Setting Out for the Provincial Capital

In the days that followed, Shen Jingchuan kept the matter of finding the Spirit Stone on his mind.

He knew that Yuxi Prefecture was too small to find any clues, so he pinned all his hopes on this trip to the provincial capital, thinking that if he went to a bigger place and met more people, he might be able to find clues about the Spirit Stone.

He was never idle. During the day, he practiced swordsmanship and spearmanship with the Lin Household father and son, and at night he practiced breathing Cultivation Method. Whenever he had free time, he would spend time with Meng Yao. He lived a very regular life.

Before they knew it, the day of departure arrived. The night before, Shen Jingchuan mentioned to Meng Ke that the signal was poor in many places in the mountains where they were going to find goods, so they might not be able to contact each other at any time.

Meng Ke was worried after hearing this and repeatedly told him to be careful, saying that the family had enough money and there was no need to take any risks.

Shen Jingchuan felt very gratified, knowing that his wife truly cared for him and wasn't just focused on making money. He reassured her.

The next day, just as dawn broke, the Lin brothers, Lin Shan and Lin Yue, along with Lin Qingyao, rode horses and drove a carriage to the gate of Shen Jingchuan's residence to pick her up.

Shen Jingchuan took out the complete set of custom-made equipment from his spatial storage early in the morning and stacked it at the entrance of the stable next to the west courtyard garden. He then opened the door and let Liu Hu carry it inside.

Shen Jingchuan took out apples from his spatial storage to feed the three Whirlwind Horses. After Liu Hu moved everything in, he and Liu Hu saddled and dressed Big Black Horse in a vest.

Suddenly, Shen Jingchuan heard someone calling out loudly outside the courtyard gate. He went over and opened the side door of the stable. Lin Shan and Lin Yue were standing outside, leading their horses, with Lin Qingyao following behind.

"Young Master Shen, is everything packed? We should get going." Lin Yue spoke first.

"No rush, come in first. I've prepared all the armor for you, bring the horses in too."

The two brothers exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised. Lin Qingyao had already lifted her skirt and walked inside first, and the two quickly pulled the three horses to follow her into the stable. Liu Hu casually closed and bolted the courtyard gate.

Upon entering the courtyard, the three men's eyes immediately fell on Big Black. The horse was clad in a dark brown leather vest with fine stitching, looking quite exquisite.

Lin Yue chuckled:

"Young Master Shen, I thought it was some kind of treasure, but it's just a leather vest. It's fine for blocking stray arrows, but it's not very useful against real swords and spears. It's better than nothing, but the workmanship is quite good."

Shen Jingchuan didn't argue. "Try cutting me with your knife."

Lin Yue quickly waved his hand. "No, no, it's a perfectly good leather armor. Wouldn't I ruin it if I slashed it?"

"Just cut it when I tell you to. If it gets damaged, it's on me."

Lin Yue was also suspicious— Shen Jingchuan's products were never bad, and this vest looked exceptionally well-made; perhaps there was something special about it. He drew his waist knife, raised it, and with a bit of force, slashed at the vest on the side of the horse's neck.

The blade only sliced through the thin outer layer of cowhide, without penetrating any further.

Lin Yue was startled. He gripped his knife tightly, ready to strike again, when Big Black suddenly turned its head and glared at him, raising its front hoof to kick him.

"Big Black!" Shen Jingchuan quickly stepped forward, hugged the horse's neck, stroked its mane, and soothed it in a low voice.

Lin Yue was so startled that he jumped back half a step and waved his hands repeatedly:

"Don't be angry, Big Black! I was just testing the armor, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Big Black snorted and finally put its hoof back.

Lin Yue leaned back and touched the knife mark on the nail. The outer layer of leather had a crack, but the underneath was hard and undamaged. He tapped it with his knuckles; the sound was deep and solid, completely unlike the feel of leather.

"This... this isn't leather?"

"It's just covered with a thin layer of cowhide on the outside, and the inside is all made of special metal plates," Shen Jingchuan said. "Don't even mention your waist knife, even a spear couldn't pierce it no matter how hard you thrust, and arrows would be useless against it."

As he spoke, he gestured with his chin towards Liu Hu: "Bring over all the bodyguards and vests we prepared for them."

Lin Shan picked up a vest and weighed it in his hand. The whole set weighed only about thirty pounds, which was really light. Would this work? He lifted it up to look inside. It had a soft lining and was finely made.

Shen Jingchuan explained from the side, "There's a breathable lining inside, so horses won't feel stuffy wearing it for long periods and will sweat much less; don't be fooled by the thin armor plates, its protective capabilities are more than twice as strong as ordinary iron armor."

As he spoke, Shen Jingchuan picked up his newly made, sharpened tiger-head gold-inlaid spear. Lin Yue saw it at a glance, his eyes immediately lit up, and he exclaimed repeatedly that the spear was truly beautiful.

He reached out and took it, weighed it in his hand, and blurted out:

"This gun is a bit heavy."

Shen Jingchuan said:

"Fortunately, my strength is still gradually increasing, so I made it a bit heavier when I ordered it." Lin Yue practiced martial arts with him every day and knew that his strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, so he didn't ask any more questions.

Shen Jingchuan gripped the gun and stabbed the vest he had just worn. The outer leather was pierced through, revealing the metal plate underneath, leaving only a shallow white mark. Lin Shan, Lin Yue, and Lin Qingyao all knew how powerful the shot was, and their eyes widened in shock.

"Second brother used very little force just now, do you believe me now?"

Shen Jingchuan put away his gun and said.

Lin Yue touched the marks on his nail, feeling both angry and heartbroken:

"You're such a spendthrift! Such a good nail, and you just go and poke it like that."

He turned and said again:

"Give this one that's been stamped to my older brother, I want this one."

Shen Jingchuan smiled and said, "Each one was custom-made to fit the size of their horse. This one is yours; you can see the markings on the side."

Lin Yue felt even more distressed upon hearing this, but there was nothing he could do but lead his horse over to put on the vest.

This vest is incredibly easy to put on; it's all quick-release buckles that fasten in just a few snaps. I don't know what material those buckles are made of, but they're both lightweight and sturdy.

As the three Lin Household siblings put on their costumes, they were secretly amazed. The Shen Household's strength and craftsmanship were truly remarkable. Such items were not only rare in Yuxi Prefecture, but also in the entire Great Qian Kingdom.

Shen Jingchuan walked to Lin Qingyao's horse and personally fastened the straps of her vest one by one.

After putting on the vests, they were taught how to put on their own armor. The three of them already knew that the armor was light, but when they actually put it on, they realized that the armor and helmet together weighed only about ten pounds, and they didn't feel any burden at all.

Lin Shan stretched his limbs and said sincerely:

"Young Master Shen, to be honest, I wasn't entirely convinced before, but now I'm truly impressed. Although our horses can't compare to your Big Black steed, they are still top-quality horses, and this amount of weight is nothing to them."

He paused and then asked:

"The vest and the human body together probably weigh only about forty pounds."

Shen Jingchuan nodded. "About right, less than fifty pounds in total."

Lin Yue looked at Big Black with envy. "Then your Big Black will have it even easier."

Big Black proudly raised its head and flicked its mane.