadn't found the opportunity to make the breakthrough.

Xiao Tian had almost given up hope, but then Lu Qing's strike had forced him into the Qi and Blood Realm.

Now, he understood that the killing intent in Lu Qing's strike hadn't been meant to kill him at all. Instead, it had been a deliberate ploy to force out his potential.

Otherwise, with Lu Qing's martial arts prowess, if he had truly wanted to kill Xiao Tian, he wouldn't have needed to make such a show of his killing intent. A casual swipe of his blade would have likely been enough to end Xiao Tian's life.

At this moment, Xiao Tian's heart was filled with gratitude toward Lu Qing.

"Alright, no need for that. Hard work pays off. If you hadn't laid such a solid foundation and been so close to the Qi and Blood Realm, my strike wouldn't have helped you break through," Lu Qing said with a smile.

Xiao Tian knocked his head on the ground three more times before getting up.

"Regardless, Young Master Lu, you are my benefactor. I will never forget your great kindness for the rest of my life," Xiao Tian said solemnly.

Lu Qing smiled and shook his head, about to speak, when a loud shout interrupted them.

"That little rascal is causing trouble again! He destroyed my fence and trampled all over my vegetable garden!"

Lu Qing was taken aback. It was Zhang Daye's second son, his eyes furious as he glared at his family's vegetable garden.

It turned out that Xiao Tian, in his desperate attempt to dodge Lu Qing's strike, had crashed into the fence of the neighboring vegetable garden, destroying it and trampling over two sections of the garden.

Now, the vegetables in those two sections were ruined.

Xiao Tian's face turned red with embarrassment.

"Uncle Zhang, it was me," Lu Qing said.

"Ah Qing, was it you who ruined the vegetable garden?"

Angry at first, Uncle Zhang's expression softened when he saw Lu Qing and he paused.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Zhang. I was sparring with a friend, and we accidentally damaged your vegetable garden. I'll help fix it right away," Lu Qing apologized sincerely.

"It's fine, it's fine. I thought it was some mischievous kid. Since it's you, Ah Qing, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it myself," Uncle Zhang waved his hand, his anger dissipating.

At the same time, he recognized Xiao Tian, who often came to the market to buy things. He was one of Ma Ye's trusted subordinates, responsible for maintaining order at the market.

Seeing Xiao Tian's clothes—yellow and green, caked with mud and vegetable juice—he looked rather pitiful.

Chapter: A Startling Breakthrough

Lu Qing's gaze swept over Lu Tian's mud-stained clothes, now filthy from the vegetable garden, and he couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

'This must have been a one-sided trouncing, not a spar,' he thought to himself.

Xiao Tian's face reddened, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small purse. He dumped out a piece of silver and hurriedly pressed it into Uncle Zhang's hand.

"Uncle, I ruined your vegetable garden and fence. This silver is for the damages."

Then, he bowed to Lu Qing and said, "Young Master Lu, I'm heading back to the market. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my best to help you!"

After saying this, his face still flushed, he turned and walked out of the village.

Uncle Zhang looked at the silver in his hand, a hefty half-liang, and called out, "Hey, young man! This is too much for just two sections of the vegetable garden!"

But the louder he shouted, the faster Xiao Tian walked, never once turning back.

Lu Qing found this amusing. "Uncle Zhang, just take it. It's his way of compensating you."

Xiao Tian was one of Ma Gu's most trusted aides, and now that he was in charge of the market, he certainly didn't lack for money.

A mere half-liang of silver was nothing to him.

"Aye, but this is too much! It's just a small matter. I'll fix the fence and replant the vegetables. There's no need for so much silver," Uncle Zhang insisted, still feeling uncomfortable with the amount.

Lu Qing, however, paid him no heed. After chatting with Uncle Zhang for a while longer, he turned and walked back into the courtyard.

Once inside, Lu Qing's expression turned solemn as he reflected on the news Xiao Tian had brought.

The situation in the county town was becoming increasingly turbulent, with a large number of martial artists gathering. It seemed only a matter of time before a major battle erupted.

While the county town was quite distant from Jiu Li Village, the events unfolding there could still have unforeseen consequences.

One could never be too cautious.

"I hope the Wei family can stabilize the situation."

"Speaking of which, is it really true that the Wei family's Precelestial ancestor is dead?"

Lu Qing's thoughts turned to the mysterious group that had boldly proclaimed the death of the Wei family's Precelestial ancestor in the county town, as mentioned in Ma Gu's letter. It seemed unlikely that they would be mistaken about such a claim.

However, something about the situation didn't sit right with him.

Firstly, how had the Wei family's Precelestial ancestor died?

If it was due to a vendetta, why hadn't the entity capable of killing a Precelestial-realm expert simply wiped out the entire Wei family?

If it was an accident, how had this group found out? And why was the news of the Precelestial ancestor's death spreading throughout the county town? There was something inherently suspicious about this.

According to his master's teachings, Precelestial-realm experts were like mythical dragons, rarely seen and difficult to track.

Now, with one of them dead, the news was spreading like wildfire, which seemed highly unusual.

Lu Qing felt that there was a hidden hand guiding these events, a powerful figure manipulating things from behind the scenes with some unknown agenda.

"Could it be that the Wei family truly possesses some treasure worth all this effort and planning?"

"And why not just take it directly? Are they afraid or testing the waters?"

Lu Qing recalled how Ma Gu had once mentioned that the Wei family, despite their status as a prestigious clan, had their head remain in the county town's old mansion.

He had speculated then that the Wei family was hiding something.

Now, it seemed his guess had been correct.

The only question was whether the Wei family could continue to protect their secret.

Unfortunately, Lu Qing had too little information to analyze the situation further.

"Oh well, even if there is some grand scheme at play, it's not something I, a mere Qi and Blood Realm cultivator, can involve myself in."

After pondering for a while and finding no answers, Lu Qing decided to stop worrying about it.

He was just a minor Qi and Blood Realm cultivator. There were countless martial artists in the county town who could crush him without effort.

Even if he knew the inside story, what could he do?

It was better to just sit back, watch the drama unfold, and hope for the best for the Wei family.

"Still, I should let Master know about this. With the situation in the town so complex, it's probably best if he avoids going there for now."

Although his master had reached the Half-step Precelestial Realm, the events in the town might involve Precelestial-realm experts, and Lu Qing didn't want him getting entangled in such affairs.

With that in mind, Lu Qing secured the doors of the house and made his way toward the halfway mountain courtyard.

As he approached, he could hear Xiao Yan's laughter ringing through the air.

Stepping into the courtyard, he saw his master, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Li sitting at a stone table, chatting over tea.

Of course, his master was drinking tea, while the two children were enjoying tea snacks.

"Big brother!"

Xiao Yan, who was facing the courtyard entrance, spotted Lu Qing and immediately called out.

"Mhm," Lu Qing acknowledged as he walked over.

The old doctor turned at the sound of Lu Qing's footsteps and was surprised to see him approaching.

"You've broken through?" he asked.

"Yes, I just broke through not long ago."

Chapter: A Complicated Situation in the County Town

Lu Qing knew that with his martial arts prowess, he couldn't hide anything from his master, who was about to refine the power of his divine soul.

"Your cultivation speed is truly..."

The old doctor couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

His disciple's cultivation speed was indeed astonishing.

In the short time since he had taken him on as a disciple, he had already reached the pinnacle of the Qi and Blood Realm.

Even during his travels in the provincial capital, he had never heard of any martial arts prodigy with cultivation speed comparable to Lu Qing's.

"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Master," Lu Qing humbly replied.

"Don't give me that. I only taught you a set of health-preserving exercises and refined some pills for you. I haven't really helped you that much," the old doctor said, feeling helpless.

"If not for what you taught me and the pills you refined, I wouldn't be where I am today," Lu Qing said.

The old doctor shook his head helplessly.

His disciple was excellent in every way, except for the fact that he was overly humble.

No matter how much others praised him, he never seemed to see himself as a martial arts prodigy.

And it wasn't an act; the old doctor could tell.

Lu Qing truly never saw himself as a genius, no matter how rapidly his martial arts progressed. He never took pride in his accomplishments.

"Master, just now, Ma Ye sent one of his men to deliver a letter with some information that I think you should be made aware of," Lu Qing said.

"Oh? What is it?"

Upon seeing the serious look on Lu Qing's face, the old doctor's expression turned solemn as well.

He knew that his disciple had a connection with Ma Gu, the man in charge of the market.

Could it be that he was facing some difficulty and needed Lu Qing's help?

"It's all written in the letter. Please take a look, Master."

Lu Qing took out the letter that Xiao Tian had delivered.

The old doctor took the letter, opened it, and as he read, his face gradually became solemn.

"I never expected that in just a few days, the situation in the city would become so turbulent."

After finishing the letter, the old doctor sighed.

"Master, the situation in the county town is complex and unpredictable right now. It would be best if you didn't go there for the time being," Lu Qing advised.

He knew that his master often went to the town to deliver medicinal herbs, but with the current situation, he didn't want him to take any risks.

"Alright, I wasn't planning on going out anyway. Since things are so chaotic in the town, I'll stay put," the old doctor agreed after some thought.

He was a healer with a kind heart, but he wasn't foolishly idealistic.

Knowing that the town had become a powder keg, he naturally wouldn't go there.

Seeing his master's agreement, Lu Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been worried that his master's kindness would get the better of him, and he would insist on going to help those in need.

Now, it seemed that his master was able to make a clear distinction in this regard.

"However, you should also be careful, Ah Qing. From the letter, it seems that the Black Wolf Gang is stirring up trouble again. Since you offended them before, they might seek revenge," the old doctor warned.

"I will, Master," Lu Qing assured him.

In the following days, Lu Qing continued his routine, living a disciplined life.

However, he was more cautious when going out.

Occasionally, he would go to the market to meet with Xiao Tian and gather information about the town.

Indeed, Xiao Tian provided him with a lot of valuable intelligence.

For instance, with the increasing number of martial artists gathering in the town, the situation had become highly volatile.

The town was only so big, and with so many martial artists flooding in, conflicts were inevitable.

It was common to see martial artists clashing in the streets, their battles resulting in bloodshed.

Some martial artists, driven by their desires, began to subjugate local powers to serve their own pleasures.

Those who refused to submit were eradicated, while those who yielded quickly rose in power, becoming some of the most influential forces in the town by attaching themselves to these martial artists.

The Black Wolf Gang was a prime example of this.

Somehow, their leader, Black Wolf, had managed to convince several powerful martial artists to join his gang.

Among them were even Inner Core Realm experts, making the Black Wolf Gang one of the strongest forces in the town, their arrogance knowing no bounds.

In a nutshell, the town had descended into chaos, with people dying every day.

If not for the County Governor's Mansion issuing a decree prohibiting martial artists from harassing civilians, the town would have descended into complete anarchy.

The County Governor's Mansion represented the royal family, and the martial artists dared not openly defy their orders.

Even so, many civilians chose to flee the town temporarily, seeking refuge elsewhere until the storm passed.

What surprised Lu Qing was that amidst all this chaos, the Wei Family remained unshaken.

The arrogant martial artists seemed to be deliberately avoiding the Wei Family, as if both sides had some unspoken agreement, waiting for something.

Lu Qing could sense that something unusual was going on.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end