Holy body, start with the Five Animal Exercises

31: Inner City, North CityAfter tidying up, Qin Jiang arrived at the lobby of Shanman Restaurant. A young attendant walked over, ”Master Qin, Master Liu is waiting for you on the second floor.”

Qin Jiang nodded and walked straight up to the second floor. Before he even reached the second floor, Liu Yize quickly came over.

Today, he was dressed in luxurious clothes, his hair tied into a topknot, wearing a jade coronet, and holding a folding fan, looking like a refined Young Master.

”Haha! Brother, come quickly!”

When he got close, he pulled Qin Jiang into a private room without a word, and mysteriously took a bundle from his seat, placed it on the table, and opened it.

He took out the items inside and unfolded them, ”Brother, look! How is this black gold auspicious cloud robe of mine?”

Qin Jiang looked at it. It was a black brocade robe embroidered with black gold cloud patterns. He nodded, ”Not bad, it’s worth at least two taels of silver.”

”Haha! This was handmade by the chief artisan of Brocade Pavilion in the West City! Ten taels of silver couldn’t even buy it!” Liu Yize laughed heartily.

Qin Jiang slightly averted his gaze. A single piece of clothing was worth ten taels of silver. For his former self, he would have to go to Dahei Mountain dozens of times to earn that much.

”Come, come, quickly put it on and let me see! I knew you’d still be wearing that black cloth today. This won’t do, we’re going to the County Captain’s residence today!”

With that, Liu Yize directly handed the robe to Qin Jiang, then took out boots and a hairpin from the bundle.

”Oh, and Brother, you haven’t reached adulthood yet, have you? Then just wear a hairpin.”

Qin Jiang stared at the clothes in his hand,stunned then reacted, ”No, this is too valuable.”

Liu Yize waved his hand, ”Just put it on. You probably don’t know, your sister-in-law is that chief artisan of Brocade Pavilion. This black gold auspicious cloud robe costs ten taels for others, but for me, it’s free.

Speaking of which, the shop’s funds have been tight recently. For this banquet, I even borrowed a few hundred taels from your sister-in-law.”

Qin Jiang looked at Liu Yize with some confusion. Liu Yize also looked at him, straightening his posture slightly, ”Borrowed, it’s borrowed! How could a dignified eight-foot man like me do something unreasonable? Hurry and put it on! Don’t refuse any longer!”

A moment later, Qin Jiang put on the black gold auspicious cloud robe and awkwardly tied his hair into a topknot. Liu Yize, unable to watch any longer, walked over and fixed it in a few quick motions, then took the hairpin and inserted it.

”Excellent, excellent! I noticed Brother’s extraordinary temperament early on, and now that I see it, it’s truly as expected!” Liu Yize smiled with satisfaction.

Qin Jiang looked at the bronze mirror beside him. The brocade robe fit perfectly, with a jade hairpin in his hair and long hair draped over his shoulders.

However, his tall stature filled out the brocade robe, making him look less like a refined Young Master and more somewhat imposing.

He looked at Liu Yize with some surprise, ”Brother Liu... how did you know my size?”

Liu Yize was startled, then looked a bit exasperated, ”Brother, have you forgotten what I do? If I didn’t even have this much skill, I’m afraid Lius Blacksmith Shop would have closed long ago.”

My eyes are the ruler!

”Alright, shall we go?” he said.

Qin Jiang nodded slightly, ”Brother Liu, please.”

Inner City, North Gate.

Qin Jiang looked up. The towering city wall was at least seven or eight meters high, its surface covered with various scars, many of which didn’t look like they were left by weapons, but rather by various claw marks.

It could be said that this was the true Black Mountain City; the outer city’s territory was actually added and built later, after Black Mountain City developed.

Looking at the city gate entrance, a team of County Soldiers in black armor guarded the gate, each holding a long halberd and a short saber at their waist, looking full of Killing Intent.

At this time, not many people were entering or exiting the Inner City, and most of them were traveling by carriage.

Qin Jiang and Liu Yize walked over and were stopped by the County Soldiers, ”Pass!”

Liu Yize quickly took out an invitation from hisPregnant, ”Sir, we are invited to a banquet by the County Captain. This is the invitation.”

The County Soldier took the invitation and looked at it, ”Oh, you are guests of our lord. Go on in.”

The two walked through the city gate, passed through a nearly twenty-meter-long tunnel, and then entered the Inner City.

Upon entering the Inner City, the surroundings suddenly became bustling. On both sides of the street, various vendors called out, loudly promoting their goods, as if they weren’t worried at all about anyone stealing them.

Steaming baozi shops lined the road, and an old man sharpening scissors sat by the roadside, surrounded by a crowd.

A straight, wide road stretched ahead, wide enough for two carriages to travel side-by-side.

Liu Yize smiled and looked at Qin Jiang, ”This is why we want to move to the Inner City. Although there are still Gangs collecting protection fees, the environment is much more stable than the Outer City, and naturally, we earn more.

Of course, where we are now is the North Market; other areas in the Inner City are not all this prosperous.”

Qin Jiang nodded slightly. Although this was his first time in the Inner City, he had often heard people talk about it.

It was divided into sixteen wards and two markets. Besides this North Market, there was also a South Market, but that primarily sold grain and various daily necessities.

Walking through the North Market, the prosperity was visible to the naked eye, forming a stark contrast with the Outer City.

It’s no wonder the gentlemen of the Inner City didn’t care about the lives of the Outer City residents and those refugees. Perhaps the taxes collected from just this one North Market were more than the four districts of the Outer City combined.

Moreover, he had heard that the Pingkang Ward in the Inner City had many brothels and was a famous money pit. Almost everyone with some wealth in the Inner City had been there.

With various entertainment venues, coupled with the current environment, it was certainly a case of enjoying each day as it came. If Huai Country attacked someday, there would probably be no good days left.

Bang!

As Qin Jiang was pondering, a little girl holding a candied hawthorn stick bumped into his leg.

”Ah! I bumped into you, sorry.”

A crisp voice rang out. Qin Jiang looked down, his tall shadow falling, completely covering the little girl.

Smiling, he reached out and gently patted the little girl’s head, ”It’s alright, just be careful when you play.”

Whoosh~

A fragrant breeze blew, ”Little sister! Don’t run off.”

Qin Jiang looked up, and a graceful figure came into view, dressed in a light green silk skirt, swaying as she ran.

A hint of amazement rose in his eyes. This woman’s beauty was in no way inferior to Lin Xian’er or Lin Yu’er.

This made him sigh in wonder that Black Mountain City was such a place of outstanding people, capable of producing such a Heavenly Immortal-like woman.

Liu Yize beside him slightly cupped his hands, ”Miss Xu.”

The woman stopped in front of the two, first bowing slightly to Qin Jiang, ”I apologize, Young Master, my sister is a bit mischievous.”

Then she pulled the little girl closer and looked at Liu Yize, ”You are?”

”I am Liu Yize from Lius Blacksmith Shop in North City. Some time ago, your father commissioned me to forge a batch of farm tools.”

Liu Yize said with a smile. He hadn’t expected to encounter her here.

The woman in the silk skirt pondered for a moment, her lips slightly parted, ”Oh~ I remember now, you are the owner of Lius Blacksmith Shop. Father told me that the Liu Family’s forging skills are the best in Black Mountain City, and the farm tools you make are the most convenient to use.”

Liu Yize quickly cupped his hands upon hearing this, ”Master Xu is too kind; this humble one truly doesn’t deserve such praise.”

The woman in the silk skirt was about to speak when her skirt was tugged by the little girl beside her, ”Sister, sister, let’s go over there, there are sugar figures there!”

The little girl pointed into the distance, her face excited. She hadn’t been to the North Market in a long time.

The woman in the silk skirt looked at the two apologetically, ”I’m so sorry, my sister hasn’t been out in a long time.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the little girl directly left her and ran off into the distance.

Seeing this, the woman in the silk skirt quickly apologized and chased after her.

After she left, Liu Yize looked at Qin Jiang and found that Qin Jiang was still watching her retreating figure.

”Haha, Brother, what’s wrong? Could it be that you’ve fallen for her?” he teased.

Qin Jiang shook his head slightly. He had felt a strange sensation from this woman.

He couldn’t quite describe it, but it was somewhat similar to the feeling he had when he saw the Yellow Sky Divine Mother statue and the fox spirit sculpture.

”Brother Liu, who is she?” he asked.