Ten years of dormancy: Starting as a martial arts master at the pinnacle

At the Beggars' Sect's martial arts tournament.

The newly appointed Li Changqing, along with Bai Futong, Yang Potian, and several other nine-bag elders of the Beggars' Clan, toasted and thanked the heroes of the martial arts world who had come to show their support.

"This is Liu Buren, the deputy sect leader of the Five Tigers Sect."

"Sect Leader Liu!"

Li Changqing cupped his hands in greeting.

Upon seeing Li Changqing, Liu Buren's face flushed with excitement.

What makes him worthy of being toasted by a master of the Great Free and Unfettered Realm?

"Chief Chen, Liu..."

Li Changqing waved his hand, stopping the other person from speaking: "The fact that Sect Leader Liu came to support my Beggars' Sect shows that he considers my disciples as friends. In the future, if Sect Leader Liu needs anything, as long as it does not violate the spirit of chivalry, my disciples will certainly not stand idly by."

Liu Buren's eyes widened in astonishment.

He felt that he had received a promise from a master of the Great Freedom Realm.

Then he'll be able to do whatever he wants in the Five Tigers Sect from now on.

Even their sect leader doesn't have that much influence to be able to associate with a top expert in the Great Freedom Realm.

of course.

He would never use such a large favor if he could handle something on his own.

He would only turn to the Beggars' Sect for protection if it was a matter of life and death.

Looking at Liu Buren, he seemed about to burst into tears.

Bai Futong's eyes crinkled with a smile.

Who would have thought that this Sect Leader Liu would be so easily fooled?

Their leader never mentioned repaying a favor. He only said that if the other party was in trouble, the Beggars' Sect disciples would not stand idly by.

This standard is extremely practical.

They chose to help out of consideration for each other, out of loyalty and compassion.

If they don't intervene, they'll just say that the Beggars' Sect disciples helped, but the Beggars' Sect's experts just happened to be absent.

In contrast, judging from Liu Buren's demeanor, if the Beggars' Sect needs his help in the future, he will undoubtedly spare no expense or time, as long as it's within his capabilities...

"As expected of the leader of our Beggars' Sect, he speaks so eloquently!"

The beggar spoke rudely and couldn't even get food.

From this perspective, their ability to make grand promises and say nice things to their leader has reached an unparalleled level.

"These are the two leaders of the Kyoto Twin Dragons Gang. Wang Dalong and Wang Erlong!"

"Greetings, Chief Wangs! I, Chen, have long admired your names since I was in Kyoto. It's an honor to meet you today; let's be friends from now on. I'll drink first as a sign of my respect!"

Compared to his relationship with Liu Buren, Li Changqing was noticeably more enthusiastic towards the local gangsters of Kyoto, the Erlong Gang.

The two were equally flattered and drank the large bowls in one gulp.

What does it mean to drink wine from a large bowl and eat meat in large bites?

At this gathering of heroes, the truth will be revealed.

Li Changqing's internal energy only needed to circulate within his body once. The wine he drank would instantly evaporate completely.

It wasn't that he wanted to cheat or shirk responsibility.

As the gang leader, Li Changqing would have to toast at least 80 or 90 tables, if not a hundred.

Putting aside Li Changqing's alcohol tolerance for the moment, even his stomach couldn't hold that much water.

After downing dozens of bowls of baijiu, Li Changqing remained calm and composed, without uttering a sound.

This shocked all the heroes of the martial arts world.

Unexpectedly, a master of the Great Freedom Realm was so approachable and showed no disdain for them.

Yang Potian's strength is already considered top-tier among these thousands of martial arts masters.

It can basically be ranked in the top ten.

Even the mighty Yang Potian couldn't withstand a single move from Li Changqing.

Such terrifyingly powerful experts are something that people can only dream about, even if they completely disregard them.

They absolutely dared not utter the slightest opinion on the surface.

But Li Changqing didn't do that at all; he treated them as equal friends.

I wouldn't dare say all of them, but at least more than half of those who were toasted by Li Changqing considered the Beggars' Sect as friends.

Bai Futong's old face was practically beaming with joy.

In the past, it wasn't so easy for the Beggars' Sect to associate with these forces.

Even if they were both Grandmasters, knowing they were from the Beggars' Sect, they would still look down on them with half an eyelid.

Having a leader makes all the difference.

Everyone was very polite, and even those who had no intention of associating with the Beggars' Sect dared not say a single unpleasant word.

Those of lower status were naturally received by the other eight or nine elders of the Beggars' Sect.

There was nothing we could do about it; there were just too many guests.

Moreover, there are some people who are indeed not suitable for Li Changqing, the gang leader, to personally receive.

For example, the Six Doors and the Golden Guard.

These imperial officials are utterly shameless. They even showed up that evening, insisting on attending the thank-you banquet.

If Li Changqing dares to befriend them, they will be able to ask the Beggars' Sect for help with even the smallest things in the future.

Unlike other Jianghu gangs, these two government departments needed to investigate cases, so they could really make use of the Beggars' Sect's connections.

But both Li Changqing and Bai Futong kept their distance from such thankless tasks.

After Li Changqing finished offering toasts to everyone, he was ready to go around the room.

He planned to take Bai Futong and the others along, have something to eat, and catch up with them.

"Master, a distinguished guest requests an audience!"

Someone whispered in Bai Futong's ear to inform him. Bai Futong hesitated for a moment, but finally whispered in Li Changqing's ear.

"A benefactor?"

"It's His Highness, the King of Wu!"

The third prince, Prince Wu, was Li Changqing's third uncle.

Since Li Changqing returned to the capital, he has remained confined to his residence, never venturing beyond the inner gate.

They are either in seclusion or on their way to seclusion.

As a result, he had only met two of his uncles.

The King of Wu happened to be absent from it.

"Take me there!"

Even if you were to refuse a visit from His Highness the King of Wu, you should do so tactfully.

Why do people say that officials are not free?

That's exactly the point. If it were just Li Changqing himself, let alone the King of Wu...

Even the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty was someone he didn't need to pay attention to.

But now he is the leader of the Beggars' Sect, and His Highness Prince Wu is someone he cannot openly offend.

The two avoided being seen by others and went to a secluded place.

Under the peach tree, His Highness the King of Wu sat in a chair.

In front of him was a small tea table, which must have been brought by a servant.

Steam filled the air, and the aroma of tea filled the air.

The King of Wu, who was enjoying his tea, looked like a refined gentleman, only a little older than usual.

His air of wealth and status, however, did not seem out of place.

"This humble subject greets Your Highness, the King of Wu!"

Li Changqing cupped his hands in greeting.

A master of martial arts has his own dignity.

According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, martial artists of the Grandmaster level and above are not required to kneel before imperial relatives.

"Chief Chen, you're too kind. I've come uninvited, and I hope you won't take offense. Please sit down and try the tea I personally brewed. Consider it my apology..."

An imperial prince personally brewed the tea.

Even if he's just pouring water out of the teapot, it's still a huge loss of face.

Li Changqing nodded and sat down opposite the King of Wu.

The King of Wu remained silent, and he focused solely on drinking his tea, not uttering a single word.

"As expected of the leader of the number one gang in the world, his demeanor is truly extraordinary!"

……