Five Hard Dishes! (Seeking Monthly Votes!)

Li Chuan rode in a carriage, slowly making his way toward the Inner City.

The streets of the Outer City were awash with sewage.

Most were dirt roads, with only a few patches covered in broken stone slabs.

On either side stood low-slung mud houses, some even riddled with gaping holes.

They offered no shelter from the wind, the sun, or the driving rain.

From time to time, ragged commoners walked the road, scanning their surroundings with fierce, predatory eyes.

Occasionally, the shouts and curses of gangs clashing could be heard, shaking the very heavens.

But upon reaching the gates of the Inner City, the scene changed entirely.

A towering wall stood tall, separating the Outer City from the Inner.

Those who lived within the Inner City were mostly wealthy merchants and the kin of great families.

They occupied the most fertile land and built the sturdiest walls.

It was, for all intents and purposes, a "city within a city!"

Even at the gate, four guards stood at the corners, strictly vetting everyone who entered.

Six or seven patrolmen wandered the perimeter, their sharp eyes scanning for potential threats.

Luo Zheng stepped off the carriage, unhooked a wooden plaque embroidered with patterns from his waist, and handed it to a guard.

The guard frowned, squinting at the plaque for a few moments, before the frost on his face instantly vanished.

He offered a friendly smile:

"This way, sir, please!"

Unlike the Outer City, where people were routinely beaten, cursed, or extorted for entry, the guards here appeared remarkably "honest."

Because one never knew when they might offend someone they couldn't afford to provoke!

Luo Zheng nodded at the guard and climbed back into the carriage.

Li Chuan lifted a corner of the curtain, wanting to catch a glimpse of the Inner City's scenery.

"Wait, who are you? Do you have a token on your person?"

The guard noticed something amiss, his eyes turning vigilant as he suddenly raised his voice.

The nearby patrolmen sensed trouble and swarmed over.

Li Chuan explained:

"I am with..."

The guard looked up at Li Chuan and smiled obsequiously:

"Sir, this doesn't concern you. I was talking about that brat behind you."

Li Chuan looked back to see a youth in gray clothes following the carriage, his head buried low.

Upon hearing the guard's interrogation, his body began to tremble.

Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in the guard's eyes. With a sharp clang, he drew his long saber and struck the youth hard with the back of the blade.

"Is the Inner City a place you can just waltz into?!"

Luo Zheng explained:

"There are people like this every day, trying to sneak in under the radar."

"Is the Inner City... really that good? They'd rather take a brutal beating than stay out?"

Luo Zheng laughed:

"Just look outside the carriage and you'll understand."

Li Chuan pulled the curtain aside and gazed out.

There was no filthy, foul-smelling sewage, nor were there dirt roads filled with flying dust.

In their place were clean, tidy bluestone paths.

Among the passersby, there were no beggars or refugees.

Most people wore decent clothing, and there were even many young masters and ladies in brocade robes walking about.

Every few dozen meters, patrolmen in official uniforms wandered by.

They tapped the long sabers at their waists from time to time, creating a crisp sound as if to warn anyone looking to stir up trouble.

Luo Zheng sighed with emotion:

"The four great families of Anning County, the local gentry, and the Magistrate's Mansion are all rooted here. With a patrolman every hundred paces, it's nothing short of terrifying."

"Senior Brother Luo, is it very safe to live here?" Li Chuan asked.

Luo Zheng nodded:

"That goes without saying. The masters of the Inner City have set the rules; bloodshed is forbidden here.

Even if you offend some big shot, as long as you stay here for the rest of your life, they wouldn't dare do anything to you."

Li Chuan nodded in deep agreement upon hearing this.

The Inner City was equivalent to a secure backyard, where the families of all the important figures in Anning County resided.

No one wanted anything to happen to their own kin, so everyone did their utmost to maintain this "order."

If I could get my family in here, I wouldn't have to worry about their safety, Li Chuan thought to himself.

"A-Chuan, hurry down, we've arrived at the Flying Swallow Pavilion!" Luo Zheng stepped off the carriage and called out.

Luo Zheng seemed to have a decent relationship with the proprietor.

He swaggered up to order a few hearty dishes before bringing Li Chuan to a seat.

Luo Zheng sighed with nostalgia:

"Back when things were better at home, I used to come here often, but it's gone a bit downhill in recent years."

He then teased with a grin:

"I'm only able to have a meal here today thanks to you."

Li Chuan replied indifferently:

"Don't worry, no matter what you say, I won't stand on ceremony with you."

The corner of Luo Zheng's mouth twitched:

"Has anyone ever told you that you can be quite punchable at times?"

Li Chuan: "..."

Luo Zheng suddenly cursed under his breath:

"How unlucky, what is he doing here!"

Li Chuan followed his gaze and saw their senior brother, Tang Xiang, followed by two young dandies.

Tang Xiang noticed Luo Zheng's gaze and wore a smile on his face:

"Junior Brother Luo, Junior Brother Li, what a coincidence."

Luo Zheng said coldly:

"Quite a coincidence indeed."

Tang Xiang didn't seem to mind Luo Zheng's tone; instead, he took a few extra looks at Li Chuan, his smile radiant.

Li Chuan felt a bit strange, as Tang Xiang had never given him a pleasant look in the past.

Even when he had reached the Dark Force, Tang Xiang had never once greeted him.

Why the sudden change in attitude?

However, his confusion didn't last long.

Soon, beautiful maids brought over five hearty dishes, lining them up one by one.

As soon as they hit the table, Li Chuan caught a rich, meaty aroma.

This scent even stirred the dormant blood and energy within his body.

Li Chuan looked closely: steamed bear paw, roasted lamb chops, pan-fried silverfish, stir-fried tiger meat with chili, turtle soup...

You cannot have both fish and bear paw...

Li Chuan inexplicably recalled this saying, which in turn reminded him of the days when he struggled to memorize his lessons.

"It's a beautiful day, should we get a pot of fine yellow wine?" Luo Zheng asked, rubbing his hands in excitement.

"No." Li Chuan glanced at him. "Those who practice martial arts should drink less."

Luo Zheng nodded guiltily:

"Wine and women ruin the body. Starting today, I'm quitting!"

Li Chuan picked up a piece of bear paw and chewed it.

The bear paw was steamed until it was incredibly soft and tender, practically melting in his mouth.

It was drizzled with an unknown sauce that completely masked any gamey odor.

It tasted absolutely delicious!

Li Chuan was surprised; it was completely different from what he had expected.

The texture of the bear paw was unique, not quite like eating meat, but more like eating pork skin or tendon.

More importantly, as the bear paw was swallowed, a massive surge of blood and energy instantly dispersed throughout his body.

This energy felt like a spring breeze nourishing all things, gradually penetrating every inch of his muscles and skin.

It was nourishing his physique at every single moment!

Li Chuan felt a sense of wonder.

He still remembered how, back then, he would stare at a pound or two of bear paw at the market, never daring to let his gaze linger for too long.

He never expected that he would one day have the chance to actually eat it.

At this thought, Li Chuan's hands suddenly moved much faster.

In the brief moment Luo Zheng was stunned, half the bear paw was already gone.

He immediately exclaimed in a rush:

"You brat, wait for me!"

With that, his own chopsticks began to fly.

But in the end, Luo Zheng didn't eat much; after all, he was the one hosting Li Chuan, so he let Li Chuan have the majority.

Li Chuan let out a satisfied groan:

"Senior Brother Luo, I finally understand what kind of good life you all lead. Eating these highly nourishing things so often, how could you not be strong?"

Luo Zheng, however, shook his head:

"A-Chuan, you've managed to reach this point while eating nothing but donkey and venison every day—you're much stronger than me."