Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 40: Wangyuan City

The first thing Li Qing did upon entering the city was get Qi Kang a change of clothes. No one could mistake him for a refugee now.

Before curfew fell, they secured two of the finest rooms at a local inn. Perhaps the war had driven prices down, because the rooms cost next to nothing. He had returned from the Extreme Night World laden with gold and silver; Li Qing was, for all intents and purposes, a rich man. The wealth was more than enough to fund his martial training for a long time to come.

And if the money ever ran out, he could simply return to the Extreme Night World for more. In a world starving for food, precious metals were little more than scrap.

Early the next morning, Li Qing sent Qi Kang out to gather news on the city’s current state. He himself took a pouch of coins and made his way to a medicinal hall.

“Shopkeeper, do you carry these herbs?” Li Qing slid a slip of paper across the counter. It listed the ingredients for two different wine recipes.

The shopkeeper took the list without looking up from his work. But as his eyes scanned the contents, he froze. His head lifted slowly, his gaze finally taking in the man before him.

“My lord, you ask the impossible,” the shopkeeper said with an awkward smile. “My Hundred Herbs Hall has been in Wangyuan City for decades, and I only carry a handful of the items on your list.”

Li Qing hadn’t expected to find everything in one place. “Then bring me what you have,” he said, unsurprised. “I’ll take it all.”

A few moments later, the shopkeeper returned with the few herbs he had in stock.

“This Polygonatum, my lord, is a fine fifty-year-old specimen. The price will be a bit steep, you understand?” he said, presenting the herb. It was gnarled and dry, shaped like a piece of ginger and covered in a web of fine rootlets.

*Slap!*

A sharp sound echoed in the quiet shop. Li Qing had placed a single gold leaf on the counter. “Wrap them up,” he said, his voice low and steady.

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened at the glint of pure gold, and his demeanor changed instantly. “Right away, sir!”

As the man deftly bundled the herbs, Li Qing asked casually, “Shopkeeper, where might I find the rest of these ingredients?”

“Fengzhou. Quanshan City,” the shopkeeper answered without hesitation, his hands still busy. “It’s nothing but deep mountains and ancient forests out there. Over half of Feng Country’s medicinal herbs are harvested from that region.” He paused, then added, “Aside from Quanshan City, your only other bet is the imperial capital, Shengtian. It’s the heart of the nation for a reason.”

Quanshan City. The imperial capital, Shengtian.

Li Qing committed the names to memory. To complete his recipes, a journey to one of these places was inevitable. Quanshan City was in the far southwest of Feng Country, a grueling trip that would mean crossing several provinces. Shengtian, the imperial capital, was also distant, but it lay in the nation’s heartland, making it a comparatively shorter journey.

And so, Li Qing set his sights on Shengtian.

In short order, the shopkeeper finished carefully wrapping the herbs in brown paper. As he handed the package over, he felt compelled to add a warning. “Sir, I don’t know your purpose for these, but I must tell you—two of the herbs on your list are deadly poisons. You must handle them with extreme care.”

The poisons were, of course, for the Five Poisons Blood-Activating Wine. “I know what I’m doing,” Li Qing replied flatly. “You needn’t concern yourself.”

He left the gold leaf on the counter, took his package, and walked out.

Li Qing repeated the process at every other apothecary in the city, but it was a wasted effort. Every shop seemed to draw from the same limited source, offering the exact same herbs as the Hundred Herbs Hall. After visiting several more, the only new ingredient he acquired was a piece of old camphor root.

Seeing how barren the border region’s resources were, Li Qing resolved to set out for the imperial capital as soon as possible.

When he returned to the inn, Qi Kang was already waiting, having finished his task. A hot bath and clean clothes had worked wonders. Qi Kang no longer looked like a refugee; he was just a clean-cut, if somewhat gaunt, young man.

“Young Master,” Qi Kang reported dutifully, “I visited several taverns. The city is held by the Wuli Army. They clashed with Liang Country forces two days ago, but bandit raids on their supply lines forced a stalemate.”

The name ‘Wuli Army’ drew no reaction from Li Qing. His expression remained a placid mask. This was exactly what he’d expected. Before he had fled to the Extreme Night World, he already knew the Wuli Army was being dispatched to reinforce the border. Their engagement with the Liang army was no surprise.

Li Qing nodded, signaling for the boy to continue.

“Also, the west gate is open for civilians to leave. But not many people have evacuated; the population is about the same as usual. There are even merchant caravans still coming and going. It seems everyone has great faith in the Wuli Army.”

As he spoke, Qi Kang watched Li Qing’s face carefully, trying to read his reaction. But Li Qing remained impassive, showing no hint of surprise. The Wuli Army was one of Feng Country’s pillars. Most of its soldiers were martial artists, and its centurions and chiliarchs were masters of Outer and even Inner Force. If an army of that caliber couldn’t hold a single city, Feng Country was already lost.

“Good. The fact that we can leave is all that matters,” Li Qing said. “Rest well today. We leave Wangyuan City tomorrow.”

Qi Kang’s jaw dropped. “Young Master, don’t you need to gather more information? How will you report back?”

Li Qing paused. “Report to whom? I’m only here to resupply. Then I’m heading to the imperial capital to live out my days in peace.”

“Ah?” Qi Kang was dumbfounded. He flushed with embarrassment. “I… I thought you were… a spy,” he stammered, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “From Liang Country.”

When he said the last part, his voice was barely audible, terrified someone might overhear.

Li Qing didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. “What on earth made you think I was a spy?”

“Well, yesterday you talked about sneaking into the city… and today you sent me to gather intelligence…” Realizing his mistake, Qi Kang trailed off, his face burning.

A small, helpless chuckle escaped Li Qing.

“Enough,” he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Don’t dwell on it. We’ll buy two horses tomorrow and be on our way. There’s nothing for us in Wangyuan City.”