The first time stepping into the ancient town alive~~~ Lucas was so excited that his whole body was trembling. He even paid less attention to the falcon that had been following in the sky. Town Yazd is only seven or eight miles away from the mountain pass, right next to the official road. The town is surrounded by a low adobe wall. Upon entering, they discovered that it was quite lively inside. At the town's entrance, several commoners dressed in brown or black linen were sunbathing and curiously observing them. Lucas had a peculiar appearance, short hair without a hat, wearing a combat jacket, riding breeches, mountain boots, and carrying his 70-liter backpack. Ariana, on the other hand, looked like a celestial being in her noble attire, but her clothes were stained with blood and mud. Despite this, Lucas insisted on holding her hand, creating a strange and intriguing duo. In no time, a group of townspeople began following them, whispering among themselves.
Is this the ancient market town? The streets are all dirt roads, narrow and dirty. The houses are adobe. Where are those beautiful ancient inns from the TV? What about the ancient girls dressed in colorful attire? Everyone has darkened faces, wearing clothes made of hemp. Men tie up their hair and wear hats, dressed in short shirts and pants with pant legs several times larger than bell-bottoms. The entire town is permeated with a strong earthy smell. Is this the ancient country or the scene of another world?
Walking in this town, looking at the people with timid expressions, the low houses, women laboriously carrying buckets of water, and the chickens and sheep living inside the houses with people. Seeing these people and things so vividly around him, Lucas finally confirmed that he was truly in this era. Opening his palm, the mark left from the previous night still shimmered with silver light. Despite his carefree demeanor, in his heart, he sighed silently.
According to Ariana, this town serves as a trading market specifically for horses during the winter agricultural downtime. The Khazars from the north come here for transactions. Every year, the Persia army needs to replenish a large number of warhorses, and people from the south need horses for plowing and field work. Moreover, individuals from the Roman come from as far as west to purchase horses in this market area. Finding two good horses is relatively easy. Under the gaze of the onlookers, the two walked to the east end of the town and discovered another bustling area.
The houses became larger, although there were no buildings with more than two floors. However, it was much more spacious and bright than what they had seen before. Some houses had signs hanging at the entrance, indicating they sold alcohol and food. An open space was enclosed in the middle, where people were bustling about. There were grassland men in fur coats, potential buyers dressed somewhat decently, and some well-dressed individuals seemingly involved in group purchases.
In addition to people, there were horses of all kinds, creating a symphony of neighs. Some horses had their mouths opened for inspection, while others seemed agitated, neighing and jumping around, tightly held by their reins. The market was filled with the breath of both humans and horses. Around the horse market, there were small stalls selling meat, rice, alcohol, and dried fruits. There were also tools such as sickles and hoes for sale. The cries of vendors and the sounds of people and horses blended together, making this place extraordinarily lively.
"Hey, is there any wine for sale here?" Lucas turned his head and looked at Ariana seriously. At this moment, the girl had already attracted numerous gazes. With the pain from the wound and feeling uncomfortable all over, she forcefully pinched him. Lucas winced in pain. It seemed like the Persian girl had developed a habit of pinching herself, and whenever something was wrong, her nails would come into play. Ariana whispered in a low and harsh voice, "Hurry up and find horses! The Persia army is chasing us from behind, and you're still swaggering around like this!"
"Come on, why do you pinch me", Lucas grumbled as he walked into the horse market. Many people's attention shifted from the horses to their duo. The gazes on Ariana were particularly bold. Some individuals dressed like warriors looked even more audacious. After a few exchanged words, a burst of rude laughter erupted.
In the face of these gazes, Lucas was always indifferent, and he might even feel proud. His gril must be attractive... After wandering around for a while, he arrived at a place where a group of people and horses gathered. The horses here seemed to be excellent, tall and robust, with neatly trimmed manes. The noise was loud, but it was not chaotic. It was evident that they had been well taken care of for a long time. Selling the horses was a man dressed in a leather robe, gesturing and negotiating prices with a group of people. Ariana immediately set her sights on these horses and prodded Lucas, "These are good horses. Go and buy them. Time is running out, so act quickly!"
Lucas, without looking back, extended his hand and said, "Give me money!" He still had some common sense. There were a few thousand dollars in his wallet, but in this era, it was almost impossible to use. Ariana's face also turned pale. When she escaped from Ctesiphon City, she brought some conveniently carried gold leaves. She also had two pieces of silk on the horse, which were the most popular currency in this era. However, in the haste of last night's escape, where would these things still be on her!
The two exchanged a glance, and Ariana nodded. Lucas shook his head with a bitter face. Being in this era was unlucky enough, did they have to play the role of amateur robbers? Ariana bit her lip and pinched him hard again. Just as Lucas was about to mildly scold the girl, the pain made him cry out. Helplessly, he turned and plunged into the crowd, swearing to himself, "Damn it! when there's a chance, I'll make you know what pain is!"