AST 1153 – Inner City’s Bai Clan, Don’t Look Down On A Poor Youth
“Xiantian? Mister, you’re saying that I can reach Xiantian level?” Stone looked at Qing Shui in astonishment, his expression that of great agitation.
“Are you not satisfied with Xiantian?” Qing Shui smiled and asked.
“No, no… I’ve never ever thought that I’d be able to reach Xiantian even in my dreams. It’s just that I don’t dare to believe it,” Stone quickly said.
In Western Oxhe Continent, the land was vast and the population was much greater in number. No matter how prosperous a city was, it would still be mostly inhabited by ordinary people and Xiantian cultivators would still be notable existences.
The population in this world was very large and the people tended to have good physical attributes and qualities. If an ordinary young man were to train diligently, he would be able to lift something that weighed 500 Jin. However, this was the limit for ordinary people.
When old man Wang was young, he could lift things that weighed 800 Jin but as he grew older, his strength had been reduced by more than half. As the density for good weapons tended to be very high, their weight was no longer something old man Wang could handle and forge.
“Train well and I can guarantee that you’ll be able to reach Xiantian,” Qing Shui smiled and patted Stone on the shoulder.
“Mister, this old man doesn’t know how to thank you… Our Wang Clan is indebted to you…”
“Old Wang, it's fate that we met, so don’t stand on ceremony. I only know the two of you here and you guys made me feel very at ease.” Qing Shui smiled. It was easy for him to reach out a helping hand to change old man Wang’s fate. Moreover, he liked these two.
“Old Wang, take this. It can increase some of your strength. Stone can take it in another few days. We’ll let him train up his body first.” Qing Shui handed old man Wang a porcelain bottle with a Tiger Vitality Pill.
“Mister, this…”
“Why? Are you scared that it’d be poison?” Qing Shui laughed.
“I wouldn’t be scared even if Mister were to give me poison. Isn’t this too valuable?” Old man Wang said seriously.
“Since I’ve already given it to you, just take it. These two days, you can stay and take care of Stone. Come back in another two days.” Qing Shui stuffed the Tiger Vitality Pill into old man Wang’s hands.
…
Qing Shui suddenly seemed to have nothing to do in the blacksmith store. The items he sold were more practical for low level cultivators but there weren’t many who could afford them. It might also be due to this reason that the reputation of Firecloud Blacksmith Store spread out even faster.
Even people who were very far away now knew that there was a young and handsome blacksmith in the Divine Weapon Street who forged weapons and sold them at sky high prices. Rumors tended to be more exaggerated than the truth.
This wasn’t all. There were also rumors that Miss Yan had purchased a lot of items from this blacksmith store and even invited the blacksmith to Yan Clan but was rejected. How bold was this guy?
The reputation of the young blacksmith grew even stronger and there was even a period of time when it was bragged to be the only one of its kind in the world. Due to this reason, more and more people came to the Firecloud Blacksmith Store, although most of them were only there to see Qing Shui in person.
The ones that sold the fastest were the accessories. Qing Shui would be able to sell a few pieces each day. And with there being more people coming in, he was able to sell some weapons and other stuff as well. There were also many customers who weren’t short of money.
Of course, there were also quite a number of clans who wished to recruit Qing Shui, but they were all rejected. However, the clans didn’t take it too hard as either. After all, rumors had it that even Miss Yan’s invitation was rejected. They only casually brought it up to make it seem as if they were very close to Qing Shui.
…
Old man Wang’s strength increased by 1,000 Jin. Qing Shui still had some fruit and other stuff, which further increased old man Wang’s lifespan, which originally had only a few decades left. His strength now was a lot greater as compared to when he was younger. The transformations his body went through got him very excited. He could now forge weapons like he did when he was younger.
Stone also took the Tiger Vitality Pill and had started to practice the Thousand Hammer Technique. Learning things like these required one to have intelligence to go through careful calculations. Qing Shui only taught him the first 100 hammers and told him that it was very important. As long as he could master these 100 hammers, he would be able to benefit greatly. If he could comprehend the hammer techniques at the back from there, he would gain a qualitative improvement.
Qing Shui gradually changed their predicament but didn’t do so drastically. It was like if you were to give a poor man a few thousand dollars to solve the predicament he was currently in before he looked for a job. If you were to give the person five million at one go, it wouldn’t be helping him but rather, harming him.
Rice must be eaten one mouthful at a time; wells must be dug a little deeper one shovel at a time!
Qing Shui didn’t plan on completely changing the lifestyles old man Wang and his grandson had. They weren’t suitable to handle the action and competition out there. Moreover, Stone’s talent wasn’t exactly good. In terms of both cultivation and forging, he wouldn’t be able to reach great heights. However, compared to how he was before, he was able to do much better in these two areas now.
Qing Shui was sipping tea in the blacksmith store. There were still quite a number of customers around but many small explosive sounds rang out outside. Qing Shui’s spiritual sense was very sharp now and he could sense that those auras were headed in his direction.
“People in the Firecloud Blacksmith Store listen up! Leave within the time it takes for three breaths! Otherwise, if you were to get hurt when the blacksmith store collapses, don’t blame it on us!”
A loud voice rang out. When the people in the Firecloud Blacksmith Store heard the voice, they quickly ran outside. Qing Shui signaled old man Wang and his grandson to head out as well.
Qing Shui shook his head and walked out. He didn’t find this strange. It was hard to make a living in an entirely unfamiliar place, especially after being in the spotlight. Many people would definitely not be able to accept him and would hate him.
After Qing Shui walked out, he lifted his head to look into the skies. He wanted to see who was doing this to him. He felt that there could only be three possibilities: Bai Clan, the factions supporting those blacksmith stores or Miss Yan.
Qing Shui went up to the sky and faced the several tens of people. Most of them were middle-aged men but there were also a number of old men. Right now, their gazes were all locked on Qing Shui.
The ones in the lead were those old men. They wore pale blue colored clothes, appearing to command a lot of influence. Qing Shui looked at them but couldn’t identify any familiar faces.
“Who are you? Why did you say that you’re going to bring down my blacksmith store?” Qing Shui asked the people opposite him. He felt really calm. After all, even if the blacksmith store was gone, it would be very easy for him to build another. As for the things inside, they wouldn’t spoil. Even if they would, he wouldn’t feel much about it.
“Young man, there’s no need for you to care who we are. We know that you don’t like to work for others. We hope that you can move out of Divine Weapon Street.” An old man in the middle stood upright. If one were to see his back view alone, one wouldn’t think that this was an old man.
“Which blacksmith clan are you guys from? Are you really afraid that I’ll steal your businesses?” Qing Shui smiled and looked at them.
“Young man, you’re too ignorant. Do you really think that you’re a topnotch blacksmith master just with those few pieces of weapons and armor?” The old man wasn’t angry and his tone was very gentle as well.
“Since that’s the case, why do you have to force me to leave Divine Weapon Street?”
“The people here don’t like you.” The old man continued to speak in a gentle tone.
Qing Shui was stunned. This reason was so powerful. He looked at the old man, “You’re saying that people you guys don’t like will all have to leave.”
The old man didn’t say anything but looked at Qing Shui. “Young man, what do you think of what we said earlier? The Divine Weapon Street isn’t a place where someone like you can be arrogant. Putting aside the fact that you’re not a State Master level cultivator; even if you are one, you can’t afford to be arrogant here either.”
Qing Shui didn’t say anything. What the old man said was absolutely right. The clans behind the Divine Weapon Street were definitely not to be underestimated. A low grade State Master really didn’t have the right to be arrogant here, let alone himself, who was still a far cry from attaining the level of a low grade State Master.
“Old man, I wonder if you’ve heard of a saying before.”
“What saying?” The old man continued to look at Qing Shui calmly.
“Don’t look down on a poor youth [1]!”
Qing Shui looked at the old man but there was no fluctuations in his tone at all.
A low grade State Master wouldn’t even be able to cause the old man to panic but Qing Shui’s words caused his face to change a little. The old man’s face glared at Qing Shui, as if wanting to see through him.
“Are you forcing me to kill you?” The old man stared at Qing Shui and said in a cold voice.
“No matter who it is, as long as someone tries to attack me, if I’m still alive, I’ll definitely wipe them out completely. You may think that I’m bragging but I’ll only say one thing. If you can’t call the shots on behalf of the people behind you, then don’t take any reckless actions. Otherwise, even if I don’t do anything to you, the people behind you will get rid of you.” Qing Shui continued to speak very calmly, wearing a confident smile.
Qing Shui knew people who had reached the old man’s level of cultivation and age tended to think more into things. Moreover, he hadn’t expected himself to scare the other party with just one word. After all, the other party still had one method, which was to kill Qing Shui.
“Insolence! Do you think that you’ll be able to scare us just by saying a few vicious words? Don’t you find it funny?” The old man’s expression returned to normal.
“It seems that you guys are going to take action today. Do you dare to say who you are? Actually, even if you don’t say, I’ll still be able to find out,” Qing Shui smiled and said.
It was because the crowd on the ground were already in discussion!
“They are from Bai Clan! The people from inner city’s Bai Clan of Yan City!”
“There’s also a Bai Clan Blacksmith Hall in Divine Weapon Street which belongs to inner city’s Bai Clan. They are also considered one of the top few powerful blacksmith clans in the Divine Weapon Street.”
…
The Bai Clan in this area which Bai Riyi and Bai Rilong belonged to was only considered a branch of Bai Clan. It was a far cry compared to the Bai Clan in the inner city and these people belonged to those under the inner city’s Bai Clan.
There were many cities in Great Yu Dynasty and they were further segregated into inner cities and outer cities. The inner cities tended to be much smaller in size but were more luxurious and more of the powerful factions were gathered there.
Of course, this wasn’t something absolute. There would also be a number of powerful factions in the outer cities. It was just that there were more of them in the inner cities!
The reason the inner cities were powerful was because of the existence of the city lords and the powerful clans. As for the capital, there was also the royal family. This was why most with power would tend to head to the inner cities.
The Divine Weapon Street was one exception. This place was not under the inner city but the blacksmith clans here all had the caliber to enter and reside in the inner city. However, the Divine Weapon Street was considered to be a holy place and had its share of glory here. This was a place left behind from very long ago and most of its glory was already gone.
We’re people from the inner city’s Bai Clan. If you were to join our Bai Clan, we’ll forget the things that has happened today. You can continue to run your blacksmith store and Bai Clan will take care of you as well. The old man looked at Qing Shui but his mind was thinking rapidly.
"Bai Clan? Excellent. There’s also a Bai Clan who has tried to smash my store twice. I didn’t expect yet another Bai Clan from the inner city to smash my store. This is such a coincidence,” Qing Shui smiled and replied.
[1] A Chinese saying. Don’t look down on a poor youth because youngsters have boundless prospects. As long as they are willing to work hard, they’ll soar to great heights one day and not always be in poverty.
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AST 1154 – False Alarm, Qing Shui Is Just A Poisonous Bone
Qing Shui’s voice wasn’t loud but many people in the area and below could hear his clearly. He understood how the people from Bai Clan were now. Although Bai Clan might really be very powerful in the inner cities, he felt that they were a little arrogant and in over their heads. He just didn’t know if the core members of Bai Clan knew about this.
Hearing Qing Shui’s words, the old man frowned. However, he didn’t say much but just looked at Qing Shui for very long before saying, “You’ve already caused Bai Clan to lose their reputation and now that things have come down to this, I wish you good luck. As for the words that you’ve just said… That’s because you don’t understand Bai Clan. With your capabilities, there’s no way for you to even reach Bai Clan.”
Qing Shui really felt very gloomy. The reputations of great clans and influences were really worth a lot. This was the pride and power of those in power and was similar to the dynasties Qing Shui was familiar with. Even if they were in the wrong, they must insist on their stance to the very end.
“Are all of you going to attack together at once or are you going to take action alone?” Qing Shui didn’t care if there were any use for him to prod at his opponents, but he still decided to give it a go. At least, he needed to let the people in the surroundings see the ugly side of this great clan.
“There’s no need for you to prod. It’s useless. But don’t worry, just I alone am sufficient to deal with you,” the old man smiled and said warmly.
“7th Uncle, let me do the job!”
Just then, a middle-aged man from the back walked out. His figure was also upright, like a sword. He wasn’t like a drawn sword with a sharp edge but gave the feeling that a sheathed sword seemed to give more threat than one which was drawn.
“Jingtian, your cultivation seems to be slightly stronger than his and you’re also considered to be one of the geniuses in Bai Clan. However, you must think this through carefully. This young man isn’t as simple as he seems to be.” The old man frowned and looked at the middle-aged man.
“7th Uncle, I know. A cultivator mustn’t fear battles. I treat my opponents very seriously.” The man wore a stubborn expression on his seemingly serious face.
“Go on. Be careful!” The old man waved his hand.
The man called Jingtian bowed toward the old man before walked over to Qing Shui. His steps were erratic and he held a thin sword which had a length of 3 feet 3 inches. It had a width of two fingers and was very thin, to the extent that it was a little translucent. If one didn’t look at it very carefully, it would be hard to notice this.
“You must be careful, blades have no eyes! I wish you good luck!” the man cupped his fists together and said to Qing Shui.
“You must be careful as well. Make your move!” Qing Shui smiled and took out his Big Dipper Sword, dashing over with the Seven Star Steps.
The Nine Palace Steps could actually be taken apart. One Origin Steps, Duality Steps… Five Elements Steps… Seven Star Steps, Eight Trigrams Steps, Nine Palace Steps… Each of them were extremely profound but one would only be able to move freely within the Nine Palace after having mastered the final Nine Palace Steps.
However, currently, Qing Shui was the only one who had reached the stage of the Nine Palace Steps. His mastery of this stage wasn’t very high but it was already considerably terrifying. The ladies and other people were all at a very low level. One reason was that they hadn’t been learning it for long, unlike Qing Shui who had the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. The other reason was that Qing Shui himself was a unique existence.
Stepping on the seven stars, progressing against the flow, Qing Shui could sense this man’s strength. The man should be around twice as strong as himself. Through sensing his aura, Qing Shui could sense that the full powers of the person was around 2,000 nimbus.
Qing Shui’s strength at its peak was only 1,200 nimbus. However, he wasn’t very worried. He felt that he had the ability to deal with this guy.
Piercing Sword!
Basic Sword Techniques!
Qing Shui thrust out his sword, using a stance in sword arts which even a three year old kid would be able to perform. However, the level of mastery and realm he displayed was extremely high, most importantly, his speed was unparalleled.
This move was too surprising, causing everyone to be greatly astonished. However, everyone was even more surprised when they saw that the prowess of this move had caused the man to be forced back one step.
“He really is exceptional. This young man has definitely practiced this sword stance for no less than ten years. It really does fit the bill of polishing a sword for ten years,” the old man sighed and said, as if he was mumbling to himself.
“Ten years to just polish a sword? He is so young. It should be more that his talent surpasses that of others,” another old man said.
“I’m already understating when I said ten years. His talent undoubtedly surpasses that of others. See how great his level of mastery is? Just this move alone would show that this young man has great persistence and we can’t afford to offend him. It’s considered an eye-opener to be able to see someone performing the Basic Sword Techniques to this level,” the old man who was addressed by Bai Jingtian as 7th Uncle said.
Qing Shui's single attack surprised Bai Jingtian who quickly dodged. However, Qing Shui didn’t go easy on him. Relying on his amazing footwork, his Big Dipper Sword pointed, pierced, hacked, slashed… All the moves were targeted at Bai Jingtian’s throat.
Everyone present watched the scene in silence. The one who had the worst out of it was Bai Jingtian. After losing the advantage of being able to make the first move, he had been pushed into such a bad predicament and was barely able to save himself.
Bai Jingtian recalled what his 7th Uncle had said. He hadn’t expected Qing Shui’s footwork to be so extraordinary. He could sense the strength which Qing Shui had used. Was Qing Shui really using such a strength against his full powers?
Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation!
As Bai Jingtian retreated, a ferocious aura emerged from his body. Then, as a fierce and violent aura spreaded out, a huge image of a white wolf appeared, causing Bai Jingtian’s speed to suddenly increase by a lot. He also managed to dodge Qing Shui’s pestering longsword.
Shadowless Sword!
Bai Jingtian’s body exuded an indistinct sword Qi and moved toward Qing Shui and his longsword. Although Qing Shui had a strong power and had also achieved a small success stage for the Nine Yang Golden Body, he didn’t dare to use his body to come into contact with this thin sword which had its killing aura concealed.
Swoosh swoosh…
Something that was akin to a grey net appeared in the air, expanding towards Qing Shui. Moving with his bizarre footwork, Bai Jingtian’s eyes squinted to a very fine gap and locked onto Qing Shui like cold lightning.
Qing Shui smiled. This Bai Jingtian specialized in speed and quick sword attacks. The dark greyish net in the sky was the shadows left behind by his sword which was coming toward Qing Shui. Only one of the swords was true and was extremely lethal.
Heavenly Vision Technique!
Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation!
Buddha Form Reveal!
Qing Shui’s eyes suddenly popped open and he was able to see through all shams. Right now, only one sword was hacking down at him. This sword was very elusive, slithering around the other phantom images.
Qing Shui gripped his Big Dipper Sword tightly, lifting his head and staring at the incoming sword net. His eyes were so clear that they were like clear spring water.
Stepping against the flow of the Nine Palace, he attacked fiercely with his Big Dipper Sword!
Piercing Sword!
Right now, there was still a gap between the two of them but a golden light sword emerged from the Big Dipper Sword.
Golden Sword!
This was the Golden Sword from the Five Elements Divine Refining Technique!
An attack with spirit energy!
Qing Shui attacked at rapid speed in the sword net, quickly as lightning. Although Bai Jingtian quickly changed his trajectory, his wrist was still cut. It wasn’t chopped off but the sword went through one-third of his wrist and even his bones had broken.
The net of swords disappeared. Qing Shui didn’t pursue to attack but just watched from a short distance away. Qing Shui’s victory was thanks to his Nine Palace Steps which allowed him to exercise restraint on the opponent’s advantage.
Bai Jingtian stood there, stunned, letting his blood flow down. He looked at Qing Shui, unable to say a word. This was too big a blow for him. He cultivated the Shadowless Sword which excelled in the speed of his sword and his movements. However, right now, a person who was a lot weaker than himself did not just surpass him in speed of his movements but in the speed of his sword attacks as well.
“There’s no need for you to feel disheartened. You’re strong but it’s just that I have an advantage against an opponent like yourself and can completely counter your attacks,” Qing Shui looked at Bai Jingtian and said calmly.
“Sigh, a loss is a loss. I’m weaker than you…”
Bai Jingtian headed back, dejected, letting his blood flow freely. Right now, he felt extremely disheartened. If he couldn’t get out of this mood, his life would become completely tasteless.
Two people from Bai Clan quickly treated his wounds, stopping the blood flow and bandaging his injuries.
“7th Uncle, I’ve brought shame to you!” Bai Jingtian’s countenance was pale. It wasn’t just from the loss of blood but also because of his emotions. When one’s heart was demoralized, it would be reflected on his face.
“You haven’t brought me shame. You still have a long road to go ahead of you. A cultivator doesn’t just cultivate the body. There’s always someone stronger out there and there are too many people who are stronger than you. A cultivator must first cultivate a strong heart and must be able to face any situation calmly. What’s a little setback? Which powerful cultivator hasn’t came back from setbacks and difficulties? Without a powerful heart, a cultivator wouldn’t be able to progress very far. If you’ve lost, find your way back. If you’ve resigned yourself to the loss, then you can only stop at this level.” The old man’s countenance was still very calm, without any change. His words hammered down hard into everyone’s hearts.
Qing Shui could understand well what the old man had said. This was something that all cultivators knew but not many could achieve. However, it was different today and for many people, it was different than when they heard it under normal circumstances. It was because the impact from today was too great and thus the words had been imprinted in their minds.
Bai Jingtian was in a daze, he fists tightly clenched, causing his bandaged wounds to burst open once again. His expression was that of great conflict and struggle. Someone wanted to step up to him but was stopped by the old man.
Hu!
A very long while later, Bai Jingtian let out a long exhale and said, smiling as he looked at the old man, “Thank you, 7th Uncle!”
“Alright, it’s good that you’re able to accept this. This is a barrier that all cultivators have to experience. Now that you’ve crossed it, you’ll be able to advance further in the future,” the old man smiled and said happily.
Right now, Qing Shui was still thinking about the battle from before. He felt that his current strength should allow him to compete with an elementary State Master and he would probably have a high chance of winning.
Bai Jingtian could only count himself unlucky to have met Qing Shui. The blow was too big for him to be defeated by Basic Sword Techniques. Only Qing Shui knew that his Heavenly Vision Technique and bizarre footwork had greatly helped him to achieve this.
For Bai Jingtian to be able to get out from under this trauma so quickly, he was really a person with a strong heart. What the old man said had played a huge role too.
“Young man, there aren’t many whom I admire and look up to. You’re one of them. We’ll treat the things that happened today as a misunderstanding. You’re a clever person, I hope that you won’t see me in a strange light. In this world, it has always been the survival of the fittest!” The old man looked at Qing Shui and said something which caught him unaware. The old man thought of the words Qing Shui had said earlier and felt that this young man was a poisonous bone and not many people would be able to devour it.
Qing Shui smiled. This was good as well. In his current state, he wasn’t suited for battle. As for the things the old man had said… Qing Shui didn’t pay them much heed. He hadn’t thought of wanting to get himself involved with Bai Clan. It’ll be fine if they don’t come look for trouble. When he got stronger in the future, he would care even less about other things.
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AST 1153 – Inner City’s Bai Clan, Don’t Look Down On A Poor Youth
“Xiantian? Mister, you’re saying that I can reach Xiantian level?” Stone looked at Qing Shui in astonishment, his expression that of great agitation.
“Are you not satisfied with Xiantian?” Qing Shui smiled and asked.
“No, no… I’ve never ever thought that I’d be able to reach Xiantian even in my dreams. It’s just that I don’t dare to believe it,” Stone quickly said.
In Western Oxhe Continent, the land was vast and the population was much greater in number. No matter how prosperous a city was, it would still be mostly inhabited by ordinary people and Xiantian cultivators would still be notable existences.
The population in this world was very large and the people tended to have good physical attributes and qualities. If an ordinary young man were to train diligently, he would be able to lift something that weighed 500 Jin. However, this was the limit for ordinary people.
When old man Wang was young, he could lift things that weighed 800 Jin but as he grew older, his strength had been reduced by more than half. As the density for good weapons tended to be very high, their weight was no longer something old man Wang could handle and forge.
“Train well and I can guarantee that you’ll be able to reach Xiantian,” Qing Shui smiled and patted Stone on the shoulder.
“Mister, this old man doesn’t know how to thank you… Our Wang Clan is indebted to you…”
“Old Wang, it's fate that we met, so don’t stand on ceremony. I only know the two of you here and you guys made me feel very at ease.” Qing Shui smiled. It was easy for him to reach out a helping hand to change old man Wang’s fate. Moreover, he liked these two.
“Old Wang, take this. It can increase some of your strength. Stone can take it in another few days. We’ll let him train up his body first.” Qing Shui handed old man Wang a porcelain bottle with a Tiger Vitality Pill.
“Mister, this…”
“Why? Are you scared that it’d be poison?” Qing Shui laughed.
“I wouldn’t be scared even if Mister were to give me poison. Isn’t this too valuable?” Old man Wang said seriously.
“Since I’ve already given it to you, just take it. These two days, you can stay and take care of Stone. Come back in another two days.” Qing Shui stuffed the Tiger Vitality Pill into old man Wang’s hands.
…
Qing Shui suddenly seemed to have nothing to do in the blacksmith store. The items he sold were more practical for low level cultivators but there weren’t many who could afford them. It might also be due to this reason that the reputation of Firecloud Blacksmith Store spread out even faster.
Even people who were very far away now knew that there was a young and handsome blacksmith in the Divine Weapon Street who forged weapons and sold them at sky high prices. Rumors tended to be more exaggerated than the truth.
This wasn’t all. There were also rumors that Miss Yan had purchased a lot of items from this blacksmith store and even invited the blacksmith to Yan Clan but was rejected. How bold was this guy?
The reputation of the young blacksmith grew even stronger and there was even a period of time when it was bragged to be the only one of its kind in the world. Due to this reason, more and more people came to the Firecloud Blacksmith Store, although most of them were only there to see Qing Shui in person.
The ones that sold the fastest were the accessories. Qing Shui would be able to sell a few pieces each day. And with there being more people coming in, he was able to sell some weapons and other stuff as well. There were also many customers who weren’t short of money.
Of course, there were also quite a number of clans who wished to recruit Qing Shui, but they were all rejected. However, the clans didn’t take it too hard as either. After all, rumors had it that even Miss Yan’s invitation was rejected. They only casually brought it up to make it seem as if they were very close to Qing Shui.
…
Old man Wang’s strength increased by 1,000 Jin. Qing Shui still had some fruit and other stuff, which further increased old man Wang’s lifespan, which originally had only a few decades left. His strength now was a lot greater as compared to when he was younger. The transformations his body went through got him very excited. He could now forge weapons like he did when he was younger.
Stone also took the Tiger Vitality Pill and had started to practice the Thousand Hammer Technique. Learning things like these required one to have intelligence to go through careful calculations. Qing Shui only taught him the first 100 hammers and told him that it was very important. As long as he could master these 100 hammers, he would be able to benefit greatly. If he could comprehend the hammer techniques at the back from there, he would gain a qualitative improvement.
Qing Shui gradually changed their predicament but didn’t do so drastically. It was like if you were to give a poor man a few thousand dollars to solve the predicament he was currently in before he looked for a job. If you were to give the person five million at one go, it wouldn’t be helping him but rather, harming him.
Rice must be eaten one mouthful at a time; wells must be dug a little deeper one shovel at a time!
Qing Shui didn’t plan on completely changing the lifestyles old man Wang and his grandson had. They weren’t suitable to handle the action and competition out there. Moreover, Stone’s talent wasn’t exactly good. In terms of both cultivation and forging, he wouldn’t be able to reach great heights. However, compared to how he was before, he was able to do much better in these two areas now.
Qing Shui was sipping tea in the blacksmith store. There were still quite a number of customers around but many small explosive sounds rang out outside. Qing Shui’s spiritual sense was very sharp now and he could sense that those auras were headed in his direction.
“People in the Firecloud Blacksmith Store listen up! Leave within the time it takes for three breaths! Otherwise, if you were to get hurt when the blacksmith store collapses, don’t blame it on us!”
A loud voice rang out. When the people in the Firecloud Blacksmith Store heard the voice, they quickly ran outside. Qing Shui signaled old man Wang and his grandson to head out as well.
Qing Shui shook his head and walked out. He didn’t find this strange. It was hard to make a living in an entirely unfamiliar place, especially after being in the spotlight. Many people would definitely not be able to accept him and would hate him.
After Qing Shui walked out, he lifted his head to look into the skies. He wanted to see who was doing this to him. He felt that there could only be three possibilities: Bai Clan, the factions supporting those blacksmith stores or Miss Yan.
Qing Shui went up to the sky and faced the several tens of people. Most of them were middle-aged men but there were also a number of old men. Right now, their gazes were all locked on Qing Shui.
The ones in the lead were those old men. They wore pale blue colored clothes, appearing to command a lot of influence. Qing Shui looked at them but couldn’t identify any familiar faces.
“Who are you? Why did you say that you’re going to bring down my blacksmith store?” Qing Shui asked the people opposite him. He felt really calm. After all, even if the blacksmith store was gone, it would be very easy for him to build another. As for the things inside, they wouldn’t spoil. Even if they would, he wouldn’t feel much about it.
“Young man, there’s no need for you to care who we are. We know that you don’t like to work for others. We hope that you can move out of Divine Weapon Street.” An old man in the middle stood upright. If one were to see his back view alone, one wouldn’t think that this was an old man.
“Which blacksmith clan are you guys from? Are you really afraid that I’ll steal your businesses?” Qing Shui smiled and looked at them.
“Young man, you’re too ignorant. Do you really think that you’re a topnotch blacksmith master just with those few pieces of weapons and armor?” The old man wasn’t angry and his tone was very gentle as well.
“Since that’s the case, why do you have to force me to leave Divine Weapon Street?”
“The people here don’t like you.” The old man continued to speak in a gentle tone.
Qing Shui was stunned. This reason was so powerful. He looked at the old man, “You’re saying that people you guys don’t like will all have to leave.”
The old man didn’t say anything but looked at Qing Shui. “Young man, what do you think of what we said earlier? The Divine Weapon Street isn’t a place where someone like you can be arrogant. Putting aside the fact that you’re not a State Master level cultivator; even if you are one, you can’t afford to be arrogant here either.”
Qing Shui didn’t say anything. What the old man said was absolutely right. The clans behind the Divine Weapon Street were definitely not to be underestimated. A low grade State Master really didn’t have the right to be arrogant here, let alone himself, who was still a far cry from attaining the level of a low grade State Master.
“Old man, I wonder if you’ve heard of a saying before.”
“What saying?” The old man continued to look at Qing Shui calmly.
“Don’t look down on a poor youth [1]!”
Qing Shui looked at the old man but there was no fluctuations in his tone at all.
A low grade State Master wouldn’t even be able to cause the old man to panic but Qing Shui’s words caused his face to change a little. The old man’s face glared at Qing Shui, as if wanting to see through him.
“Are you forcing me to kill you?” The old man stared at Qing Shui and said in a cold voice.
“No matter who it is, as long as someone tries to attack me, if I’m still alive, I’ll definitely wipe them out completely. You may think that I’m bragging but I’ll only say one thing. If you can’t call the shots on behalf of the people behind you, then don’t take any reckless actions. Otherwise, even if I don’t do anything to you, the people behind you will get rid of you.” Qing Shui continued to speak very calmly, wearing a confident smile.
Qing Shui knew people who had reached the old man’s level of cultivation and age tended to think more into things. Moreover, he hadn’t expected himself to scare the other party with just one word. After all, the other party still had one method, which was to kill Qing Shui.
“Insolence! Do you think that you’ll be able to scare us just by saying a few vicious words? Don’t you find it funny?” The old man’s expression returned to normal.
“It seems that you guys are going to take action today. Do you dare to say who you are? Actually, even if you don’t say, I’ll still be able to find out,” Qing Shui smiled and said.
It was because the crowd on the ground were already in discussion!
“They are from Bai Clan! The people from inner city’s Bai Clan of Yan City!”
“There’s also a Bai Clan Blacksmith Hall in Divine Weapon Street which belongs to inner city’s Bai Clan. They are also considered one of the top few powerful blacksmith clans in the Divine Weapon Street.”
…
The Bai Clan in this area which Bai Riyi and Bai Rilong belonged to was only considered a branch of Bai Clan. It was a far cry compared to the Bai Clan in the inner city and these people belonged to those under the inner city’s Bai Clan.
There were many cities in Great Yu Dynasty and they were further segregated into inner cities and outer cities. The inner cities tended to be much smaller in size but were more luxurious and more of the powerful factions were gathered there.
Of course, this wasn’t something absolute. There would also be a number of powerful factions in the outer cities. It was just that there were more of them in the inner cities!
The reason the inner cities were powerful was because of the existence of the city lords and the powerful clans. As for the capital, there was also the royal family. This was why most with power would tend to head to the inner cities.
The Divine Weapon Street was one exception. This place was not under the inner city but the blacksmith clans here all had the caliber to enter and reside in the inner city. However, the Divine Weapon Street was considered to be a holy place and had its share of glory here. This was a place left behind from very long ago and most of its glory was already gone.
We’re people from the inner city’s Bai Clan. If you were to join our Bai Clan, we’ll forget the things that has happened today. You can continue to run your blacksmith store and Bai Clan will take care of you as well. The old man looked at Qing Shui but his mind was thinking rapidly.
"Bai Clan? Excellent. There’s also a Bai Clan who has tried to smash my store twice. I didn’t expect yet another Bai Clan from the inner city to smash my store. This is such a coincidence,” Qing Shui smiled and replied.
[1] A Chinese saying. Don’t look down on a poor youth because youngsters have boundless prospects. As long as they are willing to work hard, they’ll soar to great heights one day and not always be in poverty.
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AST 1154 – False Alarm, Qing Shui Is Just A Poisonous Bone
Qing Shui’s voice wasn’t loud but many people in the area and below could hear his clearly. He understood how the people from Bai Clan were now. Although Bai Clan might really be very powerful in the inner cities, he felt that they were a little arrogant and in over their heads. He just didn’t know if the core members of Bai Clan knew about this.
Hearing Qing Shui’s words, the old man frowned. However, he didn’t say much but just looked at Qing Shui for very long before saying, “You’ve already caused Bai Clan to lose their reputation and now that things have come down to this, I wish you good luck. As for the words that you’ve just said… That’s because you don’t understand Bai Clan. With your capabilities, there’s no way for you to even reach Bai Clan.”
Qing Shui really felt very gloomy. The reputations of great clans and influences were really worth a lot. This was the pride and power of those in power and was similar to the dynasties Qing Shui was familiar with. Even if they were in the wrong, they must insist on their stance to the very end.
“Are all of you going to attack together at once or are you going to take action alone?” Qing Shui didn’t care if there were any use for him to prod at his opponents, but he still decided to give it a go. At least, he needed to let the people in the surroundings see the ugly side of this great clan.
“There’s no need for you to prod. It’s useless. But don’t worry, just I alone am sufficient to deal with you,” the old man smiled and said warmly.
“7th Uncle, let me do the job!”
Just then, a middle-aged man from the back walked out. His figure was also upright, like a sword. He wasn’t like a drawn sword with a sharp edge but gave the feeling that a sheathed sword seemed to give more threat than one which was drawn.
“Jingtian, your cultivation seems to be slightly stronger than his and you’re also considered to be one of the geniuses in Bai Clan. However, you must think this through carefully. This young man isn’t as simple as he seems to be.” The old man frowned and looked at the middle-aged man.
“7th Uncle, I know. A cultivator mustn’t fear battles. I treat my opponents very seriously.” The man wore a stubborn expression on his seemingly serious face.
“Go on. Be careful!” The old man waved his hand.
The man called Jingtian bowed toward the old man before walked over to Qing Shui. His steps were erratic and he held a thin sword which had a length of 3 feet 3 inches. It had a width of two fingers and was very thin, to the extent that it was a little translucent. If one didn’t look at it very carefully, it would be hard to notice this.
“You must be careful, blades have no eyes! I wish you good luck!” the man cupped his fists together and said to Qing Shui.
“You must be careful as well. Make your move!” Qing Shui smiled and took out his Big Dipper Sword, dashing over with the Seven Star Steps.
The Nine Palace Steps could actually be taken apart. One Origin Steps, Duality Steps… Five Elements Steps… Seven Star Steps, Eight Trigrams Steps, Nine Palace Steps… Each of them were extremely profound but one would only be able to move freely within the Nine Palace after having mastered the final Nine Palace Steps.
However, currently, Qing Shui was the only one who had reached the stage of the Nine Palace Steps. His mastery of this stage wasn’t very high but it was already considerably terrifying. The ladies and other people were all at a very low level. One reason was that they hadn’t been learning it for long, unlike Qing Shui who had the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. The other reason was that Qing Shui himself was a unique existence.
Stepping on the seven stars, progressing against the flow, Qing Shui could sense this man’s strength. The man should be around twice as strong as himself. Through sensing his aura, Qing Shui could sense that the full powers of the person was around 2,000 nimbus.
Qing Shui’s strength at its peak was only 1,200 nimbus. However, he wasn’t very worried. He felt that he had the ability to deal with this guy.
Piercing Sword!
Basic Sword Techniques!
Qing Shui thrust out his sword, using a stance in sword arts which even a three year old kid would be able to perform. However, the level of mastery and realm he displayed was extremely high, most importantly, his speed was unparalleled.
This move was too surprising, causing everyone to be greatly astonished. However, everyone was even more surprised when they saw that the prowess of this move had caused the man to be forced back one step.
“He really is exceptional. This young man has definitely practiced this sword stance for no less than ten years. It really does fit the bill of polishing a sword for ten years,” the old man sighed and said, as if he was mumbling to himself.
“Ten years to just polish a sword? He is so young. It should be more that his talent surpasses that of others,” another old man said.
“I’m already understating when I said ten years. His talent undoubtedly surpasses that of others. See how great his level of mastery is? Just this move alone would show that this young man has great persistence and we can’t afford to offend him. It’s considered an eye-opener to be able to see someone performing the Basic Sword Techniques to this level,” the old man who was addressed by Bai Jingtian as 7th Uncle said.
Qing Shui's single attack surprised Bai Jingtian who quickly dodged. However, Qing Shui didn’t go easy on him. Relying on his amazing footwork, his Big Dipper Sword pointed, pierced, hacked, slashed… All the moves were targeted at Bai Jingtian’s throat.
Everyone present watched the scene in silence. The one who had the worst out of it was Bai Jingtian. After losing the advantage of being able to make the first move, he had been pushed into such a bad predicament and was barely able to save himself.
Bai Jingtian recalled what his 7th Uncle had said. He hadn’t expected Qing Shui’s footwork to be so extraordinary. He could sense the strength which Qing Shui had used. Was Qing Shui really using such a strength against his full powers?
Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation!
As Bai Jingtian retreated, a ferocious aura emerged from his body. Then, as a fierce and violent aura spreaded out, a huge image of a white wolf appeared, causing Bai Jingtian’s speed to suddenly increase by a lot. He also managed to dodge Qing Shui’s pestering longsword.
Shadowless Sword!
Bai Jingtian’s body exuded an indistinct sword Qi and moved toward Qing Shui and his longsword. Although Qing Shui had a strong power and had also achieved a small success stage for the Nine Yang Golden Body, he didn’t dare to use his body to come into contact with this thin sword which had its killing aura concealed.
Swoosh swoosh…
Something that was akin to a grey net appeared in the air, expanding towards Qing Shui. Moving with his bizarre footwork, Bai Jingtian’s eyes squinted to a very fine gap and locked onto Qing Shui like cold lightning.
Qing Shui smiled. This Bai Jingtian specialized in speed and quick sword attacks. The dark greyish net in the sky was the shadows left behind by his sword which was coming toward Qing Shui. Only one of the swords was true and was extremely lethal.
Heavenly Vision Technique!
Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation!
Buddha Form Reveal!
Qing Shui’s eyes suddenly popped open and he was able to see through all shams. Right now, only one sword was hacking down at him. This sword was very elusive, slithering around the other phantom images.
Qing Shui gripped his Big Dipper Sword tightly, lifting his head and staring at the incoming sword net. His eyes were so clear that they were like clear spring water.
Stepping against the flow of the Nine Palace, he attacked fiercely with his Big Dipper Sword!
Piercing Sword!
Right now, there was still a gap between the two of them but a golden light sword emerged from the Big Dipper Sword.
Golden Sword!
This was the Golden Sword from the Five Elements Divine Refining Technique!
An attack with spirit energy!
Qing Shui attacked at rapid speed in the sword net, quickly as lightning. Although Bai Jingtian quickly changed his trajectory, his wrist was still cut. It wasn’t chopped off but the sword went through one-third of his wrist and even his bones had broken.
The net of swords disappeared. Qing Shui didn’t pursue to attack but just watched from a short distance away. Qing Shui’s victory was thanks to his Nine Palace Steps which allowed him to exercise restraint on the opponent’s advantage.
Bai Jingtian stood there, stunned, letting his blood flow down. He looked at Qing Shui, unable to say a word. This was too big a blow for him. He cultivated the Shadowless Sword which excelled in the speed of his sword and his movements. However, right now, a person who was a lot weaker than himself did not just surpass him in speed of his movements but in the speed of his sword attacks as well.
“There’s no need for you to feel disheartened. You’re strong but it’s just that I have an advantage against an opponent like yourself and can completely counter your attacks,” Qing Shui looked at Bai Jingtian and said calmly.
“Sigh, a loss is a loss. I’m weaker than you…”
Bai Jingtian headed back, dejected, letting his blood flow freely. Right now, he felt extremely disheartened. If he couldn’t get out of this mood, his life would become completely tasteless.
Two people from Bai Clan quickly treated his wounds, stopping the blood flow and bandaging his injuries.
“7th Uncle, I’ve brought shame to you!” Bai Jingtian’s countenance was pale. It wasn’t just from the loss of blood but also because of his emotions. When one’s heart was demoralized, it would be reflected on his face.
“You haven’t brought me shame. You still have a long road to go ahead of you. A cultivator doesn’t just cultivate the body. There’s always someone stronger out there and there are too many people who are stronger than you. A cultivator must first cultivate a strong heart and must be able to face any situation calmly. What’s a little setback? Which powerful cultivator hasn’t came back from setbacks and difficulties? Without a powerful heart, a cultivator wouldn’t be able to progress very far. If you’ve lost, find your way back. If you’ve resigned yourself to the loss, then you can only stop at this level.” The old man’s countenance was still very calm, without any change. His words hammered down hard into everyone’s hearts.
Qing Shui could understand well what the old man had said. This was something that all cultivators knew but not many could achieve. However, it was different today and for many people, it was different than when they heard it under normal circumstances. It was because the impact from today was too great and thus the words had been imprinted in their minds.
Bai Jingtian was in a daze, he fists tightly clenched, causing his bandaged wounds to burst open once again. His expression was that of great conflict and struggle. Someone wanted to step up to him but was stopped by the old man.
Hu!
A very long while later, Bai Jingtian let out a long exhale and said, smiling as he looked at the old man, “Thank you, 7th Uncle!”
“Alright, it’s good that you’re able to accept this. This is a barrier that all cultivators have to experience. Now that you’ve crossed it, you’ll be able to advance further in the future,” the old man smiled and said happily.
Right now, Qing Shui was still thinking about the battle from before. He felt that his current strength should allow him to compete with an elementary State Master and he would probably have a high chance of winning.
Bai Jingtian could only count himself unlucky to have met Qing Shui. The blow was too big for him to be defeated by Basic Sword Techniques. Only Qing Shui knew that his Heavenly Vision Technique and bizarre footwork had greatly helped him to achieve this.
For Bai Jingtian to be able to get out from under this trauma so quickly, he was really a person with a strong heart. What the old man said had played a huge role too.
“Young man, there aren’t many whom I admire and look up to. You’re one of them. We’ll treat the things that happened today as a misunderstanding. You’re a clever person, I hope that you won’t see me in a strange light. In this world, it has always been the survival of the fittest!” The old man looked at Qing Shui and said something which caught him unaware. The old man thought of the words Qing Shui had said earlier and felt that this young man was a poisonous bone and not many people would be able to devour it.
Qing Shui smiled. This was good as well. In his current state, he wasn’t suited for battle. As for the things the old man had said… Qing Shui didn’t pay them much heed. He hadn’t thought of wanting to get himself involved with Bai Clan. It’ll be fine if they don’t come look for trouble. When he got stronger in the future, he would care even less about other things.
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