Chapter 60: Chapter 60: The Generous Eldest Young Master Fang
However, given that he knew nothing about Yellow Sand City and the memories in his head were no help at all, Qin Li decided to find a guide. Hu and the other Hunters were almost certainly out; men like them could never sit still. Besides, they were only passing acquaintances. Especially in his current situation, Qin Li felt it was best not to get too involved with them, lest he drag them into his troubles.
Qin Li didn’t have any friends in Yellow Sand City. The only person he could think of was Fang Haonan of the Fang Family.
He hired a carriage and soon arrived at the entrance of the Fangzheng Martial Arts Hall. The place was bustling with people coming and going. ’This must be what the Fangzheng Martial Arts Hall is usually like,’ Qin Li thought.
He ambled inside and heard shouts echoing from within the hall. The atmosphere was electric. A great number of people were inside, sweating profusely as they practiced various combat techniques.
In this era, there were only a few paths for a common person to get ahead in life. The wealthy could send their children to academies, where anyone discovered to have talent would immediately receive specialized training. Those who couldn’t afford school could pledge themselves to one of the major families, becoming a foundational part of their strength. They could cultivate some Low Level combat techniques and Heart Methods and slowly climb the ladder based on their power. For those who didn’t want to be controlled by a family but still couldn’t afford an academy, the only option left was a martial arts hall. The rules here were more relaxed, offering a high degree of freedom, and the fees were much lower than the academies. Most importantly, one could also participate in activities organized by the hall to earn some money.
You could say that martial arts halls were the best choice for children from poor families. The halls themselves were usually run by major families, and the elites they cultivated would, for the most part, join that family. This was fundamentally different from those Martial Artists who simply pledged themselves to a family. As soon as they graduated from the hall and entered the family, they would immediately be granted a certain status, something the others couldn’t compare to.
As soon as Qin Li walked in, he saw a shirtless Fang Haonan weaving and dodging through a cluster of wooden posts at the center of the hall. His fists and feet periodically struck the posts, letting out a series of staggering, muffled thuds. Qin Li could tell that Fang Haonan wasn’t using any Primordial Power in his moves, yet every blow that landed on those posts must have carried several thousand pounds of force! He made it look effortless, his control over his strength was superb. The wooden posts all looked brand new, likely just installed. And yet, Qin Li was certain that after Fang Haonan finished his routine, every single one of them would be completely destroyed.
This was a true master!
Between two Profound Level, Tier Five Martial Artists with the same amount of Primordial Power, victory would come down to who had the deeper understanding of combat techniques, the more precise control of their strength, and the more efficient application of their Primordial Power.
It was like manual labor: some people used finesse and finished the job without getting too tired, while others used brute force and were drenched in sweat halfway through. No matter how much strength you had, you couldn’t afford to squander it so recklessly.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Another flurry of heavy punches rained down on the posts, each landing as lightly as a dragonfly skimming water, yet each one produced a deep thud. By the time Fang Haonan emerged from the cluster of posts, a great CRASHING sound echoed from behind him.
All the wooden posts... looked like a small grove that had been ravaged by a bear. They were utterly demolished with ease, reduced to a pile of splintered fragments.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
At that moment, nearly everyone in the martial arts hall stopped what they were doing. They watched Fang Haonan with envious expressions and applauded vigorously. Many of the hearty men even started cheering aloud.
"Ha, the Boss’s strength has improved again! That routine was incredible! To have that much destructive power without using any Primordial Power... I’d say even those two ’geniuses’ from the Qin Family are no match for our Boss. What do you all think?"
"That’s right! Everyone knows how many Elixirs those so-called geniuses from the Qin Family have bought from us. And forget that—wasn’t Qin Feng beaten up by a much weaker clansman just a little while ago? That guy looks like a total pretty boy. His so-called skills are all for show, hahaha!"
"Alright, cut the nonsense!" Fang Haonan clapped his hands, not the least bit out of breath, and laughed heartily. "Let’s not gossip about other people. My meager skills can’t compare to those brothers. Look how young they are, and look how old I am. So, all of you need to focus on your own training! We’re not competing on their level. Just work hard, make a good life for yourselves, find a beautiful wife... and you’ll be set!"
"Hahaha..." The hall erupted in laughter, but the eyes of many present were filled with yearning for the kind of life Fang Haonan had just described.
Qin Li couldn’t help but feel a secret admiration. ’This Fang Haonan really is a naturally forthright person. He’s probably the only young master from a major family in Yellow Sand City who can blend in with these men and treat them like brothers.’
Just then, Fang Haonan spotted Qin Li and boomed with laughter, "Qin! What brings you here? Haha, come on in!"
Everyone in the hall turned to look at Qin Li, their eyes filled mostly with curiosity. Though they had heard about the fight between Qin Li and Qin Feng, they didn’t know that the handsome young man before them was that illegitimate son of the Qin Family. Seeing how cordially Fang Haonan treated him, their curiosity grew, but no one dared to approach and interrupt, which spoke volumes about Fang Haonan’s authority here.
Qin Li smiled and offered a fist-and-palm salute. "I’m afraid I’ve come to trouble you this time, Fang. I want to buy a sword, but I don’t know which shop in Yellow Sand City has the best weapons. I didn’t know who else to turn to, so I could only come and ask for your help."
The men were stunned to hear this. ’Isn’t this kid from Yellow Sand City?’ they thought. ’No wonder we’ve never seen him before. He must be the Boss’s friend from out of town.’
Fang Haonan was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "Haha, you want a weapon? No need to buy one! Come on, I’ll take you to a place. Just pick out whatever you like and take it!"
With that, Fang Haonan grabbed Qin Li and headed straight for the door. At the entrance, he turned back and roared at the whispering crowd, "You little bastards, you’d better train hard, or I’ll come back and drill you all to death!"
Amidst a chorus of sighs from the apprentices, Fang Haonan led Qin Li out with a great laugh. They climbed directly into a Fang Family carriage, and Fang Haonan ordered the driver, "To Fang’s Weapon Shop!"
The moment Qin Li heard the name, he knew it was almost certainly a Fang Family business. He couldn’t help but give a wry smile. "Fang, this... isn’t right, is it?"
"What’s not right about it? It’s just one sword. We don’t have any Divine Weapons, mind you, but we have plenty of ordinary Treasure Swords. I don’t like those things myself; I prefer a greatsword! Haha, I’ve always felt that swords are toys for girls. Hahaha! No offense to you, my friend..." Fang Haonan slapped Qin Li on the shoulder, roaring with laughter.
Qin Li rubbed his nose, feeling a bit helpless, but he was quite moved. Having lived two lives, he could easily tell that Fang Haonan was a naturally magnanimous and forthright person. ’Besides,’ he thought, ’what do I have now that’s worth scheming over?’
"By the way, doesn’t the Fang Family mainly deal in Elixirs? Why do you also forge weapons?" Qin Li asked curiously.
"Heh, my friend, it looks like you’ve trained yourself silly, completely unaware of the world around you! The Fang Family has been masters of both Elixirs and weaponry since ancient times. It’s just that our reputation for Elixirs is a bit more famous. But here in Yellow Sand City, when it comes to weapons—and I’m not just boasting—no other family would dare claim their wares are better than ours!"
Hearing this, Qin Li couldn’t help but smile wryly again. ’It seems my past self was truly living in a bubble!’
The carriage made a few turns and soon stopped before a shop in the city center. Several luxurious carriages were already parked out front. Fang Haonan grunted in surprise, then a wry smile crossed his face. "Dammit. We came at a bad time. A few of your mortal enemies are in there." He glanced at Qin Li, looking troubled.
Qin Li started, glancing at the carriages. He noticed that two of them bore the Qin Family crest and figured it was most likely the brothers Qin Feng and Qin Hu inside. But since they were already here, there was no reason to hide. Still, this was Fang Family territory. Qin Li smiled faintly. "Why don’t we leave for now? I’d rather not cause you any trouble, Fang..."
If Qin Li hadn’t said that, Fang Haonan might have actually suggested they lay low for a bit. If for no other reason than Qin Li’s knack for attracting trouble, which even he found a little daunting. Not long ago, at the Shangguan Family’s estate, Qin Li had gravely offended Mo Feifei, that Little Demoness. Although the incident was later hushed up, was there anyone in the upper circles of Yellow Sand City who hadn’t heard the story of how the Mo Family’s Little Demoness had been scared so badly she wet herself? If they ran into her today, it would be like mixing fire and gasoline. It would be a miracle if a fight didn’t break out.
But now that Qin Li had said it, Fang Haonan felt it would be utterly humiliating to just turn and leave. To be scared off by a group of outsiders on his own family’s turf... what would people say?
"It’s fine," Fang Haonan declared. "This is a Fang Family shop. I doubt they’ll dare to go too far. Come on, we’re going in!"
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