After entering the city.
The Escort Team slowly made its way to the delivery point.
Jiang Che noticed that Hengsha City seemed a bit more desolate than the last time he had visited.
After arriving at their destination, Sun Yong went to handle the usual arrangements.
The other Darts Masters dispersed in small groups.
Jiang Che, meanwhile, went to a teahouse to rest for a bit.
"Sir, what can I get for you? We have Biluochun, jasmine tea, medicinal tea, and ginger tea," a waiter in gray clothes said with a smile as he approached Jiang Che's table.
"A pot of Biluochun," Jiang Che said. "By the way, may I ask what has happened in the city? Why does it feel so much more desolate?"
The waiter hesitated.
Jiang Che took out a few pieces of silver from his robes and handed them over.
The waiter accepted it with a grin, then glanced around before leaning in and saying:
"You must be from out of town, sir. Lately, people have been mysteriously disappearing in the city.
"It used to be experts from the various Martial Arts Halls, but now even some wealthy families have vanished.
"Everyone's saying that some evil entity is secretly snatching people at night to eat them! A lot of people have already moved away!
"If you're staying the night here, sir, you must remember not to wander around outside!"
With that, the waiter left.
Jiang Che's heart grew heavy after hearing this.
After finishing his tea, Jiang Che decided to take a walk nearby to see if he could gather any more information.
Although he felt that something was off about Hengsha City, now that he had the Flying Swallow Step, he should be able to escape even if he encountered danger.
'Even though I haven't broken through to Stone Skin yet, if I use the Flying Swallow Step while in the Heart Stream State…'
'…even someone at the Iron Skin Realm might not be able to catch me.'
As Jiang Che walked, he suddenly noticed a family moving out of a large residence. Boxes were being carried from the house onto a horse-drawn carriage.
A portly, middle-aged man in silk robes was directing the servants, his forehead beaded with sweat.
Jiang Che continued on, and after turning down an alley, he found another wealthy family in the process of moving.
On the streets, he also saw people with carts full of luggage, entire families relocating.
Combined with what the teahouse waiter had said, Jiang Che's heart felt even heavier.
He stopped wandering and went to the agreed-upon meeting point.
Before long, Sun Yong returned, having completed the delivery.
"Brother Jiang, I didn't get to show you around properly last time. How about we go for a look around now?" Sun Yong said with a smile.
Jiang Che thought for a moment. "Sure."
The two of them headed toward the Inner City.
Hengsha City, too, was divided into an Inner City and an Outer City.
Compared to the desolation of the Outer City, the Inner City was much more prosperous.
The streets were bustling with traffic and thronged with people; it was a lively scene.
Both sides of the street were lined with all sorts of shops.
There were teahouses, restaurants, gambling dens, goldsmiths, noodle stalls, pawnshops, textile shops, and more.
The dazzling array of sights was almost overwhelming.
Suddenly, a boat laden with fresh flowers seemed to "float" slowly toward them.
On the boat, several colorfully dressed dancers were performing.
Their graceful figures and captivating moves drew waves of applause from the crowd.
Jiang Che looked closer and saw that dozens of men were carrying it from below, which was how it could "float" down the street.
"That's a flower boat," Sun Yong laughed. "Never seen one before? Actually, the Inner City of our Lin Yuan City has them too. If you're interested, I'll take you to see them sometime!"
Jiang Che just smiled and said nothing.
His mind was still on what the teahouse waiter had said earlier.
And on all the people he had seen moving away.
Before long, they arrived at a restaurant.
The restaurant had three stories and was quite grand, with carved beams and painted rafters.
The plaque, with gold lettering on a black background, read the two words "Qifeng Residence".
People were constantly coming and going, and a young servant in gray clothes was greeting guests at the entrance.
Sun Yong, moving with practiced ease, led Jiang Che inside.
The two found an empty table on the first floor and sat down.
In the center of the hall, a young songstress was singing, accompanied by someone playing the guzheng.
Jiang Che couldn't quite understand the lyrics, but it sounded like a story about a scholar and a beauty.
Sun Yong called over a waiter and began to order.
"We'll have the roasted snow rabbit, the wild mushroom and mountain pheasant stew, the watershield and perch medley, and the red-braised deer tendon."
Sun Yong seemed very familiar with the menu and quickly finished ordering.
"Escort Sun, this is too much! You don't need to order such fine dishes. I'd be fine with just a simple bite."
The names of the dishes alone told Jiang Che they were something special, and he quickly tried to stop him.
"Why be so polite? You have no idea, the cooking at Qifeng Residence is second to none.
"Every time I come to Hengsha City, I eat here. It's truly unforgettable. You'll know what I mean after you try it!"
Sun Yong was practically drooling as he spoke.
"Escort Sun certainly has refined tastes," Jiang Che said with a smile.
"Don't be such a stranger. Just call me Brother Sun."
"Alright, Brother Sun!"
Before long, all the dishes had arrived.
Jiang Che took a bite; they were indeed perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
Sun Yong ordered a pot of yellow wine, and the two clinked their cups before downing them in one gulp.
"By the way, Brother Sun, I was wondering where you learned your Iron Body Skills? Was it at a Martial Arts Hall?" Jiang Che hesitated for a moment before finally asking.
He had always been very interested in Iron Body Skills.
Currently, he relied on the Cloud-Stacking Fist for offense and the Flying Swallow Step for evasion, but his physical body was still fragile and couldn't take a direct hit.
He thought that if he could learn an Iron Body Skill, it would shore up his weakness of low defense.
'Although it's generally not a good idea to cultivate multiple types of Martial Arts…'
'…these days, many people secretly practice other skills on the side. It's an unspoken understanding.'
"You mean Bullish Fist? I didn't learn it at a Martial Arts Hall; it's a family art."
Sun Yong continued, "Little brother wants to learn? According to my family's rules, I can't pass it on to an outsider... But if it's just some methods for Skin and Flesh Training, that should be fine!"
Jiang Che's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Brother Sun!"
"Actually, Skin and Flesh Training is quite simple. It mainly consists of two parts.
"The first is strength training. You use stone locks to temper your muscles and sinews every day, making them thicker and stronger.
"The second is striking. You start by using a wooden stick to beat your entire body.
"At the same time, you take some medicine internally to speed up recovery, like the Golden Injury Pill. You can buy that at any Pharmacy.
"Once you get used to the wooden stick, you switch to beating yourself with bricks and stones. After that, you use an Iron Rod."
Jiang Che mentally took note, deciding to start trying it out once he got back.
'It might not be a proper Iron Body Skill, but it's still good if it can make my body a bit tougher.'
After they finished eating, the two of them strolled around the Inner City a little more.
Seeing that it was getting late, they returned to the Escort Team.
As they neared the city gate, Jiang Che saw one of the families that had been moving earlier now leaving the city.
A guard had stopped the family and was saying something to them.
Then, the portly man in silk robes took out a heavy pouch of silver and handed it to the guard, only then being allowed to pass through the gate.
"That's the departure fee," Sun Yong whispered to Jiang Che.
"What's a departure fee?" Jiang Che asked, curious.
"Not everyone has to pay it. But if a whole family is relocating and won't be residing here anymore, they have to hand over ten percent of their assets. Otherwise, they're not allowed to leave."
"I see," Jiang Che nodded.
On the way back, the escort team encountered a few more Bull Skin Realm Black Beasts, but they were all easily dispatched.
「Three days passed in a flash, and the group returned to Lin Yuan City.」
Upon arriving home, Jiang Che immediately went out and bought stone locks of various weights, then found some wooden sticks, stones, and an Iron Rod.
Next, he went to a Pharmacy and bought some Golden Injury Pills.
The Golden Injury Pill was primarily used to treat various injuries sustained during training. It was fairly well-known, and its effects were decent.
The only downside was the slightly high price—one tael of silver for a small bottle, which would last for about ten days.
However, while Jiang Che wasn't wealthy, he still had several dozen taels of silver.
So he bought a few extra bottles to keep in stock.
Once all his preparations were complete, Jiang Che stood in his courtyard, bare-chested, a wooden stick in his hand.
He took a deep breath, and then began to strike himself.