Surviving in the chaos of battle, I'm grinding for proficiency.

Li Chuan rode in a carriage, slowly heading towards the inner city.

Sewage flowed freely on the streets of the outer city.

Most of the roads were dirt roads, with only a few places covered by broken flagstones.

The surrounding area was filled with low, earthen houses, some of which even had large holes in them.

They can't avoid being exposed to wind, sun, rain, or water.

Along the way, ragged civilians would occasionally walk by, scanning their surroundings with fierce eyes.

Occasionally, you can hear clashes breaking out between several gangs, with shouts and curses filling the air.

But once they reached the inner city gate, the scene was completely different.

A tall city wall stood up, separating the inner and outer cities.

The inner city was mostly inhabited by wealthy merchants and their families.

They occupied the most fertile land and built the strongest city walls.

It can be considered a "city within a city"!

Even at the city gate, there were four gatekeepers standing at the four corners, strictly controlling who could enter the city.

There were also six or seven patrolmen patrolling the area, scanning for potential dangers with sharp eyes.

Luo Zheng got off the carriage, took a wooden plaque embroidered with patterns from his waist, and handed it to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper frowned, stared at the wooden sign for a few moments, and then the frost on his face vanished.

He gave a kind smile:

"Sir, this way please!"

Unlike the outer city, where people were often beaten and scolded and their entry was restricted, the gatekeepers here seemed very "honest".

Because you never know when you might offend someone you can't afford to mess with!

Luo Zheng nodded to the gatekeeper and got into the carriage.

Li Chuan lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, wanting to see the scenery of the inner city.

"Wait, who are you? Do you have a token?"

The gatekeeper noticed something was wrong, his eyes became wary, and he suddenly raised his voice.

The patrolmen nearby noticed something was wrong and gathered around.

Li Chuan explained:

"I was following..."

The gatekeeper looked up at Li Chuan and smiled ingratiatingly:

"Sir, this is none of your business. I'm talking about the kid behind you."

Li Chuan looked back and saw a young man in gray following behind the carriage, his head bowed low.

His body trembled upon hearing the gatekeeper's question.

Upon seeing this, the gatekeeper's eyes flashed with a cold light. With a clang, he drew his long sword and slammed the back of the blade into the young man's body.

"How dare you enter the inner city?!"

Luo Zheng explained:

"Every day there are people like this, trying to sneak in without doing anything."

"Is the inner city... really that great? Would you rather get a beating than not come in?"

Luo Zheng laughed:

"Just look out of the carriage and you'll see."

Li Chuan pulled back the curtain and looked outside.

There was no dirty, foul-smelling sewage, and no dusty, muddy roads.

In its place, there is a clean and tidy bluestone pavement.

There were no beggars or refugees among the passersby.

Most people were dressed appropriately, and there were quite a few young men and women in fine robes.

Every few dozen meters, patrolmen dressed in official robes would patrol the area.

They would occasionally tap the long swords at their waists, making a crisp sound, as if warning those who wanted to cause trouble.

Luo Zheng sighed:

"The four major families of Anning County, local gentry, and the county magistrate's office are all based here. There are patrolmen every hundred steps, which is quite terrifying."

"Senior Brother Luo, is it safe to live here?" Li Chuan asked.

Luo Zheng nodded:

"That's natural. The lords in the inner city have set a rule that bloodshed is not allowed here."

Even if you offend some big shot, as long as you stay here for the rest of your life, he won't dare to do anything to you.

Li Chuan wholeheartedly agreed upon hearing this.

The inner city was like a safe backyard, where the relatives of all the important figures in Anning County lived.

No one wants anything to happen to their family, so everyone tries their best to maintain this "order".

'If I can bring my family in, then I won't have to worry about their safety,' Li Chuan thought to himself.

"A-Chuan, come down quickly, we've arrived at Feiyan Tower!" Luo Zheng called out as he stepped down from the carriage.

Luo Zheng seems to have a good relationship with the shopkeeper.

He casually went upstairs and ordered a few hearty dishes, then sat down with Li Chuan.

Luo Zheng sighed:

"I used to come here often when my family was doing well, but things have declined somewhat in recent years."

After saying that, he joked:

"I'm only able to eat here because of you."

Li Chuan said calmly:

"Don't worry, no matter what you say, I won't hold back."

Luo Zheng's lips twitched:

Has anyone ever told you that you can be really annoying sometimes?

Li Chuan: "..."

Luo Zheng suddenly cursed in a low voice:

"What bad luck, why is he here too!"

Li Chuan followed his gaze and saw that it was Senior Brother Tang Xiang, followed by two young masters.

Tang Xiang noticed Luo Zheng's gaze and smiled.

"Junior Brother Luo, Junior Brother Li, what a coincidence!"

Luo Zheng said coldly:

"It's quite a coincidence."

Tang Xiang ignored Luo Zheng's tone, but instead glanced at Li Chuan a few more times with a bright smile.

Li Chuan felt something was off; Tang Xiang usually didn't give him a friendly look.

Even though he had already mastered internal energy, he hadn't given any warning.

Why has your attitude towards me changed so drastically now?

However, his doubts did not last long.

Soon, a beautiful maid brought out five main dishes and arranged them in a row.

As soon as it was placed on the table, Li Chuan smelled an extremely strong aroma of meat.

Even the fragrance stirred up the dormant energy within him.

Li Chuan took a closer look and saw steamed bear paw, roasted lamb chops, pan-fried silver fish, stir-fried tiger meat with chili peppers, turtle soup...

You can't have your cake and eat it too...

Li Chuan inexplicably recalled this sentence, and also the days when he was struggling to memorize his lessons.

"What a fine day! Would you like a pot of the best Shaoxing wine?" Luo Zheng asked excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

"No." Li Chuan glanced at Luo Zheng. "Martial arts practitioners should drink less alcohol."

Luo Zheng nodded guiltily:

"Wine and women are harmful to health; I will abstain from alcohol starting today!"

Li Chuan picked up a piece of bear paw and chewed it.

The bear paws were steamed until very soft and tender, practically melting in your mouth.

The sauce drizzled on top completely masked the fishy smell.

It tastes absolutely delicious!

Li Chuan was somewhat surprised; this was completely different from what he had expected.

Bear paws have a unique texture; they don't taste like meat, but rather like pork skin and tendons.

More importantly, as the bear paw was swallowed, a surge of vital energy immediately spread throughout the body.

This energy, like a gentle spring breeze, gradually penetrated into every inch of his muscles and skin.

It nourishes his body at all times!

Li Chuan was somewhat moved.

He still remembers that when he went to the market and looked at the bear paws that weighed one pound and one ounce, he never dared to linger his gaze for too long.

I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to actually eat it now.

With this in mind, Li Chuan's movements suddenly quickened considerably.

Before Luo Zheng could react, half of the bear paw was gone.

He immediately said urgently:

"Hey kid, wait for me!"

With that, he began to wield his chopsticks with practiced ease.

But in the end, Luo Zheng didn't eat much, since it was his banquet for Li Chuan, and Li Chuan ate most of it.

Li Chuan let out a comfortable groan:

"Senior Brother Luo, now I finally understand what kind of good life you all live. Eating these highly nutritious foods all the time, how could you not be strong?"

Luo Zheng shook his head:

"Ah Chuan, you eat donkey meat and venison every day, and you've gotten this far. You're much better than me."