Immortal Refiner

Shengtian, once the most prosperous city in Maple Country, should have been described with words like ”song and dance,” ”willow-lined bridges,” and ”wind-blown curtains of emerald green,” Li Qing thought.

But upon entering the Imperial Capital, the first thing he felt was a sense of oppression. The people on the streets all wore worried expressions, as if an inescapable cloud hung over the sky.

If even the Imperial Capital was in such a state, one could only imagine the situation in the Wu Dynasty’s other cities.

Wanted Bounty Notices were plastered everywhere, in every street and alley. Beneath each portrait of a Martial Artist, a string of shocking bounty amounts was listed.

As Li Qing walked, he accumulated a stack of Wanted Bounty Notices, all detailing the highest-rewarded and most notorious Jianghu Warriors of recent years.

Holding the notices, Li Qing entered the Taoyuan Tavern, a place he was familiar with. He had bought the strong liquor here when he brewed two jars of medicinal liquor in the past.

”Shop assistant, bring me some wine. Get two jars of your best Winter Plum Wine.”

”And three pounds of braised beef, crispy peanuts, and red-braised pig trotters.”

Without even looking at the menu, Li Qing rattled off his usual order as soon as he sat down.

To his surprise, the shop assistant, a young man with a rag draped over his shoulder, wore a troubled expression. He spoke hesitantly:

”Sir, the Winter Plum wine we have here can only be sold to the Grassland tribes now.”

”Also, the Wu Dynasty has recently banned the slaughter of cattle, so we’re no longer serving soy-braised beef.”

Li Qing frowned slightly at this, inwardly cursing the Grassland people’s excessive rules. To flaunt their noble status, they’d created privileges and regulations everywhere.

”Then bring me a jar of Burning Blade and Nine Brew Spring. Instead of soy-braised beef, I’ll have donkey meat.”

”Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment!” The shop assistant bowed respectfully and left.

After the shop assistant retreated, Li Qing couldn’t help but mutter:

”People always flaunt what they lack the most.”

With that, Li Qing began flipping through the stack of Wanted Bounty Notices in his hand, hoping to spot a few familiar faces among the few he recognized.

But soon, a man with shifty eyes and a shrewd, calculating demeanor approached him.

”Sir, are you a bounty hunter?”

”Would you like me to introduce you to the Jianghu warriors listed on the Wanted Bounty Notices? I know their basic information better than anyone.”

Bounty hunters, as the name suggests, specialize in hunting down the Martial Artists listed on Wanted Bounty Notices to earn substantial rewards.

These individuals are generally highly skilled in Martial Arts, drawn by the substantial bounties and the generous benefits offered by the Wu Dynasty.

Of course, the rise of bounty hunters naturally gave rise to a thriving network of information brokers.

The person currently approaching Li Qing was one such broker, specializing in Wanted Bounty Notice intelligence.

”Tell me first,” Li Qing said, glancing at him. ”How are the bounties for these Martial Artists determined?”

The broker flashed a fawning smile. ”Esteemed sir, the bounty amount is primarily based on their strength!”

”External Strength Martial Artists fetch a thousand taels of silver, Inner Strength Martial Artists are worth ten thousand taels, and as for the Transformed Strength Grandmaster currently on the wanted list, there’s only one. His head alone is worth one hundred and eighty thousand taels, and whoever kills him will be immediately ennobled and granted a noble title!”

”Of course, even Martial Artists of equal strength may have varying bounties depending on their reputation and the harm they’ve caused.”

This sounded reasonable enough, so Li Qing smiled and decided to hire the broker to learn more about the Martial Artists currently on the wanted list.

”Do you know everything about every person on the wanted list?”

The informant patted his chest and assured Li Qing, ”I can’t claim to know everything, but I’m familiar with at least eight or nine out of ten. If you’ve set your sights on a particular target, sir, feel free to ask me directly. I can provide you with all their basic information.”

”Alright, I’ll call out names, and you tell me about them,” Li Qing said, flipping through the stack of Wanted Bounty Notices in his hand. ”Tell me, what crimes did this Chaos-Seeking Demon Lord Qi Kang commit to warrant a bounty of 68,000 taels?”

Indeed, Li Qing had been quite surprised when he saw Qi Kang’s name. But after some thought, he realized that Qi Kang had been a villager outside Wangyuan City, likely harboring no fondness for the Grassland Marauders.

”Heh, this Chaos-Seeking Demon Lord is no ordinary figure. He reached the Inner Strength realm four years ago, and his current Inner Strength is terrifyingly profound—rumored to be even deeper than that of many elders!”

”The reason his bounty is so high isn’t just because he’s killed many Grassland tribesmen. It’s also because the current Sage Ruler has set his sights on the Martial Art manual he cultivates.”

”Legend has it that this Chaos-Seeking Demon Lord’s Martial Art has a sinister origin. They say that after killing someone, he can absorb their Inner Strength and make it his own. Isn’t that terrifying?”

”The profound Inner Strength that takes others decades to cultivate, he achieves in just a year or so.”

”If this Martial Art fell into the hands of the imperial court, it would be...”

The Life Sapping Art!

The name of this evil technique naturally surfaced in Li Qing’s mind. Back in the tomb, he had already suspected that Star-Stealing Divine Thief Ning Yuan had given the Life Sapping Art to Qi Kang to practice.

Later, when Qi Kang rose to fame alongside him, becoming one of the five rising stars of the Jianghu’s younger generation, Li Qing confirmed his suspicions: Qi Kang was indeed cultivating the Life Sapping Art.

”Tell me more. Why are the Sect Leader of the Nine Lotus Sect and the Purple Lotus Protector also wanted? Didn’t the Nine Lotus Sect move south with the others?” Li Qing asked another question that had been weighing on his mind.

The Black Lotus Sect Master’s bounty was set at 180,000 taels, while the Purple Lotus Protector’s was 53,470 taels—an odd, precise amount that seemed strangely authentic.

The information broker silently wiped the sweat from his brow, wondering what exactly he was dealing with. This man kept asking about Inner Strength Grandmasters and Transformed Strength Grandmasters.

Nevertheless, he answered truthfully:

”In truth, the Nine Lotus Sect has influence in both the north and south. Including the Black Lotus Sect Master, there are six Lotus Flowers in the north. Such a vast foundation can’t simply be abandoned.”

”The reason for such a high bounty is that the Sage Ruler has set his sights on the legendary Peerless Divine Weapons of the Jianghu, even going to great lengths and expense to find blacksmiths capable of forging such magical weapons!”

”In essence, the imperial court’s repeated crackdowns on Martial Artists have always been about controlling the transmission of Martial Arts and seizing these treasures of the Jianghu.”

”Naturally, the Demon Blade Red Lotus, the most renowned Peerless Divine Weapon in the Jianghu, became a prime target.”

”About half a year ago, someone spotted the Purple Lotus Protector in Liang Province’s capital city.”

”Elite troops were mobilized, and thousands of cavalry launched a city-wide search and pursuit.”

”The Purple Lotus Protector was nearly killed, and even the Demon Blade Red Lotus in her possession almost fell into enemy hands.”

”In the end, it was the Black Lotus Sect Master who dramatically intervened. Wielding the Red Lotus Demon Blade, he single-handedly slaughtered three to four hundred elite cavalry, completely shattering the morale of the entire cavalry unit.”

As Li Qing listened, the dishes were served. He began to eat.

Speaking of the Purple Lotus Protector, he had actually met her once before.

But what truly captivated Li Qing was the Black Lotus Sect Master’s incredible strength. Standing alone, wielding a Divine Weapon, he had single-handedly slaughtered hundreds of cavalrymen.

That was the true demeanor of a Transformed Strength Grandmaster!

When Wangyuan City fell, General Lu Guanghong, wielding the Black Tortoise Spear, had charged into the enemy ranks. Facing tens of thousands of cavalry, he had remained fearless, carving a path through the battlefield that nearly threatened Tuwa Ha’er.

And the Black Lotus Sect Master, acting with unparalleled audacity within the city walls, had single-handedly shattered the morale of thousands of cavalrymen with a single blade!

Just thinking about it sent a thrill through Li Qing.

”Hahaha, good wine! Truly invigorating!” Li Qing raised a jar of strong liquor and took a long, hearty swig.

(End of the Chapter)

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