Li Chuan rode in the carriage, slowly making his way toward the Inner City.
The streets of the Outer City were awash with filthy water.
Most were muddy yellow roads, with only a few places paved with broken flagstones.
Low earthen houses lined the streets, some with gaping holes in their walls.
They offered no shelter from wind and sun, nor from rain and water.
Now and then, ragged civilians passed by, casting fierce glances all around.
Occasionally, the shouts and curses of rival gangs clashing again rang through the air.
###
But at the gates of the Inner City, the scene was completely different.
A towering wall rose before them, dividing the Inner and Outer Cities.
Most of those who lived in the Inner City were wealthy merchants and the families of great lineages.
They occupied the most fertile land and built the sturdiest walls.
It was practically a "city within a city"!
Even at the city gates, four guards stood at the corners, strictly controlling who could enter.
Another six or seven patrol officers roamed nearby, their sharp eyes sweeping for potential dangers.
Luo Zheng climbed down from the carriage, removed a patterned wooden token from his waist, and handed it to a gate guard.
The guard furrowed his brow and studied the token. Then the frost on his face melted away.
He gave Luo Zheng a kindly smile.
"Sir, this way, please!"
Unlike the Outer City, where guards casually beat and extorted those seeking entry, the gate guards here seemed remarkably "honest."
You never knew when you might offend someone you couldn't afford to provoke!
Luo Zheng nodded to the guard and climbed back into the carriage.
Li Chuan lifted one corner of the curtain, wanting to see the sights of the Inner City.
"Hold it! Who are you? Do you have a token?"
The guard noticed something amiss, his eyes turning wary as he suddenly raised his voice.
The nearby patrol officers caught on and hurried over.
Li Chuan explained, "I'm with—"
The guard looked up at Li Chuan and smiled obsequiously.
"Sir, this has nothing to do with you. I mean that brat behind you."
Li Chuan turned around. A young man in gray followed behind the carriage, his head bowed low.
At the guard's question, his body began to tremble.
A cold glint flashed in the guard's eyes. With a metallic ring, he drew his saber and slammed its flat against the young man.
"You think you can just waltz into the Inner City?!"
Luo Zheng explained, "Every day, people like that try to sneak in while everyone's distracted."
"Is the Inner City really that great? They'd rather take a brutal beating than stay out?"
Luo Zheng smiled. "Take a look outside the carriage and you'll see."
Li Chuan pulled back the curtain and looked outside.
There was no foul, filthy water, no muddy yellow roads kicking up clouds of dust.
In their place were clean, neat roads paved with bluestone.
There were no beggars or displaced people among the passersby.
Most people wore respectable clothes, and plenty of young masters and ladies walked by in fine silks and brocades.
Every few dozen meters, a patrol officer in uniform roamed the streets.
Now and then, they tapped the sabers at their waists, the crisp clangs seeming to warn anyone who might cause trouble.
Luo Zheng sighed. "The four great lineages of Anning County, the local gentry, and the Magistrate's Mansion are all rooted here. There's a patrol officer every hundred paces. It's terrifying."
"Senior Brother Luo, is it safe to live here?" Li Chuan asked.
Luo Zheng nodded. "Of course. The lords of the Inner City have made the rules: no bloodshed is allowed here.
"Even if you offend some big shot, as long as you stay here for the rest of your life, he won't dare lay a hand on you."
Li Chuan deeply agreed.
The Inner City was like a peaceful back garden, where the families of every important person in Anning County lived.
No one wanted anything to happen to their family, so everyone did their utmost to maintain this "order."
If I could bring my family here, I wouldn't have to worry about their safety. Li Chuan thought to himself.
"A-Chuan, come down! We're at the Flying Swallow Pavilion!" Luo Zheng climbed out of the carriage and called to him.
Luo Zheng seemed to have a good relationship with the proprietor.
He marched in and ordered several hearty dishes, then took Li Chuan to a table.
Luo Zheng said wistfully, "Back when my family was doing well, I used to come here all the time. But things have gone downhill these past few years."
Then he teased, "Now I'm only getting to eat here because I'm riding your coattails."
Li Chuan replied calmly, "Don't worry. No matter how you put it, I'm not going to stand on ceremony with you."
Luo Zheng's mouth twitched. "Has anyone ever told you that you can be pretty punchable?"
Li Chuan: "..."
Luo Zheng suddenly muttered under his breath, "What rotten luck. Why is he here too?"
Li Chuan followed his gaze and saw Senior Brother Tang Xiang, with two young masters trailing behind him.
Tang Xiang noticed Luo Zheng looking his way and smiled.
"Junior Brother Luo, Junior Brother Li. What a coincidence."
Luo Zheng said coolly, "It sure is."
Tang Xiang paid no mind to Luo Zheng's tone. Instead, he gave Li Chuan a longer look, his smile bright.
Li Chuan found it strange. Tang Xiang had never been friendly toward him before.
Even after Li Chuan had reached Dark Force, Tang Xiang hadn't so much as greeted him.
Why had his attitude toward Li Chuan suddenly changed?
But Li Chuan's puzzlement didn't last long.
Soon, a beautiful maid brought out five hearty dishes, setting them down one by one.
The moment they hit the table, Li Chuan caught a powerful aroma of meat.
The scent even stirred the blood and qi lying dormant within his body.
Li Chuan took a closer look: steamed bear paw, roast lamb ribs, pan-fried silverfish, tiger meat stir-fried with chili peppers, and turtle soup...
You can't have your fish and eat it too...
For some reason, Li Chuan thought of that saying, and with it, the days he'd spent cramming until he was half-dead.
"Life's good! How about a pot of fine yellow wine?" Luo Zheng asked excitedly, rubbing his hands together.
"No." Li Chuan shot Luo Zheng a glance. "Those who practice martial arts should drink less."
Luo Zheng nodded remorsefully. "Wine and women ruin the body. From today on, I'm quitting alcohol!"
Li Chuan picked up a piece of bear paw and chewed.
It had been steamed until soft and tender, practically melting in his mouth.
Some kind of sauce had been drizzled over it, completely masking its gamey smell.
It was absolutely delicious!
Li Chuan was a little surprised. It was nothing like he'd imagined.
The bear paw had a unique texture. It didn't feel like eating meat at all, but more like pigskin and tendons.
More importantly, as soon as the bear paw went down, a tremendous surge of blood and qi spread through his body.
Like spring rain nourishing all things, it gradually seeped into every inch of his muscles and flesh, every inch of his skin.
It was constantly nourishing his body!
Li Chuan sighed.
He still remembered going to the market and seeing bear paws sold by the ounce. Back then, he hadn't even dared look at them for long.
He never thought he'd get the chance to truly eat one.
With that thought, Li Chuan's hands began to move much faster.
By the time Luo Zheng came to his senses, half the bear paw was almost gone.
He cried out anxiously, "You brat, wait for me!"
Then he started wielding his chopsticks just as quickly.
In the end, Luo Zheng still didn't eat much. After all, he was the one treating Li Chuan, so he let Li Chuan have most of it.
Li Chuan let out a satisfied groan. "Senior Brother Luo, now I understand what kind of good life you all lead. Eating these nourishing delicacies all the time, how could you not be strong?"
Luo Zheng shook his head. "A-Chuan, you eat donkey and venison every day. And you've made it this far—you're much stronger than me."
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