30: Chapter 30 Strange Clothing

It took Zhang Bufan and Baldy three days of eating, drinking, and playing before they leisurely arrived in Qingyang County.

Along the way, Zhang Bufan would visit every village and town he encountered.

After several days of traveling, Zhang Bufan gained a more detailed understanding of the Barren Martial Continent—no, it should be said, only of Qingyang County in the Eastern Region.

The world described in those books was not entirely imaginary; at least, in several villages, Zhang Bufan felt a sense of peace, where there was almost no conflict, and everyone labored diligently.

However, those were villages of ordinary people; if one went to places where cultivators resided, conflicts and deadly fights would still be unavoidable.

Zhang Bufan surveyed the bustling Qingyang County before him, a smile appearing on his face, and with a squeeze of his legs on Baldy, he said, “Baldy, let’s go! Big Brother will take you to drink and eat meat.”

At this moment, Baldy had reverted to its original form, looking much like a plucked ostrich, with Zhang Bufan leisurely sitting on its back.

Actually, Zhang Bufan had this idea because he found traveling too troublesome, and he didn't want to fly through the air, as that would lose the fun of sightseeing.

Ultimately, he set his sights on Baldy. At first, Baldy was unwilling and showed strong resistance, but after Zhang Bufan treated him to a meal and a session of brainwashing, Baldy finally reluctantly agreed.

However, Baldy also had a condition: if Zhang Bufan had time, he had to take him home to eat those Wang product spirit medicines.

Zhang Bufan readily agreed, and thus, one person and one bird reached an agreement, with Baldy serving as Zhang Bufan’s mount.

Upon hearing Zhang Bufan’s words, Baldy’s sapphire-like eyes lit up, and he moved his two long legs, trotting into Qingyang County.

Walking through the bustling streets of Qingyang County, almost everyone who saw Zhang Bufan cast strange glances.

Of course, they weren't curious about Zhang Bufan riding a large featherless bird, but rather about Zhang Bufan’s attire.

Because Zhang Bufan really disliked the previous Daoist robes, which wrapped him up like a zongzi and made him uncomfortable all over, in a town along the way, Zhang Bufan paid someone to make him several sets of clothes, including shirts, T-shirts, and capris.

At this moment, Zhang Bufan was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with a large panda embroidered on it—that’s right, the national treasure of the Great Xia Kingdom on Blue Star in his previous life.

It took Zhang Bufan a great deal of effort to draw the panda. At the time, Baldy was very displeased, believing that this creature with two dark circles under its eyes was more important to Zhang Bufan than him. So, at Baldy’s strong insistence, Zhang Bufan reluctantly embroidered Baldy’s likeness on several other sets of clothes.

“Xiao Qing, look quickly! That Young Master’s attire is so strange,” a girl in a yellow dress patted her companion beside her, pointing at Zhang Bufan not far away, and exclaimed in surprise.

The girl named Xiao Qing was somewhat startled upon seeing Zhang Bufan, then her eyes sparkled as she said, “This Young Master is so handsome! I’ve never seen such a good-looking person before. Although his attire is a bit peculiar, it has a unique kind of beauty.”

The girl in the yellow dress reached out and rubbed Xiao Qing’s forehead, saying exasperatedly, “Xiao Qing, stop being infatuated! What’s the use of being handsome these days? Strength is the Dao. Look at his mount; it’s too shabby. He must be a poor cultivator, dressing so flashy just to attract attention.”

Xiao Qing stuck out her tongue, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Zhang Bufan, somewhat disregarding the words of the girl in the yellow dress.

The girl in the yellow dress looked speechless. In her heart, strength was the Dao; if one also looked good, that would be even better.

Zhang Bufan heard some of the whispers from the surrounding people, but he was too lazy to pay attention. Seeing a decent tavern ahead, Zhang Bufan had Baldy walk in.

The tavern’s waiter saw Baldy enter and was about to stop him, but Zhang Bufan directly tossed him a Storage Pouch of Spirit Stones, instructing, “Don’t block the way. Go prepare your best wine and dishes. The rest is your tip.”

The waiter trembled with excitement upon seeing thousands of Spirit Stones in the Storage Pouch, and he hastily said, “Please come in, two esteemed sirs! The food and drinks will be here very soon.”

Baldy disdainfully glanced at the waiter, then carried Zhang Bufan to an empty table. After Zhang Bufan was seated, Baldy’s body quickly shrank to the size of a rooster and jumped onto the table.

The people drinking in the tavern all cast strange glances, perhaps because of Zhang Bufan’s peculiar attire, or perhaps because of Baldy, but no one stood up to speak.

Soon, the waiter brought up the food and drinks—a large table full, and several jars of fine wine.

“Please enjoy your meal, esteemed guests. Just call me if you need anything,” the waiter bowed and nodded repeatedly to Zhang Bufan. At least half of the thousand Spirit Stones he just received went into his personal pocket. The waiter had worked for so long and had never received such a large tip; it was equivalent to a month’s wages for him.

“Understood, you can go busy yourself,” Zhang Bufan casually waved his hand, then picked up his chopsticks and began to savor the delicacies.

Seeing Zhang Bufan start eating, Baldy also didn't stand on ceremony. He directly pecked open a jar of wine and stuck his entire head inside.

“Baldy, look at your table manners,” Zhang Bufan chuckled, scolding him good-naturedly.

Baldy seemed not to hear Zhang Bufan’s words. After finishing a jar of fine wine, he began to heartily eat the delicacies on the plate.

“Hey, hey, hey, Baldy, don’t snatch it all!” Zhang Bufan, fearing Baldy would gobble up all the food and wine at once, unconsciously sped up his own movements.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!” Baldy grumbled a sound, but his mouth movements didn’t stop, and he quickly cleaned out a bowl of dishes in front of him.

The surrounding guests, seeing this scene, also shook their heads and lost interest in Zhang Bufan. Although they couldn't discern Zhang Bufan’s cultivation, judging by the eating habits of this person and bird, they were clearly bumpkins who had never seen the world.

“Brother Chu, what happened to the Jiang Family today? Why are lanterns and decorations everywhere?”

At the table to Zhang Bufan’s left, a man in green asked his companion across from him.

“I say, Old Hu, are you still a person from Qingyang County? You don’t even know such a big event?” Brother Chu looked at the man in green in surprise and slowly said, “Today, the Jiang Family has double happiness: Patriarch Jiang has emerged from seclusion, and Young Master Jiang is getting married today.”

“Oh, so that’s it. I only returned to Qingyang County today,” the man in green nodded, then said with an envious expression, “After Patriarch Jiang Breaks Through to the Kai Shan Realm, he has become the strongest person in all of Qingyang County. Oh, right, who is the girl Young Master Jiang is marrying?”

“I’m not sure, but Young Master Jiang has announced that he will give everyone a surprise then,” Brother Chu shook his head.

Hearing someone discussing the Jiang Family’s affairs, Zhang Bufan also pricked up his ears. He had originally planned to go to the Jiang Family after drinking, but he didn't expect Young Master Jiang to be getting married today, which was even better.

Just as Zhang Bufan was momentarily dazed, Baldy had already swept the table clean of all the food and wine.

Zhang Bufan was about to scold him, then suddenly thought of something and exclaimed in surprise, “Let’s go, Baldy! I’ll take you to a banquet.”