All the gods began by cultivating the Iron Shirt technique.

Jiaxing's prosperity far surpasses that of Tongjiang County alone; upon entering the city gate, a strong sense of bustling life immediately greets you.

"Selling candied hawthorns, three coins a skewer."

"Steamed buns, freshly baked steamed buns!"

"Boss, two bowls of wontons, please."

......

Although he had become accustomed to the bustling scenes of industrial cities in later generations, Yang Pan had been here for three years. In those three years, he had gradually gotten used to life in this ancient world, as well as the shops and streets of Tongjiang County.

Looking at the streets before him, which were three or four times wider than those in Tongjiang County, and the endless stream of pedestrians, Yang Pan's eyes lit up.

"Alright, don't stand here anymore. Come with me to the branch headquarters. There will be a place for you to stay temporarily."

Before the crowd could have much time to be surprised, the Beggars' Sect disciples at the front of the procession were already calling out as they headed into the city.

Following the procession, Yang Pan silently observed the city. The streets near the city gate had the most vendors, and most of the customers were ordinary people dressed simply or even in shabby clothes.

As they ventured deeper into the city, the number of vendors decreased, and various inns and shops gradually increased. Among them, Yang Pan even saw a four-story brothel.

Tongjiang County certainly had brothels, but they were nowhere near as grand in scale. Many of the people who frequented the brothels were scholars or merchants, as well as numerous martial arts practitioners carrying swords and knives. However, these individuals would hand over their weapons at the entrance, as if they were being temporarily stored away.

Yang Pan didn't know what the Song Dynasty was like in history, but as he saw more, his impression of the world gradually became clearer and more profound.

......

After passing through bustling city streets and several market towns, the group was led to the western part of the city. This area had many residential buildings, mostly belonging to wealthy and powerful families. Passing through these buildings, they finally stopped not far from the riverbank. Before them came a vast building—the Beggars' Sect's branch in Jiaxing.

Without saying much, the Beggars' Sect leaders who had been seen in the inner room were the first to enter the branch headquarters. Not long after, an unfamiliar Beggars' Sect disciple ran out of the branch headquarters and led everyone in one after another.

"You'll have to find rooms here for now. The rooms haven't been cleaned in a while, so you'll have to clean them yourselves." The Beggars' Sect disciple led everyone to the branch headquarters and stopped in front of a group of rooms against the wall on the outer perimeter.

Yang Pan looked at the rooms. These should be the guest rooms that the Beggars' Sect usually used to accommodate refugees like them. The buildings were quite old and dusty.

However, Yang Pan and his companions didn't mind; having a temporary place to stay was good enough for them. So, after the Beggars' Sect disciples left, everyone found their own rooms and went in.

Huang Hui had difficulty moving around, so Yang Pan and Shi Yingfeng cleaned the room they had chosen for him. After a flurry of activity, the three brothers gathered in the room to rest.

"I owe a great debt to my two junior brothers along the way; otherwise, I fear I would have died on the road."

Huang Hui lay half-reclined on the bed. The other person's medicine had been changed several times during the journey. Despite the bumpy ride, the other person's complexion was much better than at the beginning.

"Senior brother, you're too kind. If it weren't for you, junior brother Yang and I wouldn't have had a chance to escape from Tongjiang County."

Senior Brother Shi looked serious. This usually taciturn man was extremely focused at this moment.

Yang Pan nodded slightly. There is always a sequence to things. The premise for the two of them to take care of Senior Brother Huang is that the other party saved the two of them first.

Upon hearing Shi Yingfeng's words, Huang Hui smiled and looked at his two junior brothers who had paid to learn martial arts with even greater affection.

"Now we've finally settled down, but according to what the Beggars' Sect disciples said, we can only stay here temporarily. I wonder what your plans are for the future, senior brothers?"

Yang Pan looked at the two men and asked, "Since you've just arrived in Jiaxing and are unfamiliar with the place, I actually hope that these two senior brothers can join the Beggars' Sect in the future so that they can take care of each other."

Upon hearing this, the two fell silent for a moment. After a while, Huang Hui said, "I plan to settle down here and see if I can start a business."

"Running a business? Senior Brother Huang, aren't you planning to open a martial arts school?" Yang Pan asked tentatively, his eyes gleaming.

"It's not opening anymore."

Meeting the gazes of his two junior brothers, Huang Hui smiled wryly:

"Jiaxing City is not Tongjiang County. My father was able to open a martial arts school in Tongjiang County because it was located in a remote area and there were no other martial arts forces there, so he was able to continue operating there."

Jiaxing is far more prosperous than Tongjiang County, with countless martial arts schools and gangs. For an outsider like me to open a martial arts school would be like competing with them for business. Besides, Iron Shirt isn't actually a particularly advanced martial art.

After Huang Hui finished speaking, the room fell silent. Even without being explicitly stated, Yang Pan could sense the sorrow in his senior brother's tone. The ancients said that living in Chang'an was no easy feat. In Jiaxing today, weren't Yang Pan and his companions just as adrift and uncertain as they were?

There are many things here that Tongjiang County doesn't have, and many things that Tongjiang County does have.

As Senior Brother Huang said, there are numerous martial arts schools and gangs here, making it extremely difficult for the Iron River Martial Arts School to reopen. Even if it were to force its way back, could Senior Brother Huang withstand the suppression from other martial arts forces?

After a moment of silence in the room, Shi Yingfeng continued, "I don't have any ideas yet, but after I leave here, I'd like to see if any wealthy families are hiring bodyguards. I'd like to give it a try."

"Becoming a guard? That's a good option. With your strength, which is almost at the peak of Body Tempering, you'd earn more as a guard. What are your plans, Junior Brother Yang?" Huang Hui encouraged him, then looked at Yang Pan.

Suppressing the complex emotions in his heart, Yang Pan said, "I plan to join the Beggars' Sect."

Actually, he wanted to persuade Shi Yingfeng to join the Beggars' Sect. Shi Yingfeng had been cultivating for longer, so he should be able to reach the Perfected Body Tempering level faster than him. At that time, he would be stronger, and might even have the opportunity to enter the upper echelons of the Beggars' Sect. No matter how you looked at it, it was a brighter future than being a bodyguard.

However, Yang Pan was close to Shi Yingfeng and knew that what the latter truly desired was a peaceful life, including his martial arts training. The Beggars' Sect was, after all, a force in the martial arts world, and clashes with other sects were inevitable, leading to constant conflict. So what kind of peace could one expect from joining a sect?

But Yang Pan is different. Whether it's to protect his secret of immortality or to deal with the war decades later, he needs to have enough strength.

The two weren't too surprised to hear that Yang Pan wanted to join the Beggars' Sect. After all, what martial artist doesn't dream of roaming the martial world? In their eyes, Yang Pan probably yearned for the chivalry of the martial world and wanted to become a chivalrous hero.

"Joining the Beggars' Sect is good, but junior brother, the path of the martial world is difficult. Amidst the clash of swords, there are more corpses flowing in rivers of blood. You must be careful in the future."

Huang Hui said earnestly that he actually wanted to persuade Yang Pan not to join the Beggars' Sect, but everyone has different ideas and it is impossible to force him.

Yang Pan nodded, though he didn't say anything, but he felt a warm current flowing through his heart.

The three brothers then continued their conversation about their future lives, offering each other advice. Knowing that their senior brother Huang wanted to go into business, Yang Pan also shared some business and marketing tips from later generations.

While he wasn't exactly a social elite before his transmigration, in the era of big data, one inevitably receives some information passively. Yang Pan, regardless of its usefulness, blurted it all out, leaving it to Senior Brother Huang to see if he could seize the opportunity.

It wasn't until it was getting dark that Yang Pan and Shi Yingfeng got up and left, each returning to their own room.

Watching his two junior brothers leave, Huang Hui's expression was complex. His eyes flickered violently a few times, and finally, as if he had made up his mind, he seemed to have made up his mind.

"Father, I think both of my junior brothers have good aptitude and should be able to inherit your martial arts mantle. But whether you think highly of them or not, I personally think they are quite good."

......