Urban Martial Saint

Chapter 1888 - 1888: Shan De Tea House

Ye Qing almost didn't sleep all night, lying in bed, unable to fall asleep, still thinking about what Zhao Chengshuang told him yesterday.Originally, Ye Qing planned to tell Fu Qingping about the Buddha's Relic yesterday, but Zhao Chengshuang interrupted, and he forgot to mention it. At around five in the morning, Ye Qing had just closed his eyes for a short while when the power in the Buddha's Relic in his right palm began to fluctuate.

The power of the Buddha's Relic within Ye Qing's body fluctuates once a day, confronting the power of the Devouring Demon Flower inside him. Ye Qing has long since gotten used to it; however, this morning, the early fluctuation of the Buddha's Relic's power was quite rare.

The power of the Buddha's Relic surged endlessly within Ye Qing's body, the immense power tearing at Ye Qing's body. The severe pain made it impossible for Ye Qing to fall asleep. Fortunately, the power of the Devouring Demon Flower appeared in time to help him withstand the power of the Buddha's Relic, thus saving Ye Qing's life. The two forces, just like before, surged and tumbled within Ye Qing, constantly confronting and tearing at each other. Despite having experienced this many times, the severe pain was still unbearable for him. Clenching his fists tightly, Ye Qing lay in bed almost until dawn, only then did the two forces slowly dissipate. At this point, Ye Qing was drenched in sweat from the pull of these two forces, and his clothes were soaked through.

Seeing that the sky was already bright, Ye Qing decided not to sleep anymore, got up to take a shower, changed clothes, and went out. Fu Qingping lived in the room next door, and Fu Qingping got up earlier than him in the morning, having just returned from a walk outside.

Although Fu Qingping was also nearing the end of his Lifespan, being extremely old, his demeanor was completely different from the reclusive masters Ye Qing had seen before. Those reclusive masters often carried a sense of deathly silence, and these individuals would typically only act when necessary to conserve Vital Energy. In contrast, Fu Qingping was no different from a normal person, even having a breath longer than young people. No wonder he dared to claim he could peek beyond the Acme realm; with his strength, he had truly reached the Peak of Absolute Peak, and a bit further he would surpass it. And, as he said, if he could surpass the Acme, his Lifespan would increase, which is one method of prolonging life.

Seeing Ye Qing's bad expression, Fu Qingping said, "What's the matter, didn't sleep all night?"

"Ah," Ye Qing sighed, noticing Fu Qingping still carrying the Qingping Sword, he couldn't help but be surprised. Fu Qingping always carried the Qingping Sword wherever he went, which was normal considering he is a swordsmanship expert; the Qingping Sword is his essence. However, this situation is acceptable in ancient times, but not suitable in modern times. When you carry a longsword outside, people would either think of you as an idiot or a terrorist.

"Master, you can't keep carrying the Qingping Sword like this," Ye Qing said softly.

"What's wrong?" Fu Qingping fiddled with the longsword behind him and said, "Is there something wrong with how I'm carrying it?"

"No…" Ye Qing was about to speak when a man suddenly turned from the staircase. As he was about to walk this way, he suddenly saw Fu Qingping standing in the middle of the road with a flowing white-haired and sword on his back, hesitated for a moment, then stared and said, "Wow, filming a movie?"

Ye Qing was momentarily speechless, as the man curiously looked at Fu Qingping, passing by them and taking a deliberate look before finally entering his room.

"What did he mean by that just now?" Fu Qingping asked curiously.

"Master, let's not talk about this now." Ye Qing opened his room, brought Fu Qingping inside, and said, "Master, in this era, carrying a longsword like this when you go out is too conspicuous."

"Oh?" Fu Qingping thought for a moment and said, "I was wondering why, walking around, people were staring at me all along the way."

After coming out of seclusion, Fu Qingping spent most of his time at the Seven Steering Committees of Hong Alliance's estate. The people there were not curious about his attire, and he rarely went out, so he didn't realize how curious outside people were about how he dressed. Hearing Ye Qing's words now, he indeed felt something was amiss.

"Master, wrap the longsword with this sheet and carry it on your back like this, then it won't be so conspicuous." Ye Qing pulled down the sheet casually; this method they often used. Including Huangfu Ziyu's Sun Shooting Bow, Cui Yulong's Ink Pattern Black Gold Blade, directly carrying them out would certainly be very eye-catching. So, they put them in wooden boxes and then wrapped them in cloth, making them less conspicuous.

Fu Qingping did not refuse, of course, he didn't want to be watched by people on the road, so he wrapped the longsword with the sheet. As for his flowing white hair, Ye Qing also found a hat for him to wear, covering his hair too, making him look just like a normally dressed elderly person, no longer eye-catching.

Ye Qing was taking Fu Qingping today to investigate the matters about Ye Jun Black Bear and Liu Mubai; there were definitely people watching here. If Fu Qingping still wore his previous outfit, it would be too conspicuous, and not suitable for handling matters outside. With a change of attire, it would be more convenient.

Having sorted everything out, Ye Qing and Fu Qingping went downstairs to have breakfast while Ye Qing explained the plan for the day to Fu Qingping.

According to the information Ye Qing got from Zhao Chengshuang, Liu Mubai was assaulted and injured at a place called Shan De Tea House. Hence, Shan De Tea House is Ye Qing's first destination for investigation.

After breakfast, it was already eight in the morning. The two left the hotel and took a taxi directly to Shan De Tea House. This tea house is quite famous in Xifu City, so the driver was quite familiar with the area. In less than half an hour, he dropped them off at Shan De Tea House.

Shan De Tea House is located near the edge of a market in the suburb of Xifu City. The tea house is a three-story building with a seemingly rustic style, giving off an elegant vibe. However, the presence of the flamboyantly dressed reception girls seriously lowered the tea house's class.

Ye Qing and Fu Qingping did not enter the tea house directly but first walked around it. Liu Mubai mentioned that he was assaulted at Shan De Tea House. Given Liu Mubai's prowess, if there was a fight, it would surely make a commotion that people around would hear. It might even have damaged something inside the tea house.

However, as Ye Qing circled the tea house, he saw no trace of a fight, which made him doubt whether the altercation had occurred inside the tea house.

With doubts in mind, Ye Qing instructed Fu Qingping to continue scouting outside the tea house while he headed to a nearby convenience store. This store was the closest building to the tea house. If something happened inside, the store's occupants would be the first to know. Seeking information from the shop owner here would be ideal.

The convenience store was small, with just a single storefront. The owner was a woman in her forties, sitting inside cracking sunflower seeds while watching TV.

Seeing the woman, Ye Qing felt a hint of joy. Women of this age are often quite curious and have a keen interest in gossip. They like to inquire about events and, when asked, tend to talk endlessly—making it perfect for gathering information about the tea house.

Ye Qing entered the store and said directly, "Big Sister, what's the most expensive liquor you have here?"

The woman was watching TV but, upon hearing this, a glimmer of excitement flashed in her eyes. Asking for the priciest option as soon as he entered meant this was a wealthy customer—a big deal indeed.

"Brother, the most expensive liquor I have is Maotai," the woman hurriedly replied.

"Oh, how much do you have?" Ye Qing asked again.

The woman grew more excited and replied quickly, "O... One case..."

"What's the price?" Ye Qing directly pulled out his wallet, poised as if ready to purchase.

The woman was nearly overwhelmed with surprise. Her batch of Maotai had dubious origins, priced too high, and had been unsold for half a year. She thought it might end up costing her. Unexpectedly, here came a wealthy customer ready to buy a whole case—such a lucrative deal indeed. Liquors, especially luxury ones, are inherently profitable.

Seeing Ye Qing's demeanor, the woman took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, "Brother, you know the price of Maotai. Since you're so straightforward, I won't offer a false price. Four bottles per case, I'll give it to you at cost for seven thousand. How about it?"

Ye Qing secretly chuckled at the woman's greed, having noticed that the Maotai she offered—even if genuine—was only worth seven or eight hundred per bottle. Calling out seven thousand meant eighteen hundred per bottle. Was she attempting to dupe him? Her business tactics are quite ruthless.

Seeing Ye Qing's silence, the woman grew nervous, wondering if her asking price was too steep. She hesitated, about to negotiate, but Ye Qing nodded directly and said, "Okay, I'll take it all!"

"Ah?" The woman widened her eyes, utterly shocked that her audacious price was met without a counteroffer—and accepted?

This wine had illegal origins, having been acquired from stolen goods, bought for just over a thousand per case. Selling it for seven thousand meant a pure profit of five to six thousand, equating to two months' income. The woman was stunned.

"What's wrong?" Noticing her expression, Ye Qing asked curiously, "I'm buying it all. Are you selling or not?"

"Well... Of course... Of course..." The woman stammered, pinching her thigh hard before regaining composure, replying quickly, "Of course, I'm selling, big brother. You really know quality. Selling this case of Maotai for seven thousand is absolutely worth it!"