Chapter 10 New Clothes

In the season of March, although the earth has warmed, there is still a bit of chill in the air. If one has just come out of the forbidden area, they wouldn't feel much of this cold; however, if they have been outside for a while, their body would still sense the bone-deep chill. Especially at night, the cold becomes even heavier. As the biting wind blows, Xu Qing's figure does not pause for a moment, only tightening the leather coat around him a bit more. He still has unfinished business, so he carefully weaves through the camp in the night. Along the way, he sees some wild dogs baring their teeth at him, but after locking eyes with him, they seem to sense the smell of blood on him and quickly shut their mouths, retreating. Xu Qing shifts his gaze from the wild dogs and continues on. He eventually arrives behind a house in the central ring area, squatting motionless in the shadows, gazing at a large house in the distance. There is a extinguished bonfire there. Xu Qing remembers that the fat man, who had separated from Ma Si, went to this place, so he wants to wait and see if the other party will go out at night. The cold air invades his whole body, but Xu Qing's figure seems to have petrified, standing there unmoving, patiently waiting. Behind him, on the roof of a building, Seventh Master and his servant have also arrived, watching Xu Qing squatting over there, and Seventh Master smiles. "Just as I expected, this little wolf cub intends to wipe them out completely." "I am very much looking forward to how this kid will perform if he enters the forbidden area next door." Seventh Master squats down, watching with interest while speaking to the servant beside him. The servant smiles, squatting next to Seventh Master, sizing up Xu Qing in the distance. As time passes, half an hour goes by, and Xu Qing's brow furrows slightly. After thinking for a moment, he turns and leaves the shadows, his entire being like a ghost, silent as he comes and goes. He does not immediately return to the Thunder Team's residence but instead circles around nearby. Confirming that no one is following him, Xu Qing then swiftly slips into the Thunder Team's courtyard, quietly returning to his small room. After entering, he takes a deep breath, rubs his hands together as if to dispel the chill from his body through this action. Then he wipes the bloodstains off his body before sitting cross-legged on the bed, his eyes revealing deep thought. "These scavengers need to go out for work from time to time, and Ma Si is lecherous, so as long as he doesn't take too long, no one should notice his death. The fat man is unlikely to be alert because of this." Xu Qing squints his eyes. Just like when he killed Can Niu, growing up in the slums, he cannot allow any threat to his life to exist around him. Killing Ma Si was due to the other party robbing his belongings and making threats, and preparing to deal with the fat man is for the same reason. After pondering, Xu Qing rummages through his leather bag, taking out Ma Si's belongings for a careful examination. Most of it is junk, along with a palm-sized iron block, nothing unusual, seemingly just a piece of material. In addition, there are also more than seventy spirit coins, which is already a huge sum for Xu Qing. He counts them carefully and takes out a white pill, comparing his white pill with Ma Si's and finding that these white pills appear to be of inferior quality. Thus, he is seven parts convinced of what the junk shop owner said. After some thought, Xu Qing takes one and swallows it, then closes his eyes to sense it quietly. Soon, he feels a warm current rising within him, eventually gathering at an aberration point on his left arm, bringing a comfortable sensation. After a while, when this feeling dissipates, Xu Qing opens his eyes and looks at his left arm, noticing that the two aberration points there have faded slightly, and the stabbing pain has also lessened a bit. "It works," Xu Qing expresses joy as he takes out the second one and swallows it. The same feeling continues to emerge until it dissipates again, and the stabbing pain disappears along with it. A refreshing sensation rises within him, very comfortable, as if his flesh and blood have been cleansed, making Xu Qing feel that his speed and strength have somehow become a bit stronger. He does not continue to consume the remaining white pills but places them back in the leather bag, closing his eyes to begin his training. A night passes without incident. The next morning, Xu Qing opens his eyes and gets up to go outside. Just as he pushes open the door of the house, he sees the Thunder Team sitting cross-legged in the courtyard, seemingly practicing breathing techniques. Xu Qing does not disturb them; he gently opens the courtyard door and carefully closes it before stepping away. Today's wind seems even colder than last night's, blowing against him not only makes him shiver, but even the wild dogs shrink into their holes and seldom venture out. Xu Qing can see the mist when he breathes, which brings back some unpleasant memories from his time in the slums. He hates the cold. For a homeless child who has endured the elements, the cold is a disaster that requires a struggle to survive. Thus, passing by a clothing shop in the cold, Xu Qing's steps involuntarily pause as he looks at the thick and clean clothes hanging in the shop. He touches the bulging leather bag, turns around, and walks inside. There are not many people in the shop; Xu Qing enters and gazes intently at the hanging clothes. At a nearby counter, the shopkeeper glances at Xu Qing but does not pay much attention, instead instructing the assistant beside him. "You go to the back and sort out those custom clothes that haven't been picked up for over a month; take them out and hang them up to sell." "What if the person who ordered the clothes comes back?" The assistant, seemingly new, hesitates a bit. "Comes back? People go missing in the camp every so often; some die in the forbidden area, and some disappear for no reason. The only ones who come back are ghosts. Hurry up!" The shopkeeper waves his hand impatiently, and the assistant quickly runs to the back. Soon, while Xu Qing has yet to choose his clothes, the assistant comes out carrying a large number of garments. After hanging them up, Xu Qing immediately spots a dark-colored shearling coat that was custom-made but can no longer be picked up by its owner. After a stick of incense worth of time, when Xu Qing walks out of the shop, he is wearing that dark shearling coat. This coat is warm and not heavy, providing far more warmth than his previous clothing. However, due to his small frame, it looks quite mismatched on him, like a big coat. But Xu Qing is very happy, and as he walks along the road, he carefully avoids dirty spots. Just as he is about to search for the fat man, he notices some commotion coming from outside the camp, and at the same time, many scavengers in the camp also step out, eager to approach the direction of the sound. Xu Qing looks up as well. Gradually, he sees a convoy of more than ten horse-drawn carriages advancing toward here under the shining sunlight. The people riding on them, even the guards, are dressed extremely well, their complexions rosy, and their eyes sparkling with vitality, with most of them exhibiting astonishing fluctuations of spiritual energy. As for what is inside the carriages, Xu Qing cannot see, but he can guess that they must belong to people of high status. Xu Qing has heard of such convoys from the Thunder Team; they seem to frequently visit the camp, either as merchants or to procure the Seven-Leaf Grass used to concoct white pills. The fat man's figure also appears in the crowd, drawing Xu Qing's attention, and he no longer focuses on the convoy but squints his eyes, fixing his gaze on the fat man, preparing to follow. However, perhaps due to the arrival of the convoy, the camp is bustling all day long, forming a market, and Xu Qing has not found an opportunity. Until deep into the night, he watches the fat man return to that large house again, so he puts away the dagger from his sleeve and turns to leave. Although there was no opportunity to take action that day, Xu Qing has plenty of patience. When he returns to his small room, he sits cross-legged in his newly bought clothes, not even taking them off while sleeping. It is not until the next morning, when he plans to go out again to look for opportunities, that he reluctantly takes off the shearling coat and changes back into his tattered leather coat. Looking at the new clothes, Xu Qing feels that he was a bit reckless yesterday. Now, wearing the tattered leather coat, Xu Qing walks through the camp, passing by a bustling market, his gaze seemingly surveying the area where the convoy is stationed, but in reality, he is searching for the fat man's figure. In the distance, Seventh Master yawns as he sits on a rooftop with his servant, his gaze sweeping over the convoy before looking at Xu Qing, casually asking his servant beside him, "Did you send the notice to Master Bai?" "Seventh Master, it has been sent, but Master Bai said he has been unwell lately..." "Unwell? He's a doctor, what's this... huh, I remember that kid wore a new outfit yesterday; why is he back in the old one today?" Just as Seventh Master is speaking, he notices Xu Qing's clothing and is momentarily surprised. While Seventh Master is puzzled, Xu Qing locks onto the fat man with his peripheral vision. Thus, a whole day passes under Xu Qing's watchful eye. As night falls, the fat man, who was originally supposed to return to his dwelling, unexpectedly changes direction and heads towards the outer ring area in the darkness. That's a relatively desolate place. "Has he discovered me?" Xu Qing's brow furrows, and his eyes narrow, becoming increasingly cold. He does not follow but instead surveys his surroundings, and after confirming that the other party is going alone, he takes a detour, stealthily making his way to the outer ring before the fat man. Confirming that there are no ambushes here, the cold glint in his eyes intensifies as he hides in the shadows. At this moment, the fat man has also arrived in this area, suddenly halting his steps. "Little cub, I sensed someone following me yesterday, come out; this place is remote and suitable for disposing of your body. If you’re too scared to come out, next time I won't be alone, even if the Thunder Team protects you, our Blood Shadow can still make you pay the price." Xu Qing's eyes narrow; since the other party has already said this much, there is no longer any need to hide, so he steps out from the shadows. "Ma Si wasn’t secretly taking jobs outside; it was you who killed him, huh, I underestimated you." The fat man sneers, looking at Xu Qing as he steps out. "But it doesn't matter; I've disliked him for a long time. If you hadn't killed him, I would have planned to deal with him the next time I went out, so I should thank you. As for whether he lives or dies, I don't care, but something in his leather bag should be with you, right?" The fat man looks at the pocket on Xu Qing's waist with greedy eyes. Without waiting for Xu Qing to answer, he suddenly lunges, his chubby body bursting forth with speed surpassing that of the second level of Qi Condensation. The fluctuations of spiritual energy on his body also strengthen significantly at this moment, even forming a layer of magical airflow around him, driving the cold wind as he charges at Xu Qing like a snowball. He is not at the second level of Qi Condensation; at this moment, the fluctuations of spiritual energy have already reached the third level. It is precisely for this reason, combined with his desire for something in Ma Si's leather bag, that he comes out alone. Xu Qing's eyes narrow; this is his first time engaging in a direct battle with a cultivator, especially since the external airflow around the opponent is clearly transformed from spiritual energy, but he believes in his own strength and speed. So, at the moment the opponent approaches, Xu Qing suddenly bursts forth, his speed unleashed at full power, leaving behind mere afterimages. In the blink of an eye, he dodges the fat man’s body, and while the fat man is clearly stunned, Xu Qing has already reached behind him, raising his right hand and unleashing a punch with all his might. This is the first time Xu Qing uses all his combat power; the punch unleashes a series of cracking sounds, and when it lands on the fat man, it emits a loud bang. The fat man trembles violently, the barrier formed by the external airflow shattering inch by inch, and as his internal organs roll, blood spurts out with a cry of 'wah', and Xu Qing's eyes fill with murderous intent. As he raises his right hand, an iron spike appears, and his body swerves past the staggering fat man, the iron spike poised to pierce into the fat man's head. But in the next moment, Xu Qing's expression slightly changes, and he quickly retreats. Just as he steps back, a vicious glint appears in the fat man's eyes. Two black lines suddenly burst from his ears, one after the other, whistling sharply as they rush toward Xu Qing's face. Those two black lines are black, winged centipedes, moving extremely fast, already closing in, but Xu Qing's left hand draws out a dagger and swiftly slashes them apart. The last one, when severed, was less than seven inches away from Xu Qing's eyes. This perilous scene intensifies Xu Qing's murderous intent, and he charges again. Taking advantage of Xu Qing's earlier retreat, the fat man's internal organs have recovered somewhat. Now, his round body retreats rapidly, and he raises both hands to form a seal; his face instantly flushes red as he spits out a mouthful of poisonous mist at the approaching Xu Qing. The mist swirls, covering a large area, rapidly enveloping Xu Qing, sizzling sounds issuing from the ground beneath it, indicating its potent toxicity. After executing these moves, the fat man's complexion pales, his belly shrinks by a circle as he retreats again, his eyes filled with both malice and trepidation. Xu Qing's strength exceeds his expectations. He did not expect that with his third level of Qi Condensation and a full arsenal of poison attacks, he would almost be killed in one strike by the opponent. This poisonous mist is his trump card technique; if he still cannot deal with the opponent, he must call out to instill fear. But calling out would likely make it very difficult for him to obtain that item from Ma Si. Meanwhile, he actually has another forbidden item that he has yet to use; its side effects are immense, but he still takes it out—it is an amber. While hesitating in his heart, he looks towards the area where the mist is enveloping Xu Qing. But just as he looks, the mist violently swirls outward, and Xu Qing's figure suddenly bursts forth. The speed is so fast that it startles the fat man; his heart drops, and just as he is about to crush the amber and shout, it is already too late. A pitch-black iron spike, gleaming with extreme sharpness, arrives in an instant like a bamboo shoot piercing through its head, blood spraying out and splattering onto Xu Qing beside him. The fat man's body stiffens, wanting to turn his head but unable to, slowly collapsing to the ground, motionless. Without looking at the fat man's corpse, Xu Qing breathlessly observes his surroundings with vigilance. This place is remote; confirming that he has not attracted attention, he swiftly approaches the fat man's corpse and takes the leather bag. Just as he is about to stab with the venomous teeth, Xu Qing notices that the fat man's right hand seems to be grasping something. He pries open the fat man's fingers and sees a piece of amber that is already mostly shattered. This item appears ordinary, with nothing remarkable, except that it contains a scorpion tail. Xu Qing carefully retrieves it, systematically dismantles the corpse, and after it turns to blood water, he swiftly departs. As he walks, he wipes the blood off his body, disappearing into the night. Seventh Master and his servant emerge from the darkness at this moment. Looking at the place where Xu Qing disappeared, Seventh Master seems not very concerned about the recent battle between Xu Qing and the fat man, but instead ponders for a moment, revealing a look of realization. "I see, that kid didn’t wear the new clothes because he was afraid of getting blood on them; he has become poor and cherishes his clothes." The servant beside him also breathes a sigh of relief. For the entire day, Seventh Master has been pondering why that kid didn't wear the new clothes; now he finally has the answer, so he doesn't have to think about it every time he hears it. ---- Although two chapters have been updated, each is quite long; this chapter is nearly 4500 words, and the next is also close to 4000 words. It could have been split into three chapters, but I think it's unnecessary as it would disrupt the integrity of the chapters. I hope my sincerity can be felt by everyone; thank you for the support, brothers and sisters. (End of this chapter)