"I never imagined that the patterns on such a small piece of silver could contain so much information."
Lu Qing's eyes shone as he murmured to himself.
Just now, he finally figured out the patterns on the piece of silver in his hand and grasped the connection between it and the gold-type runes in the Divine Talisman Sect's inheritance outline.
Of course, this doesn't mean he's already grasped the basics of runes; he's only gained a slight understanding. He's still a long way from that stage.
But as the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning.
Any insight, the breakthrough from zero to one, is the most difficult.
Now that Lu Qing has taken the most difficult step, with this insight, it will be much easier for him to comprehend the patterns of other things.
I believe the day when I truly begin to understand the way of runes is not too far off.
Lu Qing was in a very good mood as he put the silver back into his pocket.
Today is truly a good day. Not only has my martial arts cultivation reached the pinnacle of Qi and Blood, but I have also made breakthrough progress in my understanding of the Dao of Runes.
After packing his things, he left the bamboo forest and headed home.
As soon as I returned to the village, I saw a person waiting at the gate of his own yard, constantly looking out.
"Brother Xiaotian?"
Lu Qing recognized the person and exclaimed in surprise.
"Young Master Lu, you're finally back!"
Xiao Tian was pleasantly surprised to see Lu Qing.
"It's a rare treat for you to come as a guest. Why are you standing outside? Why don't you come in and sit down?" Lu Qing asked.
"I knocked on the door, but no one was home, young master," Xiao Tian said somewhat embarrassedly.
Lu Qing then remembered that Xiao Yan and Xiao Li had gone to their master's place to play today.
"I'm sorry for not being more welcoming. Please come in and have a seat." Lu Qing opened the bamboo gate to the courtyard.
"No need, Young Master Lu. I've come here because I have urgent business with you," Xiao Tian refused.
"Oh, what is it?"
Lu Qing recalled his anxious expression earlier.
"I don't know the specifics either. Here is a letter that Master Ma asked me to give to you. Young master, you'll understand as soon as you see it."
Xiao Tian took out a letter sealed with sealing wax from his pocket.
Lu Qing took the letter, opened it, took out the letters inside, and quickly read them.
The more he looked, the more serious his expression became.
The letter was indeed written by Ma Gu; Lu Qing could still recognize his handwriting.
It mainly talks about only one thing.
That is, something happened to the Wei family.
The incident began a few days ago when a group of mysterious people came to the Wei family mansion in the county town and loudly berated everyone in public.
This scene immediately alarmed all the major and minor factions in the city.
It should be noted that the Wei family has always held a superior position in the county.
Even county magistrates had to show them deference, not daring to offend them.
Now, someone actually dares to provoke the Wei family in public, which is quite shocking to the powerful figures in the city.
Have these people lost their minds? How dare they be so reckless?
Just when the powerful figures in the city thought this group of mysterious people was about to suffer a great misfortune.
As expected, the Silver Moon Guards of the Wei residence were also mobilized.
A whole squad of Silver Moon Guards swept directly towards the group of mysterious people.
However, to everyone's surprise, the Silver Moon Guards, who were incomparably powerful in their eyes, failed to subdue the mysterious group.
On the contrary, they were repeatedly defeated and forced to retreat. In the end, it was only through the personal intervention of the Wei family's chief steward that the situation was stabilized and the mysterious group was stopped.
However, even though they were stopped, the group of mysterious people remained arrogant.
They claimed that since the Wei family's ancestral master was dead, it would be wise to hand over the treasure as soon as possible instead of continuing to occupy it.
Otherwise, clinging to the treasure might ultimately bring about the extermination of one's clan, and so on.
After making those threats, the group of mysterious men temporarily withdrew.
But what they said shocked the entire city.
First, the powerful figures in the city realized that the Wei family had a patriarch at the Innate Realm all along.
What shocked them even more was that this ancestor seemed to be dead now.
These mysterious people seemed to have come for some treasure of the Wei family. Not only were they all powerful, but they also showed no fear of the Wei family.
This was simply unbelievable to the powerful figures in the city.
However, no one knew that this was just the beginning.
In the following days, new faces arrived in the city.
Every day, people loiter near the Wei residence, and at midnight, the sounds of fighting can always be heard coming from the Wei residence.
Then the next day, people saw that corpses were being cleared out of the Wei residence.
But this still did not stop people from coveting the mysterious treasure of the Wei family. Every day, new martial artists continued to gather in the city.
At the end of the letter, Magu solemnly said to Lu Qing.
Now, a large number of martial artists have gathered in the county town, creating a turbulent situation.
The Wei family seems to be able to maintain the situation for now, but no one knows how long they can hold out.
Under these circumstances, the Wei family would certainly not be able to concern themselves with such a trivial matter as the Black Wolf Gang.
Moreover, as far as he knew, the Black Wolf Gang seemed to have recently allied themselves with some powerful martial artist and had started to act arrogantly again.
It's hard to say whether they'll start investigating Happy Village again.
Therefore, Magu reminded Lu Qing not to go out casually recently, so as not to run into the Black Wolf Gang and cause unnecessary trouble.
Lu Qing closed the letter, his expression turning somewhat serious.
The news from Magu was indeed very important.
Unexpectedly, the Wei family actually has an ancestor who is at the Innate Realm.
No wonder the Wei family was able to expand rapidly from a small family in a county to a powerful family that spanned the prefectures and whose connections reached the capital.
So that's where its true essence lies.
Unfortunately, what he was born with was also his innate talent.
Now that the Wei family's innate ancestor has run into trouble, the backlash is coming.
Those who coveted the Wei family's wealth immediately pounced on them.
It's unclear whether the Wei family can withstand the pressure.
Lu Qing thought to himself.
He had a pretty good impression of the Wei family.
Not to mention that Chief Steward Wei, and the secret manuals and elixirs he gave us back then.
Take the incident at Happy Village for example; it was the Wei family who temporarily held off the Black Wolf Gang on his behalf.
Lu Qing still remembers this kindness.
However, despite owing a favor, Lu Qing was powerless to help the Wei family in their predicament.
According to what Ma Gu said in his letter, the martial artists gathered in the county town now are at least at the Bone and Tendon Realm level, and there are even many strong people at the Internal Organ Realm level.
In this situation, what can a mere Qi and Blood Realm martial artist like him do?
The only thing we can do is pray that the Wei family has a deep enough foundation to withstand this storm.
"But, the Black Wolf Gang?"
Lu Qing recalled what Ma Gu had said at the end of his letter, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes.
The score between him and the Black Wolf Gang has never been settled.
If those scumbags jump up again, he wouldn't mind giving them a painful lesson.
Xiao Tian, standing to the side, couldn't help but shiver when he saw the coldness in Lu Qing's eyes.
He couldn't help but recall that night when Lu Qing stood amidst the throng of people.
That scene was a terrifying sight he would never forget.
“Young Master Lu, the situation in the city is complicated right now. My master has returned to the city to help the clan maintain order. For the time being, I will be in charge of the large gathering. If you need anything, just let me know and I will do my best to prepare it for you.”
During this period, Lu Qing would occasionally go to the market.
Xiao Tian knew that he often asked for a lot of things.
"Thank you very much."
Lu Qing nodded, glanced at Xiao Tian, and suddenly a thought struck him.
"Brother Xiaotian, have you been stuck before the Qi and Blood Realm for a long time?"
Xiao Tian was taken aback, then said respectfully, "I am of dull talent and have made Young Master Lu laugh at me."
Xiao Tian was also somewhat frustrated. He had been following Master Ma for quite some time and often received guidance from him.
Their physical fitness has long been honed to the peak of what an average person can achieve.
But for some reason, he just couldn't take that final step and couldn't grasp the secret of connecting Qi and blood that Master Ma had mentioned.
This makes it difficult to enter the Qi and Blood Realm.
Seeing the disappointment in Xiao Tian's eyes, Lu Qing smiled.
He casually took out a pill and handed it over.
"I've been troubling Brother Xiaotian a lot lately. Here's a pill as a small gift for you. Take it and you should be able to enter the Qi and Blood Realm."
Xiao Tian accepted the pill with a somewhat flattered expression and couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Lu, what kind of pill is this?"
"It's called Blood-Nourishing and Qi-Boosting Pill."
Xiao Tian was immediately stunned.
He had heard Master Ma mention the elixir that Lu Qing spoke of.
It is said that this is one of the best auxiliary pills in the Qi and Blood Realm.
Even a single grain is quite valuable.
Xiao Tian still remembers the regret on Master Ma's face when he first mentioned this elixir.
It is said that even he, when he was in the Qi and Blood Realm, only obtained three Blood and Qi Replenishing Pills for cultivation.
If he could get more support from his family, he probably wouldn't have had to spend so much time cultivating his qi and blood, only to reach the initial stage of the bone and tendon realm now.
Even someone as highly regarded by the family as Master Ma only received three Blood-Nourishing and Qi-Boosting Pills to aid his cultivation when he was at the Qi and Blood Realm.
And now, I actually have the opportunity to obtain one.
Xiao Tian immediately felt terrified.
He certainly didn't doubt the authenticity of the pill.
Given Lu Qing's status and cultivation level, there was no need for him to deceive him on such a matter.
He simply felt that such precious elixirs were not something someone of his lowly status could afford.
"Young Master Lu, I can't accept such a precious elixir," Xiao Tian said hurriedly.
"It's alright, just take it. Master Ma probably won't be able to come back for a while. If you want to take charge of the market, with your current strength, you probably won't be able to control the situation. You need to reach the Qi and Blood Realm as soon as possible so that you can manage the market for Master Ma."
Xiao Tian's martial arts skills are good, but it's probably not enough to manage a large market with just that.
Not to mention that his colleagues might not necessarily respect him.
Even some of the country thugs are quite strong and powerful.
If an ordinary person practices martial arts, but cannot reach the Qi and Blood Realm and comprehend the power of Qi and Blood, no matter how skilled they become, they may not be able to defeat multiple opponents.
If we encounter those who lack martial ethics and rush in all at once, we might end up losing our lives unexpectedly.
Lu Qing usually lived a secluded life, rarely venturing out except to gather herbs in the mountains.
The market is an important place for him to obtain daily necessities, and he doesn't want it to become chaotic.
Therefore, it's good for Xiaotian to be able to manage the market well.
Since he is now at the peak of the Qi and Blood Realm, the Blood and Qi Replenishing Pill is no longer of much use to him.
Giving one as a favor is perfectly acceptable.
"Young Master Lu..."
Xiao Tian wanted to say something more, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
"Alright, no need for such formalities," Lu Qing said with a smile. "I am also a martial artist, so I naturally know the difficulties of cultivation. Consider this an opportunity for you, so there's no need to refuse."
Xiao Tian paused.
If someone with your terrifying cultivation speed is considered difficult to cultivate, then what should we lowly minions be called?
However, he also knew that people like Lu Qing were determined and domineering.
If he still refuses after all this has been said, then he's clearly not giving me face.
Disrespecting Lu Qing is something Xiao Tian wouldn't dare do, no matter how bold he was.
So he could only say gratefully, "Then I thank you very much, Young Master Lu."
Seeing Xiao Tianzhen carefully and solemnly putting away the blood-nourishing and qi-boosting pill, Lu Qing shook his head.
He understood somewhat why he hadn't been able to reach the Qi and Blood Realm.
Although Xiao Tian is young, perhaps because he has served people so much, he has become accustomed to being humble, cautious, and extremely careful in everything he does.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing.
However, as a martial artist, one still needs some courage and vigor; otherwise, how can one go against the grain on the path of martial arts?
Xiao Tian lacked that bit of courage and spirit, which is why he couldn't grasp the secrets of the connection between blood and qi and couldn't step into the blood and qi realm.
Thinking of this, Lu Qing suddenly said, "Brother Xiao Tian, you don't need to put this blood-nourishing and qi-boosting pill away. Just take it here."
"Take it here?" Xiao Tian was taken aback.
“That’s good. I happen to be free now, so I can protect you for a bit,” Lu Qing said.
Xiao Tian hesitated for a moment.
In his mind, how could such a precious medicine as the Blood-Nourishing and Qi-Boosting Pill be swallowed so casually?
At the very least, one should bathe and fast, regulate one's breathing, and adjust all aspects of one's physical condition to the best before consuming it.
This way, the medicinal power can be better refined, and no waste will be caused.
However, he dared not disobey Lu Qing's words, so after hesitating for a moment, he still swallowed the pill.
After swallowing the pill, Xiao Tian quickly felt a medicinal power emanating from his body.
The medicine was so potent and powerful that it completely caught Xiao Tian off guard.
Just as he was wondering what to do, Lu Qing suddenly shouted, "Hurry up and practice your skills to refine the medicinal power!"
Xiao Tian was startled and quickly got into a fighting stance, practicing a set of boxing techniques.
That was a set of Qi and Blood Realm fist techniques that Master Ma taught him, and he had been practicing it for many years.
Lu Qing watched Xiao Tian practice his boxing techniques for a while and nodded with some satisfaction.
Although this boxing technique is far less profound than the health-preserving boxing, Xiao Tian's advantage lies in his proficiency in it.
If nothing unexpected happens, Xiao Tian will soon be able to enter the Qi and Blood Realm.
However, things in this world are often quite unexpected.
Lu Qing originally thought that with the help of the Blood and Qi Replenishing Pill, Xiao Tian should be able to easily step into the Blood and Qi Realm.
But he waited for a long time and saw Xiao Tian practice his boxing techniques for a long time, but he just couldn't take that step.
Seeing that he was radiating heat and sweating profusely, if this continued, not only would the effects of the blood-nourishing and qi-boosting pills be exhausted, but he himself would also suffer a serious injury.
Lu Qing immediately drew his battle sword from his back, a killing intent enveloping Xiao Tian as he slashed at him.
"Xiao Tian, take this!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tian instinctively looked in this direction, and then was terrified.
