Chapter 46 – The Weak are Impolite (1/2)

I practise an ability that I’ve just gained a grasp over. Li Qingshan could not say that, so he answered politely, “It’s only a form of crude martial arts for enduring beatings. Then… old hero Liu, you punched me over a hundred times earlier, so I’ll just take a thousand taels of silver.”

His tone was much more polite compared to before; it was the politeness of a shopkeeper treating the customer as king.

The others were still submerged in shock. They suspected they were dreaming. “You-” Just when the first senior brother wanted to yell at Li Qingshan, Li Qingshan glanced at him, and he immediately shut up. Instead, he glared at Li Long, Didn’t you say he was a third-rate master?

Li Long also felt embarrassed and aggrieved. Back then, Li Qingshan truly was a third-rate master. Had he been hiding his strength? That was the only explanation now. He would never be able to believe that Li Qingshan had reached his current level from recent hard work.

Liu Hong waved his hand. “Bring the silver!”

“Master!”

“Shut your mouth!”

Liu Hong handed a silver note worth a thousand taels to Li Qingshan. “I was rude earlier. Young… hero Li, please forgive me. Please accept this money as my apology.”

Li Qingshan was stunned. He had never thought that Liu Hong’s tone would change so quickly; he was truly Li Long’s master after all. Originally, Li Qingshan had thought he would become enraged from the humiliation.

“Young hero, you are extraordinary and possess impressive martial arts. If you remain in the underbrush like this, wouldn’t that be a waste of your talent? Why don’t you join my Iron Fist school instead? You won’t be disappointed. As for the Black Wind stronghold, I’ll help you talk to them, and that Black Bear should respect what I say. Why wouldn’t people die when they’re roaming the jianghu? Why is it that only a boss of yours is allowed to kill people? As the saying goes, just mind your own business…”

Liu Hong rambled on. His mighty aura vanished completely, instead making him seem like a benevolent old man who was concerned for a junior.

The disciples had never even imagined that such a side to their master existed. All of their eyes widened.

Suddenly, Li Qingshan realised that he was now on equal footing to Liu Hong. He was even slightly higher than Liu Hong, unlike when he arrived here. At the time, Liu Hong had looked down on him. This change was all due to the impressive ‘martial arts’ he had displayed.

Liu Hong now treated him with courtesy, so he returned the courtesy. “I was the one who was rude earlier, having offended old hero Liu. The money was just a joke of mine, so please take it back!” Only after both of them tried to concede the money to the other did Li Qingshan accept it. Li Qingshan eased up.

Liu Hong said, “The Black Wind stronghold was established all those years ago, so how can they be uprooted so easily? I’m confident that I’m not weaker than the Black Bear, but if I took on the Black Wind stronghold alone, it would be certain doom for me. The battlefield is unlike individual matches. Just my stamina alone is insufficient.”

In the jianghu, not only did people fight with martial arts, but they also fought with influence. He recognised Li Qingshan’s martial prowess, but he was still just a loner with no influence.

Li Qingshan shook his head slightly, “I have my plans.”

Liu Hong could not persuade him otherwise, so he told him everything that had happened recently in the jianghu and near Qingyang city in detail.

Li Qingshan heard that the Black Wind stronghold had gone to make trouble for the Drawn Reins village. “Old hero Liu, I have a request. Please spread this piece of news as much as possible, that I, Li Qingshan, am in Qingyang city, and I haven’t run away. I will be responsible for my own actions. I will never get others involved.”