67: Chapter 67 Inner City

Jiang Hanzhou listened to Steward Li Tao's words, which were half request and half threat, his expression remaining completely unchanged.

He didn't even stop the motion of wiping his silver needles; he merely lifted his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over Li Tao's well-maintained yet shrewd and sophisticated face, then scanning the few guards with steady auras standing behind him.

Iron Bone Realm, two in the Middle Stage, three in the Late Stage.

Placed in the bottom-level Jianghu of this Donghai Prefecture's outer city, they could be considered quite skilled; ordinary Gang leaders would have to be polite upon seeing them.

But in Jiang Hanzhou's eyes, how were they any different from mere rabble?

He didn't even need to draw a blade or throw a punch; he only needed to, like that night on Snake Island, let out a casual low roar. With his current Major Achievement mastery of "Dragons Roar and Tigers Howl," controlling the range and force, it would be enough to cause these few people's Qi and blood to reverse, leading to them bleeding from their seven orifices on the spot and dropping dead right at the entrance of Jishi Hall.

They were merely a group of slightly noisier ants.

His heart remained calm, without a single ripple; he didn't even feel the slightest bit of anger at being offended.

What truly piqued his interest was the "strange illness" mentioned by Li Tao, for which "several famous physicians in the city were helpless."

He had been stationed at Jishi Hall for over two months, practicing medicine by day and Cultivating by night. He appeared indifferent to worldly affairs, but in reality, he was not cut off from information.

From the mouths of commoners like Old Third Zhao, and from the chatter of Martial Artists traveling back and forth, injured or ill, he was piecing together fragmented information about Donghai Prefecture and the wider world like a puzzle.

However, this information was ultimately too low-level and too cluttered.

Market rumors often chased shadows, with few touching the core.

To more clearly grasp the power structure, resource flow, and even potentially deeper news regarding "rare treasures" or Dragon Abyss Palace in this Donghai Prefecture, relying on this alone was far from enough.

The Li Family, one of the three great wealthy families of Donghai Prefecture, was deeply rooted and had occupied this place for over a hundred years.

Its reach extended throughout the inside and outside of the prefecture city, controlling multiple trade routes, docks, and even some near-sea resources.

If he could take this opportunity to observe and even interact with such a prominent Family up close, for him, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

As for what that strange illness was, that even famous physicians couldn't cure...

Jiang Hanzhou didn't have much of a "benevolent heart" for practicing medicine to save the world; what he felt was more a nearly pure curiosity and desire for exploration.

In a flash of thought, Jiang Hanzhou had already made his decision.

He stopped wiping the silver needles and inserted them one by one back into the deerskin needle pouch, his movements unhurried.

Then, he looked up at Li Tao, whose smile was already becoming difficult to maintain, and the corners of his mouth curled into a very faint arc, as if he were smiling, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

"Steward Li, you are too kind. Since your esteemed Family has invited me, how could I, Jiang, refuse?"

He didn't put on airs like some "famous physicians," saying things like "Wait until I finish seeing these patients before I go," nor did he pretentiously ask about the remuneration.

He was never some saintly hand holding to the principle of "a physician has a parent's heart." Jishi Hall was opened here for practicing medicine and consulting, collecting meager fees, mostly to blend into the environment, collect information, and occasionally verify some medical ideas.

The few people lining up before him were mostly for treating old ailments or minor colds; there were no urgent cases.

Since he had already decided to go, there was no need to delay here.

Upon hearing this, a trace of imperceptible smugness flashed in Li Tao's eyes, and his smile became a bit more genuine: "Physician Jiang is straightforward! Please!"

Jiang Hanzhou nodded to the few old patients at the door who looked bewildered and hesitant to speak, and said in a gentle voice:

"I have an urgent matter to attend to today and must go out; everyone, please return for now. If your condition is not urgent, you may come again tomorrow; if you feel unwell, Dr. Wang at Renhe Hall on the next street also has good medical skills."

After speaking, he didn't say more, tucked the needle pouch into his bosom, locked the medical hall's door panels, and followed Li Tao's party toward the alley entrance.

Sure enough, a carriage was parked at the alley entrance.

The carriage body was wider and larger than an ordinary one, and the black-lacquered cabin was polished to a mirror-like shine. The two horses pulling it were extraordinarily magnificent, their coats sleek and shiny. On the lantern hanging from the corner of the carriage eaves, a powerful and vigorous character for "Li" was written.

Jiang Hanzhou boarded the carriage with his usual expression. The inside of the carriage was laid with soft velvet rugs, equipped with a small table, and even had the faint scent of incense.

Li Tao boarded afterward, sat opposite him, and gave an order: "Return to the Family."

The carriage slowly started and drove away from this narrow, chaotic, yet lively outer city alley.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a rumbling sound, and the scenery outside the window began to change rapidly.

First, it passed through the area in the outer city where fish and dragons mixed, with low, crowded houses. The streets were thronged with people; peddlers, Jianghu travelers, fishermen, and laborers shuttled through, full of a rough and vigorous vitality, but inevitably noisy and dirty.

As the carriage moved forward, the streets gradually became wider and smoother, and the buildings on both sides became taller and more orderly, mostly courtyards with blue bricks and grey tiles, and shops with more than two floors. The pedestrians' clothing was much more decent, and the noise level also dropped.

About a quarter of an hour later, a tall city wall appeared in front.

This was not the towering outer city wall that surrounded the entire Donghai Prefecture, but the inner city wall that divided the prefecture city into two.

The wall was about five zhang high, built with huge blue-grey stone slabs. The wall surface was as smooth as if it had been cut, exuding an aura of strictness and solidity.

The city gate was guarded by soldiers wearing standard leather armor and holding long spears. There were eight of them, standing on both sides, their eyes as sharp as hawks, scanning the flow of people and carriages entering and leaving.

Their auras were steady and condensed, their temples slightly bulging; they were actually all Martial Artists of the Iron Bone Realm!

Although they were only in the Early Stage, reaching this level of cultivation as soldiers, coupled with strict discipline, their combat power was by no means comparable to ordinary Jianghu wanderers.

The carriage did not stop. Outside the carriage, one of Li Tao's guards stepped forward and showed a bronze medallion engraved with the Li Family crest.

The gate-guarding soldiers verified it was correct and waved them through, their demeanor carrying a hint of respect.

Passing through the thick gate tunnel, the view before them suddenly opened up.

An aura that was completely different from what they had just passed, and even from the outer city, rushed toward them.

The streets of the inner city were wider, capable of accommodating four carriages side by side. The ground was paved with neatly cut cyan stone slabs, so clean that almost no dust could be seen.

On both sides of the street were neatly trimmed green trees, and under the trees were flat lawns.

The architectural style was unified yet luxurious, mostly deep courtyards with more than three entrances, vermilion doors and high walls, flying eaves and bracket sets. The inscriptions on the plaques above the lintels were mostly from the hands of famous masters.

Occasionally, shops along the street were also elegantly and delicately decorated. The people entering and leaving were either rich or noble, their steps composed, their voices low.

The air was no longer filled with fishy smells, sweat, and market noise, but with faint sandalwood, floral scents, and an atmosphere of quietude and oppression.

Even the sunlight shining here seemed exceptionally bright and orderly.

This was the true core of Donghai Prefecture, the gathering place for the powerful, noble, and truly great powers.

Those Gangs, docks, and markets in the outer city were merely branches attached to this place.