185: A corner of troubled times
Ten thousand silver notes were a stepping stone.
The Prefecture City students understood that this was just a formality.
Therefore, their mood was much more relaxed.
Miss Ren smiled and said, “This Chu Qing is interesting.”
“In his first match, he crippled the Ximen Family’s Prodigy with an unstoppable display!”
“Now, he thinks he can win the subsequent matches by just paying a little silver.”
“Vice Dean, I’ll go up.”
“I want to test his methods.”
The Vice Dean shook his head and said, “You might not be his opponent.”
Miss Ren smiled and said, “It’s always worth a try.”
“If I can’t even defeat a country bumpkin Mud Leg, what right do I have to go to the Zhou City exchange competition?”
After speaking, Miss Ren stepped onto the stage.
The Vice Dean muttered in a low voice, “I’m afraid Chu Qing will completely crush your spirit.”
On the arena:
Chu Qing clasped his fists.
Miss Ren clasped her fists.
The next second, the Martial Instructor eagerly announced the start of the match.
Bang!
Bang!
Fists and feet collided.
In just a few seconds, the two exchanged dozens of Moves.
Miss Ren’s expression was solemn.
Because:
In a series of collisions, she was beaten back step by step.
“How is he so strong?”
“His Moves are not as good as mine.”
“He just has a bit more strength than me.”
“Why is he so powerful?”
At this moment, Chu Qing smiled and said, “Young Miss, although you have achieved Perfected Gold Tendons, your Golden Bone is not as good as mine.”
Miss Ren let out a soft cry and said, “Nonsense!”
Although she hadn’t cultivated Golden Bone.
She had cultivated hundreds of Silver Bone.
Her hands flew, directly unleashing her strongest Move, charging at Chu Qing.
Bang!
Her toes tapped the ground, the wooden boards shattered, and splinters flew, like blooming lotus flowers.
Her hands formed a seal, the air twisted, like a mountain, suppressing Chu Qing.
Although she was a woman, her strongest Cultivation Technique was full of dominance.
Step by Step Lotus!
Overturning Mountain Seal!
“With this seal, no one can block it.”
Bang!
The Overturning Mountain Seal landed squarely on Chu Qing’s forehead.
Miss Ren smiled.
With this seal, even an iron egg would have a deep pit in it.
However:
The next second, her smile froze.
Bang!
Miss Ren’s Overturning Mountain Seal hit Chu Qing’s head, shattering his hair tie; his scarlet long hair swayed, and the blood scabs on it fell like heavy snow, revealing a head of black hair.
Other than that, Chu Qing was perfectly fine.
“The Overturning Mountain Seal, its power is not bad.”
“But, it’s still too weak.”
Chu Qing shook his head, sighing, “If you had a little more strength, perhaps you could help me clean the blood scabs off my body.”
Miss Ren... fell silent.
At this moment:
Chu Qing reached out and grabbed Miss Ren’s wrist.
Then—he swung her left and right, throwing her around!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Miss Ren was like a rag, being casually thrown around by him.
The arena shattered and collapsed.
Miss Ren screamed, directly rolled her eyes, and fainted.
If she didn’t faint, she would have been utterly humiliated.
At this moment:
Chu Qing threw the blood-soaked, tattered Miss Ren aside, looked around and said, “Everyone, do I count as having won? Or lost?”
The Crowd remained silent.
The Martial Instructor quickly examined Miss Ren, and after finding that she only had superficial injuries, he breathed a sigh of relief; then, he announced at the fastest speed:
“This exchange competition, Chu Qing wins!”
Some Martial Instructor had already prepared fifty portions of top-grade bone refining Secret medicine and gold for him.
“Qing Ge, you take your things and leave first!”
“After all, the Prefecture City also has rebel spies!”
Chu Qing laughed heartily.
He knew exactly what these people were thinking.
But he was too lazy to expose them.
He collected his resources, clasped his fists, and bid farewell.
Seeing Chu Qing leave, many students breathed a sigh of relief.
They were really afraid that Chu Qing wouldn’t leave... Chu Qing met up with Madam Shi and hurried back to Shiji Mountain.
On the way there, there were rebels ambushing them.
On the way back, it was peaceful.
Neither rebels nor people from the Ximen Family were seen.
“What a pity, the arena wasn’t exciting enough, I couldn’t fight and kill.”
“Now I want to kill a few unlucky people to get my fill, but there are no suitable ones.”
Madam Shi rolled her eyes and sneered, “You only know how to fight and kill?”
“This Jianghu is not just about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships.”
“The Ximen Family didn’t retaliate against you because it wasn’t worth it.”
“The rebels... Zheng Zhixiang probably doesn’t have that many experts under him anymore.”
Chu Qing nodded.
They hurried along.
He noticed:
There were very few people on the road.
Even the caravans were sparse and rare.
In the fields by the roadside, weeds grew rampant.
The farmers had abandoned their land.
Even the fields of the large and small landlords were somewhat desolate.
“The great war hasn’t truly begun, and the fields are already so desolate?”
Chu Qing was incredulous.
Madam Shi was also very confused.
“Land is fundamental.”
“What problem did the people here encounter that made them abandon their land?”
Out of curiosity.
They slowed down.
Seeing a village on the road, Chu Qing suggested, “Let’s go to the village first to ask for a bowl of water.”
“Then, we can inquire why so many fields have been abandoned.”
After a dozen minutes:
Chu Qing and Madam Shi, with solemn expressions, set off again.
It turned out that they had received bad news in the village:
As early as last month, rebels had been conscripting able-bodied men.
All who resisted were killed without mercy.
What was even more terrifying was:
These rebels not only conscripted able-bodied men but also captured women and children!
Of a village with several hundred households, only twenty to thirty old men and women, and a few scattered fools and disabled people remained.
“Militaristic extravagance!”
Chu Qing said thoughtfully.
Madam Shi’s bright eyes blinked, and she chuckled, “Some people always think that quantity is king.”
“But, they forget that this world is still the world of Martial Artists.”
“Too many people... are just a burden!”
Chu Qing smiled and said, “Perhaps their goal is to consume the population?”
Madam Shi was stunned.
In the evening, the two returned to Shiji Mountain.
Originally, Madam Shi wanted to sing for Chu Qing on the road and enjoy some taboo pleasure in the wild.
But Chu Qing’s words immediately made her lose interest.
Throughout the journey, she pondered why the rebels and the Empire wanted to consume the population.
By the time they reached the foot of Shiji Mountain, she still couldn’t figure it out.
Finally, she couldn’t help but ask:
“Why consume the population?”
Chu Qing thought for a moment and said:
“Land annexation, many people have no land to cultivate.”
“Too many people, too little food.”
“If there’s no way to increase food production, how do you feed people and prevent unrest?”
“There’s only one way: consume the population.”
“War is the best way to consume the population.”
Madam Shi said thoughtfully, “Is the Millennial Calamity actually about population and food?”
Chu Qing shook his head and said, “Perhaps it has something to do with population and food.”
“But, I always feel that things are not that simple.”
Madam Shi nodded.
Chu Qing smiled and said, “The Millennial Calamity, the population and food problem, is too far away from us.”
“Let’s still consider how to get more resources.”
Madam Shi said coolly, “Either go to the Prefecture City Martial Academy, or go to the Zhou City Martial Academy.”
“These two places acquire the most resources.”
“Finally, there’s being a wild Martial Artist.”
Chu Qing smiled and said, “I want to go directly to the Zhou City Academy.”
Madam Shi said worriedly, “If you don’t get ten consecutive championships, the Zhou City Martial Academy might not want you.”
Chu Qing clenched his fist and smiled, “Then, I must get ten consecutive championships.”
Madam Shi rolled her eyes and sneered:
“Can the Prefecture City last until then?”
Chu Qing fell silent.
Yes, if the rebels really attacked the Prefecture City, would the Prefecture City’s exchange competition still open?