Translator: AnubisTL
After the New Year, a shocking bounty notice was issued in Shengtian, startling the entire capital!
[Bounty Notice: Whoever brings the head of the Star-Stealing Divine Thief will be rewarded with 100,000 taels of silver. Whoever captures him alive will be rewarded with 300,000 taels of silver! Those who provide effective leads can claim 100 taels of silver at Prince Yu's Mansion!]
The notice also specifically stated that anyone could take on this bounty task, even if they were a wanted criminal with a death sentence. The Prince's Mansion was willing to pay the reward and would not trouble the claimant.
Madness! Utter madness! This was the first reaction of everyone in the capital upon seeing this bounty notice. Many even suspected it was a hoax.
Yet, the notice continued to be posted and spread, reaching every corner of Maple Country.
Li Qing, who was preparing to go up the mountain to hunt tigers, was also stunned when he saw the notice.
"What on earth did the Star-Stealing Divine Thief do to provoke Prince Yu to such an extent?"
When Li Qing first arrived in Shengtian, he only knew that the Star-Stealing Divine Thief had stolen a centuries-old Old Mountain Ginseng that Prince Yu's Mansion had specifically requested.
At that time, Prince Yu's Mansion hadn't reacted much, merely allowing Quanshan Medicine Hall to pursue the thief while providing some covert assistance.
Who would have thought that within a few months, Prince Yu's Mansion would offer hundreds of thousands of taels of silver as a bounty for the Star-Stealing Divine Thief? It seemed they were determined to deal with this mysterious thief at any cost.
Instantly, the entire city of Shengtian was in an uproar.
Wealth stirs the hearts of men, especially when the amount is so exaggerated and breathtaking. It was bound to drive people to madness.
Many speculated that even the Star-Stealing Divine Thief himself might consider turning himself in to claim the reward.
Though the spring chill was biting, it couldn't freeze the fervor in people's hearts.
With the massive bounty notice issued, countless people in Shengtian sprang into action, seemingly ready to turn the capital upside down.
In recent days, even Li Qing's blacksmith shop had been visited by several people conducting inquiries and asking various questions.
From these signs, it was clear how resolute Prince Yu's Mansion was in its determination.
Several more days passed, and the enthusiasm for finding the Star-Stealing Divine Thief in the capital hadn't waned much when Prince Yu's Mansion stirred up another commotion.
At the execution ground in Shengtian, a well-known landscape painter was brought to the guillotine and publicly beheaded.
The elderly painter wept bitterly, his eyes filled with indignation.
"I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
Unfortunately, the executioner had heard the word "innocent" countless times, and his heart had long grown cold and unfeeling.
With a single chop of the blade!
The painter's head rolled to the ground, and crimson blood spilled across the earth.
Most crucially, the crime this person had committed was not publicly disclosed by the authorities but kept secret.
Instantly, a cloud of mystery enveloped the entire capital.
Following the beheading of the old painter, Prince Yu's Mansion released another bombshell.
A portrait of the Star-Stealing Divine Thief! This was like a bombshell, shaking the entire population of the capital.
After such a long time of being hunted, the Star-Stealing Divine Thief finally had a real face.
It was worth noting that before this, no one even knew what this thief looked like. Even those who were eager to track him down found it nearly impossible.
"This is quite interesting. I must see what this Star-Stealing Divine Thief looks like."
Even Li Qing couldn't help but feel a bit of curiosity, wanting to see what kind of person could provoke Prince Yu's Mansion to such an extent.
At the end of Chiming Street, a crowd of neighbors had gathered, all intrigued by the newly posted wanted poster.
The portrait was clearly the work of a master artist, with bold and realistic lines, capturing the subject's likeness vividly.
On the wanted poster was a strikingly handsome man, with sharp eyebrows and star-like eyes, a hint of a roguish smile often playing on his lips.
The moment Li Qing saw the portrait, his eyes narrowed slightly. He looked familiar!
Soon, someone exclaimed in surprise.
"I've seen him! I've seen him!"
With a sudden commotion, the crowd parted, revealing an excited man who, from his appearance, was clearly a seasoned traveler of the martial world.
"I saw this man at the tavern on the next street!"
Yes, it was him.
Li Qing also confirmed that the man on the wanted poster was the same man he had often seen drinking at the tavern, not using a cup but drinking directly from the jug.
Moreover, he had seen this man at the tavern more than once, and it was certain that he was a heavy drinker.
"Hahaha! I'm off to the prince's mansion to claim the reward!" The man who recognized the wanted poster laughed heartily as he hurried towards the inner city of Shengtian.
The crowd watched his retreating figure with envy. Just by providing a lead on the Star-Stealing Divine Thief, he could probably claim fifty taels of silver.
Although Li Qing had also seen the Star-Stealing Divine Thief, he preferred to avoid trouble and had no intention of competing for the silver.
He didn't need the money, and the fact that the prince's mansion hadn't disclosed the thief's martial level after such a long time was concerning.
What if he was an Inner Strength expert, and one skilled in lightness techniques at that? That would be troublesome.
Uninterested in getting involved with the wanted poster, Li Qing stayed in his blacksmith shop as the warm spring had yet to arrive, starting to forge a new set of armor for himself.
"The armor should have steel spikes, especially for dealing with tigers in the mountains."
"Besides, it's best to carry a sharp weapon. The Peerless Hammer is too cumbersome for hunting tigers and might not be effective."
Yes, Li Qing was already preparing to hunt tigers.
His martial progress had slowed down these days, and he saw no signs of breaking through to the Inner Strength level.
Helpless, he turned his attention to the tigers at Small Jade Ridge.
Although he had a long lifespan and could afford to wait and train slowly.
With time, he would undoubtedly reach the Inner Strength level.
However, Shengtian had become increasingly chaotic due to the Star-Stealing Divine Thief's antics, with martial experts from all over gathering here, hoping to claim the hefty bounty.
Outer Strength experts, who were rarely seen outside major martial schools, had become more common, and Li Qing had spotted more than one in the tavern these past few days.
"Take the tiger bones, brew medicinal wine, and when summer comes, start brewing the Five Poisons Wine."
"Hmm! The Martial Path looks promising!"
Just as Li Qing was muttering to himself in satisfaction, an unexpected visitor arrived at the blacksmith shop.
"Li Qing, are you the blacksmith here?"
Several constables dressed in identical uniforms, with standard long swords hanging at their waists, walked in.
Seeing them, he felt a slight chill in his heart and instinctively tightened his qi and blood, not wanting to reveal his Martial Path cultivation.
"It's me, sirs. Is there something you need?" Li Qing asked with a forced smile.
"No need to be nervous. We're just here to ask you a few questions," the constable said with a cold expression.
(End of the Chapter)
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