What Li Qiang wanted most urgently now was to find someone-anyone at all. He had already spent many days walking through the primeval forest. All along the way, he had seen nothing but towering trees with trunks an arm span around, tangled weeds, and dense foliage that blotted out the sun. It was dark and eerie; often he would walk several miles without seeing a glimmer of daylight, though he frequently spotted nameless beasts and birds.
Li Qiang kept marveling. The unpolluted surroundings and magnificent scenery left him in a very pleasant mood.
At last, he emerged from the forest.
Rubbing his eyes, Li Qiang stared in disbelief at a city.
He stood there for a long time, feeling tears welling up. Gazing at the city from afar, he felt something both strange and familiar. Its walls actually looked like those of ancient China: gray bricks, square-holed battlements, arched gateways, and a bell tower with upswept rafters. People were walking along the distant road.
After some thought, Li Qiang decided it would be better to dress as a tourist. He took out a large travel backpack, stuffed it haphazardly with things, and tied back his long hair with a long ribbon.
Wearing brown mid-height hiking boots, jeans, and a vest over a dark red shirt, Li Qiang shouldered his backpack and headed toward the city gate, excited and uneasy.
When he reached the gate, Li Qiang found things stranger still. Looking around, he saw that several dozen men, women, old people, and children had followed him, staring as though watching a performing monkey. Li Qiang kept nodding and smiling, but whenever he approached them, before he could ask anything, they scattered like startled rabbits. After he had walked a few dozen paces, however, they followed again, pointing constantly and occasionally bursting into laughter.
Judging by their clothing, Li Qiang could not determine which dynasty of ancient China they belonged to. He could be certain only that it was the Ming dynasty or earlier, since he had seen plenty of Qing clothing on television and knew it well.
Although he could not communicate with them, Li Qiang's exceptionally keen hearing still caught their hushed whispers. They were speaking the dialect of the Hangzhou and Jiaxing area.
A surge of excitement swept through Li Qiang. He had studied in Zhejiang and spent four full years in Hangzhou; he could understand almost all the dialects spoken around Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
At the city gate, four men dressed like soldiers, with long sabers at their waists, stopped Li Qiang.
"Who are you? Hand over your travel permit," their leader said. All four soldiers were full of curiosity, constantly looking him up and down.
Li Qiang could not help laughing. "Wonderful! I can understand you." Spreading his hands, he smiled. "Brother, I've come from a distant place. I was passing through and wanted to have a look around the city." He spoke in the Hangzhou dialect.
The four soldiers were astonished. They huddled together and conferred quietly, then one turned and ran briskly into the city. Their leader became exceedingly respectful and bowed. "Honored guest, please follow this humble one and rest awhile. I have already sent someone to fetch His Honor the prefect."
"Oh, there's no need to be so polite. No need." Li Qiang was utterly baffled. I didn't say anything just now. Isn't this rather too drastic a change in attitude?
Li Qiang really had not said much, but he had spoken authentic Hangzhou dialect. Here, that dialect was reserved for royalty and nobility; no one else was permitted to learn or speak it. Li Qiang only understood this later.
"Brother, may I ask your surname?" Li Qiang wanted to strike up a friendship.
The lead soldier answered in a fluster, "This humble one would not dare. My unworthy surname is Hua."
Li Qiang suddenly understood that hierarchy seemed rigid here. Hearing the soldier call himself "this humble one" at every turn left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. Someone raised in modern society was already accustomed to the idea that everyone was equal.
What Li Qiang lacked most now was information. The jade eye slip recorded only matters concerning the Cultivation Realm, with no information whatsoever about the mundane world. "Brother Hua, what's this city called?" Li Qiang began fishing for the information he needed.
With Li Qiang calling him Brother Hua at every turn, the soldier was at a complete loss. He would gladly have told him about three generations of his ancestors. Thus, he answered whatever Li Qiang asked, giving ten answers to every question. Gradually, Li Qiang learned some basic facts.
The city was called Hanlin. It stood right beside the Forest of Sighs-the forest Li Qiang had just emerged from-and had been the first capital built by the Gusong Kingdom. About three hundred years earlier, the Gusong Kingdom had moved its capital. Afterward, the city had slowly declined, its population shrinking from over seven hundred thousand at its peak to just over two hundred thousand now.
The Gusong Kingdom had a population of roughly seventy to eighty million. Of the three great kingdoms in the Green Basin, it was relatively weak. The other two were the Litang Kingdom and the Great Han Kingdom. Of the three, the Great Han Kingdom was the most powerful.
Heavenly Court Star also had some smaller kingdoms, scattered across places with extremely harsh natural conditions. Better-known examples included the Wangming Kingdom on the Storm Plain and the Qingfeng Kingdom in the Red Rock Petrification Mountain Range. There were also several prominent peoples, including the Qin People, Wu People, Chu People, Xia People, and Shang People.
Li Qiang understood. The Gusong Kingdom must have been founded by people who had migrated from Earth during the Song dynasty. The other kingdoms and peoples were probably the same.
Li Qiang also learned that on the Green Basin, the most fertile land on Heavenly Court Star, the three kingdoms fought endlessly. War broke out every decade or so. Each kingdom wanted to destroy the others and unite the Green Basin, but for various reasons none had ever succeeded.
The chief reason was the Cultivation Realm's intervention. Every kingdom's royalty and nobility, and every prominent people, had countless interwoven ties to the Cultivation Realm. Among these royals and nobles, quite a few were cultivators themselves.
The soldier also told Li Qiang that Hanlin City's prefect was named Feng Kaiyun. He had passed the provincial examination and had apparently offended someone, resulting in his demotion to this remote city. The garrison commander, Tong Fangzhen, had risen through meritorious service and came from the ranks.
"His Honor the prefect has arrived!" a soldier announced.
Li Qiang looked up and saw two rows of yamen runners holding water-and-fire staves. Four men at the front carried signs reading "Silence" and "Keep clear," while an official sedan chair borne by four men approached slowly. Li Qiang nearly laughed aloud. Good grief, isn't this a bit exaggerated? What a grand procession. It really feels as if I've gone back to ancient times.
The sedan stopped some distance away, and the bearers lowered its poles. A runner beside it hurriedly lifted the curtain, and a middle-aged man stepped out. Resting a hand on a runner's shoulder, he stamped his feet, then withdrew his hand and stroked his beard as he looked toward Li Qiang. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, immediately followed by a face full of smiles. With measured, formal steps, he slowly approached.
Li Qiang was also carefully studying Hanlin City's highest official. He had a square face, two jet-black brows slanting downward like the character for eight, thin lips, three long strands of beard, and a hooked nose. Clearly, he was a man of deep schemes. He wore blue official robes and a jade belt, and the two flat wings behind his official hat swayed horizontally.
Li Qiang found it terribly comical. He went forward, and his very first words startled the runners and soldiers. "Haha, you must be Feng Kaiyun, Brother Feng! I'm Li Qiang. It's our first meeting, so please look after your little brother!"
The soldier surnamed Hua thought, So this lord calls everyone big brother. No wonder he called me that too.
Feng Kaiyun froze, not daring to be remiss. "This subordinate did not know of your arrival, Lord Li, and failed to come out to welcome you. Forgive me! Forgive me!" He thought, Why does his court speech sound so awkward?
Li Qiang's next action nearly frightened the runners and soldiers to death.
He stepped forward, patted Feng Kaiyun on the shoulder, and smiled. "Don't stand on ceremony. Sorry for the trouble; I only wanted to look around the city. It's nothing, really. Brother Feng, you don't need to accompany me. Just tell me where the inn is."
Feng Kaiyun grew increasingly suspicious. "Wait! Please show me your official documents, my lord, so this subordinate may prepare for official business." The atmosphere instantly grew somewhat tense.
Li Qiang was bewildered. "What official documents? I don't have any official documents. How strange."
The runners and soldiers slowly surrounded him.
"How dare you!" Feng Kaiyun barked. "You dare impersonate royalty and nobility! Speak! What do you do?"
Li Qiang lost his temper too. "Bastard! What the hell are you talking about? When did I impersonate anyone? Is what I do any business of yours? Damn it!" The more he cursed, the angrier he became. Somehow, his fury suddenly blazed three fathoms high.
"Huh? Why are you kneeling?"
The purple flames of the Sky-Full-of-Stars Inner Armor flared again. In an instant, Li Qiang's clothes burned to ashes once more. His anger had brought it on.
Sweat poured down Feng Kaiyun's head as he knelt on the ground. He knew he had brought terrible trouble upon himself.
For only members of the imperial clan could possibly cultivate Heart Armor, and this had always been kept secret. He thought, Alas, this time I'll lose my head.
In his study, Feng Kaiyun paced back and forth with measured steps, stroking his beard. Even now, he was still frightened. Fortunately, Li Qiang had not held it against him; otherwise, there was no telling how he could have resolved that deadly predicament.
His chief adviser, Cheng Zizhong, also sat with his head lowered in thought.
"Master, Chunxiang from the honored guest's quarters requests an audience. She says she has something to report," a young servant in blue said, bowing at the waist.
"Quickly, let her in!"
Feng Kaiyun looked somewhat flustered. Adviser Cheng Zizhong said, "Your Honor, stay calm. Lord Li doesn't seem like someone who is difficult to talk to."
Feng Kaiyun gave a long sigh. "My learned friend, I've lost all composure. You must help me keep things in hand."
"This servant Chunxiang kowtows to Master."
"Speak quickly. What is it?"
Kneeling on the floor, Chunxiang answered, "Master Li wants to go out into the streets. Sister Qiuxiang is keeping him talking. This servant dares not decide. Master, what should we do?"
Kneeling there, Chunxiang could hardly keep from laughing. She had never met a guest like Master Li. Young and handsome, he chased after the four little maids attending her, calling them elder sister one moment and younger sister the next, throwing all distinctions of rank and age aside. He put on no airs at all and was great fun. He had even given them sweets they had never seen before, and they were truly delicious. She licked her lips, thinking of the packet of sweets tucked inside her clothes and wondering when she could find time to have someone take it home, so her parents and younger siblings could taste something so good too.
"Chunxiang, go back first. Tell Master Li that I will be there shortly."
"Yes, Master." Chunxiang could hardly wait to return. She slowly backed out of the study, then turned and took to her heels.
"My learned friend, come with me."
Feng Kaiyun really was a little afraid of seeing Li Qiang. Cheng Zizhong encouraged him. "Your Honor, whatever Lord Li requests, agree to it first. We must attend him carefully and absolutely must not offend him again. I don't think Lord Li will stay long."
Feng Kaiyun understood Cheng Zizhong's meaning. Whatever the cost, they had to keep this Li Qiang satisfied in Hanlin City. Once he left satisfied, everything would be fine.
Li Qiang was not an unreasonable man. Once he moved into the honored guest's quarters at the prefectural yamen, he stopped holding Feng Kaiyun's rudeness against him. Although he did not quite understand why the sight of the Sky-Full-of-Stars Inner Armor had frightened Feng Kaiyun so badly, he was satisfied that their hostility had ended. After all, fighting would be troublesome and would run counter to his original intention of touring Heavenly Court Star freely.
After changing into the new clothes Prefect Feng had sent, he hurried to go out into the streets. He was intensely curious about everything. Seeing the four little maids blocking him, Li Qiang could not resist teasing them.
Feng Kaiyun stopped outside the guest quarters and waved back at Cheng Zizhong, signaling for the old adviser to enter first. Cheng Zizhong nodded and was about to step inside when laughter drifted out of the room. Both men stopped in unison.
"Little Sister Qiuxiang, stop holding on to me. I'm only going out for a walk. What are you all so nervous about?"
"Master, please consider this servant's difficulties. Little Sister Chunxiang said His Honor would be here right away. Could you please wait a little longer?"
"How many times have I told you? Stop calling me Master all the time. Let me hear you call me big brother. I like that."
Feng Kaiyun felt his bones go limp. This Lord Li is actually so frivolous, paying no heed to propriety. This... this is outrageous. On reflection, there was nothing he could do about him, but he truly could not bear to listen any longer. He coughed and pulled Cheng Zizhong into the room.
Li Qiang's skin was sometimes extraordinarily thin and sometimes extraordinarily thick. Seeing Feng Kaiyun enter, he deliberately tried to annoy him. Grinning cheekily, he went forward and seized his hand. "Big brother, you're finally here! Your little brother wants to stroll around the streets, but these little sisters insist on waiting for you. Were you planning to come with me?"
Feng Kaiyun was so angry his nose nearly twisted out of shape. He forcefully pulled his hand free.
Seeing Prefect Feng's expression change, Cheng Zizhong hastily said, "Lord Li, His Honor has brought me here first to pay our respects to you, and second because the city's garrison commander, Lord Tong Fangzhen, wishes to visit you. His Honor has absolutely no intention of neglecting you. Since you wish to inspect the city, why don't I accompany you in His Honor's place for now?"
"And this is...?" Li Qiang looked at Feng Kaiyun.
"Oh, he is my chief adviser, Cheng Zizhong, Master Cheng." Feng Kaiyun breathed a sigh of relief. If he had to accompany Li Qiang, he would be angered to death along the way. Cupping his hands, he said, "Since Lord Li is eager to inspect the city, I will not insist. Master Cheng will accompany you. I still have some official business, so please excuse me. Tonight, I will hold a welcoming banquet to wash away the dust of your journey. I take my leave."
"Wait, wait. I promised to take these little sisters out with me. You don't mind, do you, brother?"
Seeing Li Qiang extend those devilish claws again, Feng Kaiyun was thoroughly fed up. He hastily said, "Please do as you wish, my lord."
The four little maids-Chunxiang, Qiuxiang, Juxiang, and Lanxiang-followed Li Qiang and Cheng Zizhong in high spirits, chatting and laughing quietly. They had never expected Li Qiang to actually take them shopping.
Cheng Zizhong had not expected it either. This Lord Li was like a child, not only disregarding rank and age but also saying whatever he pleased without the slightest restraint. Cheng Zizhong had visited countless government offices and met countless officials, yet he had never encountered a lord like this. He found it quite interesting.
Entering a clothing shop, Li Qiang could not help sighing. Compared with Earth's huge supermarkets and department stores, this place was so poor in goods.
The shopkeeper was a fat man with a double chin, a plump face, and shrewdness shining in his small eyes. He scurried out from behind the counter, his face wreathed in smiles. "My two honored masters, welcome to my humble shop. What would you like to see? I'll fetch it at once." Turning, he beckoned to an assistant. "Quickly, bring out the goods. Have my wife come too; there are lady customers."
Cheng Zizhong had no idea what Li Qiang wanted to buy, so he could only stand watching with his hands held awkwardly.
Li Qiang smiled. "Shopkeeper, I want four autumn outfits and four winter outfits." Pointing at the four little maids, he said, "They're for these four little sisters. Ready-made would be best. If you don't have any, take their measurements and send them over when they're finished." His gaze swept across the clothes rack, and he added, "Bring me that black fur cloak."
Taking down the black fur cloak, the shopkeeper said, "Honored master, this cloak is made from Biqi Beast hide. You have an excellent eye. This is the finest cloak in my shop."
Cheng Zizhong exclaimed in surprise, "So this is Biqi Beast fur? Its reputation is renowned."
Li Qiang felt the fur but did not find it particularly fine. "What's a Biqi Beast? What sort of thing is it?"
Cheng Zizhong said, "It's a fine thing. Biqi Beasts live in swamps and are extremely difficult to catch. Water cannot penetrate this hide. It keeps out wind and rain, and in winter it's both light and warm."
The shopkeeper grinned. "Oh my, this elder gentleman knows his goods."
A flurry of activity followed. The four little maids felt as though they were dreaming. No one had ever treated them so well in all their lives, and words could not express the gratitude in their hearts.
"Good, I'll buy it. Wrap it up with the eight outfits I ordered earlier and deliver them to the prefectural yamen."
The shopkeeper shrank back in fright. Heavens, it's for the officials! If they don't pay, I'll have to throw myself into the river. He was terribly worried.
"How much?" As soon as Li Qiang asked, his heart gave a jolt. Oh no, I don't know what sort of money they use here.
"The cloak is seven hundred and fifteen taels. The eight outfits are forty-seven taels and four mace. That comes to seven hundred and sixty-two taels and four mace of silver." The shopkeeper finished rattling his abacus.
Li Qiang turned to Cheng Zizhong. "Where is there a jewelry shop around here?"