Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 2410 - The Old Woman Was Beaten Up, Wu Clan's Dalang 

Tantai Lingyan left. This time around, Qing Shui didn't stop her as some things needed time and couldn’t be forced. He was prepared. Even if he had to pursue her all over again, he would still get her heart back.

Qing Shui returned to the manor he had just bought. It was still early when he went out, but now it was almost dark.

It seemed that the old woman hadn't returned yet. It was understandable as there tended to be more people patronizing the stalls at night, and the night market was even more lively. The crowd would continue on from the afternoon all the way to 3 or 4 a.m.

At this time, Qing Shui saw the little boy was about to go out and look for his grandmother. He smiled and nodded. "Come, I'll take you there!"

"Master, I'll be fine by myself," said the little boy quickly.

"I'll go with you to get your grandmother to come back. In the future, there's no need to set up the stall till this late," Qing Shui smiled and said.

Qing Shui told the two ladies and the others that he was going out and brought the little boy to the food street. He saw that the old woman's stall had a lot of people right now, completely different from how it was when he first saw it. Right now, a queue had formed before the old woman's stall just like how it was for other stalls, although it wasn't very long.

When the old woman saw Qing Shui and the little boy, she greeted them happily. Qing Shui got the old woman to continue with her work because he saw that she didn't have many ingredients left. It would be fine to just sell everything before heading back.

"Mister, there's no need to queue. There aren't many ingredients left. You can come back tomorrow." Qing Shui saw a man joining the queue and went up to tell him.

That man smiled, nodded to Qing Shui and left. Qing Shui then stopped a few others from joining the queue.

The old woman's ingredients were all used up, and the people who had joined the queue earlier had all managed to buy some food.

"Madam, come, let's head back home. In the future, you don't need to set up the stall at night. Just open your stall until afternoon," Qing Shui smiled and said.

"Mister, but there are a lot more people at night," The old woman gave it some thought and said.

"There's no end to the money one can earn. It's fine to just have enough as the time spent with your grandson is more important. Moreover, it doesn't necessarily mean that the longer you set up your stall, the more money you will make. When we go back, I'll teach you some things so that you don't have to be out for so long but still be able to earn money." Qing Shui smiled confidently.

"Really? Thank you, mister," said the old woman agitatedly.

After Qing Shui went back, he taught the old woman how to create a type of seasoning. It was just an ordinary seasoning, but the means of making it was different. He used the same ingredients she did previously but added some others to improve the taste by many levels.

Qing Shui didn't give the old woman his own blended spices. It was fine for their own consumption, but he wasn't planning on giving them to others so that they could make a business out of them. It wasn't that he couldn't bear to part with them, but that he didn't wish to create trouble for the old woman. Although they were just spices, under the gazes of evil, greedy people, the possessor would still be in mortal danger.

Therefore, it was enough for Qing Shui to teach the old woman how to prepare this kind of basic seasoning. At this level, the food would already taste very delicious, and it wouldn't be a problem to ensure the old woman lived a great, happy life.

The old woman wasn’t actually that ‘old’, as she was barely in her 70s. To ordinary people, it would mean to have already spent most of their lives, but Qing Shui had already helped her become a Xiantian cultivator; thus, she still had a lot of lifespan left. There wouldn't be a problem for her to become wealthy. Moreover, when he left this place, he would also give the manor to the old woman.

On the third day, Qing Shui helped to treat the Palace Lord Tang Yude's injuries. Tang Yude was considered to be quite strong already, and they had also found the Sacred Blue Immortal Grass. This time around, Qing Shui stayed there for two days and told Tang Yude that there shouldn't be any more problems after he rested for slightly over a month.

Tang Yude, Palace Lord Xiao, Tang Yude's wife, and the others were very thankful toward Qing Shui.

"Mister Qing, you're also a Battle God. What guidance do you have for our current situation? The Demon Gate is pushing in close on us, and a portion of the people from our Divine Palace have been forced to leave." Palace Lord Xiao looked at Qing Shui and said.

"I'll handle this during this period of time. There's no need to worry. They'll also be leaving this place not long later," Qing Shui gave it some thought and said.

"We'll have to trouble Mister Qing then," said Palace Lord Xiao happily.

The reason Qing Shui said this was because he had met Tantai Lingyan previously. He had no idea if the Demon Gate would lay their hands on the Divine Palace, but if they dared to do so, he wouldn't mind wiping them out. Right now, even Tantai Lingyan wouldn't be able to do anything to him.

Qing Shui felt that Tantai Lingyan shouldn't be his match in the Forsaken Heaven City. However, he wouldn't hurt this woman. He couldn't get himself to do it. 

Qing Shui didn't go to the Divine Palace anymore, and in his free time, he would stroll around in the Forsaken Heaven City or guide others in their cultivation. The little boy was very hardworking and improved very quickly.

However, a week later, in the late afternoon, someone brought the old woman to the manor. The old woman had been beaten up, and all her four limbs had been broken. These people charged inside the manor violently. 

"Who is this old woman's family? Get out here." A young man shouted the moment he entered.

There were about 30 of them in the group; all of them were wearing warrior attire.

Qing Shui and the others heard the noise and came out. When Qing Shui saw the old woman's state, he flared up. He looked at the young man. "Who are you?"

Qing Shui had the urge to kill this guy directly for treating an old person so harshly. The old woman was kind hearted but to think that she had been beaten up so badly.

"Who am I? I'm Wu Dalang. She put poison in the Mud Dragonfish she sold me. I want to know who incited her to do that." The young man looked at Qing Shui in amusement.

"Mister, I didn't use any poison. He wanted the recipe for my seasoning, but I didn't give it to him," the old woman said.

"Old woman, did we not beat you up badly enough? Break another chunk of her leg," said the young man casually.

This wasn't just it. He also turned his gaze to the ladies behind Qing Shui. Each of them was an unparalleled beauty.

"Grandmother! I'll fight it out with you guys!" The little boy cried and was about to dash out.

Qing Shui pulled him back. "Don't move. I'll help you to take revenge."

A man next to the old woman put out his leg and was about to stomp down on her left leg.

Qing Shui put out his hand and performed a Dragon-capturing Hand. He grabbed that man, threw him to the ground, and stomped down on him.

Pa...

Ahhh...

The man cried out agonizingly, and Qing Shui shattered the joints of his four limbs.

Right now, Qing Shui knew that this group of people had their eyes on the old woman's recipe.

It was only then did Qing Shui look toward the young man. "You're Wu Dalang right?"

Qing Shui wasn't unfamiliar with this name. It was a name that was common in the ancient times of his previous life [1]. Thus, this name wasn't that uncommon in this world, nor was it funny. He had heard of people with this name before. There were many people called Dalang and also quite a number of people who were called Dalang and had the surname Wu.

"How dare you beat up my people. Why don't you go ask around who I, Wu Dalang, am in this Forsaken Heaven City?" Qing Shui continued to look calmly at this young man.

Qing Shui really did not care about this young man. Moreover, this Wu Dalang was merely a Martial King, a profligate son. If it wasn't because he thought that killing this guy would be going too easy on him, then he'd have just done it.

"Is he very famous?" Qing Shui walked over directly and asked as he helped the old woman fix her bones.

His technique was very skillful, and the old woman was quickly able to get back to her feet. Although she wouldn't be able to recover in such a short period of time, she was able to stand up miraculously.

"The Forsaken Heaven City's Nine Continents Martial Association belongs to my grandfather. You're doomed if you dare to offend me." Wu Dalang looked at Qing Shui as if he was looking at a dead man.

The Nine Continents Martial Association... Qing Shui hadn't expected to meet them here. In the past, he had killed a young man from the Nine Continents Martial Association. Compared to this useless guy, that person could be considered a genius. He had met that guy in the Golden Primordial Bear's grave, and in the end, that guy from the Nine Continents Martial Association died in Khaosan City.

[1] Also the name of a character in the novel, Water Margin, written by Shi Nai'an.