Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Horse Bandits Establish a City

In the Jiang Family courtyard.

Jiang Che was training.

Suddenly, Jiang Ling came over, holding a plate of golden-brown balls.

"Brother, try the Golden Jade Pills I made!"

"Golden Jade Pills? What are these?"

Jiang Che picked one up and took a bite, his expression changing abruptly.

Sweet, salty, and fishy...

’What in the world is this?’

"Brother, I made them with dried fish, honey, and corn flour, then fried them. Are they good?" Jiang Ling asked, blinking her big eyes, her face full of anticipation.

"..." Jiang Che wanted to ask her, ’Are you doing this on purpose, or was this an accident?’

He sighed inwardly.

At first, the little lass had cooked proper meals.

But at some point, the little lass had started experimenting with culinary disasters!

’Could she have learned this from the lady next door, too? No way, I have to go have a word with her!’ A chill ran through Jiang Che.

That day, after finishing his training, Jiang Che went to Hou’s Noodle House again.

The moment he stepped inside, the aroma of hot chili oil and stewed meat wafted over.

Jiang Che couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

’Ah, that’s the stuff!’

He’d been coming here for noodles every day lately.

Part of the reason was, of course, Jiang Ling’s experiments with culinary disasters.

But the food here also genuinely suited Jiang Che’s palate.

The hand-pulled noodles had the perfect chewy texture, the broth was rich and fragrant, and with a wide variety of toppings, he never got tired of it.

Besides, it was a good place to pick up information.

The street was lined with Martial Arts Halls and Escort Agencies, so it was always teeming with Martial Artists.

The clientele consisted mostly of people from the Jianghu, who were always well-informed.

The shop wasn’t very large, so one could overhear most of the customers’ conversations.

While eating his noodles, Jiang Che had overheard plenty of rumors from the Jianghu.

For instance, which Martial Arts Hall had been challenged, which escort shipment had been robbed, or what absurd thing some young master from the Inner City had gotten up to again.

He wasn’t very social and lacked other sources of information, so he was quite happy to learn about the outside world here.

’What should I eat today...’

Jiang Che looked at the wooden menu board hanging over the counter, feeling a bit torn.

"Young Master Jiang, we have a new lamb noodle soup. Would you like to give it a try?"

Master Hou said with a smile, emerging from the kitchen and seeing it was Jiang Che.

He had a fair complexion and a scholarly air about him, not at all what Jiang Che imagined a cook would look like.

"Alright, I’ll have the lamb noodle soup then!" Jiang Che said.

"You got it! The usual way, with extra scallions and cilantro for you!"

Jiang Che found a seat and started peeling garlic.

Master Hou was generous with his customers and always had a great attitude, so the shop was always doing good business.

It wasn’t even noon, but people were already trickling in for a meal.

Before long, two men dressed like Martial Artists sat down at the adjacent table.

The stockier of the two plopped down on a stool and began to complain.

"Sigh... there have been hardly any escort jobs lately. Life is getting tougher and tougher!"

He had a burly frame and a fierce-looking scar on his face, yet here he was, sighing in frustration.

"Is it the Horse Bandits making trouble?" asked the other man, who was leaner but still solidly built.

The scar-faced man shook his head.

"I don’t know why, but it’s not them. In fact, speaking of which... those Horse Bandits have actually stopped robbing people lately!"

Hearing them mention the Horse Bandits, Jiang Che’s interest was piqued, and he began to listen intently.

"Why is that?" the lean man asked in surprise.

The scar-faced man glanced around before leaning in and saying mysteriously,

"Word is, their Bandit Leader, Tuoba Lie, built a small town on Black Wind Mountain called Black Wind Castle. They say he’s given up the robbing business and is starting to recruit talented individuals!"

"What? The Horse Bandits are building a town now?!" the lean man exclaimed, his face a mask of shock.

"Yeah. They say they’re welcoming anyone to settle there. If you go, they’ll give you farmland. They claim they want everyone to have a good life!

"And if you’re a Martial Artist, the benefits are even better! The monthly stipend is supposedly higher than what the Five Great Noble Families in the Inner City offer! They even provide Middle-Grade Exotic Beast Meat!"

There was a hint of envy in the scar-faced man’s voice.

"Is that for real? Why the sudden change of heart from a bunch of Horse Bandits? This is too bizarre!" The lean man looked utterly incredulous.

Just then, Jiang Che’s lamb noodle soup arrived. He had finished peeling his garlic.

One spoonful of vinegar, two of chili oil, and five cloves of garlic—his standard noodle-eating ritual.

The lamb wasn’t gamy or tough. It came in large, square chunks, marbled with fat and lean. Paired with the savory, slow-cooked broth and the chewy, hand-pulled noodles, this lamb soup was truly excellent.

The scar-faced man scooted his stool closer to the other man, cupped a hand over his mouth, and dropped his voice to a whisper.

"I heard... that some time ago they found a strategist somewhere, and Tuoba Lie immediately made him his second-in-command!

"That strategist then offered up a bunch of schemes, and this gang of Horse Bandits completely changed their ways!"

The scar-faced man wore a look that said, "Now you get it."

An ordinary person might not have been able to hear them, but the hushed words reached Jiang Che’s ears perfectly clearly.

He continued to eat his noodles, his attention fixed on the two men’s conversation.

"But they’re still Horse Bandits. Isn’t the Imperial Court going to do anything about it?" the lean man frowned.

"Do anything? Hah!" The scar-faced man sneered, his tone dripping with contempt.

"We’re constantly at war with the Great Yan Kingdom in the west, and I hear we’re losing one battle after another. When would the Court have time to bother with a backwater place like us in the southeast?

"To put it bluntly, the Court’s military coffers are tight. If that Tuoba Lie offered up enough tax silver, he might even get an official amnesty and a title!"

"So this Tuoba Lie has really become a great benefactor? He doesn’t have some ulterior motive, does he?

"And why would they need so many Martial Artists? They’re not planning to attack our Lin Yuan City one day, are they?!" A hint of worry crossed the lean man’s face.

"Sigh... who knows!" The scar-faced man let out a breath, his expression also becoming uncertain.

Just then, their noodles arrived, and the conversation ended.

Jiang Che’s mood grew heavy, and the meal lost its savor.

He had studied a bit of history in his previous life.

When roving bandits settled down to become stationary ones, it always meant they were planning something bigger.

Recruiting Martial Artists in droves was proof enough.

And with the Imperial Court suffering defeats, powerful factions everywhere were surely growing restless.

Perhaps one day soon, Great Chu would descend into an era of warring factions!

When that time came, Lin Yuan City itself might be swept into the flames of war.

Thinking of all the recent strange events, plus the large number of wealthy families moving away...

Jiang Che felt an ever-growing sense of suffocation, as if an age of chaos was about to dawn.

After eating, Jiang Che returned home and threw himself into his training. No matter how the world changed, training was always useful!

Soon, the day of the Shao Family patriarch’s grand birthday celebration arrived.

Jiang Che dressed presentably, took a small package of medicinal herbs, and set off.

The package contained Centennial Snow Ginseng, which was known for its life-extending properties.

Jiang Che had bought it for one hundred taels of silver after consulting with Zhang Xiong.

Although spending one hundred taels stung, his new employer treated him well. His monthly stipend alone was one hundred taels, not to mention the five jin of Middle-Grade Exotic Beast Meat.

Since he was going to offer birthday congratulations, he had to bring a respectable gift.

An hour later, Jiang Che arrived at the central district of the Inner City.

From a distance, he could hear the festive clamor of firecrackers, gongs, and drums.

As he drew closer, he saw an imposing mansion with high gates and a sprawling courtyard.

Two stone lions, each as tall as a man, stood imposingly on either side of the main gate.

Above the gate, the two words "Shao Mansion" were written in large, gilt characters. The calligraphy was powerful and majestic, clearly the work of a master.

All sorts of luxurious carriages were parked at the entrance. One after another, lavishly dressed guests stepped out, holding various celebratory gifts as they waited to enter.

Jiang Che straightened his clothes and strode forward.