The guards laughed so hard they almost fell over, and it took them a while to calm down.
Nashan didn't care; losing to his boss wasn't shameful. He laughed, "Boss, go ahead and wear this official uniform. Hehe, let Old Na have some fun too."
Li Qiang was reminded of this; wearing the prince's robes while strolling the streets would be far too conspicuous and inappropriate. He beckoned to a guard and said, "Get us some civilian clothes."
The guard was in a dilemma. This was the palace. If he were at home, he could easily get ten or eight sets of clothes here, but now it was a different story. He dared not disobey the prince, so he had no choice but to run inside and report to the crown prince.
Li Qiang, Nashan, Tange stood at the door chatting while the guards went to fetch their clothes.
A moment later, several eunuchs and palace maids came out, carrying clothes in their hands, followed by another person. Li Qiang asked in surprise, "Why has the Crown Prince come?"
The Crown Prince had just woken up and, upon hearing the guard's report, couldn't resist the urge to leave. Although he had left the palace before, it was always with his father, the Emperor, leading a large entourage in a grand procession, with the surrounding area sealed off—it was utterly boring.
He immediately sent someone to fetch his clothes and inquired about his father's condition. The imperial physician reported that the emperor was still asleep and was out of danger. Relieved, he thought this was a good opportunity to go out of the palace with Li Qiang.
"Your Highness, please take Qi'er out for a walk. She's so bored in the palace," the Crown Prince pleaded softly.
Li Qiang hesitated for a moment, then softened. After all, he was still a child, and it was hard for him to be so nervous these past few days. Taking him out for a walk to relax wasn't a big deal.
Li Qiang said, "Alright, but don't call me Prince outside. Let's agree on how to address each other first, otherwise it won't be good if we reveal our true identity."
Crown Prince Zhao Qi was overjoyed. "Then I'll call the Prince 'brother,' okay? Um, brother, you can just call me Qi'er."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "That's fine, it'll be more intimate that way."
The guards nearby were dumbfounded. One of the leading guards stammered, "Your Highness... Your Highness, leaving... leaving... leaving the palace? This requires..."
The Crown Prince interrupted him sharply, saying, "With the Prince here, what is there to be afraid of? Enough said, it's settled then!"
The four went into a side room to change clothes. A guard quietly went in to report to the chief eunuch, trying to stop the crown prince from leaving. However, the emperor was still asleep, the chief eunuch dared not interfere with the crown prince, and the emperor's uncle Zhao Gong was not present. The group was in a panic and had no choice but to arrange for someone to secretly follow the four without letting the crown prince know.
Nashan exclaimed excitedly, "Boss, I haven't been shopping since I arrived in the capital. It's all because of that brat Lin Fenghe; he caught us as soon as we got here. Hehe, today we can finally have some fun! Boss, are you familiar with this place?"
Li Qiang slapped his forehead. He had only strolled around here once many years ago; how could he possibly still know the way? He laughed and said, "I'm a little disoriented too. Let's ask Old Zhao to lead the way; he's a local and knows the area well." He immediately sent someone to fetch Zhao Zhi.
Zhao Zhi rushed over and was overjoyed to see Li Qiang. He and his brothers were guarding the back of the palace and were unaware that Li Qiang had arrived. He excitedly said, "Boss, you're finally here! Oh, isn't this His Majesty the Crown Prince?" He was surprised to find the Crown Prince standing beside Li Qiang with a broad smile, seemingly quite familiar with his boss. He quickly stepped forward to pay his respects, and the Crown Prince smiled and waved for him to rise.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "The guide is here! Brother Zhao, hurry up and change your clothes, he'll take us to tour the capital."
Li Qiang harbored a hope that he might meet Yun Yu in the capital. Although the chances were slim, he couldn't help but want to go and see for himself.
A moment later, Zhao Zhi, dressed neatly, asked, "Boss, where are we going to have fun?"
"Let's talk while walking. I've only been here once, haha, it's better if you take it with you. Alas, have you been back to the escort office?"
"I didn't even have time to go back. I only stayed at Brother Zhao Hao's house for one night before Fenghe conscripted me. I really want to go back and see him. I wonder how Old Wei is doing?"
The five people quietly came out through the side door.
It was late autumn, and the cold winds of the Frozen Plain plains began to sweep across the entire Green Basin. The streets were a bit deserted in the early morning. A little autumn rain had fallen overnight, and there were still traces of water on the stone pavement. A cool breeze swept by, and the puddles on the roadside rippled in layers. Withered yellow leaves danced in the wind. Winter was coming.
Zhao Qi took a deep breath of the crisp air, and after a long while, slowly exhaled, as if trying to drive away the vexation in his heart. He said, "Brother, this is the first time I've ever been able to go out freely in the streets, haha, I'm going to have a lot of fun! Zhao Zhi, where are some fun things to do?" He looked around happily.
Li Qiang knew that he was unusually mature for his age. Because he grew up in the extremely complex environment of the palace, his mind was far more capable than that of ordinary people. But at this moment, he showed his childlike nature.
Li Qiang laughed, " Qi'er, let's go get breakfast first. Hehe, I remember the first time I ate a kind of True Grass Buns here, it had a unique flavor." He thought of Mei Jingjing and the big black Zheng Peng, and a smile appeared on his face.
Zhao Zhi said, "So, Boss, you're familiar with the capital too. The True Grass Buns here are famous."
Nashan interjected, "The eldest brother must be familiar with this place; he's a prince from the Gusong Kingdom."
Li Qiang slapped him across the face. "You're obsessed with being an official, aren't you? Remember this, change how you address people outside this time. Call me... um, call me Young Master, Qi'er call me Second Young Master, you're the bodyguard, Old Zhao is the steward, Tange... oh dear, this is bad!" His sudden exclamation startled everyone.
Tange hurriedly asked, "What's wrong, boss?"
Qi'er was the first to understand, saying, "He's a foreigner; it's shocking to see him walking down the street."
Nashan opened his mouth, then suddenly chuckled, "That's right! I remember being almost scared to death the first time I saw the White devils. Later, when I saw the Green Tribe, Old Na thought they'd crawled out of a dye vat! Hehe, I'm used to it now. Indeed... Ouch! Old Tan, I'm just telling the truth, I'm not insulting you, why are you pinching me!"
Li Qiang said, "How about this, Tange will cover his face with a veil. Hehe, it'll be a bit mysterious, but it's better than being shocking, right?" He took out a black veil he had bought in his hometown and handed it to Tange.
Nashan kept chuckling to himself, Tange, having no other choice, had to cover his head with a veil.
Nashan finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Haha! Hahaha! Here, girls only put on their veils when they get married. Old Tan, haha, who are you marrying?"
Li Qiang laughed and scolded, "You rascal! The veil is red, this one is black, what kind of taste do you have?"
Tange said with a wry smile, "Ugh, it's so suffocating, everything's blurry..." His veil fluttered back and forth. "Boss! I can't breathe!"
Zhao Qi had never seen people joke like this before. From the time he was old enough to understand, he had been taught court etiquette and there were rules to follow in any situation. Suddenly seeing Li Qiang and his group of unrestrained people gave him a novel feeling that excited him and made him feel much more relaxed.
Zhao Zhi laughed and said, "Just bear with it. Be careful, or the people here will treat you like a monster. You'll be in big trouble then."
Tange shook his head and said, "It's better to be on the Tanbang Continent. What kind of people don't we have there? Unlike the people here, making a fuss over nothing, so ignorant!"
Zhao Qi asked curiously, " Tange, where is your hometown? Is it better than our Green Basin?"
"What we have in our hometown, we don't have here, so it's not fair to compare."
Zhao Qi had always been curious about Tange, but due to his status in the palace, he couldn't talk to Tange much. Now that they were out and everyone was more relaxed, he couldn't help but chat with Tange. The group chatted and laughed as they slowly walked along the street.
Zhao Zhi said, "It's been a long time since I've had thin, delicate noodles. There's a small shop up ahead; let's go get the first bowl of noodles."
Li Qiang also knew about the "first soup noodles" tradition, and he said, "Great! I didn't expect there to be such a thing as 'first soup noodles' here. Let's try it."
Nashan's home was in the countryside of the Qingfeng Kingdom. He had never heard of the term "first-boiled noodles" before, so he asked, "Eldest brother... uh, young master, what is first-boiled noodles?"
Li Qiang said, "Hehe, that's what casual eaters say. Usually, noodle shops that sell breakfast boil a big pot of water early in the morning, and the first bowl of noodles cooked is called 'first-boiled noodles.' These noodles are smooth and chewy, incredibly refreshing. Only true gourmets would specifically seek out this kind of noodle."
Nashan dismissively said, "Does that mean the noodles added later are less tasty? I think they're about the same."
Zhao Zhi said, "That pot of soup isn't changed for a whole day, and by the end it's all turned into a mushy mess. Of course, the noodles cooked in it won't taste good. Sigh, I can't explain it to you. We've arrived, young master, second young master, please!" He really did act like a butler.
This was a small shop with simple wooden benches and tables. There was no sign at the entrance, and the shop was run by a husband and wife who didn't have any employees. When they saw the five of them enter, the couple immediately became nervous. Since they opened the shop, they had never seen such elegantly dressed young men come to their shop.
The owner wiped and dusted the tables and chairs repeatedly, poured everyone a cup of tea, and warmly invited everyone to sit down.
Zhao Zhi said, "First, prepare five bowls of thin noodles. The topping should be thick and the ingredients plentiful, understand?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, " Old Zhao seems to know this place well. Did you come here to eat often before?"
Zhao Zhi laughed and said, "When we were escorting goods, we would eat our way through the entire capital in our spare time. Hehe, we were quite particular about it—we had to have different dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we could eat a different thing every day for a month. At night, we would go to brothels to drink and have fun. It was truly a life like that of gods."
Zhao Qi was still confused and asked, "What's a brothel? Is it fun? Let's go!"
"Pfft!" Li Qiang spat out a mouthful of tea onto the ground, saying, "That's not a fun place. There are plenty of other places to visit today. Hmm, forget about that brothel."
He glared at Zhao Zhi and transmitted his voice, "Don't talk nonsense! When we get back, if the Emperor asks me where the Crown Prince went, what am I supposed to say? That I took the Crown Prince to a brothel? Damn it, I can't bear to say that!"
Zhao Zhi was so frightened that he quickly lowered his head. It was best not to provoke the boss when he called himself "I," because if he lost his temper, he could be terrifying.
Soon, the noodles were served in a small bowl, a shallow bowl of thin noodles topped with a layer of glistening, bright red chili oil. The owner also brought out some side dishes and snacks.
Nashan exclaimed with delight, "It's been so long since I've had spicy food! Ah, this is good, but there's just too little of it!"
Zhao Zhi laughed and said, "Make him another bowl..."
Nashan looked at the small bowl in front of him and said, "That's too little. Make six more bowls."
Zhao Qi ate with great relish; the hot and spicy noodle soup soon made him sweat. It was the first time he had ever eaten so heartily.
Li Qiang took a few bites and put down his chopsticks. A thought suddenly struck him: someone was following him.
Li Qiang used his Divine Sense to investigate and found about twenty or thirty people, all skilled fighters from the secular world. After thinking about it carefully, he understood; these must be expert guards sent by the palace to protect the crown prince.
He didn't say anything, and continued to watch Qi'er eat noodles with a smile.
Zhao Qi was particular about not speaking while eating; it was a rule in the palace. Unlike Nashan, who ate with a tremendous commotion, he would fork noodles with his chopsticks, tilt his Baldy, open his mouth wide, and slurp and slurp noisily, constantly muttering, "Delicious! Refreshing!"
Tange took two bites and exclaimed how good it was. After finishing his bowl in a few bites, he snatched a bowl of noodles from Nashan. The two of them ate the most.
Zhao Zhi laughed and said, "There are many other delicious foods; just try a few."
As they were talking, Nashan had already grabbed the last bowl of noodles and chuckled, "What's the big deal? I'm a big Old Na, this is nothing to me."
The Temple Street Junction in the capital city is the most bustling area.
Around noon, Li Qiang and his group strolled to this spot. This was his second time visiting Temple Street Junction, and he felt a mix of emotions, silently observing the scene.
Zhao Zhi said, "The largest restaurant in the capital is just ahead— White Alum Pavilion. Young Master, let's go sit down."
Qi'er was a little tired after walking for a while, and said first, "Great! I've heard that White Alum Pavilion is the largest restaurant in our Gusong Kingdom, but this is the first time I've ever seen it."
Upon arriving at the foot of the White Alum Restaurant, Nashan exclaimed, "Wow, what a grand restaurant! Impressive!"
Zhao Zhi laughed and said, "It's the number one building in the Green Basin, of course it's impressive. Let's rest in the private rooms upstairs."
The main building of the White Alum Pavilion is a three-story wooden building with flying eaves, carved beams, black tiles, and red pillars, which makes it look very imposing. The surrounding low bungalows further highlight the grandeur and magnificence of the restaurant.
The entire White Alum Restaurant consists of two such tall buildings, with the ground level of the White Alum Pavilion running between the east and west streets, occupying a vast area.
The building at the Temple Street Junction is the East Building, and the one on the west street is the West Building. Between the two buildings is a large courtyard with six sections, and there are various smaller courtyards for guests to visit. These were reserved for dignitaries and were incredibly expensive.
At noon, the place was bustling with people. The waiter standing at the gate was very discerning. When he saw Li Qiang and his group of five approaching, he could tell from their clothes that they were young masters from wealthy families, so he immediately went to greet them.
Zhao Zhi preemptively ordered, "We need a private room upstairs, find us a spot facing the street."
The five men went upstairs laughing and joking. The third floor was spacious, and most of the seats were occupied, except for one empty table in the corner. The waiter kept apologizing, "I'm sorry, gentlemen! This is the only empty table on the third floor facing the street and by the window. Please forgive us!"
Zhao Qi looked curiously at the crowd drinking upstairs. He had never been to such a noisy place before. Some were playing drinking games, others were talking and laughing loudly, and the noise was deafening.
Li Qiang laughed and said, " Qi'er, that's how it is in all the restaurants outside, they're very noisy."
People who can afford to order food and drinks on the second and third floors are generally quite wealthy, so Li Qiang and his group of five didn't attract much attention when they came up.
After the five people sat down, Zhao Zhi smiled and said, "I'm familiar with the dishes here, let me order." He beckoned to the waiter, who rattled off a list of dishes and their prices, clearly indicating that he was a regular customer.
With plenty of staff, dishes were quickly served one after another. Zhao Zhi said, "Let's have some wine here. White Alum Pavilion's Blue Garden Wine is famous for its quality... Waiter! Bring a jar of Blue Garden Wine, the best kind."
Li Qiang shook his head, Nashan asked curiously, "Old... this... Young Master, you don't like to drink?"
Li Qiang said, "The wine here is really bad; I don't like it."
Zhao Qi smiled and said, "We have some good wine at home; we'll send some to you next time, brother."
Li Qiang thought to himself, if the palace really had good wine, Hou Pijing wouldn't have fought over it back then. The wine here tastes completely wrong; it's probably because they don't have good yeast. He smiled and said, "I still have some here; let everyone try it today."
He still had a few bottles of wine left in his bracelet. Because it was difficult to get wine from his hometown anymore, he was reluctant to take them out easily, not because he was stingy, but because they contained a longing for his hometown.
He took out a bottle of Wuliangye liquor, a finely packaged crystal bottle, opened the cap, and said with a smile, " Qi'er can only taste it, don't drink too much. The rest of you can drink as you please."
Zhao Zhi took a deep sniff of the air and exclaimed in surprise, "It smells so good! It really smells like wine! I can't believe there's such a fragrant wine!"
Because of his young age, Zhao Qi had never drunk alcohol before. He was very interested in the bottle in Li Qiang's hand. Modern machine-made products are very exquisite, and you can't see any trace of handcraftsmanship.
Li Qiang filled everyone's glasses with wine, and immediately the fragrant aroma of the liquor filled the air.
Zhao Zhi was quite the connoisseur. He carefully took a sip, and after a moment, exclaimed, "My God, this is truly an unparalleled wine! It's absolutely wonderful!"
Nashan said, "Really? Let me try it." He gulped down the entire glass of liquor in one go, then yelled, "Wow! Damn it! It's so spicy... Ouch! It's burning!" This rascal swallowed a good two ounces of liquor in one go; no wonder it was so spicy.
Zhao Zhi grabbed the bottle with a pained expression, saying repeatedly, "You should drink Blue Garden Wine, I'll drink this slowly."
"Hey, where did this wine come from?" a deep, muffled voice asked.
Li Qiang recognized the name, turned around, and exclaimed with delight, " Zheng Peng! It's you!" He practically leaped out of the room.
One of them went even further, "Bang!" "Crash!" Zheng Peng was a big guy, and he stood up so quickly that he knocked a large table over.
Li Qiang grabbed his arm and exclaimed happily, " Heizi, you... how are you?"
The two laughed heartily, oblivious to everyone else around them, leaving the other drinkers completely bewildered.
Zheng Peng had clearly matured; his face was covered in a thick beard, his dark complexion was weathered, and his eyes were much sharper than before. Li Qiang could tell at a glance that this was the look of someone who had cultivated immortality. He asked happily, "Who did you learn cultivation from?"
"With me!" said a thin, small man beside him.
Zheng Peng said, "This is my senior brother. He taught me on behalf of our master. Hehe, senior brother, this is my good friend, Li Qiang. Little brother, this is my senior brother Meng Fan."
Li Qiang was surprised; Zheng Peng seemed like a completely different person, much more refined. He smiled and said, "So it's Senior Brother Meng. Greetings, brother. Please come and sit down."
Meng Fan nodded. This junior brother was his favorite, and he always brought him along when they went out. After so many years, this was the first time he had met his junior brother's friend. Judging from Zheng Peng's expression, he could tell that Li Qiang and his junior brother had a deep friendship.
He tossed a silver ingot to the waiter and said, "This is to pay for your table."
The restaurant became noisy again, but no one cared about the friends meeting; everyone continued drinking and making merry as usual.
Li Qiang led Zheng Peng and Meng Fan back to their seats and introduced them to everyone. After they sat down as host and guests, Li Qiang said, "Hei Zi, I didn't expect to see you again."
Heizi Zheng Peng was a friend Li Qiang made when he first arrived on Heavenly Court Star. Later, he was captured and taken to Tanbang Star, and the two were separated. Li Qiang was very pleased to see him again, and was especially happy that Heizi had also embarked on the path of cultivation.
Zheng Peng grinned broadly and said, "After you left, a long time passed. I got really impatient staying at Grandpa Zhao's house, so I went out to look for you. As a result, I ran into my senior brother on the road, and we got into a fight. Heizi lost, so he had to go with my senior brother. Hehe, but my senior brother is very good to me." He explained it simply, and Li Qiang understood the general outline of what had happened.
Meng Fan was thin and small, with an unremarkable appearance, but on his back was a large sword, about the width of a palm and three feet long. The sword looked very strange, with fish-scale-like patterns covering its black spine. It had no sheath and was stuck to his back. Zheng Peng also had a large sword on his back, exactly the same shape, only larger. The large axe he used to use was gone.
Nahe_Tu_Shushan was very curious. He squinted his one eye and asked, "Big guy, that greatsword of yours is really cool. What's its name?"
Zheng Peng had been a bandit, and Nashan was no saint either; the two were destined to clash whenever they met.
Zheng Peng chuckled and said, "Hey, you seem kind of familiar to me. Did you also spend some time on the mountain? This sword of mine is called the Baleful Intent Gathering Sword. It's a treasure; my senior brother specially commissioned a master craftsman to forge it."
Zhao Zhi understood; those who had lived in the mountains were bandits and robbers. Nashan didn't understand, but he wasn't exactly an honest man either. He grinned and said, "Big guy, I, Old Na, have never lived in the mountains, but I have lived in caves." Zheng Peng was stunned.
Li Qiang laughed loudly and cursed, "Nonsense! Damn it, Heizi, do you still want to be a bandit? Nashan 're happy being a bully, aren't you?" Li Qiang's sudden use of vulgar language startled the two men, who quickly denied it.
Meng Fan immediately became interested in Li Qiang. He couldn't believe that this seemingly frail scholar could be so capable. Curious, he asked, "Hey? Little Hei, did you used to be a bandit?"
Zheng Peng said casually, "I worked there for a few years, then I met this guy, got defeated by his disciple, and then I went with him."
Meng Fan was surprised and asked, "May I ask which cultivation sect Brother Li belongs to?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Hehe, I'm from the Ancient Sword Academy."
Meng Fan nodded. "Oh, it's a prestigious sect. I didn't expect the Ancient Sword Academy to have experts traveling outside."
Nashan objected. "Why can't Ancient Sword Academy walk outside?"
Meng Fan looked up and said, " The Ancient Sword Academy is almost in seclusion on Sealed Fate Planet, and very few experts come out to visit. I think I'm not wrong."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "It's nothing. Soon, cultivators from the Ancient Sword Academy will be out and about. Brother Meng, which cultivation sect are you from?"
Zheng Peng was much more observant than before. He sensed something fishy in their words and quickly said, "Hey, young man, we cultivate in the Hidden Thunder Pavilion. Our master is Chief Instructor Hong Qianlei. All the disciples of the Hidden Thunder Pavilion are disciplined by him."
Li Qiang knew that the Ancient Sword Academy wasn't well-liked on Sealed Fate Planet, and couldn't help but sigh. It seemed that there was no difference between the Cultivation Realm and the secular world; strength was the only factor in everything.
Li Qiang had no intention of competing with him, and said with a smile, "Come, Brother Meng, have a cup of the good wine I brought." He filled their cups, but found that there was only a little wine left. He wondered, "How did they drink it so fast?" He glanced at the Crown Prince, who was already swaying his head from drinking. He had secretly drunk almost half a bottle of wine.
Li Qiang said, both amused and exasperated, "Oh no, how dare they drink this?" He hurriedly took out a Cold Marrow Scale and fed it into the prince's mouth.
Meng Fan's eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed. He recognized the elixir in Li Qiang's hand; it was the Cold Marrow Scale, a special antidote. He had come out this time specifically to find the spirit medicine.