Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 132 Capital City
Lin Jiang closed his eyes and focused his mind, his consciousness returning to the ancient tree.

"Eldest son."

He heard the sound of the tinplate.

"What happened to you? Why did you contact me all of a sudden?"

"Sun Zhong has returned to Beijing."

Upon hearing the sound of the metal sheet, Lin Jiang's brows slowly furrowed.

sound……

Tinplate seemed a little nervous.

"Has something happened to Sun Zhong?"

"You should remember that Sun Zhong was sent out to deal with the strange phenomena in the north, right?"

"remember."

"Although the task force quelled the anomaly, everyone was seriously injured. Sun Zhong was the most seriously injured and is currently recuperating at home."

Lin Jiang's thoughts stirred slightly.

This strange phenomenon in the north...

Lin Jiang still remembered the map of the little golden statue, with a small red dot directly north of it.

Do you know the specifics of the strange phenomenon in the north?

"That place... is pretty eerie."

Lin Jiang could clearly see the young man inside the coffin stroking his chin as he recalled:

"According to the accompanying personnel, a strange snow mountain suddenly appeared in the northern border. The summit was warm as spring, and climbing it in just a single layer of clothing would leave one drenched in sweat. At the summit was a pool of blood, surrounded by crimson ice that was scorching hot. And in the pool lived a bizarre monster, extremely ferocious."

"The capital dispatched two fifth-level and two sixth-level experts, along with two star-pointing generals from the northern border, to fight a bloody battle on the mountain for several days. When they came down the mountain, the snow mountain vanished like a dream, leaving no trace."

"Even though they are both Star-level experts, they have suffered serious injuries and will need a long period of recuperation."

Both of the Stars are injured!

It was indeed dangerous.

“I don’t have a suitable reason to contact Sun Zhong right now. If you need it, I can think of a way to send your life savings to him.”

"Thank you."

"But this matter may not come to fruition. I am not familiar with Sun Zhongshi, so I have no excuse to visit him in the hospital."

"It doesn't matter, just do your best."

Lin Jiang didn't seem to care about this.

There are still five days until I arrive in Beijing. I will have to pay a personal visit to Sun Zhong then, and I will probably have to handle many things myself.

Unexpectedly, Sun Zhong was seriously injured because of this incident.

After finishing his conversation with Ironhide, Lin Jiang turned off the communication on the ancient tree and then walked through the east corridor straight to the inner room.

He looked up and stared at the wall in front of him.

The walls remain the same as before, with huge coffins, mountains, rivers, lakes, and yellow and red dots reflecting each other.

The red dot that was originally located in the northernmost part of Daxing has now disappeared.

Sure enough, they removed the one from the North.

Lin Jiang really didn't expect that in order to remove such a red dot, two people who were responsible for the dot would be injured.

Although the exact extent of the injuries is unknown, based on Tiepizi's description, the injuries are likely quite severe.

No wonder the Oscar winners said this place was dangerous.

However, this matter is not entirely bad.

At least Lin Jiang now knows that the red dot is not indestructible and can be broken by those with profound cultivation.

If I become capable enough in the future...

Lin Jiang looked at the wall covered in crimson.

Can it be eliminated?

……

The last five days of the trip were peaceful.

There were neither bandits nor demons. It was as if, after crossing some invisible boundary, both humans and demons had restrained their ferocity and become kind and approachable.

Along the roadside, wandering demons were frequently seen, all dressed in black official robes like the wolf-headed man from before, appearing to be proper servants, all of whom were appointed by the Zhenping Division.

Some of these waiters were parading through the streets, while others were handling cases. The local residents were all familiar with them and didn't find anything unusual about them.

"I never feel comfortable coming to the vicinity of the capital." The bodyguard looked at the waiters and couldn't help but say, "There are so many waiters, and they don't hide. They're everywhere."

"It's a good thing overall," Gongxuan replied with a smile. "It's not easy for demons to cultivate, so it would be excellent if they could enter the Zhenping Division."

"What the Taoist priest says is true."

And so the day passed.

Every evening, Lin Jiang would lead Chen Dajiang and Xiaoshan Shen to practice martial arts under the moonlight. Although the time was short, they laid a solid foundation for their training.

Even Lin Jiang could barely manage to wield a long-handled axe a few times.

Although he is not yet able to properly fight against masters in terms of martial arts, his strength alone is enough to kill most people with just a few moves of his long-handled axe.

Until the dawn of the fifth day, the majestic city rose from the horizon.

The capital has arrived.

This convoy did not go directly into the capital, but stopped in a town near the capital.

There are also many towns around the capital. As a huge city, not everyone is qualified to live in the city. Some merchants in certain industries are not suitable to enter the city.

If livestock herders, farmers, and goods transporters were all piled up in the city, it would inevitably spoil the atmosphere of the capital.

The capital city should be a place of elegance and refinement; other things should naturally be kept in the towns outside the city, where special constables should be in charge.

Lin Jiang and his group settled in a town that specialized in unloading goods. After unloading, the goods were inspected by the clerk in the courtyard. If there were no problems, the goods could be sent to the capital.

The escorting guards stopped there. When Jiang Jinyue paid the remaining balance, the leader clasped his hands in a fist and laughed heartily: "You're a straightforward young lady! I hope we can work together again when we meet again!"

"The journey through life is long, we shall meet again."

"Goodbye Jianghu."

The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) took the money and rode away, but did not rush to leave the town.

The brothels and theaters of the capital city offer a myriad of pleasures: storytellers with exotic flair, pipa players in embroidered dresses, and even the secret-recipe roasted goose from a retired imperial chef. To travel a thousand miles and not know how to enjoy these pleasures would be to waste one's journey.
After seeing off the guards, the merchants went to unload their goods. His work had only just begun after arriving in the capital.

"Young Master Zhu, what are your plans next?" Jiang Jinyue approached Lin Jiang and the others.

"Let's go into the city and find a place to stay."

"Do you plan to live in the capital permanently?"

"I'll probably stay here for a while."

First, I need to find Sun Zhong, then I need to ask Liang Huashan and Ye Wanzhuang. If possible, I should try to learn some martial arts in the capital.

It will take at least several months to get all these things sorted out.

In addition, if possible, Lin Jiang also plans to open some businesses in the capital, relying on Chen Dajiang and Shui Xing to make connections, so that he can leave some of his own spies in the capital.

It should work?

Although many time travelers were able to amass wealth through their intelligence and wisdom, Lin Jiang probably didn't have much confidence in himself.

The main reason is that Daxing has paper, steel forging skills, soap, and even perfume.

What can he do?
Are you making salt?
Lin Jiang estimated that if he really got salt, about five or six people would come to his door the next day to have a heart-to-heart talk.

"Why don't you come into the city with us? You need a permit to enter the capital normally, and we happen to have one on us."

"Thank you girl."

The group traveled together, and the two carriages soon arrived at the gates of the capital.

There were guards standing by the city gate, and everyone passing by needed to show their credentials.

Jiang Jinyue also showed the guards her credentials. The guards, who had been indifferent, immediately perked up when they saw the iron badge she was carrying and saluted in her direction.

Jiang Jinyue pointed to Lin Jiang's car, and when they entered the city, the guards didn't stop them at all.

The moment the wheels rolled over the bluestone city wall, a wave of sound, carrying with it the sounds of everyday life and bustling activity, rushed towards us.

Along the street, stalls lined up one after another. Old women sold colorful rope knots, young girls selected enamel hairpins, sugar painting masters used copper spoons to draw strands of gold on the bluestone slabs, and peddlers carried their loads, the fragrance of rouge wafting far and wide.

Others were large, well-established inns; the waiters in short, brown robes would sling their handkerchiefs over their shoulders, bow, and call out:

"The chill of early spring is perfect for warming wine. Would you like to try some of the newly arrived Huainan rice wine, sir?"

lively.

This is the most bustling city Lin Jiang has ever been to.

The grandeur of the pine-flower banquet was comparable, yet it was merely one of the most ordinary streets among the thousands of alleys in the capital. There were ten or even a hundred such streets in the capital.

Whether it's taverns, antique shops, cosmetic shops, gambling dens, entertainment venues, perfume shops, or many other places, the capital has everything that ordinary towns should have, and it also has things that ordinary towns don't have.

Looking out over the city center, a solitary tower pierces the clouds, startling several flocks of wild geese into flight.

This is the capital.

“Young master, we must return to the Six Doors to report. If you wish to find me again, you may do so at the Six Doors.”

"If I have the time, I will definitely go to the Six Doors to ask for a cup of wine."

"I'm going to take you around the capital and show you around some of the restaurants nearby."

After they finished talking and laughing, Jiang Jinyue pointed in a certain direction in the capital:

"If you're going to stay long-term, it's best to rent a house. Follow this road forward, and when you reach the end, head east. There's a merchant house there, and inside they have houses that can accommodate the three of you. Try to choose one with an official red deed. Although there are few criminals in the capital, a white deed is still not very reliable."

A house broker introduces houses; a red deed is an official document, more expensive but also safer; a white deed is a private document, cheaper but more likely to be a scam.

After clasping their hands in farewell, the two groups of people gradually disappeared into the distance.

Without companionship, even amidst the bustling streets, a sense of loneliness lingers.

She quickly composed herself and followed Jiang Jinyue's directions to the merchant house.

A crowd of people in coarse clothes and short jackets thronged in front of the magistrate's table, mostly ordinary folks clutching the corners of their clothes and counting their copper coins.

They stared at the wall covered in vermilion contracts for a long time, finally letting go of the faded money bag in their hands.

After the crowd had dispersed, Lin Jiang approached and said:

“I want a tenant’s yard.”

Fang Ya tilted his head and looked Lin Jiang up and down:
"Inside or outside the city?"

"Inside the city."

“Ordinary households can afford six or seven hundred coins. If you want a larger house, it will cost at least one and a half strings of cash. If you have plenty of money, I can find you a house with more than ten strings of cash. I see that there are three of you, so you probably don’t need it.”

He paused, then continued:
"If you want to hire more servants, male servants will cost 400 coins a month, and female servants will cost 300 coins a month. But if you want to hire a cook, it will cost at least 2 strings of cash."

hiss.

It is indeed under the emperor's nose.

This price is much higher than that of the old pine!

Lin Jiang did bring a lot of money with him this time, but if he wants to stay for a long time, he will probably have to be careful with his money.

As he was looking around, Lin Jiang suddenly spotted an official's residence.

It only costs a thousand coins a month?

Although it is more expensive than a private residence, this official residence is quite large. If other residences were of this size, they would cost at least four or five thousand coins per month.

This doesn't even include the land price. This is a prime location, so the rent would have to be increased by another 20-30%.

He blinked, pointing with a puzzled look:
"This house is so cheap?"

Fang Ya immediately perked up, and he chuckled:
"This house, hehe, is a haunted house."

(End of this chapter)