Chapter 255

Chapter 255: Martial Saint’s Implications, Azure Dragon City

. As Lu Qing focused his gaze on the three characters “Azure Dragon City” on the city gate

, a strong golden aura of supernatural energy quickly emerged from the characters.

Several messages floated out.

Golden?

Lu Qing paused, then looked at the messages.

[Martial Saint’s Inscription: These three characters were personally written by a master at the Perfection level of the Innate Realm. The handwriting is elegant and imposing.]

[They contain the will of the martial arts, capable of lingering for hundreds of years.]

[Rumor has it that these three characters contain the legacy of a supreme martial arts master, yet for hundreds of years, no one has been able to decipher their secrets and obtain the inheritance.]

[Discovered martial arts technique, should I download it?]

“It truly contains a legacy?”

Lu Qing was surprised.

He had only sensed the characters held a unique meaning, a fleeting suspicion, but he hadn’t expected them to actually contain a martial arts legacy.

And judging by the description, this legacy seemed to be of considerable renown.

After all, the title of Martial Saint isn’t something anyone can claim.

Seeing a long line of people waiting to enter the city gate, it would take some time for their turn.

Without hesitation, Lu Qing immediately chose to download the technique.

[Downloading, current progress: 1%, 2%, 3%…98%, 99%, 100%]

[Technique downloaded, would you like to simulate it?]

Lu Qing chose to simulate.

[Simulation in progress, current progress: 1%, 2%, 3%…98%, 99%, 100%]

[Simulation completed, would you like to learn?]

This time, Lu Qing didn’t choose to learn directly.

He had spent over a quarter of an hour downloading the simulated technique, and the queue was gradually moving forward, almost reaching their turn.

“The inscription on this city gate is truly extraordinary,”

the old doctor exclaimed.

“Master, you noticed it too?”

Lu Qing wasn’t too surprised. With Master’s aptitude, it would be strange if he hadn’t noticed the uniqueness of those three words.

“The three large characters on the city gate seem to embody the swordsmanship of a powerful warrior. Unfortunately, I, the master, am dull. I’ve only grasped four or five points after contemplating them for a while now,”

the old doctor sighed.

Having just briefly contemplated the inscription on the city gate, he sensed that its swordsmanship implications were quite beneficial.

Zhongzhou was truly a land of hidden talents, overflowing with talent.

They hadn’t even entered Zhongzhou proper yet, yet a single inscription on a checkpoint gate had already inspired him.

It was easy to imagine the true Zhongzhou, a land of talented individuals and masters.

“Comprehensive four or five points…”

Lu Qing was speechless.

His master’s martial arts talent and understanding were truly immense.

The inscription on the city gate contained the insights of a supremely powerful innate master.

It was truly remarkable that his master had grasped four or five points of its essence in such a short time.

“Where are you from? Do you have a pass? How many people are entering the city?”

Just as Lu Qing, his master, was visibly surprised, a gruff voice echoed.

Lu Qing turned and saw two soldiers in armor, wielding halberds, standing at the city gate. The one on the right was the one shouting.

Lu Qing’s heart skipped a beat.

This Qinglong City was truly extraordinary. Even the two guards guarding the gate were at the Jingu Realm. One of them had achieved perfect Qi and Blood Flow, remarkably having reached the Jingu Realm of Perfection.

“Sir, we are from Cangzhou, five of us entering the city.”

Ma Gu approached with a smile, handing over a small booklet.

A pass was essentially something that proved Lu Qing and his companions’ identities and origins. While usually

useless, it was necessary at a crucial checkpoint like Qinglong Pass.

Unless Lu Qing and his companions could cross the towering mountains on their own and enter Zhongzhou without going through Qinglong Pass, their identities and passes were naturally guaranteed

. Since the Wei family had arranged for Lu Qing and his companions’ identities and travel permits, their existence was naturally unaffected.

The city guard glanced at it briefly before closing it.

“The pass is fine. Each of the five of you will pay one tael of silver for the city entrance fee, including the carriage fee, for a total of six taels. After you’ve been trained, you can enter the city.”

One tael of silver per person?

Ma Gu was initially startled by this figure.

But then, looking at the others waiting to enter, he noticed they didn’t seem surprised. He knew the fee was normal, and not a deliberate embarrassment.

Feeling more confident, Ma Gu smiled and pulled out a purse, handing it over. “Yes, here are six taels of silver. Please take a look.”

The city guard weighed it, frowning at first. Then, upon opening it and seeing the small silver ingot inside, a smile broke out.

He waved his hand, “Not bad, you have good sense. Go in quickly. If anyone gives you trouble, just say it’s me, Hu Lao San, who’s looking after you.”

“Thank you, Lord City Guard!”

Ma Gu’s face lit up. After a profuse thank you, he returned to the carriage and led it forward.

As the carriage passed the city gate, another city guard who had been silent all this time suddenly spoke up, “Young man, I saw that you seemed quite interested in the three large characters on the city gate.”

Lu Qing was startled. He turned and saw the guard was looking at him. After a moment’s thought, he smiled and said,

“I’ve always enjoyed calligraphy. Seeing the majestic inscriptions of ‘Qinglong City’ above my head, I’ve been observing them intently for a while. Sir City Guard, have I violated any taboos?”

“No,”

said the guard, a handsome young man.

“But I see you seem to be a martial artist, so I’d like to warn you. The inscriptions on this city gate hold special meaning.

But that meaning is quite eerie. If you manage to grasp something from them, trust me, don’t practice it.

Otherwise, you’ll fall into madness, become possessed by demons, and your cultivation will decline, then it will be too late to regret.”

Lu Qing was taken aback, but the serious expression on the armored young man’s face made it clear he wasn’t lying.

He pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly: “Thank you for your advice, sir. I will pay attention to it.”

After Lu Qing and the others entered the city and disappeared, the armored young man resumed his cold expression, ignoring everyone.

However, Hu Laosan, the narrator, became interested: “Master Ji, why did you specifically remind that young man not to try to understand the inscriptions on the city gate? You don’t think that kid just now could understand the secret of the inscriptions?”

“Who knows? I just saw that he seemed a little obsessed with those words, so I reminded him. After all, he gave us extra silver, didn’t he?” The armored young man said calmly.

“Oh, that’s right.” Hu Laosan took out the purse that Ma Gu had just given him and poured out the fat silver ingot inside, “Master Ji, everyone who sees this silver will get a share, you and I will each get half.”

“Twenty taels?” The young man in armor was a little surprised, “I didn’t expect those people to be so generous.”

Seeing that Hu Laosan was about to open the silver, the young man in armor waved his hand, “Forget it, I don’t need my share, you keep it. Didn’t you say that you wanted to send your daughter to Xuanxin Sect to learn skills? You can’t do it without money.”

“Thank you very much, Master Ji.”

Hu Laosan heard the words, and did not refuse. He put the silver back in his arms, as if the previous actions were just politeness.

Seeing this, the armored young man twitched his lips. “You can take the money, but don’t take the City Lord’s share as well. Otherwise, even I can’t protect you.” “

Don’t worry, Young Master Ji,” Hu Laosan patted his chest. “I, Hu Laosan, keep a very clear account. I always keep public things for public and private things for private. I would never embezzle public funds.”

He then fished out another handful of silver from his pocket, counted out a few pieces, and placed them in a nearby iron box.

The armored young man shook his head, ignoring the old man and continuing his daydreaming.

Hu Laosan was even less concerned. Although he didn’t understand why the dignified Second Young Master Ji would be so careless as to join him in guarding the city gate,

since they didn’t hinder his earnings and even occasionally provided him with cover, why not?

“If I can scrape together another hundred taels, I’ll have enough to send Xiaolian to the Xuanxin Sect to learn martial arts.”

Hu Laosan touched the silver ingot in his arms, feeling delighted.

“Interesting.”

Lu Qing, who had already entered the city, sensed what was happening at the gate, a hint of amusement in his eyes, and he withdrew his spiritual power.

It seemed that the armored youth had indeed been kind in warning him.

But… was the meaning contained in those three inscriptions on the city gate so terrifying? Why hadn’t he sensed it?

A trace of doubt arose in Lu Qing’s heart.

When he had previously seen the three inscriptions, he had only felt that their artistic conception was quite extraordinary, but not that they were dangerous.

Furthermore, his master had also contemplated them, and he hadn’t heard anything amiss.

“Could it be that the inheritance within the inscriptions holds a deeper meaning? I guess I’ll have to consider it once we’re settled.”

Lu Qing pondered for a moment, then made a decision.

“Wow! What a huge city!”

Just then, Xiaoyan’s surprised voice rang out.

Lu Qing turned to see the little girl had already disembarked from the carriage, holding Xiaoli, her mouth and eyes wide open as she stared ahead in amazement.

Elsewhere, Ma Gu and Wei Zi’an looked similar, their eyes wide open at the bustling scene before them.

Directly ahead of them, a street several dozen feet wide was bustling with pedestrians of all kinds, including horse-drawn carriages and donkey-drawn carts.

The sounds of vehicles, hawkers, and shouts filled the air.

The scene on this main street alone was far more magnificent and prosperous than any major city Lu Qing and his companions had ever seen.

Furthermore, the towering, ruggedly styled buildings, built from massive stone, lining the street were something Lu Qing and his companions had rarely seen.

“It truly deserves the world-renowned Qinglong Pass. I wonder how magnificent the other three pass towns are,” Lu Qing exclaimed.

People from other states who wished to enter Zhongzhou normally used one of the four pass towns.

These four pass towns were named after legendary beasts.

The Qinglong Pass to the east was the one Lu Qing and his companions were heading for.

Of course, while there are four fortresses, that doesn’t mean entering Zhongzhou is restricted to one of them.

However, entering Zhongzhou through other routes presents a much more complex situation.

Generally, only powerful warriors with exceptional skills who don’t want to reveal their identities would choose to do so.

Ordinary people would rather spend the money and take the safer route through the fortresses.

“Master, what should we do next? Should we find a place to stay?” Lu Qing asked.

The old doctor paused for a moment, then said, “Let’s find a place to stay first. We’ve been traveling for so many days and are all exhausted. Let’s rest up in this city for a day and then enter the fortress tomorrow.”

“That’s what I think,” Lu Qing nodded.

They had been traveling constantly for the past few days, and while the formation chariot provided protection, they didn’t feel physically exhausted, but mentally, they were still feeling a bit tired.

He and his master were fine, but Xiaoyan, Wei Zian, and the others were having a hard time.

Ma Gu, in particular, had to concentrate on driving the carriage at all times due to the increased speed, which was a considerable drain on his mental and physical health.

If he didn’t rest properly, he might even lose his foundation.

Qinglong City, as a hub for communication between Zhongzhou and the other eastern states, naturally had a very prosperous commerce.

Lu Qing and his companions had no trouble finding an inn they were quite satisfied with.

While it was a bit pricey, they had plenty of money these days, so the expense didn’t bother them.

After settling in, Lu Qing had just made the bed when Xiaoyan and Xiaoli were playing around.

There was a knock on the door: “Ah Qing, come out for a moment.”

“What’s going on, Master?” Lu Qing opened the door.

“Come with me and find out something,” the old doctor said.

“Okay, Master, wait a moment.”

Lu Qing returned to his room and gave Xiaoyan and Xiaoli some instructions, telling them to stay inside and not wander around. Then he left.

After following his master out onto the street, Lu Qing finally expressed his doubts: “Master, what do we want to know?”

“Some matters concerning the entry into the city, as well as the current state of affairs,” the old doctor asked.

“State of affairs?” Lu Qing was startled. “Master, where can I find out?”

Could it be that Master still has some connections in Qinglong City?

A thought suddenly occurred to Lu Qing.

However, the old doctor didn’t directly answer Lu Qing’s question. Instead, he took out an object and showed it to him.

“Ah Qing, do you recognize this?”

Lu Qing examined it and immediately recognized it. “Isn’t this the jade token that Master Zhirui gave you?”

“Yes, it is that jade token. Just when we entered the city, I suddenly felt a strange movement coming from the jade token.

I just sensed it in my room and found that the movement was caused by a certain location in the city.

According to Master Zhirui’s instructions, perhaps that is a branch of the Tianji Tower.”

“That’s right.” After hearing Master’s words, Lu Qing realized.

Since the Tianji Tower is known as the world’s leading intelligence agency, it must have established various branches to collect intelligence.

A city as large as Qinglong City must have its own stronghold.

“There’s no time to lose, Master. Let’s go there now.”

(End of this chapter)