98: Chapter 98 Inner City World

Beneath his feet lay massive bluestone slabs, each polished smooth and level, with not a single weed growing in the crevices. The road was wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to run side-by-side.

Shops lined both sides of the street.

But these weren't the small shops with tattered cloth signs found in the Outer City. The storefronts here featured carved mahogany, and the signboards were finished in gold lacquer.

"Treasure Pavilion," "Huichun Hall," "Divine Weapon Workshop"...

The names themselves sounded prestigious.

What struck Chen Mo the most, however, were the people.

The people on the street all walked very slowly.

In the Outer City, everyone walked with their heads down and in a hurried pace, terrified of causing trouble or being robbed.

Here, people held their heads high and chests out, walking with composed strides.

The men wore silk robes with jade pendants hanging from their waists; the women wore trailing silk skirts with rouge on their faces. Even the maidservants and manservants following behind were dressed more decently than the wealthy landlords of the Outer City.

No one spat on the ground, and no one shouted curses in the street.

The air didn't smell of sour rot; instead, there was the faint scent of cosmetics and the aroma of meat wafting from the restaurants.

Chen Mo walked among the crowd.

He had originally thought he would look completely out of place.

But he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a roadside bronze mirror.

The man in the mirror had a tall, straight posture; his muscles gave his clothes sharp, defined lines, and his gaze was cold and sharp, possessing a steady temperament.

Aside from his clothing material being slightly inferior, he looked no different from the Martial Artists of this Inner City.

In fact, because he had just killed someone, the faint Evil Qi on him caused several passing wealthy Young Masters to subconsciously step aside.

"Money is a hero's courage, and strength is a man's backbone."

Chen Mo touched the money pouch at his waist, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

The people here lived like human beings because they had money, power, and strength.

And he, Chen Mo, now also possessed the capital to establish himself in this world.

He wasn't in a hurry to buy medicine.

He first wandered along the main street like a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

He was memorizing the routes.

Recording where the alleys were, where the tall buildings stood, which spots were suitable for retreat, and which were perfect for an ambush.

It was a professional habit, as well as a survival instinct.

After walking through two streets, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

A massive manor occupied half the length of the street.

Two two-meter-tall white marble lions crouched at the entrance, looking majestic and awe-inspiring. The vermilion gates were wide open, and a black plaque with gold lettering hung over the lintel.

"Iron Mountain Martial Arts School."

The four characters were written with powerful, sharp strokes, exuding an air of overbearing dominance.

This was one of the three major martial arts halls in Pingyang City.

Chen Mo stood at the street corner, narrowing his eyes as he sized it up.

This wasn't just a martial arts hall; it was practically a small military camp.

The courtyard walls were towering, and the faint sound of rhythmic shouting came from within, so forceful it made the leaves on the trees tremble.

The gate was divided into left and right sides.

Those entering and exiting on the left were all sturdy men with broad shoulders and thick waists; that was the Men's Courtyard.

Those on the right were women dressed in tight-fitting martial attire, looking heroic and spirited; that was the Women's Courtyard.

"Quite a detailed division."

Chen Mo muttered to himself.

In the small martial arts halls of the Outer City, men and women practiced together; there weren't so many formalities. Here, they even followed the 'men and women should not touch' rule—or perhaps it was just for the convenience of certain wealthy families' Young Misses to come and 'strengthen their bodies'?

As he was watching, a group of people walked out of the martial arts hall.

The leader was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a white practice uniform and holding a folding fan, seemingly unbothered by the cold of midwinter.

Several followers surrounded him, saying something with fawning expressions.

"Young Hall Master, you will surely take first place in the Inner City Grand Competition this time!"

"That goes without saying! Who doesn't know our Iron Mountain Martial Arts School's 'Jade Crushing Hand'?"

The young man looked proud, clearly enjoying the flattery.

Chen Mo took one look and withdrew his gaze.

All show and no substance.

His footsteps were hollow and his gaze was wandering. This kind of person might look like they had a high Realm, but in a true life-and-death struggle, Chen Mo could twist his head off within ten moves.

He turned to leave.

Now that he knew where it was, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with them later. Today, his main goal was to buy medicine and a saber.

Just as he turned around.

At the side gate of the martial arts hall, a grey-clothed servant who was about to dump trash suddenly stopped.

This servant had sharp features like a monkey and a pair of shifty, bead-like eyes.

He stared fixedly at Chen Mo's retreating back.

Although Chen Mo had changed his clothes, that build, that walking posture, and that faint, lingering coldness...

A flash of realization went through the servant's mind.

A few days ago, someone had challenged the 'Iron Bone Martial Arts Hall' in the Outer City. Although the Hall Master didn't die, several of his prized Disciples had been crippled.

The Iron Bone Martial Arts Hall was a subordinate branch of the Iron Mountain Martial Arts School in the Outer City, specifically responsible for collecting protection fees and screening for talented recruits there.

The person who challenged the hall back then was masked, but the description of his build was... too similar to this man!

Furthermore, that money pouch hanging from this man's waist...

The servant had sharp eyes.

The bulging shape of that money pouch and its heavy, weighted hang.

Where would an Outer City Runner get so much money?

Unless...

The servant dropped the trash bin and turned to run back into the martial arts hall.

...

Deep within the Iron Mountain Martial Arts School.

A spacious quiet room.

The floor was covered with a thick carpet, and weapon racks stood all around, holding every kind of saber, spear, sword, and halberd—all of which were sharpened real weapons, glinting with a cold light.

In the middle of the room sat a man.

This man was bare-chested, and his muscles didn't look human; they looked as if they were carved from granite. Every muscle bulged, covered in a crisscross of scars.

He held a roasted chicken in his hand, biting down on bone and meat alike, crunching and grinding it to pieces before swallowing it into his stomach.

Tie Shan.

The Hall Master of the Iron Mountain Martial Arts School, a notorious hardman in Pingyang City, was said to have already reached the threshold of the 'Organ Refining Realm'.

"Hall Master!"

The monkey-faced servant knelt on the ground, not daring to lift his head.

"You're saying you saw someone outside who looks like the one who challenged the Iron Bone Martial Arts Hall?"

Tie Shan's voice was muffled, sounding like he was speaking from inside a large jar.

"Yes... yes! I used to stay over at the Iron Bone side and saw that person's back. Moreover, he's a new face, looks very wealthy, and is carrying a waist token from our Outer City Magistrate's Office."

The servant reported while trembling.

Tie Shan swallowed the last bit of chicken bone and casually wiped his greasy hands on his pants.

"Outer City Magistrate's Office... wealthy..."

He narrowed his eyes. They weren't large, but they held a light like that of a Vicious Beast.

He didn't actually care about that business with the Iron Bone Martial Arts Hall.

A few useless Disciples—if they were crippled, so be it.

However, one must look at the master before beating the dog.

The Iron Bone Martial Arts Hall provided him with a lot of silver in tribute every year. Having it challenged was cutting off his revenue and slapping his face.

More importantly...

"You said he's very wealthy?" Tie Shan asked.

"Very wealthy! That money pouch looked like it had the weight of several hundred taels of gold!" The servant gestured exaggeratedly.

Tie Shan laughed.

It was a hideous smile, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

Several hundred taels of gold.

That was no small sum.

Even in the Inner City, this was a windfall.

Where would a lowly Little Runner from the Outer City get so much money?