Chapter 31

After tidying up, Qin Jiang came to the main hall of Shan Man Lou. The waiter walked over. "Master Qin, Master Liu is waiting for you on the second floor."

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

Today he was wearing a gorgeous outfit, his hair tied into a bun, wearing a jade crown, and holding a folding fan, looking like a dashing young master.

"Haha! Worthy brother, come quickly!"

Walking close, he pulled Qin Jiang into a private room without explanation and mysteriously picked up a bundle from the seat and opened it on the table.

Taking out the items inside and unfolding them, "Worthy brother, look! How is this Black Gold Auspicious Cloud Robe of mine?"

Qin Jiang looked over; it was a brocade robe with black gold cloud patterns embroidered on a black background. He nodded. "Not bad, worth at least two taels of silver."

"Haha! This was made by the chief of the Brocade Pavilion in the West City; ten taels of silver couldn't buy it!" Liu Yize laughed.

Qin Jiang looked sideways slightly. A piece of clothing was worth ten taels of silver; if it were his predecessor, he would have to go to the Great Black Mountain dozens of times.

"Come, come, come, change into it and let me see! I knew you would still be wearing this black cloth outfit today; that won't do. Today we are going to the Commandant's residence!"

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

"By the way, worthy brother, you haven't reached the capping age yet, right? Then just insert a hairpin."

Qin Jiang looked at the clothes in his hand, stunned, and then reacted. "No, this is too valuable."

Liu Yize waved his hand. "Put it on quickly. You probably don't know, but your sister-in-law is that chief of the Brocade Pavilion. If someone else bought this Black Gold Auspicious Cloud Robe, it would be ten taels, but if it's me, it costs nothing at all.

Come to think of it, the shop has been tight on funds recently. For this banquet, I even took a few hundred taels of silver from your sister-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Qin Jiang looked at Liu Yize inexplicably. Liu Yize also looked at him and straightened his body slightly. "Borrowed, it counts as borrowed! I am a dignified eight-foot man; how could I do such an unreasonable thing? Put it on quickly! Stop pushing it away!"

A moment later, Qin Jiang changed into the Black Gold Auspicious Cloud Robe, tying his hair bun somewhat clumsily. Liu Yize, who was on the side, couldn't stand it anymore, walked over, fixed it in a few moves, and took the hairpin to insert it.

"Not bad, not bad. I noticed earlier that worthy brother had an extraordinary temperament, and now looking at it, it's just as I thought!" Liu Yize laughed with satisfaction.

Qin Jiang looked at the bronze mirror on the side. The brocade robe fit perfectly, he wore a jade hairpin, and his long hair draped over his shoulders.

It was just that his tall stature supported the brocade robe, making him not look like a dashing young master, but rather somewhat imposing.

He looked at Liu Yize with some surprise. "Brother Liu... how did you know my measurements?"

Liu Yize was stunned, then somewhat amused. "Worthy brother, have you forgotten what I do? If I didn't even have this little skill, I'm afraid the blacksmith shop would have closed down 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, and the wall was covered with all kinds of scars, many of which didn't look like they were left by weapons, but rather like all kinds of claw marks.

It could be said that this was the real Black Mountain City; the territory of the Outer City was actually built later after Black Mountain City developed.

Looking at the entrance of the city gate, a team of county soldiers wearing black armor stood guard at the city gate, each holding a long halberd, with short blades at their waists, looking murderous.

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

Qin Jiang and Liu Yize walked over and were stopped by the county soldiers. "Pass!"

Liu Yize hurriedly took the invitation from his bosom. "Soldier, we are invited by the Commandant to attend the banquet; this is the invitation."

The county soldier took the invitation and looked at it. "So it's our master's guest. Go in."

The two walked into the city gate, passed through the passage, which was about twenty meters long, before entering the Inner City.

Entering the Inner City, the surroundings suddenly became noisy. On both sides of the street, all kinds of merchants were hawking, loudly promoting their goods, as if they were not worried at all that someone would rob them.

A steamed bun shop on the side of the road was steaming, and an old man sharpening scissors sat on the side of the road, surrounded by a circle of people.

A straight, wide road led directly to the front, wide enough for two carriages to travel side by side. Liu Yize looked at Qin Jiang with a smile. "This is the reason why I wanted to move to the Inner City. Although there are gangs collecting protection fees, the environment is much more stable than the Outer City, and naturally, one earns more.

Of course, the place we are staying 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 place mainly sold grain and various daily necessities.

Walking in the North Market, the visible prosperity formed a sharp contrast with the Outer City.

It was no wonder the masters of the Inner City didn't care about the lives of the people in the Outer City and those refugees. I'm afraid the tax revenue from this one North Market alone was more than all four districts of the Outer City combined.

Moreover, he had also heard that the Pingkang Ward in the Inner City had many brothels and was a famous money-burning cave. Anyone in the Inner City with some money had almost all been there.

All kinds of entertainment venues, coupled with the current environment, of course, meant enjoying life one day at a time. If the Huai Kingdom attacked one day, I'm afraid there would be no good days left.

Bang! While Qin Jiang was thinking, a little girl holding a candied hawthorn stick bumped into his leg.

"Ah! Bumped into you, sorry."

A crisp voice rang out. Qin Jiang lowered his head, and his tall shadow cast down, directly covering the little girl completely in the shadow.

Smiling, he reached out and touched the little girl's head gently. "It's okay, be careful when you play."

Phew~ A burst of fragrant wind blew over. "Little sister! Don't run around."

Qin Jiang looked up, and a beautiful figure entered his eyes, wearing a green dress that danced as she ran.

A flash of amazement rose in his eyes. In terms of appearance, this woman was not inferior to Lin Xian'er and Lin Yu'er at all.

This made him unable to help but sigh that Black Mountain City was so outstanding, capable of having such a fairy-like woman.

Liu Yize on the side bowed slightly. "Miss Xu."

The woman stopped in front of the two, first bowing slightly toward Qin Jiang. "Sorry, this young master, my sister was a bit naughty."

Then she pulled the little girl over and looked at Liu Yize. "You are?"

"I am Liu Yize of the Liu Family Blacksmith Shop in the North City. A few days ago, your father entrusted me to forge a batch of farm tools."

Liu Yize said with a smile. He didn't expect to run into this person here.

The woman in the dress pondered for a moment, her lips parted slightly. "Oh~ I remember now, you are the owner of the Liu Family Blacksmith Shop. Father told me that the casting skills of the Liu family are the best in Black Mountain City, and the farm tools you forge are the most handy to use."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yize hurriedly bowed. "Family Head Xu is too kind; this humble one is truly unworthy of such praise."

The woman in the dress was about to talk, but her dress was pulled by the little girl beside her. "Sister, sister, let's go over there, there are sugar figures over there!"

The little girl pointed into the distance, her face excited; she hadn't been to the North Market for a long time.

The woman in the dress looked at the two with an apologetic look. "Sorry, my sister hasn't been out for a long time."

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

Seeing this, the woman in the dress hurriedly apologized and chased after her.

After she left, Liu Yize looked at Qin Jiang and found that Qin Jiang was still looking at the figure of the other party leaving.

"Haha, worthy brother, what's wrong? Did you fall for her?" he teased.

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

He couldn't put his finger on it; it was somewhat like the feeling he had when he first saw the statue of the Huangtian Shenmu and the Fox Immortal statue.

"Brother Liu, who is she?" he asked.

(End of this chapter)