The Puppet 3

The journey to Changqing City was more boring than Qin Feng had expected. And there were no hindrances to his using his Lightness-of-Body martial abilities, the moment that he was outside the School. Sneaking across the Formation that had been laid over the Heaven Sword School had also been simpler than he had expected, after Elder Ming Guanhe had told him about all of the flaws of the same.

The trip still took him quite a bit of time, and he was chary to using his inner qi to move any faster. The puppet could only hold recuperate slowly, based on Qin Feng's barely adequate Foundation level, so it would be a little risky, if he were to consume all of his qi before he got to the city itself.

Besides, it was night when he left the Mountain, so it was pointless to go too fast, and arrive at Changqing before the City Gates were open. That would be a waste of his energies, if he did that.

So he held himself back, so as to save on his inner energy, while travelling at a more or less adequate speed. And arrived at the city shortly after the sun had risen, and the City Gates were open to admit visitors into the same.

The sight of the city was enough to make him slow down, so that he could take a better look at the place. The Gate was large enough, so he thought that he could simply peer through it to see the streets beyond. But the number of people gathered before it, and meandering about the square immediately after the Gate, blocked most of the view. Not to mention the guards that were doing the checks on the same.

Disappointed that he couldn't really take a good look, Qin Feng nonetheless stepped into line behind the rest of the pedestrians walking into the city. The traffic was rather substantial, so he was rather confident that this Changqing City had suitably large medicine shops that were likely to have the Purple Blood Ginger that he wanted.

Hopefully, he did not have to trade in all of what he had, to get his hands on a stalk of the same. Although that would be enough to justify the investment that Elder Ming had made on his behalf, it was a little too expensive, in his opinion. And certainly not worth the amount of work that he had put in, from where he stood.

"Stop right there! Yes, you! You stupid peasant scum. What are you going into the City for? What are you carrying?"

Qin Feng stopped, along with the four or five men who were standing around him, and looked up. There were three guardsmen, clad in the leather and scale armor that was the uniform of the Gate Guard, who were clearly glaring at the lot of them. And one of the trio was pointing a finger directly at the group. And he didn't take too long to make it clear which of them he was talking to either.

"You! I'm talking to you in that fade green coat, you idiotic gatherer of waste! I just asked you a question! What is the answer? What are you carrying there?"

It only took him a moment to realize that the soldiers were directing their questions at him. Something that the other people around him had already picked up, since they had started stepping away from him the moment that was clear. The haughty, sneering looks on the trio of guards' faces made it rather obvious that they were up to no good. At least, as far as Qin Feng was concerned.

Qin Feng frowned before he could stop himself from doing so. What was going on? Were these guards trying to make trouble for him? What did they think to gain, from a herb-gatherer? The way that they were acting didn't make any sense at all!

Then it dawned on him.

The medicinal herbs that he was carrying had a rather distinctive fragrance, didn't they? Was that what captured their attention? Was that the reason behind their stopping him? This was merely an attempt to ask for a bribe, wasn't it?

However, if that was so, Qin Feng was certainly not about to agree to it. Besides, he didn't have any coin on him, save for the twenty, thirty silver coins that he had brought along with him. Yet, even if he had, he wasn't about to hand it off to these three idiots pretending to be guardsmen!

What sort of fools would ask for bribes so openly, in front of everyone at the City Gate?

"Didn't you hear me, you stupid peasant? Take out what you are carrying! And don't waste our time!" sneered one of the three in the guard uniform.

"Yes, why don't you just take everything out? Let us see what sort of nonsense you are thinking of bringing into the City, shall we? Stinky peasants like you like nothing more than smuggling a few contraband goods inside, don't you?"

The one had spoken last had placed his hand on the hilt of the saber that he had hanging from his belt, and was stepping forward even as he eyed Qin Feng with naked greed in his eyes. Which was more than sufficient to tell him that they were intending to snatch away whatever he was carrying at once.

Which was enough to make him take a step back, and adopt a standard defensive stance. His time in the Heaven Sword School had already ingrained that into him, and he felt into the posture without having to think about it.

His reaction, however, saw the other two brutes stepping forward as well, to flank the first guardsman who had approached him.

"What? You don't agree? Try anything and you'll have to face all the Guards here in the City! You lousy little peasant! Go ahead and resist if you dare!"

The mocking gaze from the trio of Gate Guards made it clear that what they were doing was outside of the rules set. And the reaction of the people around him, who were already pulling away, also told him that there wasn't anyone who was going to risk their own neck to stand up for him. He would either have to pay up, or lose everything that he had on him!

Which was, unfortunately, wholly unacceptable!

Qin Feng glared at the three men in their fancy armor, as he gave up trying to talk his way out of this. If violence was all that they understood, he would show them violence!

* * *