A Year of Peace
Translator: AnubisTL
Qian Hong gripped the Qing Hong Sword tightly. It felt heavy yet perfectly balanced, and the texture against her hand was exactly as she had imagined a Peerless Divine Weapon should feel.
At that moment, the Peerless Divine Sword was the only thing in Qian Hong's eyes. Nothing else mattered.
Li Qing could already tell from her expression that Commander Qian would likely be sleeping with the sword for a long time to come.
Whoosh!
Qian Hong performed a sword dance, the inky black blade blurring so fast it was almost invisible. Finally, she sheathed the sword with a crisp movement and clasped her hands together in a formal bow to Li Qing.
"Master Li, I am eternally grateful. If you ever need anything from me in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."
Her words were sincere, devoid of any pretense.
The Qing Hong Sword was destined to become legendary throughout the Martial Arts World. Centuries from now, even after she was gone, her name would live on, forever linked to the sword.
The first owner of the Peerless Divine Weapon, the Qing Hong Sword!
In the future, whenever this sword is mentioned, her name will inevitably be spoken alongside it.
Just the thought of this sent a surge of inexplicable excitement through Qian Hong, her entire body trembling.
"Commander Qian, there's no need for such formality. It's my honor to have forged such a divine sword," Li Qing replied, clasping his hands in a respectful bow.
"Hahaha, farewell, Master Li!"
With a final farewell, Qian Hong sheathed the sword at her waist and departed the blacksmith shop without a backward glance.
At this moment, the Green Rainbow Heroine appeared even more heroic, her eyes blazing with light.
After seeing Qian Hong off, Li Qing yawned, and a wave of exhaustion, both mental and physical, crashed over him like a landslide.
For an entire month, Li Qing had poured his heart and soul into forging that sword. Now, with the tension finally released, the fatigue and soreness in his body surged up like a rising tide.
"No wonder there are so few magical weapons forged from this special ore in the entire Martial World. It's not just because the ore is rare; the forging process itself is incredibly draining!"
Li Qing stumbled back to his room and collapsed onto the bed. His eyelids immediately grew heavy.
To be honest, if the reward for forging Magical Weapons wasn't so generous—and still hadn't begun to diminish—Li Qing wouldn't have wanted to forge so many.
It was exhausting!
He slept for a full day and night.
When he finally woke up, autumn had arrived.
This year, Maple Country experienced another bountiful harvest. Grain warehouses across the land were overflowing, and every citizen wore a satisfied smile.
Their joy and happiness stemmed not only from the harvest but also from peace.
The borders remained quiet, and Liang Country, their neighbor, seemed to have forgotten about Maple Country entirely, making no moves.
Even the bandits of the Bandong Grasslands had fallen silent. Not a single one had been seen this year.
Normally, every autumn, these bandits would raid Maple Country for grain. But this year, in an unprecedented turn of events, not a single one had appeared.
A golden age of peace! Wasn't this exactly the golden age of peace?
As a result, Shengtian City was filled with song and dance. Actors and actresses danced gracefully, while scholars recited poetry and composed couplets in brothels, creating a scene of vibrant prosperity.
Li Qing, having finished forging the Qing Hong Sword for Qian Hong, finally found himself with some rare free time.
This tranquility extended beyond the border, where the frontier remained utterly peaceful. Even the Martial World and the Martial Arts World had become remarkably calm, like a deep, still pool of water, undisturbed by ripples.
Li Qing himself was delighted to live such a peaceful life. He spent his days practicing martial arts in his blacksmith shop, unconcerned about a lack of customers seeking his services. After all, he didn't rely on blacksmithing to make a living.
And so, a year slipped by unnoticed.
Winter's auspicious snow filled the city, and as spring arrived, the melting snow signaled another year of abundance.
With the weather growing warmer, Li Qing, who had enjoyed nearly a year of leisure, eagerly entered his room.
It was time to open the wine!
"A whole year! Finally, it's time to open this Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine!"
Even Li Qing, who wasn't particularly fond of alcohol, wore a face brimming with anticipation.
After a year of peaceful prosperity and national stability, Li Qing continued his diligent martial arts training, but his progress on the Martial Path slowed considerably.
While his Internal Strength had grown thicker once more, he still hadn't even glimpsed the threshold of Inner Strength, let alone seen any signs of breaking through.
There was no help for it. His martial arts talent was far from top-tier. To join the ranks of Inner Strength masters, he had no choice but to rely on time and slow refinement, or to seek external assistance.
And this large vat of Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine was precisely the external aid Li Qing had been eagerly anticipating.
"Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine can be consumed after a year of brewing, and its potency only increases with age."
"This entire vat should last me two or three years at least!"
"Moreover, this wine subtly transforms one's constitution over time, rivaling even some divine elixirs!"
In other words, from today on, Li Qing would begin drinking a cup of medicinal liquor every day. He might not notice any immediate effects at first, but as time went on, his constitution would steadily grow stronger.
This was not only due to Li Qing's consistent consumption but also because the medicinal power of the wine would gradually intensify, just as his constitution would.
Gurulu gurulu~
Li Qing eagerly poured himself a cup of Tiger Bone Medicinal Wine. In an instant, the room was filled with the intense, intoxicating aroma of the wine, mingled with subtle herbal notes.
He downed the cup in one gulp, nearly numbing his tongue. The taste wasn't particularly pleasant—all he could describe it as was fiery.
Pure, unadulterated firewater!
When he brewed this massive vat of wine, he had combined the three strongest liquors from the restaurant, then fermented it for a year with tiger bone and various medicinal herbs. It was no wonder this cup was so potent.
"Hiss~"
Li Qing inhaled sharply, then carefully assessed the changes in his body.
First, his stomach warmed pleasantly. The medicinal power, carried by the wine, began to slowly diffuse through his system, subtly altering his constitution.
The change was subtle, almost imperceptible, yet undeniably effective.
"Phew! One cup a day is more than enough. Drinking too much of this potent medicine at once would actually be harmful."
Li Qing couldn't even imagine what would happen if an ordinary person, without any martial arts training, drank such a cup. They'd probably end up with some serious problems.
Not wanting to waste the medicinal liquor's effects, Li Qing immediately began practicing his martial arts.
The Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram!
Drink Tiger Bone Wine, practice Fierce Tiger Fist, raise a tiger cub!
Li Qing's reputation as the Fierce Tiger grew with each passing day.
Of course, Fan Tong, now a year and several months old, was no longer a mere tiger cub. It had grown to nearly the size of a full-grown tiger.
Fortunately, thanks to Li Qing's strict discipline, there had been no incidents of the tiger harming anyone.
But don't think Fan Tong had lost its wild nature. It had been diligently observing and learning all the moves Li Qing practiced from the Fierce Tiger True Intent Diagram. Its combat skills were definitely not to be underestimated!
TL/N: Hey guys, if you are enjoying the story so far, consider supporting me on Patreon. A huge shoutout to Frosty Dog for their donation on Patreon.
(End of the Chapter)
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