Forging Immortality: The Undying Blacksmith

Chapter 42: Quanshan Medicine Shop

While war ravaged the border, Shengtian City remained a world apart, glittering with a prosperity that felt almost obscene. Here, the shadow of war dared not fall; it was as if the repeated breaches of Wangyuan City were nothing more than a distant rumor.

On the shimmering surface of the lake, pleasure barges drifted by, their decks filled with the graceful, dancing figures of courtesans. The city’s taverns overflowed with talented scholars and beautiful women reciting poetry, playing zithers, and composing couplets—a perfect portrait of a golden age.

After a long wait at the city gates, Qi Kang finally stepped inside. His eyes went wide, his head swiveling on his neck as he tried to drink in every impossible sight.

“Young Master, what’s the plan?” he asked, his voice full of awe.

Li Qing, leading their horses through the thronged streets, answered calmly, “First, we find an inn. Then, you get me the lay of the land. I want to know about the major martial arts halls, the powers that run this city, and who we shouldn’t cross. That’s your job now.”

Though Qi Kang came from humble beginnings, the boy was sharp. He had a knack for gathering information, a skill he had proven repeatedly on their journey to the capital.

“Understood, Young Master. Leave it to me!” Qi Kang vowed, his chest puffed with confidence.

With that, Li Qing led him to a large, rather imposing inn and booked two of their best rooms. He had braced himself for the cost, but the price still managed to shock him. It was several times more expensive than anything in Wangyuan City.

After paying, Li Qing could only shake his head. *The capital bleeds you dry.*

Once they were settled, the exhaustion of the long journey finally caught up with him. For the first time in weeks, Li Qing allowed himself the luxury of a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

He slept straight through until noon the next day. When he awoke, Qi Kang was already gone, dutifully carrying out his orders. The adjacent room was empty. Li Qing had no intention of remaining idle himself; he hadn’t forgotten why he’d come to Shengtian.

Blacksmithing. Brewing. Training.

*Good,* Li Qing thought, satisfied. *The war hasn’t reached this far. I can finally settle in and build my strength.*

Carrying a pouch of gold and silver from the Extreme Night World, he set out to wander the capital’s bustling streets alone. The air was thick with the cries of vendors and the smell of street food. Children darted through the crowds, their laughter echoing off the storefronts.

Li Qing casually asked a few locals for the location of the city’s largest apothecary. The answer was unanimous: the Quanshan Medicine Shop.

He navigated several crowded streets, following the directions he was given, until he turned a corner and was hit by the potent, unmistakable aroma of medicinal herbs. He had arrived.

Quanshan Medicine Shop.

It was hailed as the largest apothecary in the entire Feng Country. As its name suggested, its origins were tied to Quanshan City. The rumor was that any herb found in Quanshan could be found here, and even those that couldn’t were rumored to surface within its walls from time to time.

But as Li Qing stepped through the door, the first thing he saw wasn’t a display of rare herbs, but a large wanted poster. A crowd had gathered around it, pointing and murmuring excitedly.

“The Star-Plucking Thief actually came to Shengtian! Snatched the four-hundred-year-old wild ginseng right from under their noses!”

“This is huge! Wasn’t that the very root the Prince’s Mansion specifically requested? Stolen by the Star-Plucking Thief!”

“Now we’ve got a show. Neither the Prince’s Mansion nor Quanshan will let this slide. They’ll tear the city apart looking for him.”

“I heard Prince Yu wrecked his body years ago pushing his cultivation too hard, leaving him with some hidden ailments. He needs treasures like that to stabilize his vitality. He once paid thousands in silver for a two-hundred-year-old root.”

“Damn right. Even the Emperor himself has sourced herbs for him. This Star-Plucking Thief has a death wish.”

Li Qing listened with mild curiosity, his eyes scanning the wanted poster. The Quanshan Medicine Shop was offering a fortune for the capture of the Star-Plucking Thief. Anyone who could recover the four-hundred-year-old ginseng would not only receive a massive reward but would also be granted one additional favor by the shop.

It was, after all, a treasure meant for a Prince of the blood—the Emperor’s own younger brother. The shop couldn’t afford to treat the matter lightly.

Li Qing, however, quickly lost interest. After a brief glance, he pulled out his own list of ingredients and approached the shopkeeper.

“Customer, we have everything you need… except for the tiger bone and tiger penis,” the shopkeeper recited mechanically.

A flicker of satisfaction went through Li Qing. As expected of the capital. Herbs he had scoured every shop in Wangyuan City for were all available here in one place. To his surprise, they even had the five highly toxic ingredients required for the Five Poisons Blood-Activating Wine. A truly unexpected boon.

“I’ll take them all,” Li Qing said, his expression serious. “But can you store the five poisons for me? I’ll come back for them next year when I need them.”

“No problem. I can write you a receipt. Just bring it back when you’re ready to collect. But we don’t do credit or IOUs here.”

In response, Li Qing simply pulled a solid gold bar from his robes and placed it on the counter.

“Pack everything up for me.”

The gold bar cut through all formalities. The shopkeeper’s demeanor changed instantly. Without another word, he barked orders for his staff to pack everything Li Qing required.

While he waited, a steady stream of men began to enter the shop. They were all burly, muscle-bound figures with the tell-tale swagger of the martial world.

“It’s true! Quanshan really put out a warrant for the Star-Plucking Thief!”

“This is our chance to get in good with the Prince! Go, inform the Hall Master!”

“…”

Suddenly, the Quanshan Medicine Shop was a hive of activity, as loud and chaotic as the announcement of the imperial examination results. Martial artists from all corners of the jianghu, drawn by the scent of opportunity, crowded the entrance.

In an instant, the name of the Star-Plucking Thief was on everyone’s lips, his infamy spreading through Shengtian like wildfire. Anyone who dared to cross the Prince’s Mansion was clearly no ordinary character.

But none of it had anything to do with Li Qing. He had no interest in chasing thieves. He collected his parcels of herbs and slipped back out into the city streets.

With the ingredients for his wine secured, his next step was to open a blacksmith shop to earn a living. The treasures from the Extreme Night World were more than enough to let him live in luxury for ten lifetimes, but he wasn’t the type to sit idle and drain his coffers. Besides, every bit he earned was another bit saved.

More importantly, forging weapons for others allowed him to gain lifespan. And no one ever complained about having too much time to live.

*The government’s control over iron is suffocating,* he mused. *Opening a new forge would be a nightmare of paperwork.*

*Far better to just buy an existing business. It would save a world of trouble.*