After dealing with Le Li, Zhou Changqing waited until nightfall.
Under the cover of darkness, he stuffed the body into a burlap sack, carried it to a cliff in the southern part of the city, and tossed it over the edge.
Because Wu Tan City was situated against the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, it was nestled in a forested, mountainous region. Combined with its vast area, the city itself contained numerous peaks and sheer cliffs.
In the original story, the back mountain of the Xiao clan that Xiao Yan often frequented was just such a place.
Some city streets even had buildings on only one side, with the other side overlooking a deep abyss.
Disposing of a body was laughably easy. One simply had to find an uninhabited cliff and throw it over. No one would ever find it, and even if they did, the trail would never lead back to Zhou Changqing.
With that taken care of, Zhou Changqing returned to his small courtyard and went to sleep.
Several days passed without incident.
In this world, it was all too common for someone to die. No one would bat an eye.
Even the weapon workshop where Le Li had worked showed no reaction.
He was just a common laborer, not even a Dou Zhe. The city was full of them. It made no difference whether he was there or not; they could find a replacement in an instant.
Zhou Changqing had anticipated this, so he wasn't the least bit concerned about anyone investigating Le Li's disappearance.
The next day, he resumed his daily routine.
The days passed one by one.
Zhou Changqing's life was orderly. He split his time between cultivation and refining his Iron-Slicing Common Blade.
While refining the weapon, he constantly studied the art of smithing, jotting down new ideas and recording his experiences.
This made him increasingly proficient at refining the blade, and the time required for the process gradually decreased.
Of course, this period was not entirely uneventful.
One day, while out shopping, Zhou Changqing overheard an interesting piece of news.
It was about mercenaries.
Two of Wu Tan City's larger mercenary companies had clashed in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts over the rights to a high-tier, second-rank magical beast.
This sort of thing was quite common.
After all, Wu Tan City was close to the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, and countless mercenaries made their living hunting the creatures within.
When you have that many people, conflict is inevitable.
Arguments like "I saw that magical beast first" or "What are you looking at?" were a daily occurrence.
Furthermore, mercenaries lived a life of constant battle, making them hot-tempered by nature. They were the type to draw weapons at the slightest provocation.
As a result, a significant number of mercenaries died in such disputes every year.
The residents of Wu Tan City were long accustomed to it.
So, if it had been just that, it wouldn't have caused such a stir, nor would it have piqued Zhou Changqing's interest.
What truly caused the sensation and got everyone talking was the outcome of this particular conflict.
According to the rumors, the battle between the two mercenary companies was exceptionally brutal, and utterly one-sided.
And the one responsible for this devastating result was a mid-level member of one of the companies.
This mercenary was only a three-star Dou Shi, a rank that placed him merely in the upper-middle tier of his company.
Yet, it was this very mercenary who had displayed astonishing might during the battle. He went on a rampage, tearing through the enemy lines with impunity!
It was said that in this battle, he had personally killed four Dou Shi and over twenty Dou Zhe!
What's more, all four of those Dou Shi were of a higher realm than him, with the strongest having reached the level of a six-star Dou Shi.
He even managed to injure the leader of the rival mercenary company during the fight!
And that leader was a peak nine-star Dou Shi!
Thus, after this battle, the mercenary's terrifying combat record earned him immense fame. He became the hottest topic in Wu Tan City's mercenary circles! No one else even came close!
News about this mercenary spread like wildfire throughout the industry.
Beyond their shock at a three-star Dou Shi achieving such a brilliant record, people grew intensely curious about the source of his formidable power.
After much analysis and some leaks from those close to the mercenary, the public finally learned the root cause of his strength!
The reason was a weapon—the Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade!
According to the stories, the mercenary had recently acquired a weapon called the "Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade" by chance at the Xiao clan's marketplace.
This treasure blade could slice through iron as if it were mud and effortlessly sever hundred-times-refined steel. Against it, the Dou Qi Gauze condensed by a Dou Shi was no different from cloth.
Only the Dou Qi Gauze of a nine-star Dou Shi could offer some resistance.
And even then, it could at most block a single full-power strike from a Dou Shi wielding the blade. A second strike would shatter the defense.
That peak nine-star Dou Shi mercenary leader was injured precisely because he had been struck a second time!
When this news broke, it ignited a frenzy among countless people!
Who wouldn't want to possess such a divine weapon that could so drastically enhance one's strength?
Many mercenaries even visited the blade's owner, hoping to learn more about it and how they might acquire one.
They all left in disappointment after learning that there was only one such blade and that the seller was unknown.
Of course, there were those with malicious intent who schemed to kill him and seize the blade for themselves.
However, after the mercenary killed several six and seven-star Dou Shi who tried their luck, most people abandoned the idea.
Unless a Da Dou Shi expert were to intervene, even a nine-star Dou Shi would face a significant risk of death if they confronted the mercenary head-on without the element of surprise.
As for Da Dou Shi experts, while they might have a passing interest in the treasure blade, they wouldn't truly care about it.
Only upon reaching the Da Dou Shi realm would one understand that a so-called treasure blade was useless against Dou Qi Armor!
They were better off cultivating a powerful Dou Technique.
Thus, despite possessing a treasure that invited envy, the mercenary was spared a violent death.
Oh, and the mercenary's name was Wang Zhi!
...
A month later.
Zhou Changqing walked among the bustling, crowded streets.
Today, he was once again dressed in white robes, his long hair tied up with a guan. As his tall, well-proportioned figure moved, the hem of his robes swayed with the wind, giving him an air of someone soaring through the clouds.
This, combined with his handsome face—defined by slightly thick, sword-like eyebrows, a pair of bright peach blossom eyes, a high-bridged nose, and gentle lips—created an inexplicable sense of otherworldly grace.
Nearly every woman on the street, young and old, found their gaze drawn to him, lingering on his form.
His charming peach blossom eyes, which seemed filled with deep affection even when looking at a stray dog, were what captivated them most.
However, when their gazes fell upon the large, man-sized bundle strapped to Zhou Changqing's back, a hint of regret would appear on their faces.
The ethereal image of a handsome, graceful young master was utterly ruined by that package.
Zhou Changqing paid no mind to these stares. It had been this way every time he went out since he started to mature at the age of twelve.
He might have been a bit shy at first, but now, he was completely used to it.
Compared to the stares, Zhou Changqing was more concerned with the inconvenience.
"When I get some money, the first thing I'm doing is getting a storage ring. Otherwise, carrying things around is too much trouble."
With this thought, Zhou Changqing soon reached the end of the street.
Instantly, a massive edifice appeared before him.
A huge, gold-trimmed plaque hung on the crossbeam above the grand entrance.
And on that plaque were carved several large characters.
Mittel Auction House!
I saw the comments, and they gave me a good laugh. Someone actually said peach blossom eyes are effeminate?
Seriously, to all the dear readers who think so, could you please look up what peach blossom eyes are?
This eye shape isn't exclusive to women. Many men have it. Do you know Jiao Enjun? He has peach blossom eyes. Do you dare call Erlang Shen effeminate? Do you know Yan Yikuan? He has them too. Would you dare call him effeminate? I won't list them all, but there are many others.