At this moment, seeing Wei He's calm expression beside her,
Jiang Su felt a nameless fire surge up in her heart.
Putting on an act! He's just a lucky brat. The road of life is still long—can you really keep running into good luck every time and pretending to be a genius? Sooner or later, your true colors will be exposed.
She could not describe the feeling in her heart, but it was like suddenly swallowing a rat dropping while drinking porridge. The disgust rising in her chest was simply beyond words.
Zhao Hong was the one who cared least. In his view, judging by the timing, Wei He had probably passed through sheer luck as well.
After all, this fellow had struggled so hard just to break through Ox Hide before. This time, he had simply gotten lucky.
Perhaps he had happened to catch Master Zheng in a foul mood, overwhelmed by the news about Xiao Ran.
Wei He's breakthrough had served as a bit of celebratory good fortune, which was why their teacher had looked upon him more favorably.
Besides, given Zhao Hong's personality, he did not care much about such things anyway. Whether someone else broke through or not, it was not as though he himself had broken through.
Zheng Fugui had only mentioned it in passing. It would be best if he could bring the two together, but if not, it did not matter.
Seeing that neither was willing, he did not bring it up again.
"Once the news is released, you'll have another fine junior brother. Look after each other in the future, and don't let him suffer any losses."
"Yes." Cheng Shaojiu hurriedly spoke up. He was sincerely happy for Wei He.
But just as he spoke, he discovered that Jiang Yan had answered at the same time.
His expression shifted slightly, and he quickly said,
"Master, rest assured. My Cheng Family will definitely not shortchange Junior Brother!"
Jiang Yan turned his head and gave him a faint smile.
"I heard Third Senior Brother's family has run into some trouble recently. When it comes to treatment, I'm afraid you may lack the means, no?"
"There's no need for Junior Brother Jiang to concern himself. No matter how bad things get, we can still guarantee Junior Brother Wei's treatment," Cheng Shaojiu said gravely.
Jiang Yan's tone gave him a bad feeling.
Jiang Yan smiled and said nothing more.
If the Jiang Family was going to name its price, how could a tiny Yonghe Escort Agency in the Outer City compare?
The Jiang Family did not lack an elite fighter at the Second Stage Qi and Blood, but judging from Master Zheng's attitude, he seemed to value Wei He greatly.
In that case, drawing Wei He over would earn Master Zheng's favor. Without question, it was an extremely worthwhile deal.
"Enough. You may all leave. Remember to go outside the city less often lately," Zheng Fugui instructed before waving everyone out.
"Yes." The others hurriedly lowered their heads in acknowledgment, then filed out of the room.
The sunlight in the courtyard was scorching. The light rain that had just fallen seemed as if it had never existed, evaporated dry in the blink of an eye beneath the sun.
The ground was covered in dry gray dust, steaming and swirling into the air.
Once outside, Jiang Su did not even glance at Wei He and the others. She strode out of the courtyard in moments without looking back.
She was clearly still fuming.
Jiang Yan, meanwhile, held a folding fan and gently waved it. He gave Wei He a faint smile before turning and leaving.
Zhao Hong offered Wei He a few words of encouragement. His attitude had not changed much and was the same as usual.
It seemed that, to him, whether Wei He had broken through or not did not matter.
Cheng Shaojiu patted Wei He on the shoulder. The two left the courtyard and boarded the carriage outside.
"Come on, let's have a drink. You brat! When did you break through? How come you never told me?" Only after sitting in the carriage did Cheng Shaojiu reveal a smile.
"I only just broke through myself, so I went to find Old Zheng first," Wei He answered with a smile.
"September Ninth Vintage at Zuihua Tower—I'll take you to try it today! It'll count as celebrating your breakthrough. Heh, with this, the reputation of us brothers will gradually grow.
If things keep developing like this, perhaps one day, you and I will truly make names for ourselves in Feiye City."
Cheng Shaojiu was obviously in an excellent mood.
Wei He was his daughter's godfather, and among those around him, Wei He was also the one closest to him. This proved that Cheng Shaojiu's eye for making friends and brothers was not bad.
Once he brought this news back and told his eldest uncle, it would definitely slap him so hard his face would be drenched in blood and swollen beyond recognition.
Hadn't they said Cheng Shaojiu only knew how to associate with worthless drinking companions? Well, what now? One of his brothers had reached the Second Stage Qi and Blood!
How many people in the entire escort agency had reached the Second Stage Qi and Blood? Only him, his father, and his eldest uncle—three in all.
Let's see who dared say such things about him now!
Cheng Shaojiu was filled with high spirits. The resentment and frustration he had accumulated before seemed to be vented all at once through Wei He's breakthrough.
Wei He sat across from him and could not help laughing inwardly.
Brother Cheng was already the father of four children, yet he was still so out of tune with his age.
Before long, the carriage slowly entered the Inner City and stopped before Zuihua Tower.
Sitting in the carriage, Cheng Shaojiu had someone reserve a table. Upon learning that they needed to wait in line, he simply stayed in the carriage to wait.
The carriage slowly moved into a parking spot.
Cheng Shaojiu sighed with feeling.
"In Feiye City, the places that can truly be called enjoyable are all in the Inner City.
And the Inner City does not allow anyone who is not part of the Seven Families Alliance to reside there. Even those entering to conduct business must apply for quotas and qualifications.
Moreover, merchants and traders cannot stay in the Inner City long-term. They may only remain briefly.
The strictness of these rules is hard to imagine.
Yet it is precisely because of such rules that the Seven Families Alliance knows every person within the Inner City like the palm of its hand.
Every person who enters the Inner City is known to them clearly. At any time and in any place, they can trace their background and find the person who brought them in.
As a result, the Inner City's safety has greatly improved."
He pointed toward Zuihua Tower nearby.
"Take Zuihua Tower, for example. If it were opened in the Outer City, it would be sucked dry by the various gangs in no time at all. It could never possibly reach such prosperity.
But now that it is in the Inner City, protected by absolute safety, compared to the precarious days in the Outer City, tell me—would wealthy people rather spend their money outside or here?"
"Naturally, here." Wei He understood as well.
"That's exactly it." Cheng Shaojiu sighed. "This is also the foundation of why the Seven Families Alliance has ruled Feiye City for so many years. Just this system dividing the Inner and Outer Cities has earned them who knows how much. Truly..."
He paused.
"Truly what?"
"Truly enviable."
"..." Wei He was speechless. He had thought the fellow was about to say something shocking.
"Come on, let's get out and look at the scenery around us. Since coming here, you haven't properly looked around the area yet, have you?"
Cheng Shaojiu suddenly remembered and called for Wei He to get out.
The two disembarked together and circled Zuihua Tower once.
The streets on both sides were packed with all kinds of shops and storefronts.
Jewelry, antiques, dried goods, ready-made clothing, snacks—everything imaginable was there.
Crowds surged through the streets. Every person was dressed at least neatly and properly; at a glance, none appeared impoverished.
This degree of prosperity made it hard for Wei He to believe that it belonged to the same Feiye City as the Outer City beyond.
Even in the most prosperous areas of Shiqiao Town and Hongshi Town in the Outer City, it was nowhere near this lively.
Those places still had beggars and cripples. In some corners, one could even see corpses that had not yet been dragged away.
"What kind of people are all these who come into the Inner City?" Wei He could not help asking.
Did Feiye City truly have so many wealthy people?
Watching the people emerge from jewelry shops and medicine stores carrying large and small packages, he felt deeply puzzled.
"They are not all from Feiye City's Outer City. The Outer City is only one portion. More come from the nearby wealthy clans and earthen forts. You know of Hong Family Fort, but do you know that Feiye City has more than just one Hong Family Fort?
Outside the city, there are more than ten forts of varying sizes, all built by powerful clans. Some shelter under Hong Family Fort, while others are members of the Seven Families Alliance."
"So that's how it is." Wei He understood.
"Heh, every one of those earthen forts is equivalent to a small independent town, filled entirely with members of one clan, guarding the fields around them.
Compared with them, the towns in Feiye City's Outer City may not even have it as good." Cheng Shaojiu shook his head.
As they spoke, they ran into two scholars Cheng Shaojiu knew, who greeted him.
He hurriedly responded with a smile.
Wei He, meanwhile, scanned the surroundings.
He had not noticed before, but upon looking carefully now, he discovered that the number of patrolling constables and tough men in martial attire bearing the Seven Families Alliance insignia seemed much greater than before.
Each of them watched their surroundings with vigilant eyes.
Wei He glanced at them, then quickly looked away to avoid causing a misunderstanding.
On the other side, Cheng Shaojiu had finished greeting the others when the servant waiting in line ran over to inform them that Zuihua Tower had a table available.
Only then did the two return.
Zuihua Tower differed from Hundred Flowers Tower. This was a proper place for drinking wine and eating dishes.
The greatest difference was not that there were no beautiful young women attending guests, but rather the quality of the food.
As soon as they sat down, Cheng Shaojiu skillfully ordered a string of dishes and asked for a pot of fine wine called September Ninth Vintage.
"Today, we're celebrating your successful breakthrough! It's rare for us to come here, so let's have a drink together!" Cheng Shaojiu said with a smile, lightly patting the tabletop.
"One cup will do," Wei He replied with a smile.
"Fine, fine. I know you're careful, afraid it'll affect your training." Cheng Shaojiu laughed.
While waiting for the dishes, he began talking about several great features of the Inner City.
Fine food, fine wine, beautiful women, and beautiful dreams.
"I understand the first three. But what is this last one, beautiful dreams?" Wei He asked curiously.
"Beautiful dreams means gambling houses—the Beautiful Dream House. It means a place where people's beautiful dreams come true. Legend says that some people go in and become enormously wealthy overnight, grand and glorious beyond measure!" Cheng Shaojiu laughed. "Of course, such stories are only worth listening to."
Before long, dish after dish was served.
Small grilled lamb chops, river fish and mushroom soup, twice-cooked meat with green and red peppers, braised rabbit meat, and cold mixed wood ear mushrooms in five-colored shreds.
Four dishes and one soup, each served in a large bowl.
The rice was fragrant pearl rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.
The grains were white as snow, and their aroma was rich.
Looking at the spread before him, Wei He recalled those who had starved to death in the gutters of the Outer City before being dragged away.
He suddenly felt dazed, as though everything he had seen before had been an illusion.
"Please!" Cheng Shaojiu sat opposite him and gestured with one hand. "Thanks to you today, I get to enjoy a good meal too. This meal isn't cheap!"
"Please!"
Wei He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of twice-cooked meat, and put it into his mouth.
The meat was wonderfully springy, fragrant and delicious. There even seemed to be rich juices seeping from within it.
"This isn't pork?" Wei He guessed. He could not taste any pork flavor at all.
"Of course not. This is game, venison from a deer called the Branch-Antlered Deer. It's an excellent tonic." Cheng Shaojiu wore an expression every man would understand.
"Uh..." Wei He indicated that he was still a child. "Does this Branch-Antlered Deer have antlers like tree branches?"
"Not only that. The Branch-Antlered Deer is powerfully built, generally as large as a domestic yellow ox. It has sharp teeth in its mouth, a violent temperament, and often contends with lions and tigers for supremacy. In any case, it is one of the rarer fierce beasts."
Cheng Shaojiu laughed. "Just eat. This meat is much better than Silver-Kiss Black Snake Meat, and it has special effects too. Nothing is better for increasing qi and blood."
Before you continue