Chapter 216: Futile Struggle

Of the thirty-three gates of Great Wolf Capital, only the main gate facing the great grassland in the center had a gate tower.

And the six large gold characters 'Great Wolf Capital of Yuanshan' engraved between the gate tower and the gate were the entire reason the inner city wall existed.

As for the remaining gates—

they all soared up to the sky, thirty-three zhang wide.

Even the ancient Kuafu tribe or the giants of Dragon Earl Kingdom could pass through them with ease, truly exaggerated.

But because the city wall's height was utterly pathetic—not even one zhang tall—it was completely a decoration, and thus didn't appear grand or imposing.

"This city wall is strangely built, isn't it?

I've been in Great Wolf for decades, and every time I see it, I still think, 'What kind of thing is this?'"

The parrot, peering from the dark gaps between the shacks of the mixed-residence quarter at the world on the other side of the broad thoroughfare, brightly lit like daylight, said softly:

"But this is the will of Chang Sheng Tian.

Just like 'officials three, commoners four, those without shelter may not rest in the inner city, dead slaves can be punished with a fine instead,' and so on.

And as long as it's the will of Chang Sheng Tian, no one in Yuanshan can question it."

"I feel this city wall is quite pragmatic; there's nothing wrong with it.

And Mr. Black Feather, you're a parrot spirit—why are you sighing over the lowly people and slaves of Yuanshan?

Now that's truly strange."

Zhang Gui, after hearing this, gave the parrot a final look and deliberately muttered.

He took a step forward, stepping from darkness into light.

Leisurely crossing the thoroughfare, passing through the inner city gate that no one was guarding, he walked into the inner city of Great Wolf Capital.

On both sides of the wide bluestone road were buildings, the tallest three stories and the lowest one story; some were built of wood,

some were piled with stone or a mix of wood and stone, and some were even just tents standing on the ground as residences.

Clearly, the authorities of Great Wolf Capital paid no attention to this.

But it wasn't entirely laissez-faire either.

Beside the residences,

every three zhang and three chi, an iron pole hung with a 'Qishifeng Lantern' was planted, serving as a streetlamp.

It emitted a dim yellow light, not very bright, but enough to barely see the ground.

This counted as a benevolent policy of the government offices.

In the lamplight,

Zhang Gui walked aimlessly along with the sparse but steady stream of passersby.

From time to time, he saw inns with hanging shop signs.

When guests arrived, the aroma of food, drink, and wine would waft out.

"No one calls out at the inn doors, so they don't disturb the neighbors too much. Everyone's life is hard, so the neighbors just put up with it, huh."

Seeing this, Zhang Gui thought idly to himself.

He also casually walked into a wooden inn.

Inside, by the entrance, was a small counter that could only accommodate one person stretching out.

The stout proprietress was lying there asleep.

Behind her was a tiny tavern with only two long, narrow tables.

Nearby was a stove simmering a stew of mixed vegetables over a low fire.

It burned dried cow dung, giving off a strange smell that was hard to call fragrant or foul.

Overall, it could be described as 'small but complete.'

Zhang Gui patted the counter. "Proprietress, proprietress."

The proprietress straightened up with a start. She looked to be in her early thirties, with a face as round as a silver basin, narrow single eyelids, and a large nose.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning, she looked at Zhang Gui and said:

"How rare—a Western guest in our little shop at 'Horseshoe Clamp Alley.'

Sir, are you here to eat or to rest?

We have large bunks, but someone like you surely won't stay in those.

We also have private rooms—one tael of Dog Head Gold a night, pay now and stay now.

As for food, a regular meal is thirty coppers, all you can eat.

For Food Pills, a 'Jingliang Pill' is eighty coppers;

a 'Liangfu Pill' is two taels of Dog Head Gold and fifty coppers;

a pure Pu Pill is six taels of Dog Head Gold, fair prices for all."

Zhang Gui was taken aback and looked around the cramped shop.

"Proprietress, I'm not criticizing your little shop as low-class.

But I think running a place like this, even if customers like me occasionally show up—"

"Alright, alright, stop hemming and hawing. I know what you mean, sir.

You think my shop is too small to sell Food Pills.

And for you out-of-towners, they're cheap, so you're afraid they're fake, right?

That's only natural; I don't mind."

Though she said she didn't mind, the proprietress's face had already fallen.

"That's not it at all. I can see from your looks that you're an honest and kind Old Citizen of Yuanshan,"

Zhang Gui quickly said with a smile, trying to make amends.

A look of sudden realization dawned on his face, as if waking from a dream.

"I understand, I understand now.

Shopkeeper, since you are an Old Citizen of Yuanshan, the government naturally gives you preferential treatment.

So that's why you can exclusively deal in 'Food Pills' in this market, isn't it?"

"No, no.

The government does give us Old Citizens, who are registered in the 'Azure Wolf and White Deer Household Registers,' many benefits.

But any household that opens its doors for business can sell 'Food Pills.'

There are many cultivators in our Great Wolf Capital, so Chang Sheng Tian gave special instructions.

The public Food Pills are sold at cost; as long as they aren't sold to other regions, there are as many as you want."

Zhang Gui's eyes widened, and a thought flashed through his mind.

"A single Jingliang Pill requires over thirty catties of grain just for the raw materials.

A Liangfu Pill needs an additional thirty catties of good meat on top of the grain.

A pure Pu Pill requires over a hundred catties of meat and grain to refine into a single pill.

If the government provides Jingliang Pills, Liangfu Pills, and pure Pu Pills to civilian cultivators in unlimited quantities at prices of eighty copper coins, two and a half taels, and six taels of silver respectively...

Even if free trade isn't allowed,

the wealth of the Yuanshan Empire has already completely exceeded my imagination.

And once a large-scale 'national war' enters a stalemate, it becomes a battle of economies.

Comparing it this way, Ming Song's struggles are useless.

However, Chang Sheng Tie Mu's approach to governing is a bit hard to fathom.

If you say he treats cultivators well, yet in the 'Three Officials Four People' policy, there's no clause for an immediate status upgrade after entering the Way."

"Customer, are you going to eat, drink, or stay the night?"

Seeing him in a daze, the landlady said impatiently.

Zhang Gui had enough Food Pills on him. Coming back to his senses, he said with a smile:

"I'll eat first, then stay. I'll trouble you, shopkeeper.

Add a little extra to the tip."

He paid three taels of Dog Head Gold and sat down inside the small tavern.

With cash in hand and such a generous customer, the landlady's face immediately lit up with a smile again.

"Sir, I'll bring you the dishes and horse-milk wine right away. Please eat and drink first."

And so, Zhang Gui washed down two pure Pu Pills with milk wine.

Then he ate two large bowls of mixed stew and oil-fried dry rice.

After washing up a bit, he spent his first night on land in the Yuanshan Kingdom

in a simple inn in the 'Hoof Clamp Ward' of the Great Wolf Capital's inner city.

The climate of the Yuan Mountain Grasslands was peculiar—hot during the day and cold at night.

Early the next morning, he woke up drenched in sweat from the heat.

In truth, if he just activated any divine cluster within his body, he wouldn't feel this temperature difference at all.

But Zhang Gui had always felt it was very important to keep his body acutely aware of the outside world.

So he endured the heat, wiped the sweat from his face, and left the inn briskly.

(End of chapter)