Translator: AnubisTL
"Wei Tian!"
At Tian Long’s loud call, Wei Tian emerged from a side room of the mansion, holding two animal skin scrolls in his hands.
These two scrolls did not contain martial arts secrets but rather two medicinal wine recipes. Li Qing had long coveted these recipes, which was why he had cooperated with Tian Long in attacking the Yan Family.
Tian Long took the two wine recipes and sighed, "Ah, it’s been a long time since I last drank. I really wish I could have a hearty drink again."
With that, Tian Long handed the two recipes to Li Qing.
"Brother Li, take these. Originally, the Yan Family had three wine recipes, but one of them was improperly stored and has been ruined over the years."
"If we were in an era with sunlight, these recipes would be invaluable, comparable to some of the finest internal martial arts."
Li Qing’s heart raced slightly, but his expression remained calm.
He took the recipes and immediately began examining the brewing steps and the required ingredients.
"Five Poisons Blood-Activating Wine. Main ingredients: venomous snake, black scorpion, centipede, blister beetle, and stinkbug. Supplementary ingredients: old camphor tree root, polygonatum..."
As the name suggested, this wine was used to activate blood circulation. The ingredients were terrifying—each main ingredient was highly toxic and could easily kill an adult.
Brewing wine with such deadly poisons was unheard of.
Apart from the difficulty in finding the ingredients, the brewing method was also extremely demanding in this era, making it nearly impossible to achieve.
After reading this recipe, Li Qing’s face showed a troubled expression.
"No wonder the Yan Family, despite their power, couldn’t brew this medicinal wine. These ingredients are almost impossible to find nowadays, and some of them I’ve never even heard of."
Tian Long also sighed, "Indeed. This Five Poisons Wine even requires being buried in the soil during the scorching summer, relying on the seasonal changes to refine it for three years before it can be unearthed. In this freezing cold, where can we find such an environment?"
Master Mo Nan, who was eating meat heartily nearby, couldn’t help but lament, "The path of martial arts is nearing its end..."
The second recipe was called Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine. The brewing method for this one was simpler, not requiring the harsh conditions of the Five Poisons Wine. However, the main and supplementary ingredients were equally difficult to gather.
The main ingredients included the spine bone, tail bone, and tiger penis of a fierce tiger, supplemented by various precious herbs such as angelica, ginseng, fleeceflower root, and ganoderma... Even if he returned to the Maple Country, collecting these materials would come at a significant cost, requiring at least several hundred taels of silver.
Seeing the troubled look on Li Qing’s face, Tian Long laughed heartily, "Hahaha, Brother Li, I know your dedication to martial arts is unwavering. In the future, I’ll have the Righteous Gang help you collect these wine ingredients. You can also freely browse the martial arts manuals hidden in the Yan Family’s library. Learn whatever you want, don’t lose heart!"
Having worked together to overthrow the Yan Family, the success of this endeavor was largely due to Li Qing’s efforts. Otherwise, Tian Long would still be just a gang leader.
Now, Tian Long and Li Qing had grown much closer, and their trust in each other was considerable.
Li Qing understood Tian Long’s intentions. Although his expression appeared regretful, he couldn’t contain the joy in his heart.
These two wine recipes were of immeasurable value to him. Although the ingredients were difficult to collect, once he returned to Maple Country, everything would no longer be a problem.
Suppressing his excitement, Li Qing spoke in a grateful tone, "Thank you so much, Leader!"
After the great battle, the Yan residence was ablaze with lights that night, the aroma of food wafting throughout the estate.
This victory banquet also more or less established some of the future regulations of Blackrock City.
The Righteous Gang would replace the Yan Family, and many trusted confidants who had participated in the battle and played significant roles, such as Zhao Kou and Wei Tian, received substantial rewards.
As for Li Qing, he had no interest in power and repeatedly declined Tian Long’s offer of the position of second-in-command, insisting on only being a patron in the Righteous Gang. He was content with forging iron daily and perusing the martial arts manuals in the armory. Seeing Li Qing’s firm stance, Tian Long didn’t press further.
Master Mo Nan, who practiced internal martial arts, also took up a patron position in the Righteous Gang, essentially not involved in the daily management of the gang’s affairs, much like Li Qing, serving as a mascot and enforcer for the gang.
Thus, the Righteous Gang once again gathered a large group of people, with three Outer Strength experts at its helm, making its position quite secure.
After the banquet, news of the Yan Family’s massacre and their replacement by the Righteous Gang finally spread throughout Blackrock City.
Immediately, it caused widespread exclamations.
"The Yan Family was actually wiped out? That’s unbelievable."
"The Righteous Gang is ruthless. I thought they were just making small moves, but I didn’t expect them to dare to do such a thing."
"I heard the Yan residence was stained with blood, and not a single family member was spared!"
"Hiss~"
"What about the land outside the city? Since the Yan Family is gone, does that mean..."
"Ha, don’t think too much. The Righteous Gang isn’t exactly benevolent. The land has just shifted from the Yan Family to the Righteous Gang."
"That’s true..."
"Sigh, I wonder how much Dark Wheat Mushroom the Righteous Gang will demand. I hope it’s not too high."
"..."
On Zhengming Street, at Old Man An’s house, which was opposite Li Qing’s home.
Old Man An, who had been on edge all this time, was overjoyed upon hearing the news of the Yan Family’s demise!
The fall of the Yan Family meant he could resume his former livelihood to support himself and no longer worry about his granddaughter being targeted by the Yan Family’s second young master.
However, the thought that Li Qing might have fallen victim to the Righteous Gang dampened his spirits.
For the common folk, the fall of the Yan Family didn’t significantly impact their lives. Things remained as they were before.
It was just a matter of the Yan Family being replaced by the Righteous Gang, and this Righteous Gang might not be any better.
Tian Long, now in power, was well aware of the general sentiment among the people of Blackrock City.
To stabilize public sentiment, he issued his first decree immediately.
"From now on, only sixty percent of the harvest from the Dark Wheat Mushroom fields outside the city needs to be handed over!"
As soon as this decree was issued, the entire city’s populace erupted in jubilation. Even they could now feel the benefits brought about by the downfall of the Yan Family.
For a time, the Righteous Gang became the people’s favorite, and everyone in the city forgot about their previously notorious reputation.
Yet, the so-called benefit was merely a reduction of one-tenth in the collection of Dark Wheat Mushrooms.
(End of the Chapter)
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