My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

Chapter 281: Chapter 149: Inner City

Lost in thought, he hadn’t paid much attention to his surroundings on the way here. Now, as he stopped to take it all in, he realized the vastness and clamor of Lan Central’s Outer City far exceeded anything he had ever imagined.

The thoroughfare beneath his feet seemed endless, stretching to the limits of his vision where it converged with other avenues in the distance, forming an impossibly complex network of streets.

Buildings and shops lined both sides of the street, their signs and banners as dense as a forest. They sold everything imaginable: from common staples like rice, flour, and cloth, to swords, medicinal herbs, and sundries from every corner of the land, and even some strange and ingenious trinkets he couldn’t possibly name.

The streams of people, horses, and carriages merged into a roiling torrent. The air was thick with the shouts of vendors, the haggling of customers, the clatter of wheels, the clip-clop of hooves, and the laughter of playing children...

All these sounds blended into a low, continuous roar that made his eardrums throb.

Qin Fang drifted with the crowd for some time, trying to get his bearings, but he soon felt as if he were lost in a labyrinth.

The streets were not laid out in a simple grid; they constantly branched into smaller alleys, which in turn forked again. Buildings of all shapes and sizes rose and fell, obstructing his line of sight.

If not for the sun to guide him, he would have been completely lost.

’I can’t go on like this... I need to find a guide, or get a detailed map.’

As Qin Fang thought about it, he felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he were in a sprawling, unfamiliar city from his past life...

’...except I don’t have GPS!’

Shaking his head, Qin Fang scanned his surroundings, his eyes finally settling on the side of the great avenue.

A number of uniform, green-canopied carriages were parked there, their drivers sitting or leaning against them as they solicited business.

’It seems this is a common form of transport in the city.’

With that thought, he walked over.

A wiry, middle-aged driver immediately approached him, his face wreathed in smiles. ”Young Master, need a ride? Where to? I know the thirty-six wards and seventy-two main streets of Lan Central’s Outer City like the back of my hand! I guarantee a fast and steady trip!”

Qin Fang asked, ”Can you take me to the Inner City?”

”The Inner City?”

The driver was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. ”If you want to go to the Inner City, sir, I can only take you as far as the nearest crossing, Jiupiao Crossing. I don’t have an entry pass or a Long-term Residence Token, so I can’t get in... You’ll have to trouble yourself to walk the last little bit.”

Qin Fang’s interest was piqued. ”Long-term Residence Token? Entry pass?”

The driver saw the look on Qin Fang’s face and laughed. ”It seems you’ve just arrived in Lan Central, sir?”

Qin Fang didn’t deny it, simply nodding.

”That explains it,” the driver said with a smile. ”The Inner City is where the nobles, government officials, and the Masters from the Celestial Spirit Sect live and work. The rules are strict! Ordinary folks, if they don’t have an Inner City household registration—a ’Long-term Residence Token’—need a legitimate reason to enter. For example, if you work at a shop inside, you need a guarantee from the owner and a ’Statement of Business’ issued by the Government Office. If you’re visiting friends or family, they have to register at the checkpoint in advance and come to the gate to get you.”

Qin Fang let out a soft breath. ’The restrictions are just as strict as I thought.’

He thought for a moment before asking, ”What if I just want to get closer and take a look? Is that allowed?”

”Of course.”

The driver chuckled. ”The area outside the bridges is still considered part of the Outer City, so you can go wherever you please. If you’d like to get a look at the Inner City, I can take you near the entrance to Cyan Dragon Bridge. It’s a bustling area, and you’ll get a good view of the Inner City wall and the bridge itself. The fare is two taels of silver.”

”Alright. Take me to the Cyan Dragon Bridge entrance.”

Qin Fang nodded and climbed into the carriage.

The driver let out a cry, followed by the light crack of his whip. The carriage merged into the stream of traffic and set off.

The carriage jolted along. Qin Fang lifted the side curtain to watch the streetscape fly by.

The thoroughfare was wide, allowing the carriage to proceed in an orderly fashion at a good clip.

The sheer scale of the Outer City was staggering. The carriage traveled for nearly an hour, passing through several streets that, while slightly less magnificent, were still teeming with people. Gradually, the buildings grew more sparse and orderly, and the pedestrians seemed more formally dressed.

Finally, after what must have been nearly an hour in total, the carriage slowed.

The driver called from outside, ”Sir, we’re almost at the Cyan Dragon Bridge entrance. There’s a lot of traffic up ahead, so it’s slow going. Would you like to get out here, or should I try to push on a little further?”

Qin Fang glanced outside. It was just as the driver had said—a cacophony of voices and a jam of carriages and horses.

”I’ll get out here.”

He took out a piece of silver, about two taels’ worth, handed it to the driver, and hopped down from the carriage.

He looked up, and the scene before him changed completely.

A great river, over a thousand feet wide, stretched out before him. Its current was gentle, but its deep, turquoise waters hinted at a formidable depth, shimmering under the sun. This was the Moat that encircled the Inner City.

It was, in fact, fresh water channeled from the Great Cloud Marsh, making it as wide as a mighty river.

On the far bank, a colossal, bluish-black wall rose from the earth, even more imposing and massive than the walls of the Outer City.

The wall looked to be over three hundred feet tall, its surface as smooth as a mirror and nearly impossible to climb.

The top of the wall was lined with dense crenellations, and the silhouettes of patrolling soldiers were faintly visible. Soaring arrow towers and watchtowers jutted out from the wall like the horns of some great beast, projecting an aura of imposing power.

A massive stone arch bridge connected the two banks.

Its body was constructed from enormous blocks of stone, giving it a stern and imposing air. This was the Cyan Dragon Bridge.

The bridge was wide enough for ten carriages to cross abreast. However, the half of the bridge on the Outer City side was currently blocked by a tall, iron-bound wooden gate. In front of it stood Black Armored Soldiers clad in jet-black plate, halberds in hand. Their formidable auras were palpable as their sharp eyes scanned every person in the crowd who dared approach the gate.

A gatehouse stood beside the gate, where it appeared someone was inspecting documents.

A large open space had formed near the bridgehead, and it was currently packed with people, horses, and carriages.

Some, like Qin Fang, were there merely to observe. Most, however, were queuing up for inspection, preparing to cross the bridge into the Inner City.

These people were mostly well-dressed and looked to be in a hurry, either holding documents or being led by individuals who appeared to be stewards.

In a separate line, a small number of farmers and vendors carrying fresh vegetables or pushing carts of specialty goods underwent even more rigorous inspections. They were clearly the ones providing the Inner City with its daily supplies.

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Qin Fang could clearly feel how that gate acted as a great chasm, cleanly cleaving the world in two.

”Long-term Residence Token... Statement of Business...”

Qin Fang silently repeated the two unfamiliar terms.

He, of course, had neither.

Forcing his way through was out of the question... ’I’d like to live a few more years, thank you very much.’

However, seeing this imposing sight, Qin Fang actually breathed a small sigh of relief.

’Since my senior sister bought a house for Master, he must have a Long-term Residence Token.’

’As for the senior brothers and the others traveling with him, they could surely get in by claiming they were visiting family.’

’So, chances are, Master is in the Inner City right now.’

’If I were a True Martial Body and everything was normal, I could probably get in by claiming to be a visitor, too. It would just be a bit of a hassle...’

Qin Fang recalled the carriage driver’s words.

But he quickly sighed.

’Unfortunately, this Temporary Passage Token of mine has become a shackle.’

’Because that Tributor Yun made it clear that I am not allowed to enter the Inner City.’

’Which means that even the ”visiting family” excuse is probably off the table.’

’Still...’

Qin Fang considered this for a moment, then turned and walked away.

’I have to at least try.’

He remembered the address his Master had given him and decided to try his luck.

If he could get in, all the better.

Even if he couldn’t get in... at the very least, he could see if he could get someone to pass on a message.

’If Master gets the message, even if I can’t get in... he and the others can come out, can’t they?’