The Horse Bandits Build a City

In the Jiang Family courtyard.

Jiang Che was practicing.

Suddenly, Jiang Ling walked over carrying a plate of golden balls.

"Brother, try the Gold Jade Balls I made!"

"Gold Jade Balls? What are those?"

Jiang Che picked one up and took a bite, his expression abruptly changing.

Sweet, salty, and fishy...

What the hell was this?

"Brother, I coated dried fish, honey, and cornmeal together, then fried them. Are they good?" Jiang Ling blinked her large eyes, her face full of anticipation.

"..." Jiang Che really wanted to ask her whether she had done it on purpose or by accident.

He sighed inwardly.

At first, the little girl had cooked honestly enough.

But at some point, she had started researching dark cuisine!

"Could she have learned this from the auntie next door too? No, I have to go have a word with her!" Jiang Che's heart tightened.

That day, after finishing his practice, Jiang Che went to Hou's Noodle Shop again.

The moment he entered, the fragrance of chili oil and stewed meat drifted over.

Jiang Che could not help taking a deep breath.

"Mmm, that's the smell!"

He had been coming here for noodles every day lately.

Though Jiang Ling's experiments with dark cuisine were part of the reason.

The shop's cooking also genuinely suited Jiang Che's tastes.

The hand-pulled noodles were wonderfully chewy, the broth rich and fragrant, and the toppings varied enough that one never grew tired of them.

Besides, he came to gather information.

This street was full of Martial Arts Halls and escort agencies, with countless Martial Artists around.

Most of the customers were people of the martial world, well-informed and quick to hear the latest news.

The shop itself was small, so one could generally catch the gist of whatever the customers were talking about.

While eating noodles here, Jiang Che had heard no shortage of martial world rumors.

For example, which Martial Arts Hall had been challenged, whose escort shipment had been robbed, or which young master in the Inner City had done something absurd again.

His social circle had never been broad, and he lacked information, so he was quite happy to learn a little about the outside world here.

"What should I eat today..."

Jiang Che looked at the wooden placards hanging above the counter, feeling somewhat torn.

"Young Master Jiang, we recently added a lamb noodle dish. Would you like to try it?" Master Hou came out from the kitchen and smiled when he saw Jiang Che.

His face was fair and refined, carrying a scholarly air that did not match Jiang Che's impression of a cook.

"Sure, then I'll have the lamb noodles," Jiang Che said.

"Alright! The usual, then. Extra scallions and cilantro for you!"

Jiang Che found a seat and began peeling garlic.

Master Hou treated his customers generously and had a good attitude, so the shop's business had always been quite good.

Though it was not yet noon, people were already trickling in for noodles.

Before long, two men dressed like Martial Artists sat down at the neighboring table.

The sturdier of the two dropped onto a stool and began to complain.

"Ah... There haven't been any escort jobs lately. Life's getting harder and harder!"

He was broad and powerfully built, with a scar across his face that made him look somewhat fierce, yet he was sighing in dejection at the moment.

"Is it because of the horse bandits?" The other man was leaner, though still sturdy.

Scarface shook his head and said,

"I don't know why, but it isn't the horse bandits. Though now that you mention it... those horse bandits haven't been robbing people lately instead!"

When Jiang Che heard them mention the horse bandits, his interest was immediately piqued, and he listened carefully.

"Why is that?" the lean man asked in surprise.

Scarface glanced around, then said in a mysterious voice,

"They say the horse bandit leader, Tuoba Lie, built a small town on Black Wind Mountain called Black Wind Fort. Apparently, they're no longer doing that business of robbing people either. They say they're starting to recruit talented people!"

"What? Even horse bandits are building a city now?!" The lean man looked utterly shocked.

"Yeah, they say anyone is welcome to settle there. As long as you go, they'll give you land, saying they want everyone to live a good life!

"And if you're a Martial Artist, the treatment is even better! They say the monthly pay is higher than even the Five Great Families in the Inner City! They even provide Mid-Grade Exotic Beast Meat!"

There was a trace of envy in Scarface's voice.

"Really? Since when did horse bandits turn over a new leaf? This is way too strange!" The lean man looked utterly incredulous.

Just then, Jiang Che's lamb noodles arrived, and he had finished peeling his garlic as well.

A spoonful of vinegar, two spoonfuls of chili oil, and five cloves of garlic were his standard accompaniment for noodles.

The lamb was neither gamey nor tough. The large, square chunks of meat were streaked with fat and lean, and paired with richly flavored old broth and chewy hand-pulled noodles, these lamb noodles were truly excellent.

Scarface shifted his stool closer to the other man, covered his mouth with his hand, and lowered his voice to the faintest whisper.

"I heard they found some strategist somewhere a while ago, and Tuoba Lie directly made him the second-in-command!

"Later, that strategist offered many plans, and that bunch of horse bandits completely changed their old ways!"

Scarface wore an expression that said, You get it now, right?

Ordinary people might not have been able to hear what they were saying, but it did nothing to stop their voices from reaching Jiang Che's ears.

He ate his noodles while keeping an ear on the two men's conversation.

"But they're horse bandits after all. Isn't the imperial court doing anything?" The lean man frowned.

"Hah, doing what?" Scarface sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

"The west has been fighting Great Yan Kingdom the whole time, and I hear they've suffered defeat after defeat. How would the imperial court have time to care about this little corner in the southeast?

"To put it bluntly, the court is short on military funds now. If Tuoba Lie can pay enough in taxes, he might even be officially granted amnesty!"

"So Tuoba Lie has really become a great philanthropist? Could he have some other motive?

"And what do you think they want so many Martial Artists for? Could they come attack our Abyss-Facing City one day?!" A trace of worry appeared on the lean man's face.

"Ah... Who knows?" Scarface sighed, his expression equally bewildered.

At that moment, their noodles arrived, and the conversation came to an end.

Jiang Che's mood was somewhat heavy, and he did not enjoy this meal much.

He had learned a little history in his previous life as well.

When wandering bandits settled down and became entrenched brigands, they were surely plotting something.

Their massive recruitment of Martial Artists was proof enough.

And now that the imperial court had suffered defeat, the powerful forces in every region were bound to be stirring restlessly.

Perhaps one day, Great Chu would enter an era of warlord separatism!

When that happened, Abyss-Facing City might be swept into the flames of war!

Thinking of all the recent oddities, along with the large number of wealthy people moving away, Jiang Che increasingly felt the suffocating pressure of chaotic times about to descend.

After eating, Jiang Che returned home and buried himself in practice. No matter how the world changed, training was always useful!

Soon, it was the day of the Shao Family patriarch's birthday celebration.

Jiang Che dressed neatly, picked up a small packet of medicinal herbs, and set off.

The packet contained Century-Old Snow Ginseng, which had Life-Prolonging effects.

After specifically asking Zhang Xiong, Jiang Che had spent one hundred taels of silver to buy it.

Though the hundred taels made Jiang Che's heart ache, his new employer had treated him well. His monthly salary alone was one hundred taels, not to mention the five jin of Mid-Grade Exotic Beast Meat.

Since he was going to offer birthday wishes in person, he naturally had to bring something presentable.

Half an hour later, Jiang Che arrived at the central district of the Inner City.

From far away, he could hear firecrackers exploding in unison, alongside the beating of gongs and drums. It was exceedingly lively.

As he drew closer, he saw an imposing residence with lofty gates and sprawling courtyards.

Two stone lions as tall as a man stood on either side of the entrance, radiating great majesty.

Above the gate, the two gilded characters "Shao Estate" were written with magnificent vigor, clearly the work of a renowned calligrapher.

At that moment, all manner of luxurious carriages were parked outside. One richly dressed guest after another stepped down, carrying various gifts of congratulations as they waited at the entrance to be admitted.

Jiang Che straightened his clothes, then strode forward.