After that, Zhao Xiuyun seemed to forget what had just happened. She wasn't angry anymore; it wasn't worth it.
After all, compared to Zhao Ping'an, who had already reached the Innate Realm, her second brother's fickle daughter wasn't even fit to carry his shoes.
After having lunch with Mistress, Zhao Ping'an said goodbye and left Zhao Mansion.
He didn't return to his lodgings, but headed for Senior Disciple Brother's place instead.
Tomorrow was Senior Disciple Brother's wedding day, and Zhao Ping'an would be staying there tonight. As the saying went: warming the new house!
As he walked, Zhao Ping'an found everything fascinating. Though South Ridge City wasn't a particularly large city, it could still accommodate a hundred thousand people. It ranked second in Tannan Commandery, behind only Prefecture City, Tiannan City.
The other two cities each had only forty or fifty thousand residents and were small by comparison.
"Sugar figurines! Handmade sugar figurines! No sweetness, no charge!"
"Steamed buns, fresh from the oven! Hot and piping! Thin skins, generous filling!!!"
"Wild ginseng freshly brought in from Dongshan Prefecture! All over ten years old! Don't miss out as you pass by..."
The hawkers' cries rang out without end, but Zhao Ping'an was so short on cash that he couldn't afford to buy a thing.
"Maybe I'm the poorest Great Grandmaster in the world."
Feeling his utterly empty pockets, Zhao Ping'an laughed at himself and strode onward.
He soon left the bustling commercial street and turned into Green Bamboo Alley, where Senior Disciple Brother lived.
As a direct disciple of a Blazing Blade Sect elder, and a generous man to boot, Ji Xiangming had already filled his little courtyard with friends.
As for which of them were sincere and which were only pretending, that was for Senior Disciple Brother to figure out himself.
Anyway, Zhao Ping'an didn't know a single one of them.
"Well, look who it is! Our junior brother! You've been holed up at Zhao Residence these past two days, living the quiet life. Meanwhile, your three senior brothers and I have nearly shouted ourselves hoarse."
As the only woman among the siblings, the lovely Third Senior Sister Mu Yunmeng had been assigned to the front gate alongside the smooth-talking Second Senior Disciple Brother Cui Kang'an. They had both been down the mountain for years and knew how to deal with guests, so Senior Disciple Brother had made them the gate's left and right guardians, welcoming the guests as they came and went.
So when Mu Yunmeng spotted Zhao Ping'an, looking carefree as could be, she immediately stepped forward, pinched his ear, and bellowed into it.
"Ow, ow, ow... Senior Sister, I was wrong! I was wrong!"
A real man knew when to bend and when to stand tall. Zhao Ping'an immediately surrendered and begged for mercy.
"Hmph! I'll let you off this time... Go inside and find yourself a seat."
Seeing him beg, Mu Yunmeng let go of his ear and gave him a warning.
"Sure, you go ahead and get back to work. Second Senior Disciple Brother!"
Zhao Ping'an rubbed his ear and awkwardly saluted Cui Kang'an.
"Mm. Go on in. After tomorrow, we'll all get together again."
Cui Kang'an shrugged and spoke with a gleeful look.
"Sure!"
Inside Senior Disciple Brother's courtyard, which covered more than three hundred square meters, there were now twenty or thirty people, some sitting and some standing. It was mid-afternoon, the breeze was mild, and the sun shone brightly. The guests were chatting in little groups over drinks.
Those who didn't drink had fruit and tea to enjoy instead.
Zhao Ping'an made a lap around the courtyard, but couldn't find a single seat. As for the guests, he didn't know any of them.
"This... I can't just stand around like an idiot, can I? I'd better come back tonight..."
Zhao Ping'an muttered to himself, then strolled over to the privy in the corner. When no one was looking, he vaulted over the three-meter-high wall and made his escape.
He couldn't leave through the front gate, anyway. If Third Senior Sister spotted him, he'd get another scolding.
On the other side of the wall was another narrow alley. Zhao Ping'an glanced at the sign: Pear Blossom Alley.
The name was simple and plain, with not a trace of poetic charm.
He looked around. Aside from two little kids playing and a big yellow dog, no one had noticed him. After straightening his clothes, he strode toward the main street at the end of the alley.
The people living in this neighborhood were all comfortably well-off, part of Nanling City's middle class. The roads were laid out neatly, and the houses were clean and orderly.
Beggars and ruffians wouldn't dare show their faces in these alleys. Otherwise, the Blazing Blade Sect disciples would teach them why flowers were so red.
"I've been here several days, but I still haven't taken a proper look around. Sure, I've got no money, but looking's free..."
Emerging from Pear Blossom Alley, Zhao Ping'an muttered to himself and set off in a direction at random.
Before he knew it, the sun was sinking in the west, and Zhao Ping'an found himself on a street that looked like it would cost a fortune just to set foot on.
The road was broad and clean, wide enough for three carriages to travel side by side.
On both sides stood several-story wooden and stone buildings, all lavishly decorated.
There were cosmetics shops, weapon shops, restaurants, teahouses, banks, inns, and all manner of other businesses. The people coming and going were all high-ranking officials and wealthy nobles.
"Wang's Weaponry Shop?"
Zhao Ping'an couldn't take his eyes off a five-story tower by the street.
In his previous life, he'd loved all kinds of weapons, but regulations had been so strict that he'd only dared to play with them at home. He'd never risked taking one outside. But now, no one could stop him.
He went straight inside...
"Esteemed guest, what can I help you find? If nothing catches your eye, our shop can also make custom orders!"
The moment he entered, a young attendant came up with a smile and asked.
Zhao Ping'an might not have any money, but his clothes were expensive. So even if the attendant judged people by appearances, he wouldn't take Zhao Ping'an for some penniless beggar.
"No need to follow me. I'm just browsing. I'll call you if I need anything."
Zhao Ping'an waved him away in an even tone.
"Of course, sir. Please, take your time!"
The attendant didn't pester him. He bowed and retreated to the entrance. He couldn't afford to offend anyone who came in here.
"Damn, this stuff is ridiculously expensive!"
Before Zhao Ping'an stood row upon row of neatly arranged weapon racks, sorted by type: sabers, spears, swords, staffs, shields, bows, and more. His eyes lit up as he took it all in.
Unfortunately, the prices made his heart sink.
Not a single item cost less than ten taels of silver. One tael of silver in this world was about the equivalent of a thousand yuan in his previous life. Ten taels was ten thousand.
In his previous life, a long sword made from high-manganese steel cost only a few hundred yuan. Its hardness and toughness left the weapons in front of him in the dust.
"Hm? What a huge hammer. It must be hollow, right?"
Suddenly, Zhao Ping'an's attention was caught by two black, diamond-shaped giant hammers in the corner. Their heads were about one chi in diameter—roughly thirty-three centimeters—the handles were about two cun thick, around seven centimeters, and the whole hammers were over 1.2 meters long.
If these things were solid, then even if they were made from the most ordinary pig iron, each would weigh two or three hundred jin. Together, they'd weigh more than five hundred jin.
Judging by their pitch-black color, they clearly weren't made of pig iron.
An ordinary Grandmaster might be able to lift them, but swinging them again and again would probably be out of the question. Even a Great Grandmaster couldn't manage it.
But Zhao Ping'an was a body-training Great Grandmaster. The strength of one arm already exceeded ten thousand jin. A mere few hundred jin was no trouble at all.
"Would you like to give them a try, young master?"
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