Jiang Ping'an changed his clothes, looking disheveled, with his long hair covering half his face, as he stood at the entrance of the county town.
"Entry tax, five copper coins!" a soldier stopped Jiang Ping'an.
Jiang Ping'an, with a pained expression, carefully pulled five copper coins from his bag and reluctantly handed them over.
He wasn't short on money now, but he had to pretend to be, otherwise, these guys would be insatiable and demand more.
Only after receiving the money did the soldier put his weapon away.
Jiang Ping'an actually didn't want to come to the county town; he didn't believe that the most dangerous place was the safest.
The reason he came to the county town was purely to understand some things.
What was the Blood Qi Art, what was a Blood Qi Pill, what was the specific combat power of these soldiers, and what Rank was his current combat power at?
He knew nothing.
Knowing oneself and one's enemy leads to victory in every battle; a rash conflict with the enemy would be unwise.
For example, in the previous battle, he didn't know that Cultivators shouldn't easily engage in close combat with Martial Artists, which was why he almost got killed.
He came this time to gather information.
This was his second time in Pingshui County.
He had come once before with his father, and the first time, he was shocked by its prosperity.
His childhood dream was to leave the village and live here.
People's faces on the streets used to be full of smiles; now, they were almost never seen.
Passing by a teahouse, he heard lively conversations inside, so he went in, ordered a cup of tea, and quietly sat in a corner.
"The front lines lost again."
"These guys really have a problem in their heads; our Lingtai Kingdom is clearly not strong, yet we were incited to start a war, and it's us common people who suffer!" an old man said resentfully.
"Shhh, you can't say that!" someone quickly reminded him.
"What can't be said? Look at the Great Xia Kingdom, how good they are to their people. During wartime, they exempt various taxes, and their people also help the country. Look at our Lingtai Kingdom, it's nothing but rubbish!"
"Don't talk about that. Did you hear? Someone in Dahe Village killed many soldiers."
A well-informed middle-aged man spoke up.
"Really? Who's that bold?"
"The specifics aren't clear, but many soldiers died, and many more were dispatched there."
"Serves them right! Good riddance!"
Many people in the teahouse showed smiles on their faces.
Jiang Ping'an said nothing, quietly sitting in the corner, listening to the discussions around him.
Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, he knew that the path he was taking was correct.
He also learned that not all countries oppressed their lower-class citizens like Pingshui County; for example, the Great Xia Kingdom was not excessive.
Above the teahouse was the lodging, and Jiang Ping'an stayed there. For the next few days, besides Cultivating, he would go downstairs to listen to everyone's various stories.
Having lived in the village his whole life, he heard many things he had never known.
When the topic of Cultivators and soldiers came up, he would subtly interject a few words to better gather information.
After five or six days of investigation, he got the information he wanted.
Pingshui County has four thousand Iron Cavalry, three thousand of whom are stationed on the border near the Great Xia Kingdom.
Pingshui County soldiers are divided into five Ranks: the first Rank is General, the second Rank is Battalion Commander, the third Rank is Company Commander, then Platoon Leader, and finally, ordinary soldiers.
These people practice Martial Arts, Cultivating the Blood Qi Art, which makes people stronger after Cultivation.
His current strength is equivalent to a low-Rank Company Commander, far inferior to a Battalion Commander, and even some powerful Company Commanders.
He heard people say that a Battalion Commander's strength is equivalent to a Cultivator's Qi Condensation sixth to ninth layer.
Generals are even stronger, at Qi Condensation tenth layer, and there are even rumors that Generals have reached the Martial Master level, equivalent to Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Another book he confiscated, called 'Phantom Blade,' is a Martial Skill with three layers, a common Martial Skill in Pingshui County.
Learning the first layer can generate one phantom blade image, the second layer two, and the third layer three.
The higher the Cultivation layer, naturally, the more powerful it is.
Upon learning this news, Jiang Ping'an secretly felt a chill.
Cui Xiao, whom he fought, had only learned the first layer of 'Phantom Blade' and was only a low-Rank Company Commander.
If the opponent had been a bit stronger, he would definitely be dead now.
Jiang Ping'an also gained some understanding of the Cultivator Realm; it turns out that Cultivation does not mean becoming an Immortal, but merely becoming stronger than ordinary people.
For Cultivators to become powerful, they need to learn spellcasting, but he didn't have any, only a breathing and exhalation method.
"A wanted poster has been put up at the city gate! It's the wanted poster for the one who killed Company Commander Cui Xiao! It turns out the culprit is a child!"
A person walked into the teahouse, loudly sharing the news he had just received.
"A child? Really? How could a teenager kill a Company Commander who's so powerful?"
The guests in the teahouse were very shocked.
They had been discussing this matter these days, but they didn't know the culprit was a teenager.
"Of course, it's true! I saw the portrait with my own eyes!"
"I heard that those soldiers searched for him for many days and couldn't find him, suspecting that he might have run into some town, so they made a wanted poster..."
The person sharing the news suddenly saw something, his pupils suddenly contracted, and then he quickly turned his head away.
"Wanted posters are being put up at the city gates now, and in other towns too. If I were that teenager, I'd quickly run east; the mountains there are steep, and horses can't go up, just be careful of bandits, there are many bandits there."
Jiang Ping'an adjusted his hat and walked out of the teahouse as if nothing had happened. After leaving the teahouse, he quickly walked towards the East City Gate.
After Jiang Ping'an had walked far away, the person who shared the news finally looked up and murmured, "Teenager, live on."
Soon, many people saw Jiang Ping'an's portrait.
Those who frequently drank tea in the teahouse were greatly shocked when they saw the portrait.
Isn't this the teenager who often sat in the corner?
He actually dared to come to Pingshui County Town!
Jiang Ping'an arrived at the East City Gate, wearing a straw hat, and walked out unhurriedly.
Everyone was looking at the portrait at the gate, their attention not on him.
"Stop!"
A soldier suddenly shouted.
Jiang Ping'an's heart tightened, and he was about to run.
"Open your bag, let me see what good things are inside." The soldier said greedily.
He saw that Jiang Ping'an was alone, and from his side profile, he looked like a child, but his bag was bulging, perhaps containing something valuable that could be stolen.
Jiang Ping'an adjusted his hat and handed over the bag.
It was full of clothes, with a few copper coins.
The soldier threw the clothes on the ground and unceremoniously put the copper coins into his pocket.
"Get lost... Wait a minute! You are..."
"Pfft~"
Jiang Ping'an drew the opponent's knife and quickly cut off his leg.
You were focused on robbing my money, why did you have to look closer!
The soldiers here do not have the same protection as the Great Xia Kingdom's soldiers; if they become disabled in battle, they are abandoned.
Killing such a scoundrel would be too easy for him; directly crippling him and letting him be abandoned until he starves to death is far more painful.
"Ah~"
A piercing scream echoed throughout the East City Gate.
Jiang Ping'an didn't want to act, but the other party forced him.
He snatched a horse and charged out of the city.
"The culprit! That teenager is the one who killed the Company Commander!"
Hearing this, the soldiers who had originally intended to stop him instantly scattered.
This guy could even kill a Company Commander; facing trash soldiers like them, wouldn't it be one slice per person? Whoever blocked him would die.
"Quickly report to the superiors! Say that the person who killed the Company Commander escaped through the East Gate!"
"Damn! This kid is really bold, he actually dared to run into the city!"
"Chase him quickly, don't let him escape!"
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